The air in the room was thick and humid, clinging to her skin, the moment Wen Ying learned of Huo Sihan’s engagement. She had just reached for her phone to look again at the news alert when the man seemed to sense her mind drifting. Huo Sihan was a demanding man; he required her undivided attention. Snapping back to the present, Wen Ying shoved the phone under her pillow. She looped her slender, sweat-slicked arms around his neck, her breath catching. "I don't like it like that." Her beautiful eyes, clouded with a damp mist, shimmered with a practiced allure. The words were a soft, coquettish murmur. Huo Sihan’s dark eyes narrowed, a dangerous current swirling in their depths. It was two in the morning before the room fell silent. Lying on her stomach, Wen Ying fished her phone out from under the pillow. A quick glance confirmed it: every news outlet was buzzing with the announcement. The head of the Huo Corporation was set to marry the heiress of the Liang Group. Apparently, she was the last to know. A few minutes later, the sound of the shower ceased, and the man emerged. Wen Ying turned her head, her gaze unflinching. Broad shoulders, a narrow waist, the sharp lines of his abs tapering down... that, combined with his flawless face, made him a masterpiece of a man by any standard. Huo Sihan picked up a fresh shirt and began to button it, from the hem to the collar, concealing the entire view. Every time Wen Ying watched him slowly transform back into this facade of a refined gentleman, she had to suppress a cynical laugh. If it hadn't been him, just ten minutes earlier, holding her hips and whispering for her to grip him tighter, she might have actually believed the public image—the cold, ascetic man, utterly inviolable. Once dressed, Huo Sihan’s gaze finally fell upon her. His voice, now stripped of its earlier husky desire, was cool and detached. "I won't be coming next week." Wen Ying spoke at the same time. "Let's break up. The man I love is coming back." The two sentences overlapped, and then the room plunged back into a dead silence. A distinct frown creased Huo Sihan's brow, and the pressure in the room dropped. "Say that again." Wen Ying offered him an innocent smile as she slowly sat up. "I said," she repeated, "the man I love is coming home. It's time for us to end this arrangement." He shot forward, his fingers clamping around her chin. His dark eyes narrowed into dangerous slits. "Wen Ying, what do you take me for?" Seeing his anger, Wen Ying adopted a placating tone. "My benefactor, of course. Wasn't that what we agreed on from the start? Physical, no feelings. Either of us could call off the deal at any time. Besides, we’ve gotten along quite well these past three years. You definitely got your money's worth, didn't you?" Huo Sihan stared down at her, his expression unreadable, silent. Wen Ying pointed to the clock. "It's time for you to clock out... I mean, time for you to go." A chill crept into Huo Sihan's eyes. In one swift motion, he flipped her onto her stomach. For all his faults, Huo Sihan usually took care of his physical needs with a certain consideration for her. These things were a matter of mutual chemistry; if one person was uncomfortable, the other wouldn't get much out of it either. He was typically mindful of her pleasure, rarely acting as he did now—giving her no time to prepare, his movements far rougher than usual. Wen Ying knew she took his money, and that meant she was there for his pleasure. She had no right to complain. Even when it hurt, she bore it in silence. The expensive fabric of Huo Sihan's shirt brushed against her smooth back as his hands, all sharp knuckles and long fingers, toyed with her. His lips brushed against her ear, his voice a low murmur, almost like a lover's. "Does he know? The man you love? Does he know I've been sleeping with you for three years?" The words, however, were the whisper of a devil. He was deliberately trying to humiliate her, Wen Ying thought. And it was working. Her body’s response was undeniable. Huo Sihan let out a short, derisive scoff. "So this is what you like to hear." Wen Ying buried her face in the sheets, her fingers twisting the fabric, trying to regulate her breathing and find some relief. A moment later, Huo Sihan tossed her aside. He pulled a few wet wipes from the nightstand and methodically cleaned himself. Then, she heard him say, "I was going to give you thirty million. It seems that won't be necessary now." With that, he turned and strode out of the room. Wen Ying waited until the sound of the door clicking shut echoed through the silence before she slowly rose and headed for the bathroom. It was a shame about the money, but she’d always believed you reap what you sow. Taking that thirty million might have brought her bad karma. Besides, she had already received a substantial amount from Huo Sihan over the years. After washing away the exhaustion, Wen Ying emerged to find the bed in a state of disarray, and her mind began to wander. She had met Huo Sihan three years ago. Back then, she was working part-time at a business club, where a client had been relentlessly harassing her. The day she decided to quit, he drugged her. She didn't know how she escaped. All she knew was that she woke up in Huo Sihan's bed. He was already fully dressed, his aura one of cold, aristocratic detachment. He had asked her calmly, "Two million to walk away, or you stay with me?" The humiliation had been sharp, but what was done was done. Her dignity certainly wasn't worth two million dollars. More importantly, she needed the money. And an opportunity like this, a veritable lottery ticket, didn't fall into everyone's lap. She had asked, "How much to stay with you?" A sardonic smile touched the man's lips, as if he had already predicted her answer. His voice was even colder. "Two million. A month." "Okay, boss," Wen Ying had agreed instantly. And so, for three years, Wen Ying had been his kept woman. Huo Sihan came once a week, like clockwork. She treated it as a weekend side job. Beyond that, their lives never intersected. Wen Ying figured she was a pretty good bedmate. In bed, she used every trick she knew to please him; out of bed, she was practically invisible. A real bargain. Huo Sihan's two million a month was an investment with no risk and guaranteed returns. Shaking off the memories, Wen Ying quickly gathered her belongings. She didn't live here; she only came in advance to wait for him. She slipped on her coat and had just reached the door when her phone rang. Her friend's excited voice burst through the speaker. "Yingying, I heard Lin Qingyan is coming back to the country!" Thud. The bag slipped from her hand and fell to the floor. The voice on the phone chattered on, but Wen Ying couldn't hear a word. A heavy, suffocating feeling settled in her chest. She never imagined that the lie she had spun for Huo Sihan just half an hour ago would turn out to be a prophecy. Lin Qingyan. The one she’d loved for so long. The unattainable ideal of her entire girlhood.