Before he even drew near, faint strains of suppressed, seductive laughter reached him.
Chang Gongwei paused, the strange feeling in his heart growing stronger.
That laughter... it did not sound like their usual clear, hearty laughter. Instead, it carried a hint of...
Abandon.
He quickened his pace, reached the chamber entrance, and pushed open the half-closed door.
The sight before him made his pupils abruptly contract.
On the couch inside, his three beloved wives lay disheveled, an endless vista of sensual beauty.
Hai Shuixing's skirt had been lifted to the tops of her thighs, Shui Rou'er's outer robe hung loosely from her shoulders, and Mu Zimo, normally the liveliest of them, now leaned against a soft pillow with flushed cheeks and unfocused eyes, her hair falling loose, several dark strands clinging to her sweat-drenched temples.
The brocade quilt was hopelessly rumpled, and the air was saturated with an intensely rich scent of cosmetics mingled with sweat.
And amid that sensual fragrance, Chang Gongwei clearly detected the unfamiliar male scent that had kept him restless for days!
"You..." Chang Gongwei's voice was dry and hoarse, as though an invisible hand had clenched brutally around his heart.
Hearing that familiar voice, the three women on the couch stiffened as one, as though struck by thunder. The seductive, dazed expressions vanished from their faces, replaced by utter terror and deathly pallor.
"H-husband?!" Shui Rou'er reacted first, frantically tugging at her clothes to conceal her disheveled state, her voice shaking uncontrollably.
Hai Shuixing and Mu Zimo also seemed to awaken from a nightmare, hurriedly straightening their appearances.
Hai Shuixing practically tumbled off the couch, forcing her weak, aching legs to support her as she squeezed out a smile uglier than tears. "Husband... why... why did you suddenly come here?"
Chang Gongwei did not answer.