"Tao Hua, come here, I have something to tell you." Annie smiled and beckoned him with her finger.
She was already beautiful, but her smile made even the flowers pale in comparison.
Tao Hua raised an eyebrow, a hint of a smile forming on his handsome face.
He moved closer to her, his gaze intense and direct as they locked eyes, and with slightly parted lips, he asked in a low, ambiguous voice, "What do you want to tell me?"
Annie’s arms wound around his neck, and in his surprised gaze, she suddenly kissed his lips.
Her lips were soft and sweet.
Her kiss was gentle and delicate, like a feather lightly brushing against Tao Hua’s lips.
He paused for a second, his brows lifting, a playful light sparking in his eyes.
Annie looked at him and slowly deepened the kiss.
Tao Hua’s eyes darkened, about to take the initiative, but she suddenly pulled back, leaving him grasping at air.
The man grasped her chin, lifting it, his gaze deep and husky as he asked, "Why did you kiss me?"
"Because... you’re very handsome," Annie said with an elegantly captivating smile that could steal one’s soul.
Tao Hua abruptly took her face in his hands and kissed her deeply—
Annie pushed his face away, blinking in confusion, and asked with a smile, "And why do you want to kiss me?"
Tao Hua’s breath was unsteady, and he chuckled lowly, "Because you’re very beautiful."
He had simply returned her excuse to her.
"Tao Hua, although your kissing skills are great, I would like to say..." Annie smiled elegantly, "I’m not feeling well right now, if you continue, aren’t you afraid of playing with fire and getting burned?"
Tao Hua took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and upon reopening them, his gaze was somewhat clearer, still with a hint of amusement.
"Don’t worry, I’m a good doctor, and I certainly wouldn’t take advantage of a patient."
"Good doctor, may I ask if you can get up now? You’re pressing on my ribs, and it hurts a lot."
"OK, I’ll get up right away," Tao Hua said with a charming smile, "I’ll check to see if your ribs are broken again."
As he spoke, he reached for her chest.
"Good doctor, are you sure you’re not just trying to take advantage of the situation?"
"You really are a good doctor," Annie said with a seductive smile, her laughter hinting at something deeper, and Tao Hua also smiled, both of them grinning like two sly foxes.
Rong Shaoze, with Xu Yao’s timely arrival, managed to escape Qiao Yiyang’s sphere of influence.
After leaving Rome, he returned to one of Flame Phoenix’s bases in Asia.
Xu Yao told him about the Qianyue Group and said that they had contacted the boss of the Qianyue Group—Yuan Ye.
He requested a conversation with Yuan Ye and proposed a collaboration.
Yuan Ye rejected his proposal, marking the first negotiation between Rong Shaoze and him a failure.
However, he stated that Yuan Ye could take his time to consider it and respond at any time.
Lin Xinlan opened her eyes in pain, only to find herself in a dimly lit basement.
Her hands were bound, and her body was suspended in the air, which was very uncomfortable.
At the time, she thought she would surely die when that woman stabbed her in the right side of her chest.
Turns out she hadn’t died; only now, her chest hurt a lot, and being suspended made her feel like death would be a mercy.
The door was pushed open, and that woman entered slowly, holding a whip in her hand.
Lin Xinlan looked at her, weakly asking, "Why didn’t you kill me?"
"I certainly intend to kill you, just not in such an easy way. Death is simple, but a life worse than death isn’t quite so straightforward." She said coldly.