Chapter 17: Conquest

Zhou Jie's neck tingled under the heat of his breath, her legs trembling until she collapsed into his arms. "Wh-what…?"

"Your tongue. May I borrow it?"

"You'll have to return it."

"With interest." Before the words faded, Ye Chenghuan seized her fiery lips, savoring the sweetness of her tongue. His rhythm was deliberate—a serpent devouring nectar—until her cheeks flushed crimson, breath ragged.

"You're… impatient," she gasped, breaking free.

"The impatience is mutual." His hands roamed from the curve of her spine to the swell of her hips, fingers dipping beneath her waistband.

Zhou Jie shuddered, gripping his wrist.

He paused. Her resistance melted as quickly as it arose, fingers loosening their hold.

"Such a gentleman… yet so vulgar."

"A man's true mastery lies in balancing both." His smirk darkened.

She clenched her eyes, torn between defiance and surrender, her body sinking into his touch. "What if your wife discovers this… hobby?"

"Infidelity is an art. The skill lies in leaving no trace—like antelopes vanishing without tracks."

Her laughter dissolved into a moan as his fingers teased. "You're… insufferable."

"I have worse vices. Care to witness them?"

"No. I fear they'll devour me."

"Rest assured—they'll let you take the lead tonight."

Their contest of restraint unraveled. Zhou Jie's legs quivered, thighs clamping as whimpers escaped. "This… isn't fair…"

Ye Chenghuan nipped her earlobe. "Surrender feels better than fighting."

"Who's fighting?" Defenses shattered. She seized his face, tongue plunging into his mouth, leg hooking his waist.

He peeled her leggings to her thighs, fingertips tracing the seam of her lace. A tear—fabric ripped—and she stood exposed.

Eyes locked, she retreated toward the elevator wall, guiding him backward. The sealed space hummed with heat, their frenzy defying the winter chill.

When the doors parted, they stumbled into a suite, shedding clothes en route to the bed. Zhou Jie straddled him, tracing the scar on his shoulder with her tongue.

He arched, teeth grazing her lip. She retaliated with a bite that drew blood—pain igniting primal hunger.

"Conquer me," she breathed, hair fanned across pillows like spilled ink.

What followed was a tempest—a clash of dominance and submission. When climax tore through him, he collapsed atop her glistening back, tracing the curve of her spine with kisses.

"You'll… kill me next time," she rasped, sweat-slicked and spent.

His gaze snagged on crimson stains marring her thighs. "You were untouched."

Tears welled. "Three days from now… I marry a monster."

Silence thickened as she unraveled her truth: a sister ensnared by drugs, a blackmailer wielding power, a life bartered to save family.

"Tell me his name," Ye Chenghuan said, voice glacial.

"Why? You'll forget me by dawn."

Smoke curled from his lips. "Some debts demand repayment."

She turned away. "He's Huang Tianba—overlord of Dragon's Den nightclub. A man even the police fear."

The cigarette tip glowed like a predator's eye in the dark. "Sleep. Tomorrow, debts come due."