"Hmph! You are such a fool!"
"So, An'an, you have been thinking of me too, haven't you?" As she begged for mercy, his large hand quietly snaked its way around her waist. "I was wrong. Will you talk to me, An'an?"
Fu You'an had no intention of being coaxed by the man’s one-sided words. She tried to sit up, but—she looked down and realized her waist was locked in a tight, seamless grip by his large hand. She couldn't move at all.
"Heh." Having gotten his way, the man flipped her over and pinned her down, trapping her beneath him.
"Be a good girl. Shall I make it up to you with a kiss?"
This was exactly what she was angry about; he had to make it up to her.
"No!"
She turned her face away with all her might to avoid his advances and struggled to press her hand against his face. "I don't want your kiss!"
"But, if you didn't miss me, An'an, why would you bring me to your room?"
In the dream, Shang Fuyan shattered his restraints. He leaned down, his thin lips whispering intimately against her ear. "If you didn't miss me, why would you come to buy my flowers every day? If you didn't miss me, why would you be angry that I didn't follow you?"
So, it wasn't that he didn't understand; it was that he was playing hard to get.
Hearing this, Fu You'an’s face flushed red, and the strength in her hands lessened significantly. He pressed his advantage: "Come see me from now on, okay? I’m so lonely without you."
"Hmph."
"You said it yourself, you aren't Baichuan—"
The man on top of her faltered. He gave a helpless, light chuckle in the bright light, his cold, black eyes softening like a pool of water as he looked at her in compromise. "I am Baichuan. Does that work?"
"Then why were you so unwilling to let me bother you—"
"I was willing. Very willing." This time, he didn't give her a chance to question him. He leaned down and, at the moment of Fu You'an's surprise, pressed his lips gently against hers, then pulled away just as quickly.
Freed from the constraints of his identity, he was full of wicked charm. "Do you still want that kiss?"
His lips hovered three centimeters above her, the lingering fragrance wafting into her nose, tempting her into sin.
In the end, she couldn't resist. Her delicate hand pulled his neck downward.
"Don't waste words."
The tall man with broad shoulders and a narrow waist lowered his head, pinning her small wrists beneath him, letting her long hair spread out over the pillow.
The room was quiet, save for the faint, ragged sound of breathing. Shang Fuyan was hovering in the air, watching as the two of them, lost in their obsession, were on the verge of shedding their clothes, when he suddenly jolted awake in the empty room.
He looked around, confirming he was truly awake.
"A dream."
He muttered in a low voice, unsure if he felt relief or regret. He reached up to wipe the sweat from his brow and then sat up—only to feel a sudden chill.
He froze on the spot.
***
Assistant Li, who had returned home to handle matters for his employer, was swamped, and still had to deal with an agitated Xu Shengsheng.
"I don't care! Why is it that when he gets married, he goes on a business trip, disappears for three months, and now he wants a divorce! Am I nothing? Why do you have to be the one to serve the divorce papers? I want him to tell me himself!"
"Ms. Xu—the boss is very busy—"
"Am I not busy too?" Xu Shengsheng blurted out, suddenly realizing that all she had been doing lately was watching male models and enjoying herself. "I don't care. If you want me to sign the divorce agreement, the condition is that I meet with him face-to-face!"
She wasn't foolish enough to give up the chance to split the mogul's assets. It was said that in a divorce, one could get half of the other person's wealth; that must be hundreds of millions! Besides, Shang Fuyan’s grandfather liked her so much, her chances of getting the money were even higher!
The compensation in the divorce agreement—only a house and a car—wasn't nearly enough! If Shang Fuyan was allowed to make tens of thousands every second, why shouldn't she, Xu Shengsheng, strike it rich?
Worn out by her fussing but still maintaining a polite expression, Assistant Li told her to sit down first. "Then, Ms. Xu, please wait a moment while I ask for the boss's opinion."
He dialed the number and waited.
"Hello?" The man's voice on the other end was hoarse and deep, laced with impatience.
"Sir, Ms. Xu Shengsheng says she wants to discuss the divorce with you face-to-face."
Shang Fuyan frowned. He looked up at his reflection in the mirror, adjusting his bathrobe. "How much does she want?"
"Ms. Xu says..." Assistant Li really didn't want to repeat this nonsense. "She wants half of your assets. She doesn't think much of the house and car you arranged. She said otherwise she would take it to your grandfather and make things difficult for you."
There was a rare silence on the other end. Even Assistant Li couldn't help but roll his eyes in sympathy.
It was an outrageous demand. She had already taken fifteen million over the past three months, and now she dared to covet the boss's family fortune. She was truly greedy, shameless, and ridiculous.
"If she isn't afraid of choking to death on it, then let her come."
Shang Fuyan had originally intended to provide compensation, but looking at the situation now, it seemed the other party didn't need it.
Then they would go to court.
Suddenly, the man hesitated as he put on his shirt. If they went to court and he was too ruthless, leaving Xu Shengsheng with nothing, what would Secretary Fu think of him?
A chairman who had no sentiment and cared only for his own interests?
"..."
Better to settle it privately; no need to make a scene in public.
"Arrange a tea room for the day after tomorrow. I will talk to her face-to-face."
"Understood." Having received his instructions, Assistant Li conveyed the message to Xu Shengsheng. She gave a satisfied hum and left, clicking her sky-high heels against the floor.
On the other side, as the phone call ended, there was a knock at the door.
Through the peephole, he saw Secretary Fu, who had just returned from her vacation, looking slightly excited. She waited for a moment, listening intently, then knocked again.
Shang Fuyan didn't try to hide the curve of his lips.
The moment he grabbed the doorknob, he paused. He reached up and unbuttoned the top three buttons of his shirt, revealing his straight, prominent collarbones, and posed as if he had just woken up.
When the door opened, Secretary Fu spoke first: "Chairman, I'm back—"
Her voice suddenly went blank. Her gaze drifted to the man's exposed chest, where the lines of his collarbones appeared and disappeared beneath the neck of his shirt. The noble, indifferent chairman stood one meter ninety tall; as he smoothed his messy short hair and looked down at her, the height difference and his icy beauty made him seem unattainable, creating a distinct sense of power disparity.
Perhaps because she had stammered, he let out a questioning "Hmm" in his throat.
Secretary Fu snapped back to reality, trying hard to force her eyes to stay on his handsome face. She pulled out a natural smile: "I brought back souvenirs for everyone this time, Chairman."
She pulled out the gift box she had been carrying behind her. "Would you—" like it?
"Thank you."
Whether intentional or not, the chairman leaned in, his left hand braced against the doorframe as his right hand reached over. His upper body dipped with the movement, and his partially unbuttoned shirt hung loosely, revealing his solid, chiseled abdominal muscles all the way down to his belt.
Seductive. Too seductive.
By the time Shang Fuyan looked up, Secretary Fu was already covering her face.
"What's wrong?"
She kept her eyes closed and pointed politely at his shirt.
"Oh, my apologies."
"It's nothing, Chairman, I'll be going now—"
She stumbled as she regained her footing and quickly vanished from his sight.
Such an inexperienced Secretary Fu.
Shang Fuyan was about to close the door with the gift box in hand when his peripheral vision caught someone else nearby. He glanced over coldly.
It was Qi Fang, the assistant he had sent to look after the drunken Secretary Fu.
Caught by the boss, Qi Fang, being a quick-witted person, immediately made a "hushing" gesture. "Sir, I understand. I won't say a word."
"Go."
Qi Fang ran off without another word, clutching the gift box Secretary Fu had given her.
Oh god, what a disaster! She had actually seen the chairman flirting with Secretary Fu! That move to let Secretary Fu see inside his shirt was too obvious! Everyone knew the chairman always kept his clothes buttoned up tight!
Her mouth was itching—she wanted to tell someone!