When the heavy door was pushed open, the light from the corridor instantly poured in, illuminating the small space.

Qin Fan, her back to the door, froze on the spot.

She could even hear the shocked gasps of the group outside:

A few large words flew through her mind:

It's over.

This is going to be a trending topic!

Whether they were going upstairs or downstairs, they would definitely have to pass by her.

Xie Yanli took off his suit jacket and draped it over Qin Fan’s head, gently pressing her head into his chest.

A faint, woody scent of agarwood enveloped her, gradually suffusing her entire being, even seeming to meld with her soul.

Qin Fan didn't resist.

Because between being caught in a socially disastrous situation and having her soul completely saturated, she chose to avoid social death!

A fairy has her dignity.

The few people who came in probably didn’t expect to find anyone having a clandestine meeting in the safety stairwell these days.

They especially recalled the moment the door opened—the two seemed to be in the middle of a kiss. Moreover, the light from the corridor had clearly illuminated the face of the extremely tall man inside.

His black hair was slightly disheveled, and his handsome, deep-set features on his pale skin were striking. At this moment, he was looking over with a pair of lazy, cold eyes, his aura so powerful that it was intimidating.

However, the small bite mark on his crimson lips instantly softened some of his coldness, making him appear exceptionally beautiful and seductive.

An awkward atmosphere lingered.

After a few seconds of eye contact, the young people tacitly retreated.

"Sorry to interrupt, bro!"

"We'll get going now. Why don't you two continue?"

Even with his face fully exposed to everyone, Xie Yanli showed no sign of nervousness, as if he wasn't the one who had been caught in an intimate moment.

The instant the door closed again, Qin Fan even heard their hushed voices: "That guy has a bite mark on his lower lip. Damn, that was intense."

A girl said, "And he's so handsome! The way he took off his suit jacket to cover his girlfriend's face was so cool!"

"The bite mark is kind of hot..."

"I'm jealous of his girlfriend."

"..."

Qin Fan let out a sigh of relief. Thankfully, they weren't acquaintances from the private room next door.

Otherwise, if they recognized her dress—

With a dull thud, the door closed. Qin Fan whipped the suit jacket off her head, tossed it back into Xie Yanli's arms with a blank expression, and perfectly demonstrated the meaning of 'discarding someone after they've served their purpose'.

After tossing it, Qin Fan, in her high heels, strode past him without a word, ready to leave this godforsaken place.

Xie Yanli watched her slender and graceful back. He draped the suit jacket over his strong arm and walked beside her, his tone extremely faint. "Let's go home."

Qin Fan pulled the door open herself, not responding.

Xie Yanli leisurely straightened his messy cuffs. "The shopping list you sent me last time—I've put everything in your walk-in closet. Aren't you going back to check on them?"

Qin Fan yanked the heavy door open.

She let out a sneer. "Who said I wasn't going back?"

How could she let another woman benefit from the little treasures she had painstakingly curated and collected!

Xie Yanli was at fault, but her treasures were innocent.

Half an hour had passed by the time the two of them emerged from the safety stairwell, one after the other.

Qin Fan acted as if she didn't know Xie Yanli, not even glancing at him. After returning to her private room, she slammed the door shut.

Xie Yanli stood at the door of the private room. "..."

"Why are you standing at the door?"

Pei Feng came out of the restroom and saw Xie Yanli, who had been missing for nearly an hour, standing motionless at the door. "Where'd you go just now?"

"Wait, what's with your lip?"

Having spent so many years abroad and acted in numerous romance dramas, Pei Feng, despite not having had many girlfriends himself, could definitely recognize that the ambiguous teeth marks on his lower lip must have been from a woman's bite!

Xie Yanli hadn't noticed. Pei Feng grabbed his shoulders and pressed him against the wall.

Just then, the door to the private room suddenly opened.

A group of people appeared at the entrance.

And this was the scene they saw—

President Xie's usually neat short hair was slightly messy. The normally cold and unfeeling man now had a touch of unruly charm.

He was glaring coldly at Pei Feng, who had him pinned to the wall, his voice seeped with chill. "Let go."

Pei Feng had been trying to get a closer look at the bite mark on Xie Yanli's lower lip and was caught red-handed.

No one dared to make a sound.

Until a pleasant female voice broke the dead silent atmosphere: "Director Pei, did you bite President Xie?"

Pei Feng: "???"

Xie Yanli's eyes darkened. "..."

Only then did everyone notice the teeth marks on Xie Yanli's lower lip.

"Whoa!"

Who knew Director Pei was so wild? As expected of someone who came back from abroad!

Speaking of which, for Boss Xie's first investment in the entertainment industry, could it be that Director Pei had to sell his ass?

When Qin Fan saw that Xie Yanli was still outside, her heart skipped a beat.

Then, she reacted quickly and threw the blame on Pei Feng.

Sorry, Director Pei.

Consider this revenge for replacing me as the female lead last time without getting the facts straight. Now we're even.

Pei Feng jumped up. "Fuck, it wasn't me!!!"

However, in the eyes of others, his words sounded like a feeble denial.

Qin Fan took the lead, saying, "Mhm, mhm, we believe Director Pei is definitely not that kind of person."

"Right, right, Director Pei isn't like that. We didn't see anything."

"Let's break it up, everyone. Don't disturb President Xie and Director Pei."

"Let's go."

Everyone acted as if nothing had happened and left with their arms around each other's shoulders.

Pei Feng chased after them to explain, "Damn it, it really wasn't me! My orientation is perfectly normal!"

"Use your brains! Am I the kind of person who could take liberties with Xie Yanli!"

"The fact that I'm still alive is proof enough of our innocence."

Surprisingly, this managed to convince the group of onlookers.

Could it be that they had really misunderstood?

Xie Yanli remained silent. Seeing that Qin Fan was also about to leave, he said nonchalantly, "Qin Fan."

"Stop."

The group, who was halfway down the hall, turned around in unison—

President Xie isn't going to blame Qin Fan for speaking the plain truth, is he?

Secretary Wen quickly stepped in to save his boss's face. "Miss Qin, our company's new game is about to be released, and you are a very suitable candidate for the endorsement. Our President Xie would like to discuss it with you personally."

Everyone had a sudden realization.

The male lead of Feng Hua, Fang Yuze, said with a smile, "This is a good thing. Go ahead."

In front of everyone, Qin Fan couldn't refuse.

A faint smile touched her lips. "Alright..."

But in her heart, she was cursing Xie Yanli to death.

In the end, under Xiao Tu’s worried gaze, Qin Fan got into Xie Yanli's car.

Inside the car, Secretary Wen tactfully raised the partition between the front and back seats.

"Pei Feng bit me?"

Just when Qin Fan thought Xie Yanli was pretending to be a statue, the man's low, clear voice suddenly sounded.

Qin Fan shot him a cool glance, completely unafraid. "Or what? Should I say that President Xie cornered me in the safety stairwell just now, and when his wicked attempt failed, he got bitten instead?"

He watched her quietly for a moment.

Xie Yanli rubbed the space between his brows and asked in a soft voice, "Mrs. Xie, what are you angry about?"

Didn't she send a message this morning saying she knew she was wrong? Then, in the next moment, she blocked him.

Qin Fan refused to talk to him.

The enclosed, cramped space was filled with coldness and silence.

This silence lasted all the way until the car reached the Beijing Suburban Villa.

Ten o'clock at night.

Qin Fan, wrapped in a bathrobe, was in the walk-in closet coolly checking the purchased items against her list.

In addition to the items on her list, Qin Fan also saw many others that weren't, including new or limited-edition items from various brands.

It went without saying that Xie Yanli had brought them back for her.

Looking at these luxury goods that perfectly suited a woman's taste, Qin Fan suddenly became suspicious—

Did Cheng Xi help Xie Yanli buy these things?

The more she thought about it, the more likely it seemed.

Her interest immediately waned. Too lazy to even unpack, she wrapped herself in a silk nightgown and returned to the master bedroom's bed.

She sat up straight and began scrolling through forums on her phone.

A whole day had passed, and that post was still pinned conspicuously at the top of the page.

When Xie Yanli came out of the bathroom, he brought a gust of cool, damp air with him.

The bite mark on his pale lips, moistened by water, was even more obvious. One could even see that the skin was broken.

He saw Qin Fan lounging on the sofa, the silky fabric of her gown slightly agape, revealing a small patch of fair, delicate skin.

He noticed her glance in his direction.

It seemed she was waiting for him.

Xie Yanli pondered for a few seconds and was about to walk over.

But then he saw Mrs. Xie give him a cold look. Her red lips parted as she began to read from her phone screen: "Cheng Xi must be a celestial fairy who descended to earth to enlighten a Bodhisattva. A top student from Harvard's fashion design program, she founded the most well-known original designer brand in the country right after graduation, and it has even gone international. Perfect family background, outstanding resume, and she's fair-skinned and beautiful. I'm speechless."

"Perhaps only such a perfect woman is worthy of making the Bodhisattva's heart stir."

"Ahhh, I'm shipping this so hard! I hope they get married on the spot."

"..."

Xie Yanli listened as she emotionlessly recited some strange phrases.

He casually dried his short hair, uninterested in the resume of some irrelevant person.

He changed direction and went to the bed, picked up his tablet from the nightstand, and used the last half hour before bed to handle the work he should have done tonight.

Qin Fan recited for a long time, only to find that the person in question had gone off to work.

Her red lips tightened. Why did it feel like a one-woman show? Was he treating her as background music?

The more Qin Fan thought about it, the angrier she got. She tossed her phone aside and stopped reading.

"Xie Yanli!"

Barefoot, she jumped off the sofa and walked towards the large bed, calling out his name decisively.

Xie Yanli finished replying to an international email before slowly looking up. "Hm?"

Qin Fan was dissatisfied with his perpetually passionless demeanor, no matter what happened, as if no one was worthy of a place in his heart.

That seemingly jealous look in the safety stairwell felt like a dream she'd had.

Qin Fan bit her lower lip, took a deep breath, and deliberately asked, "Have you signed the contract?"

Xie Yanli glanced at her. "I don't think our relationship requires a contract as proof."

Knowing that he probably wouldn't be able to get any work done at home tonight, Xie Yanli unhurriedly placed the tablet back on the nightstand. He leaned his tall frame back against the pillows and leisurely gazed at her.

Qin Fan ignored the handsome man on the bed and mocked coldly, "What relationship do we have? It's just an ordinary monetary relationship."

"So, if not a contract, then what?"

Xie Yanli's expression was calm, his voice carrying its usual composure. "We are husband and wife."

"What kind of husband and wife are we?" Qin Fan stood by the bed, looking down at Xie Yanli. "Anyone who didn't know would think I was the vicious female side character preventing you from reuniting with your White Moonlight."

"Oh, maybe not even a vicious female side character. At best, I'm cannon fodder."

Seeing her acting like a little cat trying to stay calm while its fur was standing on end, a faint trace of a smile passed through Xie Yanli's eyes, though it quickly vanished.

He suddenly reached out, wrapped his hands around her slender waist, and steadily placed her on the large bed.

The world spun, and for a moment, Qin Fan's vision blurred.

She hadn't expected this damn man to pull such a move.

The next second, her back touched the soft mattress. Her peach-blossom eyes widened, a hint of astonishment coloring their watery depths.

Qin Fan's accumulated anger was slightly derailed by Xie Yanli's sudden embrace; she couldn't quite process it.

She kicked him hard. "Why are you hugging me? Go hug your White Moonlight!"

Seeing Mrs. Xie so angry that the corners of her eyes were turning red,

Xie Yanli's fingertips nonchalantly brushed against her eyelashes as he coaxed her without changing his expression, "The endorsement for the new game I personally participated in developing—do you like it?"

Qin Fan felt that Xie Yanli was insulting her. "Am I the kind of person who can be bought with such small favors?"

After a moment of contemplation, Xie Yanli met his wife's eyes and said thoughtfully, "There's an offline auction in Bei Cheng in two days. If you haven't found any jewelry to your liking recently, you can go see the Imperial Green set that's the finale piece."

Qin Fan: "..."

Actually, on second thought, maybe I'm not completely immune to being bought.

Xie Yanli handed Qin Fan's phone to her, his usually cool voice now tinged with warmth. "So, can I be taken off the blacklist now?"

He thinks he can get off the blacklist just like that?

Qin Fan narrowed her eyes, snatched her phone back, and snorted coldly. "That depends on my mood."

Thirty seconds later.

Qin Fan's phone vibrated continuously.

Alipay received: 200,000 yuan

Alipay received: 500,000 yuan

Alipay received: 1,000,000 yuan

......

Her phone was still vibrating.

Xie Yanli calmly put his phone down. "Is Mrs. Xie in a better mood now?"

Qin Fan opened her Alipay. Looking at the transfer history that she couldn't even scroll to the end of, she let out a low, emotionless laugh.

Who cares if an ATM has a heart? As long as it spits out money, it's fine.

The master bedroom was quiet, making Qin Fan's laughter particularly clear.

Xie Yanli was surprised.

The next second.

He heard Mrs. Xie's meaningful words: "You're granted one day of parole."

......

At six o'clock on Monday morning, Bei Cheng's financial center was already bustling with traffic and crowds, a scene of magnificent prosperity.

On the top floor of the Xie Group Tower, in the President's Office.

Xie Yanli's slender fingers tapped on the solid wood desk with a rhythmic, unnerving beat.

Xie Yanli had someone look into the 'White Moonlight' that Mrs. Xie kept mentioning. "The post spread widely. Why wasn't it dealt with in time?"

The public relations manager was sweating profusely. "Weren't you and your wife planning on having a hidden marriage? This post served as the perfect cover, so we didn't interfere." And we even added fuel to the fire...

"A hidden marriage?"

Xie Yanli's tapping stopped, his voice turning colder. "So, when did I ever say we were having a hidden marriage?"

He had no recollection of it.

The public relations manager really felt like kneeling now.

"..."

Misjudging the big boss's intentions was fatal to one's career.

Even Secretary Wen, who stood beside him, was dumbfounded. "..."

President Xie didn't intend to have a hidden marriage?!

Xie Yanli took a ring box from a nearby drawer.

He wasn't used to wearing a wedding ring, so he had always kept it in the office, which had led people to mistakenly believe he was unmarried.

After putting on the ring, Xie Yanli suddenly gestured for Secretary Wen to come over. "Pull up my wife's spending list from last month."

After pulling up the list, Secretary Wen couldn't help but sigh.

So Mrs. Xie was the real money-devouring beast.

Fortunately, President Xie was good at making money.

Using his newly-unblacklisted WeChat, Xie Yanli sent the list to Qin Fan's phone, along with a message:

[Mrs. Xie, can that well-behaved little brother of yours afford you?]