Yonghua Group
Warm light streamed in from the floor-to-ceiling windows, making the entire office appear even brighter and more luxurious.
The faint warm light fell on the man's hair, and his gold-rimmed glasses concealed his overly sharp eyes, softening the suffocating indifference.
The man was working, dressed in a crisp, clean white shirt, without a single wrinkle, indicating a severe case of obsessive-compulsive disorder.
He lowered his head slightly to look at the documents, reading at a glance. A few stray strands of hair fell to his temples, while the rest were slicked back, revealing extremely handsome, sword-like eyebrows.
Perhaps dissatisfied with the contents, he casually tossed one document aside and picked up another. The fingers that turned the pages were long and slender, with well-defined knuckles. The mechanical watch on his wrist clearly indicated its considerable value.
His private mobile phone rang, breaking the silent space. The man's brow furrowed almost instantly. He glanced at his phone and pressed the answer button.
He pinched the bridge of his nose, listening quietly to the person on the other end.
Not knowing what was said, the man lowered the hand from his nose. His refined and handsome features were deeply creased. He picked up his now-cold coffee and took a sip, responding with a perfunctory "Mm."
After a brief conversation, he hung up and casually tossed the phone onto the desk.
Lately, his nominal wife had become increasingly restless, always cunningly resorting to petty schemes.
People are never satisfied, their hearts aiming higher than their reach.
Shen Yue was a prime example.
Oh, no, Shen Yue had lost her memory.
Xie Jiangsheng took another sip of coffee. The bitter taste spread in his mouth, stimulating his taste buds. He lowered his gaze to the coffee cup in his hand, and unbidden, the image of the woman with clean, soft eyes flashed in his mind, like a shyly blooming, delicate and beautiful flower, inviting one to pluck and possess her.
She had truly… changed.
She softly called him "Mr. Xie," her dark, moist eyes as clear as the bottom of a well, appearing fragile yet resilient, gentle and pure, like a dodder flower dependent on others for survival.
She wasn't without spirit either; when she couldn't bear it anymore, she would reveal her soft claws to attack, though without any deterrent power.
Undeniably, Shen Yue was beautiful. Without that layer of vulgar greed, she had become more to his liking, and had even made his heart… flutter.
Xie Jiangsheng knew this wasn't love. People in his position long ago stopped caring about liking or disliking; all that mattered was perpetual benefit.
After all, he was someone who could use marriage as a bargaining chip.
Xie Jiangsheng was a germaphobe and had always maintained his purity. There had never been any women around him; he disliked contact with the unclean, primarily because he felt nothing.
He wasn't ill; he simply felt no physical attraction towards them.
Not only that, even with his nominal wife, they basically lived separate lives, neither interfering with the other.
Shen Yue was the first to get into his bed, and the first woman he had been with. Although drugs might have been involved, she had also allowed him his first taste of desire.
Keeping Shen Yue by his side was merely because her body alone was a delicacy he savored.
However, at the same time, Xie Jiangsheng possessed a practically perverted mental and physical fastidiousness, along with an intense possessiveness.
He could not tolerate his possessions being sullied by others, not in the slightest.
And Shen Yue… was already tainted.
If only she weren't tainted…
Thinking this, Xie Jiangsheng felt not only regret but also an unprecedented sense of irritation.
His gaze fell on the now-cold coffee. He thought of the woman lowering her head and smiling, her fragile, slender neck, and her eyelashes that trembled slightly when she was uneasy, impossibly beautiful.
Xie Jiangsheng felt somewhat agitated, his throat growing dry. He unconsciously took another sip of coffee.
His eyes were dark and unreadable.
—
The coffee shop's benefits were quite good; they provided meals but not accommodation. The food looked decent, and there was even fruit after meals.
Shen Yue always ate with great seriousness and was not a picky eater. As long as the taste wasn't too unbearable, she could eat it.
Time flew by, and it was past eight o'clock. She would be off work soon. After delivering coffee to a table, she heard a call bell from a nearby table.
She walked over, her head slightly bowed, and asked the customer if they needed any assistance.
There was no response for a while. Shen Yue looked up slightly to see the man in a suit and tie staring at her with narrowed eyes. Behind his gold-rimmed glasses, his eyes were sharp and dark, appearing indifferent yet carrying a condescending scrutiny.
However, this did not deter the way the man looked at her, as if she were merchandise, as if he were assessing her value.
A cup of coffee sat on the table, untouched, and no one had attended to Shen Yue. The call bell on the table must have been an accidental press. 138 Reading Net.
He was handsome and composed, with sword-like brows and star-like eyes. Wearing glasses softened his cold demeanor; he was refined and elegant. When he looked at someone, he was focused, making one feel as if there was nowhere to hide, which was quite pressure-inducing.
Shen Yue's expression remained normal. Seeing that Xie Jiangsheng was just staring at her without speaking, she said that if there was nothing else, she would leave. After waiting for a while and seeing that the man still hadn't spoken, she turned to leave.
Xie Jiangsheng didn't say a word until she left, as if he had simply come to the coffee shop for a cup of coffee.
When it was time for Shen Yue to get off work, she changed her clothes and saw a tall, well-built man waiting for her at the entrance.
Hearing footsteps, he looked up and revealed a shy smile.
Ever since they discovered they took the same bus, Luo Kai had always waited for her at the entrance, and they would then take the bus together.
Shen Yue had also tacitly agreed.
As she walked out of the shop, she saw Xie Jiangsheng leaning against his car by the roadside.
He probably wasn't here for her, Shen Yue thought, pretending not to see him and intending to walk around.
"Hey."
It was still quite early, and the restaurant's doors likely hadn't closed yet. She could have dinner first before heading back.
"Shen Yue." Someone called her name.
The voice grew closer; he must be walking over. But Shen Yue didn't want to interact with him, because the man's words in the park that day had been too harsh and unpleasant, and she didn't think they had anything more to say to each other.
So, the moment she heard his voice, all she wanted was to run away immediately.
"Why are you hiding?" The wrist of her hand holding her bag was grasped, the well-defined fingers closing, powerfully and immovably.
Shen Yue frowned, a hint of discomfort showing on her face. This caused the other person to immediately lessen their grip.
With things having come to this, Shen Yue could no longer pretend she hadn't heard him. She could only lower her head and ask softly, "Is there something you need?"
Luo Kai, standing beside her, his expression darkening slightly when he saw an intrusive hand on her fair, slender wrist, quickly recovered his composure. He clenched his fingers tightly and whispered, "Shen Yue…"