Watching the girl lying defenseless on the floor, Yan Jiu lit another cigarette.
A moment ago she was running her mouth without a filter, telling him to get hard; the next moment she was whimpering in pain, claiming he was bullying her.
Yan Jiu was almost amused by her.
She clearly had no idea what real bullying looked like.
After he shook off her arm and she fell to the floor, she'd gone straight to sleep.
Terrible tolerance for alcohol, and an awfully carefree heart.
Taking a drag of his cigarette, Yan Jiu's gaze fell on Luo Yan's wrist, where a ring of red marks lingered on her fair skin from his grip.
The man's eyes darkened. He hadn't even used any force.
Delicate.
Luo Yan lay on the thick, soft cashmere carpet, breathing lightly, sleeping soundly.
Her side-lying posture perfectly showcased her sinuous, alluring curves, every arc beautiful to the extreme.
The slit of her dress was pulled taut, the hem riding up, revealing two long, fair, slender legs.
A born seductress.
Stubbing out his cigarette, Yan Jiu rose from the sofa.
He crouched down and scooped Luo Yan up in his arms, thinking to himself that he should probably toss her out—yet his feet carried him straight toward the stairs.
He held her steadily; Luo Yan didn't stir at all, even nestling closer into his arms along the curve of his elbow.
Aside from the heavy smell of alcohol, up close he could catch a faint fragrance emanating from her, like lotus and orchid, refreshing and pleasant to the senses.
Yan Jiu carried Luo Yan to the guest room upstairs.
The room was cleaned every day, and all the amenities were brand new.
As her body sank into the soft, comfortable mattress, Luo Yan let out a light, contented hum and rolled over, her dress twisted askew.
Her sleeping posture was careless, but with a figure that good, the intense visual impact gave the illusion that even asleep, this woman was seducing men.
Had Yan Jun not noticed that his fiancée was a vixen?
Pausing by the bedside for a moment, Yan Jiu turned and walked out of the room.
Luo Yan, lying on the bed, secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Feigning sleep was a little trick of hers.
Back in the orphanage as a child, she could pretend to be fast asleep even when she couldn't sleep, to avoid punishment and losing out on the after-dinner dessert.
Aunt Tian came up from downstairs. "Young Master Jiu, I've made some hangover soup. Would you like me to give Miss Luo a bowl?"
"No need, she's asleep. Help her change into something, wipe her face, and tidy her up."
"Alright, but there are no women's clothes in the house."
"Find a couple of pajamas I've never worn for her."
"Very well, Young Master Jiu."
When Luo Yan woke up, it was nearly noon.
Yan Jiu's pajamas were soft cotton, comfortable to sleep in.
She freshened up in the bathroom, changed back into her own clothes, and then wandered downstairs.
Aunt Tian beamed at the sight of her, saying she'd prepared a brunch for her.
Luo Yan thanked her and sat down in the dining room, eating at a leisurely pace until she was about seventy percent full.
Reflecting on her performance and Yan Jiu's reaction—not bad, at least he hadn't thrown her out.
She hadn't planned to tease Yan Jiu before coming, nor had she planned to stay the night, but he was just too handsome.
Devastatingly handsome, handsome enough to make one lose all reason, handsome enough that Luo Yan couldn't help herself.
When he carried her upstairs—the strength in his arms, his firm abs, his steady, powerful steps—every single thing told her this man was dripping with charisma.
Every inch of him fit her aesthetic perfectly; all that was left was to test it in practice.
In the novel she hadn't finished reading, Yan Jiu appeared very rarely, with little presence in the emotional journey of the male and female leads.
After all, this is a CEO romance novel—it won't describe too many irrelevant people.
As the head of the Yan family and a highly influential figure in Rongcheng's business circles, he was a powerful backer.
If she accidentally offended the male or female lead, with Yan Jiu around, she wouldn't have to fear them doing anything against her.
After the meal, a burly man in a black suit came to ask Luo Yan where she wanted to go.
Earlier that morning when Yan Jiu left for work, he had instructed someone to drive her.
This was even better—she wouldn't have to walk over half an hour to get out and then hail a taxi.
Last night she couldn't have driven over reeking of alcohol, so she had called the family driver to take the car from the hotel back to the Luo residence.
After dropping Luo Yan off outside the gate of the villa district where the Luo family lived, the burly man handed her a business card—elegant black with gold lettering, bearing only a string of numbers.
"Chairman Yan said you can call his private number if you need anything."
It seemed this nighttime intrusion hadn't been entirely fruitless.
Although she could have found Yan Jiu's private number herself, it was better that he had told her directly.
Luo Yan saved the number, labeling it "My Male God."
She entered the phone number in WeChat's search function and added the "Yan Jiu" that came up to her contacts.
Then she deleted the photos on her phone, cleared all previously sent messages, and wiped everything from WeChat and Weibo.
In the chat history with Yan Jun, "she" had sent over a dozen messages of concern and warmth, yet Yan Jun might not have replied to even one.
A lonely unrequited love, humble to the point of dust.
When she got home, she unexpectedly ran into Luo Liancheng. He'd had a drinking engagement last night and had come back late, so he hadn't left for the company yet today.
In his forties, Luo Liancheng had refined features, maintained a good physique, and carried himself elegantly—he looked a dozen years younger than his actual age.
He sized Luo Yan up a few times, his face showing displeasure at his daughter staying out all night.
"You were with Yan Jun last night? Why was your phone off?
A girl should be more reserved, even with her fiancé, lest people think you're frivolous."
He himself kept women on the side and had his own nights away, yet he demanded his daughter be reserved. Luo Yan wasn't about to obey him.
"So what if I'm frivolous?" She tilted her head up. "As long as it makes me happy, being frivolous has its value."
Luo Liancheng's thick brows shot up in anger. "What are you so proud of? You stayed out all night and you think you're in the right?"
Not wanting to hear his lectures, Luo Yan told him bluntly:
"Alright, enough nagging. Yan Jun cheated, and I caught him red-handed.
I was about to die of anger, so I just wandered around outside."
Before Luo Liancheng could say anything, Luo Mingna—sitting on the living room sofa hoping to watch Luo Yan get scolded—lit up.
More precisely, she was gloating.
"Yan Jun-gege cheated? With who? Is she pretty?"
Luo Yan glared at her angrily, which only earned her more fuel-on-the-fire mockery.
"Luo Yan, you're really pitiful. Yan Jun-gege doesn't have you in his heart at all. Sigh."
Everyone in their circles knew that Yan Jun's first love, his white moonlight Lu Zhiyun, had dumped him and gone abroad.
It was no secret either that the women he dated all resembled his white moonlight—they were substitutes.
"Your sister is feeling terrible right now. Don't be insensitive and say such things."
Her stepmother Zhao Meiping reprimanded Luo Mingna from the side.
Luo Yan's biological mother had been frail and sickly, and had passed away before Luo Yan was even ten.
The following year, Luo Liancheng married his second wife, Zhao Meiping.
Zhao Meiping had entered the household bringing a son and daughter with her.
Later, the stepchildren changed their surnames. Her stepson Luo Mingxin was two years older than Luo Yan—twenty-four this year.
Luo Mingna, the stepdaughter, was two years younger than Luo Yan and a few months younger than Luo Yan's biological younger brother, Luo Yi.
Luo Yan was in no mood to deal with Luo Mingna right now. She turned to Luo Liancheng and continued:
"Dad, do we currently have any cooperation with the Yan family? Cut it off. Let Yan Jun know I'm not so easy to bully. He'll pay the price for his reckless behavior."
Cooperation projects worth tens of millions between the two families—how could they possibly be scrapped just to vent for a daughter's sake?
Luo Liancheng kept business and personal matters strictly separate and refused outright.
"Matters of business are no joke. Have you considered how much loss canceling a project would cause?"
"Yan Jun is young and accomplished. There are plenty of women who want to marry him. Being able to be engaged to him and become the young mistress of the Yan family is your fortune."
"There's no need to fight over jealousy with those women who can't even make the scene. It's beneath your dignity."
"It's normal for men to play around outside. He made a mistake in a moment of weakness. As long as he apologizes to you afterward, don't hold a grudge against him.
I'll find an opportunity to ask the Yan family's opinion and set a date for your wedding."
"Once you're married, even if Yan Jun has women outside, it won't shake your position."
Luo Liancheng, speaking from his own standpoint, spouted a bunch of nonsense.
Wasn't he simply of the opinion that the company's interests and the Luo family's reputation far outweighed his daughter's happiness?
"Dad, you think his cheating before marriage is something that can just be brushed aside so lightly?
You still want to approach the Yan family about a wedding date? Being so eager to fawn over the Yan family—isn't that lacking all principles and bottom lines?
Even my own father doesn't take me seriously. No wonder others look down on me."
Luo Liancheng had originally risen to prominence thanks to the financial support of his first wife's family.
No matter how large the Luo Corporation grew or how much wealth it accumulated, it could never compare to a deeply established wealthy clan like the Yan family.
Luo Liancheng only wanted to gain more benefits from the Yan family through his daughter's marriage. He would never do anything to offend them.
Luo Yan made no effort to hide her disappointment. She sneered contemptuously at the father who wanted her to swallow her pride.
"Fine, if you won't handle this, I'll get an explanation from him myself."
"You're not a teenage girl anymore. Be realistic and know what matters.
If you make an ugly scene, people will think the Luo family is too small-time to be presentable."
Every conversation between father and daughter ended in discord. Luo Yan, following her usual pattern, let out a snort and turned to head upstairs.
"Stop right there! Did you remember what I just said? Don't throw a tantrum and embarrass me out there!"
Luo Liancheng hated disobedient women the most. Seeing Luo Yan's stubborn, immovable attitude made his blood boil.
The gentle, virtuous, obedient Zhao Meiping stepped in to smooth things over.
"Don't be angry. Luo Yan knows what she's doing. She likes Yan Jun, so it's natural she reacted a bit strongly."
Back in her room, her phone rang with the notification tone for a triggered keyword.
Luo Yan opened a hidden app, entered her password, and made a few taps.
The screen displayed the chat interface of a WeChat group named "Has the CEO Spread His Favor Equally Today?"