"Young Master Rong, I did everything exactly as you requested..."
Rong Che’s fingers clamped down on her chin, the sudden pressure causing Lin Feier’s face to contort in pain.
"Did I ever give you permission to act on your own initiative?"
The sharp interrogation made Lin Feier’s heart seize. "I... I only said those things because I wanted to help you get rid of Secretary An sooner."
"Young Master Rong, please... please forgive me." Lin Feier sobbed, begging him for mercy.
"I despise women who take it upon themselves to act without my orders. Get out."
With a forceful flick of his right hand, he cast her aside. Lin Feier, who had been standing, was flung mercilessly to the floor in the blink of an eye.
"Ah—!"
She landed in a heap, her knees slamming against the hardwood. The pain made her grimace, and tears fell like broken beads from her eyes.
"Get out."
The sharp, authoritative roar shattered her composure. Terrified, she dared not utter another word; ignoring the agony in her knees, she scrambled to her feet and fled, stumbling out of the room.
Hearing this, An Ruoxue finally understood the scene she had witnessed earlier. It turned out this whole charade had been carefully orchestrated by Rong Che to force her into a divorce.
"Heh."
An Ruoxue’s lips trembled slightly as she let out a cold, mocking laugh. It seemed Rong Che had gone to great lengths to push her toward divorce.
Was he really so desperate to drive her away?
The burning warmth in An Ruoxue’s heart turned ice-cold in an instant.
"The play Young Master Rong directed is truly magnificent," An Ruoxue said, her voice frosty and laced with sarcasm.
"You enjoyed watching it?" Rong Che turned around, his dark eyes fixed with interest on An Ruoxue as she sat on the sofa. Even though she was clutching the torn edges of her cocktail dress, her chest remained only partially concealed.
"I have an even more spectacular production, and I’d like you to star in it yourself." A faint, handsome curve appeared at the corners of Rong Che’s thin lips. His deep, gravelly voice was heavy with magnetic, suggestive undertones.
"I am not an actress, and I have no interest in performing. Young Master Rong should save his spectacular productions for Miss Lin; I imagine she would be more than happy to cooperate with you."
Since her heart had died, An Ruoxue no longer bothered with the deliberate concessions she usually made for him.
They say that when you love someone, you unconsciously cater to all their whims. For the past three years, that was exactly what An Ruoxue had done, only to end up with nothing but a divorce agreement in return for her sincerity.
When she thought about it now, she found it utterly ridiculous.
"My next production requires you as the lead for it to be truly magnificent," Rong Che said, his sturdy frame looming over her once more.
"You... what do you think you’re doing?"
Like a startled hedgehog, An Ruoxue immediately raised her sharp quills the moment he drew near, her body instinctively recoiling to the edge of the sofa.
"What else? We’re going to change locations to perform a more intense action film."
"You... ah!"
Before An Ruoxue had any chance to resist or fight back, Rong Che scooped her up from the sofa. As her body went airborne and she lost her center of gravity, her hands instinctively wrapped around his neck.
"Rong Che, what are you doing? Put me down!"
An Ruoxue’s heart, which had been calm for a fleeting second, descended into chaos again, her pulse thumping wildly.
As Rong Che held her, he realized just how light she was—she felt like a feather, barely registering any weight at all, and her skin felt unexpectedly soft to the touch.Rong Che quickened his pace up the stairs.
"Bang!"
Carrying An Ruoxue, Rong Che reached the second-floor bedroom and kicked the door open.
"Rong Che, aren't you trying to divorce me? I agree, I agree to it!"
The moment Rong Che tossed her onto the bed, An Ruoxue’s heart constricted. Over the past three years, she had imagined being in this bedroom with Rong Che many times. She had pictured scenes that were romantic, warm, filled with love, and full of surprises, but never scenes like this one, filled with terror.
She was afraid—truly, deeply afraid.
"I’ll sign it. I’ll sign the papers right now. Just let me go," An Ruoxue said, compromising as she scuttled toward the corner of the bed in fear.
"Damn it."
An Ruoxue’s concession did not earn her Rong Che’s mercy; instead, it only fueled the fire burning within him. The fact that this woman would propose a divorce just to avoid his touch was, to Rong Che, a direct provocation.
"I... I was just talking nonsense. You don't have to take it seriously," An Ruoxue whispered, huddled in the corner of the bed, clutching her knees tightly and explaining herself cautiously.
"Hmph, 'talking nonsense'? Who do you take me for?"
Consumed by desire, the man had long since lost his usual composure, and An Ruoxue’s pitiful appearance only served to ignite his blood further. He wanted her. He wanted her now.
Rong Che was never a man to suppress his impulses. No sooner had the thought crossed his mind than his hands moved. His strong, powerful grip caught An Ruoxue’s milk-white ankle, and with a sharp tug, he dragged her from the corner of the bed directly before him.
"Let go, Rong Che, let go!"
An Ruoxue struggled with all her might, lifting her free left foot to kick at him. But her movements had already been anticipated by Rong Che’s sharp, hawk-like eyes. Not only did she fail to land a blow, but her foot was also caught firmly in his hand.
With both feet captured by Rong Che, An Ruoxue could no longer fight back. The white cocktail dress she wore, already torn by Rong Che earlier, slid away almost entirely after this struggle. Her beautiful, smooth back was laid bare before Rong Che, her skin as fair as snow, emitting a faint, feminine fragrance.
"You smell so good."
Rong Che leaned in, his nose pressing against her smooth back as he took a deep, deliberate breath. The unique, subtle scent of her skin rushed into his senses, intoxicating him.
"Uh, mm... you, don't get so close to me, get away!" An Ruoxue twisted her body in embarrassment.
The warm breath from Rong Che’s nostrils washed over her back in waves. Her skin, brushed by his heat, felt itchy and tingled with a sensation like an electric shock. The heart she had thought was dead began to flutter against her will.
"Playing hard to get? Quite a clever trick."
Rong Che’s fingers, which had been wandering across her back, moved toward her long, elegant, swan-like neck.
"I’m not, it’s not like that, please, I beg you, let me go... Mmph... Ng..."
The moment Rong Che’s playful fingers touched her neck, she shuddered as if struck by a bolt of lightning.