The door clicked shut behind me with a soft thud that seemed to echo in the lavishly decorated room. Manager Hong gestured toward a plush velvet sofa with an inviting smile, her movements fluid and practiced.
As I settled into the cushions, she lowered herself beside me close enough that her perfume, something floral with undertones of jasmine, filled my senses.
"Please, make yourself comfortable," she purred, her voice like honey dripping from a spoon. Her fingers traced idle patterns on the armrest between us, each movement deliberate, calculated.
"It's not often we receive such... distinguished guests."
Here we go, I thought, settling back into the sofa with apparent ease.
Let's see how far she's willing to take this little game of hers.
I played along, allowing a hint of interest to color my responses as she leaned closer, her questions seemingly casual but laced with intent.
Where was I from? What brought me to this establishment? Did I come here often? Each inquiry was an attempt to peel back the layers of my identity, to discover who lay beneath the mask that concealed my features.
"A man of mystery, then?" she laughed softly when I deflected yet another question with a vague answer. Her eyes, sharp despite the coquettish flutter of her lashes, studied what little of my face remained visible.
"How intriguing. But surely you can tell me something about yourself?"
"Perhaps... if you showed me more sincerity," I replied noncommittally, my gaze dropping deliberately to her cleavage before returning to her face.
A flicker of frustration passed across her carefully maintained expression, gone almost as quickly as it appeared. Her smile tightened, the change so subtle most would have missed it.
She's not getting what she wants,and she really doesn't like it. I noted with quiet satisfaction.
Manager Hong shifted her tactics, rising gracefully from her seat only to resettle herself even closer than before.
The temperature in the room seemed to rise as she intensified her efforts, her body language becoming more explicit, her touches more daring.
A hand on my arm, fingers trailing across my shoulder, a lean that pressed her curves against me with unmistakable intent.
Then she looked directly into my eyes, and I noticed a faint luminescence beginning to glow within her pupils, a sign of her seduction arts activating.
Her voice took on a melodious tone, almost hypnotic as she spoke.
"Sit up straight," she commanded softly, her glowing eyes locked onto mine. "Don't move without my permission."
'Does she really think such cheap hypnotism could work on me?'
I thought with inward amusement.
'You fox woman, you're truly underestimating who you're dealing with. With my soul cultivation, your little parlour tricks are about as effective as trying to move a boulder with a feather.'
Still, playing along seemed far more entertaining than breaking her illusion immediately.
I straightened my posture, sitting rigidly like a statue carved from stone, my expression carefully blank as if her technique had actually taken hold.
Let's see how far you'll go, suppressing a smirk behind my mask. This should be interesting.
I remained still as a statue, maintaining the facade of being under her control while observing her performance with detached appreciation.
She was skilled, that I had to admit, every movement precisely designed to entice, to lower defences, to hypnotize and extract information, control, or both.
But I'd been around long enough, in this life and the last, to recognize the dance for what it was.
Then her hand rose toward my face, fingers reaching for the edge of my mask.
My hand shot out with lightning speed, catching her wrist in an iron grip that shattered her concentration and made her gasp sharply.
The glow in her eyes flickered and died instantly as shock replaced smugness. Before she could process what was happening I pulled her forcefully into my embrace, spinning her around so that her back pressed flush against my chest.
She landed in my lap with a small cry of surprise, and I immediately secured both her wrists in front of her chest, pressing them firmly into the generous softness there.
"Did you really think," I murmured against her ear, my voice low and dangerous, "that I was under your spell?"
"What! let go! let me go!" she demanded, struggling against my hold.
Her cultivation, I sensed her through my spiritual sense, she was merely at the Qi Refining eighth layer focused entirely on seduction arts rather than physical strength.
Against my cultivation comparable to Foundation Establishment and immortal physique, she might as well have been trying to move a mountain.
She squirmed in my grasp, twisting and writhing in an attempt to break free. I felt the softness bouncing in my lap causing a chain reaction in my body.
Then, suddenly, she froze, looked down at my lap, the exact moment awareness struck her body going rigid as her mind registered where she was sitting what she was doing. A deep blush flooded her cheeks, spreading down her neck.
"Looks like the fish has finally calmed down," I murmured close to her ear, my breath stirring the strands of hair that had come loose from her carefully styled coiffure.
Her cheeks blazed even rosier. I consolidated my grip, capturing both her wrists in one hand and pressing her more firmly back against me. She squealed at the increased contact, the sound high and startled.
"S-sorry! Please, let me go!" she stammered, her earlier confidence completely evaporated.
I ignored her plea, raising my free hand to lower my mask slightly and then pointed the fingers to trace a slow, deliberate path from her forehead down to her plump rosy lips, following the elegant line of her jaw to the column of her throat. My finger stopped just above the swell of her chest, hovering there with obvious intent.
"Why should I?" I asked, my voice low and measured.
"You're the one who threw yourself at me. Now you want to change your mind so suddenly? But I can't shift my stance as quickly as you seem to. The fire in me has already been ignited." I paused, letting my words sink in. "And I think you can feel it too, don't you?"
My word caused her embarrassment to deepen. Manager Hong lowered her head shyly, unable to meet my gaze.
"Why so silent now?" I continued, pulling her more snugly into my embrace by coiling my free hand around her waist. She squealed again, louder this time loud enough to attract attention from beyond the room.
"Manager Hong? Are you alright in there? Do you need anything?" The voice of the female attendant carried through the door, tinged with concern.
I felt Manager Hong stiffen in my arms, panic replacing embarrassment. I leaned closer, my lips nearly brushing her ear. "What will it be? Do you want your employees to see you in such a compromising, lewd position?"
Terror flashed in her eyes. "N-no need!" she called out, her voice slightly strained. "We were just discussing business matters. Don't let anyone inside the room until I say otherwise!"
"Understood, Manager Hong," came the muffled reply from outside.
While Manager Hong's thoughts racing: 'Why did Head Manager have to go to the City Lord's mansion at this exact time? He's the only one strong enough to handle this situation...' Her expression shifted to one of helpless resignation, defeat settling over her features like a shroud.
"Hey now, you naughty woman," I said, breaking the silence as I began stroking the side of her neck with my fingertips, tracing slow, deliberate circles on her sensitive skin. "If you stay silent, who's going to compensate me for the spiritual damage you've caused?"
I began to move my hand downward from her neck. Her eyes widened with genuine terror, her mind clearly leaping to the worst conclusion. She began to cry silently, tears slipping down her cheeks as she trembled in my arms.
Maybe I went too far, I thought, sighing inwardly as I felt her body trembling against mine. She's on the verge of breaking down completely. This isn't fun anymore
"Listen carefully," I said, gentling my tone slightly. "Accompany me like this, just like this, nothing more, until the goods I ordered are prepared. That's all I want. Deal"
She absorbed my words slowly, the relief that washed over her almost palpable. After a moment, she nodded slightly, still not able to muster herself to speak.
But I have to admit, I mused, acutely aware of every curve pressed against me, she's one hell of a ripe fruit. Holding her like this is making me lose control it's pure torture for someone like me.
A reincarnated adult man from Earth's 5G era trapped in a young, robust body with an immortal physique that amplifies every sensation.
Sweat had formed on her skin from the tension, and her body's natural fragrance mixed with that jasmine perfume created an intoxicating combination. Unable to resist, I slowly moved my head to her neck, drawing in a deep breath of her scent.
Then, with deliberate slowness, I placed a kiss on the soft skin there, tasting her essence, followed with another kiss, here and there along her neck and upper back letting my lips linger each time.
I reflected as I continued my attentions to her neck, In my last life, I was what you'd call a 'good boy' or if I'm being honest, a virgin holding onto values about romance only after marriage, keeping relationships pure and untainted.
And what did that get me? Women who found me boring, who left for more exciting prospects, who couldn't appreciate loyalty and restraint. In this life, I'm taking everything I denied myself before.
I pushed those thoughts aside, shifting my focus back to savouring the dessert in my lap. Her breathing had grown heavy and ragged, soft whimpers escaping her lips as she squirmed from my kisses tickling the sensitive skin of her neck.
"Are you married?" I asked between kisses.
"N-no," she managed to answer.
"Then why would such a young woman, oh, excuse me, old woman pretending to be a young lady be working here herself instead of"
"I am not old!" she cut me off indignantly. "I'm only twenty-three!"
I pulled back slightly in genuine surprise. "Twenty-three? Truly?"
Seeing my astonishment, she explained quickly, "It's a side effect of my cultivation technique. It makes the body more attractive, more mature than one's actual age."
"Ah," I said, understanding dawning. "That explains it."
"Then, do you have a lover?" I asked, a strange flutter of anticipation in my chest as I hoped she would say no.
"No," she whispered.
Hearing her reply, a wave of delight washed over me all the objections from the little angel on my shoulder were instantly silenced, while the little devil grinned wickedly and whispered encouragement to tease her, to explore further.
This time, I'm listening to the devil.
I released my restraining grip on her wrists and pulled her even more tightly against me, coiling one arm around her slender waist while the other settled just above her bust, revelling in the softness of her body moulding against my front.
I know this is morally wrong, to force myself on someone like this. If this were in my previous world, it would be a crime. But in this world, strength and power are the ultimate morality and law.
If I didn't have the strength, then our places would have been swapped, not exactly the same, though.
She gasped but didn't object this time perhaps she was learning that resistance was futile, or perhaps she was beginning to accept the situation.
"Then tell me, why did you use those arts on me? What were you hoping to accomplish?"
She was quiet for a long moment before finally answering, her voice small and ashamed. "I was... I was looking for a rich young master. Someone I could control, manipulate into giving me a comfortable life."
"Is that so?" I kissed the spot just below her neck, on her upper back. "Then let me ask you something. Will you marry me if I have money?"
She twisted in my embrace, whether from the kisses or from shock at my question. "What are you..."
"Don't move around so much," I warned, my voice taking on a dangerous edge. "I can barely control the sleeping beast as it is. If its shackles come loose then don't blame me what happens next."
She looked at me blankly for several seconds, processing my meaning. Then comprehension struck, and she blushed so deeply I thought she might faint. "You... you..." She couldn't find the words, shocked speechless by my boldness.
I kissed her cheek softly, then asked again, "Tell me, will you marry me?"
"I... I don't know," she murmured, so quietly I almost didn't hear.
Releasing her, I reached up and adjusted my mask to ensure it was secure.
Then I twisted her body, turning her head to face me while positioning her torso sideways in a princess-carry pose.
I pressed her against my chest, acutely aware of her softness, and looked directly into her eyes.
"Do I look like some delinquent young master from a rich family?" I asked.
"No," she admitted.
"Do I look old?"
"No."
"Do I look poor?"
Again: "That...No."
"Then I think I've met your basic requirements, haven't I? So let's get married."
She hiccupped at my logic, completely thrown off balance by my straightforward approach.
Looking at her face, those rosy trembling lips parted slightly in breathless anticipation, I found myself unable to resist.
I leaned forward and placed a kiss on her lips, the fabric of my mask creating a barrier between us.
She froze completely, her eyes wide with shock.
"Looks like my cure has worked," I said casually, pulling back just enough to study her flushed face.
"But I think direct contact would be more efficient, don't you?" I added, my voice dropping to a husky whisper.
I moved her trembling hand to my mask, guiding her fingers to touch the edge.
She began shaking violently, her voice breaking into desperate sobs as she begged, "NO!...Please...Please leave me..."
Leave her? I thought, genuinely confused by her words. Why would she think I'd..
Does she think I was just toying with her? Before I could voice the question
"Manager Hong!" The female attendant's voice called from outside. "The goods have been gathered. May I come inside?"
Seeing her pleading gaze, I opened my hands. She immediately scrambled out of my embrace, gasping for breath as though she'd been drowning.
Feeling disappointed by the interruption.
"Turn around," I instructed. "Face away from me."
Confusion flickered across her face, but she obeyed, turning her back to me.
The moment she turned away, I delivered a sharp slap to her plump ass, one firm strike for each cheek, the satisfying crack echoing in the quiet room.
The generous flesh jiggled enticingly under my palm, impossibly soft yet wonderfully firm, like ripe fruit begging to be squeezed.
The impact left a pleasant sting on my hand and undoubtedly a red handprint on that perfect, round canvas.
She squealed, the sound turning into a whimper as she shot me a look of pure hatred, tears gathering in her eyes once more.
"You can come in!" I called out to the loudly to the attendant, then she froze, suddenly aware of her dishevelled state.
She frantically adjusted her dress, smoothing down the wrinkles and fixing the neckline before settling into a seat across from me.
She sat uncomfortably, as if on pins and needles, hurriedly combing through her messy hair with her fingers.
The door opened, and three female attendants entered, each carrying a large tray laden with various items.
They glanced curiously between their dishevelled manager and me before carefully placing the trays on the low table, their eyes full of unspoken questions.
I gave Manager Hong a meaningful look, my eyes crinkling with amusement behind the mask, and cleared my throat deliberately.
"Is the sofa uncomfortable for you, Manager Hong?" I asked innocently, knowing full well why she was squirming.
She caught my expression and shot me a withering glare at my obvious coyness, her cheeks flushing with renewed embarrassment.
But professionalism won out over wounded pride. Taking a deep breath.
she arranged her features into a practiced smile though I could clearly see the discomfort and resentment still lurking in her eyes.
and began to speak in her most professional tone.
"These are the items you requested, honoured guest," she said, her voice only slightly strained as she gestured to the trays with a graceful hand.
"Allow me to explain each one and offer some suggestions for your consideration."
As she launched into her well-rehearsed presentation, I leaned back leisurely on the sofa, content to watch her struggle to maintain her composure while sitting on her freshly spanked ass.
She does look beautiful, elegant, even when she's conducting business, I had to admit, admiring the way she could slip so seamlessly back into her professional persona despite everything that just happened.