Chapter 32 Progress in the City of Orchids (1)

Ye Linglan remained motionless, her back straight, fixing her gaze tightly upon him. Mo Zhicheng’s so-called plan to seize the largest shareholding in Sky City, to devour and engulf, to rise and fall in the tumult of commerce—he had personally destroyed the fate of everyone in the Ye Group. In this moment, her heart surged like a stormy sea; what spilled forth was not anything else, but hatred. She bit her lips, tears slipping down the delicate bridge of her nose, falling silently in the chill of the night.

“Why are you crying?” His voice reverberated in the air.

She did not wish to answer; at that moment, all she wanted was to leave, to escape far away, unwilling to let him glimpse her truest self.

Mo Zhicheng gripped his porcelain cup, his fingers tightening unconsciously, though his expression remained impassive. She said nothing, sinking into silence. The air was suffused with the scent of pu’er tea, but now, inhaling it felt as if gunpowder lay in wait—one careless move and all would erupt, shattering to pieces. Mo Zhicheng narrowed his star-bright eyes, displeased, and asked, “Are you in the habit of letting my words go in one ear and out the other?”

“Sorry, Mr. Mo.” At last, Ye Linglan let out a cold laugh. “In Sky City, you’re my boss. I’ll do whatever you assign me, strictly business. But now, this is my private time. I have the right to refuse to answer. And... please understand, Mr. Mo, I am not the kind of woman you think can be summoned and dismissed at will.”

With a sharp crack, Mo Zhicheng almost slammed down the porcelain cup, the air in the private room seeming to fracture like breaking ice, exploding in silence. His expression darkened, showing at last his true, icy nature.

Yes, this was the real face beneath all his elegance and wit. He said nothing, but his silence was more terrifying than words, crawling over her skin like an unknown threat. Then she saw him walking toward her.

Mo Zhicheng’s shadow stretched long, enveloping her in darkness. She retreated, only to collide with the cold wall. She looked at him as if he were a noble emperor, watching her defiance, the fleeting glimmer in her eyes, the perfectly tailored qipao she wore.

—The boss said the qipao was paid for.

—He said the lady who went with you last time returned to settle the bill.

A strange, smoldering anger surged from his abdomen, his gaze tightening as he pressed closer, rebuking, “But you forgot today, I am your guest. Didn’t the teahouse owner tell you what to do? Or... do you blame me for failing to teach you in Sky City what it means that the customer is king?” He spat out, “You don’t understand? Then tonight, let me teach you properly!”

As his cold sarcasm fell, a sense of imminent terror swept over her. Ye Linglan snapped out of her daze and, without thinking, tried to flee. She shoved him aside in panic; with a sharp crash, the guzheng fell to the floor, its discordant strings shattering the calm. The next moment, she was pinned down by him on the tatami.

“What are you doing?” Linglan was startled by his sudden action.

The guards outside, hearing the chaos within, pushed open the door and stared in shock. The room was in shambles, the man restraining the woman in a predatory posture, his body over hers, the scene fraught with ambiguous tension and heavy desire. The two guards awkwardly turned away, but Ye Linglan, terrified, looked back at them as they moved to shut the door. Suddenly, she cried out, “Help—mm—”

Her lips were ruthlessly sealed.