When Lu Tingzhou opened his eyes, the 5:30 alarm hadn't gone off yet—he had woken up over an hour earlier than his normal biological clock.
The sky was just beginning to lighten, dawn illuminating the thin mist, countless golden rays waiting to burst through the clouds.
The blackout curtains in the presidential suite were exceptionally effective, casting the room in an even, drowsy dimness that weighed heavily over everything.
He lay silently on the two-meter-wide black bed, staring at the ceiling above, which appeared particularly hollow in the darkness. Beneath him was expensive Egyptian cotton bedding, soft and smooth, yet it brought him not a shred of comfort.
Just moments ago, he had a ridiculous, maddening dream.
The view was the entire bed: him on top, below him white, soft, and delicate.
It was a spring dream—languid and chaotic.
Upon waking, unsurprisingly, his clothes were soaked through. Frowning, he looked at the disheveled pants and sheets, feeling a self-loathing he had never experienced before. He got up, threw all his clothes into the washing machine, and walked barefoot into the bathroom.
The water stains on the tiles hadn't completely dried.
He had worked through the night until dawn, and by the time he came back and showered, it was already late. In reality, he had slept less than two hours.
Walking barefoot on the cold tiles, the chill slowly crept up from his heels, constantly stimulating his numbed mind.
The images in the dream were crystal clear.
But what was unbelievable was that the person lying on his chest, the one clinging tightly to him, was actually Xiaoxi.
His stepsister, with no blood relation.
His throat tightened, dry. He tried to raise a hand to wipe his face, but found his heart pounding violently, like a drumbeat.
The massive mirror coldly reflected his appearance. Lu Tingzhou looked at the expressionless face in the mirror—familiar, with hard lines, a clenched jaw, seemingly indestructible... but now, it was utterly disheveled.
His lips were pressed into a rigid line, only his Adam's apple slowly rolled, as if swallowing something difficult and obscure.
The feeling of violated propriety stirred a fire in him, an inexplicable agitation.
But clearly, this wasn't the first time, was it?
Every time it happened, he would be withered and numb for half a day, falling into deep self-doubt, then spend a long time digesting, adapting, and forcing himself to forget.
Water droplets clung to his eyelashes, threatening to fall. He propped himself on the edge of the cold sink, his fingertips turning white with the force, knuckles protruding sharply.
He stared intently at the strangely unfamiliar figure in the mirror, trying to dispel the lingering images in his mind with coldness, but it was futile.
The scattered strands of black hair, the warm breath, the weight pressed against him, the faint, elusive sweet fragrance...
The person in the dream was Xiaoxi.
The sister he had watched grow up.
Such an absurd dream made reason and thought distant, impossible, as if heavy shackles had been placed on his heart, making it hard to breathe.
So he took a deep breath, trying to control his heartbeat, but irritation and guilt surged in as well.
...
Lecture Hall 1.
Professor Shen stood in front of the podium, wearing an ascetic, lean white shirt and camel-colored belted pants—a perfect nine-head body ratio. The cuffs were neatly rolled up halfway, the shirt hem smoothly tucked into the pants, revealing a clear waistline.
Unsurprisingly, the class was packed again.
Cheng Buxi had once made a comprehensive comparison between Professor Shen and her brother. Both belonged to the strong-featured type with authoritative bone structures. Their brow bone height was over 1.5 centimeters, surpassing 80% of Asian men. Their facial fold degree was as high as 90%, while ordinary people had about 60%.
Shoulder width 62 cm, waist 80 cm, hips 95 cm. Body fat percentage was controlled at 10% year-round, their muscular build crushing 99% of men.
If there was one most obvious difference, it was probably the thickness of their lips. Professor Shen's lips were thin with clear lines, while her brother had fuller lips—the upper lip like petals, the lower lip full and wavy, with a sensual quality. When pursed, they appeared cold and restrained.
Their personalities and preferences were also completely different. That was why her brother's recent purchase of a new Land Rover—identical to Professor Shen's—for over 300,000 had left Cheng Buxi utterly perplexed.
...
The class content was rich and vivid, but he didn't mention the exam results at all. When a student couldn't help but ask, he didn't give a clear answer either.
The exams were over, but the results had yet to be announced. Cheng Buxi felt uneasy, especially about Professor Shen's class. Normally, results should have been out by now, but she didn't know why they were being delayed this time.
So annoying! She'd rather just get the final verdict and die quickly.
Just as she was feeling down, her brother called right after class.
Getting a call from him at this time meant only two signals: either she had failed the exam, or she was about to fail.
But either way, it was something she least wanted to face.
...
After three years, Cheng Buxi was going to his company again. The AMH Group building didn't have this name before.
The group headquarters, 340 meters tall, stood in the center of the CBD. The dense cluster of office buildings in the business district stretched endlessly to the sky, magnificent and unparalleled.
They said at night, what flowed here was not time, but gold.
The person picking her up wore an off-white tweed skirt suit and Valentino stilettos in the same color, clicking on the floor in small steps—clearly showing how much importance they placed on her.
A sleek, low bun exuded sophistication. The elegant, restrained perfume from a famous brand smelled wonderful and subtle—definitely someone with refined taste. Cheng Buxi's fondness for her increased by three millimeters.
Compared to the polished office lady in a chic suit, the charming urban white-collar worker, Cheng Buxi's college student look appeared extremely immature. A light-colored openwork sweater, a white collared T-shirt, wide-leg jeans, slip-on Converse sneakers, and a canvas bag from Xidan bought for twenty bucks.
If not for her striking face, she'd want to dig a hole and hide.