Book Title: Love You for a Lifetime
Chapter 1: The Encounter
The Golden Garden was bathed in a hazy glow, with lights dim and glasses clinking. Everyone wore masks of kindness, hiding the darkness in their hearts, leaving behind only flattery that was hard to distinguish as genuine or fake.
"Miss Yu, I toast to you!" Mr. Chen, his obese body struggling to stand, raised his glass toward the woman at the head of the table, his eyes leering.
All eyes turned to the woman in the main seat. Upon hearing this, she curved her red lips into a smile, but her captivating eyes were icy cold. "Mr. Chen, are you drunk? Have you forgotten my rules?" Her voice was casual yet laced with sarcasm as she gently brushed her hair. Her brown locks seemed to lift in a faint breeze, as if a subtle fragrance wafted through the air.
Everyone felt the aura she emitted. Though just a guest at the banquet, she stood out strikingly. Whether it was the alcohol emboldening him or the beast within suddenly bursting forth, Mr. Chen grew furious at her words. "You're selling yourself and still have so many rules, refusing to drink? Today, I'll not only make you drink, but I'll make you feed me personally! Let's see what your patron can do about it."
This caused everyone in the private room to exchange glances. They knew the woman named Lena Yu had someone powerful behind her, but Mr. Chen was not someone to be trifled with. In this situation, everyone unanimously chose silence.
The room fell into instant silence. Lena seemed oblivious to the danger, leisurely pulling a compact mirror from her bag to touch up her makeup. Her arrogance infuriated Mr. Chen, who felt deeply insulted, while others in the room secretly marveled at her boldness, not daring to make a sound.
"Fine! Since you won't drink, I'll help you." "Don't you have a patron? Why are you here? I think you're just a prostitute putting on a show." Mr. Chen swayed as he picked up his glass, his eyes full of lust, and stepped forward to force Lena to drink. After a few steps, Lena suddenly spoke slowly, "You might want to think twice. Take one more step, and things could get messy."
"You think I'm scared of you? You're just a whore. I want to see how capable you are." "Hah, overestimating yourself." Lena delivered a swift kick to Mr. Chen. "Ouch, you bitch!" Mr. Chen cried out in pain, turning to the seated crowd. "Aren't you going to help me?"
Those present feared Mr. Chen's wealth but were also wary of Lena's backer. Plus, her display of skill left them all silent. "Don't regret this!" Seeing everyone's silence, Mr. Chen flew into a rage and lunged at Lena. Lena dodged disdainfully, avoiding his flabby body, and frowned.
Mr. Chen hurled all the glasses from the table toward Lena, trying to injure her, while shouting, "Let's see if you'll finally give in to me!" The private room door was suddenly kicked open, and several burly men in black suits filed in orderly. Mr. Chen saw them and sneered, "These your patrons? Hehe, with so many already, one more like me won't hurt! Come with me—" Before he could finish, he was kicked against the wall, landing on shattered glass, letting out a sharp cry. Only then did everyone notice another man had entered.
Dressed in a black suit that accentuated his tall frame, the man wore a smile and exuded a gentle aura, gazing dotingly at Lena, who was toying with a broken glass. "M-Mr. Yu?" Mr. Chen, having been kicked, looked at the man in terror, stammering.
The man ignored Mr. Chen and walked to Lena's side, extending a hand, his voice soft. "Let's go home." Lena set down the glass and strode out of the room first.
Watching Lena leave, the man's gentleness vanished instantly. Though he still smiled, his eyes turned icy, sending shivers down everyone's spines. Marcus Yu scanned the room, his voice smooth. "The weather's turning cold. Everyone, go home and pack your things—return to your hometowns."
Hearing this, Lena raised an eyebrow; it was the first time she'd heard her brother say something like that. After uttering those words, Marcus strode out on his long legs, stepping on Mr. Chen's hand on his way, leaving the bosses in the room in chaos.
Marcus reached the car and saw Lena sitting obediently inside. He chuckled and got in, instructing the driver to leave. At the sound of his laugh, Lena's calm facade crumbled. Her heart raced, and she hung her head,熟练ly admitting fault. "Brother, I was wrong." "Where were you wrong?" Marcus's voice was measured, but it stumped Lena. Where was she wrong? She didn't think she was wrong! But her strong survival instinct kept her from saying it aloud. "I was really wrong. I won't do it again." "Sigh, I just want you to be happy. If you want to paint, you can tell me. I'm here to be troubled!"
Lena had loved painting since childhood and grew up to become an artist. She didn't need to attend such gatherings, but she'd heard the owner of a painting she'd had her eye on would be there. She genuinely liked that piece and wanted to buy it. So, she left work and rushed over, waiting idly for hours, but the owner never showed. Realizing she'd been stood up, she was about to leave when the incident occurred.
The atmosphere in the car grew heavy, and Marcus sighed softly. "Remember, you're a girl. When you're out, you must protect yourself. I'm here for everything." Marcus gently smoothed the stray hairs on her head with his long fingers, his voice tender. Lena nodded obediently, her clear eyes full of敷衍. What was there to fear? She wasn't some helpless girl—five years of judo hadn't been for nothing.
Marcus wanted to make her understand the seriousness, but she grabbed his arm, smiling brightly. "I know, brother. Don't worry. I won't do this again, and I called you, didn't I? Okay, okay, let's go home. I have to go to an art exhibition tomorrow." Marcus rubbed his forehead helplessly. "If you need anything in the future, come to me. I'll help you find paintings." "Okay!"
After arriving home, Lena greeted her parents and went upstairs. On the way, she saw her sister, Lydia Yu, staring at her expressionlessly. Lena was about to call out to her, but Lydia headed straight downstairs. Lena sighed and returned to her room.
Outside the Yu family villa, a man stood for a long time, gazing at Lena's window, his eyes unreadable. After a while, the corners of his lips curved into a smile. Lena Yu, I'm back!
Lena had just finished showering when her friend Mila called. With a smile in her eyes, she answered. "Hey, Mila! What's up?" "Lena, have you seen anyone unusual lately?" Mila asked cautiously. "Hmm, no. Why? Did something happen?" "No, no, I just wanted to check on you. When are we going to the art exhibition tomorrow?" "In the afternoon. Want to have lunch?" "Sure!"
Chapter 2: Reunion
After hanging up, Mila let out a long sigh. She hadn't expected that person to return so suddenly. It seemed Lena didn't know yet, and she hoped nothing would go wrong.
Unaware of Mila's inner turmoil, Lena happily awaited the next day.
The next morning, Lena came downstairs humming. Marcus glanced at her and asked curiously, "What's got you so cheerful today?" "I'm having lunch with Mila, then going to an art exhibition this afternoon." Marcus set aside the newspaper, cleared his throat, and said, "There's a movie Mila wants to see today. I'll join you two, and you can go to the art exhibition alone." Hearing this, Lena rolled her eyes and sighed,吐槽, "Brother, why haven't you confessed to Mila yet? Be careful she falls for someone else." "She's mine; I know what I'm doing." Lena didn't want to argue, put on her shoes, and said, "I'm off!"
When Mila arrived at the café, she saw Lena already seated, elegant and alluring, slowly sipping coffee. A cake on the table drew frequent glances from others. Mila sat down, picked up a cup of coffee, and drank it in one gulp. As expected, it was bitter. Mila made a face and熟练ly took a candy from her bag to eat. "Enough! Who eats candy with coffee?" Mila, her fair face puckered, mumbled through the candy, "But it's really bitter." They exchanged glances, and eventually Lena yielded under Mila's justified stare. "You're hopeless; the point of coffee is the bitterness." "I don't like bitter things." Lena was speechless, took a sip of coffee, and fell silent.
This café was something Lena had been most serious about in high school—she'd gone through great pains to buy it to impress a man, but they'd rarely ended up coming. Over time, it became Lena and her friends' secret hideout; they'd meet here to discuss anything, and it had become a habit.
After chatting awhile, Lena saw it was still early and dragged Mila shopping, secretly messaging her brother. Mila, seeing Lena buy a pile of things, rubbed her shoulders and spotted Marcus arriving. She waved and said, "Marcus, you're here!" Marcus looked at the waving girl, his smile widening. Lena, disgusted by her brother's expression—he never looked at her that way—bit back a吐槽 and didn't forget his request. She told Mila she was heading to the art exhibition. With that, Lena slipped away before Mila could react. Marcus said, "The movie you like is out. Let's go see it." "Okay."
Meanwhile, Lena walked cheerfully toward the art exhibition when someone suddenly blocked her path. Lena froze. Mason saw her expression and smiled, reaching out to ruffle her hair. "I'm back, Lena." By then, Lena had snapped out of it. She turned her head to avoid his hand and said coldly, "Get lost." Mason withdrew his hand, unfazed, and said gently, "Weren't you interested in a painting recently? I heard the owner is attending a gathering in a few days. Want to go?" Lena's heart stirred, but she didn't want to owe him a favor. She pretended not to care. "I'll find it myself; no need for your help." After two rejections, Mason didn't dare joke further. Hesitantly, he said, "Actually, I'm the owner of that painting." Before he could finish, he saw Lena's eyes growing terrifying and wisely shut up. Before Lena could explode, Mason said with survival instinct, "I can give you the painting, but it's late now, and the painting isn't here. Let's grab a bite first." Staring at Mason, Lena said with a mocking smile, "You're something else. My affairs are none of your concern, Young Master Gu. Don't follow me." With that, she walked away without looking back, leaving Mason alone on the street.
Lena grew angrier as she walked, feeling she'd let him off too easily, but she didn't want to go back. As she fumed, a voice came from behind. "Lena, what are you doing here?" Lena turned and saw Miles. Not wanting to take her anger out on him, she mumbled, "I'm hungry. I only had some cake earlier, so I'm a bit peckish." Hearing this, Miles struggled not to laugh and nudged her forward. "Come on, I'll treat you to Western food." Lena knew he was holding back laughter but ignored him, letting him guide her.
At the restaurant, Miles watched the girl across from him. Though her movements were elegant, she cut her steak with each slice as if slicing the person who'd angered her. Miles stroked his chin. Lena being in this state must mean she'd seen him. Indeed, only he could affect her emotions so deeply. Lena couldn't stand Miles's gaze and was about to speak when a voice interrupted. "Miss Yu, could you please let my father go?" A timid female voice sounded. Lena looked over to see a nervous, restrained girl standing beside her, eyes brimming with tears. Lena wiped her mouth with a napkin and said calmly, "Who is your father?" The girl, having braced for many responses, didn't expect this. "My father is Mr. Li from Li Construction." Lena thought seriously and replied earnestly, "I don't know him." The girl, referred to as Mr. Li's daughter, grew angry. "You don't know? How could you not? Just because we had a meal with you a few days ago, our company had all sorts of accidents. Isn't it because of you?" Hearing this, Lena realized—she'd only attended one recent meal, so the girl's father must have been there. As for who, she didn't know. "It's all your fault. If not for you, how could our family be like this? You have to take responsibility." Lena's casual eyes suddenly turned sharp. She stood up and said word by word, "Why should I care? Just because you had a meal with me, you want to pin it on me? Are you stupid, or do you think I'm stupid?" "Besides, I know a bit about your company. Tax evasion isn't something I told you to do." The girl's face turned resentful, as if unconvinced. "Then if not because of you, how was our matter exposed?"
Chapter 3: Speaking Without Thinking
Hearing the girl's words, Miles's expression turned colder. He spat out, "Get lost!" The girl burst into tears, her pale face looking pitiful, shoulders trembling as she stood there. Seeing her, Lena lost her appetite, picked up her bag, and said to Miles, "Take me home." The restaurant patrons watched them leave, shaking their heads at the girl's behavior. The girl felt a shadow fall over her and looked up to see a handsome face—wild features, tall frame, exuding a rogueish charm. Misinterpreting his meaningful gaze as pity, she sobbed, "How could she be so malicious?" As she spoke, the man's eyes grew more enigmatic, and she thought she'd guessed right. "How could she do this for personal desires? I begged her so much." "Miss, you look normal, not like a fool, but the words you speak are worse than a fool's." The girl looked up in shock. "Tsk! Probably really a fool. Otherwise, why speak without thinking? And what you just did was begging? I thought it was extortion." After saying this, the man strode toward the door. At the entrance, he paused. "I forgot to mention—you've offended me today. I'll help expose your family's use of substandard construction materials." As the girl pondered his words, the door slammed shut, jolting her awake.
After the farce, the diners whispered. "What's that miss's background? I heard everyone who dined with her recently had issues at home or work." "I don't know either. Seems she has powerful backing." "Who cares? As long as we don't provoke her, her backing doesn't concern us."
Lena sat in the car, glanced at Miles driving, and said nonchalantly, "Did you know the painting was in his hands?" "Yeah, I knew!" Hearing this, Lena restrained herself. "Were you doing this on purpose? Aren't you my friend? How could you treat me like this?" "Actually, I think you two should talk." "I don't want to talk to you now. Wake me when we're home." Lena pretended to sleep. Miles sensed her reluctance and drove quietly.
At home, Lena saw her brother on the sofa watching TV. Seeing her downcast, he knew she hadn't found the painting. Marcus approached. "Do you want my help?" "No, brother. I'm going to rest; don't disturb me." "Then rest well."
In her room, Lena collapsed on the sofa, thinking of the painting. It was from a charity exhibition—a simple piece of a blue sky with a sunset, yet it emitted a contradictory vibe of vitality and decay. At first glance, she was captivated, but a company emergency forced her to leave. When she returned, the painting was gone, leaving her regretful for ages.
After the painting, she thought of that person. Mason Gu. Tears slid from Lena's eyes. Did we forget to say "long time no see"?
Meanwhile, Mason was drinking at a bar, with Miles watching silently. Miles rubbed his forehead, took the drink, and said irritably, "I don't want to haul you to the hospital. You're both a handful." Mason stared. "Give me the drink." "Can't you have some pride? Go talk to Lena clearly!" "How can I? What would I say?" Mason's voice faded, and he passed out on the table. Miles sighed deeply—whom had he offended?—but resignedly helped Mason home.
Lena moped at home for days. While lying in bed, she got a text: "I'm coming to your studio to sign the contract today." Seeing it, Lena sat up, annoyed. She replied saying she wouldn't go and turned off her phone angrily. Ten minutes later, she washed up, grabbed her bag, and headed to the studio.
There, Miles welcomed her as expected, wisely not asking why she came. "Come, sit here—I saved this spot for you." Miles, legs crossed, pointed casually. Lena sat gracefully, smiling, but her voice was tight. "Why are you here? Want me to hit you?" "Girls shouldn't be so rough." Miles sighed, making Lena want to punch him.
Soon, the office filled with S City's elites. Miles uncrossed his legs, all seriousness. At 25, his success was impressive—a genius, though Lena saw him as pretentious.
As before, everyone arrived except that person. Lena's ever-smiling face stiffened. Mason, if you stand me up again, I'll break your legs! Just as her patience waned, the door swung open. A pair of long legs entered—the man had narrow eyes, a cold gaze, handsome features, and an aloof aura.
Lena, who'd seen Mason recently, froze. Miles暗笑; whenever she saw him, Lena always turned dazed. Mason walked in calmly, his gaze sweeping over Lena before he took his seat. "Sorry, something came up." His voice was cold yet melodic, like jade beads clinking—the magnetic, chilly tone Lena had once loved, always pestering him for stories. "No problem, you're here now. Let's begin." A understanding executive replied.
The negotiation was fierce, but Lena drifted through it. She couldn't shake the feeling that Mason's eyes lingered on her. She shook her head—impossible? They'd met days ago, and she'd been cold. He wasn't a masochist; their relationship was over. Lena mentally coached herself, ignoring the deal.
Chapter 4: Wanting to Rekindle
After the talk, Lena hadn't fortified herself. Miles nudged her. "What's wrong, princess? Don't you want the painting?" Remembering her goal, Lena shot up and chased after him in her heels. Once she left, Miles's playful eyes darkened—a side she'd never seen, but she was unaware.
Lena chased him to the parking lot, panting. "Wait! I have something to say! Mason, stop!" Hearing her, Mason smiled briefly. Lena stood before him, but he glanced at her indifferently and walked around her as if she were invisible. Stunned, Lena recalled the text—who sent it?! She ran after him. "Mason, even if we broke up, you don't have to treat me like air! We saw each other recently, okay?" Mason gave her a meaningful look. "Fine, air it is." Lena relented. "But I need that painting. Sell it to me; let's sign a contract." Knowing he saw through her act, she dropped pretenses. "No!" His cold refusal enraged her. As she geared up to yell, he spoke again. "Lena, long time no see!" She was taken aback, replying softly, "Long time no see! Wait, no—we saw each other days ago." Time seemed to freeze. "What, School Heartthrob Mason wants to rekindle?" After a pause, she forced lightness, smiling to mask her racing heart. Mason pursed his lips, dark eyes flickering, watching her故作轻松, though her fluttering lashes betrayed her. He stayed silent. Quiet stretched between them.
Suddenly, Lena scoffed and stepped closer, her jade-like hand tracing his chest. "Cat got your tongue? Did I hit a nerve? After breaking up, you tell me you own the painting, text me this morning—all to lure me here, right?" His expression shifted, and he caught her wandering hand. Lena stiffened, eyes wide, and pulled back, stumbling in her heels. He steadied her, but she shoved him away ungratefully. "Hands off! My hand isn't for you to touch." She'd forgotten she started it. "Unfortunately, it is." Mason chuckled deeply. "But about rekindling, I bet you'd never—" As Lena was about to say he wouldn't, she processed his words. "What do you mean?" she pressed, instantly regretting it. What was there to hope for? The past had already happened. Seeing him hesitate, she smiled sarcastically. "What, you think after all these years I still like your type? Don't be naive; I've changed my taste. Wanting to rekindle? You've got no chance!" She wagged her finger, the indifference in her eyes stinging him. "About the painting, we'll talk later. I have to go." With that, she fled as if chased.
Until she vanished, Mason watched intently, clenching his hand—the soft touch lingering. Slowly, he smiled, reminiscing about their time together.
That summer, Mason waited for Lena. "Hehe, I'm here!" She popped out and leaped into his arms, making him stagger. Feeling her warmth, his cold eyes warmed. "Be careful; don't get hurt." Lena hugged his waist, looking up proudly. "Who, me? I don't get hurt!" He peeled her off. "Who broke her leg two months ago?" Her eyes darted. "Not me!" To shut him up, she clung to him like an octopus. This time, he didn't push her away, and she smiled contentedly. "Hmm! Do you think we'll always be together like this?" She looked up earnestly. "Yes!" he said firmly. Lena felt complete, holding him tighter. "Then it's settled—we'll be together forever."
As those words echoed, Lena jolted awake, drenched in sweat. She drank water, sat up with a headache, and hit her head—why dream of him? How long had it been? After the breakup, she'd forced herself to forget, and it had been ages since she'd dreamed of him.
A knock came. "Come in," she croaked. Marcus entered, saw her flushed face, and felt her forehead—burning up. "Lena, you have a fever. I'll call the doctor." He sent the butler for the doctor and fetched fever reducers. "Can't work today—all because of Mason, that troublemaker," she grumbled in bed.
As the company boss, she willfully took the day off. But soon, an urgent call woke her. "Boss, come quick! The studio's on fire—the new works and purchased paintings are all burned!" What? Still groggy, Lena bolted up, did quick makeup, and rushed to the company.