The late night in Bei Cheng was thick as ink, filled with a dense, magnificent and enchanting aura.

Inside a detached villa in the suburbs, the study was bathed in a soft, dim yellow light. One could vaguely see a large, realistic, and alluringly slender nude oil painting hanging on the wall—

The girl in the painting had delicate features, her graceful body covered only by a thin layer of light gold satin. She lay on her side on a milky-white sofa, her long, slightly curled hair trailing in a messy yet beautiful fashion. Her eyes were slightly closed, making one instinctively hold their breath, afraid of disturbing her light sleep.

Although the painting style was captivatingly beautiful, the girl herself was overly pure. The convergence of extreme allure and innocence created a strange tension, yet it also felt as if something was missing.

Until, outside the wide-open French windows, the morning sun dispelled the darkness, and the sky grew progressively brighter...

The girl sleeping on the sofa, who had a face identical to the one in the painting, trembled her long eyelashes slightly and slowly opened her eyes.

In that instant, the soul permeated the oil painting.

Qin Fan subconsciously rubbed her cheek against the cushion. Her pair of peach blossom eyes shimmered with moisture, and as her gaze shifted, her hazy expression cleared considerably. She lazily propped herself up and surveyed her surroundings.

It was a study with a cold, minimalist decor. Two walls were lined from floor to ceiling with rows of black bookshelves, filled mostly with books on finance and economics that Qin Fan couldn't understand. In such a detached environment, the vividly colored nude oil painting on the gray wall was strikingly out of place.

In the empty room, she was the only one who had been sleeping here.

Qin Fan's eyes felt a bit dry, and she couldn't help but blink. She could still faintly smell a light, lingering woody fragrance in the air; he probably hadn't been gone for long.

Ding-ling—

Her phone suddenly rang.

Qin Fan extended a slender, snow-white arm from beneath the thin silk, fumbling for her phone. The screen lit up with the caller ID—Sister Jiang.

"Hello?"

Having just woken up, Qin Fan's voice was a bit hoarse.

Her agent, Jiang Rong, heard her languid voice and couldn't help but imagine her gorgeous and alluring appearance at that moment. Though usually composed, she felt a little excited:

"Just woke up? You're still at the villa, right?"

"Mm..." Qin Fan hummed lazily. She casually tossed the light gold silk covering her aside, walked barefoot to a nearby sofa, picked up a black men's silk robe from the armrest, and draped it over herself before unhurriedly leaving the study.

As she stepped onto the thick carpet, her toes subconsciously pressed down with each step. The faint blue veins trailing down from her ankles only served to accentuate the exquisite delicacy of her jade-like feet.

Before leaving, Qin Fan turned her head for one last look at the huge nude oil painting on the wall.

After a moment of thought, she decided not to take it down.

She tied the belt with one hand, unconcerned that the robe was hanging loosely on her frame. Still on the phone, she pushed the door open and left.

The villa was very large and had many servants. When Qin Fan came out, a maid on the third floor quickly lowered her head, "Madam, good morning."

Qin Fan gave a light nod. "Morning."

The maid watched the madam's figure disappear into the master bedroom, her eyes filled with envy, almost unable to look away. 'The madam is truly worthy of being called a fairy on earth; her legs are so fair.'

'Then it occurred to her that the madam had come out of the study, and an hour ago, the master had also come out of the study... Wait, had she just unlocked some new secret of the wealthy elite?'

Just as she stepped into the master bathroom, the black robe, which had been teetering on Qin Fan's shoulders, could no longer cling to her smooth skin and slid down her arm to the floor.

The robe pooled at her snow-white ankles like an ink-black lotus blooming wantonly.

Qin Fan lowered her eyes, gazing quietly at the robe, feeling a bit dazed.

Her thoughts were only interrupted when Jiang Rong's raised voice came through the phone, "My dear ancestor, did you hear a word I said?"

"Didn't hear you. Say it again."

Qin Fan put the phone on speaker and casually placed it on a shelf by the sink, so it wouldn't interfere with her washing up and skincare routine.

Jiang Rong was speechless: "..."

So after all this time, after all she had said, this ancestor of hers hadn't heard a single word!

Jiang Rong took a deep breath, reminding herself that Qin Fan was an artist she had worked incredibly hard to sign—

Years ago, when Jiang Rong first saw Qin Fan's classical dance performance, she knew at first sight that she was better suited for films. From her looks to her temperament, she was impeccable. When still, her beauty was gentle and unthreatening, but the moment she was in front of a camera, she seemed to come alive, becoming stunning and dazzling.

Qin Fan was born for the big screen.

Therefore, when she announced her retirement from the dance world, Jiang Rong immediately signed her on as an actress.

So, Jiang Rong was very patient with Qin Fan and repeated herself:

"I said, the role in Director Feng's film that was originally set for you has been snatched again. An A-list actress is willing to take a pay cut for the part."

"An A-list actress? Who?" Qin Fan's brows furrowed slightly. If she recalled correctly, it was just the third female lead role. Which A-lister would be bored enough to compete with a third-tier actress like her for it?

"Xu Miaoyuan." Jiang Rong couldn't help but sigh. "I counted. In the last three months, you've had five roles, two endorsements, and one variety show snatched away from you, and all of them were deals we had already secured!"

As a veteran agent, Jiang Rong had mapped out Qin Fan's career path perfectly. For the past two years, she had her start with eye-catching minor roles, intending to gradually move on to more significant parts. But she never expected that recently, several of her important opportunities would be snatched away one after another.

Every time, the person who intercepted Qin Fan's resources was a female star with higher standing in the industry, making it impossible to fight back.

The worst part was, they had no idea who they had offended to be targeting Qin Fan like this from the shadows.

Xu Miaoyuan?

Qin Fan thought about it. She didn't seem to have ever crossed paths with her. So, was she just following someone's orders?

Jiang Rong added, "To be able to compel Xu Miaoyuan to snatch a role, the person targeting you must have a very powerful background. It's no wonder we can't find out who it is."

But even if they couldn't find out, someone else could.

Qin Fan gazed at her own face, beaded with water, in the mirror. With her eyelashes lowered, she slowly pulled out a facial wipe and dried her skin.

She spoke calmly, "I got it. Let's talk more when we meet."

"Okay, I'll pick you up in a bit to get you styled. The company received an invitation to a private business dinner tonight. Several major directors will be there, so surely one of them will have a discerning eye!"

Jiang Rong refused to believe that the person targeting Qin Fan could have a stranglehold on the entire entertainment industry!

After hanging up, Qin Fan casually tossed the damp facial wipe into an automatic trash can.

Under the bright bathroom lights, Qin Fan's lips were pressed into a firm line. Her dark eyes were deep and profound, and her makeup-free face emanated a breathtaking, cold beauty.

......

In the afternoon, at the appointed time, Qin Fan saw the white van parked at the villa's entrance and walked gracefully toward it in her high heels.

The van door slid open automatically, revealing Jiang Rong sitting inside.

Qin Fan casually bent down and got in the car, greeting her, "Sister Jiang."

Jiang Rong was looking at Qin Fan's recent schedule on a tablet. For this period, her schedule was virtually empty. If things continued this way, it would be no different from being blacklisted.

"You're here."

Jiang Rong responded. As she turned her head, her eyes accidentally fell on the back of Qin Fan's neck, and her gaze abruptly froze—

Because she had a styling appointment later, Qin Fan was dressed simply in a gray-blue shirtdress, her dark hair tied up in a loose bun. As she lowered her head to fasten her seatbelt, the lines of her slender, delicate shoulders and neck were perfectly defined. The only blemish was on her snow-white nape, just at her collar, where a red mark, as if from a forceful kiss, was particularly conspicuous.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Your night with President Xie must have been pretty intense."

Hearing Jiang Rong's remark, Qin Fan's fingers paused for a moment. She leaned back wearily into the seat, the corners of her eyes lifting slightly. "Jealous?"

"Give me a break, I wouldn't dare." Jiang Rong waved her hands dismissively at the thought of Qin Fan's husband. An ordinary person couldn't handle him!

Only a little siren like Qin Fan could.

Seeing Qin Fan smile, Jiang Rong put down her tablet and asked seriously, "So, did it work? Did President Xie agree to help investigate the background of the person who's targeting you?"

To get President Xie's help, Jiang Rong had specially commissioned an internationally renowned female artist to create the nude oil painting of Qin Fan, hoping she could use it to coax her husband from their marriage of convenience into helping her.

Recalling Qin Fan's hoarse voice from the morning and the kiss mark she had just seen, Jiang Rong was convinced it was a success!

A powerful man like President Xie... even if his relationship with her little ancestor was somewhat superficial, and even if, after years of marriage, they acted nothing like a real couple outside of the bedroom.

—But, he couldn't just get the benefits without putting in the work, could he?

Qin Fan didn't answer. Instead, feeling the air conditioning was too high, she pulled a blanket over herself and hummed nonchalantly, "Soon."

Hearing her seemingly perfunctory tone, Jiang Rong grew a little worried:

"Really?"

Jiang Rong hesitated before adding, "After all, President Xie is rumored to be the business world's most passionless, ascetic deity. If it didn't work, we'll just have to think of another way."

It's just that not knowing who the enemy was gave one the chilling sensation of being watched by a venomous snake in the dark.

Qin Fan lifted her eyelashes, her pair of peach blossom eyes carrying an unconscious, bright charm. "Tsk..."

'Sister Jiang was either underestimating her charm or overestimating Xie Yanli's self-control.'

"Also, Sister Jiang, what kind of cringey description is that..." If she recalled correctly, her agent was a top student from the Chinese literature department.