The next morning, sunlight streamed through the gap in the curtains, waking Shen Yunmian.
She suddenly opened her eyes. The scenes from last night flooded back into her mind like a tide, instantly clearing her head and making her heart race wildly.
She carefully turned her head to look beside her.
Yu Sheng was already awake, leaning against the headboard, a robe loosely wrapped around her body. Her expression couldn't be read from the side, only the way she pressed her temple revealing a trace of fatigue and irritation.
Shen Yunmian's heart sank instantly.
She breathed nervously, her throat dry, barely daring to breathe, waiting for the judgment she expected.
"You're awake?" Yu Sheng's voice was hoarse from a hangover, calm in a way that made one uneasy.
"…Mm." Shen Yunmian responded softly, like a child who had done something wrong, at a loss.
Yu Sheng was silent for a moment before finally turning to look at her, her gaze complicated. "We drank too much last night." She paused, as if choosing her words, a faint trace of annoyance in her tone. "That wasn't good. Shen Yunmian, we shouldn't be like this."
So she regretted it after all.
A huge wave of disappointment surged over her. Almost without thinking, she blurted out, her tone urgent and humble, "It's okay, I don't mind. Sheng Sheng, last night was voluntary. We're both adults—there are always… needs. Even if it's just being bed partners, that's fine. I can do it. I'll come whenever you call. I won't cling to you, and I definitely won't cause you any trouble."
These almost self-deprecating words made Yu Sheng freeze.
She looked at Shen Yunmian, who was practically lowering herself into the dust, a flash of disbelief crossing her eyes before turning into a complicated smile.
Her tone was ambiguous. "Shen Yunmian, I always thought you didn't have that kind of need."
After all, for so many years, their life together had been almost ascetic.
Shen Yunmian's face flushed instantly, even her ears turning red. She looked away in embarrassment, her voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz, yet carrying unusual stubbornness. "…I do. And I can't accept anyone else."
Only you.
Always only you.
She didn't manage to say those last words, but her gaze already revealed everything.
Yu Sheng looked at her quietly for a few seconds, her eyes deep, as if trying to see through her disheveled exterior into her heart.
In the end, she said nothing. She simply lifted the blanket and got out of bed, walking toward the bathroom.
"I'm going to shower first."
Her tone was flat—no hint of emotion—and she gave no response to Shen Yunmian's suggestion of being bed partners.
The door closed softly, separating inside from outside.
Shen Yunmian remained frozen in place, her heart in turmoil.
She didn't know what Yu Sheng meant by this.
Was it tacit approval—
Or silent rejection?
The sound of running water came from the bathroom.
Shen Yunmian curled up on the bed, burying her face in the pillow that still carried Yu Sheng's scent, her heart filled with immense uncertainty and a faint, shameful anticipation.
But in the end, Yu Sheng said nothing, and Shen Yunmian didn't dare ask further.
The matter seemed to remain suspended in ambiguity.
A week had passed since that chaotic night.
That week, Shen Yunmian lived as if walking on the edge of a cliff. She sent Yu Sheng a carefully worded message, apologizing for losing control that night, and subtly mentioned the proposal of being bed partners again.
Yu Sheng's reply came after a long time, only four short words: "That's not good."
Nothing more.
No scolding as expected, and no clear rejection.
This unresolved attitude scratched at Shen Yunmian's heart like a feather. She repeatedly recalled Yu Sheng's final silence that night and her departing figure. A bold thought began to grow wildly in her mind.
Yu Sheng didn't reject her touch.
Under the influence of alcohol, she had even responded.
Did that mean Sheng Sheng still liked her? Or perhaps… liked her face and body.
The Shen Yunmian of the past never cared much about her appearance. Countless people had praised her looks, her figure, her temperament—whether sincere or flattering, none of it had ever meant much to her.
But now, she couldn't help feeling fortunate. At least this body still made her Sheng Sheng linger.
"Don't serve others with beauty"? The teaching her grandmother had instilled in her since childhood had now become her only weapon. It didn't matter—as long as Sheng Sheng liked it, then it was good.
This thought made Shen Yunmian feel both guilty and uncontrollably excited.
She decided to take a gamble.
Wednesday, 10 a.m., Yu Group President's Office.
Sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting bright patches of light across the floor.
Yu Sheng was reviewing the budget report for the next quarter when the internal phone rang.
"President Yu, President Shen has arrived. She needs to confirm the details of Phase Three of the smart city project with you in person," Su Qingyu's voice came through.
Yu Sheng's pen paused slightly before resuming as normal. "Let her in."
The door was pushed open, and Shen Yunmian walked in.
Today, she wore a perfectly tailored suit skirt. The crisp fabric accentuated her tall, slender figure. Unlike her usual meticulously tied-up hairstyle, today her long hair was loosely gathered at the back, with a few strands falling casually along her neck, adding a touch of lazy charm.
What drew the most attention was that the top two buttons of her shirt were undone, revealing a stretch of fair, slender neck and a faintly visible delicate collarbone. As she walked, a faint trace of a cool woody fragrance lingered in the air—a niche perfume Yu Sheng had once smelled before.
"President Yu, sorry to disturb you." Shen Yunmian's voice was as calm and professional as ever as she sat across from Yu Sheng and placed a document on the desk.
"President Shen, let's begin."
Yu Sheng looked up, her gaze briefly passing over her open collar before returning to the document, her expression unchanged.
Shen Yunmian began explaining several key clauses in the contract, her tone steady and logic clear. When pointing out a specific set of data, she naturally leaned forward, her arm crossing the desk as her fingertip pointed to a line on the page.
This movement brought her very close.
The cool fragrance became clearer, mixed with her faint body warmth, strongly occupying the air around Yu Sheng. Yu Sheng could even see the faint shadow cast by her lowered lashes, as well as the subtle rise and fall of the delicate skin beneath her collar.
Yu Sheng's fingers tightened unconsciously, though her expression remained calm. She leaned back slightly, creating some distance, her voice steady. "For this data model, has President Shen considered the risk coefficient of policy changes?"
Shen Yunmian seemed completely unaware. Maintaining that slightly leaned-forward posture, she looked up at Yu Sheng, the corner of her lips curving into a perfectly measured smile. "President Yu is very thorough. This is the risk weighting we made based on the latest trends—you can refer to Appendix Three for details."
Her voice was slightly lower than before, carrying a faint breathiness, like a feather brushing against the ear.
Yu Sheng lowered her gaze, flipping to Appendix Three. Her eyes fell on the dense data, yet she found it difficult to concentrate.
She could feel Shen Yunmian's gaze lingering faintly on her face—no longer filled with the same humility as before, but carrying a subtle pull.
Damn it.
Yu Sheng cursed inwardly.
She had to admit that when Shen Yunmian wanted to, she knew exactly how to exude charm.
And it hit precisely her aesthetic preference.
This kind of mature, restrained allure carried far more impact than blatant seduction.
Reason told her to keep her distance, to avoid falling into dangerous entanglement again, but instinct was honestly drawn in.
She seemed to have no immunity to Shen Yunmian's type. Otherwise, she wouldn't have fallen so deeply before. That urge to tear apart her calm exterior and see her lose control burned quietly again in her heart.
The meeting lasted half an hour.
Throughout the process, Shen Yunmian's behavior was impeccable—professional and efficient.
Yet those subtle, seemingly casual movements all felt carefully calculated, silently conveying ambiguous signals.
"That's the general situation. If President Yu has no further questions, we can proceed in this direction," Shen Yunmian concluded, standing up gracefully.
"That works." Yu Sheng closed the file, her tone calm. "Let the teams handle the details."
"Alright." Shen Yunmian nodded, picking up her documents and turning toward the door.
At the moment she opened it, she paused slightly, turning half her face back. The light cast a soft glow along her refined jawline. "By the way, President Yu, the industry summit we mentioned last time will be held next week. Perhaps we can discuss the latest market trends there."
It was a purely professional suggestion, but coming from her—with that lingering look in her eyes and the slight lift in her tone—it carried an indescribable implication.
Yu Sheng lifted her eyes to meet her gaze. After two seconds of silence, she replied calmly, "We'll see."
Shen Yunmian didn't seem surprised by the vague answer. She smiled slightly, the faint curve of her lips carrying a tacit understanding. "I look forward to a more in-depth exchange with President Yu. See you."
The door closed softly, and the office returned to silence, leaving only that faint trace of cool fragrance lingering in the air.
Yu Sheng leaned back in her chair, closing her eyes as she rubbed her temples. Shen Yunmian's combination of tactics was far too obvious.
She was trying to use her body and ambiguity as weapons to get close to her again.
And what was pathetic was that she had actually wavered.
That long-lost, instinctive sense of attraction made her feel both irritated and powerless.
Over the next few days, Shen Yunmian seemed to carry this seemingly casual teasing into every possible point of contact.
During Thursday afternoon's video conference, she chose a perfectly lit angle. On camera, her makeup was refined, and a pair of simple pearl earrings swayed slightly as she spoke, drawing attention.
She casually raised her hand to tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear, revealing the elegant line of her jaw and neck.
Yu Sheng silently looked away and didn't raise her head again for the rest of the meeting.
She had lost count of how many times this had happened. Shen Yunmian seemed determined to attract her attention this way. Even when Yu Sheng very clearly ignored her, she never grew discouraged, continuing to display her beauty like a peacock fanning its tail.
For several days in a row, it only intensified. Until Friday morning, when Yu Sheng ran into Shen Yunmian again in the parking lot.
Shen Yunmian stepped out of her car, wearing a perfectly tailored trench coat. Her movements were composed. When she saw Yu Sheng, she paused. The belt of the coat outlined her slender waist, and her entire presence carried a cool yet refined sensuality.
"President Yu, good morning."
"Morning."
A simple greeting as they passed each other.
But Yu Sheng could feel that gaze behind her, following her all the way until she stepped into the elevator.
On the surface, Yu Sheng maintained her usual calm, handling everything professionally, distant yet polite.
But only she knew that every seemingly casual encounter, every trace of that distinctive fragrance in the air, every look from Shen Yunmian's seemingly calm yet subtly hooking eyes, dropped small stones into her heart, sending ripples outward.
This deliberate, tension-filled approach made her feel offended.
Yet at the same time, a more primal urge to conquer and a physical attraction quietly began to rise.
On the other side, Shen Yunmian saw Yu Sheng's indifference clearly, and the frustration in her heart spread like wild grass.
Every carefully planned step seemed to sink without a trace. Yu Sheng's defenses were stronger than she had imagined.
Another late night of overtime—10:50 p.m.
The Yu Group headquarters building was like a dormant beast, most areas already asleep. Only the lights in the top-floor president's office remained stubbornly on, like the last spark in the darkness.
Yu Sheng pressed her aching temples, her fingers massaging the throbbing pain.
She pushed the last signed document to the corner of the desk.
After twelve straight hours of high-intensity work, her mind felt like it was stuffed with waterlogged cotton—heavy and sluggish.
Just as she stood up to go make a cup of coffee, there was a soft knock on the door.
"Come in." Her voice carried undisguised fatigue.
The door opened, and Shen Yunmian walked in.
She wore a high-quality beige long trench coat, the belt outlining her slim waist, the buttons fastened neatly up to the collar. In her hand, she held a folder.
"Sorry to disturb you so late," her voice was slightly hoarse but unusually clear. "We just received an urgent email from the overseas partner. There's been a major adjustment to the core technical parameters of Phase Three of the smart city project. We need to confirm and respond immediately, or it will affect tomorrow morning's video negotiation."
A perfectly reasonable explanation, with timing almost too perfect.
A faint, indescribable irritation passed through Yu Sheng's heart, like being lightly scraped by fine sandpaper.
She didn't like her plans being disrupted—especially when she was already exhausted.
But work came first. She suppressed her emotions and nodded. "Go ahead."
Shen Yunmian walked to the desk, not sitting down. She leaned forward, opening the folder and spreading it in front of Yu Sheng.
This posture brought her very close—closer than usual during work discussions.
That cool, distinctive woody fragrance became especially clear in the quiet night, carrying a subtle hint of seduction.
"Look here," Shen Yunmian pointed at the data. "The other party unilaterally modified the compatibility standards of the underlying architecture. This means our entire previous data interface plan will have to be scrapped…"
Her explanation was clear and precise.
Yet Yu Sheng found it difficult to fully concentrate.
Because Shen Yunmian was too close—close enough that she could feel her warm breath brushing faintly against her ear, that distinctive scent invading her senses, disturbing her already tired mind.
She even couldn't help wondering if Shen Yunmian had added something intoxicating to her perfume.
"…So the risk weighting here must be reassessed." As Shen Yunmian spoke, she seemed to feel warm. Her slender fingers lifted, elegantly undoing the top button of her coat.
A small stretch of smooth, pale neck was revealed.
Yu Sheng's gaze swept over it unintentionally before returning to the document.
"Has the new timeline been evaluated?" she tried to pull her focus back.
"The preliminary estimate is here." Shen Yunmian flipped the page and leaned in again.
This time, her arm was almost brushing against Yu Sheng's elbow resting on the desk.
Through the thin fabric of their shirts, that faint contact and the warmth from her body made Yu Sheng stiffen almost imperceptibly.
The discussion continued for over ten minutes in a subtle atmosphere.
The air in the office seemed to grow thick and heated.
Shen Yunmian appeared to feel hotter. She unfastened all the buttons of her trench coat, letting it hang open to reveal the light-colored silk blouse underneath.
Then, as if to speak more comfortably, she leaned forward a little more.
The loose trench coat slid back along her arms, silently gathering at her elbows.
In an instant, what lay beneath was fully revealed.
It wasn't a proper blouse at all, but a tightly fitted, boldly designed black silk slip dress. Thin straps outlined her delicate collarbones and rounded shoulders.
The deep V neckline barely held the fullness beneath.
The silk fabric clung to her body, outlining every curve with striking clarity.
In stark contrast to her usual meticulous image, it created an almost angel-and-devil contrast.
Yu Sheng's gaze froze, her breathing stalling for a moment.
It wasn't that she hadn't noticed Shen Yunmian's recent "accidental" actions.
But at this moment—in this brightly lit, empty president's office late at night—this direct, bold, almost reckless display hit her like a heavy blow to the chest.
The body beneath that black silk radiated a provocative, primal tension.
Yet Shen Yunmian seemed completely immersed in work, as if unaware of the impact she was causing.
Pointing at a section of the document, her voice lowered slightly, carrying a hint of languid softness. "President Yu, and here… this logical loop—I think there's an issue. We may need a specialist…"
She leaned even closer, almost brushing against Yu Sheng's ear.
"Shen Yunmian." Yu Sheng's voice turned cold, carrying a clear warning.
Hearing her full name spoken like that seemed to finally shatter Shen Yunmian's composed facade.
She suddenly lifted her head, her eyes reddening instantly, moisture gathering within them.
Her voice trembled as if choked with emotion, yet she forced out the words she had rehearsed countless times, with a desperate resolve: "Yu Sheng… I can't take it anymore…"
"…I want you. I can't accept anyone else. The thought of someone else touching me makes me sick…"
She suddenly reached out, her cold, trembling fingers grabbing Yu Sheng's wrist on the desk with a grip so tight it almost hurt, filled with desperate pleading. "Only you… only you can. Help me, okay? However you want… anything is fine…"
Yu Sheng's eyes darkened instantly, a storm surging within them.
The accumulated exhaustion from days of overtime, the primal desire stirred by the bold temptation before her, and the broken, dignity-abandoned figure in front of her—all these intense emotions collided, forming a violent undercurrent crashing against the fragile barrier of her rationality.
She suddenly grabbed Shen Yunmian's wrist in return, gripping tightly enough to make her frown in pain.
Yu Sheng's voice was low and hoarse, deliberately harsh as she mocked her, trying to force her to retreat: "Shen Yunmian, are you that desperate?"
Shen Yunmian bit her lower lip, neither dodging nor avoiding, instead meeting Yu Sheng's scrutinizing gaze head-on.
There was something shattered in her eyes, yet also a reckless, almost provocative allure: "…Yes, I'm desperate. Desperate only for you. Call me cheap if you want, say anything you like… I just want you."
That look, those blunt words, shattered Yu Sheng's rationality. A flame mixed with anger and uncontrollable physical impulse instantly swept through her.
Just as Yu Sheng's tense defenses were about to collapse, Shen Yunmian made an even bolder move.
Taking advantage of Yu Sheng gripping her wrist, instead of retreating, she used that force to spin lightly and directly sat sideways onto Yu Sheng's tightly closed legs!
Her soft, warm body pressed close instantly, leaving not even the slightest gap.
The heat of her skin beneath the black silk dress transmitted clearly through the thin fabric. Shen Yunmian's arm even wrapped around Yu Sheng's neck as she lifted her face, her moist, reddened eyes staring straight at her.
Her breath was fragrant, her voice soft enough to melt: "Sheng Sheng… I want you…"
Boom—
The last thread of rationality in Yu Sheng's mind snapped completely!
This act of blatant provocation both enraged and ignited her.
All hesitation, struggle, and concern vanished in that instant.
In their place surged a fierce, primal urge—to destroy, to devour the bold temptress before her. She suddenly wrapped her arms tightly around Shen Yunmian's waist and stood up abruptly. The force made Shen Yunmian cry out as she was lifted from the chair.
Yu Sheng didn't move toward the nearby sofa. Instead, in that same motion, she pressed Shen Yunmian heavily down onto the wide, cold solid wood desk!
Folders, pen holders, paperweights were swept to the floor, clattering loudly.
Shen Yunmian lay on her back on the desk, the black silk making her skin appear even paler.
She breathed lightly, her gaze hazy as she looked at Yu Sheng looming above her. Not only was she not afraid, the corner of her lips even curled into a bewitching, triumphant smile.
That smile only provoked Yu Sheng further.
She bent down—not kissing, but biting with a punishing force—leaving marks along Shen Yunmian's neck and collarbone.
Her movements carried undeniable dominance.
"Ah…" Shen Yunmian's nails instinctively scraped against the smooth desk surface. The intimate contact mixed with overwhelming satisfaction—she had schemed so much just for this moment of closeness.
As if only this could prove she was still alive.
Shen Yunmian closed her eyes, taking the chance to bury her face in Yu Sheng's chest, holding her tightly, silently yielding as if she wished she could die in her arms.
That night was an instinctive approach between the two of them, a complete collapse of reason.
—
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