Reasserting Husbandly Authority

Chen Zhi took off his shoes and casually tossed his coat onto the coat rack nearby.

He walked into the living room, sat down in the single sofa opposite Pei Ningxue, and poured himself a glass of water.

"You had a pretty good meal," Chen Zhi said, taking a sip of water while staring at the woman across from him. "The tripe was quite crisp."

Pei Ningxue set down her tablet, propped her chin on one hand, and looked at him with a beaming smile.

"Was it the tripe that was crisp, or was the person eating it with you more of a feast for the eyes?"

Chen Zhi didn't take the bait. He slammed his glass down on the coffee table with a loud bang.

"Why did you suddenly sign Lin Wanwan for an endorsement?" Chen Zhi cut straight to the chase.

Pei Ningxue shifted her posture, crossing her legs. The hem of her black silk dress slid down her thigh, revealing a generous expanse of eye-catching, fair skin.

"Aren't I just helping out a good sister's career?" Pei Ningxue answered with a smile. "She just won the championship and is in dire need of top-tier commercial resources to consolidate her status. Deep Space Technology isn't short on money right now, and it's best to keep the goodies within the family."

Chen Zhi laughed out of sheer anger.

"Helping a good sister's career?" Chen Zhi leaned forward. "Then what's the meaning of that condition you added at the end? Forbidding her from announcing any romantic relationship for three years, with a penalty of one hundred million for breach of contract. Are you helping her, or are you putting her in a torture device?"

Pei Ningxue dropped her smile.

She sat up straight, meeting Chen Zhi's gaze without backing down.

"To make it easier for me to fight for the position of the main wife in the future," Pei Ningxue said, dropping the act and laying her cards on the table.

Chen Zhi was stunned.

He never expected this woman to be so incredibly blunt.

"You..." Chen Zhi pointed at her, unable to squeeze out a single word for a long time.

Pei Ningxue toyed with a stray lock of hair by her ear.

"Chen Zhi, I've told you before. I don't care how many women you have on the outside, but I, Pei Ningxue, will absolutely never be the side piece."

She stared into Chen Zhi's eyes. "Lin Wanwan is a celebrity. Her biggest obsession is to stand in the spotlight and make your relationship public. Once she does, the whole country will know she is your official girlfriend. Then what would that make me? A shady underground lover?"

Pei Ningxue scoffed.

"I threw down a hundred million to buy her silence for three years. In these three years, Deep Space Technology will grow into a true behemoth, and I will always be by your side."

"After three years, even if she wants to go public, everyone will only know that the woman standing beside you, Chen Zhi, can only be me, Pei Ningxue."

This woman's desire for control and competitiveness was ridiculously strong.

And yet, she used a perfectly justifiable open scheme, using the company's money to handle her personal affairs, while still making Lin Wanwan's manager feel deeply grateful.

Chen Zhi suddenly felt a bit of a headache.

Since words weren't working, he could only resort to action.

Chen Zhi's face suddenly turned cold, and he stood up abruptly.

He looked at Pei Ningxue with a fierce expression.

"Pei Ningxue, do you think you're very smart?" Chen Zhi rested his hands on the armrests of her sofa. "Have I been too good to you lately, making you think you can just manipulate me however you want?"

Pei Ningxue tilted her head up, not intimidated by him in the slightest.

"What? Is President Chen feeling heartbroken?"

"Heartbroken my ass!" Chen Zhi said viciously. "Tonight I'm going to teach you a lesson and establish some husbandly authority, otherwise you won't know your place!"

Not only was Pei Ningxue not scared, but she also burst out laughing.

She leaned back against the sofa, lifting her right leg slightly.

Her fair, rounded toes slid all the way up Chen Zhi's calf, finally stopping at his chin.

Pei Ningxue extended her delicate foot, provocatively hooking Chen Zhi's chin.

"Oh?" Pei Ningxue dragged out the syllable, her voice lazy and fatally seductive. "How are you going to teach me a lesson?"

This woman was an absolute temptress.

He grabbed Pei Ningxue's ankle.

Pei Ningxue cried out in surprise. Before she could react, she was yanked straight into Chen Zhi's arms.

"Ah!"

Chen Zhi took the opportunity to sit down on the sofa. With a flip of his wrist, he turned Pei Ningxue over, making her lie face down across his lap.

Before Pei Ningxue could process what was happening, she felt a chill on her back.

Chen Zhi unceremoniously flipped up her black silk slip dress.

And delivered a slap.

"Chen Zhi! You're crazy!" Pei Ningxue finally came to her senses, struggling in utter humiliation and anger.

She desperately pushed against Chen Zhi's legs with both hands, her two long legs kicking wildly in the air.

But how could she possibly shake Chen Zhi's strength?

"That's for acting on your own."

"That's for being disobedient."

"That's for hooking my chin."

Pei Ningxue's defenses completely crumbled.

"Chen Zhi, you bastard! Let me go right now!" Pei Ningxue's voice took on a crying tone. "Even my dad has never hit me!"

"Why wouldn't I dare?" Chen Zhi sneered. "If you're not good, I'll spank you. I have to teach you a lesson you'll remember today."

Pei Ningxue simply stopped struggling.

Her shoulders heaved, and she actually started crying.

Chen Zhi stopped his hand.

He pulled the hem of her nightgown back down, reached out, scooped Pei Ningxue up from his lap, and pulled her into his arms.

Pei Ningxue's face was flushed red, her eyes brimming with swirling tears. She bit her lip hard and glared fiercely at Chen Zhi.

"Are you going to dare provoke me again?" Chen Zhi reached out and wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes.

Pei Ningxue slapped his hand away, opened her mouth, and bit down hard on Chen Zhi's shoulder.

Chen Zhi gasped in pain but didn't dodge, letting her bite him to vent her anger.

After quite a while, Pei Ningxue finally let go, leaning against his chest while panting.

"You're just a bastard," Pei Ningxue said in a muffled voice.

"Yes, yes, I'm a bastard." Chen Zhi stroked her hair and gently patted her back.

Pei Ningxue looked up, her eyes red as she looked at him.

"Did you think I was really just acting out of jealousy?" Pei Ningxue scoffed coldly. "Lin Wanwan is highly popular right now. Having won the championship on Singer, she's already achieved national recognition. ByteDance has signed her as the splash screen spokesperson across all their apps, so her traffic is going to explode."

She sniffled and continued her analysis.

"Our Deep Space Technology is about to launch Moss's independent app. We are in dire need of a spokesperson with extremely high national recognition, a positive image, and preferably someone who resonates with the younger demographic. Lin Wanwan is the most cost-effective choice on the market right now. Signing her exclusively for three years for a hundred million might seem like a premium, but as long as she doesn't get involved in a scandal, this deal is a guaranteed profit for us."

Chen Zhi was dumbfounded as he listened.

He really thought Pei Ningxue was purely throwing money at a romantic rival. He never expected that while this woman was being jealous, she was actually calculating the company's commercial interests into the mix.

"So that clause about not going public for three years..." Chen Zhi asked tentatively.

"That was to avoid commercial risks!" Pei Ningxue glared at him self-righteously. "She's currently walking the line of both an idol and a talented artist. Once a romance is exposed, she'll lose a massive number of male fans, and her commercial value will shrink by at least a third. As the CFO of Deep Space Technology, I must minimize this potential risk. This is a risk control clause written into the contract. Is there a problem with that?"

Chen Zhi gave her a thumbs up. "No problem at all. Brilliant insight, President Pei."

No matter how high-sounding this woman's words were, Chen Zhi knew exactly what was going on.

Mitigating commercial risks was true, but conveniently crushing Lin Wanwan's desire to go public once and for all was also true.

This overt scheme of hers was played beautifully.

"Alright, stop flattering me." Pei Ningxue broke free from Chen Zhi's embrace, reaching out to smooth her slightly disheveled hair and nightgown.

She was just about to stand up when Chen Zhi pulled her right back, making her fall back onto his lap.

"Now that business is out of the way, shouldn't we discuss our private affairs?" Chen Zhi leaned close to her ear, his voice dropping to a low whisper.

The tips of Pei Ningxue's ears turned red, and she turned her head away. "Who wants to discuss private affairs with you? You just smacked me, and we haven't settled that score yet."

"Then how do you want to settle it?" Chen Zhi's hands were already wandering, sliding down the curve of her waist.

Pei Ningxue's body trembled slightly as she bit her lip in silence.

Chen Zhi lowered his head and kissed her neck.

The atmosphere in the living room instantly grew thick and steamy.

Pei Ningxue's breathing gradually quickened, her hands unconsciously wrapping around Chen Zhi's shoulders.