Tomorrow is the young lady's day off, so Qi Shen declined his evening social engagements and drinking parties and returned to Nangong early.

After arriving home, he searched both bedrooms on the second floor but couldn't find Fang Zhi. He left her bedroom, stood there for a moment, and then walked towards the dance studio at the end of the second-floor corridor.

As soon as the door opened a crack, the sound of music drifted out. Looking through the crack, the orange glow of the sunset bathed every corner of the dance studio.

Sure enough, the girl was practicing dance.

Her slender waist, supple as a water snake, moved with graceful grace. Time itself seemed to fade before her; the white, sheer classical dance dress, bathed in a gentle orange glow, accentuated her ethereal beauty, like a lotus emerging from the water.

She created an unparalleled spectacle, more breathtaking than any sunset.

This scene is so vivid and beautiful that it stirs up the deepest darkness in people, making them want to plunder it and treasure it.

He knew the little girl dreamed of performing on stage and promoting classical dance, but he couldn't overcome the darkness in his heart.

Even offstage, she was coveted by people. Qi Shen dared not imagine how many people would discover her purity and beauty if she were to stand before a crowd one day.

He couldn't tolerate even the fleeting thoughts of countless people trying to intrude into her world.

Fang Zhi was so focused on jumping that she didn't notice the door was ajar and a pair of dark, inky eyes were staring at her.

When the dance ended, she stood there, breathing softly.

Qi Shen pushed the door open completely and then locked it.

His long, lean legs, encased in suit trousers, strode toward her. Before she could even turn around after seeing the man's well-dressed figure in the mirror, he embraced her from behind.

"Why are you so serious lately, Zhizhi?" Qi Shen lowered his head and whispered in her ear, "I heard from the servants that you go straight to the dance studio as soon as you come back."

His short, black hair brushed against his cheek, causing a ticklish sensation. Fang Zhi shifted slightly to the side before slowly saying, "Brother, have you forgotten? We have less than two months left before our final exams."

The girl's delicate fragrance and soft voice stimulated the man's senses, causing his blood to rush to one spot.

"This year is the same as every year." Fang Zhi was so focused on concealing her true intentions that she didn't notice the changes in the man's body. "Students have to perform a dance independently in front of their instructors. I didn't perform well last year, so this year I'm starting early and working hard."

Qi Shen knew that there was this exam in her department, and his Zhizhi was always very serious when facing the exam.

So he stopped listening halfway through, his hands casually kneading her waist.

While watching her dance, he felt an overwhelming, violent urge. He wanted to tear off her clothes and indulge in his desires...

As the breathing around her grew heavier, she realized something was wrong and her body tensed up.

"Brother?" The girl's voice was tinged with nervousness.

"Um?"

Fang Zhi turned her head back, her lips brushing against the man's smooth profile, and hurriedly said:

"Shouldn't we go down for dinner?"

"No rush." ​​Qi Shen reached out and grabbed the hem of her skirt, slowly lifting it up like a cat teasing a mouse.

Fang Zhi's heart raced, feeling as if it was about to burst out of his chest.

"It's nice here." Qi Shen nibbled at her ear, his voice indistinct, husky, and alluring. "Just once, okay? Baby, have pity on your brother, just once."

The man lowered his stance, and his soft voice made Fang Zhi feel for no reason that it sounded like he was begging and pleading.

Fang Zhi was so shocked she felt like her nerves were going numb. It must be her imagination, how could he be acting cute towards her?

She bit her tongue, trying to clear her head.

The pain had barely reached her brain when the man's long fingers pried open her red lips and whispered in her ear, "Zhizhi, don't bite."

Desire is a human instinct, and Fang Zhi is no exception.

She felt hot all over from being teased, and in her dazed state, she seemed to hear herself agree.

"No, that's not available..."

"Take it out of your left pocket and put it on for me."

......

Their figures were reflected in the spotless dance mirror: a slender, graceful young woman and a tall, imposing man.

The two extremes of beauty: softness and strength.

The dance studio was filled with sounds that made people blush and their hearts race.

A crescent moon quietly peeked out, and the clouds dispersed and the rain stopped.

Qi Shen lowered his head and kissed the girl who was curled up in his arms with a good mood, coaxing her in a low voice:

"Baby, stand by yourself for a while."

Realizing that the shock hadn't completely subsided, she did as he said.

Qi Shen then released his grip.

He picked up the suit jacket from the ground, made sure it covered the girl completely, and then carried her horizontally in his arms.

He made sure to open the window before leaving.

The wind rushed in and scattered the beauty in the dance studio; the tattered dance costumes fluttered in the wind; and the mirror surface bore traces of sweaty hands.

-

The rustling of insects came from the bushes. Most of the students had returned to their dormitories, and there were not many people left on campus. Under the dim streetlights, Zhen and Guo Shuyao faced each other.

A hint of joy flashed in Guo Shuyao's eyes. "So you know she was your adopted daughter before? And then she was adopted by someone else."

Only then did she realize that the family background that everyone was praising was just like that—she was just an adopted daughter from a mountain village.

"Yes." Fang Zhen nodded to her. "I've told you everything about Fang Zhi. What do you plan to do?"

During her years of studying in Haicheng, she knew that there were some people she could offend and some she couldn't afford to offend, so she remained cautious about Guo Shuyao, the person who had adopted Fang Zhi.

Do you know who her people are?

"I don't know the specifics." A dark light, barely perceptible, flashed in Fang Zhen's eyes. "But my mother said that family is indeed well-off and has some money."

She couldn't say she knew nothing at all, nor could she reveal all of Qi Shen's information.

What if Guo Shuyao knew it was the Qi family, Qi Shen, a person whose wealth was prohibitive and who might change her mind?

She didn't want to lose the usable knife she had just found, the knife she was about to use to stab Fang Zhi.

"I see. Don't make any rash moves." Guo Shuyao thought for a moment, her tone revealing an undisguised excitement. "She wants to be famous, so let's give her a hand."

Guo Shuyao simply explained her thoughts.

After hearing her plan, Fang Zhen suppressed her inner thoughts and agreed with a "okay".

The plan was actually to kill two birds with one stone.

Guo Shuyao's method only affected Fang's reputation; what good was it?

Fang realized that she could still live the life of a princess with Qi Shen, enjoying endless riches and honors.

She needs to find a way to add fuel to the fire, change Fang Zhi's opinion of her, pretend to help her, get close to her, and then pull Fang Zhi down from her comfortable life and take her place.