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

"You said you were pregnant with my child and needed to stay home to rest for ten months." Zhu Xun Chuan looked away from her eyes, his gaze fixed on her eyes, his voice low and solemn, all traces of his earlier teasing.

"That was a colossal lie you told to protect my innocence, a lie you told to clear your own name." Zhu Xun Chuan brushed aside the long hair that fell across her cheek with his fingers. "My woman, Zhu Xun Chuan's woman, doesn't need to suffer this kind of humiliation. I also want the Fu family's grandson to be born in ten months."

He came to fulfill his promise.

He came to pull her out of this cage of power in the most direct way.

Fu Xinghe was stunned.

All the grievances, fears, and even confusion about the future weighing on my heart were shattered at this moment by this simple, direct, yet incredibly responsible statement.

This man, for the sake of her lie, single-handedly broke through the top-level security perimeter of the municipal party committee compound, tearing open the door that represented class and rules with his bare hands.

Now, he's right here, looking into her eyes, telling her he'll give her a real explanation.

The room fell silent again. The light from the nightlight seemed to carry a hazy, intoxicating warmth.

Fu Xinghe looked at the face so close to his.

In those clear, phoenix-shaped eyes, the last struggles and concerns slowly dissipated. In their place lay a resolute abandonment of everything and a profound sense of emotion.

She bit her lower lip so hard it almost left a mark on her red lips.

The hands that had been pinned to either side of the pillow were slowly pulled out.

Fu Xinghe's fingers trembled as he slowly raised them and placed them on the neckline of his nightgown, just below his collarbone.

There, only one last pearl button remained to secure the collar.

Fingertips fiddled with the edge of the button, the silk fabric making a slight rubbing sound under the fingertips.

Under Zhu Xun Chuan's burning gaze.

Fu Xinghe closed his eyes and flicked his finger forcefully.

Buttons undone.

The pearl button slipped off the collar.

The silky white fabric cascaded down her shoulders, casting a bright white streak in the cold moonlight. Fu Xinghe did not back down; his usually aloof phoenix eyes, which scrutinized students from the podium, now held only unwavering resolve.

She raised her chin, exuding a faint fragrance, and moved closer to Zhu Xun Chuan.

It's very raw and unfamiliar.

Her lips were slightly dry and trembling; she made no attempt to touch them, simply bumping into Zhu Xun Chuan's lips.

This clumsy, almost desperate act completely exposed the emptiness she had experienced in romantic relationships over the past thirty years.

Zhu Xun Chuan didn't move. He raised his large hand and steadily supported the back of her neck.

He didn't rush to take her; instead, he took the initiative, forcefully and patiently prying open her lips. His movements lacked the brutality he usually displayed when dealing with enemies, leaving only a gentle, guiding touch, like peeling away layers of an onion.

Fu Xinghe's tense back softened little by little under Zhu Xunchuan's broad palm.

All the unapproachable air she exuded during the day, quoting scriptures and authority on the podium, all the pride and aloofness she maintained as the daughter of a municipal party secretary, melted away in this deep kiss. She completely let down her guard, clinging tightly to his shoulders, surrendering to his embrace.

Passion quickly intensified in the cramped room.

The two tossed and turned on the bed, Fu Xinghe's long hair scattered messily across half the pillow. Her silk nightgown was carelessly tossed onto the carpet.

In the heat of the moment, Fu Xinghe's arm inadvertently swung off the bed.

"Thump!"

The carved wooden lamp on the bedside table was swept off and slammed heavily against the edge of the carpet.

The muffled sound was amplified infinitely in the dead of night, almost piercing one's eardrums.

The two of them froze instantly.

Fu Xinghe was terrified, her previously dazed eyes instantly filled with horror. She instinctively wanted to scream, but she forcefully held it back.

She abruptly turned her head and bit down hard on Zhu Xunchuan's broad shoulder, silencing all her screams, panic, and extreme shame between her teeth.

The corridor outside the door was deathly silent.

There was no sound of Song Xingyao getting up outside the door, and the study downstairs was completely silent. The thick wool carpet and the excellent soundproofing of the municipal government compound miraculously masked this potentially fatal accident.

After confirming that she was safe, Zhu Xun Chuan looked at the woman beneath him who was terrified but trying her best to endure it, and his protective instincts and desire to control her surged to the extreme.

He pressed his large hand down her waist and whispered in her ear, "Concentrate. Little White is keeping watch outside, so you need to take extra care with this pregnancy."

Fu Xinghe was filled with shame and indignation, but he had no strength left to refute her.

That night, there was no room for hesitation. Zhu Xunchuan, with an extremely aggressive and controlling approach, completely possessed this unapproachable professor from Peking University.

The colossal lie told to protect him at the Fu family dinner was forcibly made into a fait accompli on the second floor of the unlocked municipal party committee compound.

Four o'clock in the morning.

In the messy bed, the air was filled with a faint smell of sweat mixed with Fu Xinghe's unique, sophisticated fragrance.

The night wind outside the window pattered against the glass, but inside was an extremely peaceful and private haven.

Fu Xinghe curled up in Zhu Xunchuan's arms, his cheek pressed against his sweaty chest.

She stretched out her finger and traced circles along the lines of Zhu Xun Chuan's firm abdominal muscles.

"Now, I really only have you left." Fu Xinghe's voice was slightly hoarse from exhaustion. She raised her head, and the usual calm calculation had faded from her phoenix eyes, leaving only an unyielding affection and obsession. "My mother cut off my path, and I've staked my innocence and my life on you. Zhu Xunchuan, if you dare to abandon me after starting this affair, I'll take your child and jump off this building."

Zhu Xun Chuan grabbed her mischievous fingertips and kissed them hard.

"Cut off the suicide attempt now." Zhu Xun Chuan pinched her chin, his tone both gentle and firm. "Just be a good Mrs. Zhu."

Before dawn.

A sliver of gray dawned on the eastern horizon. Zhu Xun Chuan glanced at the clock; he had to leave. Bai He had held out all night, and he had to retreat before the handover of guard duty.

He rolled out of bed, grabbed his shirt, and put it on.

Just as he finished buttoning two buttons, a fair hand suddenly reached out from under the covers and grabbed his wrist.

Zhu Xunchuan turned back.

Fu Xinghe held his hand, her snow-white shoulders covered with ambiguous red marks. The vulnerability of last night had faded from her eyes, replaced by the clarity and composure befitting a daughter of a prominent family.

"Wait a minute." Fu Xinghe stared into his eyes, his tone filled with reluctance and planning. "The centennial celebration banquet of Peking University is in a week."

She tightened her grip slightly and lowered her voice to a minimum.

"No matter how much my mother confines me, the municipal party committee needs me to attend as the Fu family's representative, so she will definitely release me. I'll find a way to shake off the special agents and slip away. We'll meet at the East Lake Villa..."