Lu Bochen smirked slightly, a wave of anticipation swelling in his chest. He suppressed his excitement, maintaining a calm demeanor as he stepped into the dining area.

The dining table was set with several mouth-watering dishes, lit by romantic candlelight, and a glass vase held pink roses.

“You must be hungry,” Li Xiangsi said, following closely behind him, a pleasant scent wafting through the air. “Let’s eat first.”

Lu Bochen nodded, removed his suit jacket, loosened his tie, and sat down at the dining table.

He thought Li Xiangsi would choose to sit across from him, but to his surprise, she came directly to his side, squeezing onto the edge of the chair.

He was almost enveloped in her warmth.

“You said you wanted to eat?” He glanced at her, his heart racing.

“I’m not hungry; I want to watch you eat.” She turned to him with a sweet, innocent smile.

But he knew she was far from innocent; this sudden intimacy was definitely calculated, as she had always sat stiffly during their previous dates and never behaved so affectionately.

“What exactly do you want?” He narrowed his eyes, his mind racing.

“Can’t you tell?” She laughed softly. “I think it’s time to clarify our relationship.” Her delicate arm coiled around his neck like a water snake, her enchanting gaze locking onto his. “Bochen, honestly speaking, a successful man like you having one or two mistresses outside isn’t a big deal, right?”

What did she mean by that? Lu Bochen felt a sudden sense of alertness, though his lips curled into a wicked smile.

“What do you think?” She pinched his cheek playfully. “Is that how you see it?”

“And if it is, what then? If it’s not, what then?”

“If it is, I want to ask you, would you keep me as your mistress?”

“Do you want me to keep you as a mistress?” He countered with a question.

She blinked, then suddenly laughed lightly, her laughter wrapping around him like soft silk, teasingly brushing against his ear.

She laughed for a while, but then abruptly stopped, her flirtatious expression freezing like frost.

“What kind of woman do you think I am? I won’t be a man’s mistress.”

Suddenly hot and cold, what kind of game was she playing? He remained silent, observing her.

Then she laughed again, moving closer, her soft body pressing against his chest, the heat of her form tantalizing him, her breath brushing his ear. “If you want me, then get a divorce from your wife. Otherwise, forget it.”

Lu Bochen froze.

She wanted him to divorce Tianyu?

Li Xiangsi did not give him much time to think; her delicate hand cupped his face as she offered her soft, cherry lips.

A beautiful woman’s active seduction—especially one who is proud and mysterious, sometimes fiery and other times as cold as ice.

At such a tremendous temptation in this world, there are probably very few men who can resist.

Lu Bochun was just a man, and he wavered, his heart in turmoil, his breath heavy, and the fire of desire burning fiercely within him.

He reached out and wrapped his arm around Li Xiangsi’s slim waist.

Apollo…

A call from the distant past suddenly echoed in his hazy mind.

He shuddered, instinctively loosening his embrace.

Why choose such an English name?

A young man once asked a younger girl this question.

Because I hope to have an Apollo…

The girl’s shy confession was blown away by the night wind, fading into the distance, yet it pierced through the vastness of time and space, striking him in the present.

Daphne!

Lu Bochun trembled and abruptly pushed the enchanting woman away from him.

Li Xiangsi stumbled slightly at the rough push, almost falling to the ground. She caught herself on the back of a chair, slowly standing upright and straightening her back.

She narrowed her eyes, assessing the man before her. Noticing that his lust-filled gaze was gradually clearing, she understood and let out a cold snort.

“Looks like your rationality is still intact!” she mocked, pulling her bathrobe tighter.

Lu Bochun stared at her, his voice steady as he declared, “I will not divorce Tian Yu.”

“Why?” Her seemingly indifferent expression did not reflect any change in her emotions. “Are you afraid of betraying your wife, or are you worried about ruining your promising political future?”

He fell silent.

“If she wasn’t Yin Shiyu’s daughter, would you still marry her?” she pressed.

He frowned. “I am already married to her!”

“So what? You can’t betray her?” Her charming smile held no warmth. “Don’t give me such outdated excuses; I don’t believe you.”

“Believe it or not, that’s up to you.” But he would never divorce Tian Yu; he would not destroy the love story she yearned for.

His Daphne foolishly believed she had found her own Apollo, even though he wasn’t…

With this thought, Lu Bochun clenched his teeth tightly.

“Fine, even if you married Yin Tianyu, you don’t love her; you love me, don’t you?” Li Xiangsi asked sultrily.

He remained silent. He wasn’t sure if he loved her, but at the very least, there was a peculiar infatuation.

“I love you too, Bochun,” she took his silence as acquiescence, leaning forward to provocatively pull at his tie. “You are a remarkable man; I have been waiting my whole life for someone like you—someone who can compete with me.”

He stared at her, her enchanting eyes clouded with desire. “You mean, a man who won’t be easily tempted by you?”

“Perhaps,” she shrugged indifferently, her light smile betraying neither anger nor joy. “I’m surprised you didn’t just push me down onto the bed.”

“Do you think I don’t want to?” he asked self-deprecatingly.

Her smile brightened. “I know you want to, but you restrained yourself—are you afraid that if we sleep together, I’ll cling to you and make you divorce your wife?”

“…”

“You’re not reluctant to leave your wife; you’re reluctant to leave your future.” She questioned and answered herself, her tone full of mockery. “You’re afraid that an affair will ruin your image, and your voters will scorn you. You won’t stand a chance for re-election this year.”

“…”

“But you still want me, right?” She tugged at his tie, pulling him closer. “Then get a divorce.” Her pearly white teeth gleamed behind her red lips. “I’ll give you two weeks to think about it; otherwise, I’ll sleep with Fan Ya.”

What did she say?! Lu Bochun was stunned. Was she threatening him? If he refused to divorce Tian Yu, she would sleep with Fan Ya—was she deliberately provoking his jealousy?

This woman was either too foolish or too confident in her own charm.

He frowned in frustration, yanking back his tie and grabbing his suit jacket. “I’m leaving!”

She didn’t stop him as he exited the hot spring suite, but her soft voice followed him, testing his limits of patience—

“Lu Bochun, I mean what I say!”