"Che, you're back..."
An Ruoxue looked at Rong Che, the flash of joy on her beautiful face freezing instantly. Her gaze was dull and startled, for Rong Che had not returned alone; a woman stood by his side.
An Ruoxue recognized this woman. She was a celebrity signed to the company, Lin Feier—a woman with a certain allure, sweet-looking, and possessed of a pair of captivating, electric eyes.
"A candlelight dinner? I never realized Secretary An was such a sentimental woman."
Lin Feier had her arms wound around Rong Che’s, clinging to him like an octopus, her words dripping with provocation. "Secretary An, let me be honest with you: I’m already carrying Young Master Rong’s child. If you’re smart, you’ll divorce him immediately!"
"Feier."
Rong Che shot her a cold glare, and Lin Feier wisely shut her mouth, not daring to say another word.
"Go wait in the car." Rong Che pried Lin Feier’s hands from his arm and commanded her in a cold voice.
"Oh, okay." Even though she was reluctant, Lin Feier turned and left obediently.
Hearing that Lin Feier was carrying Rong Che's child left An Ruoxue feeling cold to the bone. They had been married for three years, and she had silently done everything for him. At work, she did her utmost to share his burdens; whatever he wanted, she strove to fulfill.
In those three years, he had never touched her once, yet now he had gotten another woman pregnant. An Ruoxue felt that this slap in the face from Rong Che was resounding indeed.
At this moment, her heart ached terribly.
An Ruoxue looked at Rong Che, her fair, beautiful face maintaining its habitual gentleness. Even though she was in absolute agony inside, she did not let too much emotion show on her face.
"Damn it." Rong Che cursed under his breath, his eyes growing colder as he looked at her. He hated this unshakable composure of hers.
To Rong Che, it felt like an act of total indifference. For three years, no matter how many scandals or affairs he was linked to, this woman he had married into his home had never shown the slightest concern.
She didn't care about him...
Rong Che strode forward, crowding into An Ruoxue’s space. His long, slender, pale fingers gripped her smooth, delicate chin, forcing her clear eyes to meet his with a cruel, domineering strength.
"An Ruoxue, do you know how much I hate your face?"
Rong Che’s fingers pinched her chin tightly. The sheer intensity of his aggression made An Ruoxue feel as though her jaw might break.
He hated her... Heh, yes, he had always hated her. He hated her so much that he didn't want to look at her, hated her so much that in three years of marriage, he had never once touched her.
Yet, looking into those clear eyes, she still lost herself.
In An Ruoxue's heart, Rong Che was a god-like existence. His charming, handsome features were like a perfect piece of art, meticulously carved by a master. His brows were imposing and sharp, his eyes as deep as the sea, and his thin lips made one want to kiss them.
*Rong Che, do you know how much I love you?* An Ruoxue wanted to say these words, but when she opened her mouth, it was with her usual detachment. She didn't want to lose her final shred of self-respect.
"I’m sorry for making you hate me."
An Ruoxue’s voice, as faint as the wind, was like a soft thorn pricking at Rong Che’s heart, making him want to strangle the woman before him.
"I’ve already drafted the divorce agreement. As long as you sign it obediently, the alimony will be generous."
Rong Che’s cold voice was like a north wind carrying snowflakes in midwinter, blowing straight into An Ruoxue’s heart, chilling every cell in her body until they felt frozen.
"What if I don't sign it?" An Ruoxue looked at Rong Che, saying each word clearly.
She had promised Grandpa Rong that she would look after Rong Che for life, that she would never leave or forsake him. An Ruoxue did not want to break that original vow.
Besides the promise made to Grandpa on his deathbed, there was one even more important reason: she loved him.
"An Ruoxue, don't be shameless. You know better than anyone why I married you three years ago."
Rong Che’s words struck the most tender part of An Ruoxue’s heart. Her memory drifted back three years; of course, she remembered why Rong Che had married her, and she clearly recalled how unwilling he had been at the time.
"If it weren't for Grandpa threatening to die if I didn't, do you think I would have married a lowly woman like you?"
Rong Che’s fingers tightened on her chin. An Ruoxue’s brows furrowed in pain, and her beautiful face was etched with suffering.
"Dressed like this today—are you trying to seduce me?"
Damn it, although Rong Che tried his best to maintain his composure, An Ruoxue’s bare, fair shoulders and the glimpses of her beauty revealed by her strapless dress seemed to be lewdly beckoning to him.
Her skin was as fair as snow, and she carried a faint, clean fragrance. It was different from the pungent perfume Lin Feier wore; An Ruoxue’s scent was subtle and refreshing.
"I’m not." An Ruoxue gritted her teeth, forcing the words out through her red lips.
"Or did you think that by seizing this chance to crawl into my bed, you could make me fall for you and change your fate of being divorced?" Rong Che looked at her, his sharp words filled with disdain and contempt.
"I didn't." An Ruoxue’s heart was pierced by his cold, harsh remarks.
"Women are all two-faced creatures. You don't need to act noble in front of me. Isn't dressing like this just an attempt to offer yourself to me?"
Rong Che’s fingers teasingly stroked her fair, beautiful face. Her skin was so smooth and elastic that, having touched it once, he felt almost addicted, unwilling to stop.
"Since you’re intent on seducing me, I’ll fulfill your wish."
"What do you want to do?" An Ruoxue’s face was full of terror.
"Fuck you." Rong Che’s lewd voice whispered against her ear.
"No!" An Ruoxue instinctively wanted to refuse, but she realized Rong Che had already reached out and gripped her slim waist.
She couldn't escape.
Rong Che gave a wicked, cold laugh, and his thin lips descended to cover hers.
"Mmm..."
The kiss was too sudden. An Ruoxue had no time to prepare, and her large, clear eyes looked at the man kissing her in shock.
As the kiss deepened, the look in her eyes slowly shifted from clarity to haze.
His kiss was cool, like a mint candy, sweeping away all of An Ruoxue’s reason.
"Mmm..." An Ruoxue gradually lost herself in it.
"Lowly woman, it’s just a kiss. Can’t you even control yourself?"