The next morning's scene was even more entertaining. Aanya crouched in her room, pondering how she would face Zhen. Then, there came a neat knock at her door.
Trembling, Aanya opened the door, and there stood Zhen. He wore the same 'CEO-level stern' white shirt, but in his hand, he held Aanya's tiny sandal, and on his feet were the same enormous slippers she had worn the previous night while running like a 'duck.'
The moment Aanya saw Zhen, her eyes dropped.
Zhen (with a deep, heavy smile): "Mrs. Yan… may I have my property back? Or have you decided to make my slippers your new 'fashion statement'?"
Aanya glanced down at her feet, realizing she was still wearing Zhen's massive slippers. In her fluster, she had completely forgotten to change!
Aanya (stammering): "It… it was dark! And your slippers are so big that my feet got lost in them. I thought they were mine!"
Zhen bent down gently. Without saying a word, he carefully took one of Aanya's feet, and with immense tenderness, removed the giant slipper, slipping her own sandal onto her foot. Aanya's heart seemed to skip a beat. Zhen—the so-called 'grumpy' man—was kneeling at her feet to put on her sandals?
Once he had fitted the other foot, he stood up, inching very close to Aanya. He placed his hand on her head and said, with a mock-innocent yet teasing tone:
Zhen: "Truly, Aanya… how utterly insane you are! Does anyone run away with their husband's shoe right after a 'kiss'? Last night, I couldn't stop laughing; my stomach still aches remembering your 'duck-like dash.'"
Aanya's face turned as red as a tomato. She gave Zhen a gentle push.
Aanya: "Stop laughing! It's all your fault. If you hadn't done that 'ghost' act, my mind would have been in order!"
Zhen (leaning close to her ear): "If your mind were in order, perhaps you wouldn't have said my name. By the way… you may keep those slippers. Just let them remind you that next time, you don't run—you stay."
Aanya threw a pillow at Zhen, but he nimbly dodged, laughing as he slipped away.
Far from the glittering mansion, in an old, heavily secured, bunker-like office in the city, silence reigned. Only the drifting clouds of cigar smoke filled the room.
Behind a massive carved desk sat the Dragon King. Over fifty, his eyes still glimmered like a hungry tiger. In front of him, Lu Kang stood with his head bowed, while in another corner, RJ (a stranger) remained standing.
Scene: Dragon King and RJ Confrontation
RJ's face betrayed a peculiar unease. He could not stand still—sometimes clenching his fists, at other times jerking his neck. His eyes revealed his madness for Aanya and a terrifying hatred for Zhen.
The Dragon King drew a long pull from his cigar and, through the haze, fixed his gaze on RJ.
Dragon King (with a deep, resonant voice): "She has returned home… with Zhen."
RJ's jaws tightened. He slammed a glass ashtray onto the desk so hard that it shattered. A thin streak of blood ran down his hand, yet no pain registered on his face.
RJ (voice trembling with hatred): "She isn't with him… she's trapped in that hell. I've seen it in her eyes… her hatred will burn Zhen alive."
RJ paced the room like a predator—swift steps, sudden stops, an almost cinematic action in his movement. He jabbed his finger at a map on the wall, directly marking Zhen's mansion.
Dragon King: "Control yourself, RJ. Beating Zhen Yan isn't that simple. He now wears the mask of the 'perfect husband.'"
RJ suddenly halted, standing right in front of the Dragon King. A terrifying smile crept across his face, yet tears glistened in his eyes. He placed a hand on his chest, as though over an old wound.
RJ: "I will remove that mask. I will show her that when Aanya's hatred reaches its peak, even the 'Emperor' kneels. She is mine… and I will free her from that golden cage, no matter what."
Lu Kang glanced at the Dragon King. The Dragon King's face remained impassive, yet he slowly ran a hand over an old photograph resting on his desk (which had been turned over). His fingers trembled, but he regained his composure.
Dragon King: "The time is near. Go."
Without a word, RJ turned and strode toward the door. His coat flared in the air as he left. Wiping the blood from his hand, he slammed the door with such force that the entire room trembled.
The Dragon King was left alone. He extinguished his cigar and drew a deep breath. His eyes remained fixed on the door through which RJ had departed. Now, only the scent of vengeance lingered in the room.Yan Corporation's head office had been buzzing since early morning. No one knew that Zhen and Aanya were husband and wife. To the office, Aanya was just an ordinary employee, and Zhen was the strict CEO everyone feared.
In one corner of the cafeteria, Aanya and Huan Jing were sipping coffee.
Aanya (laughing): "Yaar, Huan! You won't believe it—I was so scared that I wore his huge slippers and ran to my room like a duck! This morning when he made me wear those slippers again, I thought I'd die of embarrassment."
Huan Jing (bursting into laughter): "What? Mr. Zhen Yan made you wear slippers? Aanya, you've actually melted the heart of that stone-cold man! But be careful—if anyone in the office finds out that the 'khadoos boss' is this romantic at home, there will be chaos."
Suddenly, the office atmosphere shifted like a warning siren.
Mr. Wang (Vice President), who had always had his eyes on Zhen's position, was walking toward the boardroom with a stranger. That stranger was none other than Ruan Jian (RJ).Inside the boardroom, silence reigned.
Zhen sat in the main chair, his face wrapped in an icy calm. Qian stood beside him.
Mr. Wang: "Mr. Zhen, I would like to introduce everyone to our new Project Manager—Mr. Ruan Jian. He has extensive experience in the international market."
RJ stepped into the room.
His eyes locked directly with Zhen's.
An unspoken war had already begun.
Zhen knew RJ was a pawn of the Dragon King.
RJ believed he had come to 'free' Aanya.
RJ (with a crooked smile): "Mr. Yan… it's a pleasure to meet you again. I've heard the rules in your company are very strict.
Zhen closed his file and replied coolly,
Zhen: "Those who break rules don't just leave my company—they leave this city. But considering your capabilities, I've allowed you to stay."