"First time?"

The luxurious car bathed in neon glow was filled with a hazy atmosphere. Two silhouettes intertwined on the tinted window—the woman nestled against the man like a languid cat, her dress bunched at the waist, revealing long, slender legs firmly under his control.

Every brush of skin sent shivers down her spine.

The man gripped her delicate waist, his phoenix eyes unreadable behind his glasses.

Xiao Nian lifted her gaze, the tiny crimson mole at the corner of her eye accentuating her allure. With a drunken, teasing smile, she murmured, "Does it matter?"

If Bai Yu could shamelessly hook up with Xiao Xiyuan at her engagement party and then try to get her drunk for some sleazy old man, she’d make sure he tasted betrayal too.

A night with a handsome young stud was far better than ending up in the clutches of those disgusting old perverts.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned in for a kiss...

After the passion subsided, a sobering Xiao Nian fished out a wad of cash from her purse. With delicate fingers, she hooked the waistband of his pants and slipped the money inside.

"Handsome, you did great. See ya."

Fully dressed, she stepped into the elevator, high heels dangling from her fingers. Just as the doors closed, Wen Zhiyue caught the sly curve of her lips as she whispered,

"Hope we never meet again."

Wen Zhiyue removed his glasses, rubbing the bridge of his nose with his slender fingers, his gaze unfathomably deep.

A man of formidable self-control, he had never indulged in one-night stands.

Yet today, a stranger had shattered that rule.

His assistant rushed in, alarmed to see Wen Zhiyue lying there with evident exhaustion. "Sir, are your eyes bothering you?" The memory of the year Wen Zhiyue had spent in a sanatorium, blind and helpless, flashed through the assistant's mind, stirring fear of a relapse.

"I'm fine."

"Miss Baiyu's engagement banquet is waiting for you."

"Understood."

He slipped on his sunglasses, instantly transforming back into the unapproachable Mr. Wen—as if the earlier intimacy had been nothing but a fleeting illusion.

No sooner had Xiao Nian stepped into the banquet hall than she found herself cornered by Wen Baiyu.

"Where the hell have you been? My uncle made a special trip to attend my engagement, and this is how you treat our guests? Have you no manners at all?"

Xiao Nian shot him a frosty glance, her eyes lingering on the fading marks on his neck—a "masterpiece" left by Xiao Xiyuan just days ago.

The irony wasn’t lost on her. It had only been a few days since she’d discovered her fiancé had been sneaking around with her own adopted sister.

Disgusting.

Xiao Xiyuan hadn’t even been born with the surname Xiao. At ten, after her parents died in a car crash, her relatives had planned to send her to an orphanage. Back then, she had tearfully pleaded, saying she couldn’t bear to leave her best friend, Xiao Nian.

Moved by pity, Xiao Nian had begged her parents to take the girl in.

From that day on, she began living the privileged life of a young lady, just like Xiao Nian.

Thirteen years passed in the blink of an eye.

Seeing Xiao Nian remain silent, Wen Baiyu snapped impatiently, "Why are you still dawdling here when I told you to go entertain Mr. Kang? The Xiao family is bankrupt now—drop the entitled act. If you can charm him into securing that fifty-million project, maybe you can still save your father from this mess."

Xiao Nian glanced at Xiao Xiyuan, who stood calmly behind Wen Baiyu, and curled her lips into a mocking smile. "Xiyuan, didn’t you always say you wanted to repay our family’s kindness? Why don’t you go keep Mr. Kang company instead?"

Xiao Xiyuan’s face paled, her teeth sinking into her lower lip as she stayed silent. Wen Baiyu reacted as if scalded, jumping to his feet. "Xiao Nian, Xiyuan is nothing like you!"

Xiao Nian let out a cold laugh. "You’re right. I’d never stoop to her level of shamelessness."

Tears instantly welled up in Xiao Xiyuan’s eyes. "Nian-Nian, did I upset you again? Just tell me what to change, and I’ll do it..."

Wen Baiyu immediately shielded her behind him. "Don’t listen to her! You’re kind and pure-hearted—it’s Xiao Nian who’s the cruel one!"

"Baiyu, don’t argue," Xiao Xiyuan whispered. "I’m just a guest in the Xiao household. She can say whatever she wants about me."

Wen Baiyu’s temper flared. Gripping her shoulders, he declared, "Don’t be afraid. We don’t even need this engagement party today. From now on, I’ll protect you—you’ll never have to endure anyone’s scorn again. I’ll give you a real home."

"Baiyu..." Her tearful gaze only fueled his impulsiveness.

He spun toward his mother and shouted, "Mom, I’m calling off the engagement!"

The room fell into stunned silence as all eyes turned toward them.

His mother’s face darkened with fury. "Have you lost your mind?"

"Mom, Xiao Nian is domineering and reckless! She has no idea how to manage a household, always running off to the racetrack to hang around men. Who knows if she’s already made a fool of me behind my back?"

"Shut your mouth! Your uncle is about to arrive. If he sees you acting like this, I swear I'll break your legs."

The crowd suddenly stirred.

Xiao Nian looked up to see a tall, slender figure approaching leisurely, surrounded by attendants. His expression was calm, yet he carried an undeniable air of authority.

She raised an eyebrow in surprise.

Wasn’t this the same man who had been entangled with her in the parking lot just moments ago? So he was the scumbag’s uncle?

Watching the way everyone bowed and scraped before him, a faint smirk curled at the corner of Xiao Nian’s lips.

This was getting interesting.

Things were about to become even more entertaining. Just imagining that despicable couple having to call her "Auntie" later was already satisfying enough. Xiao Nian was the kind of girl who wore her defiance like armor. As the saying goes, you don’t mess with a hothead—and she was the type who never let an insult slide. Anyone foolish enough to cross her would live to regret ever being born.

When it came to revenge, she was swift and merciless—no hesitation, no loose ends.

The moment Wen Baiyu spotted the man’s arrival, he immediately hunched his shoulders and greeted obsequiously, "Uncle."

His cowering demeanor made it obvious he’d been thoroughly disciplined before.

Seizing the moment, Xiao Nian spoke up coolly, "Wen Baiyu, you know what? I think you were right earlier. There’s really no need for this engagement party."

Wen Zhiyue cast a fleeting glance at her, the cold glint of his glasses reflecting an indifferent gaze—as if she were nothing more than a pebble on the roadside.

Xiao Nian rolled her eyes internally.

Oh, so now he’s playing the dignified gentleman? Weren’t you quite the rogue in the car just now?

Upon hearing Xiao Nian's words, Wen Baiyu's mother instantly paled. With the Xiao family already bankrupt, she'd long been planning to match her son with someone better—but this rejection shouldn't have come from the girl's mouth first.

"A-Xiao, what's gotten into you..."

"Auntie, since Wen Baiyu has already found someone new, I can only wish them a lifetime of happiness."

Xiao Nian saw right through the older woman's schemes.

Did she really think she could use Xiao Nian's looks to reel in some wealthy catch? Meanwhile, Wen Baiyu had already set his sights on another socialite.

Putting on a pained expression, Wen Baiyu's mother said, "A-Xiao, if you didn’t want to go through with the engagement, you could’ve just said so. But spreading such slander about Baiyu—I can’t just let that slide."

Xiao Nian smirked.

Just then, the large screen suddenly lit up with footage of Wen Baiyu and Xiao Xiyuan locked in an intimate embrace...