Chapter 4: Who Dares Poach Zhou Beiming’s Woman — Tired of Living?

Su Nian frowned.
Why was Zhou Beiming here?

What a headache.

He had said it himself—once she was with him, she wasn’t allowed to think about any other man.

Su Nian tried to pull away from Gu Yincheng.

But after Zhou Beiming arrived, Gu Yincheng only held on tighter. “What does he mean by this…?”

As she struggled, the ambiguous marks on her snow-white neck were revealed.

There was no need to ask. The meaning was clear.

Gu Yincheng’s expression shifted.

Zhou Beiming was already standing next to them. He didn’t even glance at Gu Yincheng. His narrow eyes carried a cold smile.

He tapped the cigarette between his fingers lightly against Su Nian’s temple and said to her,
“Your friend here seems a bit slow. Doesn’t understand plain language?”

The smoke drifted on the breeze, curling into Su Nian’s nose.

She knew Zhou Beiming smoked, but ever since her asthma attack during one of his smokes, he’d never lit up in front of her again.

Gu Yincheng instinctively pulled her closer to his side.
“Nian Nian… is he your boyfriend?”

Boyfriend?

That was giving her too much credit.

She was just his lover, nothing more.

Su Nian found it hard to say the words. She stayed silent and let Gu Yincheng assume whatever he wanted.

Suddenly, Zhou Beiming’s large hand pressed firmly against the back of her head, forcing her back into his arms.

Gu Yincheng’s embrace emptied. A half-burned cigarette fell onto his sleeve.

Even high-quality fabric couldn’t withstand the faint burn of a cigarette ember. It scorched a small hole.

He hurried to flick the cigarette off.

Zhou Beiming’s tone carried a rogue’s menace. “Touch my woman again, and I’ll break your hand.”

Gu Yincheng brushed the ash off his sleeve, voice cold.
“Nian Nian, how can you be with someone like him? Do you even know what kind of person Zhou Beiming is?”

Of course Su Nian knew. Zhou Beiming — total scumbag.

She still didn’t answer. She just hoped Gu Yincheng would leave.

Zhou Beiming noticed she wasn’t responding to Gu Yincheng and chuckled lowly, “No explanation?”

Su Nian didn’t know what exactly he expected her to explain, or to whom.

So she chose to explain to him directly:
“Gu Yincheng, he’s my neighbor. I used to like him. I don’t anymore.”

Zhou Beiming’s large hand cupped the back of her head, forcing her to look up at him. There was amusement in his eyes.
“Hm…”

He dragged out the sound, full of implication, as if pondering something deeply.

Looking at her delicate face, he said,
“Don’t believe you. Not unless you give me a sweet kiss.”

Su Nian felt like he was teasing her.

There weren’t many people passing by, but still enough.

Embarrassed, she whispered, “Later.”

Zhou Beiming wasn’t letting her off.
“Feeling guilty?”

Gu Yincheng heard every word.

He knew Su Nian’s character all too well.

She’d always been upright and well-behaved—pure and sweet. She couldn’t possibly have fallen for someone like Zhou Beiming.

Who in Yucheng didn’t know Zhou Beiming had countless women?

Even the Gu family once tried to please him for a business deal with Yongtai—by sending a woman his way.

Gu Yincheng’s voice turned harsh.
“Zhou Beiming, Nian Nian’s not your toy. Let her go.”

Zhou Beiming couldn’t be bothered to reply. He just tilted Su Nian’s chin up, looking down at her.

“You’re my toy?”

Wasn’t she? Su Nian thought silently.

But she replied, “No.”

Gu Yincheng once again grabbed her wrist.
“Nian Nian, what happened back then was my fault. I didn’t mean to humiliate you. I had a girlfriend at the time—if I’d given you hope, it would’ve been irresponsible. You don’t need to do this just to get back at me.”

So what now?

He’s single again, so she’s supposed to go running back?

She was never standing in place, waiting.

Why stir things up again?

She had no energy left for revenge.

Su Nian was exhausted.

Everyone said Zhou Beiming was a mess—but at least he was simple.

Aside from sleeping with her, he never asked anything more.

Because of her relationship with Zhou Beiming, her father didn’t let her stepmother nag her. He even bought her an apartment, gave her, her own space.

Her birth mother held shares in the company and visited often.

These past two years were the only period of peace she’d ever known.

Her childhood had been filled with her parents’ arguments. Later, her father and stepmother rejected her, while her mother and stepfather constantly complained how hard things were for them.

She’d been like a kicked-around ball growing up.

With a sigh, Su Nian ignored Gu Yincheng and tiptoed to kiss Zhou Beiming.
“Now do you believe me?”

She had lipstick on, and it smudged onto his lips.

Zhou Beiming raised his hand and brushed the corner of his mouth with his thumb.

Looking at the red smudge on his finger, he clicked his tongue.
“All this time, and you still need me to teach you how to kiss?”

Su Nian was distressed. She was afraid someone might take a picture.

But Zhou Beiming insisted on making things difficult. Those seemingly smiling eyes were filled with wild possessiveness.

He lowered his head and kissed her deeply.

As they kissed…

Su Nian heard Gu Yincheng’s heavy footsteps as he walked away.

Anger? Disappointment?

Whatever.

Her heart was dead still. No waves.

Suddenly, she felt a chill on her ring finger.

Zhou Beiming stopped the kiss and lifted her hand—now wearing a ring.

“Don’t cross the line,” he said. “I don’t care where your heart is, but your body stays put. I don’t wear green.”

Su Nian stared at the ring. It was like a dog marking its territory.

A constant reminder: You belong to me.

She replied, “Got it.”

Not wanting to continue the topic of Gu Yincheng, Su Nian asked, “Did you come here for something?”

Zhou Beiming casually wiped the lipstick smudge from her lips with his finger. Her lips gleamed under the touch.

“To catch a cheater,” he said mockingly.

Su Nian didn’t buy it for a second and fired back sarcastically,
“Ye Wanzhen said you go seven rounds in one night. If you’ve got that kind of stamina, why waste time chasing cheaters? You should be spending your golden hours with her.”

Zhou Beiming looked intrigued.
“Jealous?”

Su Nian rolled her eyes at him flirtatiously.
“What do you actually want?”

Zhou Beiming pulled out a file folder and placed it on her head.
“You don’t want to get a marriage license, fine. But at least help me deal with my old man. Come to Zhou Manor with me sometime. My family’s full of nosy relatives—very high damage potential. That folder has blackmail-level intel. Don’t leak it.”

He didn’t ask—he ordered. She had no choice.

Zhou Beiming tousled her hair.
“That’s all your boyfriend can do for you. Good luck.”

He dropped the folder on her head and left.

Su Nian took it down, opened it…

And saw the first page.

It was blackmail material on one of his relatives.

Truly dirty stuff.

The Zhou relatives were all high-profile. Just the first page alone was worth millions in hush money.

Was this how Zhou Beiming managed to climb to the top of Yongtai Group and stay there?

Having relatives like that was a nightmare.

—

Meanwhile, inside a spacious car, Zhou Beiming’s phone buzzed.

Huo Jiuyan had sent a message:

“Still not at the meeting? Your second uncle’s been passionately ranting for half an hour, listing your eleven major sins.”

Zhou Beiming didn’t reply.

Huo Jiuyan sent another:

“What are you even doing?”

Zhou Beiming frowned and typed two words:

Catching cheaters.

At the meeting, Huo Jiuyan nearly dropped his phone.

Everyone should be busy catching Zhou Beiming cheating—what was he doing catching someone else?

Out of five celebrity scandals he’d stirred up yesterday, two women were married!

And he had the nerve to talk about cheating?

Who in their right mind would try to steal Zhou Beiming’s woman? That’d be a death sentence.

Huo Jiuyan knew he was lying.

Zhou Beiming never let women interfere with business—he must have something more important going on.

“They’re trying to oust you as chairman. If you don’t come back soon, your second uncle might actually flip enough people to pull it off.”

“Mm.”

Zhou Beiming shut off his phone and tossed it aside.

His pale fingertips lightly tapped the armrest, deep in thought.

After a moment, he told the driver,
“Ah Xuan, have the bank send my mother’s jewelry set to my office.”

Bai Xuan was surprised.
“Young Master, that’s the set Madam left for your future wife… Are you getting married?”