A picture of seduction

Gao Yiming stepped out of his car carrying a white and black bag, the one Xia Yuqing had left in the office. His eyes scanned the worn-out surroundings, before walking towards a building. 

The lights in the corridors were dim casting long shadows against the walls. He made his way up the stairs to the second floor, stopping in front of an apartment door. He pressed the doorbell.

There was no answer. 

He pressed it again. Seconds passed. Still nothing. 

His gaze shifted to the doorbell, wondering if it was broken. Raising his hand, he knocked. Once, twice, and then one more time, harder. Just then, the door of the next-door apartment creaked open and a lady walked out. Seeing him, she paused, her eyes sweeping over him with mild curiosity.

Gao Yiming gave her a polite nod before turning back to knock again when the woman spoke, "If you're looking for Xia Yuqing, she hasn't come home yet."

His hand froze mid-air. His brows knitted.

Not home yet? But it had been hours since Miss Xia left the office. If she wasn't here… then where could she be?

"Isn't that Yuqing's bag? Why do you have it?" the woman's question pulled him back. 

"Miss Xia left it in the office," he answered. 

Immediately, the woman's expression softened with relief. "Ah.... so you are from her office. Thank goodness, when I heard the knocking, I got worried. Yuqing doesn't get many visitors—except for her awful ex-boyfriend. I thought it was him again, here to stir up trouble."

"That poor girl has to…" The woman stopped abruptly, realizing she had spoken too much. She pressed her lips together, her cheeks tinged with embarrassment. "I'm so sorry, I talked too much.

Gao Yiming offered her a small reassuring smile. "It's alright. Thank you for looking out for Miss Xia."

The woman smiled back, "How could I not? She's such a good girl. She usually helps my son with his home...." She paused, knowing that once again she was letting her mouth run. She smiled apologetically as worry flickered in her eyes.

"Yuqing's never been this late before. I hope she's okay."

Gao Yiming found himself sharing the same worry. His grip on the handbag tightened as he quickly reached into his pocket and handed the lady his card. "Madam, if Miss Xia returns, can you please call me right away and let me know?" 

The lady nodded slowly, accepting the card. 

Gao Yiming thanked her and turned around. He hurried downstairs, his mind racing with several thoughts. Miss Xia had no family, no relatives. The only friendship she had was also broken today. 

So, where could she have gone?

Thinking about the news he got, the humiliation and injustice Miss Xia suffered, his heart sighed with pity. He knew she wasn't that kind of a woman. She couldn't hurt a fly let alone have an affair with her boss. She must have been framed. 

Not only that, she was also fired from her job, her reputation gone along with her name getting blacklisted. No wonder she had acted strange this afternoon. 

Gao Yiming exhaled deeply, thinking about what someone in her situation might do. With her job gone and her reputation destroyed, she must be feeling lost. Most people in her condition would visit a bar, drowning their sorrows in alcohol. That seemed like the logical choice.

But then again… not everyone coped the same way.

Some people isolated themselves. Some acted recklessly. And some—

His steps suddenly halted. His eyes widened.

No.

Miss Xia wouldn't.... would she?

But she definitely belonged to the weak and vulnerable category. What if the weight of everything was too much for her? What if she—

His chest tightened. Without wasting another second, he rushed to his car. Just then, his phone rang. He pulled out his phone, and seeing the caller ID, he picked up while climbing into the driver's seat. 

"Jinchen." 

"Did you find her?" 

Gao Yiming exhaled deeply. "Miss Xia wasn't home. But Jinchen, we have a big problem...." 

There was a pause on the other end before, the cold voice returned. "What happened?" 

Gao Yiming quickly explained the entire situation along with his worries. There was another small pause. And then, a cold commanded. "Use all our contacts. Find that woman. Now. I want her standing in front of me in one piece. Do you hear me, Yiming?"

Gao Yiming clenched the phone, his voice firm. "Yes." 

***

In the Lu Mansion, Lu Jinchen stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, staring into the night. The moonlight spilled through the glass, casting a soft glow on his sharp features, making his damp hair glisten. Droplets of water trailed from his hair, sliding down his neck before disappearing beneath the half-tied folds of his black robe. His ample chest and sexy collarbone were exposed, the dark fabric hanging loosely off his broad shoulders.

A picture of seduction.

Everything about him was perfect—except his expression. 

His lips were pressed into a thin line, his brows furrowed, his entire being exuding an air of cold dissatisfaction as if the world owed him a fortune. His fingers curled slightly, tapping against the windowpane as Gao Yiming's words echoed in his mind.

So that's why that woman acted so… crazy. 

She was stimulated.

A bitter chuckle left his lips. Everyone had different ways of dealing with trouble. Some drowned themselves in alcohol, some sought distractions, and some numbed themselves in reckless indulgence. But her?

Was this how she coped? By tying up men and stripping them?

His eyes darkened at that thought. Had she done this before? How many men?

He didn't know why, but the thought sat uneasily in his chest, twisting into something dark and unpleasant. 

It was ridiculous. Completely ridiculous.

He told himself it didn't matter. He didn't care. He shouldn't care. That woman—she was nothing more than his contract wife. She could do whatever she wanted. Strip whoever she wanted. He wouldn't interfere. 

What she did outside of their deal, what happened to her was none of his concern And yet, his mind refused to let it go. The image of her bruised cheek and wounded forehead flashed before him. 

Someone had hurt her. 

Someone had hurt his wife!

It seemed some people in this world had grown tired of living peacefully.