The banquet had ended, guests had taken their leave, but the dazzling lights still shone on.
Only the cake, food, and wine were no longer intact—scattered and forlorn, waiting to be cleared away by the servants.
The uncle and nephew sat quietly facing each other.
Lorenzo leaned lazily against a Roman pillar, a cigarette burning between his fingers. He smoked fiercely, the gray smoke hazily enveloping his sharp, deep-set features.
Kurt suddenly sighed, “Lorenzo, to speak plainly… is it that you—?”
“Yes.” Lorenzo knew what his nephew was asking. “I have feelings for her, but she rejected me.”
He raised an eyebrow with a sly smile. “Don’t worry, I’m not going to snatch your goddess away.”
Kurt grabbed his head, looking completely dejected.
“Right. That man—what’s his relationship with Eleanor? Do you know him? You look afraid of him.”
As the guests departed, Li Yaru came to bid farewell to Kurt, with Zhuang Qiting also present. They exchanged greetings.
Zhuang Qiting didn’t threaten Kurt or press a gun to his head; he just glanced at him coldly—a warning to both him and his uncle to stay away from Li Yaru.
Kurt said wearily, “He’s Eleanor’s ex-husband. I’m not afraid of him. It’s just… he’s really terrifying.”
“Ex-husband? That guy?” Lorenzo pinched the cigarette, momentarily stunned.
The owner of Batowalin Port, the owner of the Shenghui Empire, a regular on the world’s top wealth lists—the man who once owned her was this kind of man.
Lorenzo gave a meaningless smile and crushed out the cigarette.
……
Li Yaru couldn’t tolerate Zhuang Qiting stubbornly refusing to leave her room, his attitude so foul—would she really let him stay the night?
“I have more money than I can spend. I’ll just book another room; don’t hang around here!” Li Yaru pushed the broad-shouldered man sitting on the sofa.
“I’m not hanging around, Zhuang Qiting. I don’t want to entertain you tonight.”
Zhuang Qiting lifted his eyes, his pupils as dark as ink staring at her. “Then who do you want to entertain? That slut?”
Li Yaru was taken aback. “Slut? What’s that?”
Zhuang Qiting loosened his tie and said sullenly, “The little fox spirit’s uncle.”
Li Yaru was silent for a few seconds before bursting out laughing in anger, biting her red lips hard and slapping Zhuang Qiting’s shoulder fiercely.
“Can you speak properly? You don’t talk like this at the group either! Don’t you think giving these weird nicknames is childish? No, what does Lorenzo have to do with it? Slut… I’ll just say it straight—Zhuang Qiting, I’m the biggest slut here, nobody’s more slutty than me.”
Zhuang Qiting watched her for a few seconds, then raised his hand to circle her wrist and pulled her onto his lap. His strong arm immediately wrapped around her.
He buried his face into her neck, deeply inhaling her scent. She hadn’t showered, her skin carried traces of the outside world’s scents, but that was enough to soothe and… arouse him.
“That’s only for me, baby. I want you. Don’t mess around outside, alright? Those men are all bad news. Come back with me to Hong Kong Island.”
His teeth nipped the soft flesh on the back of her neck, his fangs grinding gently. Li Yaru’s voice trembled.
The round ceiling light cast a soft, clear glow. Her emerald evening gown shimmered like a rippling river.
“They’re all good men…” Li Yaru closed her eyes, savoring his gentle, winding kisses like a river flowing.
The kiss traveled from her forehead to her nose, then her cheek, finally reaching her rose-colored lips, gradually growing from gentle to fierce.
He had just drunk ice water; the lingering coolness in his mouth was followed by a fiery heat, creating a strange and intense chemical reaction.
Zhuang Qiting knelt on one knee on the carpet, kissing her deeply, letting her heels step on his finely tailored suit.
He felt her dependence; his powerful shoulders also sensed the increasing pressure from her feet, trembling slightly.
Just then, the suite’s doorbell rang. Li Yaru clearly tensed. Zhuang Qiting smiled and took her sweaty hand, intertwining their fingers.
His broad palm brought an indescribable tension and security.
Zhuang Qiting flicked out his tongue sharply, then withdrew it quickly. His dark eyes burned like a beast in the night.
“I’ll get the door.”
He wiped the wetness from his lips and regained his usual cold and imposing demeanor when opening the door.
Two hotel staff stood outside, carefully carrying the painting worth fifteen million euros.
They placed the painting gently in the suite’s living room, took the generous tip from Zhuang Qiting, and thanked him repeatedly.
Li Yaru collapsed weakly onto the sofa, her drowsy eyes scanning the painting and sarcastically murmuring, “Zhuang, you’re really generous—one hundred million. The wild animals in Africa will thank you.”
Zhuang Qiting chuckled, “Baby, do you think I’d let this painting fall into the hands of those wild men, who’d fantasize about your face and figure every night? I let Kurt off the hook only because of you; otherwise, I’d mess with him privately—I wouldn’t let him off so easily.”
“Showing off.”
“That’s thinking deeply about you.”
With a sigh, she commanded, “Zhuang Qiting, go draw me a bath. The essential oil bath bombs are on the vanity. Then go to the cloakroom.”
Zhuang Qiting was admiring the painting, thinking it was really worth a hundred million.
He glanced at Li Yaru with amusement but said nothing and strode off.
His shirt cuffs were damp; he rolled them up, revealing thick, muscular arms.
Arriving at the cloakroom, Zhuang Qiting loved seeing his wife in red—like a perfectly round, ripe red apple, juicy with every bite.
Her intimate wear was made of sheer fabric, weightless between fingertips.
The cloakroom was cluttered with many shopping bags and gift boxes, no doubt her recent haul.
Zhuang Qiting smiled and, in a good mood, opened one at random. Inside was a pair of men’s leather shoes.
Black crocodile leather uppers, red soles, diamond-encrusted buckles—such flamboyant shoes clearly not meant for him.
He calmly picked them up to check the size—it was his size. Only then did a smile appear at the corner of his mouth.
Out of curiosity, he opened other boxes; all contained men’s items: ties, socks, shirts, even men’s cologne.
The smile disappeared.
He hated his gifts mixed in with presents for wild men. He hated her treating everyone equally, spreading favors around.
The thought that some gifts were for the little fox spirit, the foolish lapdog, or even that golden retriever slut ruined his mood.
Zhuang Qiting coldly left the bedroom, put away the nightgown and underwear, and returned to the living room.
Li Yaru was still sprawled on the sofa, her cheeks flushed, eyes vacant, as if lost in the bliss of a scalp-tingling sensation.
An unscrupulous little rascal with a heart torn into pieces. He cursed inwardly.
Zhuang Qiting put on a cold face, walked over, and scooped Li Yaru into his arms horizontally.
Carrying her toward the bathroom, he said, “Miss Li, being your bed companion means serving you not only on the bed but below it as well.”
“That’s my honor.” Li Yaru wrapped her arms around his neck, her cheek pressing against his burning chest.
Zhuang Qiting gently undid the emerald green evening gown, peeling it off like an onion or a green-skinned pomelo, revealing snowy skin that dazzled the eyes underwater.
He controlled his breathing, rolled his shirt sleeves higher, and pressed several pumps of fragrant shower gel.
“Li Yaru, I told you, I can only have one bed companion. If I find others, I…”
“What will you do?” Li Yaru said lazily with her eyes closed.
“We’re divorced. What threat can you make to me? I don’t belong to you anymore, Zhuang Xiansheng. You’d better restrain your possessiveness and stop treating men near me as enemies. That’s childish, alright?”
Li Yaru truly couldn’t understand why Zhuang Qiting never learned to face the men around her properly.
Did every man around her have to be seduced? Did she have to seduce them all?
His behavior was disrespectful to her and even more disrespectful to her taste.
“I’m not your bird to be caged. Normal social interaction doesn’t interfere with us. Can you understand that, Zhuang Xiansheng?” Li Yaru tapped his firm chest muscles under his shirt.
Zhuang Qiting couldn’t understand. He just didn’t want other men talking to her. How did that make her his caged bird?
If he truly wanted to lock her up, she wouldn’t have the strength to resist.
He lowered his gaze and swallowed hard.
His palm suddenly brushed over her, the small stones inside tumbling awkwardly but finally steadying under his fierce glare.
He swallowed the words that would ruin the atmosphere, not wanting another fight with Li Yaru.
“I know you’re flying to London for work. I’ll be back tonight to serve you. Stay away from those slutty men. Don’t make me sad.”
……
After a night of passionate service, Zhuang Qiting woke up promptly at seven.
The red scraps of fabric on the carpet darkened his gaze, and the woman sleeping soundly in bed made him both love and resentful.
He truly needed to feed her well, to the point she was full and wouldn’t crave poisonous food outside. Only then could he feel at ease.
Li Yaru woke up embracing the beautiful morning light, stretching and rubbing her sore waist.
The old man had left only a bouquet and a card, the handwriting bold and sharp, saying—
【Wait for me. Back in Rome at eight tonight — Qiting】
Li Yaru picked up the Carola Rose bouquet and took a photo of it in the sunlight.
The petals were vibrant, curling, full of life and dazzling in deep red.
She suddenly recalled the red tulips Lorenzo had sent a few days ago.
She had clearly kept them in a vase on the living room coffee table.
But now only a lonely glass vase remained, the flowers gone.
She searched the suite but found no trace.
Probably discarded by housekeeping.
Li Yaru felt a little regretful; those tulips could have lasted several days.
But soon, the vase was refilled with fresh water, the red roses arranged inside like victorious banners, standing proudly.
The day had few appointments. Li Yaru had lunch with Kurt, while breakfast was at the hotel restaurant.
Young Master Rui and Ada were already waiting in the restaurant, their faces lighting up when Li Yaru appeared, eagerly coming over.
Rui said, “Boss, we caught the woman.”
“Caught?” Li Yaru raised an eyebrow, surprised at how quickly it was handled. She gave a thumbs-up. “I trust you with this.”
Rui wasn’t arrogant, scratching the back of his neck with a straightforward expression.
“She should have been caught yesterday. That woman is tricky, slips away like an eel. I caught her early this morning.”
Li Yaru leisurely selected food, both meat and vegetables, and found a window seat.
After sitting, she asked, “Where is she?”
“She’s locked in my room, handcuffed. She won’t escape.”
Li Yaru took a sip of strawberry juice and said politely, “No more violent methods next time.”