Ji Huaiyan is the sole heir to the Ji Family of Gangcheng, raised from childhood under the Ji family’s rigorous and brutal training regimen for successors.
Everyone within his inner circle is subjected to strict vetting by the Ji family; only socialites are permitted to exist in Ji Huaiyan's orbit.
Shang Che is the only exception.
He is roguish to the core, his eyes wild and shadowed, carrying an aura of slaughter that commands fear. The way he looks at her, like a predator locking onto its prey, is suffocating.
Ten years have passed since they last met.
Standing before her in the light, his brows and eyes carry a look of lazy decadence, the murderous edge somewhat softened. He stands there as if he has no bones in his body.
Li Li coughs softly, feigning composure. "I have a name."
She lifts her chin slightly, exuding an air of unspoken haughtiness. "Li Li."
Shang Che lowers his gaze, his eyelashes concealing the doting look in his eyes. He strides over and casually tosses the bag onto the bed.
Seeing her standing barefoot on the carpet, he instinctively squats down and slips the slippers from the side onto her feet.
As he looks up, his eyes are filled with amusement. "I know. Li Li, the imperious little princess of Gangcheng."
"You thoroughly devoured me last night; I have a deep impression of it."
As he speaks, Shang Che tugs at his collar. Beneath his black shirt, the ambiguous marks on his throat and collarbone are piercingly vivid in the sunlight.
Li Li hurriedly looks away, closing her eyes, refusing to face it.
Yet, memories uncontrollably flood her mind.
A torrential, rainy night. Li Li’s slender, red-manicured fingers traced the man’s chest muscles, her eyes shining. "Shang Che, I like this."
Her fingertips lingered, sliding down to his abdominal muscles. "And I like this, too."
She truly liked this body of Shang Che’s—the well-defined contours, the taut skin, the mermaid lines extending from his lean waist to his lower abdomen, and the veins tracing across his skin…
Li Li swallowed, feeling rather pathetic. It was true she had been drugged, but it was also true that she hadn't held back when faced with Shang Che’s impeccable physique.
Shang Che’s voice was low and hoarse as he stroked her hair. "Do you like it?"
His voice was bewitching as he took her hand. "If you like it, it’s all yours."
A passionate, clumsy kiss followed, trailing downward…
Li Li shuts her eyes. The slight sense of relief she felt last night has completely dissipated.
She isn't sure if Shang Che is still in contact with Ji Huaiyan, but even if they are no longer brothers, getting entangled with someone like Shang Che is no stroke of luck.
Vindictive… Li Li recalls how the people of Wucheng describe Shang Che. This was one of the traits added to the list.
She glares for no reason at the grinning man, her eyes downcast in regret.
Shang Che doesn't mind the glare at all; instead, he finds it quite interesting. He reaches out and pinches her pouting cheek. "What are you glaring at? You were the one who slept with me."
Li Li: "..."
She doesn't deny it, but she isn't about to reiterate it either.
Shang Che rests his chin on one hand, watching her with composure, savoring every expression on her face.
He feels smug inside, pretending to be troubled. "I'm a friend of your brother's. Since you slept with me, I don't know how to answer to him."
Li Li: "..."
She has no rebuttal.
Compared to sleeping with Shang Che, what Li Li finds even harder to accept is that she slept with her brother’s friend.
But since it has happened, it must be resolved.
"It takes two to tango. You bear responsibility for taking advantage of the situation."
Li Li acts indignant despite her lack of a strong case, casually pulling a stack of cash from her bag and handing it over. "I won’t treat you unfairly."
"If that’s not enough, there’s more."
Shang Che’s leisurely gaze lands on the stack of banknotes glaring in the sunlight. He finds it amusing.
"Trying to pay for my silence?"
Li Li squares her shoulders, acting extremely haughty. "Well? Don’t you want it?"
Shang Che stares at the girl’s exquisite, delicate face for a moment, his eyes tilting upward.
He suddenly laughs. "It seems everyone knows I’m short on cash."
The rogue sneers. "But—this bit of money isn't enough to pay for me working hard all night."
He continues speaking to himself, reaching out as if to take it.
Li Li’s phone rings.
Seeing the caller ID, Li Li’s expression darkens. She drops the cash and turns to leave.
Shang Che hasn't even touched the money yet when, in a blink, she is gone.
From outside comes the faint sound of Li Li grinding her teeth. "I’m going. Not only am I going, but this lady is also going to deliver a big gift."
With the sound of a closing door, the world returns to silence.
Shang Che lowers his head, staring at the cash scattered all over the bed, and scoffs.
As he bends down to pick it up, he doesn't forget to affirm himself: "I’m worth quite a bit."
"Yo, since when is Master Shang so hard up for cash?"
"Even these pennies are worth you picking them up one by one?"
Fu Xiao returns, leaning against the doorframe to tease Shang Che.
Knowing Shang Che as he does, this guy is clearly enjoying the thrill of being thrown money.
Fu Xiao has seen the little ancestor of the Ji Huaiyan family before.
Whether it’s her face or her figure, she is absolutely top-tier and alluring. He’s definitely gotten the better end of the deal.
Shang Che collects the "allowance" his wife gave him, bill by bill, tucking them into his pocket. The doting expression he had for Li Li vanishes.
His tone is cold and arrogant: "Send people to keep an eye on the little girl. Don’t let anyone bully her."
"Bully her?" Fu Xiao sounds as if he’s heard the biggest joke on earth. "You really do love to joke."
"That ancestor, Li Li, hasn't been causing trouble in Wucheng for just a day or two. Even the stray dogs on the road have to tread carefully around her. Who would dare bully her?"
Shang Che ignores him, simply asking, "Did you find out?"
Fu Xiao understands immediately and clears his throat. "The Li family’s adopted daughter met with Li Li last night."
"After leaving her, Li Li wasn't acting like herself, right up until she ran into you at the bar."
Thinking of how Li Li had locked onto Shang Che in the crowd and tackled him, Fu Xiao feels a bead of sweat for Ji Huaiyan.
His own cabbage has been ravaged by a pig.
By now, the trending topics are all over the place.
Everyone knows that Shang Yang was originally engaged to Li Li, but a week ago, the publicly announced engagement banquet between the Shang and Li families featured Shang Yang and Li Xiang.
Initially, there was a lot of speculation online.
Now, with the news of Li Li publicly seducing Shang Che hitting the web, everyone is united in cursing Li Li for cheating on her fiancé with his brother right before the engagement, while Li Xiang is forced to step in as a substitute to clean up her sister’s mess.
Seeing Shang Che’s grim expression, Fu Xiao coughs. "You know how it is. Since they suddenly swapped the leads for the Shang-Li engagement, they had to give the public some kind of explanation."
Even if it hadn't been Shang Che last night, it would have been someone else.
Li Li was destined to "cheat" 100%; only then could Li Xiang marry into the Shang Family with a clean slate.
From the very beginning, this was a trap designed to kill two birds with one stone.
…
2:00 PM, two hours until the Shang-Li engagement banquet.
The entire Li estate is decked out in red. Servants are busy with the decorations, and the commotion begins long before the guests arrive.
The roar of an engine shatters the noise. A red supercar doesn't wait for the gate to open; it charges straight through.
The servants jump in fright, scrambling to dodge as they watch the red supercar crash through the festive courtyard and come to a stop before the main entrance.
Amidst the wreckage, the car door opens.
Li Li steps out in her high heels, her exquisite face wearing an arrogant, haughty expression.
The butler is startled. Seeing Li Li’s aggressive entrance, he rushes forward to curry favor. "Second Miss, why are you..."
"What 'Second Miss' are you talking about?" Li Li pulls a sledgehammer from the car, her gaze cold and sharp. "Does a stray pheasant you picked up deserve to be a phoenix?"
The butler’s expression freezes, rendered speechless.
Li Li can't be bothered with him. She carries the hammer toward the main entrance, ruthlessly smashing every bouquet and festive cloth in her path.
The butler chases after her, trying to intervene.
Li Li stops by the door.
The crimson gate is adorned with the character for "Double Happiness," which looks piercingly glaring in the sunlight.
Dressed in a white coat, Li Li pauses for a moment, glances up at the gate decorated with red flowers, and the next second, she swings the heavy hammer.
With a deafening "boom," the Li family’s gate shatters upon impact.