The room is commandeered by me.

After finishing the phone call, Su Yang continued browsing other car models.

Though many electric vehicles were quite appealing, he knew his father only had a preference for gasoline-powered cars.

"Forget it, I’ll just go with the E300. No more overthinking."

"Got Dad a car, but what should I get for Mom? She doesn’t drive."

Lying on the sofa, he pondered for a while.

"Mom doesn’t seem to have any particular favorites. Ah, whatever—I’ll just buy her a bag. ‘A bag cures all,’ as they say. That probably applies to most women..."

Clothes, bags, and cosmetics could be bought directly in-store later—no need to browse online.

By noon, Su Yang glanced at the time and sat up from the sofa.

"Damn, it’s almost twelve?"

He stood and walked toward the bedroom, gently pushing the door open. Pan Ning was still asleep.

Su Yang approached the bed, pulled back the covers, and touched Pan Ning’s forehead before checking her temperature again.

37.9°C.

"Phew~ Finally going down."

Just as he spoke, Pan Ning slowly opened her eyes.

"What time is it?"

"Almost twelve."

She tried to prop herself up, and Su Yang reached out to help her sit.

"How do you feel?"

"Much better~"

"Want to get up and move around?" Su Yang asked, sitting beside her.

Pan Ning nodded. "Yeah, I can’t sleep anymore. This is the longest I’ve stayed in bed in years—my back’s killing me."

Su Yang chuckled. "Not too bad. When I sleep in, I usually don’t wake up till one or two."

"That’s just you being lazy. I’m usually up by nine."

Having slept under thick covers all night, Pan Ning’s clothes were damp with sweat, now dried and uncomfortable.

She looked at Su Yang. "I want to take a shower."

Su Yang shook his head. "No, you’re still running a fever. You can’t shower yet—hold off for a bit."

"But I feel gross. I sweated all night, and these clothes are uncomfortable now."

Su Yang glanced at the wardrobe and smiled. "How about wearing some of mine for now? Just temporarily."

"But I want my own clothes." Pan Ning pouted—a rare sight.

Su Yang caught the expression and grinned. "Then what do we do? I don’t have any of your clothes here."

Pan Ning thought for a moment. "How about you go to my place and grab some for me?"

"Huh?"

Before Su Yang could react, she added, "I’m commandeering your room for now."

"What do you mean?"

"I’m staying here these next few days. Not going anywhere else."

‘What the—?’

Noticing the shift in Su Yang’s expression, Pan Ning asked,

"What, you don’t want me to?"

"No, no, of course I do."

"Good. I’ll send you my door code. My room’s on the second floor—just grab a few things."

Su Yang nodded. "Fine, I’ll go now. Get dressed and move around a bit."

Pan Ning smiled. "Oh, and remember to grab some underwear too."

Su Yang, halfway up, froze at that. He turned back, raising an eyebrow. "Isn’t grabbing underwear a bit…?"

"You’d rather I go commando?"

"Uh… fair point. Alright, send me the code. I’m off."

"Be quick." Pan Ning said softly.

Su Yang flashed an OK sign, changed quickly, and left.

At the entrance, he grabbed the keys to his Aston Martin—untouched for days—and headed out.

...

About thirty minutes later, Su Yang arrived for the second time at Qianshan Peninsula Villas.

The same security guard from before, spotting the multi-million-dollar Aston Martin, silently raised the barrier.

Su Yang rolled down the window and grinned. "Thanks, man."

"Huh? You are…?" The guard frowned.

"I was here a few days ago."

"Oh! Now I remember. Hello again."

Su Yang nodded with a faint smile and drove into the villa area.

Watching the Aston Martin disappear, the guard sighed enviously. "Rich people, man… casually rolling in with cars worth millions."

Minutes later, Su Yang parked outside Pan Ning’s villa.

After backing into the driveway, he walked to the gate and entered the two codes Pan Ning had sent—one for the outer gate, one for the main door.

The garden wasn’t huge, smaller than his newly bought villa, but filled with flowers and greenery, lively and fragrant.

A small pavilion stood to the side, with a swing chair nearby.

Su Yang glanced around and muttered, "The ambiance is great. Makes me look forward to my new place."

After admiring the view for a couple of minutes, he entered the main door’s code.

Beep beep beep—click.

The door unlocked.

Peeking inside, his eyes landed first on the spacious foyer, with a wall blocking direct view of the living room.

Su Yang tilted his head, stepped in, and closed the door behind him.

The living and dining areas formed a vast open-plan space, around 200 square meters, styled in Scandinavian minimalism—airy, bright, with high ceilings and excellent natural light.

To the left, a staircase connected the second and third floors.

‘Doesn’t seem like Pan Ning’s usual taste. Didn’t expect the ice queen to like this cozy aesthetic.’

Walking further in, he spotted an open kitchen and headed over.

Opening the double-door fridge, he found it stocked with beer and unfamiliar mineral water—little else.

"Damn, you’re a real drinker. A fridge full of beer."

He chuckled, grabbed a water bottle, and took a few sips before suddenly needing the bathroom.

Leaving the bottle on the coffee table, he hurried to the first-floor restroom.

Two minutes later, he returned, picked up the bottle, and turned toward the stairs—only to freeze.

His ears twitched.

At the same time, a faint click echoed from upstairs.

"The hell? Someone’s here?!"

Su Yang’s skin prickled. The thought of another person in the villa put him on high alert. His gaze snapped toward the staircase.

Tap tap tap—

Footsteps descended, growing louder.

Su Yang tensed, set the bottle down silently, and clenched his fists.

‘A burglar? No way—this place is crawling with cameras.’

‘Her parents? But Pan Ning said she lives alone. If she’s not here, why would they…?’

Su Yang quickly dismissed the possibility that it could be Pan Ning's parents. His sharp eyes locked onto the staircase ahead.

A few seconds later, the footsteps grew louder and more distinct.

Though Su Yang was strong, this was his first time encountering such a situation, and a faint trace of tension flickered within him.

Two seconds later, a man appeared in his line of sight—dressed entirely in black, wearing a hooded sweatshirt and matching sweatpants, a black baseball cap pulled low over his forehead, and a black mask covering his face.

Head-to-toe black, the classic uniform of a thief.

For now, the man hadn’t noticed Su Yang. He carried a black leather bag in one hand, tugging at the zipper as he descended the stairs.

The moment he turned the corner, their eyes met.

......