In the presidential suite of a five-star hotel in Nanjing City, the morning light filtered through the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting a warm glow on the girl's delicate face, making her appear serene and beautiful. Luo Wei gently furrowed her brows and slowly opened her eyes, finding herself in an unfamiliar place. Where was she?
Luo Wei quickly recalled the events of the previous day. She had accepted an invitation from Zhu Shulan and Luo Qianqian to attend her sister's business banquet. It turned out to be a trap, carefully orchestrated by her so-called mother and sister. Although she was the second daughter of the Luo family, everyone knew that her mother, Zhu Shulan, and her sister, Luo Qianqian, despised her.
Luo Wei didn’t have time to dwell on her situation as she noticed a strange man lying beside her. From her vantage point, she could see that he was tall and muscular.
"Hiss—"
Luo Wei pulled back the covers, intending to escape. As she lifted her legs, her body felt as though it had been torn apart. Her entire body ached, and the bruises covering her skin were a testament to the previous night's madness. Luo Wei couldn’t help but curse inwardly.
What kind of man was he? Had he been single for hundreds of years?
Ignoring the pain in her waist, Luo Wei quickly dressed herself, her movements fast and precise, fearing the man in the bed would suddenly wake up. How was she supposed to explain this night, which had been orchestrated by her own mother and sister?
A sharp pain suddenly gripped Luo Wei’s heart, as if something had collided with it. She picked up her bag from the floor and quickly fled the hotel. The weather was gloomy, and the ground was wet from a heavy rain the night before. Zhu Shulan had actually sacrificed her to please a man who was old enough to be her father, just for the sake of her daughter’s career.
Her biological mother had died in childbirth due to excessive bleeding, and the Luo family had taken her in out of kindness. From a young age, she had learned to observe people’s moods and had tried every possible way to win Zhu Shulan’s favor, but to no avail. She would never be able to compare to a single careless word from Luo Qianqian.
Luo Wei forced a smile, telling herself that what happened tonight was her way of repaying the Luo family’s kindness. After this, she owed them nothing.
As she thought about the man in the bed, she couldn’t help but wonder who he was. Yesterday, after drinking some red wine, she had felt dizzy and lightheaded. The wine had clearly been tampered with. She cursed herself for being so foolish!
In an attempt to avoid Luo Qianqian, she had wandered into that unfamiliar room, leading to the absurd events of the night. Her waist was aching terribly, and once again, she cursed the man.
Dragging her tired feet, she made her way to the bus stop. It was midday, and the warm sunlight shone brightly on the bus shelter. Luo Wei pulled out the last two yuan from her pocket and boarded the No. 38 bus.
Exhausted, she planned to go back to her rented home to rest. After boarding the bus, she found a seat by the window. Before long, sleep began to overtake her again, her eyelids growing heavier until she drifted off.
"Ring—"
The ringing of her phone startled Luo Wei awake. She picked up the phone, seeing that the caller was Su Yuxin. Luo Wei quickly answered, having forgotten to tell Su Yuxin about what had happened the night before. After graduating from college, she and Su Yuxin had partnered to open a pet shop. Both loved animals, so they hit it off immediately and decided to start the business together.
"You finally answered! What happened? You didn’t even reply to my messages. I was so worried," Su Yuxin's concerned voice came through the phone, rattling off a list of worries, including the fear that Luo Wei had been abducted by aliens.
Luo Wei patiently listened to Su Yuxin’s concerns, occasionally responding with a few hums and nods. After a while, Su Yuxin fell silent, exhausted from talking, and then in a big-sister tone, she said, "It’s good to know you’re okay. The shop isn’t busy, so go home and rest. I’ll take care of things here."
"Okay, thank you, Yuxin-jie, heehee," Luo Wei replied, playfully. She only ever showed this cute side of herself in front of Su Yuxin.
Just as Luo Wei was about to hang up, Su Yuxin interrupted, "Weiwei, I’ve booked you an appointment with Dr. Shu for this Sunday. Don’t forget to go for the follow-up, okay?"
Luo Wei’s hand tightened around her phone, a wave of warmth washing over her. Su Yuxin had grown up with her and, despite not being related by blood, knew her body better than her adoptive parents did.
"Okay, I will."
Luo Wei’s nose suddenly tingled with emotion. "I have to go now," she said abruptly, hanging up before Su Yuxin could respond. She didn’t want to break down and cry in front of Su Yuxin. If Su Yuxin found out what happened last night, with her personality, she would definitely seek revenge on the Luo mother and daughter, and then make sure the strange man paid dearly.
Clearing her thoughts, Luo Wei got off the bus and returned to her rented apartment. She collapsed heavily onto the sofa and fell back into sleep.
——
At the VIP half-awake club, the interior was lavish, bathed in dazzling lights. Mo Huai’s deep-set eyes and sharp jawline, combined with the cold, aloof aura he exuded, made him appear untouchable. He toyed with the stem of his wine glass, his usual stern expression devoid of any emotion.
Gu Xiu glanced at his close friend, who seemed distracted, and teased, "Hey, what’s up with you? You’ve barely said three words tonight. Could it be…"
Mo Huai snapped back to attention, raised his eyes, and downed his wine in one gulp.
"Could it be what?" Mo Huai lazily threw out the question, lifting his gaze to meet Gu Xiu’s, listening intently.
Gu Xiu clicked his tongue, "You’re acting just like Meng Yebai did when he was lovesick over a woman." He continued, "So, who’s the woman that’s got our big shot Mo Huai so distracted?"
Gu Xiu had known Mo Huai for over twenty years and had never seen him date anyone. He’d even suspected at one point that Mo Huai might not be interested in women at all.
It now seemed that his previous concerns were unfounded. A man who had been single for over twenty years was finally waking up, likely on the brink of a revelation.
Mo Huai's eyes flickered briefly, but he ignored Gu Xiu's teasing. He remained silent, unwilling to admit that he had indeed been thinking about the woman from that night.
When Mo Huai woke up in the hotel, the bed beside him was empty. The woman had slipped away without a word. Infuriating! It felt as though he had been the one taken advantage of. There were countless women who would do anything to get into his bed, but this ungrateful woman had the nerve to sneak away while he slept.
Yet, that night had been the most restful sleep he had ever had, with a strange sense of familiarity settling into his heart.
Feeling irritated, Mo Huai filled his wine glass to the brim again and downed the drink in one go, savoring the rich burst of flavor in his mouth.
The woman had reeked of alcohol, and as she lay weakly in his arms, her petite frame and soft, rosy lips stirred something deep within him. A heat he had never felt before surged through him, and for the first time in his life, he lost control. It was an experience he hadn't anticipated.
Gu Xiu, unable to bear the silence any longer, shook his head. "No way, are you really heartbroken?" He couldn't fathom which woman had the power to make Mo Huai, one of the most esteemed men in Nanjing, feel so lost.
Mo Huai remained tight-lipped, and Gu Xiu, sensing it was best not to press further, let the matter drop. He knew Mo Huai's personality all too well. It reminded him of a time in their childhood when he had jokingly asked a question he shouldn't have and was met with a brutal beating from Mo Huai. The memory of that day, with his bruised and swollen face, was still vivid in his mind.
Afterwards, Mo Huai's parents, upon discovering the incident, scolded him and demanded he apologize. His mother had asked, "Do you know what you did wrong? Hitting others is not right."
But Mo Huai's response had left Gu Xiu speechless. "I don't want to answer nonsense. What was my mistake? He interrupted me while I was doing my homework."
At that moment, Gu Xiu was left with a head full of confusion.
Mo Huai's mother, unable to out-argue her son, hastily apologized to Gu Xiu's mother, promising to discipline him strictly in the future.
Surprisingly, instead of holding a grudge, Gu Xiu had become Mo Huai's closest friend from that day onward.
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