Chapter 10: Encounter with Shen Cen

“Wei Yang!”

The man lowered his voice, cold and fierce.

He narrowed his eyes, staring at her as if struggling to contain the storm of emotions about to burst forth.

Wei Yang felt a surge of anger and a deeper sense of grievance. She had never wanted to come with them in the first place, yet he, Xie Yanli, had insisted, asking her to grant him some face. Could she really refuse that?

What puzzled Wei Yang most was that despite her compliance, why did he still seek trouble with her?

Facing this unpredictable man, she felt a flicker of fear deep within, yet the bitterness swelling in her heart made her want to provoke him recklessly.

Thinking this, a faint flush of dark red tinted the corner of her eyes.

Xie Yanli noticed this, his brow furrowing ever so slightly.

“Mr. Xie, I’m just stating the facts. If we stay out too long, Miss Zhao is bound to let her mind run wild. Surely you wouldn’t want that...”

Before he could finish, a heavy shadow suddenly descended.

Wei Yang’s soft lips were unexpectedly enveloped by a warm, insistent press, crushing the words she was about to speak back down her throat.

Her heart jolted; her pupils dilated sharply as panic surged through her.

“Mm...”

She struggled desperately, palms pressing against the man’s scorching, solid chest.

Xie Yanli, like a man possessed, wrapped one arm around her slender waist, pulling her forcefully into his embrace as if swept by a violent storm.

Wei Yang stifled a startled moan. “Y-you let go...”

The man said nothing, relentless in his determined advance.

Suddenly, footsteps echoed outside, growing nearer.

Wei Yang’s tension spiked instantly; her heart raced wildly, nearly leaping from her throat, her breath quickening.

She tried to break free but found her hands firmly restrained by the man before her.

Yet Xie Yanli remained undeterred, his tongue teasing the fragrant warmth of her mouth, as if eager to claim her wholly in that very moment.

Overwhelmed, Wei Yang’s mind went blank; in a panic, she bit down hard on his lip with her sharp, porcelain-white teeth.

The thick taste of blood spread instantly in her mouth.

The man winced in pain, momentarily distracted.

Seizing the opportunity, Wei Yang lifted her leg and struck fiercely at his thigh.

Perhaps anticipating her move, Xie Yanli reacted swiftly, catching her knee with cold, piercing eyes that seemed forged of frost.

Seeing this, Wei Yang quickly pushed him away, breaking free from his grasp.

She shot him a wary glance, then turned without looking back.

Xie Yanli narrowed his eyes, his expression darkening ominously, as if brewing a terrible, fearsome storm.

—

The moment she dashed out of the men's restroom, Wei Yang exhaled quietly, though her heart still pounded like a war drum beneath her ribs.

“Bang—”

Without warning, her forehead struck a solid wall of flesh.

A cool, deep scent of pinewood filled the air, causing Wei Yang to pause and instinctively step back.

Before she could look up, she hurriedly apologized, “I’m sorry! II'm sorry, but I cannot assist with that request.