Unwanted Distractions

The business retreat had ended, but for Li Yichen, the real battle had just begun.

Ruolan was getting under his skin.

He had always prided himself on his ability to control his emotions—to remain cold, detached, and utterly indifferent to the people around him. Yet, the past twenty-four hours had been nothing short of torture.

The sight of Lu Zeyan's interest in Ruolan had already set an unfamiliar irritation bubbling beneath his composed exterior. And then, Jiang Wei's presence at the retreat? That had been an entirely different kind of aggravation.

The worst part? Ruolan had remained completely unaware of it all.

She wasn't playing games. She wasn't trying to get under his skin. She was just being herself—soft-spoken yet firm, gentle in appearance yet strong-willed enough to stand her ground.

And that infuriated him.

Because if she had been the type to deliberately seek attention, he could have ignored it. But she wasn't. And somehow, that only made it worse.

~~

The following morning, Ruolan was her usual self—completely unaffected, as if nothing had happened the previous night. She sat at the dining table in the private hotel suite, scrolling through her phone while sipping her coffee.

Yichen, on the other hand, was doing his best to not look at her.

She had just stepped out of her room wearing his shirt.

Well, technically, it was the hotel's robe. But the way it draped over her petite frame, barely covering the tops of her thighs, exposing the curve of her collarbone— it made something flicker deep inside him, something unwanted.

He gritted his teeth. He was not affected. Or so he thought~

Ruolan barely spared him a glance, oblivious to his internal turmoil. "Yichen, your schedule today is packed. You have a meeting with the board in an hour, then a site visit for the new hotel project."

He nodded stiffly, taking a slow sip of his coffee. "And you?"

"I'll be assisting you, of course." She finally looked up, flashing him a polite smile. "That's my job."

That smile.

It was effortless—not the kind women usually gave him when they wanted something, but simple and unassuming. It shouldn't have had any effect on him, but it did.

Yichen cleared his throat, forcing his gaze away.

This was becoming a problem.

~~

By noon, they were heading to the construction site for an inspection.

The drive had been relatively quiet, aside from Ruolan updating him on the project details. But just as they stepped into the hotel's private elevator, the doors suddenly shut behind them— and stopped.

The lights flickered, and Ruolan let out a small gasp.

"What just happened?" she asked, looking around in confusion.

Yichen exhaled sharply, pressing the emergency button. "The power must have fluctuated."

Ruolan shifted uncomfortably, glancing at the control panel. "So… we're stuck?"

The moment she said it, the elevator jolted slightly, causing her to stumble forward. Straight into him.

Yichen's hand shot out instinctively, gripping her waist before she could fall.

For a second, neither of them moved.

Ruolan's hands were pressed against his chest, her body leaning into his. She was so close—close enough that he could feel the warmth of her skin, close enough that he caught the faintest hint of her scent—soft, delicate, intoxicating.

His grip tightened for a brief second before he forced himself to let go.

Ruolan, completely unaware of his sudden stiffness, quickly stepped back, flustered.

"S-Sorry! That was unexpected," she muttered, brushing a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

Yichen simply turned his gaze away, his voice cool and indifferent. "Be more careful."

His tone was as icy as ever, but deep down, something unsettling had shifted inside him.

~~

By the time the elevator finally started moving again, Yichen had managed to bury his emotions back under his usual cold façade.

But as he stood there, hands in his pockets, watching Ruolan type something on her phone as if nothing had happened, one thought kept nagging at him.

He had never reacted like this to any woman before.

Not when they flirted with him. Not when they tried to get his attention.

But Ruolan wasn't trying to do anything.

And somehow, that made her the biggest distraction of all.