Chapter 043: The Thief Jiang Yao

Jiang Yao stood before He Yunqing’s door, her mind overflowing with nothing but the words “adult gift box.” Anxiously, she gritted her teeth and pressed the doorbell.

The door swung open, revealing He Yunqing’s cold, indifferent face.

Instinctively, Jiang Yao craned her neck to peer inside. The gift bag was sitting right next to the sofa.

She forced a couple of awkward chuckles. “That gift… you haven’t opened it yet, have you?”

He Yunqing’s voice was devoid of warmth. “Is there something you need?”

Jiang Yao stammered, “If I said… I want you to give that gift back to me, and then I’ll send you another one, would you think I’m crazy?”

With a loud bang, the door closed in her face.

Jiang Yao stood there, rejected and disheveled in the wind.

This time, Xie Yan truly got her into trouble…

She lowered her head and quietly retreated to her own room, sitting by the bed in a daze. Staring at the balcony outside her window, a sudden idea sparked.

No matter what, she had to get that box back today!

So, Jiang Yao climbed onto her balcony, then crossed directly over to He Yunqing’s balcony.

Luckily, the balcony window wasn’t locked.

Jiang Yao quietly opened the window and slipped into He Yunqing’s home with silent, careful steps.

“Meow…” The little cat she’d rescued last time greeted her warmly, running over and rubbing against her leg, meowing enthusiastically.

Jiang Yao nearly twisted her back in fright. She hurriedly stroked it twice and gestured for silence.

She crept into the living room, intending to grab the gift and make her escape, but to her surprise, the gift box was nowhere to be seen.

Frowning, Jiang Yao pondered where it could be, searching everywhere without luck.

Only He Yunqing’s bedroom and the bathroom remained…

From the bathroom, the sound of running water echoed.

He Yunqing must be showering inside.

It was unlikely the box would be in the bathroom, she reasoned.

With that thought, Jiang Yao slipped into He Yunqing’s bedroom.

Fortunately, she’d been here before and was familiar with the surroundings.

She searched the bedroom thoroughly, but still found nothing!

Jiang Yao felt her head swelling. Could He Yunqing have been so annoyed that he simply threw the gift away?

If so, perhaps that was for the best.

As she was lost in thought, the bathroom door opened.

Jiang Yao froze. If she left now, all her efforts would be wasted.

She nervously paced the room, and finally, with no other option, crouched down beside the bed.

Luckily, her figure was slim enough that as long as she curled up tightly, she’d be hard to spot.

The bedroom door clicked open.

Jiang Yao cautiously poked her head out to observe the “enemy.” What she saw made her face darken further.

The gift bag, containing the box, dangled from the man’s little finger.

As he moved, the bag swung rhythmically with his steps.

Out of a hundred possible bad outcomes, Jiang Yao always encountered the worst.

She pressed her hand to her forehead, watching as he spoke on the phone and walked toward her.

“Yes, alright.” He Yunqing seemed completely unaware of Jiang Yao crouching beside the bed, strolling gracefully to the chair and sitting down. “We should look at the script first before deciding.”

Jiang Yao, bent over like a kitten, slowly crawled behind him, stealthily reaching for the bag, hoping to snatch the box while he was distracted.

Each time she reached, the bag swung out of reach.

Sweat broke out across her brow, and she silently cursed countless times. She reached again…

And missed once more.

He Yunqing placed the gift bag onto the table, his slender, elegant fingers fiddling with the drawstring.

Dressed in a bathrobe, he exuded a relaxed, effortless charm.

But Jiang Yao had no time to appreciate it—she only wanted to retrieve her gift.

“Mm,” He Yunqing responded to the phone, his hands poised over the gift bag, preparing to open it.

Jiang Yao’s heart sank along with his hands; she wished she could rush forward and stop him.

“Meow!” The sound of a cat’s cry echoed from outside the bedroom—likely the two kittens getting into a scuffle.

He Yunqing put down the bag and, holding his phone, stepped out of the bedroom.

Jiang Yao finally breathed a sigh of relief. She quickly stood, pulled the gift box from the bag, and, worried she might grab the wrong thing again, opened it to check…

No mistake this time.

Inside were adult toys, men’s underwear, and other assorted items…

Jiang Yao frowned at the contents, hurriedly gathered them into her arms, and was just about to leave through the window when the bedroom door opened again…

He Yunqing entered, sensing something was off in the room, though he couldn’t immediately pinpoint what.

He frowned slightly, sat back at the chair, and prepared to open the gift.

The bag was empty.

His dark eyes narrowed, and his brows knitted even tighter.

His well-defined fingers tapped rhythmically on the table, as if contemplating something, then he walked over to the bed and lay down.

No sooner had he settled than he sensed something was wrong.

He suddenly turned and pulled back the covers!

Beneath the blanket appeared Jiang Yao’s delicate, pretty, and utterly embarrassed face…

Her smile was frozen in place as she looked at He Yunqing’s handsome, inquisitive expression. She raised a hand in greeting, “Hi.”

He Yunqing’s gaze and expression both darkened.

Jiang Yao quickly sat up on the bed, still clutching the gift box. “I know this all seems bizarre, but I can explain.”

She spoke as she slid off the bed, attempting to leave with the box.

Suddenly, the lid slipped off, and the contents spilled across the floor…

With the sound, He Yunqing’s eyes inevitably drifted to the scattered items…

“Don’t look!” Jiang Yao bent over in panic, trying to block his view.

He Yunqing strode over, grabbed her by the collar, pulled her aside, and inspected the items carefully.

He cleared his throat and pursed his lips. “Explain.”

Jiang Yao wished she could disappear into the floor. Would he even believe her explanation?

“Well,” she said, blushing, “my colleague packed the wrong gift. I hadn’t meant to give you this.”

“Mm,” He Yunqing replied simply.

“You don’t believe me?” Jiang Yao circled in front of him. “It’s true, He Yunqing. You know I’d never give you these things.”

“Mm,” he answered again, indifferent.

Jiang Yao tried again, grasping for any proof. “Take these underwear, for example—clearly not meant for you, the size isn’t right…”

“Mm?” He Yunqing’s long eyes narrowed slightly. “How would you know?”