Chapter 2

With the main character gone, there was no point in continuing the birthday celebration, so the gathering quickly dispersed.

The driver took Song Zhi back to the hillside villa.

This was a place Jiang Yanzhou had specifically bought for her. He didn’t live here full-time; he only came over occasionally when he wanted her.

Lately, due to filming, Song Zhi had been staying at a hotel and hadn’t returned for some time.

The first floor was empty. The housekeeper was wearing a mask and disinfecting the entire house, the sharp smell of alcohol filling the air.

Song Zhi covered her nose and waved her hand to disperse the fumes. “Uncle He, what are you doing?”

The housekeeper set down the disinfectant spray. “Master Jiang said this house has been unoccupied for too long. It needs to be sterilized.”

Song Zhi nodded. “I see.”

The housekeeper smiled. “Master Jiang is still waiting for you upstairs. The smell is quite strong here. Come back down once it dissipates.”

After replying, Song Zhi hesitated for a moment before heading upstairs with some trepidation.

Only one wall lamp in the corridor was lit, casting a dim light. The study door was closed, but a sliver of light seeped out from underneath.

She hesitantly raised her hand to knock on the door.

After a while, a low, hoarse voice responded: “Come in.”

Jiang Yanzhou’s voice was all too familiar to Song Zhi—clear and smooth, rarely ever so raspy.

It carried a sense of endless fatigue.

And rightly so. He was always busy day and night, with very little rest. How could he not be exhausted?

She opened the door and saw him sitting behind his computer monitor, dressed only in a white shirt—he must have showered and changed after coming home.

A sapphire cufflink adorned the neatly pressed cuffs of his shirt. The top two buttons of his collar were undone, revealing a slender neck marked by a six-centimeter scar—not particularly noticeable, but hard to ignore.

It was like a subtle flaw in an otherwise flawless piece of jade, adding a touch of mystery.

Seeing Song Zhi, he placed the fountain pen back on the desk, his dark eyes quietly observing her.

Six months wasn’t a long time, but during his rare moments of leisure, Jiang Yanzhou would sometimes video call her. He was always silent, listening as she talked about what had happened recently.

In the eyes of her fans, Song Zhi was a goddess. But she knew that to Jiang Yanzhou, she was nothing more than entertainment—a distraction to relieve his exhaustion.

To put it bluntly, she was just a source of amusement.

She helped satisfy his physical needs and cheered him up when he was tired.

Their relationship was less about intimacy and more like a transaction.

He didn’t need to speak; his presence alone exuded an aura of reserved nobility that kept others at bay.

Like the alpha wolf in a pack, he was dangerous and commanding, inspiring fear.

Song Zhi tried her best to appear composed. “When did you get back?”

His expression remained unchanged as he replied indifferently, “Just this afternoon.”

“Why didn’t you tell me beforehand?”

Jiang Yanzhou slightly turned his chair, his gaze still fixed on her, but he didn’t say anything.

Song Zhi suddenly felt like laughing.

Of course. In their relationship, Jiang Yanzhou had no obligation to report his whereabouts to her.

________________________________________

She was still wearing the dress from the awards ceremony. Last month, when her schedule had a few days off, she flew overseas to visit him and had the dress custom-made.

The haute couture gown, worth eight figures, had been exposed online the same day as the awards ceremony.

Other celebrities wore outfits sponsored by brands—even top-tier stars—but Song Zhi’s habit of wearing haute couture to every event was seen as extravagance beyond measure.

Rumors about her powerful background grew louder, and some even predicted before the awards were announced that she would win Best Actress.

Sure enough, she did.

The top trending topic on social media was still #GoldenRiverAwardScandal#.

Comments were filled with accusations, saying she wielded immense influence and leveraged her connections to make the usually scandal-free Golden River Awards bend the rules for her.

[Big sis Song is incredible, aiming for the Oscars next. Let’s go for a grand slam.]

[Wow, my heart flooded after seeing such a handsome guy.]

[Haha, I’m so happy for our lead actress competing against international superstars. Hope the international star works hard for the next award too, so the organizers can earn even more.]

Her agent, fearing it might affect her mindset, repeatedly warned her not to log into Weibo for the next few days.

But Song Zhi remained unaffected. She had done nothing wrong, so she wasn’t afraid of slander.

Lost in thought, she seemed distracted. Jiang Yanzhou had no intention of prying or showing interest.

Her shallow thoughts were far less captivating than her figure.

His gaze traveled from the neckline of her dress down to her ankles, where the high heels had left faint red marks on her otherwise fair skin.

Her eyelashes fluttered slightly, revealing the delicate whiteness of her calves beneath.

The man’s eyes darkened, and he softly commanded, “Come here.”

Jiang Yanzhou was impeccably well-mannered, maintaining basic courtesy toward everyone.

Even his tone of voice was gentle, like the breeze of early spring.

Song Zhi obediently approached.

He leaned back slightly, creating space between himself and the desk, and patted his lap. “Sit.”

His legs, clad in black trousers, were long and lean.

Song Zhi cautiously sat down, careful not to lean too heavily. Her back rested against his chest, and even through his suit, she could feel the firmness of his body.

This position made it feel like she was enveloped in his embrace, surrounded by his warmth.

He must have smoked recently; a faint trace of tobacco lingered on him, mixed with the scent of alcohol. No wonder Jiang Yanzhou, who was usually so composed, had lost his temper earlier.

Song Zhi tentatively asked, “Today at the bar, I saw someone who got splashed with alcohol. He looked a lot like you.”

Jiang Yanzhou pinched her earlobe lightly, his tone languid. “Perhaps that unfortunate person was me?”

Her earlobe was sensitive, and the roughness of his fingers sent a strange sensation coursing through her body.

Song Zhi exaggeratedly touched his chest, feeling the solid muscles beneath his shirt. “Did it hurt? My poor baby. I was watching nearby and felt so worried, scared you’d get hurt.”

He glanced down at her, his expression ambiguous. “Funny, I thought you looked amused.”

“I didn’t know it was you. The lighting was so dim.” She pouted, looking slightly aggrieved. “I thought maybe you’d be charmed by that innocent flower over there.”

He glanced at her restless hands wandering across his body and leaned back further, giving her more room to explore. “Same old plotline—I’ve seen you act it out for three years now.”

That woman’s tricks were nothing new; Song Zhi had used them all on him before.

Song Zhi frowned. Wasn’t he indirectly calling her a manipulative flirt?

Jiang Yanzhou didn’t dwell on the topic.

Once Song Zhi finished exploring, he opened a drawer and tossed an envelope toward her. “Do you know what this is?”

It was blank on the outside, but judging by its thickness, it contained something substantial.

Song Zhi shook her head in confusion. “No idea.”

He spoke softly, his voice feather-light against her ear, tickling her. “Open it.”

Even after being by his side for so long, there were moments when his voice still quickened her heartbeat—whether it was laced with sarcasm, heavy with anger, or now, carrying a hint of amusement that nonetheless felt oppressive.

The entertainment industry was rife with handsome men and beautiful women, and Song Zhi had seen her share. But compared to Jiang Yanzhou, they were mere mortals.

He, on the other hand, was a deity living among the clouds—pure, untouched by any stain.

His words were hypnotic, and Song Zhi obediently picked up the envelope, opening it to reveal several photos. They were pictures of her and Xu Zhiyang.

Many locations: on set, at restaurants.

Xu Zhiyang was the male lead in her latest drama and currently the subject of her rumored romance.

They were friends, having grown close due to their similar ages and working together on set.

In the photos, Xu Zhiyang leaned close to her ear, whispering something. She held chopsticks and laughed joyfully.

Another photo showed them gazing into each other’s eyes, smiling similarly.

Handsome man, beautiful woman—it seemed every move they made sparked pink bubbles in people’s imaginations.

Song Zhi remembered what they had been talking about that day—the wrap party banquet. The assistant director, drunk, had been belting out off-key songs, hilariously bad.

They had been laughing about that.

Jiang Yanzhou’s long arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer into his embrace. Their proximity became almost inseparable. “I’ve only been abroad for half a year, and your taste has dropped this much?”

Song Zhi gripped his hand, coquettishly explaining, “We were having a group meal that day, not dining alone.”

Few men could resist her pouting face when she played coy.

She was adept at such tactics, especially in front of Jiang Yanzhou.

He watched her silently, his expression unchanged. He was a reserved man, never revealing his emotions outwardly.

This was what frightened Song Zhi most about him. She could never tell whether he was happy or angry because he always maintained an indifferent demeanor.

The meal had indeed taken place at the hotel, but it was the wrap party banquet. Other crew members were present besides them.

Song Zhi knew that every move she made in the past six months had been reported back to Jiang Yanzhou.

What she ate, whom she met—he knew everything.

To Jiang Yanzhou, she was merely a pet cat he kept, fed with the most expensive food, and occasionally entertained when bored.

But a man like him wouldn’t tolerate his cat getting close to anyone else—no one at all.

He gave a soft hum, neither fully believing nor disbelieving her explanation.

He simply let her soft fingertips trace patterns on his palm.

At that moment, she truly resembled a cat, one desperately trying to please its master.

Seeing that he didn’t intend to press further, Song Zhi sighed in relief, thinking she had escaped trouble. But sitting like this was uncomfortable, so she shifted slightly, attempting to adjust her position in his arms.

Suddenly, a firm hand pressed down on her shoulder, and a breathy sound echoed in her ear—like a wolf lurking in the night, brimming with desire.

Song Zhi froze in fear.

Oh no, how terrifying. After six months apart, Jiang Yanzhou’s temper seemed to have worsened. Could she really not move at all anymore?

Time seemed to stand still as Song Zhi remained frozen in place.

After a while, the man’s low voice broke the silence. “Why aren’t you moving?”

Tears welled up in Song Zhi’s eyes, her voice trembling. “Didn’t you tell me not to move?”

“Did I say anything?”

...Well, no. But sometimes, silence spoke louder than words.

Her back pressed against his chest, and when Jiang Yanzhou spoke, she could feel the vibrations of his voice. “No one scolded you.”

With those words, Song Zhi felt slightly reassured.

Sitting like this was uncomfortable, so she tentatively moved a bit, trying to find a better position.

Unbeknownst to her, his hand had already found her waist, his breathing growing heavier.

Song Zhi was puzzled. Had she gained weight recently, making him uncomfortable?

Just as she was about to ask, her upper body was suddenly pressed onto the desk.