Chapter 11: Unraveled Emotions

She arrived with joy but left feeling empty. Wen Nuan returned to Qianyu, her face void of emotion.

Slumped over her desk, a deep sense of helplessness engulfed her. One person wanted her to break up; another wanted her to resign. What was she supposed to do? She wished someone would just appear and tell her the right choice. The fear of making the wrong decision weighed heavily on her mind.

There’s a path in life that must never be taken—the wrong one. One misstep could lead to everything falling apart.

A knock on her desk pulled her from her thoughts. She looked up.

“Call Dahua and arrange for them to sign the contract next Monday at ten,” Zhan Nanxian instructed, his gaze lingering on her chapped pink lips, his usual cold expression darkening slightly.

She instinctively touched her lips. “I bit them myself,” she confessed. In that moment, she forgot he was her boss and the boundaries she had set in her heart. She tried to smile but couldn’t. The effort felt forced, tinged with bitterness. “Linlu was right.”

His lips curled in mild disapproval. “What did he say that you took as truth?”

“He said I don’t know you anymore.”

As she reflected on the days they spent working closely since she moved to the 66th floor, she realized he was no longer the boy who had once given his heart to her.

Though they still shared a silent understanding at work, his emotions and thoughts were now so deeply buried and unpredictable that she felt she no longer understood him.

This man, young yet astonishingly rational, brave, determined, cold, and ruthless, with vast wealth—he was no longer the boy in her memories who had vowed to stay by her side for life. Realizing this, her heart clenched, and tears welled up in her eyes. “I... don’t recognize you anymore.”

He leaned down, taking her hand. “Do you know why?”

Pain shot through her wrist as she tried to pull away, but he held it firmly. “Why?” she whispered.

“You’ve distanced yourself from me, spent too little time with me.”

She lowered her eyes, too sad to speak.

Her hands felt empty, and all her happiness seemed to have been lost in the tragedy that struck ten years ago. How could she, burdened with guilt, face him? How could she dare to think of him again with the painful memories still haunting her?

Her silence shouldn’t have made him press his lips together. Suddenly, he pulled her into his office. The door slammed shut behind them, and he pinned her against it, his lips capturing hers. His touch was warm, eager, tinged with anger. Zhu Linlu’s words echoed in her mind, and she knew he was right. She feared she was walking the path she dreaded most. But all she could do was pray for forgiveness.

She had wandered alone in the darkness for so long, but finally, a ray of light appeared. Perhaps it was a mirage, or an illusion of her own making. Maybe, by the time she reached it, it would have already faded away. But she prayed, asking for the chance to fly into the fire—if her end was to turn to ashes in this slow burn, she was willing to accept it.

He suddenly licked the sensitive skin on the back of her neck, making her gasp. His whisper, just for her, was laced with sarcasm. “I thought you truly didn’t recognize me anymore. Thankfully, your heart speaks louder than your words.”

Just then, a phone rang from his coat pocket.

He didn’t loosen his grip on her earring. Glancing at the screen, he seemed to change his mind. He answered it, his lips brushing against her earlobe. “Yixin?”

Her entire body tensed, and she tried to move, but he was faster, pressing her against the door again, trapping her.

“I’m a bit busy right now,” he said to the person on the other end, his hand grabbing her arm and forcing it behind her back. “I’m in the office.”

His gentle tone only made her struggle harder, and she blurted out, “Let me go!”

As if worried he’d hurt her, he released her hand, only to tighten his grip around her waist, chuckling softly into the phone. “Yes, I’m with her.” Despite her efforts to push him away, his voice remained calm, “Okay, I’ll be there soon.”

He tossed the phone aside, grabbed her hands, and pinned them against the door, his face inches from hers. Anger flickered in his eyes as he spoke softly, “Do you understand me now?”

She turned her head sharply, avoiding his approaching lips. “I should have listened to Linlu sooner.”

He stiffened, his fingers gripping her chin, his gaze cold and unyielding.

“Don’t ever mention that name again,” he warned, his voice low. “Don’t let it happen again.”

Wen Nuan spent her day off at home, lost in the music of a Korean piano prodigy.

Each note seemed to resonate with the emotions of the pianist, who closed his eyes and let his fingers glide over the keys. The music flowed like water, and her favorite piece, “Tears”, was particularly moving, soft and melancholy, like a feather brushing against her heart.

She didn’t fully understand the meaning of the song, or what she felt, but she knew the music was like an invisible hand, reaching across time and space to connect with her heart, filling her chest with delicate sadness, sighs, tears, and despair.

She had read these lines from a Byron poem countless times in a female writer’s book:

“If we meet again,  

many years later,  

What will we do?  

Only silence and tears.”

As she listened to “Tears” repeatedly, she was interrupted by Wenrou’s sudden arrival. 

Wenrou kicked off her shoes and collapsed in a chair, sighing, “Now I finally understand—doing business is harder than playing the stock market.”

“What kind of business are you in?” Wen Nuan asked, lifting her gaze.

Wenrou smiled. “Nothing much, just following some people to the docks, seeing the world.”

Wen Nuan didn’t respond.

Sensing something was wrong, Wenrou asked, “What’s wrong with you? Are you sick? You look awful, even your eyes are dark.”

Wen Nuan smiled weakly. “You really do care.”

Wenrou was startled and sat up straight. “What’s the matter? Why are you angry all of a sudden? Did I do something wrong?”

After a moment of silence, Wen Nuan replied softly, “I’m sorry.”

“Even if I shouldn’t have left you at the restaurant last time, you didn’t end up stranded.”

Wen Nuan turned her head slowly. “I didn’t—end up stranded?”

“Didn’t you? I wanted to tell you that Zhan Nanxian had your house key. Weren’t you with him? But you hung up on me before I could finish—”

Wen Nuan suddenly leaped from her seat, nearly shouting, “What did you say?!”

Wenrou, shocked by her reaction, looked confused. “You hung up on me. When I called back, Zhan Nanxian answered. I asked him to take you home. Didn’t he?”

Wen Nuan’s voice trembled. “When… when did you come back?”

“Last night. What happened? What’s wrong?”

She stuffed her fist into her mouth to stifle a cry. She had received the key a week ago, after Zhan Nanxian had taken her back to the company and left again.

Grabbing Wenrou’s bag, she yanked her wrist and dragged her to the door. Pushing her out, she thrust the bag into Wenrou’s arms. For the first time in her 25 years, Wen Nuan spoke to Wenrou with anger, “I don’t want to see you again—ever.”

And with that, she slammed the door in Wenrou’s face.

Wenrou was in shock. It took her a long moment to pull out her phone and dial Zhan Nanxian’s number.

The phone rang ten times before automatically disconnecting. As she descended the stairs in a daze, Wenrou’s mind was still reeling, unsure of what had just happened. Her hands seemed to move on their own, guiding her car toward Luoyan Road.

Meanwhile, Wen Nuan stepped into the bathroom, still fully clothed, and stood under the shower. The water cascaded down her face as if trying to wash away her turmoil.

On Luoyan Road, there stood a once-celebrated villa, purchased by Zhan Nanxian for 50 million three years ago as an engagement gift for Bo Yixin. Wenrou used Zhan Nanxian’s exclusive business card to pass through the gate’s stringent security. She parked haphazardly and stormed up the steps, banging on the door, "Zhan Nanxian, get out here!"

A few seconds later, the door swung open, revealing the tall figure of Pan Weining blocking the entrance.

Wenrou’s voice was commanding, "Is Zhan Nanxian here?"

A soft voice called out from within, "Let her in."

Pan Weining stepped aside, and Wenrou strode in without a second thought.

Bo Yixin was half-reclined on a plush couch by the window in the lavishly decorated side hall. She regarded Wenrou’s angry entrance with a calm expression. "Nanxian isn’t here," she said.

Wenrou’s tone was cold, "Where is he?"

Bo Yixin replied with a faint smile, "He usually has lunch with Aunt Ling around this time, then heads back to the company in the afternoon."

"Where did he have lunch?"

Bo Yixin’s smile widened, "Why don’t you ask Wen Nuan? She was staying there two days ago."

Wenrou’s breath caught, "What did you say? Where is Wen Nuan staying?!"

Bo Yixin feigned surprise, "You didn’t know?"

A sense of dread began to creep into Wenrou’s heart. Seeing the amusement in Bo Yixin’s eyes, she pressed, "What have you and Zhan Nanxian done to Wen Nuan?"

Bo Yixin rose gracefully, "Three years ago, when Wen Nuan and Zhu Linlu showed up at Nanxian's and my engagement party, did you ask her what she did to us?"

Wenrou sneered, "Are you dredging up old grievances? Should we also revisit what you did to Wen Nuan?"

Bo Yixin’s voice was icy, "Wenrou, here’s my advice: either convince Wen Nuan to leave, or disappear from her life again like before. Otherwise, you’d better prepare yourself. The best part of this story is yet to unfold."

"Oh, so you’re threatening me now?" Wenrou’s voice dripped with sarcasm. "I was considering asking Wen Nuan to resign, but since you’re so confident, let’s see how far you can go. If you dare to mess with us again, I’ll make sure not even Zhan Nanxian can protect you."

Bo Yixin remained unfazed and turned to Pan Weining, "Please show her out."

Wenrou left, her frustration evident as she stormed back to her car.

As her royal blue sports car slowly drove through the gates, Zhan Nanxian, seated in the driver's seat, let his phone ring repeatedly without answering. It wasn't until another private line rang that he finally picked up.

"Yi Xin? How did it go?"

"She just left. She couldn't handle the provocation. I tried to talk her down, but she was too angry. It looks like she’s determined to keep her sister under your control."

He smiled slightly, "Oh?"

"I told her you’d be back at the office this afternoon." There was a hint of frustration in her tone. "She might try to confront you there."

Zhan Nanxian’s smile faded, "I’m not going back today. The opening ceremony of the Professional Tennis Tour Year-End Finals is in half an hour. Do you want to join me?"

Bo Yixin paused, "Don’t you usually reserve Saturday afternoons to be alone with Wen Nuan?"

His expression darkened, "She won’t be coming back today."

Monday arrived, the day Qianyu and Dahua Telecom were set to sign the contract. Wen Nuan arrived early, prepared her resignation letter, sealed it in a white envelope, and placed it in her desk drawer. By the time Ding Xiaodai returned, she had already organized all the documents needed for the contract.

At ten o’clock, Zhan Nanxian and Gao Fang arrived with a group of executives. Leading them was a thin, sharp-eyed man in his forties, whom Gao Fang addressed as Mr. Yang.

The group entered the conference room, and Wen Nuan and Ding Xiaodai split tasks—one served tea while the other handled the contract documents.

Wen Nuan laid out the necessary documents in front of Yang Wenzhong and his lawyer before approaching Zhan Nanxian. She handed him the papers without making eye contact, but when their hands brushed, she recoiled as if burned, stumbling into Ding Xiaodai. The tray in Ding Xiaodai's hands tipped, spilling water all over the documents.

Chaos ensued as the water spread across the conference table.

Ding Xiaodai, frightened, hid behind Wen Nuan.

Zhan Nanxian’s voice was stern, "What do you think you’re doing?" He turned to Yang Wenzhong, "Mr. Yang, I apologize for the inconvenience. Gao Fang, please escort Mr. Yang to the annex. We’ll re-prepare the documents."

Yang Wenzhong stood up, "No hurry, I’ve heard good things about the facilities in your annex. I’ll take a look while you prepare."

Gao Fang chimed in, "I hear you enjoy mahjong, Mr. Yang. How about a round?"

Yang Wenzhong laughed, "Now that you mention it, I do have an itch. Unfortunately, I can’t stay long today; I have another contract to sign in Daizhong this afternoon."

"Don’t worry, Mr. Yang," Gao Fang assured him. "We’ll get everything done before noon."

As they left, Zhan Nanxian’s expression softened, and he told Ding Xiaodai, "You can leave now. Call someone to clean up."

Ding Xiaodai quickly complied, casting a worried glance at Wen Nuan before exiting.

Zhan Nanxian swiveled in his chair, resting his elbows on the armrests, and interlaced his fingers as he looked up at Wen Nuan. "What’s wrong with you?" he asked gently, a smile playing on his lips.

Her voice was cold, "I’ll go prepare the documents again."

He reached out to her, "Wen Nuan—"

She quickly stepped back, her eyes flashing with silent resentment and caution.

A shadow of complex emotions flickered in his eyes, vanishing almost as quickly as it appeared.

He suddenly said, "I’m sorry."

She gave a bitter smile.

It was her own foolishness. She had knowingly stepped into a pit of fire; there was no point in blaming anyone else.

He sighed, "Three years ago, before the villas on Luoyan Road were put on the market, they sent me a catalog. I liked the style and bought one for 50 million. Later, I supervised the construction of the villa on Luoyang Road myself—do you know how much time and money it took?"

With a self-deprecating smile, he continued, "It took a year and ten months, and cost 67 million dollars."

Her eyelashes trembled, but she said nothing.

He stood, walked past her, and gazed out of the floor-to-ceiling window.

"I knew it was for you, but I couldn’t bring you back without reason. You’ve never really thought about coming back to me all these years... What would be the point? To show you what I’ve achieved? To remind you of the promise I kept? Or to make you see the mistake you made by leaving?"

He turned to her, his eyes dark in the backlight.

"I don’t know if you can understand the contradictions I’ve faced, so when the chance to bring you back arose, I seized it."

She bit her lip, finally speaking, "So, you brought me back—not just for…?"

"If I just wanted to be with you, why would I leave after the first night?" He couldn’t help but smile again as he moved closer, "Believe me, if I wanted you in my bed, I wouldn’t have waited."

A faint blush crept across her face. Before she could hide or decide not to, his hand gently touched her cheek, "Don’t run from me anymore, not in this life... ever again."

A knock on the door startled her, and she quickly stepped away as Gao Fang entered with a cheerful expression.

"I’ll prepare the documents," she said hurriedly.

Zhan Nanxian shook his head, "No need."

"Why?"

Gao Fang replied, "Yang Wenzhong has gone back. He won’t be signing the contract today."

Wen Nuan froze, looking as if she had been startled, like a frightened bird. "Why did he suddenly change his mind? This can’t be about me again, right?"

Gao Fang chuckled softly. "It has nothing to do with you. About half an hour ago, a document was sent to every member of Dahua's board of directors. It reported that Yang Wenzhong and Dai Zhong were involved in commission transactions. Dahua is now facing a major internal crisis and has ordered him to return immediately to explain."

Wen Nuan looked at him, then at Zhan Nanxian, who wore a faint, confident smile. Her eyes finally settled on the water stains on the conference table. A realization dawned on her, and she slumped into a chair, dejected. "So, you did it on purpose." The entire world had believed that Dahua and Qianyu would sign the contract at ten o'clock this morning. Now, it was clear that it had all been a trap set by Zhan Nanxian. "Did you know someone would expose Yang Wenzhong?"

"It wasn’t that I knew; I just anticipated it."

"What exactly is going on?"

"Nanxian expected that someone within the industry wouldn't want Dahua and Daizhong to cooperate smoothly. So, they’d likely try to sabotage things right before the contract was signed. At the same time, they wouldn’t want us to benefit from Yang Wenzhong’s downfall, so the ideal moment to act would be after our contract was finalized but before Daizhong signed theirs."

He had deliberately set the stage. Qianyu’s contract signing was scheduled for the same day as Daizhong’s, but just four or five hours earlier. By doing so, most outsiders would believe Qianyu had signed with Dahua as planned. Even if someone suspected otherwise, they wouldn’t have time to verify it before feeling pressured to expose the issue before Daizhong signed in the afternoon.

Wen Nuan pondered this for a moment. "I still don’t completely understand."

Gao Fang explained further, "With Yang Wenzhong's abilities, he wouldn’t have dared to collect high commissions from agents for so long on his own. It’s likely that he was backed by others on the board. His faction is currently in power, and things have been done quietly, so no one could challenge them."

If nothing unexpected happened, this sudden blow would be catastrophic for Yang Wenzhong. Not only could he be fired, but he might also face legal troubles, sparking a power struggle within Dahua’s board. There would certainly be those who would seize this opportunity to advance their positions.

"What does this have to do with our contract?"

"Everything. If we had signed the contract with Yang Wenzhong, Qianyu could be implicated if something happens to him. Even if we did nothing wrong, the mere association could lead to a business investigation, damaging our company’s reputation."

"I see that."

"Moreover, if Yang Wenzhong goes down, Dahua’s credibility will be in jeopardy, and their relationship with Daizhong will collapse. If we’re already tied to this deal, whoever eventually takes over at Dahua will likely prefer to give Daizhong’s share to their allies rather than us."

"You’re saying that if we had signed the contract, the new power in Dahua would hand Daizhong’s share to someone else, leaving Qianyu with only the initial contract and no further gains. The whistleblower’s goal of derailing Daizhong and preventing Qianyu from profiting would be achieved."

"Exactly. But since we haven’t signed anything, we can withdraw at any time, putting us in a delicate position."

"Why is it delicate?"

"It’s simple. We can demand that Dahua lets us handle the Daizhong portion as well. If they refuse, we can walk away from the deal."

"I get it."

If Qianyu pulls out now, the substantial investment Dahua made in selecting partners and negotiating will go to waste. They’d be forced to start the process all over again, which would be costly and time-consuming. Moreover, there aren’t many companies capable of overcoming Dahua’s technical challenges. Without Daizhong and Qianyu, even if the new leader wants to give the business to someone else, the board might not approve it—especially if there are ambitious members vying for control.

In this situation, where various factions are locked in a power struggle reminiscent of the Warring States period, Qianyu, with no deep ties to any faction but with strong capital and superior skills, would become the most acceptable choice for all.

So, if Zhan Nanxian wants to claim Daizhong’s share, he only needs to be patient and wait for the factions within Dahua to battle it out. When they all realize that no one can overpower the others, they’ll naturally come to a consensus—agreeing to his terms and handing over the entire project to Qianyu.

And it won’t take long for them to reach that consensus, because while Qianyu can afford to wait, Dahua cannot, and they’ll want to resolve this as quickly as possible.

After processing all of this, Wen Nuan fell silent.

Zhu Linlu had lost Dahua’s business, and Zhan Nanxian had won.

It turned out that he had deliberately touched her hand, using Ding Xiaodai’s presence to disrupt the contract signing... It turned out he had anticipated her reactions, and his later words to her had been carefully premeditated.

After realizing that he had secured Dahua’s business, for reasons unknown to her—perhaps because she had been unusually distant—he anticipated that she might want to leave, so he had tried to console her with words prepared in advance.

It seemed that whether in business or in matters of the heart, everything had been under his control.

Suddenly, she felt disillusioned and weary of her work. Day after day, she didn’t know who she was striving for, and in the end, it all felt empty. She didn’t want to ask anything anymore, nor did she want to know anything.

She rose from the chair and quietly left the conference room, leaving Gao Fang looking slightly surprised.

It wasn’t until she disappeared through the door that Zhan Nanxian withdrew his gaze from her retreating figure and stared out the thick glass wall for a long time.

Zhu Linlu had finally lost Dahua as a client, while Zhan Nanxian had secured the business.

It all made sense now... He had deliberately touched her hand. When he saw Ding Xiaodai passing by, he used them to disrupt the contract signing. He had been aware of her feelings toward him and how she would react... Everything he said to her later was rehearsed, calculated.

Once he knew he had succeeded in taking over Dahua, whether it was because she had grown unusually distant or for some other reason, he anticipated she might want to leave. So, he attempted to comfort her with words he had prepared in advance.

It seemed that in both business and personal matters, she was merely a piece on his chessboard, always under his control.

A sudden wave of exhaustion washed over her. Day after day, she didn’t even know who she was working so hard for. In the end, it all felt pointless. She didn’t want to ask anything more, didn’t want to know anything more.

She stood up from her chair and quietly left the meeting room, leaving Gao Fang slightly surprised.

It wasn’t until she was gone that Zhan Nanxian finally withdrew his gaze from where she had disappeared and stared out at the thick glass wall for a long time.

In recent days, several major news stories dominated the headlines.

One was that tennis legend Roger Federer, along with the top eight players in the world, had arrived at the port to participate in the year-end finals of the professional tennis tour.

The other was the sharp decline in Daizhong Company's stock price following the revelation of the commission scandal.

The scandal had stemmed from the theft of a senior member of the princeling's car, which contained a laptop. Someone had cracked the password and sold all the valuable information to related companies. Among the stolen files were top-secret documents detailing every commission paid by Yang Wenzhong, which were sold to a Dahua board member who had long been at odds with him.

After the scandal broke, Zhu Linlu announced his resignation, followed by the princeling's who had aligned with him. That day, Daizhong's stock price plummeted another 10%. Already overwhelmed by the scandal and unable to handle the media's follow-up inquiries, the company was further thrown into chaos by the collective resignation of senior staff. The resulting loss of investor confidence led to large-scale sell-offs that pushed Daizhong to the brink of collapse.

Zhu Linlu stayed true to his word and never contacted Wen Nuan again.

On Friday, Wen Nuan called Wen Rou, and they exchanged a few words, carefully avoiding any mention of the past.

Wen Rou showed up for lunch as planned on Saturday. Halfway through the meal, she cautiously said, "Seven Weekly reported that the wedding dress Zhan Nanxian ordered for Bo Yixin in Milan has been shipped back."

Wen Nuan smiled faintly, "Yes, I saw that too."

This was the third big news story in recent days.

Valued at three million U.S. dollars, the dress had caused a sensation in the fashion circles of Milan and Paris. Adorned with a hundred crystals, a hundred pearls, and a hundred diamonds, it was even more luxurious than the famous wedding dress Leng Rufeng had commissioned for Lin Xiao.

Wen Rou looked at her, as if wanting to say something but hesitating.

Wen Nuan stood up, "I bought some good mangoes yesterday. Let me make some juice for you."

Wen Rou put down her chopsticks, "Are you really never going to talk about this?"

Without looking back, Wen Nuan replied calmly, "It’s all in the past."

"In all these years since you came back from the UK, I’ve watched you live so reservedly. Sometimes I want to scold you, but I always hold back because I feel I have no right to judge you." Wen Rou followed her into the kitchen, determined to address the issue.

"You’re overthinking things," Wen Nuan said, peeling a mango and placing it in the juicer with an air of detachment. "By the way, do you know if it’s possible to get tickets for Federer’s match against Roddick tomorrow night? I’d like to go and watch."

Wen Rou hesitated for a moment, then sighed, recognizing yet another attempt by Wen Nuan to change the subject.

"I’ll see if I can get some and send them over," Wen Rou finally said.

"Thanks," Wen Nuan replied as she poured the mango juice into a cup.

Tickets to a live match between top players like these were nearly impossible to get unless you had connections. The best seats were always snapped up internally before the players even arrived in the city. Without the right contacts, getting a good seat was out of the question, especially for someone acting on a whim. However, Wen Rou had a wide circle of friends, so she might be able to pull it off... Just like these weekly meetups—if it made her feel better to give a little something to herself, why not?

That afternoon, Wen Nuan returned to Qianyu early and went straight to her office. 

She took out a white envelope from the drawer, the same one she hadn't had the chance to hand over all week. Since Monday, Zhan Nanxian had been exceptionally busy, juggling intense negotiations with Dahua while Qianyu discreetly acquired Daizhong Company shares—a move Wen Nuan had deduced from Gao Fang's occasional remarks.

She hadn’t given him the envelope earlier because she wanted to handle the matter with responsibility, maturity, and grace. No matter what kind of relationship it was, it deserved a proper ending. There was no need for anger or hasty exits, so she waited for the right moment.

Perhaps growing up meant losing the chance to show innocence and naivety.

Now that Qianyu and Dahua had finally reached an agreement, she had even begun delegating some tasks to Ding Xiaodai, carefully guiding her through the process.

If Zhan Nanxian wasn’t too preoccupied when he returned, maybe she could finally take care of the envelope today.

Just as her thoughts wandered, she heard the elevator ding and quickly put the envelope back in the drawer.

When the stairwell door opened, Zhan Nanxian walked in, catching her in a moment of slight panic.

As he approached, she stood up from her seat, "President Zhan."

Zhan Nanxian glanced at her. She had been like this all week, intentionally reverting their relationship to what it had been when they first met, as if nothing had ever happened between them and she was still just his secretary on the 66th floor.

Just when Wen Nuan thought he would pass by her as usual and head straight to his office, he suddenly stopped in front of her, "Did I ever tell you that your social etiquette deserves a perfect score?"

She smiled, puzzled by the unexpected comment, her eyes fixed on his shirt buttons.

He continued, the corners of his lips curling up as usual, "In the etiquette you women must learn, isn’t there a rule that says if you don’t want to look someone in the eye but don’t want to seem rude, the best way is to look at their nose or mouth when they speak?"

His words made her tilt her head slightly in embarrassment, her gaze shifting away from his chin.

"You haven’t looked at me once this entire week and haven’t said a word to me outside of work. Impressive," he said with a faint smile, as if her discomfort amused him. His tone gradually softened, turning into an intimate whisper, "You’re still so strong."

Before his hand could touch her face, the phone on the table rang, interrupting the moment like a lifeline. She quickly stepped back and answered the call. "Hello... OK, I'll be down right away, thank you." Hanging up, she hastily said to him, "I'll go downstairs." As she hurried away, almost fleeing, no one noticed the way his eyes darkened, filled with complex emotions—deep and unreadable. He watched her disappear before finally turning his gaze away. In that moment, he caught sight of the slightly open drawer under the table. The image of her earlier panic at the elevator flashed through his mind as he gently pulled it open. Meanwhile, Wen Nuan was in the lobby, receiving the football tickets Wen Rou had sent. Seeing that the seats were in the fourth row of the box, she couldn't help but admire Wen Rou's resourcefulness. Returning to the office, she began preparing the documents for Zhan Nanxian to review after handling his emails. The man standing before her now, radiating an overwhelming presence, was not the Zhan Nanxian she remembered. His mere proximity was enough to make her feel exposed, as if her deepest thoughts could be discovered at any moment. The intensity of his gaze, the charm he exuded—it all made her increasingly uncomfortable. Being near him had become exhausting. Even the briefest encounters were enough to drain her. The job she once found calm and fulfilling had now become a source of constant tension. She retrieved the resignation letter from the drawer, placed it with the documents, knocked on his door, and laid them on his desk. "These documents need your approval." Without looking up, he said, "Come here. I don’t understand what this email is about." She walked to his side and glanced at the screen, only to find herself suddenly pulled into his arms. In a swift motion, he turned her around and pressed his lips against hers. She struggled, trying to escape his relentless kisses. "No! Let me go!" He pinned her waist against the table, his voice rough with desire. "I want to let go too," he said, holding her fingers tightly and kissing her with a fierce intensity. "But you don’t know how long I’ve waited for this moment." No matter how hard she resisted, she couldn’t escape his fiery touch. His heat seemed to burn through her clothes, and with each kiss, her resolve weakened. In the end, as his kisses grew gentler, her mind became a blur of confusion. When it was over, they stood facing each other, breathless. She still couldn’t comprehend how she had once again fallen into his trap. The answer lingered on the edge of her thoughts, but fear forced her to push it away. The memories of the past were too painful to confront. “Do you have time tomorrow?” he asked softly. Though anger simmered inside her, her voice trembled as she replied, “I have plans.” He smiled faintly and said nothing more.

Next