Lu Yudong replied coldly, "I didn''t say anything."


    Jiang Ci felt a bit disappointed by his answer but didn''t dare to ask more. After all, she was just a small intern, and her presence in the company probably wouldn''t catch Lu Yule''s attention.


    At that moment, her phone buzzed. She picked it up to check. Someone on WeChat had requested to add her as a friend, with only two words in the request: Chu Shuo. Jiang Ci didn''t recall knowing anyone by that name, so she ignored it. After all, there were too many scammers online nowadays.


    "I''m going to sleep," she said, turning off the bedside lamp in a fluster and curling up under the covers. The air conditioning in the bedroom was quite cool, and the silk summer quilt was actually quite comfortable.


    Lu Yudong didn''t turn around, just responded with a light "Hmm." He seemed busy with work.


    Jiang Ci buried her face in the quilt, leaving only her doe-like eyes peeking out, secretly observing Lu Yudong. Her gaze inadvertently swept over his face, which was sharp and cold. His face didn''t resemble Shao Zheng''s at all, except for a slight similarity when he smiled. But Lu Yudong rarely smiled, and Jiang Ci couldn''t understand how she had mistaken him for Shao Zheng that night.


    Thinking of Shao Zheng made Jiang Ci even sadder. His death had been truly tragic...


    Jiang Ci pulled the covers over her head, silently shedding tears. Her tears flowed so fiercely that eventually, her nose started to sniffle.


    "Feeling wronged being with me?" Lu Yudong''s calm voice came from outside the blanket.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    "No," Jiang Ci''s voice was muffled under the covers, sounding stuffy.


    "Then why are you crying?" he asked again.


    "I just miss home a bit," she replied casually, then turned her back to sleep. Lu Yudong didn''t press further.


    Even though she said she was going to sleep, she couldn''t fall asleep at all. Just then, something on the bedside table caught her attention. She picked it up; it was a photo of a young woman. Although it was dusty, she could tell the woman was charming and only a few years older than Jiang Ci.


    Turning the frame over, she saw three words written on the back. Jiang Ci read them softly, "Yin Xue Mo." Instantly, she remembered that on their first night, Lu Yudong had called out a name. Could it be her? Was she the first love in Lu Yudong''s heart?


    "Put it down. Don''t touch it!" Suddenly, Lu Yudong''s icy voice came. Jiang Ci shivered, and the frame in her hand fell to the floor beside the bed with a "clack."


    Lu Yudong leaned over to pick it up, accidentally pressing down on Jiang Ci. Her breathing quickened instantly, her chest rising and falling. She was startled.


    Lu Yudong picked up the frame and hastily shoved it into a drawer, yet he remained pressed against her, not moving away. Just as Jiang Ci was at a loss, not knowing what to do, suddenly, Lu Yule turned off the light with a "click."


    Was this... going to happen?


    The air suddenly filled with a hint of ambiguity, a sense of something about to ignite. Jiang Ci gritted her teeth and suddenly said, "Mr. Lu, I want to stay at New East. Please speak to the Human Resources Department for me."


    This wasn''t a request; it was an equal "exchange" with Lu Yudong, her voice carrying a message: I know you''re overwhelmed with desire, but if you want to proceed, there must be conditions—let me stay at New East.


    She knew that all the rights to interpret the agreement belonged to Lu Yudong, but the "act" wasn''t written in the agreement, and when Jiang Ci asked, he hadn''t given a clear response.


    Jiang Ci needed money, needed a job, and now was the time to make demands. She timed it perfectly.


    "Threatening me?" Lu Yudong''s deep, magnetic voice sounded in Jiang Ci''s ear.


    "No, I''m confident! I''m confident I do a good job," Jiang Ci added.


    Lu Yudong didn''t respond. He lowered his head and began kissing Jiang Ci''s neck. His arm brushed against her soft chest, intentionally or not, accurately awakening her memory of their first time.


    This made Jiang Ci feel a tingling sensation all over. Her mind alternated between clarity and confusion. She reiterated, "So, Mr. Lu?"


    Lu Yudong pressed against Jiang Ci, looking at her red, swollen eyes, both pitiful and fierce, like a cornered rabbit. Grandpa had told him not to bully her; she was eight years younger than him.


    The fire in Lu Yudong''s heart had subsided. His hand brushed over Jiang Ci''s cold cheek, "What''s your boyfriend''s name?"