Yu Wanwan cried herself to sleep, only to wake up from the pain. Throughout the night, she drifted in and out, trapped in a drunken haze.
When she woke again, she was alone in the bed, with only the lingering trace of his unique, indescribable masculine scent.
It was his exclusive custom fragrance, named after him—”Southern Fragrance.” Besides dry cedar, vetiver, and sandalwood, it uniquely featured ambergris.
Yu Wanwan’s first thought was whether she had missed her classes, and she struggled to get up.
Outside the window, in the back garden, stood a well-trimmed peach grove. At that moment, cicadas chirped incessantly.
After yesterday’s encounter, her mind had truly turned to mush—a tangled mess.
It was August, still summer vacation at university. What classes could there be?
In the blazing August of the capital, she had met Xie Tingnan.
This was Xie Tingnan’s master bedroom, styled in a simple, rustic manner—spacious and expansive, with its own private viewing terrace and tea ceremony room.
As if guided by some unseen force, Yu Wanwan found herself standing before the large full-length mirror beside the bedroom wardrobe.
Her skin was smooth and fair as snow, like crystal-clear dew, pure and flawless—a beauty born of nature.
Yet it was covered in red marks and clearly distinguishable bite marks.
He truly was a robust, powerful, and energetic lion.
The young girl sighed softly.
After the Yu family brought her back, they invested countless resources in her.
Music, chess, calligraphy, painting, singing, dancing, baking, soup-making, flower arranging, acupressure massage—Yu Wanwan excelled in every one of the eighteen arts.
Back then, she had been brought in to bring good fortune to the Yu family. Now, she was there to ward off disaster for them.
Perhaps, by pleasing the mysterious and influential Xie Tingnan, she could bring prosperity and wealth to the Yu family of Nancheng.
That was why, back then, Yu Huai had constantly schemed to have her for himself, nearly getting his legs broken by his father, Yu Guanzhong.
Now, she understood the answer.
From the very beginning, she had been groomed to become a peerless enchantress, to be presented to someone at the right time.
The Yu family were businesspeople; they would never make a loss-making deal.
Yu Wanwan understood the importance of repaying kindness.
Having been raised as the second daughter of the Yu family for fifteen years, she now did her best to repay this debt of upbringing.
Once Xie Tingnan grew tired of her, the account would be settled.
…
At Antai Headquarters.
After approving the last document, Xie Tingnan set down his gold pen, leaned back in his chair, and gently massaged his temples.
Having barely slept all night, he had unusually woken up half an hour later than usual—at six-thirty.
The entire morning had been filled with meetings, listening to reports, and approving documents. Now, he finally had a moment of peace.
A knock sounded at the door, and his senior assistant, Yin Ren, entered.
“Madam has asked you to return to Purple Bamboo Garden for lunch. The eldest master has returned from Zurich.”
Xie Tingnan responded casually, “Alright.”
His elder brother, Xie Yunan, was a top figure in finance and also served as a visiting professor at Guanghua School of Management.
The man walked to the concealed wardrobe in the rest area, took out a light gray short-sleeved shirt, and changed out of the white shirt that carried the scent of smoke.
As he changed, a bite mark below his Adam’s apple, tinged with redness, was clearly visible.
Last night, the young girl had cried, begging to sleep, but Xie Tingnan refused, pushing her to the brink of emotional collapse at one point.
He had said, “Bite me once, and I’ll let you sleep.”
Without hesitation, Yu Wanwan had bitten his neck.
At least she had a bit of wildness in her. He didn’t like those who were too obedient.
The man’s eyes gradually darkened. He took a few deep breaths and buttoned his shirt all the way to the top, just covering the red mark.
The Rolls-Royce business sedan traveled smoothly without hindrance, heading straight to the mansion estate located in the core area of the imperial city—Purple Bamboo Garden.
It was a warm yet rare family dinner. Father was almost always busy and rarely at home.
He and his eldest brother also seldom had overlapping free time.
Mother Jiang Xin tentatively brought up: “When will Tingnan be free? Your Uncle Wen’s daughter An’an has returned from abroad and has already secured a job at Union Hospital.”
“I’m heading to Hong Kong Island this afternoon, flight at three.” Xie Tingnan’s expression remained unreadable.
“Second Brother, could you bring me some cosmetics?” Younger sister Xie Nannan asked cautiously.
A hint of softness flashed in Xie Tingnan’s eyes: “Make a list and send it to Yin Ren. Does Sister-in-law need anything? Send it together.”
Xie Tingnan turned his gaze to his eldest brother, and the two soon began discussing topics related to finance.
Seeing her second son completely ignoring her lead, Jiang Xin paused for a moment and said nothing more.
Shortly after the meal, Xie Tingnan announced his departure.
“Tingnan, rest in your room for a while. It’s closer to the airport from here,” Jiang Xin stopped him.
Xie Tingnan gave Jiang Xin a reassuring hug: “Mom, I’ll be away on business for a week this time. I need to go back to Imperial Dragon Residence to get some things.”
Imperial Dragon Residence was less than three hundred meters in a straight line from Antai Headquarters. It was a duplex penthouse with a private elevator per unit, where Xie Tingnan often stayed.
Yi Garden, where Yu Wanwan lived, was a courtyard house gifted to him by his grandparents. It was in an excellent location, far from Purple Bamboo Garden but close to Antai.
Jiang Xin smiled and pouted: “Tingnan is such a busy man. Take care of your health.”
“Understood, Mom.”
After the car started moving, the man in the back seat spoke in a low voice: “Take me to Yi Garden. You go to Imperial Dragon Residence to fetch my luggage.”
Yin Ren responded respectfully: “Yes, Chairman Xie.”
Xie Tingnan leaned back in the seat and closed his eyes to rest.
Time was tight. Going to Yi Garden was a spontaneous decision.
In truth, he didn’t know why he was going.
While changing clothes, he suddenly noticed the bite marks she left, causing her tearful, coquettish cries of “Xie Tingnan” to echo repeatedly in his mind.
Then, as if stimulated, his body suddenly reacted…
Perhaps it was just a sudden surge of hormones causing trouble.
As they neared Yi Garden, Xie Tingnan signaled Yin Ren to stop at the entrance.
Having just eaten and drunk some alcohol, Xie Tingnan preferred to take a stroll.
Yi Garden catered to the preferences of the elderly, featuring a lotus pond, winding corridors, and pavilions. The pond was filled with plump koi fish and blooming lotus flowers.
From a distance, Xie Tingnan spotted the graceful silhouette sitting in the pavilion.
Yu Wanwan wore a white spaghetti-strap maxi dress that reached her slender, half-hidden ankles.
Her waist-length hair was elegantly tied up in a bun with a white jade hairpin, revealing her slender, fair neck.
The young girl sat beside an air-conditioning fan, facing the emerald-green pond with her eyes gently lowered.
In her delicate, pale fingers, she held a thick stack of printed materials, reading with great focus.
Xie Tingnan walked over, enveloping her delicate form from behind, and gently took her small, pearl-like earlobe into his mouth.
The refreshing scent of the young girl’s body wafted into his nostrils, refreshing his mind and soothing his entire being.
Suddenly being embraced and taken liberties with, Yu Wanwan instinctively screamed and struggled.
It wasn’t until she saw the man’s forearm wrapped around her chest, his left wrist adorned with a bracelet made of premium agarwood, that she realized who it was.
This bracelet, during the previous night, had pressed into her flesh with the movement of his forearm, causing her pain.
She stopped struggling and softly said, “Xie Tingnan, why are you here? My period isn’t over yet.”
This is my own home—why can’t I come? What is this girl thinking?
As if punishing her, Xie Tingnan bit down slightly harder on the earlobe he held between his lips…