Chapter Eight: Nothing More Than That

Xu Hao wondered what was different—those seductive tricks she used yesterday were no more sophisticated than those of the women before her. If there was anything that set her apart, it was simply that Du Zhiye was much more beautiful than the others.

Jiang Yingnan saw through Xu Hao’s thoughts, and said with little emotion, “She’s Tao Ranming’s woman.”

Only then did Xu Hao realize what was going on. Among these wealthy second-generation heirs, there were two separate circles. They rarely interacted, but there was always this unspoken competition between them.

For example, when Tao Ranming had just started dating Du Zhiye, everyone in his circle made a point of showing off to Xu Hao’s group, boasting that their Tao had managed to win over the most beautiful woman in Northern City.

Now, if word got out among Tao Ranming’s friends that his precious fiancée had slept with Jiang Yingnan, well, just thinking about it made Xu Hao feel a surge of pride.

The more Xu Hao thought about it, the more pleased he became. He rubbed his hands together with a touch of lewdness and asked, “So, how was it?”

Jiang Yingnan actually paused to consider, then replied dispassionately, “It was nothing special.”

...

After getting out of Jiang Yingnan’s car, Du Zhiye took a taxi back to her apartment.

Know your enemy and know yourself, and you will never be defeated—so the saying goes. If she wanted to win over Jiang Yingnan, she couldn’t just rely on the same tricks as those other women. She needed to find his weakness and strike when the time was right.

Perhaps, then, she might find a way for both of them to benefit.

Du Zhiye was a woman of action; once she formed a plan, she set it in motion. She hired a private investigator to look into Jiang Yingnan and sifted through the internet for clues herself.

But there was precious little about him online, and after an entire afternoon of searching, she had found nothing at all.

That evening, Feng Bing called her. “Hey girl, what are you up to?”

Du Zhiye closed her laptop, picked up a slim cigarette, and lit it. “Just hanging around.”

Feng Bing assumed Du Zhiye was feeling down because Tao Ranming had cheated on her, so she said, “Come on, don’t mope at home. Let’s go out and have some fun.”

But Du Zhiye wasn’t interested; she had plans to flirt with Jiang Yingnan later that night.

“I’ll pass.”

“Why not?” Feng Bing was puzzled.

“I just don’t feel like it,” Du Zhiye replied, taking a drag from her cigarette, her tone flat. “You go have fun. I’m staying in tonight. Let’s meet up another day.”

After hanging up, Du Zhiye switched to her messaging app, deliberated for a long moment, then sent a message to Jiang Yingnan: “Second Young Master, I miss you.”

When Jiang Yingnan received the message, he was at a bar with Xu Hao, drinking. He glanced at his phone, then tossed it back onto the bar, showing no intention of replying.

Xu Hao saw it too, and couldn’t tell whether he felt jealousy or envy. “Du Zhiye’s asking you out again.”

Jiang Yingnan responded with a nonchalant “Mm,” devoid of feeling.

For the rest of the evening, Xu Hao was distracted. Tao Ranming was also a handsome man—arguably on par with Jiang Yingnan. Yet while Jiang Yingnan exuded a rugged masculinity, cold and forbidding, Tao Ranming had the refined, gentle air that women described as like warm jade, a spring breeze.

By rights, a man like Tao Ranming should have been more popular with women. So why had Du Zhiye suddenly set her sights on Jiang Yingnan? And after sleeping with him once, why did she want more?

Could it be that their Nan-ge was... that good in bed?

...

Du Zhiye waited for a long time but received no reply from Jiang Yingnan. She knew very well what that meant—he wasn’t interested in sleeping with her tonight.

She licked her lips and sent another message: “Second Young Master, if you miss me, send me a message. I’ll be waiting for you.”

The meaning behind her words couldn’t be clearer: if Jiang Yingnan wanted her, she would be there.