It was exactly six o'clock when Jia Xin left the office. For once, her heart was light and full of excitement.
A week ago, she had asked Mo Ting to spend Valentine's Day with her, and he had immediately agreed. So today, she promised herself she wouldn't be late.
As soon as she arrived home, she hurriedly packed her luggage, waved goodbye to Tang Ning, and boarded a taxi with a bright smile on her face.
Meanwhile, in a luxury apartment across the city, a handsome man was still in bed, his arms wrapped around a beautiful woman. The soft sound of his phone ringing disturbed the lazy atmosphere. With a sigh, Mo Ting reached for it and answered.
"Hey, Mo Ting, I'm already here. Where are you?" came Jia Xin's cheerful voice from the other end.
"Oh, Xin… I'm stuck in traffic," Mo Ting replied in his practiced, gentle tone. "I'll be there soon, okay?"
"Alright, I'll wait for you!" she said happily before hanging up.
As soon as the call ended, Mo Ting tossed his phone aside and got out of bed. The woman beside him dressed in little more than lace, stretched and pouted.
"Honey, are you leaving already?"
"Yeah," he said lazily, adjusting his tie. "That foolish girlfriend of mine just called. I have to go."
"You call her foolish, but you're still going to her?" the woman teased, tracing her finger along his arm.
"I'm going today to end things with her," Mo Ting replied smoothly, leaning down to kiss her deeply.
She giggled, wrapping her arms around his neck.
"You never get enough of me, do you?"
Mo Ting smiled faintly.
"Check the drawer, I left something for you. If you don't like it, just use the black card I gave you."
"Aww, you're such a darling," she purred, pressing another long kiss to his lips.
When he left, the woman quickly opened the drawer and gasped. Inside was a limited edition Chanel bag. She squealed with excitement, hugging it to her chest as she jumped on the bed.
At the resort, Jia Xin stood outside, clutching her bag. The cool evening breeze brushed against her face, but she hardly noticed. She'd been waiting for over an hour when a familiar car finally pulled up.
Her eyes lit up. She hurried forward as Mo Ting stepped out.
"Did you wait long?" he asked casually, walking ahead without offering to carry her bag.
"No," Jia Xin said, smiling brightly. "I'm just happy you came."
"I had to do some extra work just to make time for this," he said as they entered the lobby.
"Thank you, Ting," Jia Xin replied sincerely.
While she was still silently thanking heaven for giving her such a wonderful boyfriend, Mo Ting was already flirting with the receptionist slipping her his business card when Jia Xin looked away.
"Let's go in," Mo Ting said, snapping her out of her daze.
"Oh…okay!" she replied quickly, following behind him.
Later that evening, Jia Xin lay on the hotel bed, her heart racing. She kept glancing at the time, waiting for Mo Ting to return.
Tonight was special. Tonight, she had finally decided to give him her first time.
Feeling shy, she grabbed her phone and called Tang Ning.
"Hey, Ning…"
"What's up?"
"I… need your help. I…I plan to give myself to Ting tonight, and I don't really know what to do."
There was a pause. Then Tang Ning's voice came, sharp with frustration.
"Xiao Xin, don't do it. Mo Ting doesn't deserve you. He's a jerk."
"Ning, please don't start again! Just tell me before he gets back."
"See? He even left you alone!"
"He said he had some business to take care of," Jia Xin insisted.
Tang Ning sighed audibly.
"Right. Business. Listen, I can't help you with this. But if you're still that shy… then maybe don't do it at all. Bye."
"Wait, Ning…"
The call ended.
Just then, Jia Xin's phone beeped. It was a message from Mo Ting.
Let's have dinner together. Meet me at the dining hall.
She smiled instantly, her cheeks warming. She stood, fixed her hair, and changed into a light pink dress before leaving the room.
But as she turned a corner, she suddenly bumped into a solid, broad chest. The impact made her stumble backward.
"I'm so sorry! Sorry, I didn't see…"
"It's fine," a deep voice replied.
When she looked up, her breath caught.
It was Wang Xi Yi; tall, elegant, and impossibly handsome. His sharp eyes softened for a moment as they met hers, and something unexplainable flickered between them, a quiet spark neither could ignore.
Jia Xin felt her face grow warm. Flustered, she bowed again and ran off down the hallway.
Xi Yi stood still, his lips curving slightly. For a man known for his cold, calculating nature, that small smile was rare.
His assistant, who had just arrived, froze in disbelief.
"Sir… I'm sorry for keeping you waiting."
"Hmmm," Xi Yi replied simply, the ghost of a smile still on his face as he walked toward his suite.
Meanwhile, Jia Xin sat alone at the dining hall, waiting again. The clock ticked. One hour passed. Then another.
Her stomach rumbled, and she sighed. Reaching for her phone, she realized she'd left it on the bed.
She decided to go back upstairs.
But the moment she opened the door to her room,
She froze.
The sound hit her first: breathless moans and soft laughter. Then her eyes adjusted, and what she saw made her heart stop.
Mo Ting was on top of the receptionist, both tangled in the sheets, lost in each other.
"Mo Ting!" she cried, her voice trembling.
Both turned sharply. The receptionist screamed, clutching the blanket around her. Mo Ting simply stood, adjusting his robe with infuriating calm.
"Why are you here? I told you to wait in the dining room," he said flatly.
"Is that all you have to say?" Jia Xin asked, her eyes brimming with tears.
He sighed, clearly irritated.
"What? You want me to apologize? Don't flatter yourself. I, Mo Ting, don't apologize to fools."
"Ting… is this really you? Why are you doing this? Did I do something wrong? I'll apologize if I did," she pleaded, her voice breaking.
He lifted her chin with one finger, sneering.
"You're too naïve, Jia Xin. For years, you wouldn't even let me kiss you. Do you really think any man would wait forever? You're gullible."
Her lips trembled.
"So you've been cheating on me… all this time?"
He scoffed.
"Just ignore it like you always do."
"What? You expect me to ignore this?"
"What else can you do?" he snapped, his patience running out. "Just leave."
He turned, grabbed her luggage from the closet, and shoved it into her hands.
"Ting, what are you doing?" she asked through her tears.
"Sending you out."
And with that, he pushed her into the hallway and slammed the door.
Jia Xin stood frozen, staring at the door that had just closed her out, not just from the room, but from the life she thought she had. Tears spilled silently down her cheeks.
Then she turned, and saw him.
The man from earlier.
Wang Xi Yi.
He stood a few steps away, his sharp gaze softening at the sight of her trembling figure. Without a word, he took the luggage from her hands and passed it to his assistant.
"Wipe your tears," he said coolly. "Come with me."
"Why?" Jia Xin asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Xi Yi looked at her for a long moment, something unreadable in his eyes. Then, without answering, he took her hand and gently pulled her along.