Chapter ~ Be My Woman

This man had saved her; she ought to express her gratitude.

That was the only reason she reluctantly put on such attire and came here.

"Sir..."

"Call me Seventh Master." His voice was a uniquely magnetic mid-bass, deep and commanding.

"Seventh Master..." Bai Xueyan gritted her teeth and said, "I came to thank you."

"Then what?" His tone was as cold as his expression, his words laced with indifference.

He shifted his posture, leaning back against the sofa.

This position accentuated his already long legs, making them appear even longer.

"Then?" Bai Xueyan frowned, not understanding what he meant.

Lu Yezhou looked up at her, his perfect jawline sharp beneath his long sideburns.

Then, suddenly, he stood, closing the distance between them with his imposing height.

Bai Xueyan instinctively stepped back until her back pressed against the cold wall.

Her tongue felt tied. "What... are you going to do?"

Despite her obvious wariness and fear, her back remained straight, her chin tilted upward defiantly as she met his gaze.

Her attempt to appear strong was almost laughable to him, yet there was something about her.

She was the only woman who dared to look him in the eye like this.

Interesting.

Especially those eyes...

From his vantage point, he studied them carefully.

Light brown pupils, rare among Asians.

Her amber-colored glass-like eyes shimmered, radiant as stars, a paradoxical blend of allure and resilience, charm and purity—a beauty both complex and unforgettable.

Those eyes stirred something in him.

They reminded him of a woman from his past.

"What's your name?" he asked, despite already knowing the answer.

He was Lu Yezhou, a man whose mere presence could shake the city.

Manager Cheng had likely told him everything he needed to know before she arrived.

Yet, inexplicably, he wanted to hear it from her own lips.

She hesitated for a brief moment before softening her tone. "My name is Bai Xueyan. Thank you for today."

Lu Yezhou's gaze narrowed. "Is that how you thank me?"

Her guard immediately went up. "What do you want?"

She was always wary of the Lu family, but especially of him.

Lu Yezhou found her growing more intriguing.

He reached out and pinched her chin, studying her carefully, as if trying to determine whether she was truly as she seemed or merely using this demeanor to capture his attention.

Feeling his scrutinizing gaze sharpen, Bai Xueyan wrenched herself free from his grasp. "Master Lu, please respect yourself!"

This woman!

Lu Yezhou was momentarily taken aback before his lips curled slightly. "Be my woman."

"What?" Bai Xueyan had endured much, and little could shake her, but his words left her stunned.

She must have misheard him.

Seeing her shocked expression, Lu Yezhou mistook it for delight.

He couldn't help but feel a flicker of disappointment, and the corner of his lips lifted in a sardonic smirk.

So, she was just like the others after all.

"Remember one thing—I won't say it twice. Think of a price and tell Lu Zhan. He will prepare a check and handle the necessary arrangements."

He had initially found her interesting, but suddenly, an inexplicable boredom settled in.

"You may leave."

For a moment, Bai Xueyan was dazed, then realization struck.

Did Lu Yezhou think she was that kind of woman?

Her eyes widened, emotions surging.

She shoved him away with force.

The unexpected movement caused the glass in his hand to slip.

The cup shattered against the floor, amber liquid staining the pristine white velvet carpet.

"I don't know you, and I don't want to! Thank you for saving me, but I've already expressed my gratitude. As far as I'm concerned, I owe you no debt that warrants repayment with my body! And I assure you, we will never cross paths again. Goodbye... No, never see you again!"

With that, Bai Xueyan spun around and strode toward the door without looking back.

"Stop." His voice was low, but the command was absolute.

It had always been Lu Yezhou who rejected others.

When had it ever been the other way around?

And this woman—she dared to walk away from him.

His expression darkened, his sharp gaze sweeping over her coldly.

Under such scrutiny, Bai Xueyan felt as though he was appraising her like a commodity, a sensation that made her stomach twist with unease.

A suffocating sense of oppression filled the air, pressing down on her from across the room.

She swallowed hard, instinctively taking a step back, desperate to escape his suffocating presence.

"I've seen your little game of playing hard to get countless times before," Lu Yezhou sneered. "No one told you it doesn't work on me?"

With a cold smirk, he withdrew his gaze and strode out of the private room first.

The moment he exited, there was a sudden click, and the entire room was plunged into darkness.

Endless shadows swallowed Bai Xueyan whole.

A cold sweat broke out on her back.

And for the first time that night, she felt real fear.