Host! I told you to do a task! I didn't tell you to bbb.

Liu Yunshu walked into the bathroom, looked at her charming and alluring self in the mirror, and a playful smile appeared on her lips.

"Gu Shichen has good taste."

"Yes, ma'am! This outfit is so beautiful!" Xiao Ba cupped his face in his hands, gazing at her adoringly.

Liu Yunshu glanced at it sideways, her eyes brimming with nonchalant languor and allure. "Your system gets nosebleeds too?"

Xiao Ba suddenly snapped out of her daze, hurriedly wiped her nose, but found nothing. She then snuggled up to her neck and started acting all cute.

"Big brother~ Why are you still making fun of me~"

Liu Yunshu casually tidied the stray hairs falling beside her ear, a sly glint in her eyes: "Just teasing you."

She twirled halfway in front of the mirror, the hem of her burgundy velvet skirt rippling in waves.

"Let's go, it's time to go back."

In the blink of an eye, he returned to his usual aloof and distant demeanor.

As soon as I stepped out of the restroom, I saw Gu Shichen standing by a pillar not far away, the jade ring on his finger gleaming coldly under the light.

Liu Yunshu paused slightly, but her expression remained calm and composed as she walked over slowly, a faint smile playing on her lips.

"What are you doing here, Mr. Gu?"

"I'm afraid you'll get lost."

Gu Shichen came forward, his tone seemingly casual, but his gaze slid from her reddened ear tips to the folds of her skirt, his Adam's apple bobbing almost imperceptibly.

"Did you enjoy the dance just now?"

"Thanks to President Gu, everything is alright."

She avoided his overly intense gaze and looked towards the banquet hall.

"There are still quite a few guests inside, let's go back."

Gu Shichen didn't move, but suddenly took half a step forward, instantly closing the distance between them.

The scent of cedarwood emanating from him grew stronger, mixed with a faint hint of alcohol, forcefully enveloping her.

Liu Yunshu instinctively stepped back, but her back gently pressed against the cold pillar, leaving her with nowhere to retreat.

"Miss Liu."

He lowered his head, his breath brushing against her forehead, his voice deep like the last note of a cello.

"You seem to be avoiding me at all costs?"

The jade thumb ring between his fingers gently brushed against her shoulder, the cool touch making Liu Yunshu stiffen.

She looked up and met his unfathomable eyes, which churned with intense emotions, carrying a deadly allure.

"Mr. Gu is joking."

She tried to remain calm, her fingertips curling slightly. "But I have a boyfriend, so it's best to keep our distance."

Gu Shichen chuckled softly, his breath brushing against her neck, carrying a hint of heat.

"Even if you have a boyfriend, it doesn't stop us from being compatible business partners, does it?"

His fingertips slid slowly down her shoulder and stopped at the black jade buckle at her waist, gently caressing it.

Liu Yunshu grabbed his hand, a hint of displeasure flashing in her eyes. "Even as business partners, there's no need to be this close."

Seeing the coldness in Liu Yunshu's eyes, Gu Shichen slowly withdrew his hand and took a half step back to create distance.

The burning intensity in his eyes subsided slightly, and he regained some of his aloof and noble air, though his Adam's apple continued to bob silently.

"I'm sorry, I was being presumptuous. Let's go."

Liu Yunshu secretly breathed a sigh of relief, straightened her skirt, and took the lead in walking towards the banquet hall.

Liu Yunshu stayed a while longer, and seeing that it was getting late, she nodded slightly to Gu Shichen, her tone polite:

"Mr. Gu, it's getting late, I'll take my leave now."

Gu Shichen paused on the jade ring on his finger, his gaze falling on her slightly tired face, and his Adam's apple bobbed: "I'll give it to you."

"No need to trouble Mr. Gu," Liu Yunshu declined. "Mo Ci said he would come to pick me up."

The light in his eyes dimmed slightly, but he didn't insist any further, simply nodding slightly: "Very well."

His fingertips caressed the jade thumb ring, his tone devoid of emotion, "Be careful on the road."

Liu Yunshu turned and left, her wine-red skirt sweeping across the ground, leaving behind a fleeting, beautiful silhouette.

Gu Shichen stood there, watching her figure disappear through the doorway, his eyes as deep and dark as an ink-stained pool.

The jade thumb ring between his fingers spun faster and faster, its cold, hard edge digging painfully into his fingertips, yet it couldn't suppress the surging heat in his heart.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Liu Yunshu opened the car door and found a large cardboard box piled on the passenger seat, making it impossible for her to sit down.

"Yun Shu, I'm sorry, this is A Yan's stuff. Please make do with sitting in the back for now."

Shen Moci looked at her apologetically.

She brushed a stray hair behind her ear with her fingertips and said gently, "It's nothing, it's alright."

He opened the car door and bent down to sit in the back seat.

As soon as she closed the car door, she noticed an extremely aggressive gaze fixed on her.

She glanced over instinctively, her pupils suddenly contracting – it was Lu Hengyan!

"What are you doing here!"

Lu Hengyan leaned against the other side of the back seat, his gaze unabashedly admiring her charm tonight.

"Ayan said he wants to take a break during this period and stay with me for a few days."

Shen Moci started the car while explaining with a smile.

"I see."

Liu Yunshu's lips curled into a stiff smile.

The atmosphere inside the car instantly froze. Liu Yunshu subconsciously moved closer to the car door to avoid Lu Hengyan's overly blatant gaze.

His gaze, like a hook, swept from the hem of her burgundy dress down to her bare shoulders, finally settling on her rosy lips.

At this moment, Liu Yunshu felt that if his gaze could materialize, she would have been stripped naked long ago.

She gripped her skirt tightly, turned her head to look at the rapidly receding neon lights outside the window, pretending not to notice the burning gaze.

The next moment, Liu Yunshu stared wide-eyed at Lu Hengyan in disbelief. Had he gone mad?! He actually…

She bit her lip hard, refusing to let a single groan escape her throat.

Her fingertips were clenched until they turned white, and the wine-red velvet skirt was crumpled into deep wrinkles, her back taut like a fully drawn bow.

"Aci, do you remember when we went to the back mountain to raid bird nests when we were little, and you fell into a mud puddle? I was the one who pulled you out."

Lu Hengyan suddenly spoke, his tone casual.

His gaze remained fixed on Liu Yunshu, a hint of amusement in his eyes.

Shen Moci was focused on driving and didn't notice the undercurrents in the back seat. Hearing this, he laughed.

"How could I not remember? My dad gave me a good scolding that day, and you took the blame for me."

Liu Yunshu tensed up and suddenly reached out to grab his wrist to stop him.

Her beautiful eyes were filled with anger, and combined with her outfit tonight, she looked like a red rose burning with rage.

While Lu Hengyan was captivated by her, a strong sense of jealousy welled up in his heart, but he calmly chatted with Shen Moci.

A red flush rose at the corner of Liu Yunshu's eyes, and a tear slid down her cheek.

Looking at her reddened eyes and tearful expression, Lu Hengyan felt a pang of pity and affection.

But it continued without any mercy...

Liu Yunshu bit her lower lip hard, tasting a faint metallic flavor of blood, before barely managing to suppress the sob that almost escaped her lips.

The redness at the corners of his eyes intensified, and tears, like pearls from a broken string, slid down his cheeks, landing on the back of his hand, burning his fingertips slightly.

"Later you said you would give me the most beautiful bird egg as a gift, but then you forgot about it in the tree hole."

Lu Hengyan's voice remained relaxed, even carrying a hint of amusement.

"Yeah, you found out later, brought it back to me, and called me a silly little fool."

Shen Moci's laughter came through the driver's seat.

Liu Yunshu's body trembled like a candle in the wind, tears blurred her vision, and her burgundy dress was slightly damp with cold sweat.

She stared intently at Lu Hengyan, her eyes filled with humiliation and anger.

But those reddened eyes and trembling lips, in his eyes, added a touch of extreme allure.

"Aci, didn't you think the fireflies that summer were especially beautiful?"

Lu Hengyan suddenly chuckled, his tone casual as if he were merely reminiscing about the past.

Liu Yunshu suddenly looked out the window, her eyes flashing white light from the lamplight.

Tears welled up and slid down his jawline, landing on the back of his hand, burning his fingertips slightly.

"Yes, it's a pity that fireflies are rarely seen nowadays."

Shen Moci casually agreed, his gaze sweeping across the rearview mirror, where he caught a glimpse of Liu Yunshu's reddened eyes, and couldn't help but ask with concern:

"Yunshu, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

Liu Yunshu froze, quickly turning her head to wipe away her tears with the back of her hand, her voice trembling with a barely perceptible sob:

"No, it's nothing. My eyes are just a little sore from the bright lights at the party."

Upon hearing this, a triumphant smile flashed in Lu Hengyan's eyes, and he silently uttered, "Delicious."

Shen Moci didn't ask any more questions, but slowed down the car and said gently, "Then lean back in your seat and rest for a while, we're almost there."

Liu Yunshu suppressed the trembling that gripped her body and obediently leaned back in her seat, her eyelids tightly closed.

Her long eyelashes were still wet with tears, like butterfly wings covered in morning dew.

The car slowly drove into the familiar residential area and stopped downstairs.

Shen Moci got out of the car first and went around to the back seat to open the door for Liu Yunshu, but Lu Hengyan beat him to it.

He stretched out his long arm to block the car door and said to Shen Moci with a natural smile, "I'll take Miss Liu upstairs. You go get your things from the trunk."

Shen Moci, unsuspecting, smiled and nodded, "Okay, thank you for your trouble."

The car door was opened, and Lu Hengyan leaned close, his breath almost touching her earlobe, his voice low and carrying a hint of ambiguous threat.

"Yun Shu, I am very satisfied with tonight's 'hospitality'."

He gently traced the tears still on her cheek with his fingertips. "Next time, don't be so naughty."

Liu Yunshu froze, abruptly turned her head to avoid it, pushed open the car door and staggered out of the car, almost fleeing towards the stairwell entrance.

Lu Hengyan watched her flustered figure, a dark smile curving his lips, and slowly followed after her.

There were only the two of them in the elevator, and the enclosed space made the sense of oppression even more intense.