"What is going on between you and Chen Cheng, exactly?"

"Why does it feel so... strange?"

Jiang Nansun's eyes widened. She had thought she'd managed to bluff her way through it, so why was she asking again?

Her little brain spun rapidly for a moment.

Hmm~ Got it.

"Ahem~" Jiang Nansun coughed. "You could say we're more than friends, but not quite lovers."

Dai Yin frowned. "Not quite lovers, and you've already given yourself to him?"

"Uh..." Jiang Nansun's fair cheeks instantly flushed bright red, and she felt incredibly awkward. "How... how did you know?"

Dai Yin rolled her eyes at her, annoyed. "I have eyes."

"If I didn't know him, I might not have figured out why you've been acting so strange lately. But knowing him, anyone with a brain could guess what you've done."

"Do you think the Old Madam doesn't know?"

"She just can't be bothered to say anything. She thinks you've disregarded family traditions and brought shame upon us."

"Ah?" Jiang Nansun was stunned. "Grandma knows too?"

The more she spoke, the more guilty Jiang Nansun felt, and her voice grew quieter. "What era is this, anyway?"

Dai Yin thought of the Old Madam, who had never given her a pleasant look, and sighed. "Still, you can't just let things be so ambiguous."

She patted Jiang Nansun's shoulder and said earnestly, "Define the relationship soon."

Jiang Nansun felt incredibly awkward. That guy had a long string of women; how could there be any defined relationship?

Even Suo Suo...

Jiang Nansun blushed furiously and had to bite the bullet and reply, "I know."

In the bathroom, Dai Xi took off her wet pantyhose.

She put on a bathrobe and wiped the water off her legs, finally letting out a long sigh of relief.

While filling the bathtub, she rested her hands on the vanity, and very naturally, scenes from that day on the vanity came to mind.

She had also rested her hands on the vanity like this, with her back to him.

That bastard smoking was one thing, but he also had to hit her.

Remembering that burning sensation, a sense of poetry welled up in Dai Xi involuntarily.

The longer Dai Xi soaked in the bathtub, the less her heart calmed down; instead, it became increasingly restless and hot.

In the end, desire triumphed over reason.

She stopped bathing and went back to her room to change clothes.

She greeted Jiang Nansun and her mother, who were watching TV on the sofa.

"I'm going out to see a friend. You don't need to wait for me."

Going out to see a friend at this hour, and it looked like she had specifically washed up and dressed up for it.

Jiang Nansun immediately perked up, hopping over to take Dai Xi's arm, and teased,

"Auntie, who are you going to see?"

As she spoke, she raised her eyebrows suggestively.

A flash of embarrassment crossed Dai Xi's face, but she hid it well.

She put on a stern face. "Looking for a beating, are you? You dare tease your aunt?"

"Heehee~"

Dai Xi didn't have the patience to spar with her. "Alright, I'm heading out. You two get some rest early."

Jiang Nansun smiled suggestively and saw her to the door. "Okay, got it."

"Goodbye, Auntie."

After quickly getting away from Jiang Nansun, Dai Xi let out a long sigh of relief.

She swallowed, wondering why she felt like a thief.

Dai Xi hurried into the elevator.

Not long after, she appeared in a guest room at another nearby hotel.

Not long after Dai Xi finished checking in, Chen Cheng arrived at the door.

Chen Cheng confirmed the room number and rang the doorbell.

"Ding-dong~"

Dai Xi, who had been standing by the window in a daze, felt her eyes light up the moment she heard the doorbell. She snapped out of it and rushed to the door in her high heels.

Without even looking through the peephole, she opened the door directly.

Seeing that it really was Chen Cheng, a joyful smile immediately appeared on her face.

Before Chen Cheng could react, he was pulled into the room.

Dai Xi grabbed Chen Cheng's lapels, stood on tiptoe, and kissed him.

Chen Cheng was an old rival of hers on the battlefield; as soon as she moved, Chen Cheng knew what she was thinking.

He raised his hands to hold her, kissing her passionately while moving deeper into the room.

Dai Xi readily raised her slender legs to wrap around his sturdy waist.

The over-the-knee black stockings were revealed from beneath her khaki trench coat.

I don't know how long it had been, but Chen Cheng looked down, surveying Dai Xi as she sat on the edge of the bed.

He frowned. "Does this hotel not have air conditioning? You're still wearing a trench coat in the room?"

A suggestive smile immediately played on the corners of Dai Xi's lips as she rolled her eyes at him, full of charm.

She reached out to unbutton her trench coat.

After undoing one button, she wasn't in a hurry to open the coat. Once she had undone them all, Dai Xi looked up at Chen Cheng again.

Her face was flushed, she took a deep breath, spread her arms, and opened the coat.

Chen Cheng's eyes widened instantly.

Underneath the trench coat, there was nothing but a set of black lingerie.

The lingerie should have an adjective added to it.

Sexy.

The upper part was all black lace, revealing both the upper and lower curves of her breasts.

It was a one-piece design, but with splits in the middle both front and back.

Along with the over-the-knee black stockings with lace trim, she was also wearing black leather red-bottomed stilettos.

Even Chen Cheng, who had seen many storms and waves, couldn't help but swallow hard at the sight.

Dai Xi saw his reaction and was incredibly happy, her heart blooming with joy.

What would little girls know?

Some things, only women understand.

After a long while, Chen Cheng withdrew his gaze. Looking at Dai Xi's increasingly fair and smooth face, a playful smile appeared on his lips. "You're so horny."

Dai Xi put on a seductive expression, despite her bitter face. "Then do you like it?"

Did that even need an answer?

Chen Cheng answered Dai Xi with his actions.

...

In less than two hours, Dai Xi had raised the white flag for the third time.

Chen Cheng looked at her somewhat torn lace, still feeling unsatisfied.

"How about I introduce you to a friend?"

"..."

Dai Xi left, conflicted. For the moment, she really couldn't accept the chaotic relationships between them.

Afterwards, Chen Cheng spent a few blissful days.

He kept clinging to Qiao Jingjing at her house, either curled up on the sofa watching movies and playing on their phones, or working out in every corner of the room.

The project Qiao Jingjing had previously negotiated was about to start filming, and if she couldn't find Chen Cheng, she was going to post a missing person notice on Weibo.

In the end, Chen Cheng, this bull, was just too outrageous; he didn't need any rest at all.

Qiao Jingjing couldn't take it anymore and painfully kicked Chen Cheng out of the house.

She was really afraid that if this continued, she would never be able to leave the bed for the rest of her life.

Chen Cheng was kicked out, but he still acted all aggrieved.

As soon as he entered the elevator, he happily started whistling.

As for who Chen Cheng finally called over to play 'Landlord' with Dai Xi that day.

Just keep guessing.

Qiao Jingjing's contract termination had been officially negotiated.

The breach of contract penalty was 200 million, to be paid in cash over two years.

The first installment had already been paid by Xingmang Entertainment.

The money was 'loaned' to Xingmang Entertainment by Chen Cheng, and it would need to be repaid once Starlight started making money.

This kind of operation is very common in corporate management.

Just as previously discussed with Qiao Jingjing, she held a 51% stake, and Chen Cheng held a 39% stake.

Chen Cheng's music copyrights were all operated by Starlight Music, a subsidiary of Xingmang Entertainment.

The newly copied movie scripts would also be developed by Starlight.

How much they could achieve depended entirely on Qiao Jingjing and Sister Ling.

However, after becoming a shareholder, Qiao Jingjing was inevitably busier and needed to divert more energy toward company management.

Chen Cheng had Xiao Ye sign with Starlight Music, and as for the Unconditional Surrender band, they signed as well.

Chen Cheng also had Sister Ling go to talk to Deng Xiaoqi's mother, Deng Half-City.

Chen Cheng planned to sign Deng Xiaoqi before her art exam.

This is actually quite common among art students.

Before even entering university, they would have an agency responsible for managing their business and planning their career path.

The agency would also pave the way for her art exam and hire better art exam tutors.

The room for maneuvering in this regard won't be detailed here.