For Cheng Youyi, the entire class felt like wading through deep waters and treading through fire. Everyone except her interacted quite happily with Gong Ming during the lecture.
Especially the students majoring in this field—having the opportunity to attend a class taught personally by a world-class entrepreneur at Qingbei Academy was as rare as pie falling from the sky.
Even after class ended, most students were still eagerly discussing the lecture content.
Only Cheng Youyi wore a big ╯□╰ expression on her face. She simply couldn’t understand why that man was so persistent. How could she run into him everywhere?
Although she desperately wanted to escape, he had taken her professional course textbook, and it was a very important subject.
What should she do? If she went to his office alone later, he would surely cause trouble again.
Thinking of this, Cheng Youyi slumped and buried her head in her arms. There was no escaping it—absolutely no escape.
“Cheng Youyi, let’s go.” Yu Mengwan, who was tidying up her textbooks beside her, noticed Cheng Youyi sitting dazedly in her seat as if her mind had wandered off into space. She couldn’t help but poke Cheng Youyi’s arm with her index finger to remind her.
Hearing this, Cheng Youyi snapped back to reality. She glanced back at Yu Mengwan, and a sudden idea flashed in her mind. Grabbing Yu Mengwan’s sleeve, her eyes sparkled with hope. “Mengmeng, please come with me to Professor Gong’s office. Please, please!”
Yu Mengwan frowned in confusion, then seemed to realize something. She gave Cheng Youyi a meaningful look. “Don’t tell me… you like Professor Gong?”
“That must be it. You’ve been acting strange the whole class, like a mouse seeing a cat. Could it be you’re shy?” Yu Mengwan nudged Cheng Youyi with her elbow, teasing her with a suggestive look.
Like him? Was she kidding? If anything, it was more like he liked her.
But Cheng Youyi felt that explaining further would only make things worse, so she simply let Yu Mengwan misunderstand.
“Fine, as long as you come with me, even if you say I want to marry him, I won’t get angry.” Cheng Youyi blinked, her tone sincere as she made her promise.
Hearing this, Yu Mengwan widened her eyes in surprise. “Really?” She couldn’t help but feel that Cheng Youyi was acting strangely.
“Really, really. Please come with me.”
Seeing her earnestness, Yu Mengwan immediately agreed.
…
Little did she know, human plans were no match for Gong Ming’s calculations.
He simply refused to play fair.
The man had anticipated that she likely wouldn’t come alone, so he had Wen Qing and Wen Zhuo intercept her early on.
Thus, a certain poor soul was now being led by Wen Zhuo toward Gong Ming’s location.
As for Yu Mengwan? With a handsome guy suddenly accompanying her, she was in such high spirits that she had long forgotten about Cheng Youyi and the promise to accompany her.
…
Cheng Youyi was taken by Wen Zhuo into a car, which was clearly not heading toward any office. Instead, it was moving in the opposite direction of the school.
“Where are you taking me? This isn’t the way to the office.” Cheng Youyi grew anxious. Why did it feel like they were going farther and farther away?
“Miss Cheng, Mr. Gong instructed us to take you to his nearby residence. In Wen Zhuo’s presence, struggling is futile. It’s best if you cooperate.” Wen Zhuo explained matter-of-factly.
As Gong Ming’s subordinate, his personality was completely opposite to Wen Qing’s. He only recognized his master’s orders, and as for whether Cheng Youyi was willing to cooperate, he wouldn’t concern himself with that.
Moreover, his tall and burly physique was filled with strength and lethality. With just a single sentence, he frightened Cheng Youyi into obediently shutting her mouth.
She was now certain that Gong Ming had no intention of letting her go.
Since death seemed inevitable either way, she decided to throw caution to the wind.
Thinking this, Cheng Youyi secretly gritted her teeth, steeling herself in her heart for a confrontation with him.
The journey passed in silence, and the car finally stopped in front of a large manor.
This place was only about seven or eight minutes away from the school. She never imagined Gong Ming owned property here as well.
Looking at the absurdly large building before her, Cheng Youyi felt a pang of fear.
She had initially thought Gong Ming was taking her to his office, but instead, he had brought her to another world—a place even more luxurious than his private residence. What exactly was he planning?
The more Cheng Youyi thought about it, the more frightened she became. Her back tensed with nervousness. What should she do when she saw him?
“Miss Cheng, please. Mr. Gong is waiting for you.” Wen Zhuo’s attitude was now much friendlier than before, likely because she had stopped resisting.
Throughout the journey, Cheng Youyi remained uneasy until she was led to a magnificent, gilded door.
Standing at the entrance were over a dozen subordinates dressed in black, all burly and armed, their eyes fierce and menacing.
For a moment, she was so frightened that her legs went weak, unable to take another step. She timidly looked at Wen Zhuo and asked, “Is… is Mr. Gong really inside?”
Her expression clearly showed fear and confusion.
“I am only responsible for bringing you here. I cannot answer anything else,” Wen Zhuo replied, bowing his head and speaking in a formal tone.
Cheng Youyi froze for a second, then, looking at the door pushed open by the black-clad subordinates, she braced herself and walked inside.
After nervously passing through a long corridor, Cheng Youyi finally reached the main hall.
As the door opened, the first thing she saw was Gong Ming sitting in the center of a long sofa. The man wore a black shirt with the collar slightly open, wisps of pale smoke curling from his fingertips, obscuring his sharp features.
As their eyes met, Cheng Youyi’s heart skipped a beat. She pressed her lips together tightly and took a few uneasy steps back.
This man was completely different from the one she had seen in the classroom earlier.
She couldn’t connect the person she usually encountered or the one she saw in private with the man before her now.
Cheng Youyi stood uneasily in place, her entire demeanor stiff and restrained.
Seeing the girl so flustered, the man lifted his chin, moved the cigarette in his hand slightly away, and gestured for her to come closer. “Come here.”
Cheng Youyi hesitated for a moment. Remembering the armed subordinates outside the door, she steeled herself and slowly, reluctantly, walked over to him.
But the next second, a pair of large hands wrapped around her waist, and she fell onto the man’s lap. A familiar scent enveloped her senses, and Cheng Youyi panicked. Instinctively, she tried to break free, but her strength was no match for his, and she couldn’t move him an inch.
“Don’t move,” the man’s voice was low and hoarse, tinged with a faint hint of anger.
“Uncle, you… don’t go too far…” Cheng Youyi stammered. She wanted to curse, but the words that came from her throat now were soft as water, almost like a plea.
The man flicked the ash from his cigarette, his sharp gaze falling upon the petite figure beneath him.
The young girl wore her hair in a simple ponytail, and the white dress she had on made her appear even more pure and flawless.
This created an intense contrast with the dangerous aura of Gong Ming.
Since that day, he hadn’t taken her again. To say he didn’t want to would perhaps be a lie.
Ever since he had taken her, his once-proud self-control had crumbled before her. These past days, he couldn’t help but want to touch her.
At the thought, the man raised his hand irritably and took a drag from his cigarette.
The girl in his arms couldn’t help but frown. She lifted her hand to cover her nose as a strong smell of tobacco wafted over, making her uncomfortable.
Gong Ming keenly noticed her reaction and immediately extinguished the cigarette in the ashtray.
“Don’t like the smell of smoke?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.
After all, she was his first woman, so when it came to dealing with women, he truly had no experience. He could only follow the usual steps and ask for her opinion.
“Mhm,” Cheng Youyi nodded gently.
The man pondered for a moment, his voice low and deep. “Then… I won’t smoke anymore from now on.”