Lin Shu turned around, nearly collapsing against the wall outside the lounge door.
She wanted to flee, but her feet seemed nailed to the spot, her ears uncontrollably tuned to the faint sounds from within.
Soon, the situation spiraled out of control.
She heard Gu Chengyu's hoarse, muffled coaxing: "Be good, don't be afraid."
Then came Su Qianqian's weak, tearful protest, which seemed to be abruptly muffled, turning into a short, delicate gasp.
Lin Shu's heart clenched painfully. She turned her head again, peering through the crack in the door. The play of light and shadow she could see had grown even more chaotic.
The man's broad shoulders completely pinned the girl against the wall, blocking her from view.
Occasionally, she could catch a glimpse of a slender, snow-white arm wrapped around the man's neck, fingers curling, only to be swiftly captured by a much larger, powerful hand. Their fingers intertwined as it was pressed back against the wall.
The girl's voice sounded utterly pitiful, yet seductive to the bone: "Chengyu, don't..."
Gu Chengyu's voice was gravelly with a raw intensity, carrying a kind of obsession and near-loss of control that Lin Shu had never heard before: "...Can't stop. Who told you to be so alluring? You're never this forward usually."
The sound of the man's complete immersion assaulted Lin Shu's nerves. She could stay no longer, fleeing in disarray from this heart-shattering, devastating scene.
Underground parking garage.
Lin Shu sat dazed in her car. She could even imagine the scene that had just unfolded inside.
How that lofty, untouchable man had shed all his arrogance and aloofness, like an insatiable beast, indulging and abandoning himself with reckless desire towards that seemingly fragile, helpless girl.
When had he ever treated her like that?
When had he ever shown such patience and fervor?
She could also picture Su Qianqian's appearance—thoroughly cherished, delicate and pitiful yet radiating sensuality.
And she, at that moment, could only stand outside the door like a despicable voyeur, listening to the sounds of her own despair.
She actually lost out to a lowly woman.
She hated it. She hated it so much.
Upstairs, behind the door, spring's passions were in full bloom.
Down in the garage, a heart was utterly trampled into the mud.
Morning. Sunlight filtered through the blinds, casting dappled shadows.
Lin Shu sat on the sofa in Su Qianqian's lounge, having not slept all night.
Her meticulously applied makeup was now smudged, her eyes bloodshot, her hair somewhat disheveled, and her long dress wrinkled. She looked exceptionally haggard.
Her gaze was fixed dead ahead on the office door.
Light, graceful footsteps sounded from outside, growing closer.
The door opened, and Su Qianqian walked in.
She was wearing a white dress today, her long hair tied up in a demure bun that revealed her slender, elegant neck. Her eyes were clear, her entire person so tender she seemed you could pinch water from her. She stood in stark contrast to the oppressive, heavy atmosphere in the office.
Seeing Lin Shu in her lounge, Su Qianqian seemed startled, pausing in her steps: "Sister Shu? What are you doing here?"
Lin Shu looked up, her eyes boring into Su Qianqian.
Seeing her this fresh and dewy appearance, and connecting it with those scorching images from last night... how that man she could never have had cherished and doted on this wretch before her!
Disgust and jealousy shattered the last of Lin Shu's reason.
She stood up: "What am I doing here?"
Lin Shu advanced step by step, her voice hoarse from the sleepless night, thick with sarcasm and hatred: "I was waiting for you! Waiting for my wonderful assistant who's flown up the social ladder, so incredibly resourceful!"
Su Qianqian was forced to retreat a small step by her advance, her back lightly touching the door panel, her eyes growing even more innocent and bewildered:
"Sister Shu, I don't understand what you're saying? You look awful, are you feeling unwell?"
"I'm feeling unwell?" Lin Shu's voice suddenly rose, sharp and piercing.
"Of course I'm feeling unwell! I feel sick just looking at your face, pretending to be pure and well-behaved!"
She stared at Su Qianqian as if she wanted to skin her alive: "Su Qianqian, still acting? Is there any need to keep up the act in front of me? Huh?"
She suddenly reached out a hand, as if to grab Su Qianqian, but Su Qianqian gently twisted her body, avoiding it.
"Sister Shu, what's really wrong? Is there some misunderstanding?"
Su Qianqian's voice was filled with wronged indignation: "If I've done something wrong, you can tell me, I'll correct it..."
