After ninety-nine online romances, I finally met my ex in person when school started.

Zhu Xun Chuan looked at the two text messages on his phone screen and felt his stomach start to cramp.

He looked up and met Gu Qinghan's eyes, which gleamed coldly behind his silver-rimmed glasses.

"Sister Qinghan." Zhu Xun Chuan clutched his stomach, his brows furrowing instantly. "I suddenly have a stomachache. It might be something wrong with the ribs in the cafeteria at lunchtime. I need to go to the restroom."

Gu Qinghan held the red pen between her fingers and glanced at his face twice.

"Go ahead, do you need me to buy you some medicine?" she asked with some concern.

"No need, thank you, sister."

Zhu Xun Chuan turned around, opened the office door, and rushed towards the stairwell without looking back.

Just as I ran out of the Faculty of Arts building, a black Rolls-Royce Cullinan was quietly parked beside the tree-lined avenue. Two men in black, wearing sunglasses and with menacing faces, stood on either side of the car door.

Upon seeing Zhu Xunchuan, one of the men in black immediately opened the back door of the car and bowed, gesturing for him to enter.

Zhu Xunchuan climbed into the carriage.

The car was blasting cold air, and the suspension was excellent, completely isolating the cicadas and people outside. A rich, almost aggressive scent of rose perfume filled the air.

Jiang Yao sat on the other side of the back row.

Today she changed into a wine-red, fitted cheongsam. The fabric was expensive silk, which hugged her stunning curves perfectly.

The top button was fastened securely, but the slit at the hem was extremely high, reaching all the way to the top of the thigh.

She crossed her legs. Her right leg was over her left, and a large expanse of her fair, shapely skin was exposed to the air, dazzlingly bright in the dim light of the carriage.

Her right hand rested on her knee, her fingertips rapidly toying with an exquisite butterfly knife.

The silver blade danced between his fingers, reflecting a chilling light. "Swish," "Swish," "Swish."

Zhu Xun Chuan didn't say anything, and obediently sat down next to her.

"Where did you go?" Jiang Yao didn't even lift her eyelids, her voice as cold as ice.

"Help the counselor organize the materials," Zhu Xunchuan said calmly.

Jiang Yao stopped, and the butterfly knife clicked shut. She turned her head, leaned towards him, closed her eyes, and brought her nose close to his shoulder to smell.

The sweet orange flavor is gone.

Instead, there is a faint scent of agarwood and a hint of cool citrus.

Jiang Yao opened her eyes, a hint of annoyance flashing in her sharp gaze. She didn't delve into the source of the two scents, because her gaze was drawn to Zhu Xun Chuan's collar.

She suddenly reached out, grabbed the collar of Zhu Xun Chuan's T-shirt, and yanked it down hard.

"Sizzle."

The collar was ripped open, revealing a band-aid stuck below the collarbone.

Jiang Yao's gaze instantly turned icy. With a flick of her right hand, the butterfly knife bounced off again, its cold blade pressed directly against Zhu Xun Chuan's Adam's apple.

"What is this?"

The chill of the blade seeped into his veins through his skin. Zhu Xun Chuan's heart skipped a beat, but he didn't even dare to move his Adam's apple, afraid of being cut.

If the red marks that Su Mucheng sucked out last night were torn open on the spot, this day next year would be his death anniversary.

"A band-aid." Zhu Xun Chuan said without changing his expression.

"I'm not blind. Tell me, what's hidden down there?" Jiang Yao's face was incredibly close, her breath brushing against his chin, her eyes filled with a mad, obsessive stubbornness. "Whose teeth marks? Or hickeys?"

The tip of the knife slid down her Adam's apple, hovering over the edge of the band-aid. With just a gentle flick, the truth would be revealed.

"I got it while playing ball." Zhu Xun Chuan looked into her eyes, his tone even carrying a hint of helplessness.

"Do you think I'm a three-year-old?" Jiang Yao sneered, the tip of the knife already piercing the edge of the band-aid.

"Jiang Yao." Zhu Xun Chuan suddenly raised his hand, not to block the knife, but to grab her wrist that was holding the knife.

Jiang Yao's wrists were slender and her skin was cold. She struggled for a moment, but couldn't break free.

"I couldn't sleep last night because I was thinking about you." Zhu Xun Chuan stared into her eyes, his voice low and captivatingly magnetic. "All I could think about was you in that black velvet dress that night. I was so restless that I went to the playground in the middle of the night to play basketball to vent my frustration. When I was grabbing a rebound, someone elbowed me in the collarbone."

He paused, his thumb gently stroking the skin on the inside of her wrist. At this moment, he had to unleash his old scumbag tendencies; this young lady of the Jiang family might actually really try to skin him alive!

"If you don't believe me, tear it open and see. But I have to tell you, with you pointing a knife at me like this, not only does my collarbone hurt, but my heart hurts even more."

The carriage was deathly silent.

Jiang Yao stared intently into Zhu Xun Chuan's eyes. Those eyes were clear and affectionate, showing no trace of lying.

Her chest heaved violently twice.

"Clang."

The butterfly knife slipped from her fingertips and fell onto the floor mat.

That cold, fierce expression instantly crumbled. She bit her bright red lips, and a thin layer of mist rose in her eyes.

"So stupid..."

She withdrew her hand, her slender white fingers gently tracing the edge of the bandage, her movements so tender as if afraid of hurting him. The murderous intent in her voice vanished completely, replaced only by a coquettish tone and undisguised heartache.

"Who told you to go play ball in the middle of the night?"

"I missed you, Miss Jiang." Zhu Xun Chuan seized the opportunity, a handsome smile curving his lips. "I was too angry, I needed to find a place to vent."

Jiang Yao's ears turned bright red instantly.

She gritted her teeth, then suddenly placed both hands on Zhu Xunchuan's shoulders and straddled his lap.

The hem of the cheongsam slid completely to both sides because of this movement, and her two snow-white thighs were pressed against Zhu Xunchuan's casual pants without any reservation.

The silk fabric rubbed against his clothes, the slippery, cool touch mixing with the burning heat of her skin, making Zhu Xun Chuan's scalp tingle.

This pose is dangerous.

Jiang Yao wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face deep in the crook of his neck. The once arrogant underworld empress was now like a wild cat, desperately insecure and only able to whine in its master's arms.

"Brother Chuan".

Her voice was incredibly soft, and her warm breath went straight into Zhu Xun Chuan's ear.

"Next time you miss me, just call me. No matter what time it is, I'll come see you. Don't go playing ball, and don't hurt yourself."

Zhu Xun Chuan placed his hands naturally on her slender waist, and through the silk cheongsam, he could feel the firm muscle lines of her waist.

"Okay. I'll call you next time so you can help me relieve my pent-up desire." He deliberately lowered his voice and made a slightly suggestive joke.

Jiang Yao's body trembled slightly, but instead of getting angry, she hugged him even tighter.

She looked up, her gaze falling on the Patek Philippe on his left wrist. The blue-gray dial gleamed softly in the carriage.

She smiled with satisfaction.

"As long as you obediently wear the watch I gave you, have only me in your heart, and don't go around flirting with other women," Jiang Yao's fingers stroked his jawline, her eyes regaining their possessive and slightly shrewish look, "everything in the Jiang family, including myself, Jiang Yao, is yours for this lifetime."

Zhu Xun Chuan's heart was pounding. Not out of fear, but because he was stimulated by this extreme feeling of being pulled.

He looked at the breathtakingly beautiful face so close to him, and was about to say something to calm the young lady down.

"Buzz..."

My phone vibrated in my pocket, and the screen lit up.

Zhu Xunchuan and Jiang Yao both glanced downwards at the same time.

A new WeChat message notification popped up on the lock screen.

Sender: [Prioritizing the Importance of Oranges].

The text content is displayed clearly on the screen:

"Brother Chuan, I was so good today, can you come to the hotel tonight to reward me? [shy]"

A photo was also attached. Although it's not fully visible when the screen is locked, the thumbnail clearly shows a pair of long, crossed, snow-white legs and a white men's shirt that's being concealed.

The temperature inside the carriage plummeted from the height of summer to the depths of winter in an instant.

Jiang Yao, who was straddling Zhu Xun Chuan's lap, suddenly froze. The innocent mist in her eyes had not yet dissipated, but it froze into sharp shards of ice in half a second. She slowly turned her head and stared intently at the lit screen.

"The most important thing is the orange."

Jiang Yao pronounced the name slowly and deliberately, her slender fingers moving down Zhu Xun Chuan's jawline until they gently gripped his throat. Her voice was as soft as a eulogy, yet it carried a chillingly sickeningly sweet quality: "Hotel...reward? Brother Chuan, which hotel are you going to tonight? And who are you going to give...what reward?"

Zhu Xunchuan's back was instantly soaked with cold sweat.

This girl has a really strong grip. (Su Mucheng, are you trying to murder your husband?!)

In that life-or-death race against time, Zhu Xun Chuan's brain processor overclocked. He showed no panic whatsoever; instead, he sighed, his eyes filled with deep disgust and helplessness towards the world.

Without hesitation, he picked up his phone, unlocked it with his fingerprint, and shoved the screen right in front of Jiang Yao, his actions completely straightforward and without a trace of impurity.

"That's exactly what I was going to ask you. The Jiang family has so much influence in Kyoto, could they help me take down this fraud ring?"

Jiang Yao paused, her grip on his throat loosening slightly, her eyebrows furrowing: "A fraud ring?"

"What else could it be butchering scam?" Zhu Xun Chuan sneered, unfazed as he sacrificed his roommate. "My roommate Lin Yuan, that single dog, insisted on using my phone last week to register for some borderline dating app. As a result, these past few days, I've been harassed by these 'tea-selling girls' and honey trap gangs sending me pictures online. They keep calling me 'brother,' and even offer hotel rewards... Look at those thumbnails, their legs are stretched so much they've disappeared even the kneecaps, it's so fake it's nauseating."

Jiang Yao stared at the screen suspiciously, about to extend her index finger, painted with red nail polish, to tap on the large image.

We absolutely cannot let her click on it! Once she sees that it's the face of top idol Su Mucheng, this colossal lie will instantly be exposed.

Zhu Xun Chuan grabbed Jiang Yao's wrist with his other hand, placed his large hand on the back of her hand, and guided her fingers to swipe sharply to the left on the "Important Matters" chat box.

Delete the conversation.

Block the contact person.

A series of moves, fluid and swift, executed flawlessly. "I'm so sorry, Mu Cheng! My brother was being coerced by the evil forces! I believe you will forgive me!"

"I'm afraid even looking at this disgusting thing will dirty your eyes." Zhu Xun Chuan casually tossed his phone onto the silk seat in the passenger seat, then wrapped his arms around Jiang Yao's slender waist again, pulling her closer to him.

He raised his head, his deep gaze meeting Jiang Yao's eyes: "Isn't my reward something only you can give me?"

Jiang Yao's heart skipped a beat.

Seeing the name completely disappear from her contact list, and then seeing the undisguised possessiveness in Zhu Xun Chuan's eyes, the fire in her heart was instantly extinguished by this sweet treat. Her cold and beautiful face flushed red again, the fierce and sickly aura faded, leaving only a proud and shy expression.

"You're smart to know what's good for you."

Jiang Yao bit her lower lip, pinched Zhu Xun Chuan's collarbone as punishment with her fingers, and then slumped back against his chest. Her long, snow-white legs, draped over the high slit of her cheongsam, wrapped domineeringly around Zhu Xun Chuan's waist.

"Come with me tonight. The penthouse suite at our club is all ready." She breathed softly into Zhu Xun Chuan's ear, her voice alluring and seductive. "Since you're being so obedient, tonight I... will personally satisfy your pent-up desires."

Zhu Xun Chuan's heart skipped a beat. Who could resist this?