Chapter 36: Congratulations to You

He gazed at her with a dangerous, profound look, his handsome and austere face curved with an ambiguous hint of a smile. In his eyes, she was little more than a prey unable to escape.

Nan Zhi cursed inwardly. She felt terribly unlucky these past two days. On the day of the interview, she had accidentally gotten into his car, mistaking him for a distant, ascetic deity of a man. She never imagined he was, in truth, an out-and-out devil—a manic demon who nearly strangled her.

Nan Zhi knew that provoking him would only bring herself trouble. So, she stopped struggling, forcing herself to meet his dark, brooding gaze. In a calm voice, she said, "Aunt Qin is your grandmother's housekeeper. She fell today and couldn't come, so I came to help her. Before I arrived, I had no idea you were the young master of this house."

Mu Sihan braced one hand above her head. The two were so close that the faint fragrance from her skin drifted to his nose. He leaned in, his lips near her ear, asking lazily, "If you knew I was the young master here, would you have stayed away?"

She was certainly talented; he had never met a woman so adept at playing hard to get. Even after her brother sought him out, she still pretended with him. As he spoke, the warmth of his breath spilled into her ear canal. She shrank her neck, avoiding his seductive lips, her expression sullen. "Yes, your warning yesterday—I remember it well."

He seemed to have heard the funniest joke. His slender, cool fingers tilted her chin upward, raising her delicate, fair face. His lips curled in cold mockery. "Once or twice, you could claim it was unintentional. But three or four times—that's clearly deliberate."

His long finger under her chin pressed harder, the playful smile in his eyes turning icy and cruel. "Speak. You’ve drawn my attention again and again—what’s your purpose?"

Under his intimidating presence, Nan Zhi struggled to steady her breathing. This man was not only manic, but an egomaniac as well. Did he really think his looks made him invincible, that every woman was eager to throw herself at him?

She pulled at her lips, striving to remain calm. "You really do see yourself as currency, don’t you?"

His expression shifted. "What do you mean?" He enunciated each word, his tense face betraying the explosion of his temper. Even without looking up, Nan Zhi could feel his sharp, icy glare. It was intimidating.

But some things needed to be said, lest he continue thinking she was scheming against him. "I mean I have no interest in you."

The air turned chillier and more ominous the moment her words fell. Nan Zhi sensed danger once more. She raised her hands and struggled fiercely.

Her repeated resistance stoked his anger. He grabbed her restless hands and pinned them above her head, his handsome, dangerous face drawing close. His lips curled with a wicked, perilous smile, almost brushing hers. Nan Zhi’s skin prickled, her face stiffening as she collected herself, her voice cold and sharp. "If my coming to your grandmother’s house to cook today gave you the wrong impression, I promise I’ll never come here again."

As soon as she finished speaking, his already unpleasant expression darkened further.

"Your methods are impressive. Congratulations—you've successfully caught my attention."

Egomaniac, shameless lunatic, manic demon—who wanted your attention anyway? What eyes did you use to see that?

Nan Zhi refused to respond to this egomaniac. She gritted her teeth and struggled silently.

But as she kept struggling, she suddenly realized something was wrong. He was actually reacting to her.

…

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