Lin Xingwan knew all too well what this man intended to do next.
Her brows furrowed deeply. As Zhou Jinbai slowly leaned in, she instinctively retreated towards the head of the bed.
Zhou Jinbai took in Lin Xingwan's rejection with his eyes. The perfectly curved thin lips of his mouth merely twitched slightly, dismissing her actions with disdain.
"Wife, the room is this small. Do you think you can escape, hmm?"
The perfectly timed rise at the end of his voice exuded the man's profound contempt.
Zhou Jinbai when drunk was too dangerous, too aggressive.
Lin Xingwan even felt as if the aura radiating from him had suddenly transformed from that of a lofty immortal lord to a demonically possessed fallen god. She had never understood why so many people feared Zhou Jinbai when he was drunk.
Looking at the man before her now, Lin Xingwan had only one thought: the helplessness of being utterly controlled by fate.
Zhou Jinbai grabbed Lin Xingwan's ankle and yanked her backward. Lin Xingwan not only had no chance to escape but no chance to resist.
When they had no conflicts between them, Zhou Jinbai used to like holding her ankle.
But now it was different. The man's grip was rough, and Lin Xingwan felt a sharp pain in her captured ankle.
Zhou Jinbai flipped her over, making her lie face down on the bed like a child.
Immediately after, the man brought down a palm, speaking with the vexed tone of someone who couldn't be pleased, "Your wings are growing harder by the day, hmm? First, you wanted a divorce from me, and now you won't even eat the food I cook, and you want to kick me out."
This slap carried half of Zhou Jinbai's strength. A bright red palm print quickly appeared on Lin Xingwan's fair skin, causing her eyes to fill with tears from the pain.
"Zhou Jinbai, let me go!" Lin Xingwan felt this position was too humiliating. Only naughty children were spanked, and she was a grown woman in her twenties, yet she was being treated like this by this man. Moreover, she was still angry, and the rage instantly ignited her reason. She wanted to flip over and fight this man, but he subdued her with just one hand.
The disparity in strength only made Lin Xingwan more furious.
*Slap—*
Then came the second slap, even harder than the first.
This time, Lin Xingwan truly cried without any regard for her image.
It hurt, it hurt, it hurt!
Her backside felt like it was about to split open.
"You still have the energy to be fierce with me, hmm?"
If he didn't teach this woman a lesson tonight, she wouldn't know what 'deterrence from a husband' was.
"So what if I'm fierce with you? If you don't let me go, I'll call the police!" Lin Xingwan refused to show weakness. Her temper was such that if others were a bit softer, she would soften too, but if they were strong and overbearing, she wouldn't tolerate it!
*Slap—*
The third slap landed. Lin Xingwan didn't want to cry or scream, but she truly couldn't help it.
Each slap hurt more than the last. Her eyes turned red from crying, and her nose was also red.
"If tonight I let you have even a shred of strength left to threaten me, then my surname will be yours, Zhou Jinbai!"
As Zhou Jinbai spoke, he even opened the bedside cabinet and took out a tie.
Lin Xingwan didn't understand why the man was taking out a tie for no reason until… the tie was tied around her wrists.
And the man didn't seem to want to stop there. He opened another drawer and took out something Lin Xingwan had never seen before.
In just a few dozen seconds, Lin Xingwan experienced Zhou Jinbai's determination to win.
When the man used all his might to make her submit to him, Lin Xingwan had never felt so unable to control her own body.
Her mind went blank. The fear and pervasive sense of the unknown made her feel like a puppet, at the mercy of this man, Zhou Jinbai.
Lin Xingwan thought she could resist Zhou Jinbai with her strong willpower, but this man, like a devil, was determined to trample her dignity underfoot.
Lin Xingwan's screams were uncontrollable, yet she couldn't escape the man's grasp.
Zhou Jinbai's familiarity with Lin Xingwan's body surpassed Lin Xingwan's self-awareness.
He was like a thoroughly wicked madman, bringing tempting, fragrant delicacies to Lin Xingwan when she was most hungry, only to snatch them away when she thought she could enjoy them.
Then came a second, even more enticing offering.
Lin Xingwan was provoked and tempted again and again, yet she was never satisfied. The hunger within her swelled repeatedly, until finally, she was on the verge of collapse.
Lin Xingwan hated Zhou Jinbai to death. This man was deliberately making her fall, making her obey her most primal desires.
But she couldn't resist his gentle persuasion at all.
"Zhou Jinbai, I was wrong… I was really wrong… Let me go…"
Lin Xingwan didn't know what her state of mind was as she said this. She only knew very clearly that if she didn't say something to satisfy this man, he wouldn't let her go tonight, or tomorrow, or the night after tomorrow…
"Call me husband." Zhou Jinbai's usually clear and calm eyes were now filled with madness for this woman.
Since he couldn't stay aloof, they would sink together.
The repeated calls of "husband" and the repeated concessions were like timely rain to Zhou Jinbai.
The troubles he had encountered over the past half a month vanished in an instant, leaving only a near-devout effort to please the woman he loved most.
By the end, Lin Xingwan's voice was hoarse. She felt as if her bones had been dismantled and reassembled. She finally fell into a dazed sleep as dawn approached.
When she opened her eyes again, it was already noon.
Her stomach was painfully empty. The hand tightly encircling her waist made her uncomfortable.
The first second Lin Xingwan opened her eyes, her gaze fell on the man close to her.
His noble and aloof face, even in sleep, carried a hint of authority.
His heroic brows were slightly furrowed, as if he were having a nightmare.
Yet, even so, it was a face that inspired endless adoration.
In Lin Xingwan's peripheral vision was the mess on the floor. The scene of their passionate encounter last night flashed in her mind, and she felt a splitting headache.
This man was crazy!
He was a pervert!
Just as Lin Xingwan tried to push Zhou Jinbai away, a small mole suddenly appeared in her line of sight.
This tiny mole, like a shy bride, was hidden just below Zhou Jinbai's earlobe.
She seemed to have seen this mole on someone else before.
Just as Lin Xingwan was trying to recall, the sleeping man opened his eyes.
"You're awake so early? What do you want to eat? I'll make it for you."
The man habitually kissed Lin Xingwan's forehead lightly, giving her the illusion that nothing had happened between them.
"I don't want to eat." Lin Xingwan's expression turned cold. She spoke in a nearly indifferent tone, "You're sober now. Take your things and leave. When the time comes, we'll go to the Civil Affairs Bureau to get our divorce certificate."
Tormented by nightmares in his dreams and tormented by this woman outside of them, Zhou Jinbai felt a sense of exhaustion.
"When the deadline arrives, I will naturally move all my belongings out and guarantee I won't appear before you. But wife, we only submitted the divorce application; we are not officially divorced yet. The cooling-off period stipulated by the marriage law, one month, is not for us to waste time but to try our best to salvage our marriage. You can choose to remain indifferent, but you cannot deprive me of the opportunity to try and salvage it."
Zhou Jinbai spoke with such seriousness that Lin Xingwan scoffed, "Forced melons aren't sweet. You're not honest with me, and I don't want to be with you. Without mutual devotion, there will be no good outcome."
"Who cares if a forced melon is sweet? It can be eaten with sauce too. My concealment of you is a form of protection. In this lifetime, it's enough for me to devote myself to you."
Lin Xingwan: "..."
This man was so eloquent, yet Lin Xingwan couldn't find any reason to refute him. In the end, she could only bend her knees and kick Zhou Jinbai, "Let me go, I need to get up."
Who knew that as soon as Lin Xingwan finished speaking, Zhou Jinbai not only didn't let her go but flipped over and pinned her beneath him.
"Agree to my conditions, or neither of us will get out of bed today."
To die under the peony is to be a romantic ghost, let alone to die in his own wife's bed. Zhou Jinbai felt it was even more fitting.
"What conditions?" Lin Xingwan was furious. She had always believed the saying: "Who says women are inferior to men!"
But in terms of strength, women were often at a disadvantage.
For example… when she was with Zhou Jinbai, as long as this man was a little more assertive, she had no room to resist.
"Wife, you're increasingly ignoring my words, aren't you, hmm?" Zhou Jinbai lowered his head dangerously, his eyes filled with possessiveness flickering with an obscure light. "It seems you haven't had enough of the little toys from last night. But I'm fully charged, and we have plenty of time to play from now until tonight."
Zhou Jinbai's words were bad enough; Lin Xingwan was truly scared.
"Zhou Jinbai, you pervert!"
Lin Xingwan, enraged, raised her head and bit down on the man's chest. The force was so great that the man gasped in pain but didn't dodge, letting Lin Xingwan bite him.
What made Lin Xingwan even more terrified was that after biting the man, her situation seemed to have become even more dangerous.
"Mm, being a pervert towards my wife is my usual operation." Zhou Jinbai then lowered his head and covered Lin Xingwan's lips.
Just like last night, it was a wild and domineering kiss.
Lin Xingwan couldn't resist and could only shout, "I agree to your conditions, alright?"
"What conditions, hmm?"
The man looked at Lin Xingwan lazily and playfully, while also stroking her head, soothing her emotions.
"I… will… not… deprive… you… of… the… chance… to… salvage… our… marriage!"
Lin Xingwan said each word through gritted teeth. Zhou Jinbai pinched her face, "Good wife, here's a reward of a loving lunch."
Zhou Jinbai finally released Lin Xingwan, and Lin Xingwan immediately distanced herself from the man who terrified her.
She wrapped herself in the quilt and got out of bed. But she had overestimated her body's endurance. As soon as she stood on the ground, her legs felt an intensely sore and weak sensation. Lin Xingwan couldn't even control her body and swayed to one side.
Her feet hurt, her backside hurt, her waist hurt, her chest hurt… every part of her body ached.
The man's hearty laughter rang out, while Lin Xingwan glared angrily at the culprit.
"It seems my wife really likes the little toy I bought her."
Lin Xingwan frowned in confusion. Zhou Jinbai glanced at her hand.
Lin Xingwan followed his gaze and found that when she fell, one of her hands had landed on the little toy.
Lin Xingwan, furious, threw the small toy at Zhou Jinbai and stomped into the bathroom indignantly.
"Be gentle, this is a treasure that brings my wife happiness."
Zhou Jinbai's wicked streak was unleashed at this moment. Lin Xingwan, inside the bathroom, slipped and almost fell again.
By the time she finished showering, Zhou Jinbai had tidied up the messy bedroom and prepared a simple lunch.
Unable to drive the man away, Lin Xingwan had resigned herself to it.
She let Zhou Jinbai drive her to the company, numbly agreeing to wait for him to pick her up after work.
"Good wife." Zhou Jinbai hung her bag on Lin Xingwan's shoulder and kissed her cheek. "Go to work."
Lin Xingwan quickly walked into the company.
This scene was witnessed by Liu Mengqin, who was standing behind the floor-to-ceiling window. As soon as Lin Xingwan went upstairs, Liu Mengqin rushed to her side, gossiping, "Xingwan, have you gotten back together with Zhou Jinbai?"
"No," Lin Xingwan replied concisely.
"Then why did he drive you to work and kiss you?"
"I don't want to talk about it."
Lin Xingwan looked somewhat annoyed. Liu Mengqin didn't press further and changed the subject, "Oh right, a middle-aged man named Guo Gaoming has been waiting for you in the lounge all morning."
Guo Gaoming?
"Oh no!"
Lin Xingwan suddenly remembered that she had arranged to discuss signing a contract with Guo Gaoming yesterday evening. It was all Zhou Jinbai's fault for making her completely forget about it.
She quickly ran to the lounge and indeed saw Guo Gaoming sitting on a chair.
However, Guo Gaoming had a blood-soaked bandage wrapped around his head, looking bruised and swollen. His glasses were held together with medical tape, making him look pitiful and comical.
"Mr. Guo, are… are you alright?" Lin Xingwan couldn't help but ask with concern. "Why don't you go to the hospital for a check-up first?"
Upon seeing Lin Xingwan, Guo Gaoming's expression immediately brightened. "I'm fine, no need for the hospital, no need. President Lin, I'm really fine."
Since Guo Gaoming said so, Lin Xingwan directly got to the point.
"Mr. Guo, the reason I asked you to come today, I mentioned it roughly on the phone last night. Our Top Peak Entertainment plans to film the movie 'Miracle.' I think your work is excellent, so I want you to personally take the helm as the chief director and cinematographer for 'Miracle.'"
"Since President Lin has chosen me from among thousands, I will do my utmost and serve with my life!" Guo Gaoming said, cupping his hands towards Lin Xingwan, his expression extremely serious, as if Lin Xingwan were sending him to war.
Soon, the contract was brought over.
"Mr. Guo, please review the contract first. If there's anything you find unreasonable, we can discuss it," Lin Xingwan reminded him. Guo Gaoming nodded repeatedly.
While Guo Gaoming was reviewing the contract, Lin Xingwan rubbed her sore waist.
She cursed Zhou Jinbai a hundred times in her heart.
"President Lin, I'm very satisfied with the terms you've offered, but… this salary, I think…"
Before Guo Gaoming could finish, Lin Xingwan quickly explained, "Mr. Guo, I've offered you the salary of a third-tier director in China. Moreover, 'Miracle' is our Top Peak Entertainment's first attempt at making a movie. Before contacting you, many directors were competing for this position."
The implication was to urge Guo Gaoming to cherish the opportunity.
How could Guo Gaoming not understand the meaning behind Lin Xingwan's words?
He simply smiled and said, "President Lin, you've misunderstood. I think this salary is too high. I'm just an unknown 'wild chicken' director. You don't need to pay me a salary; just provide food and lodging. Consider it repayment for saving my life. And I also have to thank President Lin for giving me a chance for revenge."
Lin Xingwan's cheeks flushed at Guo Gaoming's words. She had maliciously speculated about his intentions.
"Revenge? What revenge?" Lin Xingwan asked.
Guo Gaoming wore a bitter smile. "To be honest, President Lin, I was once humiliated by Lawrence. I commented online that one of his works was meaningless. When he received an award, he asked the organizers to send me an invitation as well. I was overjoyed at the time, thinking my work had also been selected for an international film award. Later, when I attended in full regalia, he made me kneel before him and apologize in front of all the directors."
Lin Xingwan looked at Guo Gaoming with surprise. She had never imagined that the person Sister Qin mentioned who knelt before Lawrence was actually Guo Gaoming.
If it were in the past, Lin Xingwan would have believed Guo Gaoming was envious of Lawrence. But after dealing with Lawrence, Lin Xingwan had privately watched his works. A few years ago, they were indeed stunning, but in recent years, he had been coasting on past successes. The content of his works was repetitive, making them tiresome to watch. Apart from the dazzling special effects funded by money, there were basically no highlights. httpδ:/m.kuAisugg.nět
"Work hard, and perhaps next time, Lawrence will be the one kneeling to apologize to you. The salary will be paid according to the contract. Whether you want it or not, I will transfer it to your bank account," Lin Xingwan patted Guo Gaoming on the shoulder. "I believe you will be the brightest star in the Chinese directing world."
Guo Gaoming seemed to have received great encouragement. His expression became emotional because of Lin Xingwan's words. "I will definitely not let President Lin down!"
"Good."
After Guo Gaoming left, Lin Xingwan returned to her office.
As Liu Mengqin organized the contracts for her, she asked, "Xingwan, are you really going to let Guo Gaoming be the chief director and cinematographer for 'Miracle'? He seems a bit unreliable to me. Why don't we ask Secretary Chen to consult Mr. Dongfang? I think Mr. Dongfang, with his vast knowledge, will surely give us beneficial advice."
"A person might be unreliable, but as long as their work is reliable, that's what matters." Lin Xingwan drank water and opened her computer. However, because of Liu Mengqin's words, she suddenly recalled the time she went to Qingxi Town and accidentally soaked in the same medicinal spring as Dongfang Junze.
At that time, for the sake of privacy, Dongfang Junze had hugged her.
She was pushing Dongfang Junze away then, and her gaze happened to fall on a very small mole below his earlobe.
Why would Dongfang Junze and Zhou Jinbai have moles in the same place?
A terrifying thought entered Lin Xingwan's mind. The water cup in her hand fell powerlessly to the ground.
A clatter echoed, startling Liu Mengqin, who quickly pushed the documents aside. "Xingwan, why is your face so pale? Are you sick?"
Lin Xingwan stared blankly for a long time before regaining her senses. "I'm fine, I'm just tired from work these past few days and my hand slipped."
"You nearly scared me to death," Liu Mengqin took a mop from the bathroom and cleaned up the water on the floor.
After Liu Mengqin left, Lin Xingwan could no longer hold back and began to gasp for air.
Why would she inexplicably link Zhou Jinbai with Dongfang Junze?
How could Zhou Jinbai possibly be Dongfang Junze?
The gap between them was simply worlds apart!
However, Lin Xingwan's gaze still fell on the towering skyscraper in the distance outside the window.
The words 'Dongfang Group' glittered golden in the sunlight.
Lin Xingwan looked thoughtfully, her eyes cold. No one knew what she was thinking.
She wanted to concentrate on her work, but her mind was filled with images of Zhou Jinbai and Dongfang Junze. The entire afternoon was wasted.
She should have just stayed home and rested instead of coming to the company and doing nothing.
Just as Lin Xingwan was packing up to leave work, the company suddenly erupted in exclamations. Lin Xingwan saw many employees rushing outside.
Thinking something major had happened, Lin Xingwan quickly got up from her office chair and ran out of her office.