The room, with its curtains drawn tight, was as dark as night.
It wasn't until noon that sunlight finally began to seep in.
James lay on the bed, feeling a little drained.
Even with his enhanced body, it couldn't withstand his relentless... enthusiasm.
It had been less than 12 hours since he gained his Super Physique, and he'd already spent half that time "fighting battles."
If it had been his old body, he'd be completely out of commission by now.
James gently caressed Amanda's cheek, marveling at how alluring she wasâtoo alluring to resist.
Every time he touched her, he had thoughts. Those kinds of thoughts.
Amanda was curled up, her long legs bent and her head resting on his chest. Her relaxed posture exuded a lazy charm, the thin blanket covering most of her body.
The soft lighting in the room cast a warm glow on her skin, making it look almost luminescent.
James swallowed hard, forcing himself to suppress the unhealthy thoughts creeping into his mind.
The two lay there quietly, basking in the afterglow of their passion.
In this moment, time seemed to slow down. The world outside felt far away, its troubles carried off by the wind.
All that remained was the silent, heart-to-heart connection between the two of them.
After a while, James felt like he should say something.
He racked his brain, trying to come up with some sweet talk for Amanda, most of which he'd already used yesterday.
Amanda didn't seem to mindâshe still seemed to enjoy it.
But just as the atmosphere was at its most peaceful, a faint noise came from outside the room.
"Beep, beep, beep."
James's enhanced hearing picked up on the sound immediately.
Someone was using the keypad to unlock the front door.
"Who else knows the code to your house?" James asked, his tone suddenly serious.
Amanda, still basking in her emotions, was caught off guard by his question. She hadn't even had time to respond before the sound of the door opening reached their ears.
"Click."
Then, footsteps.
Followed by the sound of the door closing with a decisive "Bang."
That sound felt like a hammer to their hearts.
Neither of them was wearing clothes.
They exchanged panicked glances, looking exactly like a pair of adulterers about to be caught in the act.
Amanda began to panic, her voice urgent and trembling.
"Quick, hide!"
She kept her voice low as she grabbed James's arm and started looking around frantically.
James was stunned by her "husband's coming home" reaction, and before he knew it, her panic had rubbed off on him.
The idea of being caught messing around with another man's wife sent a chill down his spine.
He lifted the blanket and peeked under the bed, only to find that the gap was so small even his hand barely fit, let alone his entire body.
For a brief moment, James thought about jumping out the window.
But then, suddenly, it hit him.
Wait... isn't her husband dead?
Why was he panicking?!
"Sis, who is it? Why should I be the one hiding?" James asked, embarrassed by his earlier reaction. His voice was now louder and more confident.
Amanda, even more flustered, quickly explained in a hushed tone,
"It's my parents! Only they and you know the code to get in!"
What?!
Her parents?
This wasn't just a surpriseâit was practically a declaration of war.
Meeting her parents in this situation was way scarier than the idea of her dead husband showing up.
James froze in panic.
He had never been in a situation like this before and was utterly terrified.
Quickly, he began searching for a place to hide.
But Amanda's room was practically empty, with no good hiding spots in sight.
Amanda, barefoot, ran to lock the bedroom door.
It was her second time locking the door that day, and her movements were practiced and swift.
The footsteps outside grew louder and closer.
Amanda's own anxiety began to spike.
The last thing she wanted was for her parents to meet James under these circumstancesâit would be far too awkward and would leave a bad impression.
"Amanda, are you in there?"
A gentle female voice called from outside.
Just from her tone, one could tell it belonged to a cultured and refined woman.
But to James, that gentle voice made his heart race even faster.
He was practically trembling with nerves, silently mouthing to Amanda: What do we do?!
Amanda had no answer.
She decided to play it by ear and see what her parents wanted.
James had never experienced being cornered by a girl's parents before.
If he walked out now, he'd lose all faceâand possibly get beaten up.
His Super Physique could handle a beating, sure, but the bigger issue was Amanda's parents forbidding her from seeing him again.
It wasn't like he was planning to marry Amanda.
If things escalated to the point where her parents disowned her, he'd end up being the villain in this story.
Sweat began to drip from James's forehead.
Then came a knock at the door.
"Amanda, don't pretend you're not thereâI know you're inside," her mother said.
Her name was Mrs. Smith.
When she entered the house, she had heard faint noises from the room and noticed the crab roe buns on the table. She knew Amanda was home.
With a soft sigh, she tried to comfort her daughter.
"Amanda, don't be mad at your dad. He only wants what's best for you. It's not easy living alone as a woman..."
Mrs. Smith had been heartbroken after seeing her husband slap Amanda earlier that morning.
After calming her husband down, she had rushed over to check on her daughter and offer some comfort.
It had been years now, and she didn't want Amanda to keep being so stubborn.
"Listen to me, sweetheart. Open the door and find yourself a nice, reliable man to settle down with. That guy earlier may have been divorced, but you have a child yourselfâdon't set your standards too high..."
Inside the room, Amanda sighed and finally interrupted her mother's rambling.
"Mom, please stop. I know what I need to do."
"Good, as long as you understand. And don't take your dad's words to heartâhe's just that kind of person..."
Hearing Amanda respond and sensing that she wasn't in too bad of a mood, Mrs. Smith felt a bit relieved. She muttered a few more words before glancing at the time.
"It's almost lunchtime. Did you buy groceries? I'll cook for you, and then I'll head back home."
Amanda's headache intensified. She hadn't expected her mom to plan on staying for lunch.
James finally pieced together what had happened earlier in the day.
So Amanda had refused to go on a blind date, and her dad had hit her.
James felt a pang of guilt and affection.
He stepped forward and hugged Amanda, whispering softly,
"Sis, I'm sorry you had to go through that."
But Amanda wasn't in the mood for hugs right nowâher mom was right outside the door.
She pushed James away, found his clothes, and handed them to him.
"Put your clothes on. I'll take my mom out to eat later, and you need to leave quickly," Amanda said as she hurriedly got dressed herself.
She glanced in the mirror, checking for any marks on her neck or collar.
Watching her flustered movements, James felt guilty.
While pulling on his pants, he said,
"Why don't I just meet your parents?"
Amanda glared at him.
"You little troublemaker, are you trying to get me killed? I just had a fight with them, and now you want to be caught in my room? They'll think you're some random guy!"
James shrank back, realizing she was right.
Meeting her parents was one thingâbut being caught in her bedroom was definitely not the way to do it.
At that moment, a curious voice came from outside:
"Huh? Amanda, why is there a pair of men's shoes by the door?"
James froze.
His shoes had been spotted.
Amanda felt her scalp tingle.
She quickly dragged James to the wardrobe, stuffing him inside.
"It's a mistake from the seller. They sent the wrong size, and I'm planning to return them," Amanda said as nonchalantly as possible.
"Really?" Mrs. Smith replied, still suspicious.
She walked to Amanda's bedroom door and knocked again.
"Open the door, Amanda. Why are you locking it in the middle of the day?"