Xu Tingyu thought that her marriage to Qi Shifeng was a match of equals, a natural progression, and the fulfillment of her wish.
Little did she know that, in the man's eyes, it was merely a matter of mutual benefit, a business arrangement with no room for romance.
...
On a June morning, the sky was dark, and a storm was brewing.
In the No. 1 Purple Gold Mansion in the capital city.
Xu Tingyu sat on the edge of the master - bedroom bed, her head down.
Her beautiful swan - like neck curved gracefully as she stared blankly at her phone.
Yesterday, her father called and told her that the Xu Group's capital chain had snapped.
He hoped she could ask her husband, Qi Shifeng, if he could offer some help.
The Qi family was the leader in the capital city's business circle.
The scope of their business was so wide, and the figures on their annual reports were so large that other families couldn't even dream of achieving such heights.
Qi Shifeng was the most beloved second young master of the Qi family. He had an elder brother two years older and a younger sister three years younger.
From childhood to adulthood, he had caused no end of trouble for his family.
Of course, those troubles were nothing serious in the eyes of the Qi family.
But the old master of the Qi family couldn't stand his irresponsible attitude. Out of nowhere, he found a fortune - teller who claimed that marriage would make him settle down.
The Xu family and the Qi family had long been engaged.
So three years ago, the old master of the Qi family arranged for the two of them to get married.
If not for what happened later, they would have been a perfect match. Even if it was a marriage of convenience, it would have been a good story.
Unfortunately, six months after their marriage, the Xu family faced a series of crises one after another.
She had been pampered since childhood and knew nothing about business.
After marriage, she had focused all her attention on Qi Shifeng.
In the past two years, although she had heard that the Xu Group was in trouble, she had never thought that one day her father would come to her for help...
She agreed and sent a message to Qi Shifeng, asking when he would be back as she had something to say.
As a result, she had been waiting until now.
That message had never been replied to.
In the midst of great unease, she couldn't help but scroll up the chat box.
The screen was filled with messages she had sent.
From sharing her daily life at first to showing concern and care later, they recorded her love for him and also revealed her humility.
From the age of 16 to 23.
She had loved him for seven years...
But after marriage, their relationship seemed even more distant than in their youth.
Apart from their intimate moments in bed, they hardly saw each other at other times.
Just as she was hesitating whether to make a phone call, the door was pushed open.
A beam of light from outside shone into the dim room.
She instinctively turned her head towards the door and saw the man she had been waiting for all night standing there.
The man's tall figure was straight and slender, with broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and long legs. His proportions were perfect.
His cold and noble handsome face was tense and stern. His thin lips were slightly pursed as he looked down at her.
Just his presence made her heart flutter.
Their eyes met, and she finally came to her senses. She quickly stood up and walked towards him.
"You're back. I..."
He looked down at the shoulder strap that had slipped off her shoulder as she walked in a hurry.
The exposed shoulder was as white and delicate as jade, looking almost too fragile to touch.
On his usually noble and calm face, there was no sign of emotion.
But his long and narrow phoenix - like eyes narrowed slightly, and the desire that was faintly burning in the depths of his black pupils could hardly be concealed.
His Adam's apple rolled, and his voice was low, hoarse, and teasing as he asked her, "Waiting for me?"
Beautiful women were never in short supply around him, but few could catch his eye.
In this regard, his wife satisfied him.
The lights in the bedroom were still off.
He stood at the door, backlit. Half of his body was in the light, and the other half was in the shadow.
It was hard to see his expression, but somehow one could feel that his mood was not good.
It was like the gloomy weather outside, making people feel stuffy and a bit oppressed.
Was he uncomfortable after drinking all night, or was he unhappy because he knew she needed his help?
Xu Tingyu could clearly feel his burning gaze fixed on her.
She raised her eyes and spoke again, "I have something I need your help with. Can we talk in the study?"
Qi Shifeng took a step into the bedroom. His long fingers pinched her delicate chin as he stared intently into her blushing peach - blossom eyes.
Dressed like this and going to the study?
His wife sure knew how to have fun.
But he wasn't going to indulge her. His other hand grasped her slender and soft waist, pulling her into his arms. Then he lowered his head and kissed her.
Xu Tingyu was caught off guard and instinctively took a step back.
He followed her movement but didn't let go of her.
After a few steps back, the two of them fell onto the soft mattress.
The woman's black hair was in disarray. Half of it was pressed under her body, and the other half scattered in front of her.
Her smooth, porcelain - like white skin was intertwined with her black hair, catching Qi Shifeng's eye.
It was a very elegant combination.
She had been learning dance since she was three years old. Not to mention her grace, her body was incredibly soft.
Especially her tiny waist that seemed too delicate to hold and her long, white, and straight legs with beautiful lines, which always attracted everyone's attention.
Even though Qi Shifeng didn't love her, he couldn't get enough of her waist and legs in bed.
As if the string of self - restraint had been stretched to the limit, Qi Shifeng grabbed her hand and made her undo his belt.
The next second, he roughly tore open her thin nightgown.
A sudden flash of lightning outside the window cast light on Xu Tingyu's body, making the usually calm man breathe a little faster.
He released her lips, supported her, and gently lifted her.
Xu Tingyu only felt a dizzying turn, and when she looked again, she was straddling Qi Shifeng.
"Do it yourself."
The light in the room dimmed again, making their physical senses even more sensitive.
In bed, she was always shy and had never taken the initiative.
Now, he was asking her to take the initiative to please him as a prelude to asking for his help?
She gritted her teeth and, under his burning gaze, leaned down and kissed his lips clumsily.
His lips were cold, with a hint of bitter alcohol.
But his hands were so hot that they easily made her blush and her neck turn red, as if a fire was about to burn her up.
Qi Shifeng squinted at her.
He saw that her eyes were hazy, her cherry - like mouth slightly open, and her wet eyes didn't dare to look at him at all.
They had been sleeping together for three years, and she was still pretending to be innocent.
Qi Shifeng didn't buy it.
Her movements were too slow, which annoyed him.
Even if she was pretending, it was time to stop. It was ruining his mood.
He simply rolled over and pressed her back under him.
The kiss fell again. His voice was thick with a nasal tone, very seductive. "Relax."
...
When the violent storm outside the window ended, the passion in the bedroom gradually subsided.
Xu Tingyu was extremely sleepy but forced herself to stay awake.
Qi Shifeng leaned against the headboard, fished out a cigar from the cabinet, and lit it.
"Qi Shifeng, something has happened to my family. Can you help?"
Her voice was still hoarse from what had just happened. If one listened carefully, they could also detect her embarrassment and uneasiness.
Bringing up this matter at such a time made her feel like she was making a deal.
But just as she spoke, Qi Shifeng's phone rang.
He seemed not to hear her and answered the phone, saying a gentle "Hello."
It seemed to be a woman on the other end. He quickly got up and started to get dressed without knowing what she said.
He didn't even look at her again until he walked out of the bedroom.
Xu Tingyu wanted to get up and chase after him, but as soon as she got up, she received a call from her father's secretary.
"Miss Xu, come quickly. Chairman Xu has jumped off the building."