My head hurts so much.
Shen Zhiyi woke up amid waves of headache, the sensation of weakness from being drugged seemingly hadn't completely faded away. It took her a while to fully come to her senses and seeing the unfamiliar surroundings immediately made her break out in a cold sweat.
She vaguely remembered being drugged and someone taking her away, that person...
"Awake?"
The familiar voice rang out once more, as Shen Zhiyi tensely raised her head, running straight into those piercing, narrow black eyes.
The man was sitting in a relaxed, lazy pose on a nearby sofa, draped only in a dark grey robe, with large patches of his pale skin visible, and several distinctly visible scratch marks across his chest that clearly came from a woman.
But what Shen Zhiyi noticed first was his face; with sharply defined features, fierce brows and eyes, and a smirk playing on his lips that gave the observer a feeling of being preyed upon by a fierce beast.
Shen Zhiyi recognized that face— the man holding the reins of the Pei's empire, Pei Yu, who was not just a real estate magnate but also the leading figure in the entertainment and tech industries, the true power broker of the Beijing Community.
She had somehow become entangled with such a person?
Shen Zhiyi's throat tightened, she shifted uneasily, "Chairman Pei—"
Pei Yu, propping his chin, seemed not to notice her nervousness at the moment, "Do you remember what happened last night?"
His mention of it made Shen Zhiyi both embarrassed and anxious. She had sporadically remembered some of last night's events and could still feel that burning breath on her chest.
All she wanted was to quickly brush this issue off, "I remember... thank you, Chairman Pei, for taking me out. I'll visit to thank you another day."
It was hard to say who took advantage of whom, Shen Zhiyi just wanted to leave this place as soon as possible. She hurriedly stood up to leave, not minding that she was still wearing an oversized men's robe.
"Hold on."
As she passed by Pei Yu, Shen Zhiyi was unexpectedly grabbed by the wrist. She staggered back a few steps, falling into Pei Yu's arms, and immediately stiffened.
The loosely worn robe had slipped down her shoulders, revealing several marks. Pei Yu lifted a hand to tug the robe up, his tone slow and distinctively his, "Miss Shen, are you denying what happened after getting out of bed?"
His body carried a faint scent of agarwood, mixed with his body heat, there was an indescribable air of intimacy, which made Shen Zhiyi suddenly recall all the events of last night—
"How about staying with me from now on?"
"Okay."
She had actually agreed to such an absurd request!
"Chairman Pei, I…"
Shen Zhiyi tried to explain that a promise made when one was not in clear senses couldn't count, but Pei Yu seemed to anticipate what she would say and deliberately countered, "Are you still hung up on that trash?"
Huo Heng...
"Where's my phone?"
Shen Zhiyi suddenly calmed down. Huo Heng's actions last night had deeply hurt her. She and Huo Heng had been friends for over a decade, and she had given up so much for him in these past three years. Although she didn't expect to win his heart, she never imagined that in Huo Heng's mind, she didn't even qualify as a friend.
Even ordinary friends wouldn't have abandoned her in such a situation last night, would they?
Shen Zhiyi grabbed her phone, and saw that there were several missed calls all from her agent, not a single call or message from Huo Heng.
Her heart felt utterly cold, and she found it extremely ridiculous.
What had she been so persistently clinging to all these years? Huo Heng had long since ceased to be the boy he once was, or perhaps the childhood memories she treasured were nothing more than an unbearable past to Huo Heng.
"Okay."
Shen Zhiyi lifted her head to look into Pei Yu's eyes and quietly nodded.
Pei Yu was an influential figure she couldn't afford to provoke. Since she had agreed to go with him the previous night, it would seem childish to back out now. Shen Zhiyi didn't want to offend him and face retaliation, and their relationship had already become ambiguous after last night's folly...
Figures like him always fell into the habit of chasing novelty and tiring of it before long. Shen Zhiyi didn't covet his power or status; she merely wanted to peacefully end this relationship that should never have begun, without impacting her career.
"Mr. Pei, may I leave now? I have an audition this afternoon."
Her response was expected by Pei Yu, who faintly smiled, lifted his long legs, and headed downstairs, "Let's eat first."
Shen Zhiyi followed him, nearly tripping over the hem of the robe. Realizing whose men's robe she was wearing, her cheeks flushed slightly and she hesitantly asked, "Mr. Pei, where are my clothes?"
She couldn't possibly go out and meet people wearing that.
Recalling the ill-fitting dark red evening gown she wore last night, Pei Yu said expressionlessly, "It's been thrown away. I've arranged for someone to bring you new clothes."
That gown was actually a birthday gift from Huo Heng, so even though it was a size too large, Shen Zhiyi still cherished it immensely.
Perhaps it was for the best that it was thrown away.
Shen Zhiyi waited in the room for a while, replying to her agent's messages without revealing anything about the previous night.
"Miss Shen," the door was lightly knocked on twice and a young woman dressed in a professional suit entered, "Hello, I am here to deliver clothes to you. Since Chairman Pei needed them urgently and there was no time for custom orders, I bought several off-the-rack pieces."
Shen Zhiyi glanced at the tags and didn't know what to say.
The "off-the-rack" shop she mentioned carried some international designer brands, and these were the latest limited-edition items of the season.
She decided she should meet with Pei Yu less frequently, feeling uncomfortable about a relationship that began so unexpectedly and with such unequal standing.
After changing into the new clothes and going downstairs, Pei Yu was already sitting at the dining table. Shen Zhiyi quietly ate her meal and immediately suggested leaving afterward.
"Let the driver take you."
Shen Zhiyi: "No need, I can take a cab."
Pei Yu raised an eyebrow, "You're going to hail a cab from a private estate?"
Shen Zhiyi: "...Thank you."
She hadn't expected Pei Yu to actually bring her to his private estate.
"Miss Shen."
Just as she was about to leave, Pei Yu spoke again, lightly tapping the table with his fingers, his gaze slightly lowered, and in a lazy tone, he warned, "I don't like that trash occupying the title of your boyfriend."
He walked up to Shen Zhiyi, gently lifted her hair hanging in front of her chest, leaned in, and bit the love bite on her neck; he didn't use much force, but it was enough to let Shen Zhiyi acutely feel the danger emanating from him. The fangs touching her skin were his warning.
Yet his voice was like a lover's whisper, "Remember to dispose of your trash properly."
Was this the possessiveness that influential people displayed towards what they owned? Shen Zhiyi had always kept her distance from such people to avoid unnecessary trouble, yet now she had inadvertently stepped right into the midst of it.
Since it had already come to this, Shen Zhiyi could only remind herself internally that this was temporary, and once the novelty wore off, she would no longer have any dealings with this man.