The Cinnabar Mole of a Beijing Circle Tycoon

On the last day of 2025, the morning light slipped through the gaps in the heavy curtains, casting a thin strip of light on the carpet.

Shen Qingyao opened her eyes in a warm embrace. The familiar scent of cedarwood emanating from Meng Jiangyu brushed against her nose. She shifted, trying to change her position, but her bottom was lightly patted.

"Behave yourself," Meng Jiangyu's voice was hoarse from just waking up, with a hint of lazy indulgence, "You've been up all night, haven't you had enough?"

Shen Qingyao's eyes widened instantly, her mind went blank. Had she been up all night?

She tensed up abruptly and instinctively checked her clothes. Thankfully, she was wearing pajamas, just a few wrinkles.

She subtly moved her limbs again, and finding no discomfort, she breathed a sigh of relief, but couldn't help asking, "What do you mean, 'all night long'? What exactly happened last night?"

Meng Jiangyu opened one eye, looking at her nervous expression, a faint smile playing on his lips. He then closed his eyes again, his tone nonchalant: "What do you think happened? She drank some fruit wine and started acting crazy, clinging to my arm and refusing to let go, pulling at my tie and trying to burrow into my arms, and even saying..."

"What else is there to say?" Shen Qingyao's heart was in her throat, and her cheeks were already burning.

"You even said I was pretty and wanted to kiss me," Meng Jiangyu said with a laugh. "What, you've forgotten all that?"

Shen Qingyao's face flushed bright red instantly, the blush spreading from her ears all the way down to her neck.

She vaguely remembered that she had indeed drunk quite a bit with Fang Shuning last night, but her memory became blurry afterward. Could it be that she really did something so shameful?

Frustrated, she shrank further under the covers, burying her face in them: "Impossible... I wouldn't..."

"Oh?" Meng Jiangyu reached out and pulled the blanket covering her face down, revealing her red eyes. "Should I show you the surveillance footage from last night?"

"No!" Shen Qingyao hurriedly waved her hands, feeling so embarrassed that she wanted to find a crack in the ground to crawl into.

So that's what last night's "fuss" meant. She thought...

She stole a glance at Meng Jiangyu and saw a smile playing on his lips, his eyes full of teasing. She blushed even more and pushed him, saying, "You're deliberately bullying me!"

Meng Jiangyu took her hand and pulled her closer to him, his voice deepening with a hint of seriousness: "I didn't bully you. Last night you were so drunk, I was worried you weren't feeling well, so I stayed up with you until the wee hours before going to sleep."

Shen Qingyao was stunned, looking at his sleeping face so close to hers. His eyelashes were long, and there were faint dark circles under his eyes, which meant he hadn't slept well.

The shyness in her heart was gradually replaced by warmth, and she muttered softly, "Then...then did I really flirt with you?"

Meng Jiangyu lowered his head and kissed her forehead, his voice tinged with amusement: "Hmm, you're quite bold. But..."

He paused, his eyes deep, and said, "I'd love to be teased by you."

Shen Qingyao's heart skipped a beat, and her cheeks burned even hotter.

The faint sound of firecrackers coming from afar outside the window reminded us that it was a day to bid farewell to the old year and welcome the new.

Nestled in Meng Jiangyu's arms, listening to his steady heartbeat, she suddenly felt that this morning, this time spent together, was more touching than any New Year's blessing.

Shen Qingyao rubbed her throbbing temples, her drunkenness mostly gone, before belatedly realizing that the two of them were lying on the same bed, their arms under the covers casually draped over each other.

She sat up abruptly, the blanket slipping down her shoulders to reveal a small patch of fair skin. Her voice still held a hint of lingering embarrassment and annoyance: "Why are you sleeping in my bed?"

Meng Jiangyu also sat up, his black hair slightly disheveled, which made his eyebrows and eyes appear even more deep-set.

He leaned against the headboard, leisurely watching her flushed ears: "Who was it last night, clutching my clothes and crying, saying they were afraid of having nightmares if they slept alone and insisted I stay with them?"

Shen Qingyao was startled. A blurry fragment seemed to flash through her mind. It was as if she had woken up in the middle of the night in complete darkness. She instinctively moved closer to something warm and clung to something tightly.

She opened her mouth, wanting to refute but lacking confidence, and could only stammer, "I...did I?"

"Or did you think I sleepwalked up here in the middle of the night?" Meng Jiangyu reached out, his fingertips tracing her cheek, a hint of mockery in his voice.

"Besides, someone said when they were drunk, 'Meng Jiangyu, you can sleep next to me.' I'm the kind of person who always listens to advice, and I also want to be by your side anyway, so wouldn't that kill two birds with one stone?"

He spoke frankly, and the seriousness in his eyes left Shen Qingyao with no doubt whatsoever.

She scratched her hair in frustration, her cheeks burning.

How could I be so unreserved after having a few drinks, actually grabbing someone and not letting them leave?

But then I thought, they were boyfriend and girlfriend, so there didn't seem to be anything wrong with sharing a bed.

She stole a glance at Meng Jiangyu and saw him looking at her with a smile. His eyes were as gentle as water, and the shyness in her heart gradually faded, replaced by an indescribable sweetness.

"What are you looking at?" She turned her face away, pretending to tidy the blankets, but her voice softened. "You're already awake, get up."

Meng Jiangyu reached out and pulled her back into bed, gently wrapping his arms around her from behind. "Lie down a little longer."

Shen Qingyao's back was pressed against his warm chest, and she could clearly feel his heartbeat.

The light outside the window grew brighter and brighter. She closed her eyes, and the corners of her mouth couldn't help but turn up slightly.

The sunlight, around 10 a.m., had already crept into the windowpane, bringing a slight warmth.

The two woke up from their nap. Shen Qingyao yawned as Meng Jiangyu carried her into the bathroom. As soon as she stood in front of the mirror, she caught a glimpse of her neck and froze.

Looking at myself in the mirror, the red marks from my neck to my collarbone were particularly striking, like crushed peach petals scattered all over my body.

She raised her hand to touch that patch of skin, then suddenly turned and glared at the person behind her: "Meng Jiangyu! Look what you've done!"

Meng Jiangyu was squeezing toothpaste when he heard this. He looked up, his gaze falling on her neck. A barely perceptible smile appeared on his lips, then he put on an innocent expression: "What's wrong?"

"What happened?" Shen Qingyao pointed to the marks on her neck, her cheeks puffed out in anger. "These! How dare you ask what happened? I seriously doubt what you just said! What do you mean I pushed you away? I think you just took advantage of the situation..."

"I swear to God." Meng Jiangyu rinsed his mouth, then moved closer to her. Their reflections in the mirror were extremely close. He lowered his head, his nose brushing against the side of her neck, his voice tinged with laughter, "Who was it that was drunkenly hugging my neck and kissing me endlessly last night? Hmm?"

Shen Qingyao's face flushed red instantly, and the fragments from last night vaguely resurfaced.

It seemed there really was something to it. She was dizzy and thought his lips were very beautiful, so she leaned in...

"I..." She was speechless for a moment.

"Your kiss aroused me," Meng Jiangyu continued, his eyes as frank as if stating a fact, his fingertips lightly tracing the red marks on her neck.

"I can't just hold it in, can I? I want to respond to you, but you suddenly push me away and say, 'No, no, I can't breathe,' what am I supposed to do?"

He shrugged, his tone helpless: "We'll just have to find somewhere else to kiss, at least here you won't push me away."

Shen Qingyao was speechless, her ears turning bright red. She grabbed a toothbrush and shoved it into her mouth, mumbling indistinctly, "You rascal..."

Meng Jiangyu chuckled softly, wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, rested his chin on her shoulder, and looked at their reflections in the mirror. His voice was deep and clear: "Yes, I'm a rogue, but I'm only a rogue to you."

Toothpaste foamed at the corners of her mouth, and the red marks in the mirror were particularly noticeable in the morning light, looking a bit disheveled, yet also revealing an indescribable intimacy.

As Shen Qingyao brushed her teeth, feeling the warmth emanating from behind her, her anger had long since dissipated, leaving only shyness and a hint of sweetness that she herself didn't even realize.

"From now on, you are not allowed to drink alcohol while I'm not around."

"Oh, oh, oh."