Chapter 12:

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After resolving matters at the Qin residence, Zhou Xu arrived at No. 7 Villa to await his boss.
As soon as Shang Chi got into the car, Zhou Xu provided a concise update on the Qin family situation.
Shang Chi’s expression was inscrutable. He lowered his gaze, idly turning the ointment tube in his hand. His voice was calm. “You have three days. Settle the Qin family affairs.”
Zhou Xu hesitated briefly before replying, “Understood.”
Shang Chi opened the ointment and began applying it methodically to the knuckles of his other hand. “If physical persuasion is necessary, contact Song Wenjing.”
Zhou Xu’s eyes lit up, and he answered readily, “Yes, sir!”
With Song Wenjing’s assistance, the task would be significantly easier.
The boss seems unusually amenable today, Zhou Xu thought, unable to resist glancing at the man in the rearview mirror.
That glance nearly made him gasp.
Abroad, Shang Chi’s formidable reputation meant that before he’d fully consolidated his power, he occasionally faced reckless enemies willing to risk everything to end his life.
The injuries he’d sustained then were far more severe than this. Yet, he’d never uttered a sound of complaint.
These faintly reddened knuckles? They’d probably heal by tomorrow anyway, ointment or not.

Did he need ointment???

Zhou Xu recognized the tube. He recalled Cheng Shuwen pressing it into Jiang Zhi’s hand. Suddenly, everything clicked.
No wonder the boss changed his flight at the very last minute.
He sacrificed billions in potential profit for this!
Having worked beside Shang Chi for over three years, Zhou Xu had never seen him show genuine interest in any woman. His self-restraint bordered on ascetic.
Countless women had thrown themselves at him, yet he remained utterly unmoved.
A man impervious to feminine charms usually boiled down to two reasons: either his heart belonged to someone else, or his interests lay elsewhere.
Zhou Xu had long suspected the latter.
It was only after returning to China that he learned it was the former.
And now, he’s finally gotten his wish. Perseverance pays off!

After the man left, Jiang Zhi began unpacking her purchases.
The only fully functional room was the master bedroom. Shang Chi’s belongings were sparse. By shifting a few items slightly, she made space for her own things.
Jiang Zhi looked at her clothes hanging alongside his in the closet. A strange ripple stirred in her heart.
She’d been with Jiang Nian for three years, yet their possessions had never shared a space.
They were together, yet it felt like they weren’t.
The typical activities of a couple? She could count them on one hand.

Three whole years, not three days. How ridiculous!
The doorbell suddenly chimed, pulling Jiang Zhi from her thoughts. She glanced at the time—already past seven in the evening.
Frowning slightly, she walked towards the front door.
Who could be ringing the bell at this hour?
She checked the video intercom screen. A man stood there dressed in a black uniform with red trim. Emblazoned on his chest were the characters: ‘Da Song Tea Manor’ (大宋茶苑). He looked like a delivery person.
Jiang Zhi was puzzled. Da Song Tea Manor was a renowned private kitchen in Beijing’s elite circles. Reservations were notoriously difficult, and they never delivered.
She’d only eaten there twice, thanks to collaborations secured for Jiang Nian after he became a Film Emperor.
She pressed the intercom button. “Hello? Can I help you?”
The man replied respectfully, “Madam Shang, this is the dinner President Shang ordered for you. Could you please sign for it?”
Jiang Zhi was taken aback for a moment before responding, “Of course.”
Accepting the exquisitely packaged food containers, she carried them to the kitchen island and opened them.
Three dishes and a soup—all signature dishes from Da Song Tea Manor.
Jiang Zhi raised an eyebrow slightly. What’s this about?
Is he trying to win me over with food, so I’ll design his house diligently?
Whatever his reason, faced with such delicious food, the only sensible thing was to eat.
After satisfying her hunger, Jiang Zhi thought it polite to send Shang Chi a message.

Jiang Zhi: 【Thank you for your generosity, President Shang. Dinner was delicious.】 (谢谢商总厚待，晚餐很好吃。)

Unsurprisingly, the man didn’t reply. She didn’t dwell on it.
Clearing the island, Jiang Zhi rubbed her calves. The food was excellent, but eating standing up was still tiring.
Definitely need to get some chairs tomorrow, she resolved.
Enjoying the rare quiet, Jiang Zhi returned to the master bedroom and browsed her phone.
The negative news about the Qin Group had vanished completely from the hot search lists. Even related keywords yielded no results.
Jiang Zhi was impressed by the sheer power of capital. Shang Chi had clearly intervened.
Seeing this, a measure of calm settled over her.
Before she knew it, it was bedtime. Jiang Zhi grabbed her pajamas and headed to the bathroom.
Warm water cascaded over her body, tracing her curves before pooling around her bare feet on the floor.
She cupped water in her hands to wash her face. Her eyes fell on the bottle of shower gel on the shelf. After a moment’s hesitation, she squeezed a dollop onto her palm.
She hadn’t bought any shower gel herself, finding it too heavy to carry. Now, she had to use his.
The fresh, clean scent filled her nostrils—identical to the one she’d smelled when he leaned close earlier.
She spread the gel between her palms, swirling it before applying it thoroughly over her skin.
Her thoughts began to drift.
Fragments of the day with the man surfaced in her mind.

His swift, ruthless movements as he stopped the thug from touching her… His sharp words warning Cheng Shuwen… And then, the image of him earlier, bare-chested, wrapped only in that white towel…
The breadth of his shoulders…
The impossibly narrow taper of his waist…
The sharply defined ridges of his abdomen…
The seductive line of his hips…
And that sternly handsome face, radiating an aura of forbidden intensity…
Realizing where her thoughts were going, she shook her head vigorously.
She’d seen plenty of male models, yet never before had such undeniably shameful images flooded her mind uncontrollably.
A flush spread across Jiang Zhi’s fair cheeks. Her throat felt dry. She looked down at the lather covering her skin.
It must be this scent affecting me, making me so… abnormal.
She reached out and turned the water back on with a sharp twist, quickly rinsing the suds away.
Freshly showered, Jiang Zhi stepped out of the bathroom. Her gaze immediately fell upon the deep-toned expanse of the man’s bed.
Slippers scuffing the floor, she walked to the bedside, pulled back the covers, and lay down. The mattress was firm yet yielding, the bedding fabric smooth, soft, and comfortable against her skin.
She turned off the light and pulled the covers up. The unique scent lingering on the bedding—his scent—enveloped her.

It was faint, not unpleasant, even somewhat… appealing.
The unfamiliar scent of masculinity made her slightly self-conscious. Jiang Zhi turned onto her side.
However, the scent on the pillow was stronger. As she moved, the covers wrapped more snugly around her.
It felt… as if enveloped in his arms.
Even during her three years with Jiang Nian, she had never stayed overnight in his room. This was her first time sleeping in a man’s bed.
Jiang Zhi suddenly felt overly warm. She flipped onto her back again, pulling the covers down slightly.
The room was pitch black and utterly silent. The sound of her own heartbeat seemed unnaturally loud.
Thump… thump… thump… It was racing.
Jiang Zhi tried hard to suppress the strange fluttering in her chest and closed her eyes.
She tossed and turned all night, unsure how long it took before she finally fell into a deep sleep.
In the haze between wakefulness and dreams, it seemed she was transported back to her university days, to that stormy night—