Outskirts of Beijing, the MingShui Mansion.
Under the gloomy nightfall, the mansion is brightly lit, a grand banquet is underway. Guests in fragrant, elegant attire, cups and utensils clinking in merriment, a lively scene on display.
Yet, no one truly knows.
In the quiet third-floor lounge of the mansion, a scene of erotic spring blooms.
The curtains of the lounge are tightly drawn. The faint, fragmented garden porch light filters in, illuminating a patch of delicate skin revealed under a hitched skirt, which seems more like jade or snow, as if it's glowing faintly.
Yu Jinghua's eyes squint slightly, using the dim light, she gazes up at the man leaning on the sofa, as immovable as a mountain.
She straddles the man, with her skirt hiked up, like a coquettish kitten. Her red lips, tender and sweet, are pressed against the sharp lines of the man's jaw.
The hand pinching her leg suddenly tightens, causing Yu Jinghua to wince and exclaim softly.
With a deep breath, the man gradually loosens his grip, but still makes no other movements.
The corners of Yu Jinghua's eyes flush slightly. She blinks a bit irritatingly, thinking, "Isn't the young master of the Xie family fond of bold and outgoing women? I've been so forward, why isn't he responding?"
So, the rest of it was up to her, a girl, to initiate?
Just as Yu Jinghua was contemplating this, the man who had been silently observing her since she entered, finally makes a move.
His face is hidden in the dark, his dark eyes unblinkingly focused on the soft, alluring beauty in his arms, he asks in a husky voice, "Who gave you permission to come in?"
In his lowered brows and eyes, there's a deep, icy scrutiny.
Yet, Yu Jinghua seems oblivious. Her entire body leans into the man, her voice sweetly says, "Mr. Xie, I let myself in."
The fine, white fingertips gently moved, unbuttoning the man's shirt.
One...then another.
Yu Jinghua raised her eyes from bottom to top. Her eyes were moist, into which a ray of light seeped in, making them look like clear and clean water-soaked glass beads.
Her voice was flowing in a soft manner that had a seductive tone to it. "Mr. Xie..."
"I am from the Jingnan Yu family."
Yu Jinghua had been pampered as a child and was soft all over, much like a lusciously ripe peach. Just a gentle squeeze could cause sweet peach juice to seep out.
Her voice was also sweet, sounding like a feather lightly caressing one's heart. "Mr. Xie..."
She couldn't make out the man's features masked by the darkness of night, so she could only lower her eyes and pressed her soft, red lips on the man's Adam's apple.
"Don't you like me?"
The man's lips slightly puckered. There was a faint smile on his face, but his eyes weren't amused.
"From the Yu family?" He asked in a suggestive tone, the family who had recently gone bankrupt with a lot of debts?
Seeming to have thought about something, the hand that had been held by Yu Jinghua and placed on her leg paused for a while and then very slowly started to move upward.
Yu Jinghua's body trembled lightly, her eyes were foggy with tears. She felt the scent of the cool, bitter-wood agarwood envelop her, slowly wrapping all around her.
Her ear felt warm.
The man's face held a smirk that wasn't quite a smile, his voice deep and low.
"Do you want me to like you?"
"Then... show me."
---
The banquet reached its peak of excitement. Renowned families from the capital populated the occasion. Standing on the third floor corridor, one could faintly hear the sound of laughter and polite conversation from below.
Yu Jinghua stumbled slightly, her dress swayed subtly, grazing her ankles, revealing a trace of a faint red mark on her fair skin.
She had snuck up here, not daring to linger on the third floor for too long. Wobbling on her high heels, she descended the stairs and walked into the first-floor restroom.
Jiang Huan was waiting for her inside.
Seeing Yu Jinghua walk in, he hurriedly stepped forward, catching her.
"How did it go? Did you succeed?”
From his angle, he could see a tiny, burning red mole nestled in the dip of her neckline, appearing and disappearing on her soft, white skin, as if even the surrounding area had taken on a wispy red hue.
It looked as if someone's fingertips had been tightly twisted against it.
Feeling his cheeks redden, Jiang Huan quickly averted his gaze to Yu Jinghua.
He had always known how strikingly beautiful his friend was, but now, looking at her, her small, pale face was blushed a captivating red, her eyes were glossy and wet, a light brown tinted with a watery sheen, radiating a captivating charm.
She appeared like a vigorously blossoming peony, stunningly beautiful, that took one’s breath away.
Yu Jinghua also looked at herself in the mirror.
A light makeup couldn't conceal the blush on her cheeks. She slightly lifted her hand, revealing faint red marks on her wrist.
Her skin was delicate, flushing red whenever forcibly gripped, appearing pitiful.
"How come Xie Dutian, who spends all day in the lab, has such strength?"
On her quiet grumbles, Jiang Huan knew things were probably settled.
"It seems the news I heard was correct; that was indeed the Xie family's rest room."
Yu Jinghua responded softly in agreement.
The partner of the Yu family had embezzled and absconded, the company's funds chain had broken, leaving them in heavy debt. Being very self-aware, Yu Jinghua knew she was not smart. Books had always bored her, she had no capacity to aid in the relaunch of the Yu family's fortunes.
The Yu family had been very good to her, and since she was adopted initially for an arranged marriage, she might as well use her looks to find a good match to support the Yu family.
After discussing for a long time with Jiang Huan, they finally set their sights on the top-notch, noble Xie family.
The head of the Xie family rarely appeared in public, but the young master, Xie Dutian, was studying at the Capital University. It was said that he was decent, had been through a couple of amicable breakups without bad habits of extravagance and dissipation.
The Xie family was prestigious, if she could hook up with them, the Yu family would be saved.
The lipstick on her lips was slightly smudged, she opened Jiang Huan's makeup bag on the side and freshen her makeup in front of the mirror. Jiang Huan gave a longer look, "Did he kiss you?"
It would make sense, who could resist the active enchantment of Yu Jinghua, the most enchanting peony flower in the south of the capital city.
To Jiang Huan's surprise, Yu Jinghua shook her head.
Her exquisite brow furrowed, "No kissing, he... caught me by surprise."
With only her fingertips and scorching palms, she had measured every inch of his delicate and tender skin, leaving behind an unforgettable temperature.
Yu Jinghua bit the inside of her lip. When her phone began to ring, she pushed the man away and ran out of the room.
She had initially thought to tease and entice him before running away. However, the man's reaction made her uncertain.
Before leaving the room, she opened the door and took a last glance back. The man was sitting on the soft couch, with his long leg casually bent. His fingers slightly protruded as he casually leaned his head on his side.
He didn’t care about the incessantly ringing phone or her, who had teased him and ran away. He simply sat in the dark shadows where his expression was hard to discern; his cold and aloof gaze faintly fell upon her. Despite the buttons of his shirt being unfastened and showing off his muscular and lean body, the aura around him was that of full control - ridiculous yet unruly.
Could such an aura belong to a student who spends his day at an experimental studio at school?
Yu Jinghua was muddled by her thoughts, and before her instincts could alert her that something was wrong, Jiang Huan pulled her away. Her confusion disappeared instantly.
"I just received a message that Boss Xie may be here soon," Jiang Huan urged, holding onto his phone. "We need to leave immediately."
The head of the Xie family, ninth in line, also known as Boss Xie, never attended any gatherings and kept a low profile. Why would he show up today?
Yu Jinghua was taken aback, quickly gathering her lipstick and cushion. Once Jiang Huan placed her make-up bag in place, they exited the restroom.
Many people at the banquet received the news that the head of the Xie family would be attending, visibly adding fervor to the atmosphere. As they chatted, their gaze would frequently wander towards the mansion's front door.
Yu Jinghua, pulling Jiang Huan, wanted to blend into the crowd from behind; at such times when everyone's focus was at the front, it was unlikely to draw much attention.
Except from those who had been keeping an eye on her.
"Isn't this our Jingnan's Peony Beauty, Yu Jinghua?"
A haughty voice wafted from behind, making Yu Jinghua reflexively turn as she just picked up her champagne.
A beautifully dressed girl stepped forward a few steps with a grin, with a group of followers crowding behind her. She looked Yu Jinghua up and down meticulously from her superior position, her words filled with mock sympathy, "The Yu family is bankrupt, you can't even afford good clothes. Look, isn't this last year's style from Q home?"
"You should've said earlier that you're so pitifully poor, you could have borrowed a piece of clothing from me."
They stood at the bottom of the mansion stairs, away from the bustling crowd in the hall. Even though the girl's voice was high-pitched, it didn't attract many people.
But it made the person upstairs pause briefly.
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【Reader’s Note】
This is a story about a first love shared by both the male and female protagonist, a sweet romance story with misunderstandings that can be resolved in a chapter.
It's a sort of daily love story, without any dramatic ups and downs.
The heroine is a delicate beauty who may seem silly but is neither stupid nor a drag. She has a rare gene disorder, where she's treated with gene medicine owing to advanced medical facilities.
Those who know of people with the disease can affirm that it's possible to lead a normal life, graduate and look beautiful. Also, special settings exist in this novel.
She isn't strong, rather weak. Those looking for strong female characters might want to step away.