In the depths of winter, fine snow danced through the air.

Even with the cold, Qin Yucen still wore black stockings wrapping her slender, evenly-shaped legs, paired with dark rose-colored high heels. Walking on the polished black floor tiles, her steps were graceful.

"Mr. Huo, I am Qin Yucen from Guanshan Group. I apologize for disturbing you," Qin Yucen's gaze fell on the man with his back to her.

Even a plain white shirt paired with black trousers could not diminish his elegance and nobility.

Upon hearing her voice, Huo Jingtang spoke gently, "Please, have a seat."

His voice was deep and magnetic, devoid of emotional fluctuation, indicating an extraordinary calmness and restraint; it also made finding his weaknesses difficult.

The man turned his head slightly, his eyes glancing briefly at Qin Yucen who stood behind him before he strode over to a couch and sat down.

Qin Yucen sat down as well, and two cups of hot tea were served.

Seeing the mysterious president of Tanghuang Group who was said to control vast economic lifelines up close was due to her friend Xi Yan, his secretary. That connection shortened her waiting time considerably.

His eyebrows were sharp, his thin lips like blades, his nose as imposing as a mountain peak; all impeccably perfect. He outshined even the dazzling crystal chandelier. However, his dark eyes pierced through one's soul, making her hesitant to gaze too long.

"Mr. Huo, for the hotel project contract, our planning department at Guanshan has prepared a detailed proposal, hoping you can see our sincerity," Qin Yucen said respectfully.

He picked up the hot tea and took a sip, his eyes then landed on the document bag on her knees, "Is that the proposal? Let me take a look."

"Sure." Qin Yucen was quite surprised by Huo Jingtang's approachability. No longer as nervous as before, she gradually relaxed.

Qin Yucen opened the document, drew out the already prepared project proposal, but an unidentified object flew out of the bag, tracing a silver arc before landing just in front of Huo Jingtang's toes.

Without seeing what it was, Qin Yucen stood up to pick it up, but upon closer inspection, the red packaging with the white "Durex" emblazoned on it struck her like a thunderclap...

Her pupils dilated with astonishment, and she was overwhelmed with humiliation and shame.

How could that be in the document bag! The document was personally handed to her by Guan Haoyang... He couldn't possibly be so careless as to place that in such an important document bag.

What on earth was going on? She dared not think too deeply about it.

She rose to her feet, bent forward, and stepped toward to pick up the Durex, but Huo Jingtang was a step faster; he had already picked it up, holding it between his slender fingertips, his gaze laced with interest.

"...Strawberry flavor?" Huo Jingtang murmured as he read the words on the condom wrapper, raising an eyebrow at her, he asked lightly, "Miss Qin, do you always bring these when discussing contracts with male clients? Is this brand any good? How's the taste?"

Her pale face turned intensely red, and her delicate ears blushed with shyness.

"Mr. Huo, I don't use these," Qin Yucen spoke, immediately wishing she could bite off her own tongue.

What did this have to do with anything?

It wasn't uncommon for companies to require female employees to compromise themselves for the sake of gaining business advantages.

Huo Jingtang was no stranger to this, but he felt an inexplicable sense of pity towards Qin Yucen.

Her embarrassment made her flush, her long, thick lashes lowered. She was so mortified that she was unable to speak and could only clench her hands tightly, her fingertips turning white.

"Mr. Huo, to tell you the truth, I also don't know why this was in the document bag," Qin Yucen spoke the absolute truth, "Please don't get me wrong."

"Misunderstood?" Huo Jingtang's gaze was unfathomable, as he lifted the item in his hand, but it stung her eyes painfully, "You are the PR manager of Guanshan Group, you must be familiar with the unspoken rules. Perhaps your boss Guan wouldn't mind it being this way!"

"Mr. Huo, given the current strength of Guanshan, we absolutely do not need to do such things. Our boss Guan is also deeply respected by the staff," Qin Yucen not only defended Guanshan's reputation but also smartly shifted the topic, "Mr. Huo, the focus of our meeting today is to discuss the hotel project contract, not this."

"Are you implying that I can't separate public from private, Miss Qin?" Huo Jingtang asked lightly.

"I wouldn't dare," Qin Yucen replied neither humbly nor arrogantly.

After speaking, Huo Jingtang tossed the item onto the side table next to the couch, his eyes dark and frosty, "You and Secretary Xi are classmates, and you got to see me through her, plus this, these obvious hints... Do you think I can't see what's going on? I've seen too many of these games where one pretends to push away what they actually desire. Your classmate Secretary Xi's judgment seems to have declined."

Did he really think of her as one of those despicable women who would cast aside their self-respect to seduce men for the sake of a contract?

"I didn't!" Qin Yucen retorted, feeling humiliated, and then added, "And this has nothing to do with Xi Yan."

She didn't want her well-intentioned friend to suffer any consequences because of this incident. She didn't want Xi Yan to face any difficulties because of her dealings with Huo Jingtang.

As she stepped forward to retrieve the condom from the side table, she tripped over the corner of the carpet. Losing her balance, she fell directly into Huo Jingtang's arms. Her hands clutched desperately at his shirt, while he instinctively wrapped his arms around her slim waist. Her soft body pressed against his robust form, and his intense masculine scent enveloped her, making her feel dizzy.

Their intimate contact left Qin Yucen in a state of flustered confusion. Her face burned with embarrassment, the fair skin blushing shyly, enchantingly intoxicating. She stammered, "Sor... sorry. I tripped."

Huo Jingtang's lips curved slightly, his nose teasingly inhaled the faint scent on her, "I smell something particularly enticing on you."

"Hmmm?" Qin Yucen blinked her clear, innocent eyes, somewhat bewildered.

"You exude a scent of promiscuity..." Huo Jingtang's pupils narrowed, contempt tinging his gaze, "Although other men may like it, I'm allergic..."