Glancing at the man sleeping soundly beside her, she didn't want to disturb him. Quietly, she stared at him, feeling a strange sense of contentment and faint joy in her heart. Over these recent days, this man had been really good to her, attentive in every way. But if he knew about her time behind bars, would he still accept her? Would his family accept her? Several times before, he had wanted to take her home, but she always found excuses to delay and evade. It's not that she didn't want to be with him, it's just that she was afraid to face his family. The more she cared, the more she hesitated to get involved with his family. She couldn't deny that she had developed feelings for him. She also knew that the more she delayed, the more damage it would cause to their relationship. Using excuses too often would breed suspicion. It was a common flaw in human relationships. She didn't want him to feel cold-hearted. Just as she was about to reach out and touch his cheek, Gu Mo Xi suddenly opened his eyes. There was no trace of sleepiness in his eyes; he was clearly wide awake. His thin lips curled up into a smile. "Missed me, darling?"

As he spoke, he grabbed her hand and brought it to his face, his deep gaze fixed on her, filled with a teasing smile. She instinctively tried to pull away, but his grip tightened even more. His gaze grew deeper and deeper, seemingly bottomless, as it focused on her exposed collarbone, where old marks still lingered, intermingled with new ones. The bruises and scratches created an ambiguous allure on her fair skin. Gu Mo Xi's throat tightened, and he almost couldn't resist flipping her over and pinning her down, feeling overwhelmed by the urge. But Zhan Yan knew exactly what the glint in his eyes meant. They had been through enough last night. If they started again, she wouldn't need to get up today either. She bit her lip, suppressing a smile, her face suddenly brightening with a radiant smile. Her already delicate face became even more lively and radiant. Gu Mo Xi was taken aback. He had seen Zhan Yan smile a few times before, but never like this—so carefree and gentle. Even his usually stern brows softened, and a smile reached his eyes. While he was lost in thought, Zhan Yan quickly broke free from his grasp, rolled up the blanket, and then jumped out of bed without even looking back at him. "Honey, I have to go to work." With that, she walked straight to the bathroom.

With a bang, the door closed behind her. Gu Mo Xi only came back to his senses then. Hearing the word "honey," his handsome face first stiffened, then he smiled wryly, staring at the closed door as if he could see through it.

As soon as she arrived at the company, she was called into Su Chengrui's office by Su Chengrui. Sitting in his rocking chair, Su Chengrui's eyes flashed with a hint of depth. "Zhan Yan, although you entered my company through the back door, I don't deny that I do have some bias against you. However, all the employees under my command have at least graduated from prestigious universities. None of them only have a high school diploma. I don't care much about academic qualifications, but since your qualifications don't meet my requirements, you'll have to prove your value to my company with your abilities. If I find out that anyone is trying to take advantage of my company, no matter how powerful their background is, I won't tolerate such people." He threw a stack of documents on the table and continued, "Here are all the documents for this project. Take a look. You'll be in charge of this project entirely. As long as you do well this time, I'll let you become a regular employee. How about it?"

Taking the documents in hand, Zhan Yan didn't look at them. She could easily hear the threat beneath his words: Don't think that just because Gu Dashao supports you, I can't touch you. If you don't perform well in this project, you're out. With a deep gaze, she replied, "Sure."

"Tonight, come with me to Royal Nights," Su Chengrui didn't give her a chance to refuse. "Alright, you can leave now. Get ready in the evening."

In the evening, Su Chengrui had Wu Qin relay a message to Zhan Yan to wait for him at the company's entrance. When he arrived in a flashy sports car and stopped at the company's entrance, he saw this woman still dressed casually, standing on the steps like she did in the morning. She seemed indifferent, not showing any expression even when she saw him. He had asked her to get ready in the morning, but she dared to ignore his words completely. Moreover, the way she looked at him, ignoring him thoroughly, made him angry. Flames of anger surged in his eyes. Raising his eyebrows and squinting his eyes, he said coldly, "Didn't I ask you to get ready? Is this how you get ready?" The last words were clearly provoking.

Zhan Yan looked down at her clothes and then met his angry gaze. With an indifferent face, she replied, "I'm going to work, not to entertain. Or does Mr. Su want to change careers and become a pimp?"

"You..." Su Chengrui's face was a mixture of blue and white. This damned woman! Would it kill her to comply for once? Every time she challenged his bottom line, did she think he would show mercy? He had never shown mercy in his life. Since she wanted to play, he would play with her. Let's see who would win in the end. Remembering the scene of him overpowering her for the first time, his throat tightened, his blood boiled, and his back tensed. He felt a rush of heat from his lower abdomen. His fingers gripping the steering wheel turned white. If it weren't for Zhan Yan's skill, he would have wanted to flip her over and press her down now, making her cry and beg for mercy!

Calming himself down, he parked the car directly in front of a high-end clothing brand's store. "Get out."

Zhan Yan opened her eyes and got out of the car. Seeing him walk into the store, she followed suit.

The receptionist inside the store immediately changed her demeanor upon seeing Su Chengrui, bowing respectfully and helping him open the door. Hearing the commotion, the store's owner came out to greet them personally, wearing a flirtatious smile and no hidden affection in her eyes. However, she remained rational. She knew that although Su Chengrui was a playboy, he disliked clingy women. Since becoming one of Su Chengrui's many women, she had always refrained from being too clingy, and it seemed to work. Su Chengrui treated her differently from other women. "Mr. Su, why haven't you come to see me in so long? I miss you every day!"

He detested clingy women, and his attitude toward each woman was noticeably different. Although he didn't have any feelings for this woman, he tolerated her more than the others. Extending his hand to embrace her, he leaned close to her ear with a smile that wasn't a smile. "How about I come over tonight?"

A few sweet words from Su Chengrui made Qin Tong's eyes sparkle with joy, her face blushing shyly. She occasionally lowered her head coquettishly. When Su Chengrui turned to look at Zhan Yan, who was quietly standing behind him, several enthusiastic staff members approached, shyly trying to strike up a conversation. His face immediately darkened, realizing that he had underestimated this woman's ability to attract attention. Pushing Qin Tong away, he no longer felt like flirting. Walking over, he grabbed her wrist and brought her in front of Qin Tong, impatiently saying, "Pick out some clothes for her."

Seeing his impatience, Qin Tong was first startled. She knew that although Su Chengrui was a playboy, he was cold-hearted. No woman could easily provoke his emotions. Feeling a bit anxious, she carefully examined the young man in front of her and was relieved to see that she was just a young boy.

"I don't need it."

"Pick out a suitable dress for her immediately," Su Chengrui commanded, his tone leaving no room for refusal.

Qin Tong was completely stunned, her widened eyes clearly indicating disbelief. A nearby staff member, upon hearing Su's words, also stood dumbfounded. She... she... Was she... a woman? Suddenly, their faces fell into disappointment, and Su Chengrui's dark expression softened slightly when he saw their disappointed faces. His lips unconsciously curled into a satisfied smile. Seeing her about to refuse, he immediately said, "This is a company rule. If you don't want to do it, you can leave." Then he turned to Qin Tong and instructed, "Take her over."

Suppressing her disappointment, Qin Tong's gaze remained fixed on Zhan Yan's face, with a clear sense of hostility in her eyes. Zhan Yan furrowed her brows. In front of women, men indeed held an advantage. But she had no interest in Su Chengrui. With a glance, she bypassed him and went to select a black shirt. Seeing the black shirt in her hands, Su Chengrui frowned and picked out a simple yet elegant white dress, devoid of any embellishments. He tossed it to her and commanded, "Wear this." He couldn't fathom why she didn't bother to dress up properly. She looked like a boy. He couldn't understand why Mo Xi was attracted to such a woman. All his women were always well-dressed and beautiful. Even he couldn't stand her lack of effort.

Looking down at the dress in her hand, Zhan Yan felt somewhat lost. But she couldn't deny that the man before her had a good eye for clothing. Clutching the dress tightly, she remembered how her mother had disguised her as a boy since childhood. She had never imagined herself wearing a dress. Everything about being a woman was foreign to her. She wasn't just a man; she was destined to inherit her Southeast Asian arms dealer father's legacy, living a life surrounded by gunfire and jungle.

"Hurry up and change. I don't have time to wait for you." Su Chengrui saw the faint confusion and vulnerability in her eyes, and his heart clenched. He forcibly suppressed the inexplicable emotions and sarcastically said. He... What's wrong with him? Did he just... Want to comfort her? Shaking his head, Su Chengrui, are you crazy? She's just a fickle woman playing both sides. Her disguise almost fooled everyone. Turning to Qin Tong, he said, "Take her to change."

Qin Tong, seeing his gaze fixed on the woman the whole time, felt a mixture of disappointment and jealousy. But no matter how jealous she was, she couldn't afford to lose her composure in front of Su. Otherwise, she would lose her chance. Putting on an elegant smile, she said, "Miss, the fitting room is over here."

Zhan Yan came back to her senses, hung the dress on the hanger, and regained her indifferent expression. "This dress doesn't suit me."

"What nonsense are you talking? Change into it right now, or you won't need to come to the company tomorrow." Seeing her expressionless face, Su Chengrui added fuel to the fire. "This is a rare opportunity given by Gu Dashao. For your sake, he actually begged me for the first time! Are you going to ignore Gu Dashao's face as well?" He could only resort to such words to deceive her. Everyone in the capital knew Gu Dashao's reputation. Getting her into the company was as simple as a word from him. But this woman was too difficult to deal with. He knew that if he didn't mention Mo Xi, she would never agree.

Sure enough, she turned and entered the fitting room. Su Chengrui casually leaned against the black leather sofa, picking up a fashion magazine. With his legs crossed and a graceful posture, his blue shirt accentuated his perfect figure. His sharp eyes occasionally glanced over at her, causing the female staff members to blush.

When he heard the door creak open, Su Chengrui instinctively looked up and his gaze fell on the woman standing before him. His eyes widened as he stared at her without blinking. There was an obvious sense of amazement in his eyes. Clad in a simple and elegant white dress, her delicate face was exceptionally exquisite. Though a scar marred the corner of her eye, her long bangs almost concealed it. Despite her cold demeanor, her presence exuded a different kind of charm. A sharp glance revealed a hint of coldness, making her intimidating. She appeared aloof yet graceful, exuding contradictions yet harmony.

With a "snap," the magazine fell from his hand as Su Chengrui stood up unconsciously, his eyes fixed on her. He had always thought she looked troublesome and ruthless, but he had never scrutinized her so carefully before. The more he looked, the more shocked he became. Although he had been with women whose appearances were inferior to hers, none possessed the aura that she emanated—an air of mystery that made her seem enigmatic. Who are you, Zhan Yan?

After she left the store, Su Chengrui snapped back to reality. This woman had once again defied his orders. She had been dressed perfectly just now, but in the blink of an eye, she had changed her mind. It was like the weather—ever-changing. He hurried out and grabbed her wrist, shouting, "Meng Zhan Yan, do you want to get kicked out of the company?"

"If you want, I'll leave tomorrow." She met his provocative gaze head-on.

"You..." Su Chengrui didn't expect her to actually decide to leave. He felt a surge of anger. "Do you think my company is a place where you can come and go as you please? Meng Zhan Yan, take a good look in the mirror and see who you really are. The only reason you're in this company is because of Gu Dashao's face and my indulgence."

Zhan Yan sneered at his words. "Indulgence? What indulgence? What have you ever done for me, Su Chengrui? In your eyes, I'm just a ruthless woman playing both sides. You say I climbed onto Lu Chenxi, but why don't you think it's him who climbed onto me? Besides, Mo Xi is my husband. He asked for your favor, but do I need your permission?" Su Chengrui was momentarily stunned by her words, his expression complex. Especially the phrase "climbed onto her" shocked him deeply. In the past, he would never have believed that the prestigious young master of the capital would try to court a woman. But coming from her, it was convincing and made him unable to doubt. This woman was completely different from the others he had been with—her agile movements, her elusive aura. Who are you, Zhan Yan?