Standing inside the luxurious VIP booth of the clubhouse, Ning Xi grips the handle of her handbag nervously, her face full of humility.
Her father, currently in the ICU, and her brother, whom her fiancé, Chu Jinyan personally sent off to prison.
The Ning family have fallen, and everyone around her avoids her like the plague.
Right now, Ning Xi is both devoid of all support and buried in debt.
If she can't secure financing soon, Tian Ning Group, the firm established single-handedly by her father, will fall into the hands of Chu Jinyan as well.
The big shot from Wall Street standing in front of her represents her only chance.
"Help you?"
The man, standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, slowly turns around.
"On what grounds does Miss Ning believe I will assist you?"
The neon lights outside the window cast a thin halo of pale gold around the man.
The man in front of the window has delicate yet deep-set features, and a chilly demeanor.
With such a face, he could even outshine star celebrities, making them lose their lustre in his presence.
Upon seeing the man's face clearly, Ning Xi's heart clenches abruptly.
She had never imagined that the famed Wall Street tycoon LION, would turn out to be Jiang Lv, the once popular figure from Yanjing No.1 Middle School.
It’s been seven long years.
The handsome youth from the past had already shed his immaturity.
The aura of superiority of those in power naturally showed. Even standing there quietly would make one instinctively get chills.
Ning Xie subconsciously retreated a step, barely suppressing the urge to turn around and run away.
But, she could not run.
At present, she is the only one left in the Ning family.
The Jiang Lu in front of her is the only one who could and would dare to help her.
Taking a deep breath, she lifts her face.
"To my knowledge, Mr. Jiang is planning to return to the country to develop, and Tian Ning Construction would be your best choice. If Mr. Jiang is willing to cooperate, I can give all my Tian Ning shares under my name to you to manage for free."
The handsome face of the man remained unmoving, his tone indifferent.
"To my knowledge, Miss Ning is currently heavily in debt. Whether you can keep this 10% of Tian Ning's shares is still in question. Moreover... how do I know that this isn't a trap set up by you and Chu JinYan?"
Hearing the name Chu JinYan, Ning Xie's heart contracts abruptly.
From high school to college, Chu JinYan pursued her for four years.
At that time, Ning Xie foolishly thought that he truly liked her.
Only now did she understand that all those sweet words were just perfunctory.
Her most trusted brother Jin Yan turned out to be nothing more than a despicable scum.
Thinking of her father in the ICU and her brother in the detention center, Ning Xie could barely breathe.
If she hadn't been involved with Chu Jin Yan, perhaps her family would not have ended up in this state.
"We have already broken up."
Ding -
Jiang Lu, with his long fingers clutching a wine glass, slightly trembled.
The ice cubes in the whisky bumped against the glass, causing a faint shimmer of liquid gold to ripple.
Licking her lips, Ning Xie took a step forward.
"If you help me, I can...do anything for you."
Right now, besides herself, she had no other bargaining chips to negotiate with him.
This was her last resort.
Jiang Lu raised his eyebrows, a dark wave stirring in his eyes.
"Anything?"
Ning Xie bit her lip.
"Anything!"
"Good." Jiang Lu walked over, pulled open a chair, and sat behind his desk, "Then Miss Ning, please prove it to me."
Proof?
"How would you like me to prove it?"
Jiang Lu took a shallow sip of his drink, his gaze settling on her face across the office desk.
His thin lips parted, breathing out two words.
"Kiss me!"
Ning Xi's breath hitched.
Her hands clenched and unclenched repeatedly.
Taking steps forward, she stood in front of Jiang Lu.
The man lounged back against the chair, his thick eyelashes casting shadows over his eyes.
His gaze fixed on her face, held a depth unreadable.
She dared not look into his eyes, her hand reached out, bracing against his shoulder, as she slowly leaned in.
Her gaze landed on the man's lips, and Ning Xi hesitated for a moment.
For her brother, for her father, for the Ning family...
She bowed her head, pressing her lips onto his.
She was inexperienced.
She had been in love with Chu Jinyan for three years, with nothing more than hand-holding and embracing.
Every time he wanted to be intimate with her, she would inexplicably feel nervous and push him away.
This was the first time she had initiated a kiss with a man.
Her lips were trembling due to the nerves.
Rather than a kiss, it was more of a brush of her lips.
Jiang Lu leaned back in his chair, cold as a statue.
His fingers, twisting a crystal wine glass in hand, didn't move an inch.
"All these years, has Chu Jinyan not even taught you how to kiss?"
The man's tone was full of mockery.
Realizing that he was merely toying with her, Ningxi bit her lip, abruptly stood up, and sprinted towards the guest room's door as if trying to escape.
Just as her right hand grabbed the doorknob, a hand suddenly reached out from behind and gripped her wrist.
The next instant, she was pressed against the door.
The man's kiss fell, his lips were cold, and the space between his teeth and lips was filled with the harshness of strong alcohol.
That kiss, filled with dominance and a hint of punishment, was unrestrained and wild, almost leaving her breathless.
She was sandwiched between him and the door, closely intertwined.
Behind her thin autumn clothes, his body heat was scorching.
Her coat slid off her arms, and her gloves dropped.
Her legs felt weak, to the point of nearly collapsing.
His large hand choked her slender neck, and Jiang Law's forehead pressed against hers.
Breathing lightly, his voice was low and husky,
"This is what a kiss's like."
Xing Ning barely managed to catch her breath before he sealed her lips with another kiss.
The man's hand slipped under her woolen sweater from her waist, and the heat from his palm made her skin shudder.
Without thinking, Xing Ning stretched out her hand, clutching his palm through the fabric.
"Do you... regret it?"
The man's voice rang in her ear.
"No…No!" Xing Ning gasped, "Could you please slow down, I... It's my first time..."
She didn't know whether it was because of her words or her illusion, but the man's movements seemed gentler than before.
He no longer bit her to the point of itching and hurting, but she was still uncomfortable.
Every time the man touched her, it tugged on Ning Xing's nerves.
It was as if an unseen hand was tickling her heart, making her irresistibly hot and weak…
Nipping at her neck, Jiang Lu's voice was somewhat muffled.
"Did you sleep with Chu Jinyan?"
"No... No."
"Good girl!"
Her heart pounded like a drum inside her chest, the blood crashing against her eardrums again and again.
She didn't quite catch his last words.
"What did you say?"
Jiang Lu remained silent.
Suddenly, he took a step back, letting her go.
Leaning weakly against the door, Ning Xi looked like a beached fish.
She panted, looking at him in confused bewilderment.
His sudden halt made her uncertain of his thoughts.
Was it because he felt she was inexperienced, too boring?
Grabbing the wine glass on the table, Jiang Lu drank down all of the wine in one gulp.
When he turned his face again, he had returned to his previous indifferent and cold demeanor.
Completely different from the man who had been audaciously pressing her down just moments ago.
If it were not for her lipstick still at the corner of his lips,
Ning Xi would almost doubt if what had just happened was just a figment of her imagination.
"I can cooperate with you, but … I have a condition."
"What condition?"
The man's sexy thin lips opened and closed, calmly uttering four words.
"Marry, me."