Zhou Yi pretended to be stiff and motionless.
At a moment like this, he certainly couldn’t act like an experienced old hand.
In front of Jiang Ruolan, he was a pure and proper man—he had to maintain that persona.
Jiang Ruolan pressed her face against Zhou Yi’s back, her arms encircling his waist. At this point, her emotions had already overtaken her reason.
Zhou Yi asked her in a hoarse voice, “Ruolan, do you know what this means?”
Both of them were adults. The implications of such actions and hints were self-evident.
She had abandoned all reservations, choosing only to follow her heart. Jiang Ruolan smiled softly:
“I know. I want you to stay.”
“Tonight, you’re not my superior, and I’m not your subordinate. We’re just an ordinary man and woman in the city.”
“Please, give me this chance.”
She held Zhou Yi tightly—tonight, she was determined to keep him.
She had always suppressed her feelings for him, but she was still an ordinary woman with emotional needs. Over time, even she couldn’t hold back anymore.
Even the most rational person would start losing control when faced with something like love.
Jiang Ruolan wanted to indulge herself completely, just this once.
Zhou Yi sighed and patted her hand. “Let go of me first, okay, Ruolan?”
Reluctantly, Jiang Ruolan slowly loosened her grip.
She took out her keys and opened the door, but Zhou Yi remained standing outside, seemingly hesitant to enter.
Or perhaps he was still wavering.
Zhou Yi asked her again:
“Ruolan, are you really sure about this? Even if there’s no future for us.”
“Even if I don’t take responsibility for you.”
Jiang Ruolan didn’t answer with words. Instead, she responded with action.
She embraced Zhou Yi once more, rising onto her toes to kiss him.
Zhou Yi no longer held back, kissing her deeply in return.
The man’s fingers tangled in the woman’s soft hair as they kissed their way into the apartment.
Zhou Yi reached out with his other hand and closed the door behind them.
His gaze darkened as he breathed heavily. “Help me unbutton this.”
Jiang Ruolan reached out to undo his buttons, then suddenly laughed breathlessly, her eyes seductive. “I was the one who picked this shirt for you. I even buttoned it for you back then.”
As she worked on his buttons, Zhou Yi’s hands slid beneath her clothes, seeking the clasp of her bra.
He pretended to fumble, making Jiang Ruolan giggle. “So President Zhou doesn’t know anything, after all.”
Zhou Yi withdrew his hand and pinned her to the sofa. “Didn’t you say I’m not your superior today? Why are you still calling me ‘President Zhou’?”
Jiang Ruolan gazed at him with infatuation, her fingers tracing his face. “Then what should I call you? How about… Ah Yi?”
He was younger than her—technically, he should be calling her “older sister.” The thought deepened her smile.
Zhou Yi didn’t mind. He grinned. “Call me whatever you like.”
Their conversation eased some of the tension between them.
“I’ll go shower first. We’ll continue after.”
“Alright.”
“Don’t you dare leave.”
“If I walked out now, I wouldn’t be much of a man.”
Jiang Ruolan’s eyes curved with relief.
She sat up on the sofa and began undressing right in front of Zhou Yi.
The elegant S-curves of her figure were on full display.
One foot playfully swaying a high heel, she clearly was in high spirits. With delicate fingers, she swept her hair to one side, tilting her head slightly to glance at Zhou Yi.
“Aren’t you going to help me with these buttons?”
If there was ever a perfect embodiment of allure and seduction, Jiang Ruolan was it in this moment.
Zhou Yi undid the buttons for her, letting the garment slip down to her waist.
Her back was exquisite—smooth, fair skin that trembled slightly under Zhou Yi’s light touch.
As she stood, the dress pooled at her feet, revealing a white skirt beneath, its zipper resting at the small of her back.
“The zipper.”
At her request, Zhou Yi obediently pulled it down.
The skirt fell, draping over the white top beneath.
She stood there, letting Zhou Yi admire her body.
Jiang Ruolan’s waist was slender, her hips full and shapely, accentuated by the delicate lace trim of her white panties.
“Wait for me.”
“Mhm.”
Once Jiang Ruolan disappeared into the bathroom, Zhou Yi lay back on the sofa to rest.
The sound of running water from the shower was tantalizing.
He closed his eyes, only to soon catch a faint, intoxicating fragrance drifting into his senses.
When he opened his eyes again, her beautiful face was inches from his.
Her raven-black hair cascaded over the thin straps of her nightgown, a single lock brushing against his nose.
Jiang Ruolan’s eyes burned with unmistakable desire—desire ignited by him.
Before Zhou Yi could react, she straddled him and kissed him again, but this time, there was no shyness or gentleness.
Gradually, the metallic tang of blood spread across his tongue—she had bitten his lip.
Zhou Yi opened his eyes to see Jiang Ruolan tracing the wound with her fingertip before smearing the blood onto her own lips. The crimson stain heightened his senses—she looked like a seductive phantom.
His throat tightened. “Why did you bite me?”
“I want you to remember this night forever.”
Zhou Yi froze, the sting of his split lip lingering as she kissed him again.
Their passion reignited on the sofa, soon carrying them to the bedroom.
The nightgown was torn off and discarded carelessly on the floor.
Soon, Zhou Yi’s pants joined the pile.
Their ragged breaths filled the room.
She especially loved kissing Zhou Yi.
Jiang Ruolan kept seeking his lips, refusing to let go once she captured them.
Her gaze was hazy, intoxicated and irresistible.
Yet, in the midst of passion, a sliver of clarity surfaced—she realized she might have gone mad.
The man before her, his eyes half-lidded as he held her close, made her catch a glimpse of herself in the blurry mirror nearby—entranced, drowning, willing to sacrifice everything for just one more kiss from him.
Her heart trembled with panic. She knew it wasn’t so simple anymore.
Abruptly, yet inevitably, she recognized her own dependence and love for Zhou Yi.
The harder she tried to shake it off, the tighter it gripped her.
She had fallen for a man who didn’t love her back.
Wrapping her arms around Zhou Yi’s neck, she let her weight sink into him, his scorching breath against her ear filling her with an odd sense of fulfillment.
In the dim shadows where nothing was clear, her gaze brimmed with adoration and tenderness as she leaned in to lick the wound on his lip.
She didn’t ask if he loved her. Deep down, she already knew the answer.
Instead, she surrendered completely to the pleasure of the moment.
She wanted Zhou Yi to remember this night—to remember her—forever.