Why bring up Shen Shu at a time like this?
Sweat seeped into his eyes, the sting drawing forth involuntary tears. His vision blurred, and Shen Jiyuan’s heart skipped a beat.
“Your son looks a lot like you.”
That single, simple sentence shattered all of Shen Jiyuan’s resistance.
Panic was all that remained in his heart.
He had returned from abroad with a child at his side—this was not something that could be concealed.
But aside from himself, no one could possibly imagine that this child, whom others assumed had been born before his engagement, had actually been borne by him personally.
The child’s soft, snow-white face, fluffy jet-black hair, and those bright, shining eyes rose before him. The boy always called him “Daddy” in a sweet, innocent chorus, like a little angel.
A week ago, Shi Qing had seen Shen Shu at the banquet.
Was that why she had reappeared before him now?
Shen Jiyuan’s fingers trembled. Shi Qing’s words stabbed at that unspeakable, unfaceable secret buried deep in his heart—one that seemed to have become part of his body, making him more and more taciturn.
Shen Shu was the child he had carried for ten months and given birth to with his own body.
A child born after one night of reckless chaos with this woman.
“…What happened back then was my fault.” Shen Jiyuan finally spoke. In the pitch-black room, his voice was pressed extremely low, threaded with ragged breaths. “That night… let’s not pursue it anymore.”
He tried to stay calm, but his voice already carried an almost imperceptible sob.
“Three years ago, I drank too much… It was a misunderstanding, an accident. But in the end, you did do that to me…”
Drunk, he had mistaken Shi Qing for a woman arranged by a business rival, tried to push her onto the bed, said many outrageous things—only to receive a lesson he would never forget for the rest of his life.
“There will still be a lot of cooperation between the Shen Group and the An Group in the future…”
Shen Jiyuan tried to persuade her, calmly sorting through the web of interests between them. To be able to lay things out so clearly under such circumstances was, in truth, remarkable.
“Let’s just pretend none of it ever happened. Let’s all keep our dignity.”
In all these years, he had never lowered himself like this.
The first time they met, even when he was pushed onto the bed, Shen Jiyuan refused to show the slightest fear, forcing himself to stay composed. Even at the very last second, when everything was about to happen, he would not utter a single plea for mercy.
If Shi Qing were someone who understood weighing pros and cons—someone ambitious about her career and eager to grow her company—rather than someone blinded by beauty, she would most likely have let go at this moment.
But she wasn’t.
In the darkness, the metal buckle of a genuine leather belt was undone. In the utter silence, the short, crisp click—like the ticking of a clock—rang out with startling clarity. It was like a gun being cocked, striking Shen Jiyuan head-on; his entire body began to tremble violently.
Shi Qing had never heard Shen Jiyuan speak in such a tone before.
A plea from an aloof, untouchable flower on a lofty peak—soft, suppressed sobs mixed with hurried breathing, as he still struggled to maintain composure.
That very effort made it impossible to stay calm.
Yet think about it: just minutes earlier, in the corridor, when she turned and saw Shen Jiyuan appear in the elevator, her gaze lingered on him for a long time. After a full three years apart, the twenty-seven-year-old Shen Jiyuan was even more alluring than when they first met.
At first, he hadn’t noticed her. His face was turned slightly to the side, hair meticulously styled, silver-rimmed glasses resting on a high, straight nose.
It was the first time Shi Qing had seen Shen Jiyuan wearing glasses. His entire aura seemed transformed—cold and sharp, carrying the powerful presence of a wealthy family’s heir, exuding an untouchable elite air.
The tailored suit brought a strong sense of restraint; he was more mature than before. As he turned, his dress pants were taut, bespoke leather shoes spotless—like an unbreakable iceberg lotus, forever maintaining a cold, mechanical composure—
But she had seen another side of him. She had seen the tears that rolled down uncontrollably when his body couldn’t take it anymore; she had heard his muffled sobs—
Shi Qing lowered her eyes without a trace of emotion. Her dark lashes hid her feelings as her fingers unconsciously rubbed at her fingertips.
At that very instant, as if sensing something, Shen Jiyuan suddenly looked in her direction. When he saw her, he froze, his steps faltering. That perfect, icy poise cracked for a fleeting moment, revealing a subtle flaw.
That instant of panic-stricken expression was exactly why she had sought him out again so quickly.
Shi Qing’s fingers slipped into the white shirt pulled from his trousers. Through the thin fabric, the body heat she felt was completely different from directly touching skin. Tight, burning muscle quivered with tension beneath her touch—smooth, delicate, scorching hot.
“Do you know?” Shi Qing whispered by his ear with teasing malice, breathing warm air against him. “You look better with your clothes on than without.”
Shen Jiyuan’s whole body went weak. The sensation of soft lips brushing against his ear from time to time made him shudder all over. Subtle waves of feeling surged through him; his legs turned to jelly.
The first time they met had been in a hotel. Back then, Shi Qing had only seen him wearing a bathrobe.
Shen Jiyuan’s breathing caught in his throat. Tears dampened his long lashes. “…Please let me go. Why does it have to be me?”
Shi Qing was the unquestioned head of the An Group—young, beautiful, and possessing extraordinary presence. As a rising star in the business world, she could have any kind of man she wanted.
There were so many men in this world. He was already twenty-seven—why him? Was it just to torment him?
“Wasn’t it you who provoked me first?” Shi Qing laughed lightly. “And besides, I really like you.”
From the moment she entered this world, the very first time she saw Shen Jiyuan, she had been especially satisfied with this favored son of heaven.
Shen Jiyuan was stunned.
In the darkness, in the cramped space, at a distance so close that whispers and breaths mingled, her lashes lightly brushed his cheek. He couldn’t deny that the instant he heard Shi Qing say “I like you,” his body trembled as if it had betrayed him.
But he had no time to dwell on that feeling.
Shi Qing’s hand was already moving lower. He kept repeating the command to resist in his mind, still struggling as he tried to push her away. “Since you attended the banquet last week, you know I already have a son, don’t you…?”
“Mm,” she replied. “He’s a little over three years old now, right?”
Shi Qing gave an overly precise time.
This time, Shen Jiyuan was really about to cry. He tried his hardest to make Shi Qing lose interest.“Yeah, my child is already three years old. I… actually, I was already secretly married when I was abroad…”
“I’m already married. I love the child’s mother very much. I can’t… please don’t be like this…”
He didn’t even know what he was saying anymore.
“Oh? Is that so? Then where is the child’s mother?”
Shen Jiyuan fell silent. His brain raced nonstop, wondering whether he should say the child’s mother had passed away due to illness, or make up a fake person to brush Shi Qing off.
Unexpectedly, Shi Qing smiled in the very next second.
Like someone teasing a little mouse, she slowly added, “But even so, I don’t mind.”
Shen Jiyuan liked this kind of play, so she would go along with it. Pretending to be a married man—didn’t he know that made it even more interesting, even more thrilling? Anyway, her interest only grew stronger.
“No matter what you say today, I won’t stop.”
This time, Shen Jiyuan truly broke down crying.
Large tears slid soundlessly from the corners of his eyes, soaking his entire face in an instant. His trembling breaths carried a scorching heat, his sobs choked and silent.
Shen Jiyuan knew that no matter what, he wouldn’t be able to escape today. Struggling was useless—he had already tried three years ago. His heart felt as if it were swallowed by overwhelming fear. His vision went dark, and it was as though all strength had been drained from his body as he weakly leaned back against the door.
Shi Qing felt the heat of his breathing. Squinting, she saw that Shen Jiyuan’s face was completely wet. His eyes were half-closed, his long lashes soaked, tears shattering along them and falling nonstop. He looked as though he was about to break.
That expression was both pitiful and adorable.
Shi Qing froze slightly, then gently stroked his face with affection. “Why are you crying like this?”
That gentle comfort gave Shen Jiyuan a momentary illusion. He thought he must be crazy—clearly terrified to the extreme, yet unable to suppress the grievance in his heart, he confided in the very person who had brought him this fear.
Clearly, this despair and inescapable situation were caused by her—
Tears streaming down his face, Shen Jiyuan’s voice was so low it was almost soundless. Shi Qing had to lean close to his ear to hear what he was saying.
What he repeated again and again was—
“I’m scared…”
Three years ago, after one night with her, he became pregnant. Ten months of hardship, the confusion and helplessness of that time, the immense despair—he was truly terrified.
He was afraid of becoming pregnant again, afraid of reliving that nightmare.
Shi Qing heard him clearly and paused slightly.
His almost pleading, utterly humble attitude made her eyes light up with excitement. Hearing Shen Jiyuan cry and whisper “I’m scared…” made her so exhilarated that even her fingertips trembled, as though an electric current ran through her entire body.
She curved her lips, her eyes smiling, suppressing her excitement as she comforted him gently, almost with a sigh. “Don’t be afraid…”
In that instant, she came up with an even more interesting way to play.
“I won’t touch you today.”
Shi Qing’s breath fell against the skin behind Shen Jiyuan’s ear as she lightly kissed his earlobe, like a devil tempting someone into corruption, breaking down his defenses with honeyed words. “Just let me touch a little, okay?”
Shen Jiyuan was already so frightened that he had confided in her—his mind must be in complete chaos. With a bit of gentle coaxing, his guard would surely collapse.
“Look, your subordinates are right outside the door. I won’t do anything to you…”
She continued, “We won’t spend too much time here. Just this once today. As long as you cooperate, I won’t force you in the future, and you won’t have to live in fear anymore.”
Shen Jiyuan weakly pressed his forehead against the door. His disheveled black hair fell into his eyes, his eyes squeezed tightly shut. The cold, distant expression that once kept others at arm’s length was now utterly helpless.
He hesitated. From just now on, he hadn’t said a single word.
Shi Qing wanted to laugh. She knew that Shen Jiyuan would no longer resist.
So, filled with intense excitement, she coaxed him even more gently.
“Just this once. I’ll only touch a little.”
“Be good. Lift your shirt yourself, okay?”