Chapter 24 - Chapter 24: Chapter 24 Bathing (2)

Chapter 24: Chapter 24 Bathing (2)

Translator: Atlas Studios       Editor: Atlas Studios

Standing in front of Xia Siyu’s room, Bo Yan paused for quite a while, his expression so calm it bordered on indifferent. The bedroom was unusually quiet, not at all like someone was living there. If he hadn’t seen the trail of clothes she had carelessly discarded on the floor through the crack under the door, he would have doubted that she had come back that evening.

Wait, clothes discarded all over the floor? Even from under the door, he seemed to make out her bra and the lace-print panties, pathetically hanging off the foot of the bed.

Yet, she was not in the bedroom.

If she was just changing into pajamas, there was no need to strip down so thoroughly, even her bra and panties were gone.

Bo Yan slightly frowned and gently pushed the door open. The room was brightly lit, indeed, it was messy with clothes scattered all over, but there was no person to be seen in the bedroom. He stood at the doorway, looking around the room. This apartment had a large open space combining the living room, dining room, and balcony, other than this bedroom, there was his study, media recreation room, and the guest room.

No matter how he looked at it, the other rooms didn’t seem to be occupied either. He thought for a moment, took a step inside, and then looked towards the half-open bathroom door.

There seemed to be light coming from the bathroom, and faintly, the sound of water.

Before Bo Yan pulled open the door of the bathroom, he really had no indecent thoughts.

He had drunk a bit, his head feeling slightly light. In his somewhat murky mind, what he thought of was the talk at dinner about an actor with depression.

The profession of an actor, though seemingly glamorous, is always in the public eye. The slightest mistake could be magnified and critiqued by all sorts of people. Even someone like Bo Yan, born into an aristocratic family, a university lecturer, with knowledge, character, and acting skills beyond reproach, still faced hackers, it was just a matter of how many. After all, he wasn’t renminbi; not everyone was going to like him.

Some people had strong resilience and didn’t care. Others were more fragile, feeling doubtful about their lives after being targeted by professional hackers and fans of rival stars, with some even leaving the industry, suffering depression, or, most tragically, taking their own lives.

Xia Siyu was frequently criticized, and though it seemed she had developed a thick skin, she was still a woman in her twenties. Just opening up her Weibo comments, you’d find language so vile it was unbearable to witness, as if the greatest malice in the world was concentrated there.

Especially since this time, Xia Siyu was severely criticized because of himself.

What if…

As the door opened, steam filled the bathroom. Through the misty vapor, Bo Yan indeed saw Xia Siyu lying in the bathtub, one of her fair and slender arms hanging over the side, her head resting on her arm, leaning against the edge of the tub.

The scene resembled the famous painting “Death of Marat”.

Bo Yan felt a slight jolt in his heart, and he quickened his pace a few steps, reaching out to check under her nose for breath.

Thankfully, she was breathing.

And her breath was steady, her expression peaceful, the water in the bathtub was very clear, with no signs of blood or medication.

So, she had fallen asleep while taking a bath?

Dipping his hand into the water, he found the temperature to be slightly cool; she must have been soaking for quite a while. But as he reached into the water, Bo Yan accidentally caught a glimpse of a flash of exposed skin under the water…

He averted his gaze, and in that moment of diversion, his eyes landed on her face, which was close at hand..