The young girl's body had only just matured, as fresh as a peach plucked straight from the branch.
Tender, delicate, still carrying the crisp moisture of newness.
Men value sentiment, but they crave desire even more.
Zhao Linye's palm burned hot, and before his eyes once again floated that image of white and soft in the rain.
A stirring beneath his trousers, heat pressing outward.
Chen Zhuyue's body tensed.
She wasn't entirely naive—the look in a man's eyes, the heat radiating from his palm, all of it carried an intensely possessive hunger.
But understanding was one thing; when the moment actually arrived, she still felt a flutter of panic, a surge of nervousness.
"Presi—President…"
She murmured, lifting her head, her beautiful eyes fixed on him, gradually turning glossy and wet.
Her heart raced, a flush spreading across her cheeks.
Zhao Linye lowered his gaze, and unexpectedly, there was no lustful gleam in his eyes—only an extreme calm, even detachment.
Lust and reason—he kept them clearly apart.
"Some things, if you can't bring yourself to do them, don't force it."
He said flatly, reading her nervousness.
He paused briefly, then withdrew his palm from her waist, as if none of it had ever happened.
What had drawn him to her wasn't just her innocence, but also that drenched figure in the rain that day.
A girl just coming into womanhood—every inch of her truly fragrant.
That night, when Zhao Linye had woken from his dream, he'd even felt he'd been somewhat improper.
How could he have dreamed of such things?
Of course, he had always been a normal man.
If he wanted it, if he chose to take it, he could.
The man stepped back, his leather shoes clicking against the floor, then stopping.
"Tap!"
A faint sound, followed by the acrid smell of cigarette smoke drifting over. When Chen Zhuyue snapped back to herself, her face had turned deathly pale.
She slowly turned around, looking at the man standing by the window, smoking, and knew she had missed her chance.
But could she still salvage it?
"Go home. Miss Chen, you're a good girl, but this path isn't for you."
The indifferent voice drifted to her ears as Zhao Linye had already smoked half a cigarette.
There was no movement behind him, but a moment later, a faint scent of soap reached him, and a pair of soft, fair hands wrapped around his waist.
Chen Zhuyue tightened her grip, slowly pressing her small face gently against the man's back.
Her cheeks were burning; his back was ramrod straight.
The heat traveled through his thin shirt and surged through every limb in an instant. Zhao Linye's smoking paused slightly. After a moment, he looked down at her hands on his waist: "Miss Chen, I'm well aware of what you seek."
There was no need to force herself to do something she didn't want to do.
Moreover, Zhao Linye had never forced anyone in his life.
At his level of standing, wanting or not wanting was merely a matter of a single thought.
A moment of impulse—cutting losses in time was the best course.
"Zhao Linye, since I came here today, there's no question of being forced. If I say I'm willing, do you believe me?"
She called him Zhao Linye directly, her attitude suddenly turning assertive.
When the cigarette was finished, Zhao Linye stubbed it out on the balcony. As he turned, a glimmer of light flickered in his eyes, then vanished in an instant.
He raised an eyebrow, a hint of a smile curling at the corner of his mouth: "Whether I believe you or not doesn't matter. What matters is you yourself. Chen Zhuyue, you wanted to pluck the laurel from the moon palace, and I gave you the chance. But you didn't seize it. Everyone's path lies beneath their own feet. If you stumble, don't blame your shoes—look to yourself."
He gently pried her hands from his waist, lifted his chin slightly, and gestured toward the door: "Walk out that door, and the driver will take you home."
The initial impulse had faded, leaving only calm.
Between a man and a woman, nothing was worse than reluctance.
He wouldn't force it.
"I'm not leaving."
Chen Zhuyue lifted her head and said, "Zhao Linye, I'm not leaving. I want to become your woman."
Become your woman, stand on your shoulders, reach for the Qingyun Path, and rise above the rest.