1 – He is Here to Sever Ties
[After the White Moonlight Was Imprisoned, the CEO Demanded My Life in Repayment] – Chapter 1: He Came to Sever Ties
The moment Yan Yi’an pushed open the hotel room door, she immediately sensed that there was another person in the room. Having spent much of her childhood in darkness, her perception of her surroundings was unusually acute.
It wasn’t until she saw the tall, straight figure standing before the window that a shallow smile curved across her lips, her eyes filled with gentle, tender light.
A pair of soft, boneless arms wrapped around his waist. The woman pressed against the man’s broad back like a languid cat, her voice playful and alluring. “Missed me that quickly? You came to find me…”
Zhou Xizhi said nothing. Instead, he reached up and pulled her hands away from his waist. The window reflected the man’s strikingly handsome profile as the distance between them instantly widened.
“Came to Nancheng to handle some business.”
Zhou Xizhi’s voice was cold and indifferent, a hint of aloofness creasing his brow.
He looked up and studied the woman before him. Her face still bore traces of stage makeup, making her appear even more bewitching and seductive. He suddenly recalled the first time he’d seen her—she was being scolded by a senior member of the production crew, and when her glistening eyes glanced at him, he’d inexplicably committed the image to memory.
An inexplicable unease stirred in Yan Yi’an’s heart. She had never seen Zhou Xizhi so cold and reserved.
So she smiled even more radiantly, a hint of aggrieved coquettishness flickering in her eyes. She stubbornly stepped forward and wrapped her arms around the man’s lean waist, like a lazy cat seeking its master’s favor.
She rose on her tiptoes, leaning toward the corner of his lips. But by a hair’s breadth, the man turned his head slightly, and her red lips landed instead on his sharply defined jawline…
The next instant, a distant, indifferent voice exploded in Yan Yi’an’s mind.
“From now on, let’s not contact each other anymore.”
Zhou Xizhi’s tone was crisp and cold—even his breath felt icy.
Yan Yi’an froze.
Her fingertips curled slightly as layers of bitterness spread from the depths of her heart, surging up to her throat. She licked her dry lips, at a loss for what to do.
So… he had come to sever ties.
Two years ago, when she was being bullied on set, Zhou Xizhi had helped her out of trouble. After that, she naturally became the regular companion by his side. The two had gone from strangers to acquaintances to a perfect match.
She had plunged headfirst into a sea of love and longing, but he had abruptly pulled away, reducing her to her original state with a single sentence.
Zhou Xizhi pulled a bank card from his expensive, smooth suit pocket and placed it on the table.
The sharp “slap” of it hitting the surface stung Yan Yi’an’s eyes.
So in his heart, what existed between them was merely a material transaction.
Indeed—men sleep with their bodies, women with their hearts.
“Here’s five million. The villa at Deepwater Bay has also been transferred to your name. I’ve already put in a word at Shengshi—you can go over anytime. They’ll give you their full support. I’ve also secured the endorsement deal with Zhou Corporation’s partner brands for you.”
Panic and bitterness flickered in Yan Yi’an’s eyes. Her mind hadn’t even registered the sudden turn of events…
He had even arranged her way out—yet he couldn’t spare even a single word of explanation for “letting her go.”
“Okay.”
A pallor spread across the woman’s delicate face as she spoke in a low voice. She had no right to refuse, only the obligation to comply.
Yan Yi’an kept her face half-lowered, desperately holding back her tearful gaze. Her heavily made-up features made it impossible to read her true expression.
An inexplicable irritation rose in Zhou Xizhi’s chest.
“If we ever meet again, let’s pretend we don’t know each other.”
The man left behind one cold sentence as the tapping of his leather shoes echoed against the floor, growing fainter and fainter…
“Can you… hold me one last time? After all…”
We’ve slept together for two years.
A sour taste rose in Yan Yi’an’s mouth, the words swirling on the tip of her tongue before she spoke, her voice low and tinged with melancholy. “After all, we did know each other once.”
“There’s no need for that.”
Zhou Xizhi’s gaze was calm as he pulled the door shut, leaving behind a heartless silhouette and five words that drifted through the air, chilling to the bone.
The next day, dark circles were clearly visible under Yan Yi’an’s eyes, along with traces of red bloodshot veins. She smiled apologetically at the makeup artist and explained, “We had a night shoot last night—it ran too late.”
Just as she was speaking, the door to the dressing room was shoved open forcefully. A fellow actress from the same production wore an expression of utter shock as she shouted, “Everyone, guess who I just saw?”
“Zhao Ruoruo and Zhou Xizhi…”
Ah!!
The people in the dressing room were stunned, their hearts racing with excitement!
Zhou Xizhi.
The head of the most powerful Zhou family in Fangcheng, president of the Zhou Group, a man who rarely showed his face in public—the ruler at the very pinnacle of the pyramid, commanding both wealth and influence.
Zhao Ruoruo was the first person in the entertainment industry to reach the peak the moment she debuted. By the age of twenty-two, she had already won countless awards. But three years ago, she suddenly announced she was going abroad to further her studies, sparking widespread speculation. Now she had returned to the country quietly, with no one having prior knowledge of her arrival.
It was said the two had grown up together as childhood sweethearts, and that Zhao Ruoruo’s current success was entirely due to Zhou Xizhi’s behind-the-scenes maneuvering.
After Zhao Ruoruo went abroad, Zhou Xizhi had remained single. But two years ago, his only rumored romantic interest appeared—none other than Yan Yi’an, who now stood with dark circles under her eyes.
One was the childhood sweetheart; the other was the rumored flame.
Everyone’s gaze unconsciously shot toward her in unison…
When she saw Zhou Xizhi again, he was accompanied by the soft and lovely Zhao Ruoruo, whose delicate face was mostly hidden behind sunglasses, revealing only glossy cherry-pink lips.
The two looked like leaders on an inspection tour, greeting every person on the production crew.
Yan Yi’an’s face grew paler and paler, as if she had turned into a wooden statue. Fortunately, her assistant reminded her in time, and she snapped back to reality to see the imposing, noble man approaching. She quickly extended her right hand. Their fingertips barely touched—both were cold.
When he noticed the obvious scratch on the woman’s palm, Zhou Xizhi lifted his gaze and glanced at her briefly, then quickly passed her by and moved on to the next person.
Meeting again—truly strangers now…
It was Zhao Ruoruo who promptly grasped Yan Yi’an’s right hand, still suspended in midair. She took off her sunglasses, a faint smile on her lips, her bright eyes captivating. “You must be Miss Yan. I’ve seen you in the news before—you’re much more beautiful in person than on camera.”
“Xizhi, don’t you think Miss Yan is prettier in person?”
“In my eyes, you’re the most beautiful.”
The man’s voice was extremely soft and gentle, like a lover’s murmur.
No wonder he hadn’t been willing to grant her even a single embrace last night—in his eyes, she was merely a nuisance he wanted to get rid of quickly.
Yan Yi’an’s eyes stung with bitterness. She pulled up the corners of her lips into a faint, radiant smile. “Miss Zhao flatters me. You look far more beautiful on camera than I do…”
A flicker of mockery passed through Zhao Ruoruo’s eyes. She withdrew her fingertips with a distant air, then familiarly linked her arm through Zhou Xizhi’s, as if silently showing off.
The two flaunted their affection as if no one else was around, while Yan Yi’an beside them couldn’t help but dry heave…
Zhou Xizhi’s expression instantly turned grim. The chill radiating from him made Yan Yi’an shudder involuntarily. She waved her hands repeatedly at everyone, explaining, “I haven’t eaten since last night—my stomach is a bit upset.”
Using that excuse, Yan Yi’an fled like a defeated loser. Later, she heard from her assistant Xiao Mo that Zhao Ruoruo had made a surprise appearance, taking on the role of the female second lead.
Yan Yi’an clicked her tongue in surprise. Given Zhao Ruoruo’s previous status in the industry, coming over to play second female lead for her? With Zhou Xizhi around, even if it were the lead female role, Zhao Ruoruo would have to yield it to her.
That day, as she left the set, Yan Yi’an was stopped at the hotel entrance by Zhou Xizhi’s secretary, Wen Xiao. “Miss Yan, Mr. Zhou is concerned about your health and has specifically asked me to take you to the hospital for a check-up.”
A check-up?
Yan Yi’an was so furious that she laughed inwardly, finding it nothing short of ironic. He really was… cautious.