The night breeze was cool, and the lights outside the window had begun to grow sparse.
Inside a luxurious apartment in the heart of the city, Wen Yu stared at the food on the table that had already gone cold. The faint anticipation she had felt at first had gradually faded, leaving only calmness behind.
She ate a few bites absentmindedly before taking a miniature cake from the refrigerator and placing a candle representing her twenty-sixth birthday on top of it.
There was still no sound from the doorway.
After all these years, hadn’t she already gotten used to spending her birthdays alone?
So what exactly had she been expecting?
She and him were nothing more than a relationship that could never see the light of day.
It wasn’t midnight yet.
She quietly waited, waiting for the final second to arrive so she could light the candle and say:
Wen Yu, happy birthday.
Suddenly, the sound of the door unlocking came from the entrance.
She instinctively turned toward it.
Gu Huaizhi pushed open the door and walked in, bringing with him an icy, intimidating presence.
He was dressed in a perfectly tailored dark-gray Italian bespoke suit. He wasn’t wearing a tie, and the collar of his shirt was casually left open, revealing his sharply defined collarbones.
Even from a distance, Wen Yu could smell the strong scent of alcohol and cigar smoke lingering on him.
The smell wasn’t unpleasant. Mixed with his naturally domineering and imposing aura, it created an overwhelming sense of authority that instantly made the entire living room feel cramped.
At thirty-four, the man was in the prime of his life, having shed his youthful immaturity and settled into a mature, magnetic charm. He held immense power in his hands and was decisive and ruthless in business—a man who stood at the top of the corporate world.
His expression showed a hint of weariness, but his deep-set eyes remained sharp.
His gaze swept casually across the dining area before stopping on Wen Yu for a second. Then his eyes fell on the tableware in front of her, and his brows drew together slightly.
“You’re still awake?”
His voice carried a faint huskiness, but there was no discernible emotion in it.
Wen Yu stood up and put on a polite smile.
“Mr. Gu, you’re back. I made some—”
“I’ve already eaten.”
He interrupted her as he took off his suit jacket and casually tossed it onto the sofa before walking toward her.
As he approached, his powerful presence, mixed with the scent of alcohol, completely enveloped her.
Wen Yu instinctively lowered her eyes, her gaze falling on the tips of his polished leather shoes.
Gu Huaizhi didn’t look at the food on the table or the little cake. Instead, his eyes settled on her face, studying her carefully.
Suddenly, he reached out and touched her cheek with his fingertips.
The slight chill of his fingers made Wen Yu shiver faintly.
“Were you waiting for me?” he asked in a low voice.
Wen Yu didn’t answer.
Or rather, she didn’t know how to answer.
If she said yes, she would seem far too invested.
But if she said no, it would sound too contrived.
Fortunately, it seemed he didn’t need an answer.
His fingertips slid from her cheek to her jaw. He gently tilted her face upward, leaned down, and kissed her lips.
The kiss was forceful, domineering, practiced, and impossible to refuse. It carried an unmistakable edge of desire.
Wen Yu closed her eyes and passively accepted it.
As their lips and tongues tangled together, she could taste the rich flavor of whiskey lingering in his mouth, along with a faint trace of perfume that seemed to belong to another woman.
Five years.
She had already grown accustomed to this kind of intimacy.
He was her boss—the man who held the reins of the Gu Group, the man who could turn the tides of the business world with a flick of his wrist, ruthless and decisive in everything he did.
Gu Huaizhi, the Mr. and true power-holder of the Gu Group.
And she was his capable and sharp chief secretary by day.
At night, she was the mistress he kept hidden from the world, someone who shared his bed.
The contract they had signed five years ago had clearly defined their relationship.
He provided her with a substantial amount of money and protection.
In return, she gave him her body, her time, and absolute obedience.
They each got what they needed.
A clean transaction.
She didn’t know how much time had passed before he finally ended the kiss, his breathing slightly uneven.
He looked at her flushed cheeks and slightly swollen lips. Apparently satisfied, he reached out and ruffled the top of her head, the gesture casual, almost as though he were petting a small animal.
“Go take a shower.”
His tone carried an unmistakable command, his voice already returning to its usual calmness.
He was a man with an extreme obsession with cleanliness. Every time they were about to be intimate, he insisted that she wash herself first.
“…Okay.”
Wen Yu answered softly and turned toward the bedroom, her footsteps slightly unsteady.
By the time she finished showering and emerged in a silk nightdress, Gu Huaizhi was no longer in the living room.
The sound of running water came from the bathroom in the guest bedroom.
She walked back to the dining table and looked at the cold food and the little cake.
She picked up the dishes and poured everything into the trash.
Finally, she glanced at the cake.
The chocolate heart on top had already melted, dripping onto the table.
Expressionless, she picked it up and threw it into the trash beside her.
At that moment, Gu Huaizhi had finished showering.
He emerged from the guest bedroom wrapped in nothing but a bath towel, droplets of water sliding down his solid chest and defined abdominal muscles as he headed straight toward the master bedroom.
“Seven tomorrow morning. Is the video conference with Ruike Group all arranged?”
His back was turned toward her as he asked the question while drying his hair.
Wen Yu immediately answered,
“Everything is ready, Mr. Gu. The meeting summary and project risk assessment report are in the first folder on the left side of your desk.”
“Mm.”
He acknowledged her briefly and walked into the bedroom.
Wen Yu remained where she was, staring at the bedroom door.
It hadn’t been completely closed. A narrow gap remained, with light spilling through it.
She knew exactly what that meant.
She took a deep breath and walked inside.
What happened afterward was the same as always.
He took control of everything, forceful and passionate, yet it always felt as though he were merely completing a task, carrying a strange sense of distance even amid the passion.
Wen Yu did her best to cooperate.
But the physical pleasure was impossible to suppress, and soft, fragmented sounds escaped her lips despite herself.
Those were precisely the sounds men liked to hear most.
As though he still wasn’t satisfied, he pulled her up from the bed in one swift motion and turned, pressing her against the space behind the curtains.
The room was filled with an intimate, heated atmosphere.
When it was finally over, Wen Yu collapsed completely onto the bed, too exhausted to even lift a finger.
Gu Huaizhi held her for a moment before getting up and walking into the bathroom without a trace of reluctance to clean himself.
Wen Yu curled up beneath the disheveled blankets, listening to the rushing water from the bathroom.
She pulled the blanket tightly around herself.
His warmth still seemed to linger in the sheets.
Wen Yu eventually sat up on the messy bed.
The silk sheets slipped from her body, revealing her smooth, fair shoulder.
Several ambiguous red marks dotted her skin, silently revealing just how intense their encounter had been.
She climbed out of bed naked, her feet sinking into the soft carpet, then picked up the lace underwear and silk nightdress scattered on the floor and put them back on.
She had just finished dressing when the bathroom door handle turned.
Gu Huaizhi walked out.
He was wearing only a gray bath towel around his waist, exposing his broad, muscular chest and defined V-line. Drops of water still clung to the ends of his hair, sliding down his sharply defined cheekbones.
His entire appearance was both restrained and dangerously alluring, radiating an overwhelming sensuality.
No matter how many times Wen Yu saw him like this, she still couldn’t help blushing.
She had to admit that whether it was his appearance or his temperament, this man was undeniably exceptional.
Gu Huaizhi picked up the clothes beside him.
He had just pulled on his trousers when the phone lying nearby began to ring.
He reached out and answered the call, his shirt still completely unbuttoned.
Wen Yu walked over and stood in front of him, fastening the buttons of his shirt one by one.
Her fingers occasionally brushed against his chest unintentionally.
But unlike in the beginning, such contact no longer made her tremble.
Please go easy on me, haha. If you don’t like it, please don’t leave a bad review. Thank you, thank you!
P.S. The male lead starts out as an arrogant, stubborn, cold-tongued jerk. Later, he’ll be humbled, chasing after his wife and bowing his head to coax her back.