Qin Fan jolted and subconsciously looked over, her eyes misty with sleep.

Only after pushing the door open did Xie Yanli realize that all the lights in the room were on.

Just as his brows were about to furrow, he heard a soft and weary voice say, "You're back."

Xie Yanli looked up. By the floor-to-ceiling window, with her back to the night scenery, a young woman in a black slip dress lay quietly on the carpet. The form-fitting fabric wrapped around her graceful and enchanting figure, almost merging with the night.

Only a pair of slender, pale calves were exposed from under the hem of her dress, resting casually on the geometric-patterned carpet. Her skin was as smooth and lustrous as jade, her toenails exquisitely pink, a sight of breathtaking beauty.

The lights were too bright, and Qin Fan squinted. However, before she could adjust to the brightness, the lights were turned off one by one by Xie Yanli.

The next second.

The lights were turned off one by one by Xie Yanli.

The vast room was suddenly plunged into darkness.

Only the cool moonlight remained, passing through the transparent glass and casting a shimmering glow upon Qin Fan.

Having waited for him for so long, Qin Fan had been lying on the pillow for quite some time. Her whole body felt stiff. With some effort, she straightened up and sat steadily.

"You..."

Before she could finish her sentence, she was suddenly and unexpectedly pushed against the floor-to-ceiling window. Qin Fan tried to turn, but a distinctly male chest was already pressed against her back, blocking all her movements.

The huge floor-to-ceiling window gave the illusion of falling. Qin Fan could only look down. The thrilling height instantly stimulated her cerebral cortex.

"Let go—" Qin Fan's hands were forced against the glass, the edges of her fingertips turning a pale white from the pressure.

The dimness was just right. The woman's soft waist was slender enough to be encircled by a single hand, and the skin of her calves, revealed by the slit in her long dress, seemed to reflect light in the darkness.

Xie Yanli reached out a hand, covering the back of her hand on the glass as if interlocking their fingers. His warm breath grew hotter as his thin lips brushed against her earlobe, his voice muffled, "Legal obligations should be observed."

The man's faint woody agarwood scent mixed with alcohol, creating a strange and unique sensuousness that was irresistible, impossible to refuse.

Legal obligations, my ass.

Qin Fan bit her lower lip, swallowing the curse that had almost escaped.

To coax this man, she was really giving it her all.

In a daze, Qin Fan remembered how she had prepared the oil painting last night to coax Xie Yanli into helping her. Who would have thought that Xie Yanli would take the bait, but—

She had been too tired during the day and had fallen asleep!

Her last memory before sleeping was of Xie Yanli not having made his next move yet. Thinking about how her body felt this morning, she knew nothing had happened last night.

Sigh, last night was such a rare opportunity, and she had dropped the ball.

Tonight, she absolutely could not drop the ball again.

A thin layer of moisture veiled her beautiful eyes. To Qin Fan, even the neon lights outside the window began to blur.

......

When it was over, Qin Fan finally saw the man's face, only to find that even his shirt wasn't disheveled. Afterwards, he was once again the impeccably dressed, cold, and passionless Bodhisattva.

Looking at the black dress on her own body, Qin Fan suddenly felt it was unfair.

Seeing her lying on her side on the carpet, her pair of peach blossom eyes glistening like they were soaked in clear spring water, possessing an unconscious allure, Xie Yanli picked up the tie that had fallen nearby and gently covered her eyes with it.

Qin Fan felt insecure and subconsciously wanted to lift it off.

The man's voice was low and hoarse, yet commanding: "Don't move."

Qin Fan's fingertips paused. Thinking that she had to endure this humiliation for her goals, she obediently let him wrap the tie around twice, completely blocking her vision.

Her sense of sight disappeared, but her senses of hearing and touch became even more acute.

As the man's long fingertips grazed the corner of her lips, Qin Fan's nostrils filled with an even stronger woody scent. She vaguely guessed in her mind:

'This must be the hand he often wears his prayer beads on, stained with their fragrance.'

The thought that he was using the same hands that handled his prayer beads made Qin Fan immerse herself in that elegant fragrance, her thoughts drifting far away.

After an unknown amount of time, in her daze, she heard him ask, "Do you prefer the floor-to-ceiling window or the oil painting?"

Qin Fan's red lips parted. She couldn't remember if she had answered or not. It seemed like she had, but also like she hadn't.

......

The next day, at the crack of dawn, Qin Fan, who had been sleeping peacefully, suddenly sat up in bed—

Only after hearing the sound of running water from the bathroom did she fall back onto the pillow.

Scared me to death. I thought Xie Yanli had already left.

She had been lying down for only a few minutes when the phone on the coffee table suddenly rang.

Resigned, Qin Fan went to get it.

Wrapping herself in a thin blanket, she snuggled into the sofa, turned on the speakerphone, and said listlessly with her eyes closed, "Hello~"

The excitement in Sister Jiang's voice was unconcealable: "Director Song just gave me a priceless piece of information!"

Qin Fan responded languidly, playing along, "What information?"

Sister Jiang: "The genius director Pei Feng's major IP film, Feng Hua, which has been in preparation for three years, is starting its casting this month!!! Pei Feng, ah! Director Song said Pei Feng and President Xie are childhood friends who grew up in the same compound. If you mention it to President Xie, getting an audition spot would be a piece of cake! And for Pei Feng's movies, absolutely no one would dare to steal an audition spot."

Hearing this name, the expression on Qin Fan's face finally turned serious. "Feng Hua is being filmed?"

Although Pei Feng was young, ever since his debut film made a stunning success, every movie he produced was a masterpiece. The film Feng Hua had been highly anticipated by both audiences and actors since its project was first announced.

Countless actors wanted a role in this film; they would fight tooth and nail even for a role that was only a few seconds long.

After she hung up with Jiang Rong, Qin Fan's mind was filled with thoughts of this movie.

"You want to act in Feng Hua?"

Suddenly, Xie Yanli's clear and pleasant voice came from behind her.

Qin Fan subconsciously turned around, and the first thing she saw was him in a white hotel bathrobe, unhurriedly drying his short hair.

She didn't have time to talk to him about investigating the person behind the scenes; this audition was clearly more important. So she immediately nodded, "Yes. I heard Pei Feng is your childhood friend. Can you help me get an audition opportunity?"

Her gaze fell on the ambiguous scratch marks visible inside his slightly open collar. Qin Fan thought that since they had just spent a pleasant night together, Xie Yanli probably wouldn't refuse such a simple matter as helping her get an audition opportunity.

Xie Yanli's hand paused, and he looked at her leisurely. "Do you still remember the vow you made when you entered the entertainment industry?"

Qin Fan hesitated for a second, wanting to say she didn't remember.

But her memory was very clear. At that time, she had said: I will absolutely not use any family resources and will reach the pinnacle of the entertainment industry on my own merits!

Xie Yanli was sure she had remembered. His tone steadied. "So how could I let you eat your own words so quickly?"

Qin Fan weighed eating her words against the audition spot for Pei Feng's movie, then averted her gaze and argued, with more confidence than justification, "I was tired last night, my mind wasn't clear. I don't remember anything I said in the past."

"You have to take most of the responsibility!"

After throwing out this last line, Qin Fan, wrapped in her blanket, sat ramrod straight on the sofa and looked at Xie Yanli with a righteous expression.

With a faint, unreadable smile, Xie Yanli suddenly threw the damp towel he had used to dry his hair onto Qin Fan's face. "Are you clear-headed now?"