Before Jiang Mian could fully grasp the situation, the man suddenly pressed a hand on her shoulder and pushed her down onto the bed.

With a startled gasp, she opened her eyes to find his face hovering just above hers, so close that she could feel the heated air between them.

Jiang Mian’s heart raced as she clutched the sheets beside her, her dark eyes wide with disbelief as she stared at Shen Shiyan.

No matter how hard she tried to remain calm, she couldn’t hide the panic and shock swirling within her.

Could it be that Shen Shiyan really wanted to sleep with her?

This, this ……

She wasn’t exactly a conservative person, and sleeping with a handsome man like Shen Shiyan could even be seen as a stroke of luck for her. However, she truly didn’t want to have any kind of relationship with him.

Jiang Mian’s mind went blank; she never expected that her body would betray her so easily and be pushed down like this.

“I—”

“What about you?”

Shen Shiyan’s gaze turned dangerous as he looked at her, his dark eyes emanating a foreboding aura, as if to say: Just try to deny it!

This version of Shen Shiyan sent a chill down Jiang Mian’s spine, filling her with even more fear.

Desperate to create some distance, she tried to inch away, but he held her waist firmly. “Are you trying to avoid me?”

“I’m not!”

Her explanation sounded feeble and unconvincing. “I just feel too hot!”

Shen Shiyan chuckled lightly. “Funny, I’m feeling a bit hot too!”

As he spoke, his robe conveniently slipped down, exposing a good portion of his shoulder.

Jiang Mian’s eyes widened in shock, not for any other reason, but because Shen Shiyan’s hand was resting on her waist.

His fingers grazed her slender waist through her nightgown, and since she was extremely ticklish, she instinctively tried to twist away. But in the next moment, the man lifted her nightgown, his fingertips pressing against her skin as he moved upward.

The man’s fingertips were cool against her warm skin, and where he traced his touch sent wave after wave of shivers through her.

No, she really couldn’t do it!

“No!”

Her hands moved instinctively to push him away, but the moment she did, she felt the punishment of her crumbling facade.

Her arms instantly lost the strength to resist, and a sharp, constricting pain gripped her chest, making it hard to breathe or even cry out.

The intensity of this pain made Jiang Mian wish she could die twice over.

Shen Shiyan had already anticipated her reaction; he caught her hand, sensing its weakness as he held it gently in his own. “Why not?”

She knew she couldn’t let her facade crumble, yet the pain was overwhelming, making Jiang Mian want to cry.

For some reason, each time her facade threatened to break, it seemed to hurt even more than the last.

The only relief from the pain came when she was close to the man.

He held her hand, his touch cool, yet he gradually infused it with a bit of strength.

Thinking quickly, she found an excuse.

With one hand gripping his shirt, her cheeks flushed, she looked up at him with a mix of shyness and feigned fear. “I’m afraid it’ll hurt!”

Shen Shiyan paused, taken aback by her unexpected excuse.

His intention wasn’t to touch her; he merely wanted to gauge her reaction.

As he had imagined, she clearly did not want to be touched by him.

He had investigated and discovered that the woman had checked into a hotel the previous afternoon as if she had foreseen what would happen that night.

If he hadn’t driven back last night, she would have happily left and returned to the hotel.

This woman was full of lies; not a single word she said was true. Her claims of liking him were all deceitful.

Her fear of pain was just another excuse.

With a cold expression, Shen Shiyan yanked his hand away, causing Jiang Mian to panic; the ache in her chest hadn’t yet subsided.

Seeing his darkened expression, she gritted her teeth and mustering her courage, threw herself into his arms, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist. “Are you angry?”

She had pushed him away, yet now she was the one clinging to him. Shen Shiyan truly couldn’t understand what was going on in her little head.

Was she trying to keep him close while also not wanting him to touch her?

What was she protecting herself for?

Shen Shiyan couldn’t help but laugh in frustration. “Why would I be angry?”

Ah, hearing that insincere tone, it was clear he was indeed upset!

“Let go!”

“I won’t!”

Jiang Mian clung tightly to him, refusing to release her grip, as the pain in her chest still throbbed.

She lifted her head to steal a glance at the man’s cold expression. If she didn’t appease him now, things would likely get even messier later.

Jiang Mian buried her face in his chest and quickly confessed her deep feelings. “Mr. Shen, I really like you, and I’m willing—I’m just too nervous and scared!”

“Please don’t be angry, okay?”

She looked up, her eyes brimming with tears.

When Shen Shiyan glanced down and met her tearful gaze, he couldn’t help but pinch the bridge of his nose. “No more crying!”

“If you promise not to be angry, I won’t cry!” Jiang Mian threatened, taking advantage of the moment.

Shen Shiyan fell silent for a moment, unable to withstand her tear-streaked expression. “Alright, just stop crying!”

“I was just teasing you. You didn’t come here for that, did you?”

Jiang Mian: ???

If Shen Shiyan hadn’t mentioned it, she would have completely forgotten about it.

Jiang Mian shot him an angry glare. So you’re just playing with her, huh?

It made sense; when he had leaned in to tease her earlier, there hadn’t been a trace of desire in his eyes. She had been so nervous at the time that she hadn’t noticed.

Fuming, she felt like she had suffered through all that pain for nothing.

She wanted to let go of him in her anger but thinking of the ache in her chest, she clung to him instead.

A clever woman knows when to bend and when to stand firm just like how a gentleman takes his time for revenge, even if it takes ten years.

Shen Shiyan found himself at a loss with her. He pulled her from his embrace and pinched her cheek. “Do you really like me this much?”

Like you? Yeah, right!

Jiang Mian bit her lip and nodded vigorously. “I like you the most, Mr. Shen!”

Her shy confession reflected in her bright, watery eyes as they mirrored the man’s face.

Shen Shiyan brushed his fingers over her lips. “Good girl!”

She didn’t want to be good at all!

He Lai had spent a hefty sum the previous night to secure that pair of bracelets for Shen Shiyan, and she was eager to come and take credit for it.

Having effortlessly dealt with Jiang Mian, He Lai felt a sense of lightness wash over her even thinking that the tens of thousands of dollars she spent yesterday was worth it!

Holding a brocade box, she pressed the doorbell and called out. “Mr. Shen…”

Taking a deep breath, her beaming smile froze when she saw Jiang Mian at the door. She could hardly believe her eyes. “How could it be you?”

Jiang Mian didn’t want to be here either; she had been caught and brought back by the male lead last night!

Since the facade of their sisterly bond had already been shattered, she felt no need to maintain it any longer. With a smirk, Jiang Mian said. “If it’s not me, then who else could it be?”

“Oh, and just so you know, it was Mr. Shen himself who brought me back!” Jiang Mian interrupted her, feigning a look of regret. “Sorry for appearing here and disappointing you!”

He Lai stared at Jiang Mian in disbelief. She had always thought of Jiang Mian as a fool, someone she could easily dismiss but she never imagined that Jiang Mian was pretending to be naive right in front of her, successfully pulling the wool over her eyes.

As she glared at Jiang Mian’s smug expression, He Lai was certain that this cunning woman had used some underhanded tactics after she left last night.

After a long pause, He Lai finally gritted her teeth and spat out the word. “Impossible!”

“Oh, if you don’t believe me, feel free to go inside and ask your Mr. Shen yourself!”

Jiang Mian stepped aside, making a gesture for her to enter, her expression calm as she allowed He Lai to take in the scene.

Although He Lai claimed not to believe it, deep down, she was already convinced to some extent. The remaining doubts would only dissipate once she confronted Shen Shiyan directly.

Meanwhile, Jiang Mian thought, she would let He Lai figure it out for herself!

He Lai didn’t want Jiang Mian to see her as a joke, so she straightened her back and walked in. Jiang Mian kindly reminded her. “He’s in the study!”

He Lai shot her a fierce glare, as if to say: Do I need you to tell me? I know that already!

The sound of her high heels on the plush carpet lacked any real authority.

Jiang Mian clicked her tongue and settled back into the sofa, resuming her conversation.

【Xiao Yinyin wants to make big money: No way! You actually went after him in person and still didn’t manage to sleep with him? You’re so useless!】

【Jiang Mian: Even if I didn’t sleep with him, at least I ended up in his bed!】

【Xiao Yinyin wants to make big money: Pfft! What good is just sleeping in his bed? If I were you, I’d hurry up and sleep with him. He’s a total hunk; you wouldn’t be losing out!】

【Jiang Mian: The way you talk makes me sound like a total pervert!】

【Xiao Yinyin wants to make big money: Aiyo? Aren’t you?】

Jiang Mian felt her cheeks flush. While it was true that she had her moments, she definitely had her limits—she wouldn’t let just any man touch her!

【Jiang Mian: But he was sick; I couldn’t just force myself on him!】

【Xiao Yinyin wants to make big money: Let me tell you, whether a man is good or not, and whether he can last, all depends on whether he can still get it up when he’s sick!】
【Jiang Mian: ??? Where did you even get this nonsense from?】
【Xiao Yinyin wants to make big money: Hehe, I can’t remember!】

【Jiang Mian: ……】

This “Xiao Yinyin wants to make big money” was her agent, Shen Yin, and their relationship was pretty good.

Most likely, it was Shen Yin who had encouraged the original owner to make the long trip to sleep with a man.

Shen Yin was a decent person and had always treated Jiang Mian well, providing her with marketing resources as soon as they became available.

Unfortunately, the original owner eventually became infatuated with the male lead and abandoned her influencer career, leading to a growing distance between her and Shen Yin.

After chatting about other topics, Shen Yin asked when she would be returning.

Jiang Mian did want to go back, but unfortunately, someone wouldn’t allow it!

Meanwhile, He Lai knocked and entered, clenching her fists to calm her excitement as she addressed Shen Shiyan. “Mr. Shen.”

“Put it down!”

He Lai replied obediently and walked over to Shen Shiyan, placing the box on the table.

Shen Shiyan didn’t look up and continued focusing on his work.

She felt a tightness in her chest, as if it were stuffed with cotton, making her quite uncomfortable. Her mind drifted back to Jiang Mian outside and couldn’t shake off the feeling of resentment.

Jiang Mian was only here because she resembled someone else—why did she get to stay by his side while she was the one who saw Shen Shiyan every day?

A figure stood silently beside him for a long time before Shen Shiyan finally spoke up, “Aren’t you going to leave?”

“Mr. Shen, I have something I want to discuss with you!”

“Speak!”

As usual, he assumed that He Lai was reporting on work-related matters and didn’t bother to look up.

He Lai pinched her fingers and gathered her courage to ask, “Mr. Shen, why did you decide to keep her here?”

The “her” was self-evident.

Only then did Shen Shiyan look up, his gaze narrowed as he shot her a critical glance.

“What position do you think you’re asking me from?”

He Lai was taken aback, never expecting him to respond with such a question. A wave of bitterness washed over her.

“I…”

She was just a secretary; how could she interfere in his personal life? Yet, she couldn’t help herself.

Shen Shiyan said, “If you think you are more than that then go to the HR department and submit your resignation!”

He Lai’s eyes instantly turned red.

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