Chapter 2: A Long-Awaited Kiss

Upon returning to the office area, Qin Ze was met by the department manager.

"Qin Ze, how could you possibly sleep during President Yu's first day in office?"

At that moment, Qin Ze's mind was in disarray. Upon hearing the name "President Yu," he paused, reflecting before realizing that Yu Yan was now the president of Wansheng Group.

It seemed this woman had come specifically for him.

"Manager, I resign," Qin Ze stated gravely.

The manager stood there, dumbfounded.

As Qin Ze departed the company, a look of confusion lingered on the manager's face.

The news of Qin Ze's resignation spread swiftly throughout the company.

It was hardly surprising; President Yu appeared to be quite formidable, and with Qin Ze dozing off during the meeting on her first day, it was evident that he would face a tumultuous time ahead.

In retrospect, Qin Ze's decision to resign was quite wise.

Yet, it was unfortunate that all his years of hard work had seemingly gone to waste, for climbing to a managerial position in a nationally renowned enterprise like Wansheng Group was no small feat.

After completing the necessary resignation formalities, Qin Ze stepped out of the Wansheng Group building.

When he finally returned home, he understood that Yu Yan's entry into the role of president was not merely a personal matter; she had come with a vendetta.

Qin Ze resided in a well-developed community, built by the BGY Real Estate Group. While it could not compare to the illustrious Tangchen Yipin, it was still a respectable neighborhood, the culmination of all his savings from the past five years.

As he stepped off the elevator, the sound of construction work echoed through the hall.

Qin Ze frowned in confusion, murmuring, "Are the neighbors renovating?"

Just then, he sensed something was amiss.

This was a one-unit-per-floor design, and the ruckus of demolition was far too loud to be from neighboring apartments—it was clearly coming from his own.

"Good grief!" Qin Ze exclaimed as he sprinted towards his apartment.

The door stood wide open, revealing a scene of utter devastation within.

The flooring, appliances, and walls lay in disarray; several burly men wielding hammers were in the midst of demolishing his walls.

"Hey, what on earth are you doing?!" Qin Ze shouted.

The men paused their work, regarding him with indifferent expressions. One man, seemingly unfazed, even produced a cigarette from his pocket and leisurely lit it.

As Qin Ze stepped inside his home, the sight of the wreckage made his heart bleed; seventy thousand worth of renovations lay in ruins.

"How did you get in here?" Qin Ze seethed, pointing at the chaos around him. "This is my home!"

The men remained silent, and the smoker took a long drag before exhaling a cloud of smoke, casually remarking, "Oh, we must have mistaken it."

Qin Ze stared in disbelief at the man, baffled by his nonchalant demeanor.

"Mistaken it?" Qin Ze erupted. "Did you even discuss this beforehand? You destroy my home and then casually tell me it was a mistake?"

The smoking man, growing impatient, took one last puff before crushing the cigarette underfoot with his shoe.

"We're just here to do a job. Our boss provided us with the address, and we tear down whatever is at that location. If there's an issue, speak to our boss; it's not our problem."

Qin Ze found himself speechless. Though the men's attitudes were far from pleasant, their logic was hard to contest.

After a deep breath, he asked, "Who is your boss?"

The man tossed him a business card and then turned to his subordinates. "Is everything cleaned out?"

"All done," they replied.

"Let's go," he waved.

At that moment, Qin Ze felt a surge of anger.

What do you mean "all done"? Are you suggesting that if it weren't finished, you would continue your destruction?

However, once he glanced at the name on the business card, everything clicked into place.

These men, dressed in tailored suits, were clearly not demolition workers! It made sense now; they knew the code to his front door! Their claim of "mistaken it" was merely a ruse—these men intended to strip his home bare!

Fists clenched around the business card, Qin Ze gritted his teeth in fury.

"Yu Yan!" he hissed through clenched jaws.

Returning to the company, he found himself back in the conference room.

Sure enough, Yu Yan had not left; she sat elegantly, lazily draping her shoulders while her long legs crossed, her exquisite heels swinging sensuously in the air.

Fuming, Qin Ze strode up to her and slammed the business card down onto the table.

Yu Yan cast a sidelong glance at the card but remained silent.

"Yu Yan! What do you mean by this?!" Qin Ze demanded.

She turned her gaze toward him, her lips curling into a playful smile. "Do we know each other?"

"You—" Qin Ze struggled to articulate his outrage, his hand shaking as he pointed at her.

"How dare you destroy my home!" he shouted.

"Mistaken it," Yu Yan replied, tilting her head slightly.

"Your mistake is not my problem!" Qin Ze retorted vehemently.

Yu Yan remained unfazed, still holding her shoulders, "Who knew your door code was my birthday?"

Qin Ze's face flushed crimson.

No matter how much he protested, the reality was undeniable.

Gradually, he calmed himself, taking a deep breath to regain his composure.

"If this continues, I'll have to call the police," he stated coldly.

"You don't need the police for matters of compensation."

Upon hearing this, Qin Ze realized that Yu Yan had become quite wealthy.

"Yu Yan, you left without a word five years ago; there's no need to retaliate against me. I've done nothing wrong," Qin Ze said quietly.

"I'm not retaliating; it was merely a mistake," she countered.

Qin Ze's defenses began to crumble.

"Is it truly enough to dismiss this with a mere 'mistake'? You've wrecked my home—what am I supposed to do?" he exclaimed, gesturing toward the chaos.

"You can stay at my place," Yu Yan said with a sly smile.

Never underestimate the allure of a stunning woman.

When a breathtakingly beautiful woman stands before you, casually resting her arms and flaunting her graceful legs while proclaiming, "You can stay at my place," any man would recognize the implications of such a proposition.

Yet, Qin Ze frowned, irritation etched across his face.

"Yu Yan, what is it you truly want?"

"To have you back."

"That's impossible," Qin Ze replied regretfully.

"I have wealth; we need not live in poverty. If you return to me, you needn't work, and I will provide for you."

It was clear that Yu Yan intended to keep him as a sugar baby.

Every man harbors a secret desire to be protected; even weary men fantasize about a future where they might be cherished by a beautiful benefactor, embarking on a passionate romance that leads them to the pinnacle of success.

But that was not what Qin Ze desired; he didn't lack money—he longed for the Yu Yan he knew five years ago.

"We've been apart for five years; let's afford each other some respect."

Upon hearing this, a glint of frost appeared in Yu Yan's gaze. Just as she suspected, Qin Ze was indeed resistant to gentle persuasion.

"Ha," she scoffed, her lips curling in disdain. "And then what?"

"Five years is long enough; it's time to move on. If you hadn't appeared today, I might have completely forgotten you," Qin Ze said calmly.

Yu Yan smiled faintly at his words.

Rising, she stepped closer, a mere five centimeters away from him.

"Forget me?" she asked, looking at him with disdain. "How do you intend to achieve that? With mere words?"

As she spoke, Yu Yan moved even closer.

Instinctively, Qin Ze took a step back.

He was apprehensive, intimidated by the alluring figure before him.

Noticing his retreat, Yu Yan grasped his tie, pulling him sharply toward her.

She studied his sharply defined features before locking her gaze onto his lips.

As she beheld his mouth, her icy eyes softened, and she tilted her head slightly, pressing her ruby lips against his...

"The woman who once took half your life has returned.

This time, she intends to claim the other half."

As she kissed Qin Ze, Yu Yan whispered those words fervently into his mouth.