Unlawful Affection

No Escape from You

Su Nian’en’s legs went weak, her entire body trembling under the weight of fright.

Han Xi Cheng’s power, his calculated ruthlessness, his predatory cunning—compared to him, Mu Jian Chen was barely a shadow of a man. The way Han Xi Cheng had dealt with Mu Wen Ying earlier made it abundantly clear just how audacious, how unstoppable he could be.

And because of that same arrogance, Mu Wen Ying would never dare reveal that she’d seen Su Nian’en leave with Han Xi Cheng in front of Elder Mu. She knew too well how eager Elder Mu was to curry favor with Han Xi Cheng—and if his mood soured, Mu Wen Ying would be the first to pay.

Back at the Jiang residence, Su Nian’en lowered her head, climbing the stairs like a ghost. Her clothes were mostly dry now, but Han Xi Cheng’s lingering aura of dominance still clung to her, suffocating and impossible to shake.

Thankfully, Jiang Qingwan had a TV interview tonight, and Song Wanwei had gone with her. With Qingwan’s star rising—her charity work for impoverished regions gaining widespread acclaim—Su Nian’en had assumed the house would be quiet tonight.

She hadn’t expected Jiang Yunfei to be home. Even less had she anticipated him stepping out of his study, summoning her with a calm yet sharp authority, like he had been waiting for her to slip up.

“Uncle, you need me?” she asked cautiously, following him into the study and standing politely as he settled into the sofa.

“Sit. Don’t be so stiff,” he said, tapping his pipe and gesturing to a seat.

Su Nian’en obeyed, perching at the far edge of the sofa, nerves taut, every muscle alert.

Jiang Yunfei raised a brow. “En’en, why sit so far away? Come closer.”

“No need, Uncle. I can hear you just fine. Please, just say what you need to say,” she replied with a careful, polite smile, unwilling to let her guard down for even a second.

He smirked, his eyes sweeping over her composed, poised figure. “Afraid I might… eat you?”

“Of course not, Uncle. You’re no tiger,” she said with a nervous chuckle. “Actually, if there’s nothing else, I should take my leave. Auntie asked me to make her a late-night snack.”

Before she could rise, his tone sharpened. “Did I say you could leave?”

She froze, turning to face him, wary, voice steady. “Uncle, if you have something to say, just say it. No need to dance around.”

Her nerves fraying, she didn’t want to spend another second longer in the same room than necessary.

Jiang Yunfei didn’t waste words. “What’s going on between you and Han Xi Cheng?”

Her heart skipped a beat, but she maintained composure. “Han Xi Cheng? I think you should ask my cousin, not me.”

“Really? Then why did Han Xi Cheng bring you out from the Mu residence tonight?”

Su Nian’en’s calm facade stiffened, cracking just slightly. Jiang Yunfei exhaled a thin ring of smoke from his pipe, a faint, calculating smile curling at the corner of his lips.

“En’en, haven’t we treated you well all these years in the Jiang family? How could you think of undermining your cousin?”

“I didn’t! I…” she tried to protest.

“Whether you did or not doesn’t matter. What matters is what your cousin and aunt believe, right?”

Her hands clenched into fists at her sides. “What do you want?”

“What do I want?” Jiang Yunfei’s gaze sharpened, dark and piercing, as if he were reading every inch of her soul. “The Huainan project is up for government bidding. If Han Corporation backs out, Jiang Corporation will secure it.”

Huainan project? Billions on the line.

Su Nian’en forced a bitter, tight-lipped smile. “Uncle, surely you overestimate me. For a project this size, my cousin is far more persuasive than I am.”

“Not necessarily,” he replied, narrowing his eyes. “Compared to Qingwan, Han Xi Cheng listens more to you. Oh, and by the way… there seems to be a lead regarding your father’s case—his driver.”

Her heart lurched. “The driver? Where? Where is he?”

“Don’t rush. It’s just a tiny lead, still being tracked.”

Jiang Yunfei rose and closed the distance, grabbing her hand with a firm grip that sent a shock up her arm. She tried to pull away, but his strength was overwhelming. His thumb brushed lightly over the back of her hand.

“En’en, don’t be afraid. I mean no harm. Just follow my instructions: get Han Xi Cheng’s company to withdraw from the bid, or… use your wits to obtain Han’s bid documents. Then I’ll stand with you. Otherwise…”

His eyes darkened. Tears welled in her beautiful eyes, and his shameless grin twisted cruelly.

“You know your aunt and cousin are suspicious. And your father’s case… that tiny lead could vanish at any moment. If it does, your father will rot in prison. So… En’en, think carefully. Understand?”

He leaned closer, forcing his face near hers, inhaling deeply. “So fragrant—”

In the bathroom later, Su Nian’en turned on the shower and scrubbed her right hand mercilessly—the one Jiang Yunfei had grabbed, especially the spot his thumb had brushed. Her skin reddened, raw, nearly bleeding.

Then, a surge of frustration hit, and she began scrubbing her face with the same intensity, desperate to wash away the lingering sense of violation.