Since switching to this new cultivation method, Shen Wuxiao naturally wanted to test its effects. Jiang Huaiyue was already gifted and practiced diligently every day. Whenever Shen Wuxiao wasn’t home, she spent most of her time cultivating. But now, there was a more enjoyable and faster way to progress…
Jiang Huaiyue sat at her vanity, brushing her damp hair. She had just taken a shower and wore a white silk camisole that clung gently to her body. Her slightly wet hair cascaded over her shoulders, and her slender fingers ran delicately through the strands.
As Shen Wuxiao entered the room, his eyes immediately fell on her alluring figure. Her shoulders were as white as snow, her waist slender and graceful, and the soft scent of fragrance filled the room.
Hearing him enter, Jiang Huaiyue turned to face him. Her once cold and distant demeanor now carried a subtle elegance and warmth. She crossed her legs with natural poise, her bare feet slightly shifting, exuding effortless charm.
“Yue’er, I need you to help me cultivate,” Shen Wuxiao said, walking closer.
Jiang Huaiyue blinked, puzzled. “Huh? What’s today’s topic?”
“No topic. Just serious cultivation,” he answered, embracing her without warning.
Jiang Huaiyue laughed and playfully pushed him away. “Bad guy! My hair’s not even dry yet!”
“No matter. Let me pay my respects first.”
Meanwhile, not far from Bay Villa, a fiery red Ferrari had been parked quietly on the roadside for over half an hour. In the driver’s seat sat a woman with long flowing hair, staring intently at the villa.
She hadn’t moved closer once. It was Liu Ruyan—who had been absent from the dinner earlier that night.
She sat in silence for a long time before the car’s headlights finally turned back on, and she drove away slowly from the villa.
Behind the wheel, Liu Ruyan looked emotionally drained. Her expression was blank, but her face looked weary. Even driving slowly, she found herself distracted, her thoughts adrift.
She had attended the dinner but chose not to appear publicly. Not because she feared confrontation—but because she saw Jiang Huaiyue following Shen Wuxiao.
That moment felt absurdly surreal, like a mistress encountering the real wife. In the end, she didn’t even have the courage to say hello.
Shen Wuxiao hadn’t stayed long; he and Jiang Huaiyue left after Lin Fan departed.
Liu Ruyan had followed from a distance, as though entranced. She watched as the two reached the villa. She saw Jiang Huaiyue leap playfully onto Shen Wuxiao’s back, and he carried her inside with ease.
The intimacy, the laughter, the connection—it pierced through Liu Ruyan’s heart.
Her chest felt tight. Every second was torment.
She hated how she felt. She hated her illness. She hated her own hesitation and contradictions. Weren’t they supposed to be enemies? So why did it hurt so much?
Her car moved slowly down the road. Before she realized it, her vision blurred. A fine mist clouded her eyes, and two silent tears slipped down her cheeks.
“Buzz… buzz…”
The vibration of the phone beside her brought her back to reality.
She wiped her face, took a deep breath, and picked up the phone.
It was her subordinate calling. She switched to speaker and placed the phone on the dashboard.
“Report.”
“Miss, Lin Fan’s been arrested. Based on the intel we gathered, he left earlier tonight but returned to the banquet later. For some reason, he ended up threatening a business executive.”
The subordinate sounded baffled.
“What happened next?” Liu Ruyan asked, her voice emotionless.
“He was arrested for brandishing a knife. But according to internal sources, he’s been listed as a major offender and officially detained.”
Liu Ruyan frowned. She understood immediately.
Lin Fan really was an idiot.
She had told him clearly that tonight’s dinner was meant for networking, to make useful connections. She told him to stay low-key, to avoid drawing attention.
And how did he interpret that?
By showing up in casual clothes and standing out like a sore thumb.
In a banquet filled with distinguished guests, his outfit alone drew all eyes—and not in a good way.
Even worse, he had threatened someone. With a weapon.
Shen Wuxiao’s background was terrifying. No one could stop him or hold him accountable.
But Lin Fan? He was nothing more than a powerful soldier—nothing compared to the forces at play in Zhonghai. This wasn’t a lawless battlefield. It was the capital of the Dragon Kingdom.
Even if the police couldn’t handle Shen Wuxiao, the Martial Arts Association certainly could.
But Lin Fan? He wasn’t untouchable. Slapping someone was enough to get him detained. Let alone threatening someone with a knife.
And now? He’d escalated the situation.
Once the Haisha Society got wind of it, they would throw every connection they had at the problem. Lin Fan wouldn’t just be detained—he’d be executed.
At this point, Liu Ruyan had no choice.
Her foundation was shallow. She only had money to rely on.
Even if she poured in tens of billions, the Haisha Society wouldn’t budge.
Not to mention, Shen Wuxiao was a shadow towering over everything. He alone could overturn the entire board.
She and Lin Fan had joined forces, hoping to play it smart. To tread carefully. To chip away at power like ants on a tree.
But now?
They didn’t even make it past the first step.
A complete failure.
Still, Liu Ruyan had always been decisive in moments like these.
“Forget about Lin Fan. There’s nothing we can do. Cut all ties. Erase every trace of our cooperation with him.”
“Close the teahouse. Anyone who helped him get close to Gao Yulang—get them out of Zhonghai.”
“Yes, Miss,” the subordinate responded before hanging up.
Liu Ruyan was already agitated over Shen Wuxiao.
Now Lin Fan’s mess had only made things worse.
In the end, she thought, it’s better to act alone. Relying on others only leads to disaster.
She decided she’d go back to the hospital and get her medication adjusted—to suppress her emotions, if nothing else.
Then she’d find the right moment… and die in Shen Wuxiao’s arms.
That way, she could avenge her family and fulfill her twisted longing.
When Liu Ruyan returned home, she was drained. She didn’t even bother to clean up or change clothes.
She headed straight to her bedroom, locked the door, and curled up in her blanket.
After a while, she got up, walked to the closet, and took out a piece of clothing—it was Shen Wuxiao’s.
It now carried more of her own scent than his, but she didn’t care.
As long as there was even the faintest trace of him, she could sleep.
Time passed slowly, and even though she believed she could finally sleep peacefully—once again, insomnia haunted her.
Liu Ruyan knew something had changed within her.
She was becoming a little insane.
But no matter how much she tried, she couldn’t suppress her feelings.
She couldn’t restrain her longing.
That was how deeply she had fallen in love with Shen Wuxiao.