Chu Shangluo closed his eyes, and his gaze shifted away from Ren Jiaoming’s eyes, which seemed to be able to pierce through a person. A self-torturing pleasure spread from the depths of his heart. He said resentfully, “Fine, alright, then let’s do it now. Let’s go upstairs.” His face showed anger and determination as he kicked open the office door and stormed out.

Ren Jiaoming clenched his fist for a moment before following Chu Shangluo. The top floor of the company was a five-star suite. When they reached the top floor, Chu Shangluo didn’t hesitate and walked straight to the front desk to take the room key. The receptionist stared blankly as President Chu and Secretary Ren entered the double-bed room, shocked and unable to regain composure for a long time.

As soon as they entered the room, Chu Shangluo threw his coat on the floor. He walked over to Ren Jiaoming, reached out, and grabbed his tie. “Take it off,” he said.

Ren Jiaoming shrugged off Chu Shangluo’s hand, not even looking at him. “I’ll do it myself.”

Chu Shangluo sneered, crossed his arms, and sat on the bed, watching as Ren Jiaoming undressed. First the suit, then the tie, and finally, he unbuttoned his white shirt. One button after another, revealing his fair skin.

Chu Shangluo didn’t expect Ren Jiaoming to have such a good physique. The muscles were just right, the lines of his body smooth and sexy. It was extremely tempting.

Ren Jiaoming didn’t mind the scorching gaze on him, and continued to undo his belt. Chu Shangluo focused on that area, his Adam’s apple bobbing slightly.

When Ren Jiaoming finished undressing, he walked naked into the bathroom, and the sound of water began. Chu Shangluo sat by the bed, lost in thought for a moment, then slowly undressed and put on a bathrobe.

After a while, the sound of water stopped. Ren Jiaoming walked out of the bathroom in a bathrobe, speaking coldly, “Make sure you’re clean. I don’t want to get dirty.”

His words were very harsh, and anyone else might not be able to tolerate them, especially Chu Shangluo, who never accepted being insulted.

“Go to hell, you’re the dirty one,” he spat.

But he just cursed to vent his frustration, not escaping from this humiliation, and angrily walked into the bathroom. Warm water slowly slid over his skin. Chu Shangluo looked at his reflection in the mirror and noticed the redness around his eyes. It wasn’t the red caused by water, nor was it the red of anger. But he didn’t want to admit it was the red of sadness. He extended his finger and rubbed his eyes, not wanting Ren Jiaoming to see, but the more he rubbed, the more obvious it became.

Chu Shangluo stayed in the bathroom for a long time, taking deep breaths, until the redness around his eyes gradually faded, and there was no trace of sadness left on his face. Only then did he push open the door and walk out.

As for what was going to happen next, Chu Shangluo wasn’t embarrassed, excited, or even thrilled; his heart was completely filled with negative emotions. Ren Jiaoming sat on the edge of the bed, his hair still damp, his expression cold. Clearly, Secretary Ren didn’t expect this to happen either.

Chu Shangluo walked over with a smile and sat next to Ren Jiaoming. He reached out and pulled open the tie of Ren Jiaoming’s bathrobe, asking teasingly, “Secretary Ren, are you in a hurry?”

Ren Jiaoming turned his head away, refusing to speak to Chu Shangluo. Chu Shangluo was momentarily stunned, his heart aching so badly it felt like it would burst. He gritted his teeth and held Ren Jiaoming’s face, kissing him roughly. However, as soon as his lips touched Ren Jiaoming’s cold ones, Ren Jiaoming grabbed his hands and pushed him onto the bed.

Ren Jiaoming pressed down on Chu Shangluo, their gazes meeting, their bodies close. Cold drops of water from Ren Jiaoming’s wet hair slid down Chu Shangluo’s neck, sending a shiver through him. Seeing that Ren Jiaoming wasn’t continuing, Chu Shangluo said, “Take off my clothes.”

Ren Jiaoming reached out and tore off Chu Shangluo’s nightgown, revealing his smooth and delicate skin, like satin. Chu Shangluo observed Ren Jiaoming’s expression. He had always been confident in his appearance and didn’t believe that after being open and sincere, Ren Jiaoming could remain indifferent. Ren Jiaoming’s gaze swept over Chu Shangluo’s body, his expression as indifferent as if looking at a pen or a book.

Chu Shangluo was still stung, his fist tightening. He leaned close to Ren Jiaoming’s ear, softly breathing, “As my secretary, you should be grateful for being allowed to touch me.”

Ren Jiaoming remained unmoved, tightening his grip on Chu Shangluo’s wrist, causing Chu Shangluo to shudder in pain. The two of them were in a stalemate, time passing second by second. Chu Shangluo refused to give up, continuing to provoke Ren Jiaoming. But Ren Jiaoming showed no reaction, his eyes still clear and cold.

Chu Shangluo had once been curious about how Ren Jiaoming would look when moved by desire, but when the day came, he never expected that Ren Jiaoming felt nothing. Chu Shangluo only felt belittled. He fought to hold back his anger and asked, “Secretary Ren, do you still want the jade pendant?”

Upon hearing this, Ren Jiaoming slowly loosened his grip on Chu Shangluo’s hand. Chu Shangluo couldn’t believe that his charm had no effect on Ren Jiaoming. He turned around and pressed Ren Jiaoming down, kissing his neck lightly, saying, “If you can’t do it, then I’ll take over.”

Ren Jiaoming still didn’t respond. Chu Shangluo looked up, only to meet Ren Jiaoming’s gaze, which seemed to view him like a joke. Chu Shangluo immediately lost the will to continue.

Clearly, it was him who was humiliating Ren Jiaoming, but in reality, he was the one being humiliated by Ren Jiaoming.

Chu Shangluo tightened his fists, pushed Ren Jiaoming aside, and sat up. He suddenly felt that it was all too meaningless. He had once eagerly awaited this day, but now that it had arrived, it was so embarrassing. Ren Jiaoming buttoned up his shirt and coldly said, “Don’t you understand? I don’t like you. I have no desire for you. If I don’t do it, I won’t get the jade pendant. If that’s the case, I’ll just go out and buy medicine to make me hard so that I can do it with you.”

Chu Shangluo found the cigarettes on the bedside, lit one, and took a deep drag. With Ren Jiaoming having said that, how could Chu Shangluo not understand? He understood everything. He understood that Ren Jiaoming didn’t like him and had only stayed by his side for the jade pendant, but he… had already fallen into it and couldn’t get out. He had never been in a relationship, so he had never made mistakes in love, and he was always the one rejecting others. This was also the first time he realized that liking someone was so difficult.

Seeing that Chu Shangluo didn’t speak, Ren Jiaoming stood up, picked up his clothes, and said, “If we don’t do it today, I’ll leave.”

Chu Shangluo snapped out of it. He really didn’t want to do it anymore. “I won’t do it. I won’t do it again. There are so many men in the world, and I don’t have to be with you, but you only approached me for the jade pendant. I can’t accept this.” He paused. “Do you remember our initial contract? Next, you’ll be my secretary, someone who can manage my life. You can ask Lin Zhi about some of my habits, and after a month, I’ll find a new secretary. You’ll teach the new person in, complete the handover, and then I’ll give you the jade pendant. After that, you can leave.”

Ren Jiaoming put on his clothes, said “Alright,” and left after opening the door.

After Ren Jiaoming left, Chu Shangluo went to the window, watching the snowflakes fluttering in the sky, and smoked several cigarettes. The night was cold, but it wasn’t as cold as his heart. His feeling of infatuation melted away like snow falling into his hands, ending quietly without any result.