The cool sea breeze, the soothing sound of the waves.
The cries of seabirds were full of life and vitality.
Bright sunlight spilled down, and beneath a sunshade lay a young man.
Hu Dongqiang wore sunglasses, loose beach shorts, a floral shirt, and flip-flops, sitting on a lounge chair sipping an iced drink.
Beside him, Meng Yong and Huang Qiang had both changed into brand-new swimsuits.
Both women were in their twenties, with impeccable figures that were truly a feast for the eyes.
The swimsuits weren’t overly revealing, but neither were they the overly conservative type.
With just a casual glance, large patches of smooth, white, and translucent skin were visible.
The three of them, as promotional actors, specialized in delivering lines at cinemas, casually filming passing shots, or standing in 200-meter-long queues at milk tea shops during openings—all very professional promotional actors.
This time, they had landed a big contract to shoot a short promotional video for the Sailboat Hotel on Liya Island, with considerable profits at stake.
Everything they wore was covered under the contract, including the hotel’s in-house merchandise as part of their collaboration.
The three faced the camera, striking various poses, casually chatting as they went—talking about coconut trees, coconut crabs, and the local seafood and specialties.
The conversation was mostly scripted lines; all they had to do was read them out loud, even if they had no idea what the lines actually meant.
The cameraman seized the perfect angles and moments to shoot close-ups for maximum effect.
At the end, the three looked toward the camera, passionately reciting the final lines in unison.
“Liya Island Sailboat Hotel welcomes you…”
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Suddenly, a low, rumbling roar came from the sky, a massive shadow blotted out the sun, interrupting their shoot.
Instinctively, the three looked up.
A helicopter was rapidly approaching from afar, growing closer and closer…
A huge figure appeared before their eyes as the helicopter slowly descended less than a hundred meters away.
The cabin door opened, and a man in a dark gray suit hurriedly jumped down.
The man seemed urgent, carrying a black briefcase, not looking back as he dashed straight toward the hotel.
Li Yuan grabbed the spare room card delivered by the hotel staff, quickly swiped it to open the elevator. As the two elevator doors slid open, he briskly entered carrying the briefcase.
Life was hard; working felt like social isolation.
He had originally assisted the deputy chairman remotely at a domestic company, but these past two days, the deputy chairman suddenly abandoned his duties, claiming that his cat had escaped.
Not only that, he had piled a huge amount of tasks onto Li Yuan, forcing him to rush all the way from the Huayuan Federation.
He was told there was five times overtime pay, which was somewhat considerate, but he had no authority over core company matters and needed signatures and authorization.
As the elevator ascended floor by floor, Li Yuan’s stomach grumbled loudly. Only then did he realize he hadn’t even eaten breakfast, having rushed overnight on planes and helicopters.
Sigh, deputy chairman… if the young chairman really has serious mental issues, maybe it’s best to send him to the hospital.
“Xiao!”
When the elevator reached the fifteenth floor, Li Yuan stepped out.
Though he had been mentally prepared, when he saw the scene before him, he still gasped sharply!
He had seen the Sailboat Hotel’s promotional videos—noble, grand, magnificent, and luxurious—but now…
The room was littered with shards.
The floor, bed sheets, tables, and windowsills were all scattered with various pieces of broken glass and fabric fragments.
What should have been intact was smashed to pieces, a complete mess.
The walls were covered with mottled marks, dozens of blood-stained fist prints, as if a fierce battle had just taken place.
Hearing the elevator open, the bedroom door swung open, and a man stepped out.
His hair was messy, his beard unkempt, and he wore a tattered casual outfit, looking extremely disheveled.
Li Yuan was almost dumbfounded.
T-This is just a few days’ time?
How did the young chairman end up like this?
Wasn’t it just a pet? Was it really that important?
Could it be like those ridiculous novels, where “time spent together breeds affection”?
He chases, she runs; she can’t escape even if she has wings; he loves, she hates; she cries with no tears?
Zhao Yicheng glanced at Li Yuan, then walked over to the lobby’s refrigerator, his expression unnervingly calm.
But those familiar with him knew beneath that seemingly serene façade lurked a vicious demon.
“How’s the task I assigned you?” he said calmly as he took a bottle of milk from the fridge.
“Chairman, it’s all done,” Li Yuan replied respectfully.
Then he added, “The staff is in place, the ships have been locked in, and all communications are completed. Everything is arranged.”
Li Yuan glanced up slightly, seeing Zhao Yicheng’s calm expression and felt somewhat relieved—it was good, the rationality was still intact.
But he still cautiously asked, “Chairman, have you taken your medicine…”
“I think I’m fine now.”
Zhao Yicheng abruptly cut him off.
He twisted open the milk bottle, the faint smell of fresh milk loosening the taut string in his mind just a bit.
Why did she run?
How could she dare to run?
How could she possibly run?
Have I not treated her well?
If she’s so disobedient…
Then just catch her, break her legs!
If she wants to run, then let her be a cat forever!
The frenzied voice in his head seemed less intense, but that sick aura remained, making him appear somewhat neurotic.
His fingertips gripping the milk bottle whitened slightly as Zhao Yicheng shook his head, holding onto the last shred of reason.
He stirred the milk, but his eyes stared out the window toward the sea, seemingly watching a cruise ship sailing on the ocean, and on that ship, the mischievous “little kitty.”
He seemed to be talking to himself, or perhaps restraining himself, or maybe speaking to the empty air.
“Since she wants to run so badly, then I’ll just play with her.”
The slightly salty sea breeze blew against him.
On the deck stood a red-haired, regal-looking woman, holding a tall-stemmed glass, gently swirling the orange-yellow liquid inside.
Her eyes were half-closed; her arms were slightly open, as if embracing the entire sea, or even the whole world.
Ah, what a free atmosphere.
Life without Zhao Yicheng was this beautiful.
No need to milk cows every day, no need for kisses and hugs, and no need to show affection to a man she didn’t even like.
It had been two days since boarding the ship, meaning only one or two days remained before reaching the destination, and just over forty hours before she would see her parents.
The beautiful life of a rich heir was right before her.
“Ah-choo!”
Xu Yinsheng was still lost in thoughts about her bright future when her nose suddenly tickled, and she sneezed hard.
“Yinsheng, are you okay?”
A concerned female voice came to her ear.
Xu Yinsheng looked up to see a plain-faced girl with long hair standing before her.
The girl wore tight black pants and a black tank top.
Her clothes looked expensive at first glance, but upon closer inspection, the materials were ordinary.
She looked at Xu Yinsheng with a hint of concern in her eyes.
“I’m fine, Yu Mo,” Xu Yinsheng waved her hand and rubbed her nose.
“Probably ate too much raw beef. Tonight I’ll take you to eat cooked beef.”
“Oh, that’s so kind of you,” Qin Yumo blushed slightly, embarrassed.
“You’ve been spending so much on me these past few days.”
“It’s nothing,” Xu Yinsheng acted like a big shot who owed no one anything. She patted Qin Yumo’s delicate shoulder.
“As they say in the Jianghu, meeting is fate. A few meals are nothing to fuss over.”
“Besides,” she confidently patted her chest, “I’m not short of money!”
“Well then, thank you.”
“Cheers~”
Bathed in the grateful gaze of the pretty young lady, Xu Yinsheng felt proud; even the few remnants of his male dignity inside seemed to revive a little.
Qin Yumo, female, 25 years old, a minor 18th-tier actress, aspiring to be a big star.
She was the girl who had bumped into Xu Yinsheng in the corridor.
To apologize, Xu Yinsheng had treated her to a VIP breakfast the very next day.
After some simple conversation, she found they really got along well—even when she talked about Gundam, Qin Yumo could keep up.
Thus, by a fortunate coincidence, they became friends.