She could clearly see the turbulent emotions surging in his eyes: indulgence, inquiry, and a hint of... decadence that even he himself didn't realize.

"You're smart to know what's good for you." She smiled, but there was no real smile in her eyes.

Breakfast ended in silence.

While Rong Shenghan went to his study to work on documents, Yu Jiuyuan nestled on the sofa in the living room and dialed Yuan Xu's number.

"Hello, Jiu Yuan?" Yuan Xu's voice carried the distinctive background noise of a laboratory, as if she were operating some kind of precision instrument.

"Do you have enough experimental samples? I'll have the housekeeper send some fresh ones over."

“No need, we just retrieved a batch from the cold storage yesterday.” Yuan Xu’s tone was very serious. “By the way, I discovered a new type of enzyme that might accelerate cell division…”

He began to speak eloquently about his professional knowledge, and Yu Jiuyuan listened patiently, occasionally offering a few words of agreement.

Yuan Xu's world is always simple and straightforward. If she likes something, she likes it; if she's obsessed with something, she's obsessed with it. Unlike Rong Shenghan and Xie Zhecheng, who have countless hidden complexities in their hearts.

After hanging up the phone, she looked at the morning mist gradually dissipating outside the window, tapped her fingertips on the phone screen, and sent a message to Lin Yanran.

[The student union is holding an AI exhibition next week and needs members to take notes. Are you available?]

The message disappeared without a trace, and no reply was received until evening.

Yu Jiuyuan wasn't in a hurry. She knew Lin Yanran's personality. The more she deliberately invited him, the more arrogant he would become. But if she put a task in front of him, his pitiful pride would drive him to accept it.

Just like taming a wild horse, you can't pull it hard; you have to guide it gently along the reins.

During dinner, Rong Shenghan suddenly mentioned, "Lin Yanran went to the student council office today, and it seems she was looking through materials from the AI ​​exhibition."

Yu Jiuyuan paused in her cutting of steak: "Really? It seems he's not too stupid."

"Perhaps he's afraid of being fired by you." Rong Shenghan smiled and poured her a glass of red wine. "After all, he can't ignore Chairman Lin's feelings."

“It’s not just about saving face.” Yu Jiuyuan swirled the red wine in her glass, the crimson liquid gleaming under the light. “He needs a chance to prove himself, even if he won’t admit it.”

She understands the minds of these wealthy young men all too well.

Beneath an arrogant exterior often lies a yearning for recognition. What Lin Yanran needs is not restraint, but a reason that would make him willingly submit.

And she just happened to be able to provide that reason.

Before going to sleep, Yu Jiuyuan's phone finally lit up. It was Lin Yanran's reply, with her usual awkwardness.

【knew.】

She smiled as she read the message and casually tossed her phone onto the bedside table.

Rong Shenghan came out of the bathroom and was drying his hair with a towel. Water droplets slid down his abs and into his pajama pants, leaving winding water trails.

"What are you looking at? You seem so happy."

"Look at my new 'pet,' it's finally learned to wag its tail." Yu Jiuyuan lifted the blanket and patted the spot beside her. "Come warm the bed."

Rong Shenghan walked over, lay down, and pulled her into his arms.

Moonlight streamed through the thin curtains, casting a soft shadow on his face and making his ever-smiling eyes appear exceptionally deep.

"Sometimes I'm really curious," he suddenly said, his fingertips tracing her back, "did you ever have a single genuine feeling for us?"

Yu Jiuyuan closed her eyes and buried her face in his chest: "What do you think?"

“I think…” Rong Shenghan lowered his head and kissed the top of her head, his voice as soft as a sigh, “It’s good as it is now.”

He didn't ask for an answer, and she didn't respond.

Only their breathing remained in the bedroom, intertwined like an unspoken nocturne.

Yu Jiuyuan felt the warmth of the person in her arms, and a barely perceptible smile appeared on her lips.

Sincerity? That's the most useless thing.

What she wanted was never genuine affection, but absolute control.

Just like taming a pack of wild dogs, you don't need love, you just need to let them know who their only master is.

Beneath Xie Zhecheng's perfect mask lies a willingness to succumb to depravity.

Beneath Rong Shenghan's gentle exterior lies an increasingly surging possessiveness.

Beneath Lin Yanran's arrogant exterior, cracks of compromise are quietly emerging.

As night deepened, the fire in the fireplace still flickered, casting long shadows of the two embracing figures.

The chill of winter break was kept out of the thick walls, leaving only the indoor temperature, which slowly rose in the ambiguous air.

The game, which belongs to the young lady, has only just begun to get going.