1 Chapter 1: This Bastard? _1

The European-style balcony, enclosed entirely by-paned glass, allowed light to pour in from all sides, lending it a clear and bright appearance.

Despite the half-moon-shaped space not being particularly expansive, there was still enough room to accommodate a champagne-colored loveseat.

It was noon, and the sun was at its peak. All corners of the balcony were bathed in brilliant sunlight, including… the couple sitting on that sofa.

"Thud, thud, thud, thud...".

Gu Qianqian could hear it, someone outside was frantically pounding on the door, yet the man in front of her did not seem inclined to let her go.

Being so close to him made her heart pound even louder.

Feigning composure, she lifted her moist eyes and quietly observed the man who once made her hopelessly infatuated, to the point of disregarding everything else.

Time seemed to leave no trace on him. Whether it was four years ago or now, he was still imposing and extraordinarily handsome, a beauty almost inhuman.

His icy, devilish beauty was what once intoxicated her beyond reason!

"Let me go!".

Lowering her voice, Gu Qianqian ground her teeth in resentment.

But the moment she attempted to resist, she was rudely restrained by Lu Zhanbei: "What if I don't?".

Just one sentence from him caused Gu Qianqian's mind to spin. She wanted to struggle but he swiftly twisted her arms and held them back against her waist.

He pushed her further with one hand.

At this moment of total surrender, Gu Qianqian was about to curse him, but to her surprise...

He, he...

This bastard?

Anxiously, she lifted her head, her gaze meeting Lu Zhanbei's eyes – as cold as the peaks of a snow-capped mountain.

Their eyes met, her heart pounded, reminiscent of their first encounter.

Gu Qianqian's heartbeat quickened significantly, almost bursting from her throat. His gaze, which she had thought and despised for years, was something she couldn't forget.

Calm, calm, calm...

Narrowing her gorgeous black eyes, Gu Qianqian feigned indifference, shrugged, and flashed a flirtatious smile: "Couldn't you just talk nicely? After all..."

Talk nicely?

Lu Zhanbei's eyes darkened; all he could see were last night's stars and those deeply ingrained images and his own relentless past.

"..." Her voice trembled.

Lu Zhanbei, icily: "What are you calling me? Boss Lu Zhanbei?"

He had not heard her call him that in a while. Each time she did, it gave him the creeps, but today, when she said it intentionally, he understood her intent.

She was trying to distance herself from their 'illicit' association, wasn't she? She wanted to push him from the position of her lover to that of her boss, even though he was never really her boss.

Dream on!

Visibly displeased, Lu Zhanbei's eyes turned colder. He deliberately twisted his hand holding hers, causing Gu Qianqian to gasp in pain; she immediately cried out, "Stop, you're hurting me!".

"I could hurt you even more, don't you remember?", Lu Zhanbei retorted.

As he finished speaking, he increased the force of his grip. Gu Qianqian felt like her wrist was about to be twisted off. Just as she was about to scream out in pain, Lu Zhanbei quickly reached up to cover her mouth.

He laughed menacingly next to her ear: "Good girl, are you sure you want to scream?".

Gu Qianqian: "..."

No, she couldn't!

The scratching sound at the door continued, probably her mother. If she found out what was happening between her and Lu Zhanbei on the balcony, her mother would surely lose her mind.

So...

Her tensed body gradually relaxed, her gaze indicating to him that she would cease any further struggle.

Understanding her intent, he very cooperatively let go of her mouth, but she immediately snapped at him, "Bullying women, are you even a man?".

"Do you still doubt that I'm a man?"

"You, scumbag!".

Gu Qianqian was truly furious now, wishing she could bite him hard: "Lu Zhanbei, just what the hell are you trying to do?".

"What do you think?"

With that, he, in the most domineering way, held her down. From behind...

Lu Zhanbei was panting heavily whereas Gu Qianqian felt like she was about to die. Amid her daze, she was swiftly taken back to the past... four years ago.