During their first encounter, he deliberately didn’t ask for her name, treating it as a chance meeting.

The second time they met, it was the result of him lying in wait.

Ever since that party, whenever he had time, he would keep watch near her home. She lived in a large mansion in Tianmu, which he, of course, couldn’t enter, and she rarely went out.

She was indeed still in school, but apparently, she didn’t have many credits left to complete, only attending classes twice a week, and she always had a driver to take her.

When she wasn’t at school, she spent almost all her time at home. While loitering outside, he occasionally heard the crisp sound of piano music and guessed it was her playing.

Some evenings, she would sit in the family’s long Cadillac limousine, accompanying her parents or brother to some social event. At those times, he would always catch a glimpse of her melancholy profile through the half-open window.

She was like a rabbit trapped in a cage—a pure, timid, and naïve rabbit. Seducing such an innocent girl was almost too easy; he just needed an opportunity.

Finally, after waiting two months, the opportunity came.

She went out on a Sunday afternoon to attend a class reunion. However, perhaps the Yin family’s driver was stuck in Taipei’s traffic, so she stood anxiously at the restaurant entrance, frequently checking her watch.

He mounted his newly bought heavy motorcycle and roared past her, causing her light skirt to flutter in the wind. Then he circled back, teasing her uncertain heart.

He parked in front of her, smoothly flipping up the visor of his helmet, clearly catching a hint of surprise in her misty eyes.

“Hi, we meet again.” He smiled at her, a bright smile, yet intentionally tinged with a bit of boyish awkwardness—a smile he had practiced in front of a mirror for a long time, the kind of smile that most easily makes people let down their guard.

“Hello.” She lightly pressed her lips together, responding to his greeting happily but reservedly.

“Waiting for someone?”

“Mm-hmm.”

“A boyfriend?” he asked deliberately.

“No.” She shook her head, her cheeks turning slightly red. He noticed she blushed easily. “I’m… I’m waiting for someone to pick me up.”

“Who?”

She couldn’t answer and shyly lowered her gaze.

“Would you like a ride?” He controlled his heartbeat, forcing himself to calmly cast the net over his prey. “I have a spare helmet today.”

“No, no need.” She seemed startled. “How could I trouble you?”

“It’s no trouble.” He took off his helmet, ruffling his messy hair as if in distress. “I’m sure you know, us guys buy these big motorcycles just to show off, but I haven’t had a chance to take a girl for a ride yet.”

“You… you want to give me a ride?” She asked, seeming flattered, her eyelashes fluttering nervously. After meeting his clear, deep eyes, she quickly lowered her gaze again.

He amusedly watched her subtle reactions, like the fluttering wings of a butterfly—so intriguing and feminine.

“Is it not okay?” He asked softly, “Am I being too impulsive? Ah, that’s just how I am. Believe me, I’m not a bad guy.”

“I believe you,” she said gently, her gaze toward him equally soft.

His heart tightened. How could she be so foolish as to actually trust him?

“I think…” She lifted her gaze and smiled shyly yet sweetly. “I’d like to try it.”

“What?” He didn’t quite catch her meaning at first.

“I’ve never ridden one of these.” She pointed to his motorcycle. “Can I give it a try?”

“Of course you can.” His heart skipped a beat. What a pampered young lady she was, never having ridden a motorcycle. He gallantly dismounted, lifted the seat, and handed her the spare helmet. “Put it on.”

“How do I wear it?” Yin Tianyu placed the helmet on her head but was puzzled by how to fasten the strap.

Lu Bochen sighed silently, feeling a small part of his hardened heart soften. He leaned in and adjusted the strap for her, then fastened it.

As his rough fingers brushed against the smooth skin of her chin, she seemed to tremble subtly, and he could feel the warmth rising from her skin.

He withdrew his hand, confident that this girl was already his.

“My last name is Lu, Lu Bochen—‘Bo’ as in cypress, and ‘Chen’ as in jade.” He introduced himself. “And you?”

“I… my last name is Yin, but you can call me Daphne.”

“Daphne? As in the laurel nymph that Apollo couldn’t catch?” He raised an eyebrow curiously.

“You know that story?” She was surprised.

“Mm, I read it in college.” He wouldn’t tell her how much he had devoured knowledge of art and literature to infiltrate high society.

It was said that Apollo and Daphne loved each other, but the sun god’s radiance was too intense, and getting close to him risked burning Daphne. She painfully tried to escape, but Apollo relentlessly pursued her. In the end, Daphne couldn’t bear it anymore and begged her father to turn her into a laurel tree, forever, forever rejecting Apollo.

“Why did you choose such an English name?” he asked while guiding her to sit on the motorcycle’s back seat.

“Because… I wish I had an Apollo—” The autumn breeze subtly blew away her soft murmur.

Without looking back, he was certain that her easily flushed face must have turned hot again. Without needing to ask, he could guess what the autumn breeze had carried away.

She hoped for an Apollo who would passionately love and fervently pursue her.

But didn’t she know? The Apollo in mythology was actually a playboy. Being pursued by him wasn’t something to be happy about.

Even without Daphne, he had many beautiful goddesses to chase. Even if the heavens allowed their love, it would only be a fleeting romance.

Because a man as fickle as Apollo could never love just one woman.

How foolish. Lu Bochen thought coldly. Why do women always see only the romance in myths, but ignore the harsh reality?

“Daphne, have you ever gone for a night ride?” The wind carried his clear voice to her ear.

“Night ride?” She was stunned. “No.”

“Want to try?”

“I—”

“We’re going for a night ride,” he decided on his own, not giving her a chance to hesitate.

Since she so craved romance, why not give it to her?

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

He took her on a wild ride through the streets of Taipei at a speed she could never have imagined. Just when she thought her heart would leap out of her chest from sheer terror, the motorcycle slowed down and leisurely wound its way along a mountain road.

“Where are we going?” she asked in a soft voice.

“What did you say?” He shouted. “I can’t hear you.”

“I said, where are we going?” She raised her voice.

“What?” He still pretended not to hear.

“Where are we going?” She yelled as loud as she could.

“Oh, we’re going to taste what it’s like to be an emperor.”

“An emperor?” She was puzzled.

He didn’t explain, casually twisting the motorcycle’s handlebars to make a turn, leading them onto a small forest path.

The road was a bit bumpy, and the dense canopy of trees on either side allowed the cool moonlight to filter through, casting an eerie, ghostly atmosphere that made her hold her breath.

“Here we are.”

Just as she thought she could no longer hold back the fear pressing against her lips, he finally spoke.

She stared blankly at their surroundings.

“Get off,” he gently urged her.

“Oh.” She snapped back to reality, awkwardly dismounting the bike, and stood there watching him park it in a small clearing, taking off his helmet.

Oh, right, the helmet.

Yin Tianyu suddenly realized she was still wearing hers. She tried to take it off but couldn’t figure out how, so Luo Bochen leaned in and gently helped her remove it.

“How did you grow up without even knowing how to wear a helmet?” he teased softly, his tone light and without malice.

Embarrassment warmed her cheeks.

He smiled slightly, casually tossing the helmet onto the bike’s seat, and then took her hand.

A shiver ran down her spine, a wave of heat spreading through her entire body.

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