Chapter 1: Let’s Get Married

“I’ve been married for three years, and I’m still a virgin. Tell me, isn’t that ridiculous?”

In the presidential suite, Song Qingyu, her eyes hazy with intoxication, yanked on the tie of the man sitting across from her and straddled his lap.

Tonight, she wore a vintage black velvet gown embroidered with gold threads. Her chestnut curls cascaded down her back like seaweed, giving her the striking appearance of a femme fatale straight out of a Hong Kong film—bold, reckless, laughing and crying at the same time. Even with her makeup smudged, she remained stunningly captivating.

The man pinned beneath her on the sofa maintained a cold, unyielding expression from start to finish. He neither resisted nor responded, simply watching as she ran her hands over him, utterly uninhibited in her drunken haze.

Standing to the side, Li Huaidong’s assistant, Gao Yang, trembled with fear.

He had only stepped out into the hallway for two or three minutes to take a call from home. Yet in that brief moment, this intoxicated woman had barged in…

He had only stepped out into the hallway for a quick phone call from home—just two or three minutes. But in that short gap, this drunken woman had barged into his boss’s room.

By the time he realized something was off and hurried back, she had already lifted her skirt and settled herself onto his boss’s lap.

For heaven’s sake, did she think this cold-faced tycoon’s lap was something just anyone could sit on?

Instinctively, Gao Yang wanted to step forward and eject her. But before he could act, Li Huaidong stopped him with just a single glance.

The atmosphere in the presidential suite turned eerily tense.

Completely oblivious to Gao Yang’s presence, the woman leaned against Li Huaidong’s shoulder, continuing her tearful rant.

“My ex-husband said that women who’ve been in the entertainment industry are filthy—he’s afraid sleeping with me would make him sick… How could he think that about me? I entered the industry at eighteen, and every step I took was through my own hard work. I never once traded my body for resources… never, not even once…”

“Ex-husband?” A flicker of emotion flashed across Li Huaidong’s cold, sharp eyes. “You’re divorced?”

“Of course, I’m divorced! My ex-husband cheated on me—he slept with his ex-girlfriend while we were still married. He may not be a man of integrity, but I am a woman of principles! If I weren’t divorced, do you think I’d be here booking a room with you?”

Drunkenly, she pointed at her handbag. “The divorce papers are fresh inside my bag. If you don’t believe me, you can check them before we sleep together!”

Gao Yang didn’t dare breathe too loudly.

What was going on?

Did his boss know this woman?

What did she mean by wanting to sleep with him?

Was he supposed to stay here or make himself scarce?

Just as he was grappling with his dilemma, he saw Li Huaidong lift a hand and gesture toward the door. Those long, slender fingers were unmistakably pointing at the exit.

Got it. Time to clock out.

Without hesitation, Gao Yang made a swift retreat. As a final act of professionalism, he thoughtfully closed the door behind him.

Now, the only two people left in the presidential suite were Li Huaidong and Song Qingyu.

Li Huaidong adjusted his tie, which had been tugged askew by Song Qingyu, and gazed at her with dark, unreadable eyes. “You want to sleep with me?”

“Isn’t that your job—to sleep with people?”

At this point, Song Qingyu’s mind was hazy, but she still remembered what her friend Sheng Xingnai had said back at the bar—she was booking a presidential suite for her and finding her a young, energetic, well-equipped boy toy to help her properly celebrate her divorce.

At the time, Song Qingyu thought she was joking.

But as it turned out, Sheng Xingnai was dead serious.

And to be fair, her bestie had excellent taste.

The man in front of her had striking sword-like eyebrows, deep-set eyes, and sharp, chiseled features—a face that looked like it had been sculpted in a 3D modeling program. His physique was just as impressive, all long legs and broad shoulders. When she had leaned against him earlier, even through his dress shirt, she could feel the defined muscles beneath.

And he really knew how to play the part—dressed in a perfectly tailored suit, pulling off the “cold and restrained CEO” look to absolute perfection.

She thought of her ex-husband, Lu Yanchuan.

For years, she had believed that no man could wear a suit better than him.

But now, standing in front of a real point of comparison, Lu Yanchuan might as well be a joke.

“My job is to sleep with people?” Li Huaidong chuckled lightly. “How much did you pay me for this service?”

“I don’t know. My friend paid. She said it was a divorce gift.”

After talking so much, Song Qingyu felt parched. She reached for the glass of water on the side table, but it was just out of reach.

Li Huaidong extended a hand, picked up the glass, and brought it to her lips.

Tilting her head back, she drank eagerly like a little deer, throat moving with each gulp. When she finished, she licked her lips—at once innocent and alluring.

“Thank you. You’re so thoughtful.”

She burrowed deeper into his embrace, her soft body pressing against him, stirring the beast within him that was barely restrained.

Li Huaidong absently rolled the small red sandalwood beads around his wrist, struggling to suppress his impulses. But in the end, desire overpowered reason.

And really, if he could still hold himself back at a moment like this, could he even call himself a man?

Li Huaidong stood up, scooped Song Qingyu into his arms, and carried her over to the bed. He pulled off his tie and leaned down over her.

“Song Qingyu, those who have the courage to end things deserve a fresh start. Your friend was right—tonight calls for a proper celebration.”

With that, he kissed her.

His kiss was domineering and unrelenting, leaving her no time to react. His tongue pried past her teeth, entwining, teasing, tasting…

**

The night stretched on, filled with endless passion.

When Song Qingyu finally woke up, every limb ached as if she had been taken apart and put back together again.

The wild passion of the previous night had been like a numbing drug, allowing her to momentarily forget her failed marriage and the humiliation Lu Yanchuan had inflicted on her. But now, as the effects of alcohol and pleasure receded, the psychological withdrawal hit her with striking clarity.

As expected, indulgent escapism was ultimately useless.

The sound of running water echoed from the bathroom, and through the frosted glass shower door, the outline of a tall figure could be faintly seen.

Scenes from the night before flashed through Song Qingyu’s mind.

She had to admit—Sheng Xingnai had really found her an exceptional man. The experience had far exceeded her expectations. She had originally thought her first time would be more painful than pleasurable, but the man’s patience and tenderness had smoothed over her fears, giving her the kind of overwhelming, intoxicating sensation she had only ever read about in novels.

If she had to rate the experience, she would give it a perfect score without hesitation.

There was no doubt that last night had been wonderful. But now that the sun was up and the alcohol had worn off, the thought of facing the man she had been so intimate with felt somewhat awkward.

So, she decided to slip away while he was in the shower and avoid an encounter altogether.

Carefully lifting the blanket, she got out of bed, put on her dress, grabbed her bag, and picked up her heels. Moving on tiptoe, she made her way to the door. Just as her fingers wrapped around the handle, a deep male voice suddenly rang out behind her.

“You slept with me and now you’re leaving without a word—where are your manners?”

Song Qingyu froze on the spot.

Just her luck—one step too slow, and she got caught.

“Uh… I have something to do, so I need to head out first. Last night was a good experience. Thank you.” With her back still to him, she acknowledged his “work” from the night before, then reached for the door handle again, ready to leave.

“Wait!” The man called out. “You’re not even going to turn around and see who I am?”

“It was just a one-night thing. No need to get to know each other.”

With that, Song Qingyu pulled open the door.

Before she could step out, a strong arm shot past her, and with a loud bang, the door was slammed shut once more.

“A one-night thing?” The man gripped her chin, forcing her to face him. His voice was calm as he said, “Maybe not.”

Being stopped again and again, Song Qingyu was starting to feel annoyed.

“What? Are you getting clingy—”

As Song Qingyu spoke, she lifted her gaze, finally getting a clear look at the man pinning her against the door. Her heart nearly stopped.

Where was the fresh-faced, financially struggling young plaything her friend promised?

Why was it Li Huaidong?!

This was a disaster.

She had actually slept with Li Huaidong last night?!

Li Huaidong—who happened to be Lu Yanchuan’s uncle!

She had just divorced Lu Yanchuan, and the next thing she did was sleep with his uncle? What kind of sacrificial soap opera plot was this?!

But more importantly—Li Huaidong was no ordinary man.

In Jin City, the name Li Huaidong was synonymous with power—and danger.

Song Qingyu had seen him a few times at family gatherings before. Though he was only six years older than Lu Yanchuan, rumors painted him as a ruthless man who had turned the entire Li Corporation upside down to secure his position at the top.

He was even said to have orchestrated the death of his own brother.

To the Li family, he was the King of Hell.

To the Lu family, he was a nightmare to be avoided at all costs.

On her wedding day, Song Qingyu had only addressed Li Huaidong as “Uncle” once—under Lu Yanchuan’s guidance while toasting the guests.

After that, Lu Yanchuan repeatedly warned her to stay as far away from this man as possible.

To never provoke him.

And now?

Not only had she provoked him—she had slept with him!

What was she supposed to do now?!

“Mr. Li, I…”

“Hm?”

Li Huaidong’s voice carried a hint of displeasure as he stepped closer.

Fresh out of the shower, he wore nothing but a towel around his waist. Droplets of water slid down his bronze skin, accentuating his sculpted muscles in an irresistibly seductive way.

Song Qingyu quickly lowered her head, not daring to look.

“What’s with the sudden shyness? Where did all that enthusiasm from last night go?”

“Mr. Li, I… I’m sorry, I was drunk last night… I must have entered the wrong room… I apologize. It was my mistake. I shouldn’t have… offended you.”

“Offended?”

Li Huaidong grasped her hand, guiding her fingers slowly down his chest, tracing over the defined muscles and lower toward the deep V-line of his abdomen. His skin, from top to bottom, was covered in faint, jagged scratches.

“Miss Song,” he said, his voice dangerously low. “With marks like these, you call it just an offense?”

Song Qingyu stared at the evidence scattered across his body, utterly unable to believe she had been the one to leave them behind.

Her face instantly flushed red.

Great. Just great. Alcohol truly was the root of all disasters.

She was drowning in regret. Why, why had she decided to get drunk over her divorce?

“I’m sorry. I had too much to drink… I didn’t know my own strength,” she muttered.

Li Huaidong scoffed. “You left me in this state, and all I get is an apology? Not acceptable.”

“Left him in this state?”

Come on—these marks were already scabbing over!

Besides, she couldn’t take full responsibility for those scratches. If he hadn’t flipped her around in so many different positions last night, she wouldn’t have had to hold on for dear life.

“Mr. Li, this hardly counts as an injury, does it?”

“So, what you’re saying is… you want to dodge responsibility?”

“No, no! That’s not what I meant.”

This was the first reckless thing she had ever done in her life, and of all people, she had to end up entangled with him. Song Qingyu was both panicked and lost. “Then… Mr. Li, tell me—how do you want to resolve this?”

“If I say it, will you agree?”

“As long as it’s within my ability, I will.”

“Good. Then let’s get married.”

“…What?”

At that moment, all her fear was momentarily forgotten. Her voice rose in disbelief.

“You heard me.”

“Marriage? Are you insane?”

Just because they mistakenly slept together, they had to get married?

Was Li Huaidong really this traditional?

“I’m not insane. I’m very serious,” Li Huaidong replied.

Song Qingyu was completely dumbfounded. She had thought that, with his wealth and power, Li Huaidong wouldn’t try to take advantage of her. Besides, while it was true that she had entered the wrong room first, everything that happened after was consensual. He was a grown man—he hadn’t suffered any loss. She had never imagined that his so-called “solution” would be this ridiculous.

“Mr. Li, marriage is not a game,” Song Qingyu reasoned. “Last night was just a misunderstanding.”

“You slept with me—shouldn’t you take responsibility?”

“I… It was my mistake for entering the wrong room, but come on, it was just a moment of passion between a man and a woman. Be reasonable—was I the only one who enjoyed last night? Are you saying you didn’t feel anything at all?” Song Qingyu gathered her courage to argue back.

“I really didn’t,” Li Huaidong answered with complete seriousness. “Last night, I was too busy pleasing you.”

After all, it had been her first time. He had spent the entire night accommodating her, making sure she was comfortable. More than once, just as things were about to get intense, she had whimpered and pushed him away.

“Even so, rushing into marriage because of a one-night stand—is that really taking responsibility? And don’t forget, I’m Lu Yanchuan’s ex-wife.”

“I don’t mind if a woman has been married before.”

“This isn’t about whether or not you mind! You’re Lu Yanchuan’s uncle. I don’t want to have anything to do with anyone connected to him. And more importantly—I don’t want to get married again.”

For three years, Song Qingyu had been utterly disillusioned with marriage. There was no way she’d just escaped one grave only to step into another.

“I’m not Lu Yanchuan,” Li Huaidong leaned in, his deep voice brushing against her ear. “You could try marrying me. I’m pretty good.”

The scent of his cologne, mixed with the heat of his breath, wrapped around her like an invisible net.

For a few seconds, Song Qingyu found herself dazed, momentarily ensnared by his presence. Then, she abruptly snapped out of it and pushed him away.

“Sorry, Mr. Li, but I can’t agree to this request. Maybe you could consider another solution.”

“Don’t be so quick to reject me. I’ll give you time to think about it.” His tone was calm, yet carried an undeniable air of authority.

“There’s no need to think about it—marriage is absolutely not an option.”

As if he hadn’t heard her refusal, Li Huaidong slipped a traditionally styled business card into Song Qingyu’s hand, pointed at the phone number on it, and said, “Call me anytime when you change your mind. I’ll be waiting.”