The height of summer in Capital City was so sticky and humid that it felt impossible to breathe.
A sudden torrential rain had fallen the previous night, and by dawn, pools of water had already gathered along the roadside.
Even though it was stifling outside, the top floor of Wanhe Mansion maintained a constant temperature and humidity.
Inside the master bedroom, beneath a refined and expensive dark gray suit jacket, a section of a smoky-pink silk dress was pinned down.
A pair of handmade men’s leather shoes overlapped with delicate silver sandals, while a pair of sheer stockings lay curled up nearby.
The lingering atmosphere of intimacy had yet to dissipate from the room.
Xie Zongxu maintained a healthy and disciplined routine. At six o’clock in the morning, he opened his eyes precisely on schedule.
Raising a hand, he rubbed his temple as memories of the previous night returned.
Turning his head, he saw that the girl beside him was still asleep.
The blanket had slipped down, revealing red marks on her shoulder that stood out sharply against her porcelain-white skin.
Xie Zongxu did not move. His gaze rested on her face, his thoughts unreadable.
Li Yang’s sleep was far from peaceful. Her body unconsciously curled up as she moved closer to his side.
So obedient.
There was none of the bold and alluring behavior she had displayed the night before when she had clung to him so passionately.
He exhaled softly. The arm she had used as a pillow all night was thoroughly numb.
Just as he was about to carefully pull away, Li Yang suddenly trembled uneasily. Her hand pressed against his chest as she muttered a blurry plea.
“…I don’t want it anymore… I’m tired…”
Xie Zongxu froze.
Looking at her fragile sleeping face, he remained silent for a moment before leaning down and whispering beside her ear.
“Mhm. I won’t bother you. Go back to sleep.”
He had to admit that a rare trace of guilt surfaced in his heart at that moment.
Even though she had been the one who had stumbled into his territory last night and offered him that clumsy kiss of her own accord.
But afterward, it was indeed he who had lost the self-control he had always been proud of.
The slender waist beneath his hands had been so delicate it seemed as though it could snap with the slightest force.
Her tearful pleas for mercy had fallen into his ears and burned away the last shred of reason.
What calm, composed, decisive head of the Xie Family?
When desire surged, he was no different from any ordinary man.
In fact, he was even greedier.
Desire slowly stirred beneath him once more.
Xie Zongxu’s eyes darkened as he suppressed the inappropriate restlessness.
It had been only one reckless night.
Yet he felt like a young man tasting forbidden fruit for the first time, unable to forget the sensation.
But she had clearly reached her limit.
She could not bear any more.
His large hand slowly settled on her thin back, gently patting and soothing her over and over until the crease between her brows gradually relaxed.
Xie Zongxu did not wake her.
Only after finishing breakfast at an unhurried pace in the restaurant did he make a phone call.
Outside the hotel, a Rolls-Royce Phantom stood quietly amidst the morning mist.
Driver Uncle Chen waited beside the car. Upon seeing him emerge through the revolving doors, he bowed slightly and opened the door, unable to suppress the smile in his eyes.
“Young Master, did you rest well last night?”
There was a hidden meaning behind the question.
It was no wonder.
After following Xie Zongxu for so many years, this was the first time he had ever seen him spend the night with someone.
The previous night, Uncle Chen had knocked on the door with a bowl of hangover soup, only to be stopped by a deep voice from inside.
A moment later, a sentence came through the crack in the door.
“Go buy a box of condoms.”
Uncle Chen had stood there stunned for several seconds.
His old face had heated up as he ended up walking two blocks away before finally finding a convenience store that sold them.
This hotel belonged to Xie Corporation and maintained extremely high standards.
Items like condoms were never stocked.
The headquarters believed such things damaged the group’s image.
But when Xie Zongxu had grasped the wrist of the struggling girl in his arms, he had regretted their absence.
Adjusting his cuff, the platinum cufflink flashed with a cold gleam beneath the morning sunlight.
“Arrange for someone to deliver a set of clothes upstairs.”
Xie Zongxu gave the order casually.
As he bent to enter the car, he paused.
Recalling the light-colored dress he had removed from her the previous night, he added,
“Light-colored. Size S.”
Uncle Chen smiled and acknowledged the order. Just as he was about to close the door, Xie Zongxu lifted a hand to stop him.
“Uncle Chen.”
His voice lowered.
A warning that allowed no argument appeared in his eyes.
“Don’t let Grandfather and the others hear about what happened last night.”
The car door closed softly.
Looking ahead, Uncle Chen’s smile remained.
The Old Master and Madam often hinted openly and indirectly that he should report on Young Master’s activities.
Xie Zongxu was nearly thirty years old, yet there was not even a female cat around him.
Who in the Xie Family wasn’t anxious?
Now there was finally some hope.
Still, since Young Master had specifically instructed him, he naturally would not say a single word.
By the time the sun had climbed high into the sky, Li Yang finally woke up.
She was awakened by the vibration of her phone.
Still groggy, she reached toward the bedside table and opened her eyes.
What greeted her was an unfamiliar ceiling.
The room was spacious, with an exceptionally high ceiling. Sunlight filtered through the sheer curtains of the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting a slanted beam of light across the foot of the bed.
Li Yang stared blankly for a full three seconds.
Then she remembered.
She had slept with a man!
And it seemed she had been the one who initiated it.
But afterward, those restrained yet unrestrained hands had held her waist, rubbed her back, turned her over, and from behind—
“…”
Li Yang immediately yanked the blanket over her head and buried herself underneath.
She had gone crazy.
She had actually slept with a completely unfamiliar man!
The words he had whispered beside her ear still burned in her mind.
“So proactive, hmm?”
“Don’t cry. Relax.”
“Good girl. One last time.”
“…”
Li Yang buried her face in the pillow.
She was doomed.
After calming down for several seconds, she finally remembered to answer her best friend Lin Qingqing’s call.
“Li Yang, where are you? I called you at eight and your phone was off. I called again at nine and it was off. I called again at ten and it was still off! Where did you go last night? You said you’d be back after going to the restroom, then you disappeared completely. Do you know I almost called the police?!”
Li Yang held the phone slightly farther away.
Only after the shouting ended did she reply.
“…My phone ran out of battery.”
“Then where are you now?”
“I’m…”
Li Yang glanced around and fell silent for two seconds.
“I don’t know.”
Twenty minutes later, Li Yang met Lin Qingqing at a café near the hotel.
Also seated beside Lin Qingqing was Xie Xinhang, who was stirring his coffee with his head lowered.
When he saw her enter, Xie Xinhang raised his eyes.
His gaze lingered on her for a moment before he arched a brow.
“Oh? Eldest Miss Li seems to have had a pretty satisfying night.”
Being scrutinized by both of them made Li Yang inexplicably guilty.
She forced herself to walk over and sit down.
Crossing her arms, Lin Qingqing looked her up and down.
“Where exactly did you go last night? Xinhang and I waited outside the bar for over an hour. You didn’t answer any calls. I thought something had happened to you.”
“I…”
Li Yang opened her mouth, unsure how to explain.
She really had gone to the restroom.
But on the way back, the alcohol had hit her, making her sleepy, so she had gone to the nearby hotel.
The elevator had taken her to the top floor.
She had found a room and swiped a key card.
The door had opened.
She had thought it was her room.
“I got lost last night.”
In the end, that was all Li Yang managed to say.
Lin Qingqing frowned.
“Lost? You got lost for an entire night?”
“…I guess so.”
Xie Xinhang suddenly spoke in his lazy tone.
“Eldest Miss Li, that’s a pretty nice dress you’re wearing. It’s one of el’s new seasonal designs, isn’t it? It hasn’t even been released domestically yet.”
Li Yang froze.
Lin Qingqing also froze and turned to examine the dress Li Yang was wearing.
Smoky pink.
Sleeveless.
Cinched at the waist.
The hem fell above her knees.
The fabric was so soft it seemed to flow like water, swaying gently with every movement she made.
Lin Qingqing asked the fashion expert beside her,
“How much does that dress cost?”
Xie Xinhang answered casually.
“Around five hundred thousand. She’s not wearing all the accessories. Otherwise it’d be even more expensive.”
Lin Qingqing’s eyes widened.
“What the hell?”
Li Yang: “…”
Looking down at the dress she was wearing, she suddenly felt uncomfortable all over.
Five hundred thousand.
One dress worth five hundred thousand.
That man had casually sent over a five-hundred-thousand-yuan dress without even blinking.
Who exactly was he?
Lin Qingqing’s expression became worried.
“Li Yang, tell me honestly. Where did you go last night?”
After several seconds of silence, Li Yang finally spoke.
“What if I told you I really entered the wrong room? Would you believe me?”
“The wrong room?”
“I thought it was my room. I swiped the card and went in. But there was someone inside…”
Li Yang paused before continuing.
“And then… something happened.”
Lin Qingqing sat up straight.
“The accident you’re talking about isn’t that kind of accident, is it?”
“It’s exactly the kind you’re thinking of.”
Li Yang closed her eyes.
Having already reached this point, she simply gave up trying to hide it.
“I slept with a complete stranger.”
She had been the one who stood on tiptoe and kissed the man’s lips first.
At the beginning, he had seemed angry and resistant.
But later…
Lin Qingqing looked at her.
She knew Li Yang was not the type of girl to act recklessly, so she asked,
“What did he look like? Did he leave anything behind?”
Li Yang shook her head blankly.
“I don’t remember. He was already gone when I woke up. The hotel belonged to Wanhe, on the top floor.”
She only vaguely remembered that logo, a symbol of status and wealth.
“The top floor of Wanhe?”
A flicker appeared in Xie Xinhang’s eyes.
That was property owned by Xie Corporation.
Anyone capable of staying there was definitely no ordinary person.
Even his Third Uncle, Xie Zongxu, maintained a permanent suite there year-round.