In this world, I am the only one who can hurt you.

“And then?” he asked.

Ling Lan looked at him, their gazes meeting. Now sober, her mind was clearer, and she genuinely wanted to know how he planned to handle this matter. “If he suppresses Tiancheng and prevents you from acquiring that piece of land from Chengtou, what will you do?”

She spoke softly, her fingers lightly tracing his neck.

Mo Zhicheng took her fingers and brought them to his lips for a gentle kiss. “Didn’t you say last night you were going to seduce Yu Ye?”

He gave her a sideways glance. Ling Lan pursed her lips, a seductive glint in her eyes, as if to tempt him. “When exactly did I say that? I don’t remember.”

“Aren’t you supposed to have a photographic memory? Even memorized Yu Ye’s number, right?”

“I don’t remember,” she feigned innocence, though her recollection of last night was vague at best. She was slightly stunned by her own boldness. “But I’m more worried about you. You dodge the question without a word, yet you hold on tightly to my drunken embarrassment from last night. Isn’t that right?”

Mo Zhicheng watched her lips mumble softly. Smiling, he brushed his fingers over her lips with a meaningful look and said, “Secretary Qin won’t last long.”

Ling Lan was taken aback. Seeing the hint of surprise in her eyes, he worried he had frightened her. Pulling her close, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and drew her into his embrace, speaking in a low voice: “He’s been suppressing Chengtou with policy excuses. The Yu family has been eyeing that land for a long time. But Secretary Qin hasn’t realized that, given Yu’s current management style—showy and rigid—it’s difficult to develop that Chengtou project well. A failed project would be like a ruin. Such a pity.”

Ling Lan nodded. His words made sense.

She hadn’t expected this. Mo Zhicheng’s mind, vision, and depth were indeed profound. Listening as he continued, she absorbed every word: “As you said last time, a good project attracts more investment. I want to surpass Tiancheng, break with tradition, only then can we achieve a breakthrough. Secretary Qin secretly supports the Yu family because Yu Ye’s father and Qin have a close relationship.”

“So, will you just give up?” Ling Lan asked, seizing the rare moment of candid conversation.

A faint smile appeared on Mo Zhicheng’s lips. He lifted her chin, kissed her gently, and softly replied, “Do you think I will give up?”

“No,” she said with certainty, meeting his gaze.

His smile deepened, and with a series of tender kisses scattered across her slender chin, he teased, “Why do you think so?”

“Because you are Mo Zhicheng.” A firm resolve shone in her eyes. “Because possession is in your blood. You wouldn’t simply let go; instead, it will only fuel your desire to seize that Chengtou land.”

Mo Zhicheng looked at her, a flicker of surprise in his eyes.

“Will you get rid of Secretary Qin?”

“Yes!” he answered without hesitation, surprising Ling Lan. Then he laughed and said, “I bear grudges.”

She was stunned.

“That foolish little trick Qin pulled last time, causing you harm—he must pay the price for what he’s done. Besides, the Qin family’s greed ensured their downfall was inevitable.” Seeing her still dazed, Mo Zhicheng leaned closer and softly called her name: “Ling Lan…”

“Hmm?” Snapped back to the present, Ling Lan looked thoughtfully at him, hearing his voice so close, barely an inch away: “Ling Lan... no one in this world is allowed to hurt you.”

“Why?” she asked, a bit bewildered.

He smiled softly, teasing as he brushed his finger across her nose. “Because the only person who can hurt you in this world is me—and only me!”

She looked at the smile on his lips but didn’t know how to respond, only feeling a bittersweet ache spread through her heart.

He held grudges most fiercely, yet she was the one who did something that made him hate her.

Her gaze drifted away slightly, feeling the warmth of his embrace. She whispered hoarsely, “You’re just teasing me.”

But he still smiled faintly, stroking her dark hair.

After a moment of silence, she returned his embrace, turning the conversation away at the right time and asked, “Zhicheng, even if you get rid of Secretary Qin, how confident are you that you can wrest the Chengtou bid away from the government?”

“Su Yu,” Mo Zhicheng answered succinctly.

Ye Linglan suddenly understood.

It was another political struggle. Apparently, Deputy Secretary Su Yu had long his eyes fixed covetously on Secretary Qin’s position.

So Mo Zhicheng needn’t get his hands dirty or stain himself with blood. By leaking some information, Su Yu would seize the opportunity to strike. If Secretary Qin fell, Su Yu would rise.

But Mo Zhicheng had dealings with Su Yu already. With this timing, negotiating the Chengtou land bid meant victory was assured. A perfect case of the mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.

Ling Lan was a little stunned. Although his embrace was warm, she felt a chill. Flattery and deceit—at that moment, she felt weary.

Sensing her distraction, Mo Zhicheng looked down at her and said, “I never want to talk about these exhausting matters when we’re not working. Isn’t it boring? This is how I live every day, constantly on guard.”

Ling Lan looked into his eyes, the light therein slowly dimming. She asked hoarsely, “Doesn’t it tire you?”

The smile on his lips faded. “It does!” Mo Zhicheng cupped her jaw, leaned down, and pressed his lips to hers. His hot breath washed over her as he kissed her with a possessive passion, his tongue agile and demanding.

“Does it tire you?”

“Yes!”

Ling Lan closed her eyes, surrendering to his kiss, murmuring, “If we don’t get up soon, we’ll be late.”

He said without hesitation, “Then we’ll be late. I just want to hold you a little longer. No matter how long I hold you, I never get tired of it.”

*******

Bai Yuchen’s heart was still occupied by the woman he had met at Night City. Because he had secretly gone there without telling Ye Shenghan, to avoid drawing attention, he didn’t go with Madam Bai but waited in the same spot as before, hoping to meet the woman again. Days passed, but all attempts were in vain.

Tang Pei reported the information to Mo Zhicheng. “You asked me to investigate the man who played poker with Miss Tingyu last time.”

Mo Zhicheng took the file from the envelope and scanned it. Tang Pei continued by his side, “He is Bai Yuchen.”

A flicker of light passed briefly through Mo Zhicheng’s eyes as he pulled out the material. Looking at the photo of the man, he smiled meaningfully and asked, “Has he been coming to the casino every day?”

“Yes.”

“Madam Bai is a regular in the casino. Not long ago, she lost over a million. Bai Yuchen couldn’t stand it sometimes and stepped in to help Madam Bai win back a lot of her principal. But I can tell he’s not really there to gamble; it seems more like he’s waiting for someone.”

“Keep watching them,” Mo Zhicheng nodded and then placed the file into the shredder. The crisp sound of shredding filled the air as the paper was destroyed.

Taking advantage of the daytime outing, Ye Linglan secretly met Ye Shenghan atop Yunjiang Tower. The place was always crowded with tourists pouring in ceaselessly. They stood by the railing, surrounded by the bustling flow of people.

Her hands tucked into her coat pockets, Ling Lan stood on the highest landmark of South River, gazing out at the beautiful scene before her. On New Year’s Eve, a cold front had arrived, and the gloomy rainy weather made the mood feel heavy.

The cold wind tousled the hair on her forehead. Softly, she relayed Mo Zhicheng’s plan to deal with Secretary Qin in full to Ye Shenghan. Yet at that moment, her expression was hesitant. Having disguised herself before Mo Zhicheng for so long, sometimes even she couldn’t tell what was real and what was false.

Ye Shenghan glanced sideways at her. Seeing her face darken, he asked with concern, “What’s wrong? Is there a problem?”

Ling Lan’s slightly flustered expression was clear to him, but the woman quickly masked it and asked, “Young Master Ye, what do you think about what I just told you?”

“Mo Zhicheng is cautious and confident, convinced of his victory. If he secures that Chengtou land and the investment project succeeds, Tiancheng’s development will leap forward with unstoppable momentum,” Ye Shenghan analyzed.

Ling Lan asked softly, “Then, Young Master Ye, what do you think should be done?”

“We can’t let him succeed. We must find a way to sabotage his plan.” Ye Shenghan’s gaze drifted away, but Ling Lan’s was fixed and motionless. She bit her lip, feeling the cold wind brush over her, sending chills through her entire body.

—We can’t let him succeed.

—We must find a way to sabotage his plan!

She covered her eyes lightly, realizing she was trembling slightly in the wind. A cough from the man pulled her back to reality. She saw Ye Shenghan clutching his chest, pressing his fist to his nose, coughing repeatedly: “Cough… cough…”

Frowning, she immediately steadied him and asked with concern, “What’s wrong?”

“Bronchitis, just a minor ailment.”

“How long have you been coughing?”

“Not long.” Ye Shenghan looked back at her with a faint smile, reassuring her. Ling Lan lowered her head and noticed she was holding his wrist. Perhaps she had been a little anxious earlier, but now she froze. “Young Master Ye,” she whispered, her voice barely audible.

He responded softly, “I’m here.”

“Young Master Ye!” she called again, as if only by repeating his name could she dispel the turmoil within her. “Young Master Ye…”

“I’m here!”

“Young Master Ye!”

“I’m here!”

“Young Master Ye!” Her eyes blurred with mist, but she kept calling his name tirelessly.

He said, he was here.

She looked up at him, gazing upon that familiar face—the man who had lived in her heart for seventeen years. She once vowed that in this life, when looking back, she would have no regrets, no wasted time.

She would fight to reclaim what he desired. She was willing. All of it was her choice. Yet she was afraid—the man who had not only entered his body but was now trying desperately to burrow into her heart as well.

She feared that uncontrollable feeling was eroding all her willpower, even shaking the seventeen-year-old love she held for Ye Shenghan.

Seventeen years, she silently repeated in her heart, “Young Master Ye!”

“I’m here!”