Volume One, Chapter 8: Truly Handsome, Living a Life of Indulgence!

She sat dumbfounded on the floor, tilting her head back to look at Ling Dongyan. His pair of beautiful eyes, as black as ink, sparkled brightly. Moments of shock flashed across her face, then guilt as she stared at him, wanting to cover her face but abruptly lowering her hands halfway. In just a few seconds, her expression shifted through a hundred emotions.

From the front, he was even more impressive—a lean, well-defined musculature gleaming with health. Each abdominal muscle was perfectly sculpted, more flawless than any statue. He was simply exquisite.

Nie Xingyan swallowed involuntarily.

“Had enough of the view?” The sudden voice shattered the delicate atmosphere. Nie Xingyan’s face flushed deeply as she coughed to cover her embarrassment.

“Sorry, I...” She had never imagined she would encounter Ling Dongyan again, and certainly not under such awkward circumstances.

Ling Dongyan seemed not to recognize her; his handsome face bore a particularly cold demeanor, tinged with impatience at an unexpected intrusion into his private space.

Seeing his indifferent expression, the faint, hazy feelings Nie Xingyan had just entertained vanished instantly.

“I didn’t know Miss Nie had the habit of peeping at people changing clothes,” he said with a tone so distant that anyone but a fool could sense the estrangement.

Nie Xingyan was still reeling from the shock of encountering him here. His words snapped her back to reason, reminding her of the matter at hand.

It was him after all. It had to be him!

“Ling Dongyan, you scoundrel! I never expected you to look so upright on the surface but be involved in such sneaky, underhanded dealings behind my back!”

No sooner had she spoken than Nie Xingyan sprang up fiercely from the floor, her face a mix of anger and hatred. Before he could respond, she launched herself at him, attempting to catch him off guard with a hit.

Ling Dongyan never anticipated that the first thing she would do upon waking was to scold him—not just scold, but attack as well.

It seemed Liu Hong’s medicine was truly effective; she was full of life again.

Earlier, when he was showering, he heard noises outside and thought Nie Xingyan had woken up. Without drying off, he entered the bedroom through another door to check. Before he could react, she had already pushed the door open.

Before he could question her, she was already yelling.

Nie Xingyan’s anger was overwhelming. The moment she woke, she had reminded herself, “If you can’t win, run,” yet now, that maxim was tossed aside.

She didn’t know why she was so furious; her eyes were red, and she just wanted to beat Ling Dongyan.

The bedroom floor was marble, slippery when wet.

Ling Dongyan had rushed out earlier, barefoot and wet. When she collided with him, his balance faltered, and the two tumbled together toward the bed, pulling and dragging one another.

Fearing she might fall, Ling Dongyan quickly wrapped his arms around her waist.

Becoming a human cushion, Nie Xingyan weighed less than a hundred pounds, yet their collision still made Ling Dongyan emit a muffled grunt despite his years of fitness.

This time, Nie Xingyan reacted swiftly—she shoved him away, flipped over, and straddled him, hitting and scratching.

“You despicable dog! How dare you take advantage of me!”

Ling Dongyan was half-naked, wearing only a towel around his waist. Trying to keep the towel from slipping and restrain her hands left him breathing harder. He called her full name in warning, “Nie Xingyan, don’t go too far!”

At first he had called her Miss Nie; now, using her full name so sternly, was he pretending not to know her? Fine, very well.

Nie Xingyan punched his strong, muscular chest twice.

“Me? Going too far? After all these years, you think you’ve grown capable? Driven by lust to do such things! Ling Dongyan, you shameless man!”

...

Mu Yuan had just returned from buying what Ling Dongyan needed. As he pushed the door open, he was greeted by quite the scene.

The beautiful woman he had seen in the underground garage was straddling Ling Dongyan, and the two were in the midst of a lively quarrel. The sight was definitely not suitable for children.

“Ling Dongyan, what are you doing? I was going to call—uh, sorry.” Mu Yuan abruptly changed course, closing the door while covering his eyes and bowing apologetically. “Sorry to interrupt you two. Carry on, carry on.”

He couldn’t help but admire Ling Dongyan—handsome indeed, and quite the player.

Before he finished speaking, Ling Dongyan shouted in rare frustration, “Mu Yuan, get over here! Aren’t you coming to help?”

...

The crystal chandelier in the presidential suite’s living room sparkled brilliantly, reflecting the varied expressions of the three present.

On the expensive Western-style plates lay pieces of carefully sliced marbled wagyu beef. Nie Xingyan sat quietly and properly at the island counter, eating with gleaming silverware that reflected her image.

Her mind was elsewhere as she absentmindedly shoved beef soaked in sauce into her mouth, chewing without swallowing.

Her cheeks puffed out like a hamster’s, and she didn’t even notice the small droplets of juice trickling from the corner of her lips as she chewed.

Ling Dongyan watched her, the corner of his mouth curling into an almost imperceptible smile. He pulled out two napkins and moved them toward the corner of her mouth.

Seeing the shadow looming over her, Nie Xingyan shivered and instinctively dodged, her eyes filling with wariness.

Feeling her resistance, a flash of dark light crossed Ling Dongyan’s eyes. He lowered his gaze to quell the sudden restlessness in his heart. When he looked up again, his demeanor was as cold and detached as before. He smiled faintly at her, “Wipe it.”

Was her attachment to him during her drugged state in bed just an illusion?

Recalling the name she murmured in her sleep was someone else’s, Ling Dongyan’s expression grew even colder.

Nie Xingyan suddenly felt the atmosphere around her grow heavy. Wondering if she was being too obvious in keeping her distance, she hastily took the napkin. “Thank you.”

Her slightly cool fingertips brushed quickly over Ling Dongyan’s dry palm, sending a tingling sensation that spread from her arm to his entire body.

No matter how subtle the gesture, whenever she did it, there was an invisible allure that stirred his emotions uncontrollably.

Ling Dongyan’s fingers curled slightly. Only after the electric sensation faded completely did he down the wine in his glass in one gulp.

Seeing the two nearly finished eating, Mu Yuan seized the moment, placing a stack of documents in front of Ling Dongyan. Before speaking, he deliberately glanced at Nie Xingyan.

“Third brother, your guess was right—the cash flow of Jianfu Jewelry is indeed in serious trouble.”

Normally, as an outsider, Nie Xingyan should have kept a low profile when others discussed business. But upon hearing the name Jianfu Jewelry, she instinctively looked up.

Ling Dongyan’s gaze met hers, as if he already knew what she was thinking. Their eyes locked.

Under the dazzling night, his eyes were dark and bright, making her breath catch and her heart tremble.

Nie Xingyan stood up. “You have important matters to discuss. I won’t disturb you.”

“Yanyan, don’t you want to see them beg on their knees, desperate and helpless?” The voice behind her was calm and measured, yet it froze her in place.

His words were light, but they sent a chill down her spine.

The tone was as simple as discussing the weather, but after five years since they last met, time and people had changed. Nie Xingyan could no longer see through him as she once did.