Chapter Fifty-Nine: An Irreconcilable Enmity

Just as the outside world claimed, if he truly wished to destroy someone, he would not even need to exert the slightest effort. With merely the flick of a finger, a single command, he could ruin a person’s life in an instant. Just like the Lu Corporation back then—a once-glorious legend in the business world, erased from the market in mere days. And yet…

Toward her, he resorted to schemes and intrigue, but when she needed him most, he stood before her, lifting her chin, straightening her spine—no matter the cruel words she had hurled at him. There was indeed a moment when he wanted to crush her bones, to break her wings, so she could never escape his grasp. He made up his mind with such ruthless resolve, yet in the end, he could never bring himself to act.

Tears slid from the corners of her eyes, tracing down her thick lashes and dampening her temples. Never before had she felt so stifled, not even when she learned of Xue Lizan’s betrayal.

Shen Yanlie was a domineering man—so intense that he pushed her to the brink, leaving her no way out, no place to hide.

"Shen Yanlie, I want you! I want you to love me!..."

Before she could finish, a sudden sharp pain pierced her, ruthless and consuming, cleaving her to her core like a blade. She could not know that her simple words, "I want you," ignited every vein in his body, setting him ablaze, burning with a fire that could not be quenched—a scorching fever that threatened to consume him.

For the first time, she shed all her reserve, crossing the line and surrendering her oldest beliefs. She had always thought—somewhere in this world—there could be the purest love. But now, having cast that belief aside, she was struck by an inexplicable sense of relief. When she voiced her desire for him, her heart grew unexpectedly lighter.

…

Shen Yanlie leaned over her, wild and unrestrained, seeking out every sensitive place, drawing wave after wave of shudders from her body.

He saw her stubbornly biting her lip, nearly breaking the skin, refusing to let a sound escape. At last, Shen Yanlie could not help but lower his head and kiss her—this time, not with the earlier arrogance, but with the same fierce intensity, now tempered with gentleness, inch by inch, conquering her utterly.

His kisses were steeped in longing, entwined with tenderness, fiercely possessive and endlessly hungry.

Again and again, he pushed and withdrew, plunged and retreated, crashing into her with renewed force. He had never considered that if this were to be their final night together, he might long for it to last forever, wishing time would simply stop so they could remain entwined.

He did not want to leave; he wished this night would stretch on and on. Only by possessing her so utterly could he prove to himself that he had truly had her, that he had entered her world and claimed her for his own.

He breathed in her scent, felt the heat of her body—wondering how long it would be before he could experience her embrace again, if ever. Perhaps, after this, there would be no next time. Perhaps she would no longer want to see him—a man so “unworthy.”

Clouded release and sweat soaked the sheets, their fevered bodies tangled inseparably. As he led her to climax time after time, she finally succumbed, falling into a deep, exhausted sleep.

That night was a fever that seared the soul.

Mai Xijun admitted to herself—she was lost, wholly consumed in an endless rapture. If love, given time, reveals the heart, then perhaps sharing a bed each night would, in time, breed true affection.

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When Mai Xijun woke again, it was already two or three in the afternoon. Her head throbbed painfully, and her body felt as if it had been torn apart.

She propped herself up half-heartedly; beside her, the bed was already cold and empty. What had she been hoping for? After today, their relationship amounted to nothing more than a series of lustful nights—a simple, unambiguous connection.

Sitting on the toilet, her legs trembled weakly. She looked down—her entire body bore bruises, blue and purple, not a single spot left unmarked, even on the insides of her thighs.

Her back was sticky with his sweat, now dried. All he had left her with was an uncomfortable residue and the faint scent of tobacco.

On the living room table lay a bank card, quietly waiting. It was an international card, limitless—she knew at a glance. She could spend from it without end.

One night of passion bought her a life free from want. Should she feel grateful? Yet her eyes were dim, the smile on her lips bitter as gall.

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In the Island Café.

“Why did you miscalculate?” the man asked darkly, a sneer playing on his lips.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Luo,” the other man replied, his head bowed half an inch in earnest apology.

“You know I share a mortal enmity with him. Aren’t you well acquainted with him? How could you misjudge? Shaoxing, you must understand—what I lost wasn’t just LOV, but my dignity!” Luo Youcong was not his usual cold, indifferent self; anger was clear upon his face, each word spat out with clenched teeth, as though he would peel the skin from his enemy’s bones.

He could no longer maintain his composure. No matter how carefully he had always guarded his expressions, hatred had now taken root beyond his control. His Xie Yunting had returned—and she had come back right after he lost LOV.

But that wasn’t the point. The point was, not only was he the last to know of her return, but she still hadn’t chosen him.

“I’m sorry—it was my mistake.” At that moment, Mo Shaoxing seemed like a child caught in wrongdoing, though he admitted his fault with the maturity and clarity of a grown man. Though he knew, truly, this twist of fate was not his to blame.

Shen Yanlie, young as he was, always played his hand with elegance and cunning. Even after years by his side, knowing his every habit and style, Shaoxing still could not predict just how he would play the game, what refined and masterful moves he would make.

Perhaps Shaoxing should have foreseen that Shen Yanlie would acquire LOV, but he hadn’t expected it would happen so soon—and that, after forcibly taking over Lu Corporation, he would eliminate LOV from the Luo holdings and claim it for himself. Shen Yanlie was ruthless by nature—perhaps that was his truest self. There was no need to guess.