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I recall you enjoying yourself quite a bit that night!" Reminded of their night of passion, Han Yuming’s throat felt dry, and a sudden heat surged through his body.
"I... I was under the influence of drugs! Otherwise, I would never have let you have your way! Now, take me home—immediately!" Noticing the flickering fire of desire in his eyes, Lanyou hurriedly sidestepped him and bolted for the door.
"Lucky for you that you ran fast," Han Yuming muttered to himself as he watched her panicked retreat.
After dropping Lanyou off outside the Yi family estate, he drove away immediately. He needed to find a woman right away to extinguish the fire she had just ignited.
The Next Day: The Arrival of an Old Friend
The following day, at the Han Group headquarters, in the CEO’s office:
"Sir, Mr. Jin has arrived!" Before the secretary could even finish her sentence, the office door swung wide open.
"I see. Bring in two coffees while you’re at it," Han Yuming said, sighing as he hung up his phone.
"Could you stop doing that every single time? You completely disregard my secretary's existence!" Han Yuming walked over and gave the newcomer a playful punch on the shoulder.
"What? Afraid I’ll walk in on you doing 'good deeds' again?" Jin Haichen retorted with a grin.
Jin Haichen was Han Yuming's only true friend from his years in England. Although their families had business ties, Han Yuming never discussed business with him. He wanted to preserve this rare friendship and keep it free from the impurities of financial interests or power struggles.
"You brat, how dare you bring up my old scandals! Watch it, or I’ll ship you back to England!" Han Yuming had already received a call from the UK. He knew Haichen had fled across the ocean to escape an arranged marriage with a "Miss Hao" whom he had never even met.
"That’s cold! I traveled thousands of miles to attend your engagement banquet, and you want to kick me out? I'm heartbroken!" Haichen said, feigning deep emotional trauma.
"Please, drop the 'damsel in distress' act. My s****l orientation is perfectly normal!" Han Yuming shuddered. Because Haichen was half-British, he had very fair skin and somewhat effeminate, delicate features. When he acted coy, he looked remarkably like a "pretty boy" from a drama.
Knock, knock, knock. The secretary entered with the coffee.
"Come in," Han Yuming said, his smile vanishing as he reverted to his usual cold persona.
"Your coffee, sir. And yours, Mr. Jin," she said, serving them.
"Thank you," Haichen replied with a charming, British-gentlemanly smile.
"You're very welcome!" Flustered by such a handsome man’s politeness, the secretary blushed and hurried out.
"You still love using that 'gentleman' routine to deceive naive women," Han Yuming warned. "But don't touch the women in my company. I have no interest in cleaning up your messes."
"Don't worry, the quality here isn't up to my standards anyway. But you—how did you get engaged so fast without any warning?" Haichen took a sip of his coffee and continued, "I’m truly curious: what kind of woman convinced the legendary playboy Han Yuming to jump into the 'grave' of marriage?"
"It’s not as romantic as you think. I’m marrying the daughter of my enemy. That should explain everything." Haichen had heard enough from his parents to know the general history of the Han family's grievances.
"So you’re using this as a chance for revenge? But using a marriage as the stake... isn't that a bit much? She’s just a girl. Is it really necessary to exact such a ruthless vengeance on an innocent girl for the sins of the previous generation? She was a victim back then, just like you, wasn't she?" Haichen supported Han Yuming in most things, but he felt a twinge of pity at the thought of an innocent girl being targeted.
"She’s the one who asked to marry me. She said she was willing to shoulder the burden of this debt alone, so I had no reason to refuse." Han Yuming understood what Haichen was getting at. He wasn't the only child hurt sixteen years ago; Lanyou had suffered as well. But this was the bitter fruit her mother had sown. It was only natural for the daughter to pay the mother’s debt. Besides, she had volunteered. He hadn't forced her, so he felt no need to worry about her well-being.
- Writer
