Chapter 14: Shang Hejing’s Secret Hotel Tryst with a Mysterious Woman

King, acting like a curious baby, sniffed around the pile of small boxes, occasionally pawing at them.

Xu Tanxi reached out to cover its eyes, her tone stern and serious: "Not suitable for minors, we aren't looking."

King obediently let her cover its eyes, neither struggling nor resisting.

Xu Tanxi let go and spoke to the dog, looking speechless: "Not suitable for minors? Does that mean it’s suitable for me? If I may ask, am I really that lecherous?"

Because King’s gaze was so pure and clear, Xu Tanxi felt a bit guilty under its watch, ultimately confirming it for herself.

"Fine, I admit it. I actually am."

Xu Tanxi knew herself too well; she was a total pervert. So, while she acted angry on the surface, deep down she thought these gifts from Shang Hejing were just… absolutely, perfectly appropriate!

As a healthy adult woman, there was nothing wrong with facing her own desires to make herself happy.

Xu Tanxi’s mood shifted as fast as flipping a page. One second she was grumbling, and the next she was carefully studying the various products, reading the instructions with intense focus.

If she had to use a metaphor, her level of diligence was comparable to her cramming for the college entrance exam back in the day.

While she was studying one of the items, her phone on the coffee table rang. Xu Tanxi leaned over to check it: "Human Temptation."

Should she answer? It felt weird to be on the phone with Shang Hejing while researching little toys. But if she didn't, she felt he would just call again.

Xu Tanxi decided to gamble and let the call ring out.

Sure enough, shortly after it stopped, it started ringing again.

Out of patience, she answered and spat out two cold words: "What?"

"Who upset the Chief?" That familiar, cavalier tone was back.

"Nobody."

"It seems you’ve already opened your birthday gift. How is it? Are you satisfied?"

Xu Tanxi lied through her teeth: "Not satisfied."

"Liar. You’re obviously super satisfied."

Xu Tanxi was called out: "...You know, you’re actually a decent person, it’s just that you have a mouth."

"Thanks, I’ll take that as a compliment."

Xu Tanxi rolled her eyes to the heavens.

"I only called to confirm you’d opened the gift. Nothing else. Enjoy the gift, Chief. Goodbye."

Hanging up as quickly as he’d called, Xu Tanxi offered a sharp critique: "What a fast man."

To avoid her heart skipping a beat every time she saw the name "Human Temptation," she went into her contacts and changed the label to simply "Shang Hejing."

She looked up and met King’s eyes.

"Do you ever think Shang Hejing is just really asking for a punch in the face?"

"Woof."

"You only barked once, so I’ll take that as a yes." Xu Tanxi felt satisfied.

"Ding-dong." Her WeChat chimed.

She tapped it and saw a red "1" on her contacts tab. It was a friend request with a short line of text in the box:

[Since you’ve already accepted the birthday gift, it shouldn’t be too much to add me on WeChat, right?]

Xu Tanxi didn't bat an eye. She typed a reply in the verification box:

[Accepting a gift is one thing, adding you on WeChat is another. Today, I’m going to show you what it means for the human heart to be treacherous.]

Then, she didn't click "Accept."

In Hong Kong, Shang Hejing, dressed in a charcoal gray suit, sat on an armchair by the floor-to-ceiling window, holding a glass of red wine.

Looking down at the message from Xu Tanxi, he only curled his lips slightly, clearly unbothered by her attitude, as it was entirely expected.

The bustling night view outside the window reflected in his eyes. A cruise ship moved slowly across the sparkling river. His hand holding the glass froze, and he began to drift into thought.

He couldn't help but imagine Xu Tanxi with those things.

In the adult world, once certain lascivious thoughts take root, they are difficult to suppress.

Recalling how Xu Tanxi looked that night in Paris, the delicate, scorching heat when his palms brushed her skin, and the scent on her, Shang Hejing felt his throat go dry. He leaned his head back against the sofa and closed his eyes.

A few seconds later, he drained the deep red wine in one gulp.

Shang Hejing picked up his phone and made a call, his voice cold as he commanded: "Push the progress on the Green Energy project. I want to return to the capital early."

*

In the living room, Xu Tanxi looked at the scattered sources of joy on the floor and cursed Shang Hejing another eight hundred times in her heart, because her period had just started this morning.

It was truly the moment of having the least energy to enjoy the toys she most wanted to play with.

Xu Tanxi took a deep breath, forced herself to calm down for a moment, then packed everything up and carried it back to her bedroom on the second floor.

She would be extremely busy until the Mid-Autumn Festival art performance next month, with intense rehearsals every day, so she had to ensure she got enough sleep.

After going to the yard to give King some food, Xu Tanxi went to bed.

Just as she was about to lie down, a push notification popped up on her phone—a trending topic on Weibo.

The headline read:

#Shang Hejing, Head of the Shang Family in the Capital, Spotted in Hong Kong, Having a Secret Tryst at a Hotel with a Mysterious Woman#

Hmm? Gossip about Shang Hejing? Xu Tanxi tapped on it with interest.

She usually liked gossip, and since it was about her own husband, she wanted to see what was actually going on.

So far, mainland media had only stated that a press conference would be held in a week regarding Shang Hejing returning to the capital to take power, remaining tight-lipped beyond that. No one dared to be the first to follow the powerful man for tabloid news.

But Hong Kong was different; they would write whatever they wanted, regardless of the truth.

The trending topic had exploded, sitting firmly at number one, especially eye-catching with the words "hotel tryst" in the title.

Xu Tanxi could already smell the scandal.

She opened the photos. In front of a hot spring hotel, a Maybach was parked on the street in the night. Shang Hejing, in a black suit, stood tall and elegant, his eyes deep and dark, his aura sharp and striking. His right hand was opening the car door.

The night, the black clothes, and the black car made the man’s skin look exquisitely cold and pale under the lens, like a vampire in the dark.

Standing next to Shang Hejing was a woman in a white dress with thin heels. The woman had long, wavy hair reaching her waist. Her mouth was slightly open as if saying something. The way Shang Hejing looked at her was icy cold in the night—the kind of cold that would make anyone shiver just by meeting his gaze.

Xu Tanxi swiped to the second photo. Indeed.

Shang Hejing’s expression remained as cold as before, but the woman’s composure had broken. This time, taken from a different angle, the woman was clearly beautiful, her eyes slightly red, as if she had been crying.

Xu Tanxi kept swiping, but there was nothing more.

"That's it?"

Sure enough, Hong Kong media and mainland media shared the same flaw: using sensational headlines to grab attention.

They used the word "tryst," making her think she’d see something scandalous or at least an embrace, but in the end, it was just a story written out of context.

Besides, looking at Shang Hejing’s expression, he clearly detested that woman. How the hell could this be called a tryst? It would be more accurate to call it a business meeting.

Utterly boring.