Chapter 1 Encounter

A sigh-like male voice arose above Yan Luoxi's head. She opened her eyes groggily, and realizing something, she bolted upright, bumping her head against something hard, the pain snapping her fully awake. Through the dim light from outside, she saw that what she had hit was a European-style bedpost.

She was momentarily stunned, then remembered she was under Lu Zhaoran's bed!

The woman on the bed was Lai Zhiyuan, her good stepsister!

Yan Luoxi couldn't afford to be upset, she fuming crawled out from under the bed.

Lu Zhaoran was caught off guard as a disheveled woman suddenly crawled out from under the bed, startling him so badly that he choked on his breath and fell back onto the bed. The woman by his side, panic stricken, stared at the mess on the floor that was neither human nor ghost and demanded, "Are you a person or a ghost? Speak!"

Yan Luoxi stood up, bright and bold in a red dress, her gaze sweeping past Lu Zhaoran and settling on Lai Zhiyuan.

Seeing that she wasn't freaking out but instead looking at her provocatively, Yan Luoxi laughed. She grabbed the decorative vase from the nightstand and hurled it at Lu Zhaoran.

The vase hit him squarely, and Lu Zhaoran let out a pained "ow", sweating with pain. He looked up at Yan Luoxi furiously, "Yan Luoxi, you're looking for death!"

Lai Zhiyuan rushed over frantically, checking on him nervously, "Zhaoran, how are you feeling? Does it hurt badly? Luoxi, how could you do this? If something happens to Zhaoran, the Lu Family won't let you off!"

Dusting off her hands, Yan Luoxi sneered at Lu Zhaoran, who was in utter agony, feeling particularly thrilled inside. She offered a radiant, apologetic smile, "Sorry, my hand slipped."

Having said that, she nonchalantly walked out of the bedroom, slammed the door behind her with a "bang," her smile dropping as soon as she was out. She picked up her bag from the couch, put on her sunglasses, and left the apartment.

...

In the biggest bar in the Imperial Capital, the music throbbed and the crowd buzzed.

In the least conspicuous corner of the bar, Yan Luoxi faced seven or eight empty bottles. Her eyes bloodshot, she picked up a bottle and poured the alcohol directly into her mouth. Bastard Lu Zhaoran, even rabbits don't eat the grass at the edges of their burrow, and he was worse than a rabbit.

Not far from her, in a relatively secluded corner, a man sat alone. Dressed in a black suit that exuded an aura of aloofness, his features were hidden in the shadows; the air around him was cold and distant, like a wild beast lurking in darkness, dangerous.

Anyone passing by felt intimidated by his presence and automatically took a detour, not daring to get close.

Yan Luoxi placed the empty bottle on the bar and stood up, staggering towards the exit.

Suddenly, she was shoved hard, she stumbled back several steps, lost her balance, and fell toward the man sitting in the corner.

The next second, she found herself dizzy and seated on the man's lap, her hands instinctively clutching his shirt. Her stomach churned, and it took her a long while to regain her senses.

Li Yeqi, with his hands resting on the armchair, sat upright, exuding a strong masculine charm: even with a shadow of stubble across his face, his innate pride and dominance were undeniable. He looked down at her like a sovereign born to rule.

In his eyes, the woman's red dress was stunning, making her delicate face appear uniquely charming.

"Have you sat enough?"

The man's voice was deep, pleasant to the ear. Yan Luoxi pouted, her words slurred from drunkenness, "What's wrong with sitting for a while?"

Stingy, not letting her sit. Well, she wanted to sit.

Sparks almost flew from the man's eyes.

Yan Luoxi's fuzzy, inebriated mind belatedly sensed danger. Just as she tried to move back, the man had already grasped her collar and pulled her close.

She jolted, burped from the alcohol, and pulled back a few centimeters, lifting his chin with her hand to study his features more closely. But everything before her was double, how could she see clearly?

She only knew the man in front of her was ruggedly handsome, his narrow, sword-like eyebrows fierce and prominent, and the blue stubble on his face exuded a strong, authoritative masculinity – unlike Lu Zhaoran's appealing "pretty boy" face.

Remembering Lu Zhaoran's betrayal, a dull pain throbbed in her heart, and on impulse, she declared, "Uncle, you have a face that puts me at ease. I want to marry you."

Uncle?

Li Yeqi's handsome face darkened. At just thirty years old, how could he look like an uncle?

Dangerously narrowing his eyes, he felt a strong interest in a woman for the first time.

A dark light flickered in Li Yeqi's eyes as he suddenly stood up, dragging her along with him.

Yan Luoxi followed him clumsily, staring blankly at his tall figure, "Uncle, where are you taking me?"

"To get married, to have children!"