Volume One, Chapter 82: She Knows Nothing!

Sang Wan woke up from the heat.

It felt as though a furnace was pressed against her back, leaving her parched and dry-mouthed.

She reached out to grab the water cup on the bedside table.

Her fingertips touched the cold edge of the cabinet.

Sang Wan suddenly sobered.

A furnace?

Her body froze, stiff as wood.

She could sense, in the cool air, the hairs on her arms and back standing upright in a dense, uneasy layer.

She dared not move a muscle.

Nie Ruyan’s reckless indulgence.

The male hosts calling her “sister” again and again, the endless drinks passed her way.

Sang Wan quickly realized a grave problem.

She had committed a mistake universal to men across the world.

Drunken lust.

She’d slept with a college boy working part-time.

Her mind was drunk, but her body’s responses couldn’t deceive her.

Everything that could happen, had happened.

The only comfort was that, during the performance, when he tried to probe her, she had responded to nothing.

He knew nothing about her.

Just as she knew nothing about him.

And this was Si City, far from the Imperial Capital.

Tomorrow, she would leave.

In a flash, countless thoughts raced through her mind.

Behind her, the steady, gentle breathing brushed her shoulder and back. Sang Wan slowly, inch by inch, slid his arm from her waist, then quietly slipped out of bed.

The room was unfamiliar.

The night wind stirred the white curtains.

Dim moonlight fell upon the sofa and tea table before the floor-to-ceiling window.

It also spilled across the shadowed bed, highlighting the rise of a body turned to one side.

Even though she couldn’t see clearly, Sang Wan felt herself burn and quickly averted her gaze.

The carpet was strewn with chaos.

Her high heels lay scattered, one here, one there.

Black lace hung from the corner of the bed.

Clothes lay in disarray from the bedside all the way to the door.

The fierce battle was evident.

It was simply… unbearable to look at!

In the darkness, Sang Wan covered her face, rustling as she dressed.

Then, she took out an envelope from her bag.

It was the advance for her business trip, given by the finance office before she left.

She’d joked with Xiao Bai about how the company was so wealthy, not afraid of employees absconding with travel funds.

Now, Sang Wan only felt grateful for the considerate finance staff who had given her a safety net.

She wouldn’t be a scoundrel fleeing with her skirt hiked up.

She didn’t know the going rate in Si City,

but Sang Wan thought, five thousand—should be about right?

She placed the money on the pillow, where he would see it as soon as he opened his eyes.

Sang Wan picked up her heels and tiptoed out the door.

Payment settled, goods delivered.

It was her only reckoning for this reckless night.

At three in the morning, Si City slept under a vast shroud of darkness.

But behind her, “Seaside Paradise” was an exception.

The entrance was crowded with satisfied patrons’ cars and taxis ready to ferry guests.

Sang Wan hailed a cab and hurried back to her hotel.

She showered, lay on the bed, and fell asleep the instant her head touched the pillow.

At the same moment, Lou Ye turned over, his arm landing in empty space.

He instantly woke.

Turning on the light, he found the bed empty.

A stack of crisp pink bills slid from the pillow, a considerable sum.

“Do you know who I am?”

“…Lou Ye.”

She knew nothing!

Lou Ye was both amused and exasperated by Sang Wan’s bold move.

If he hadn’t woken, he could have slept until morning.

Now awake, the air was thick with traces of her and him.

Lou Ye couldn’t sleep anymore.

Desire stirred again, but the person who could have drowned with him in passion was gone.

Lou Ye got up and entered the bathroom.

When he came out, his gaze lingered on that pile of cash; he narrowed his eyes.

Did she really think this money could sever the confusion between them?

He took out his phone and snapped a few photos, then opened WeChat.

…

The alarm rang, Sang Wan opened her eyes, refreshed.

But when she tried to get up, she couldn’t.

Her light, graceful steps from last night felt like a complete illusion.

Now, her waist ached, her legs throbbed.

Even her throat was sore.

It was as if, during the show, she was also among the crowd below the stage, screaming with excitement.

She rubbed her waist and pinched her legs, grimacing as she stretched, finally managing to get up.

Entering the bathroom, she screamed in surprise.

On her neck, dark red marks stood out vividly.

On her waist, a fading bite mark.

Was he part dog?

The bite didn’t need covering—her clothes would hide it.

The marks took a hefty dose of concealer.

Exiting the bathroom, Sang Wan curled her lips, once again becoming the elegant, intellectual Engineer Sang.

When Sang Wan entered the restaurant, Lou Ye and Yang Yan were seated in their usual spot by the window.

If Lou Ye hadn’t looked at her, she could have feigned casualness and taken her tray elsewhere.

But when he glanced her way, Sang Wan had no choice but to acknowledge them.

“Good morning, President Lou. Good morning, Assistant Yang…”

“Morning!”

“Good morning, Miss Sang!”

Yang Yan stood and offered Sang Wan his seat, then turned and left.

Sang Wan sat down, seeing Lou Ye’s gaze fall on her neck.

She almost thought she hadn’t covered it well enough.

He’d noticed something.

Her heart leapt.

Then Lou Ye praised, “Nice necklace!”

Thump!

Her heart dropped back into place.

Sang Wan smiled and nodded, “Thank you!”

A piece of purple cabbage was crushed between Lou Ye’s teeth.

Who invented concealer, anyway???

“Was the show at Seaside Paradise entertaining?”

Lou Ye asked.

Sang Wan nearly choked.

Taking the napkin he handed her, Sang Wan nodded repeatedly, “Yes…”

Meeting Lou Ye’s deep, knowing gaze.

As if he were saying: Sister, I never expected you were this kind of person!

Sang Wan corrected herself, “Well… it was alright… I didn’t pay much attention, too busy drinking.”

She dreaded his next question would be: Were the male hosts handsome?

Sang Wan’s composure faltered.

Just then, she saw Engineer Chen enter the restaurant.

“Engineer Chen…”

Sang Wan called out.

Engineer Chen approached, “Good morning, President Lou!”

For two days they’d been running around construction sites; the rest of the day would be spent in the Si City branch’s conference room.

Perhaps her prayers had worked, for she didn’t run into Nie Ruyan.

Thinking again, it was normal—Nie Ruyan was in PR, not project management.

Sang Wan breathed a long sigh of relief.

Lunch was a simple meal in the staff cafeteria, then back to the hotel; the group packed their bags and headed straight for the airport.

It wasn’t until she boarded the plane that Sang Wan realized her ticket, and Engineer Chen’s, had been upgraded.

“Miss Sang…”

Yang Yan stood as soon as he saw her. “Would you mind switching seats? I happen to have a couple of questions for Engineer Chen.”

She met Lou Ye’s gaze.

Sang Wan steeled herself, but still didn’t dare say “It’s not convenient.”

The plane took off.

The curtain was drawn.

Their seats were sealed in a private space.

“Sister, did you sleep well last night?”

Lou Ye’s voice sounded in her ear.

Leaning back in the seat, Sang Wan felt as if electricity surged through her, running down her spine.

In her mind, the college boy and Lou Ye’s faces flickered back and forth.

The college boy’s bright smile: Sister, next time we meet, will you still remember me?

Lou Ye’s seductive voice: Sister…

“Quite… quite well.”

She stammered, the little person inside her mind wailing and covering their eyes.

This trip—was for nothing!