This was the first—and last—time Ning Zhen would attend Hengxing’s annual gala as Meng Xianwen’s girlfriend.
She abandoned the polished look she usually put together for accompanying him to social events. She hadn’t even bothered to style her hair. On her way out, she had casually grabbed a hair clip from the shoe cabinet, then hurried into the elevator and down to the lobby, twisting her hair up and securing it as she walked.
She wore no jewelry, either, prioritizing comfort and ease. In a simple white coat, she slid gracefully into the car, looking as though she had only just woken up, a trace of sleepiness still lingering on her face. She lazily greeted the man sitting upright in the back seat.
“You’re early today.”
She lied without the slightest change in expression. “I was afraid you’d be waiting too long, so I didn’t have time to get ready.”
“Didn’t have time to get ready, or didn’t feel like getting ready?”
Meng Xianwen put away his phone and looked at her at his leisure, his gaze taking in every inch of her.
The perfunctory nature of her effort was glaringly obvious. She had dressed even less carefully than she did when she went shopping or out to eat with friends. Taking advantage of this being their last day, she was openly slacking off.
“Oh, come on. I’m not the main character today. No one’s going to be paying attention to me!” Ning Zhen turned to meet his eyes and continued defending herself. “Besides, didn’t you check the weather forecast? It’s freezing. How am I supposed to wear the dress you sent over? The ties are so complicated.”
Her mouth was busy explaining.
Her eyes, however, were clearly saying: Yes, I’m being perfunctory. What are you going to do about it?
In the past, Meng Xianwen wouldn’t have quarreled with her over something so trivial. But today, after holding her gaze for a moment, he glanced down at his watch and smiled faintly.
“There’s still plenty of time. I’ll go upstairs with you and help you change.”
As she had said, she wasn’t the main character today.
But this was Hengxing’s annual gala. As his girlfriend, he would not allow her to be the slightest bit careless—even if this was their last day.
Ning Zhen clearly hadn’t expected him to answer that way. She blinked and stared at him in surprise, momentarily at a loss for words.
He leaned toward her slightly, taking in every change in her expression. His meaning was unmistakable.
“Zhenzhen, if you’re going to be a monk for a day, you have to do the duties of one for that day. Have you forgotten what you promised me?”
“…”
Ning Zhen felt her blood surge.
She glared at him angrily.
What a bastard!
Even now, she still couldn’t believe it. Was she some kind of saint? How had she managed to stay with a bastard like him for an entire year?
“Got it!” she shouted.
Then she angrily shoved open the door, jumped out, and slammed it shut with a resounding bang.
A partition had been raised between the driver’s seat and the back seat.
Xiao Ding flinched at the noise. He had no idea what had happened. Lowering the window in bewilderment, he looked outside, only to see Miss Ning—who had gotten into the car less than a few minutes ago—hurrying toward the building entrance.
Before he could react, another tall, commanding figure appeared in his line of sight.
It was Mr. Meng.
Meng Xianwen followed behind her at an unhurried pace.
Before long, the two of them entered the building one after the other.
Ning Zhen was growing increasingly irritated. She repeatedly stabbed at the elevator’s up button, more and more convinced that the two elevators had some personal grudge against her, as though they were cursed to clash.
Whenever she wasn’t in a hurry, the elevators were always waiting empty. But the moment she needed one, they became impossibly slow, as if determined to stop at every single floor.
Meng Xianwen came to stand beside her at an unhurried pace, his expression perfectly calm.
She caught sight of his impeccably tailored suit from the corner of her eye and snapped, “What are you following me for?”
“To keep an eye on you,” he replied.
Be patient. Be patient. Be patient.
Ning Zhen kept reminding herself that it was four in the afternoon, and only eight hours remained until their one-year agreement expired. If she could just make it through these eight hours, victory would be within reach.
The elevator chimed as it reached the first floor.
As if she were picking a fight with someone, Ning Zhen strode into the elevator first and nearly collided with someone. A force pulled her aside and shielded her. She hastily looked up, the top of her head brushing against his sharp jaw. Looking down at her, he said, “Always so reckless. I told you there was still plenty of time. What are you rushing for?”
By the time he finished speaking, everyone else getting off had already left. The elevator doors closed automatically, leaving only the two of them inside.
Ning Zhen stepped out of his arms and pressed the button for the twenty-first floor, her voice edged with complaint. “Oh, really? If there was still plenty of time, why did you hurry me downstairs? Was texting me not enough? You had to call, too.”
Meng Xianwen’s expression shifted slightly.
The annual gala began at seven. He had come to pick her up at five. Or he could have simply sent a driver—there was no reason he couldn’t.
Apparently dissatisfied with her complaint, a trace of impatience flashed between his brows. “Don’t read too much into it. I just happened to be passing by.”
Ning Zhen was speechless.
And he was telling her not to read too much into things? In the past, she had read too little into them—which was why he had managed to trick her and keep her in the palm of his hand for an entire year. An entire year!
She responded with a cool hum.
The elevator stopped smoothly at the twenty-first floor. Once again, Ning Zhen stepped out first. Without checking whether he was following, she scanned her fingerprint to open the door, hurried straight into the master bedroom, and shut the door to change.
The dress he had sent someone to deliver was beautiful—and suited her perfectly.
Yesterday afternoon, her boss had treated everyone to afternoon tea. She had followed her colleagues’ lead and ordered a cup of milk tea without thinking. As a result, she had lain awake until dawn, tossing and turning in bed, becoming more and more alert. In the end, she had simply gotten up, opened her closet, and tried on the dress that had been delivered half a month earlier and hung up after she had glanced at it only once.
It had taken her ages just to tie the ribbons, so she had a perfectly good reason for being in a bad mood today.
A moment later, Ning Zhen emerged from the master bedroom with a taut expression—and came face-to-face with the scene before her.
Meng Xianwen sat at ease on the sofa, a bottle of mineral water in hand, looking entirely relaxed.
She was genuinely impressed by his shamelessness. In fact, she could count on one hand the number of times he had come to her apartment over the past year. Yet every single time, he acted as naturally as though he were at Yuyuan, completely oblivious to the fact that he was a guest.
At the sound of the door opening, Meng Xianwen lifted his eyes toward her.
Their gazes met.
Ning Zhen tilted her head as she put on an earring, then looked away. She had no idea why, but being watched by him made her feel strangely uncomfortable.
It was all his fault! She had always lived alone. She wasn’t used to having another man in her home—not even Qiansui, her dog.
For some reason, the thought of putting him and Qiansui side by side struck her as inexplicably funny.
A smile surfaced at the corners of her lips. She quickly cleared her throat to cover it up and said, “Since we’re not in a hurry, I’ll put on some makeup too. That way, you won’t have anything else to nitpick about.”
Her words were full of reproach for him making a fuss over nothing today.
Meng Xianwen ignored her.
As she turned away, his gaze shifted discreetly from the swaying hem of her dress. The room was too small, and the humidifier wasn’t running—she had probably turned it off before going out. The whole place was warm, but the dry air made it stifling and irritating.
He withdrew his gaze, casually unscrewed the cap of a bottle, and drank half the water to soothe the dryness in his throat.
Ning Zhen sat before the vanity, quietly sharpening her ears as she did her brows, listening to the sounds coming from the living room. Her thoughts ran wild. He had said something in the car: “Just get through each day as it comes.” Clearly, today was the final day of their agreement, and he knew it.
That reassured her somewhat.
A year ago, she might not have understood Meng Xianwen very well. But now she dared say that, among the people who knew him, she could easily rank in the top three.
She understood him even better than his own younger brother, Meng Jiaran!
Anything Meng Xianwen had promised—including the ten million yuan—he would definitely give her.
As for…
The conditions he had proposed—to stay away from Meng Jiaran and the Meng family—were things she couldn’t, and didn’t want to, do. After a year of easing into it and constantly preparing herself mentally, she had actually accepted it long ago and was ready.
“I’m ready.”
Ning Zhen stepped out of the room and called out.
Meng Xianwen didn’t even look up. After replying to an email on his phone, he rose unhurriedly.
Still harboring some inexplicable irritation toward him, she deliberately spun around in front of him and said sarcastically, “Go ahead, inspect me. Is this good enough?”
He looked at her without a flicker of emotion. “Let’s go.”
As if he had lost patience, he didn’t spare her another glance and walked toward the door.
Ning Zhen shook a fist at his back.
He was the one who had insisted he wasn’t in a hurry and had come upstairs to supervise her. Yet after waiting barely half an hour, she was already rushing around as though her life depended on it, while he acted as if he couldn’t wait to leave.
What was wrong with him?
Reluctantly, she followed him. Passing through the living and dining area, she picked up the coat hanging over a chair and reached the entryway with her steps all out of rhythm. Trying to put on her coat and change her shoes at the same time, she inevitably fumbled.
Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through her earlobe. She let out a soft hiss.
Meng Xianwen immediately turned around. He removed his hand from the doorknob and approached her. The entryway was narrow and cramped, and it seemed as though even their breaths were trapped within those few square feet. In a deep voice, he asked, “What happened?”
Ning Zhen rubbed her ear and said sulkily, “My earring got caught on my clothes. It pulled really hard.”
“Let me see.”
He bent down, his expression solemn as he lifted her face in his hand. His gaze settled on her slightly reddened ear, and the distance between them steadily narrowed. Ning Zhen could even feel his breath brushing against the side of her neck. Her lashes trembled, but she forced herself to steady her mind.
Over the past year, they had been lovers in name only.
Every few days, she had to accompany him to social engagements and attend certain necessary occasions, playing the part of a loving couple. Naturally, there had been no shortage of physical contact—linking arms, holding hands, embracing.
None of that counted for much. He had even kissed her forehead, though the kiss had been as fleeting as a dragonfly skimming water, gone almost as soon as it landed.
“No—”
It’s fine. Never mind.
She had only managed to utter one word before he cut her off.
Without giving her a chance to object, he removed the earring from her ear and said in an even tone, “If it hurts, don’t wear it.”
After saying that, as though punishing her for wasting his precious time, he took it off and didn’t return it to her. He clenched it in his hand, slipped it into his trouser pocket, then opened the door and walked out without so much as a glance back—his movements smooth and decisive, without the slightest hesitation.
Ning Zhen: “?”
She stared at his retreating back, dumbfounded.
What kind of person was he?!
“The elevator’s here.”
Before she could recover, his low, impatient voice came from outside the door.
Endure it. Endure it. Endure it.
Seven hours and twenty-three minutes left.
Victory was within reach.
Ning Zhen took a deep breath and stepped outside. She really was far too meek sometimes. She had originally wanted to slam the door hard, like she had downstairs, to vent some of her anger—but then she remembered that this was her house, her door. Her temper instantly cooled, and she shut it gently and elegantly.
“What are you rushing me for? I’m coming!”
she shouted.
Once inside the elevator, the car descended smoothly. In the mirrored wall, Ning Zhen noticed that she was wearing only one earring, looking conspicuously odd. Without looking at him, she held out her hand.
“Give me back my earring.”
Meng Xianwen said casually, “I threw it away.”
“Hey, you—” Even as slow on the uptake as she was, she finally realized it. He had been deliberately making things difficult for her today—from showing up outside her building at four o’clock and rushing her downstairs onward.
If she dressed up properly and gave him nothing to criticize, she would still have had to arrive early and accompany him to socialize.
And if she dressed carelessly, that suited him even better. He’d have an excuse to lecture her.
“Compensate me!” An idea struck Ning Zhen, and she immediately demanded compensation with perfect confidence, lying without batting an eye. “That was my favorite earring. What right did you have to throw it away?”
Meng Xianwen stared at her for a few seconds, then curled his lips into a faint smile. “Fine.”
He agreed so readily that she became wary instead.
Half an hour later.
Ning Zhen hesitated, unsure whether she should get out of the car—unsure whether some trap was waiting for her ahead. But Meng Xianwen had already gotten out and was standing beside the car. Seeing no sign of her getting out, he rested one hand on the door and bent down, meeting her eyes through the open doorway.
“Fine. If you don’t want to buy anything, then forget it. Saves me money.”
As he spoke, he made to get back into the car.
She hurriedly scrambled out and blocked him. “Buy! Who said I didn’t want to buy anything?”
She hadn’t expected that, after getting into the car, Meng Xianwen wouldn’t have Xiao Ding drive straight to the annual gala. Instead, they had come to a shopping mall near Hengxing Group. The counters here were well stocked, with plenty of brands she liked.
Meng Xianwen let out a brief laugh at her flustered haste.
Since he was being reasonably sincere, Ning Zhen didn’t deliberately drag things out or make trouble for him. She headed straight for the jewelry counter. With the mindset of taking the opportunity while it lasted, she picked out a pair of diamond studs without blinking, along with a matching bracelet.
It was the last day of their agreement.
Still, she acknowledged that he possessed one rather outstanding virtue.
He was very decisive when it came to paying by card.
Meng Xianwen lowered his gaze to her and teased, “Does that count as compensation? Are you still going to make a fuss?”
“Compensation? What compensation?” Her face lit up in a smile. “Why make it sound so formal between us?”
“...”
The nearly seven-figure earrings and bracelet did a great deal to settle Ning Zhen’s turbulent emotions. Halfway through the annual gala, she stood some distance away, gazing at Meng Xianwen as he chatted and laughed with his subordinates, lost in thought.
To be fair, he wasn’t exactly bad to her.
Though sometimes the things he said and did made her furious enough to see red, they were only following an agreement, after all. He wasn’t really her boyfriend. What right did she have to be so picky?
Remembering how she had acted difficult earlier that day—and how she had deliberately treated his annual gala perfunctorily just to win back a little ground—she couldn’t help laughing.
She had made it through 364 days in this miserable arrangement. She might as well see her final day through properly. Besides…
Besides, the agreement would expire tomorrow…
This time, she hadn’t bombarded him with messages demanding to leave. Instead, she had quietly stayed to one side. Whenever anyone came over to exchange pleasantries, she responded with a bright smile, clinked glasses, and took only a small sip of wine, giving him plenty of face.
Late that night.
The grand and lively Hengxing annual gala finally came to an end.
Meng Xianwen had had some drinks. Once he got into the car, he undid the buttons of his shirt.
Ning Zhen had drunk less than he had. And, having had the foresight to ask a waiter for two bottles of tomato juice, she had finished one of them and was now much more clearheaded.
The smell of alcohol emanating from him lingered in the back seat. His scent filled her nose, making her feel a little tipsy as well.
“Here. I got this especially for you.”
After a rustle of movement, Meng Xianwen was still trying to settle the effects of the alcohol when her voice came from beside him—or rather, from within easy reach—breaking the silence of the car. He opened his eyes to find a bottle of tomato juice.
“Trust me, I tested it myself. A little will make you feel much better and keep you from throwing up,” she chattered. “And if you are going to throw up, at least wait until I get out of the car. I can’t stand the smell!”
“Do you need something?”
After a few seconds of silence, he took the bottle.
Ning Zhen pressed her lips together. He knew her well; she wouldn’t offer him something so solicitously for no reason.
Besides wanting to see her final day through properly, she had something more important to do.
She couldn’t forget it. No matter how much she drank, she couldn’t forget.
“Here, take this back too.” She reached into her coat pocket and returned the supplementary card he had given her, reluctant to let it go. Then, as if to make sure he understood, she added, “I actually didn’t spend much.”
Meng Xianwen’s gaze slowly traveled from the supplementary card at her fingertips to her porcelain-pale face.
The diamond earrings she had chosen were dazzling—bright enough to make his head swim.
“Whatever. Just put it somewhere,” he said, turning his head away with apparent indifference.
Ning Zhen froze for a moment.
She couldn’t really blame herself for suspecting him. This was a supplementary card with practically no spending limit. If she simply lost it, who would be held responsible?
What if he tried to pin the blame on her later? Who would she even argue with?
After a moment’s thought, she shifted closer to him. Reaching out, she hooked a finger through the pocket of his shirt, slipped the card inside, and patted it. “There. I put it away for you.”
Their breaths mingled.
Ning Zhen failed to notice that as she leaned closer, his gaze suddenly deepened, lingering uncontrollably over her cheek, her hair, and her slender, fair wrist.
“And you?”
Ning Zhen leaned back again and looked at him expectantly.
“What about me?” He closed his eyes, unwilling to look at her any longer. His tone was calm and utterly emotionless.
“Meng Xianwen!” She grew anxious. “You promised me. The one-year term is up—are you trying to renege on our deal?”
The moment the words left her mouth, silence fell over the car once more.
A matter involving ten million was not something Ning Zhen could afford to take lightly. She leaned closer again and shoved at him without ceremony. “You promised me! No, say something. What do you mean by this?”
His brows drew together. Her pushing gave him a headache, and though his expression remained restrained, he finally opened his eyes and looked at her, his tone impatient. “What’s the rush?”
Ning Zhen froze.
He was getting angry at her?
It felt as though someone had thrown a bucket of ice water over her. Her mind went numb, and her heart turned cold.
She could hardly believe that he was still trying to toy with her.
Had this past year not been enough?
She had done everything he asked. She had been his girlfriend, helped him fend off arranged marriage prospects, accompanied him to business functions, and come whenever he called. No matter how angry or unwilling she was, as long as he came looking for her—no, all it took was one phone call—and she would obediently go to him, playing the part of his considerate girlfriend.
And now he was telling her not to rush.
She wanted to ask him the same thing. Why had he been in such a rush that night? He had not even given her a chance to explain before forcing her onto his pirate ship. Now that the ship had reached shore, was he planning to deny everything?
What did he take her for?
Why did he always treat her like this?
Ning Zhen stared at him without blinking. A glimmer of tears flashed in her eyes, yet she remained stubborn, her voice taut as she said, “You’re trying to mess with me again, aren’t you?”
Meng Xianwen’s breathing caught.
The hand resting on his knee tightened unconsciously. An inexplicable irritation rose in him. He turned his gaze away, his thin lips pressed into a line, then picked up the suit jacket beside him and took an envelope from its pocket. He held it out to her.
“There’s a check inside,” he said quietly.
Ning Zhen glared at him resentfully.
Even at a time like this, he had not forgotten to tease her. Did he think it was funny? Was he pleased with himself?
She reached out to take it, but he kept hold of one corner of the envelope. With a slight tug, he pulled her toward him until they were nearly nose to nose.
“You—”
Ning Zhen was about to curse at him again, but the moment she looked up, she was pinned in place by the depth of his gaze.
Had he had too much to drink?
She kept feeling—she truly kept feeling—that there was something strange about the way he looked at her. Scrutinizing. Restrained. Even his breathing seemed strange—hot and scorching.
It made her inexplicably nervous, at a complete loss.
Just as she could no longer resist asking what exactly he wanted, he let go. The envelope dropped into her hand.
With Ning Zhen’s personality, she would normally have taken out the check and inspected it right in front of him. But for some reason, Meng Xianwen gave her a dangerous feeling.
Even more dangerous than he had that night.
He was not someone to provoke.
Not someone to touch.
She slipped the envelope into her bag, then subtly shifted to the side, wanting to put more distance between them.
At that moment, the car turned smoothly into the residential complex. It was the dead of winter, and outside was pitch-black. Dim yellow streetlights swept across the vehicle, leaving the interior half-lit and half-shadowed.
Meng Xianwen sat expressionlessly, the pressure around him oppressive.
Then, suddenly, the car came to a stop.
That stretch of road had felt so long, and yet so brief.
Ning Zhen realized that her agreement with Meng Xianwen had truly come to an end. She felt relieved, but beneath that relief, a sense of bewilderment slowly surfaced.
Was it really over, just like that?
Neither of them said a word. Silence spread between them, pressing in from all sides, as though each was waiting for the other to speak first.
What was there to say?
Forget it.
It was too late. She should go home and get some sleep. She had sat awake in the living room until dawn the night before, and she was exhausted.
Suppressing the sudden wave of dejection, Ning Zhen spoke softly when midnight arrived, yet every word reached his ears clearly. “Don’t worry. You can rest assured—completely assured—that from now on I won’t go to the Meng family, and I won’t see Jiaran again. If he comes looking for me, I’ll do my best to avoid him.”
“Meng Xianwen, I’m leaving.”
