Chapter 52: Secret.

Chapter 51

After sending the message to Pei Xizhou, Wen Yicong sat alone on the edge of the bed for a long while, phone in hand.

The screen had long since gone dark, leaving only a heavy black—much like the unsettled waves of her heart.

The last trace of evening sun was fading outside the window; a thin line of dark red lingered at the horizon, looking from afar like a wound cut open with a blade.

She sat in stillness, waiting.

About five minutes later, a soft ding announced a new message.

Wen Yicong lowered her gaze and tapped the screen awake.

Pei Xizhou: [Tomorrow afternoon, 2:30, La Moment Café on Anyang Road.]

Immediately after, a location pin popped up in the chat.

She stared at those words on the screen. A few seconds passed. Then Wen Yicong bit her lip and typed back: [Received.]

Message sent successfully.

She set the phone aside, fell back onto the bed, and stared at the ceiling, lost in thought.

Tomorrow she would go to see Pei Xizhou, to uncover the secret hidden in that Safe Deposit Vault...

Thoughts tangled. Wen Yicong pulled the blanket up over her head and let out a soft sigh.

It wasn't that she hadn't wrestled with it, hadn't hesitated—but in the end, curiosity and the hunger to know won out. She had decided to take this step.

From entering Mo Manor, to agreeing to date Mo Shaoshang, to becoming his secret lover—looking back on it all, the whole thing felt muddled and absurd.

She hoped this decision was the right one.

And she hoped that what she was about to open was not Pandora's box.

*

That evening, Wen Yicong went to read Airi his picture book as usual.

The little one behaved exceptionally well today—quiet and obedient the whole time, his small head leaning against her as he listened attentively to the story of Jiang Shu the little bear searching for honey.

Fairy tales always end well.

"At the end of the story, the little bear found his honey and happily shared it with all the animals in the forest," Wen Yicong narrated, her voice vivid and lively. "All his little friends laughed with joy!"

" Laugh... laughed." Airi reached out his tiny hand and gently touched the chubby little bear in the book, trying to mimic the sound.

"That's right." Wen Yicong curved her lips, ruffled his hair. "Airi, you're amazing—your pronunciation is perfect!"

Airi took the book from her and began flipping through it on his own.

Storytime over, Wen Yicong and the live-in nanny helped Airi brush his teeth and wash his face, watching as he climbed into bed and closed his eyes.

"Goodnight, Baby." she said softly.

Airi's thick lashes trembled once. He turned over and quickly fell into a deep sleep.

Wen Yicong's eyes softened. She turned off the lamp and tiptoed out of the room.

Back in her bedroom.

Wen Yicong showered and lay down, but no matter how she turned, sleep wouldn't come. Her mind was full of those tangled, scattered thoughts.

There was Pei Xizhou's words, that mysterious Safe Deposit Vault, and Mo Shaoshang pressing her beneath him, taking her with brutal force—those wild, nearly shattered blue-black eyes...

Hot, scalding memories flooded her mind. Wen Yicong's cheeks flushed pink, and a faint heat stirred through her body.

She raised her hands to cover her face.

Clearly, Mo Shaoshang knew she had lied to him.

But he neither questioned nor rebuked her.

He only kissed her violently, took her with wild abandon, as if he meant to press her completely into his bones and blood...

That man—she truly could not see through him at all.

Wen Yicong stared at the ceiling and let out a long sigh. Then she pulled the blanket over her eyes, forced herself to stop thinking, and willed herself to sleep.

*

That night, Wen Yicong tossed and turned again, finding no rest.

The next morning.

Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the curtains, casting pale golden patches across the floor. She was exhausted, could only drag herself up with effort, two faint dark circles under her eyes.

Wash up, change clothes, go downstairs in search of food.

Heng Shu was arranging breakfast in the dining room. Seeing her come down, he smiled and nodded. "Good morning, Teacher Wen."

"Good morning, Heng Shu." Wen Yicong sat at the table, glanced around, and didn't see that familiar tall figure. After a brief pause, she asked, as if casually, "Mm, Mr. Mo hasn't come down yet?"

Heng Shu answered: "The Master did not return last night."

Didn't return?

Well, then.

He had mentioned earlier that he might not be back at night, and in the afternoon he'd kept her locked in the Study Room for so long—there certainly wouldn't have been enough time.

Thinking it over, Wen Yicong pressed down that faint, almost imperceptible thread of loss and longing, nodded, and asked no more.

The morning weather was lovely—bright sunshine, gentle breeze.

Such weather was rare in Jinghai City's winter. Not wanting to waste it, Wen Yicong adjusted the schedule on the fly, changing the morning's indoor class to an outdoor one.

She and the live-in nanny took Airi to the park.

It was a weekday, so the Wetland Park wasn't crowded. A few elderly people sat on benches soaking in the sun, some children chased each other across the lawn, and nearby a few vendors sold oversized balloons and foam airplanes.

Wen Yicong took Airi's small hand and walked slowly along the tree-lined path, while Tang Sister followed behind them both, carrying the mommy bag.

Airi's blue eyes were empty and distant. He let the teacher beside him lead him forward, his gaze wandering aimlessly—perhaps thinking of nothing, or perhaps thinking of everything.

The three of them walked through the park like that.

As they neared the Children's Play Area, a burst of clear laughter suddenly rang out, catching Wen Yicong's attention.

"Hahaha, I'm here! Grandma, hurry and chase me!"

"..."

That voice—young and clear, sweet as an oriole singing among the mountains. Somewhat familiar.

Wen Yicong followed the sound and saw a little girl with twin ponytails running across the lawn, her skirt fluttering in the wind, tracing graceful arcs. Her skin was fair, her cheeks round and plump, and when she smiled her eyes curved naturally into crescents. A little doll, exquisite and lovely.

The moment she saw the little girl's face, Wen Yicong's eyes lit up.

It was Nana.

The little girl she'd met briefly not long ago, along with Airi.

Not far off, an elderly woman in her sixties sat on a bench, smiling as she watched the child play. Nana's grandmother.

Airi's delicate mixed-race features were striking—he left an impression easily.

Clearly, the old woman remembered Airi and Wen Yicong too. Seeing them, she immediately waved and smiled in greeting.

Wen Yicong smiled back warmly, then looked down at Airi.

Airi's clear blue eyes reflected Nana's figure.

Watching the little girl running in the sunlight, Airi stood in place, his small face expressionless, making no move to approach.

Wen Yicong thought for a moment, then crouched down, meeting Airi's eyes at his level, and suggested, "Airi, shall we go play with Nana?"

Airi didn't respond, but neither did he show any sign of resistance or refusal.

Taking this as a positive signal, Wen Yicong's heart lifted with delight. She quickly took his hand and walked toward the lawn.

Just then, the little oriole, busy at play, spotted them too.

Nana's eyes went wide with surprise. Then she bounced over on her little feet, calling out happily, "Brother Airi! You finally came to play with me again!"

The little girl's tone was bright and lively. She pressed close to Airi eagerly, tilted her small head, and gazed at him with bright, shining eyes. "Brother Airi, your eyes are so pretty, like blue gemstones! I really love your eyes!"

Airi avoided Nana's gaze, turning his face away.

Unfazed, Nana shifted to his other side and kept looking at him, her tone gaining a note of curiosity. "Brother Airi, why do you never talk?"

Wen Yicong was about to explain, but the little girl had already continued on her own: "It doesn't matter. My teddy bear doesn't like to talk either—he always stays by himself. But I still love my teddy bear, just like I still love you!"

With that, a tiny hand reached out and grabbed Airi's equally soft little hand.

"Come on! Let's go play on the slide over there!" Nana's face beamed with smiles.

Feeling the softness and warmth of that small palm, Airi's expression barely changed, but he didn't pull away.

A moment later, Nana simply took Airi's hand and broke into a run, two small figures—one ahead, one behind—dashing toward the play area.

For the rest of the time, the little girl kept circling around Airi, chattering endlessly in his ear.

She pulled him to the slide, pulled him to the swings, pulled him to the sandbox to dig.

Airi didn't respond to any of Nana's social overtures. He simply stood quietly beside her, watching this little girl who was full of life and sunlight.

Throughout this, Wen Yicong observed the two children quietly.

She noticed that Airi's gaze had begun to follow Nana.

When the little girl ran off, Airi would slightly turn his head, unconsciously searching for where she was. When Nana laughed and called his name, his lashes would tremble, ever so slightly.

This discovery delighted Wen Yicong once again.

Near noon, Nana had to go home for lunch with her grandmother.

She broke free from her grandmother's hand, ran back to Airi, and looked up at him with her little face raised. "Brother Airi, I have to go again. Next time we'll play together, okay?"

Airi looked at Nana with an expressionless face and didn't respond.

Seeing this, the little girl didn't get discouraged at all. Instead, she reached into her pocket and fished around, pulling out some little trinket, and pressed it into Airi's hand.

Wen Yicong looked closely.

It was a Kitten Pendant—very pink, plastic, roughly made, but the little cat's face was smiling, and it did look rather cute.

"This is for you!" Nana said with a smile, her tone mysterious and proud. "I got this from the gachapon machine just now. I have two, so I'm sharing this one with you!"

Airi looked down at the little cat in his hand.

Small. Pink.

A bright smile.

It faintly overlapped with the face of the girl before him.

A moment later, Airi's fingers curled slightly, closing the Kitten Pendant into his palm.

Wen Yicong took in the scene, and her eyes grew unexpectedly warm.

The happy little oriole, innocent and carefree, waved again cheerfully, then took her grandmother's arm once more, humming a nursery rhyme as she skipped away.

Watching the grandmother and granddaughter's retreating figures, Wen Yicong crouched down, gathered Airi into her arms, and said softly, "Airi, will you remember this girl? Her name is Nana."

"She's your friend."

"..."

Airi gazed into the distance, his eyes still empty. His small hand held tight to the little cat Nana had given him, and never let go.

*

At lunchtime, Wen Yicong brought Airi back to the Manor.

After coaxing the little one down for his nap, she tucked the blanket around him and tiptoed out of the children's room.

A glance at the time—one o'clock in the afternoon.

According to plan, Airi had a sensory integration training class this afternoon, led by another professional teacher, and she didn't need to be present. So Wen Yicong quickly returned to her bedroom, changed clothes, grabbed her bag, and went downstairs to find Heng Shu.

Just as she turned the corner of the staircase, they met face to face.

"Heng Shu."

She greeted him with a smile, trying to keep her tone natural and casual. "I have plans to go shopping with a friend this afternoon, so I'll be going out. I came specially to let you know."

Heng Shu smiled and nodded. "Very well."

Having informed the butler of her whereabouts, Wen Yicong turned to leave. After two steps, she remembered something and stopped abruptly.

"Excuse me, do I need to ask Mr. Mo for permission as well?" Wen Yicong asked hesitantly.

Heng Shu: "No need. I'll pass the message along for you."

Hearing this, Wen Yicong's heart immediately eased. She curved her lips gratefully at Heng Shu. "Thank you, Heng Shu."

"Shall I arrange a car for you?" Heng Shu asked.

"No, no need. I'll be back before dark. And Mr. Mo's cars are all too... you understand." she declined, pausing, a slightly embarrassed smile blooming on her face. "I'm meeting a friend. It wouldn't be very convenient."

Heng Shu didn't press the matter, smiling as he said, "Then if your plans change, or you'll be back later, just contact me anytime."

"Mm!"

Wen Yicong nodded and turned to leave.

The afternoon sun was warm and mellow.

Wen Yicong walked out the Manor House's main gate, followed the tree-lined path for several hundred meters, then stopped by the roadside and called a ride-hailing car through an app.

Straight to her destination.

*

2:20 in the afternoon. Anyang Road.

Wen Yicong stepped out of the car, stood by the roadside, and looked up at the café across the street.

La Moment Café.

It was a café housed in an old Western-style house, three stories tall, its outer walls covered in ivy. Layer upon layer of green, light and dark, hid most of the cream-colored façade.

People came and went around it. A few young girls were taking check-in photos in front of the café.

Wen Yicong steadied herself and walked toward the café.

She pushed open the glass door, and a wave of rich coffee aroma washed over her, mingled with a faint scent of baking.

The interior was vintage in style—dark wood floors, deep green wainscoting, several warm yellow pendant lamps hanging from the ceiling. In one corner stood an old upright piano, a few withered yellow leaves resting on its lid—presumably some kind of whimsical decorative touch.

There weren't many customers—two or three tables, each engaged in quiet conversation in their own private bubble.

Wen Yicong adjusted the sunglasses on her nose, glanced around, and quickly noticed a slender figure in the corner.

Pei Xizhou sat in a window-side booth, sunlight streaming through the glass and bathing his whole person in a soft halo. His features were clean and handsome, his brows and eyes like a painting.

He was looking down at a medical magazine, his expression focused and calm. The sunlight traced the sharp, refined lines of his profile, and the air around him was gentle, elegant, at peace with the world.

No trace of anything startling or unsettling. No aggression at all.

A gentleman of jade.

Watching the elegant young man in the distance, those four words surfaced in Wen Yicong's mind.

She looked left and right, confirmed there were no familiar faces nearby, then steadied herself and walked toward Pei Xizhou's booth.

"Dr. Pei."

She greeted him softly, casually pulled out the chair opposite him, and sat down, bending at the waist.

Pei Xizhou looked up at the sound.

"What would you like to drink?" A faint smile crossed Pei Xizhou's face. As he spoke, he casually handed her the menu from the table. "The Coconut Milk Latte is their signature."

Just then, the server came over.

Wen Yicong handed the menu back to the server untouched. "Then I'll have one of your Coconut Milk Lattes, thank you."

"Certainly, please wait a moment." The server turned and left.

Wen Yicong looked at Pei Xizhou and decided to be direct.

"Dr. Pei," she began, her tone carrying a note of probing. "How did you know Mr. Mo has a Safe Deposit Vault?"

Pei Xizhou lifted his coffee from the table and took a light sip, his tone mild. "I lived in Mo Manor for so many years. Naturally I know more than you outsiders."

Wen Yicong thought for a moment, then said, "But many families have safes at home for jewelry or cash. That doesn't seem strange?"

Pei Xizhou smiled faintly.

A moment later, he raised his eyes to look at her, his gaze still as light as water. "If you really thought there was nothing strange about it, you wouldn't have come out to meet me."

Wen Yicong frowned slightly and said nothing.

Pei Xizhou looked at her steadily, his voice soft and low, carrying a faint, almost imperceptible note of leading. "If I'm not mistaken, Teacher Wen, during your time at Mo Manor, you've noticed some things that aren't quite right, haven't you?"

Wen Yicong's heart tightened slightly.

Not quite right...

She thought of Mo Shaoshang's fathomless blue-black eyes, of the occasional gaze that made one's heart skip, of the vast stretches of deep blue in his paintings...

"Which aspect do you mean?" Wen Yicong asked.

Pei Xizhou looked at her, the corner of his lips lifting slightly. "Teacher Wen, why feign ignorance?"

Just then, the server brought the coffee.

Wen Yicong took a sip. The coffee liquid seeped through her mouth, spreading a thread of bitterness. That taste traveled from the tip of her tongue all the way down her throat, finally settling heavy in her heart.

A long silence.

Then Pei Xizhou took something from his pocket, placed it on the table, and slowly pushed it toward her.

Wen Yicong lowered her gaze.

A black USB Drive.

Small, utterly ordinary, the kind you could buy anywhere.

Wen Yicong picked up the USB Drive and looked at it, puzzled. "This is?"

"The Safe Deposit Vault you saw," Pei Xizhou said, his tone flat and even. "These are the materials inside. This is a backup."

Hearing this, Wen Yicong was startled, then doubt rose in her heart. "But... how do you have this?"

"That's not your concern." Pei Xizhou lifted his coffee and took another sip. After a brief pause, his gaze fell on the black USB Drive in her hand, and he continued, "This USB Drive has a self-destruct program set to trigger automatically after 24 hours. In other words, from now, you have only one day. After that, the data inside will automatically erase and can never be recovered."

Wen Yicong was stunned.

A self-destruct program?

What kind of file materials were so secret that they needed a suicide-style program to keep them from leaking?

"Take the USB Drive back with you," Pei Xizhou continued. "If Teacher Wen trusts what I've said, open it and take a look. If you don't, toss it in the trash, and we'll pretend we never met today."

Hearing this, Wen Yicong stared at that small USB Drive, her heart skipping a beat.

Then she closed her fingers, clenching it into her palm.

*

Coming out of the café, it was already past three in the afternoon.

Wen Yicong stood by the roadside, watching the stream of traffic, her heart in complete disarray. The USB Drive lay in her bag—small, light, and yet seeming to weigh a thousand pounds.

She didn't choose to call a ride back to the Manor right away. Instead, she walked alone, slowly, along Anyang Road.

The early winter wind had taken on a chill, rustling the plane tree leaves by the roadside, producing a soft shushing sound. Most of the leaves had already turned yellow, shivering in the wind; occasionally a few drifted down, spinning as they fell onto the pedestrian walkway.

Wen Yicong walked on with no destination in mind.

Trying to let the cold wind blow away the tangled mess in her head.

Passing a convenience store, she stopped, went in, and bought a bottle of water.

She twisted off the cap and took several big gulps.

The cold liquid slid down her throat, finally bringing some clarity to her mind.

She screwed the cap back on.

Wen Yicong lowered her gaze and glanced at the time on her phone.

3:40 in the afternoon.

In just over an hour, Airi's sensory integration class would end, and she needed to get back to take over.

Thinking it over, Wen Yicong took a deep breath and exhaled, raised her hand, and hailed a taxi by the roadside.

*

By the time she returned to the Manor, the sky had already darkened.

The last trace of evening sun was fading at the horizon, dyeing the entire sky a deep purple. The Manor's lamps lit up one after another, casting circles of lifeless light.

After seeing off the sensory integration teacher, Wen Yicong had dinner with Airi, then took the little one to play in the garden for a while.

Big and small, they crouched in the sandbox, digging hole after hole with little shovels.

At eight in the evening, the live-in nanny came to pick up Airi.

Wen Yicong handed the child over to Tang Sister and returned to her own bedroom.

Night had fully fallen. The world outside the window was swallowed by thick darkness. The city lights in the distance twinkled like scattered diamonds on black velvet.

She stood by the window for a while, then drew the curtains and turned toward the bathroom.

She showered. The warm water washed over her body, taking away the day's fatigue, but couldn't wash away the surging doubts in her heart.

Coming out of the bathroom, Wen Yicong, wrapped in a robe, walked to the desk and sat down.

The lamp's halo enveloped this small space, leaving everything else in darkness.

She stared into space for a while.

Then she picked up her bag, opened it, and took out the black USB Drive.

Her fingertips moved. She pressed the computer's power button.

Soon, a light startup chime sounded in the quiet space. The screen lit up, its white glow falling on Wen Yicong's face, illuminating the lip she held gently between her teeth.

Wen Yicong held the USB Drive, her fingertips unconsciously tightening, hard enough that her knuckles turned pale.

She half-closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and exhaled.

Then, as if she had finally made up her mind, she plugged the USB Drive into the computer's port.

Recognition complete. Connection successful.

A small mobile hard drive icon appeared on the computer's desktop.

Wen Yicong's mind was full of questions—curious and nervous. She bit her lip, moved the mouse, and opened the file.

Outside the window, the night grew deeper and deeper.

The moon was hidden behind clouds, only a hazy glow seeping through. Occasionally a night wind blew past, and tree shadows swayed, lonely and restless.

Wen Yicong sat before the computer, her gaze moving as she flipped through the materials on the hard drive.

One image after another. One clip after another.

The folder contained many subfolders, all the text in pure English, labeled with various years and numbers.

She clicked one open at random.

Inside were some scanned documents. Zoomed in, they were some kind of list.

Dense names, arranged neatly and in order. Each name was followed by a date of birth, and height, weight, measurements—those numbers were cold and precise, as if recording data on some kind of merchandise.

Wen Yicong frowned, then clicked open another folder.

Still a list.

Only this time, after the data, the names on the list also had some very special notes.

[An absolute angel (especially well-behaved)]

[Has a sweet tooth (likes candy)]

[Cries easily (cries a lot)]

[Used 3 times (used three times)]

"..." Looking at these bizarre annotations, Wen Yicong's brow furrowed, and a strong sense of unease rose in her heart.

She clicked open another folder.

This time it was an image.

The image quality was very blurry, like a surveillance camera screenshot from many years ago. A dim corridor, closed doors, several white men in suits standing there. In the corner of the image, there was a small figure.

It was a little girl in a dress, blonde-haired and blue-eyed, also white, looking only seven or eight years old.

Wen Yicong's fingers began to tremble.

On to the next folder.

Inside were video files, each labeled with a date and location. She clicked one open at random.

The footage loaded for a few seconds, then began to play.

The video quality was poor, as if shot with an old camera. The background was a place resembling a Cathedral, resplendent and magnificent, with a towering dome, but the lighting was very dim. Only countless shadowy figures could be seen.

Those people wore deep blue robes and deep blue masks, their faces completely hidden. They gathered together, each one silently bowing their head, motionless, like a group of lifeless wax figures.

In the center of the crowd, a leading man was gesticulating, mumbling something under his breath. He too wore a blue robe and blue mask, only the edges of his robe were embroidered with golden patterns.

He seemed to be conducting some kind of ceremony.

Some bizarre, spine-chilling ceremony.

Wen Yicong held her breath and continued watching.

After a moment, a man dressed as a chef pushed out a serving cart. He too wore a deep blue, eerie mask. And the cart he pushed seemed to hold some kind of ingredient, covered with a lid, its contents unseen.

The chef pushed the cart straight to the center of the crowd and stopped.

A second later, the footage flashed and the scene changed.

The video background became a luxurious banquet hall. A long dining table was covered with a snow-white tablecloth, set with exquisite tableware and candlesticks. Countless people wearing blue masks sat at the table, their postures elegant, as if waiting for a grand feast.

The chef appeared again.

He reached out, grasped the handle of the silver lid on the serving cart, and lifted it.

In the footage, the delicacy on the plate was finally exposed beneath the candlelight.

Wen Yicong saw what it was.

In just a few seconds, her face went deathly pale, her eyes wide with shock.

A violent wave of nausea surged in her stomach, forcing her right hand to shoot out, trembling, and close the video.

She pushed back her chair and stumbled into the bathroom.

"Ugh..." Wen Yicong leaned over the sink, dry-heaving several times, her stomach churning like a stormy sea, but nothing came up.

Cold water ran with a gurgling sound. She cupped it in her hands, splashing it over her face again and again.

Fear and shock twisted together inside her, refusing to settle for a long time.

She raised her head and looked at the mirror before her.

The girl in the mirror had a deathly pale face, reddened eyes, lips without a trace of color. Droplets of water slid down her flawless cheeks, dripping onto the sink with a soft patter.

The scene from the video surfaced in her mind once more.

Had she seen wrong?

On that plate, arranged alongside turkey, broccoli, and various other ingredients—how could it be, how could it possibly look like a...?

"..."

Wen Yicong gripped the sink with both hands, breathing in great gulps. She felt her heart pounding wildly, so fast it seemed about to burst from her chest, her eardrums buzzing, as if the whole world were spinning.

She didn't know how long passed before the discomfort in her stomach finally eased slightly.

Wen Yicong steadied herself, turned off the faucet, grabbed a towel to dry her face, and leaning against the wall, slowly made her way back to the room.

What were those videos and images?

A horror film? Some kind of bloody, grotesque performance art?

Could it really be, as Pei Xizhou said, things Mo Shaoshang had locked in that Safe Deposit Vault?

Wen Yicong pressed her forehead, her whole being a chaos of confusion and terror.

Just then—knock knock.

A sudden knock at the door.

Only then did Wen Yicong come back to herself slightly from the immense terror.

She cleared her throat, trying to make her voice sound as normal as possible. "Who is it?"

Silence outside the door.

No answer.

Wen Yicong frowned, returned to the desk to shut down the computer, pulled out the USB Drive and tossed it into a drawer, locked the drawer, then straightened up and walked toward the door.

She reached the doorway, took a deep breath, and opened the door.

A tall figure came into view.

The dim yellow light of the corridor fell from behind the man, casting his handsome face into shadow, his expression unreadable. Only a pair of blue-black eyes pierced through the pool of darkness, fixing directly on her.

Like a bottomless abyss.

Wen Yicong's gaze shifted slightly. Her lips moved twice, about to speak, but the man before her had already entered without invitation.

"You... you're really back quite late today."

Looking at Mo Shaoshang's cold, stern face bathed in shadow, Wen Yicong's heart suddenly began to race. She instinctively stepped back, striving to stay calm, making casual small talk with him. "Have you eaten?"

"Mm." The man replied flatly, casually closing the door behind him.

*Click.*

Hearing the sound of the lock falling into place, Wen Yicong's breath caught, her eyes widening slightly.

Before she could speak again, her waist was seized, and the world spun before her eyes.

He swept her up in one motion, carried her to the edge of the bed, sat down with a bend, parted her two slender, well-proportioned legs, and placed her face-to-face on his lap.

"..."

Wen Yicong gently bit her lip, her eyes moist, a faint, unnatural flush slowly creeping across her cheeks.

The fit was perfect, the possession absolute.

In this position, she could feel him with excruciating clarity.

Feel him awakening for her, burning for her, coming alive for her.

Then the man's long fingers gripped her chin, tilting it up.

"Taking so long to open the door for me."

Mo Shaoshang lowered his head, his thin lips wandering and nibbling along her bare neck, then suddenly bit down in punishment. "What were you doing just now, my little darling?"

---

Author's note: Random 100 red packet

——

The column has a new pitch, Wild Fire Kiss Me, part of the Mountains and Rivers series, will open this year, interested darlings can bookmark in advance~

Pitch:

On the eve of graduating from police academy, 22-year-old Shu Jiayu traveled thousands of miles from Beicheng to Heyuan City.

Heyuan, the border.

Various forces entrenched, all walks of life mixed together. The boundary between day and darkness here is blurred like the dense fog of the rainy season.

Late at night, she infiltrated the Abandoned Factory.

In the backlight, a tall man leaned against the wall, eyes lowered, his long fingers idly toying with an unlit cigarette.

Dark light fell from the side, carving distinct planes of light and shadow across his face—prominent brow bone, straight nose, jawline cold and hard as if carved.

Even in his most relaxed posture, he couldn't conceal that extreme oppressive aura, decadent and sharp.

Like a blade that had been sharpened and had seen blood.

The instant their eyes met, Shu Jiayu was locked by the man's gaze, her breath catching.

The other's gaze fell on her, cold and still, scanning from top to bottom with what seemed like no emotion at all, as if confirming a number that had to be absolutely correct.

A moment later, the man spoke: "Shu Jiayu?"

Almost reflexively, she straightened her spine: "...Yes."

"Hello, I'm Chen Wenzhou." The man stepped forward a few paces and said lightly, "Pleased to meet you."

Shu Jiayu's heart pounded wildly.

She had heard the name Chen Wenzhou.

Captain of the National Security Special Police Unit, the stabilizing pillar of the entire system, the supreme commander of this operation, her direct superior.

At the same time...

Also the husband the organization had assigned her, her fake-marriage partner during her undercover stint on the border.

*

At their first meeting, Chen Wenzhou had a bit of a headache.

The mission was arduous, nine deaths out of ten, extremely dangerous—how could the higher-ups send him such a quiet, pretty young girl?

At their first meeting with Chen Wenzhou, Shu Jiayu was especially nervous.

To spend every day with such a man, playing the role of the most intimate husband and wife—just thinking about it made her so nervous her legs went weak.

Later, after months of living together.

Shu Jiayu often found her cheeks flushed, her eyes moist, her legs inexplicably weaker.

And Chen Wenzhou finally understood what it meant for love to seep into the bones, for life and death, for being unable to stop.