Volume One, Chapter Four: A Playful Flourish

Ye Zhaoying sneered inwardly at Fu Mingchi’s words. No one had deceived her more cruelly than he had.

When Fu Mingchi reached for her hand, Ye Zhaoying pulled away, feigning interest in a paintbrush nearby.

Fu Mingchi’s expression darkened slightly. "Zhaoying, why do you seem so strange today? Did something happen?"

Ye Zhaoying looked up at him, intentionally saying, "I watched a movie last night about a couple who loved each other deeply, just like us. But then one day, the woman discovered the man was cheating, and all those years of affection turned into a joke. Mingchi, do you think we might ever..."

Fu Mingchi paused, then immediately replied with firm conviction, "Never! I will always love only you. I would never betray you."

Ye Zhaoying stared straight into his eyes. "Are you sure?"

Fu Mingchi’s gaze flickered with hesitation, but he still answered, "I am."

Perhaps due to a guilty conscience, Fu Mingchi left without pressing her further about the investment. Watching his retreating back, Ye Zhaoying found the scene utterly ironic.

She had an appointment to sign a contract with Lu Jingchen at four o'clock. Once her work was mostly settled, she set off with the necessary documents. Under normal circumstances, she would have brought an assistant, but she no longer trusted hers.

Upon arriving at the lobby of Lu’s Venture Capital, she approached the front desk. "Hello, I am Ye Zhaoying, head of Dawn Studio. Could you tell me which floor Mr. Lu’s office is on? I’m here to sign a contract with him today."

Dawn Studio? She had never even heard of it. To think someone running a tiny studio would dare to waltz in and demand to see Mr. Lu!

The receptionist took in Ye Zhaoying’s unbranded attire and offered a perfunctory smile. Her eyes grew visibly mocking when she heard the request, as if laughing at the absurdity of it.

"You want to see Mr. Lu? Do you have an appointment?"

Ignoring the condescending tone, Ye Zhaoying replied calmly, "We have a verbal agreement to sign a contract at four o'clock. You can call to confirm."

Seeing that Ye Zhaoying refused to back down, the receptionist slowly dialed the president's assistant, eager to see her humiliated.

"Assistant Qin, there is a Miss Ye Zhaoying here who claims she has an appointment with Mr. Lu to sign a contract at four. Could you confirm if this is true?"

The receptionist spoke with a saccharine, sycophantic tone, but as she listened to the response, her expression stiffened. She stared at Ye Zhaoying in shock; it was actually true. Assistant Qin had instructed her to bring her up!

With a complex expression, the receptionist hung up. Ye Zhaoying met her gaze with a faint smile and was escorted to the president’s office under the woman’s bewildered stare.

Though she expected it to be grand, Ye Zhaoying was still taken aback by the sheer luxury of the office. Lu Jingchen was reviewing documents, and she could only see his profile—the contours of his face were smooth and perfect.

As Ye Zhaoying approached, Lu Jingchen looked up. She walked forward under his inscrutable gaze and handed him the documents. He called up the legal department, and everything proceeded with surprising smoothness.

After the contract was signed, Ye Zhaoying finally let out a long sigh of relief, feeling as though her heart had finally settled.

Suddenly, Lu Jingchen opened the dialer on his phone and held it out to her.

"What?" Ye Zhaoying was caught off guard.

"Your number. How else am I supposed to reach you?"

Ye Zhaoying thought it made sense, but as she took the phone, her hand accidentally brushed against his cool, clean index finger.

In that instant, it felt as if she had been electrocuted; a tingling sensation raced from her fingertips through her entire body. Her breath hitched as a memory from her junior year of college surfaced: she had been rushing to the cafeteria after a political science lecture, grabbing her roommate Zhao Yuanyuan’s hand to pull her along.

When she couldn't budge her, she looked up in confusion, only to find herself face-to-face with their professor.

The professor had smiled with surprise and delight, saying, "Ye Zhaoying, so you two are a couple after all."

What? A couple?!

Ye Zhaoying had spun around, only to see Lu Jingchen’s face looking deathly dark, his eyes like poisoned blades. She had stiffly lowered her head to realize she was holding Lu Jingchen’s hand, which explained why she had wondered why Zhao Yuanyuan’s hand had suddenly grown so long.

She had dropped his hand as if it were a hot potato. She had stammered an explanation to the professor, but the teacher had simply smiled with an indulgent, knowing look, assuring her that she didn't oppose college romances.

The memory of Lu Jingchen’s chilling expression that day remained vivid.

Returning to the present, Ye Zhaoying quickly retracted her hand and hurriedly typed her number into his phone. As she handed it back, she noticed his gaze darken. She understood—she had likely annoyed him by touching him again.

"Mr. Lu, if there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave."

"Hmm."

Lu Jingchen was already looking at his computer screen, not even lifting his head.

Accustomed to his cold indifference, Ye Zhaoying left with the contract. She never noticed that the moment she turned away, Lu Jingchen looked up, his deep eyes filled with a complex, overflowing emotion as he watched her go.

Ye Zhaoying returned to her studio to finish some work before heading home to rest. Just as she was about to leave, her phone rang. It was Fu Mingchi.

She answered, and his voice was as gentle and doting as ever. "Baby, where are you? Let me come pick you up so we can grab dinner. How about that Hunan restaurant you love?"

"Maybe not today? Aren't you busy lately?"

Fu Mingchi replied with a doting laugh, "No matter how busy I am, I could never bear to neglect my baby."

Yet he could bear to cheat and betray her.

Ye Zhaoying felt a sharp, stinging pain in her heart. She wished more than anything that he hadn't cheated, but it was a cold, hard fact. Since she was in a critical phase, she couldn't afford to arouse his suspicion, so she gave him her address.

"Alright, I’ll be there to pick you up in a moment."

Fu Mingchi arrived shortly in his white BMW, still thoughtful enough to open the passenger door for her. As soon as she sat down, she heard the rustle of plastic from behind the seat.

She shifted slightly and reached into the gap, pulling out a used condom wrapper.

"What is this?"

A flash of panic crossed Fu Mingchi’s eyes. He snatched it from her hand and crumpled it up before throwing it on the floor.

He then feigned nonchalance. "Tsk, that must belong to Chang Yi. I lent him the car for a couple of days. You know how he likes to play around."