Pandora's Box
Feng Jinxuan returned to the study in the mansion.
The air still seemed to retain the faint, pleasant scent of lemongrass that Yu Jinli left behind when she was picking out clothes here at dusk.
He walked to the bedside table, took out the small, delicate key, and opened the locked drawer that he had promised he would never open without permission.
It was a pink diary with lace trim, which looked very girly and was completely out of place with the overall style of his study.
It lay there quietly in the corner of the drawer.
Like a Pandora's box, it is filled with unknown and deadly temptations.
Feng Jinxuan took out his diary.
His fingertips trembled slightly when they touched the slightly frosted cover.
He knew that what he was doing was wrong.
This is disrespectful to her and a trampling of the trust between the two of them.
but……
The image of the girl's bright, expectant eyes kept flashing in his mind.
He wanted to give her the best in the world.
He also wanted to understand her a little more, and then a little more.
I want to know what she truly thinks, the things she hasn't said aloud.
In the end, the yearning called "love" triumphed over that pitiful bit of rationality that belonged to a gentleman.
He took a deep breath, as if he had made up his mind.
He slowly turned to the first page of his diary.
On the title page was a line written by the girl in delicate yet slightly flamboyant handwriting.
[Yu Jinli's Survival Guide & Observation Diary of the Domineering CEO (Sucker)]
[Core KPI: Pay off debts, buy a house to rent out, and live a carefree life!]
Feng Jinxuan looked at the line of text, a helpless smile flashing in his eyes.
This woman really is... from beginning to end, she has always maintained her "money-grubbing" persona.
With a hint of curiosity, he continued scrolling down.
[Date: X Month X Day, Sunny. I hit the jackpot today, literally. I stumbled upon a walking gold mine, or rather, a cursed one. Although it drained most of my assets, based on my business acumen, this is definitely a long-term meal ticket with enormous potential. Preliminary assessment: Project risk level S+, but expected returns are immeasurable. Decision: Let's do it!]
[Date: Cloudy. Officially started work today, becoming Kingsoft's "exclusive accessory." Monthly salary: 200,000 RMB, plus room and board. The only downside is the boss's face; it's colder than the freezer back home. But that's okay, as long as the money's right, I can warm him up, even if he were in Antarctica.]
[Date: Rainy. My boss is a real pain. During today's meeting, just because I glanced at the male model on the PPT a couple of times, he gave me a glare the whole way. So petty. But considering he later reimbursed me 80,000 yuan in "work injury compensation," I'll... forgive him for now.]
[Date: [Year] [Month] [Day], Sunny. The boss's cousin is no good. That black jade thumb ring is definitely suspicious. I need to think of a way to remind the boss. But I can't be too direct; I need to make him think I was "lucky" to find it. That way, it'll be easier to bring it up when applying for a "bonus" later.]
[Date: Sunny turning cloudy. My boss is such a child. He actually got jealous because I accepted Gu Dashen's amulet. He even brought out such a huge jade koi to annoy me. Ha, men. But, the way he looks when he's jealous is... kind of cute? Pshaw! Yu Jinli, wake up! He's just your client! Don't have any improper thoughts!]
Page after page.
Feng Jinxuan just quietly flipped through the pages.
The expression on his face gradually changed from helplessness and amusement to seriousness.
Then, it became...cold.
What he saw was not the romantic feelings of a young girl.
Instead, it was a business plan so cold it was almost cruel, full of utilitarian calculations and devoid of any personal feelings.
The document details each of her "efforts" and the "returns" she expected behind each "effort".
Every instance of her "concern," every instance of her "protection," and even every instance of her "getting close" was like a precise investment, clearly priced and recorded.
He looked at those familiar, delicate handwriting, but now he felt an icy chill. He felt like a complete and utter fool.
What he perceived as "tacit understanding" and "uncontrollable feelings" were, in his view, proof of the deepening of their relationship.
In her view, however, it was just... a series of steps to achieve the KPIs.
His body began to tremble slightly, uncontrollably.
A bone-chilling coldness shot from the soles of my feet straight to the top of my head.
He thought he had found the only light in his life.
But little did they know that the light was fake from the very beginning.
It was a meticulously planned, perfect, and highly targeted commercial scam perpetrated against him, the "easy target."
He continued, mechanically, flipping backwards.
He wondered, what's next?
Will things change later?
Is there even a tiny bit of genuine feeling?
However, when he turned to the middle of the diary, his fingers suddenly stopped.
The middle few dozen pages of the diary were somehow glued together with superglue.
It formed a thick, hard lump that couldn't be turned over.
There were still some... dark brown marks that looked like coffee stains on it.
He recognized the mark.
A few days ago, before the party, the new, clumsy maid "accidentally" spilled coffee on his desk while cleaning.
At that time, this diary was placed in the corner of the desk.
He even got angry and fired the maid.
But unexpectedly...
It turns out that the "trial" against him had already begun at that time.
A series of schemes.
What a clever scheme, a series of interconnected plots.
His usually cold and deep black eyes were now filled with raging anger and endless despair, like two stagnant pools where the last glimmer of light had been extinguished.
He slowly closed the diary.
The movements were so gentle, like closing a coffin.
One mouth, a coffin that buried all his trust and love.
He stood up, walked to the liquor cabinet, and poured himself a glass of strong liquor.
Then, he drank it all in one gulp.
The spicy liquid burned his throat like fire, but it couldn't dispel the chill in his heart that was enough to freeze him.
He took out his phone and glanced at the time.
The party is about to begin.
That woman, right now, should be in front of the mirror, admiring the most beautiful dress in the world that he prepared for her.
She's probably still waiting for his "most important" gift.
A cold, self-deprecating smile appeared on Feng Jinxuan's lips.
He thought that he really should give her the "most important" gift.
A "surprise" that she will never forget...
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