The coldness and silence of the penthouse were like an invisible cage, imprisoning Ning Xiuyan in a quagmire of shame and fear.
He huddled on the expensive yet cold carpet, his expensive clothes soaked with sewage and sticking to his skin, emitting a sickening smell of rust and rotting leaves.
His gray-blue hair was messily stuck to his forehead. Ning Xiuyan bit his lower lip tightly until he tasted blood and barely suppressed the whimper in his throat that was on the verge of collapse.
Zhang Xuanhua's face changed instantly, turning cold and sarcastic, his light blue eyes looked at him with contempt as if he were looking at garbage, and his warning that sounded like a curse - "Next time, it won't be as simple as a dirty pool."
It flashed through his mind again and again like a nightmare, each time bringing a chill deep into his bones.
He lost, lost without any dignity, like a complete fool.
But after the initial collapse, the suppressed arrogance and twisted unwillingness in the second young master of the Ning family, like a dying spark, suddenly and stubbornly rekindled.
The immense frustration needed to be vented, and the shattered self-esteem needed to be rebuilt. He didn't dare touch Zhang Xuanhua again for the time being; that madman was too evil.
But Guanghua is so vast...isn't there a target that can help him regain a sense of control and value? A prey that can prove that he, Ning Xiuyan, is not useless and that his charm still exists?
A name, with a cold halo and some kind of hidden and powerful attraction, quietly emerged in his confused mind like a lighthouse in the darkness - Chao Youye.
Rumors surrounding Chao Youye linger a shroud of mystery within Guanghua and even the wider upper echelons of society. A freshman in the physics department, he's also the current helmsman of the vast technological empire, the Chao family.
Towards Youye... a sickly light with a desire to conquer flashed across Ning Xiuyan's bloodshot eyes.
If he could... even just get a little closer and attract the attention of this mysterious CEO... wouldn't that prove that he, Ning Xiuyan, wasn't the waste that Zhang Xuanhua claimed he was?
Did the humiliation Zhang Xuanhua inflicted be diluted by this "new achievement"? A dangerous thought grew wildly in his mind—the way to prove his charm was to conquer the highest, coldest iceberg!
A few days later, when the severe physical and mental shock was barely suppressed by expensive alcohol and strong willpower, Ning Xiuyan once again stepped into the Guanghua campus.
He changed out of the clothes that were stained with dirty memories, carefully restyled his gray-blue short hair, and wrapped his still tall and straight figure in a perfectly tailored dark haute couture suit. He also put on the suave and cynical mask on his face again.
He found out that Chao Youye would be in the administrative office in the main building of the Physics Department this morning to handle some presidential affairs.
This was a perfect place for an "accidental encounter"; there wouldn't be too many people around, it was private enough, and it also avoided the embarrassment of being completely ignored in public (he subconsciously refused to acknowledge this possibility).
Ning Xiuyan deliberately chose a time close to noon and walked towards the main building of the Physics Department with deliberate ease. He adjusted his breathing, trying to suppress the lingering fear of the unknown that had lingered in his heart due to the Zhang Xuanhua incident.
He told himself that no matter how powerful Chao Youye was, he was just a businessman and a student. He would never be as crazy as Zhang Xuanhua... He tried hard to drive that cold and sarcastic smile from his mind.
As soon as he reached the heavy glass revolving door of the main building of the Physics Department, Ning Xiuyan's footsteps suddenly stopped.
Through the bright glass, he clearly saw the figure walking out from inside.
The dark grey cashmere coat is perfectly tailored, outlining the tall and straight figure like a second skin, just like a strong pine tree after the snow, solemn and unshakable.
Under the coat is a neatly ironed pure black turtleneck sweater, which makes the neck look slender and exudes a sense of abstinence and coldness.
That face—its skin was a cool porcelain white, and every turn of its facial features seemed to have been carved by the most sophisticated instruments, so perfect that it was almost distorted.
His nose was as sharp as a knife, and his thin lips were pressed into a cold and ruthless line. The most frightening thing was his eyes, a deep violet color, which were slightly lowered at this moment.
His gaze fell on a document in his hand, his eyes focused and calm, as if all the noise around him, including Ning Xiuyan standing outside the glass door, were just insignificant background noise.
Ning Xiuyan's heart felt like it was being tightly grasped by an ice-cold hand, and he suffocated instantly.
Even through the glass and the distance, the extremely impactful presence that combined god-like handsomeness with the absolute pressure of a superior still made him feel a tremor deep in his soul.
Zhang Xuanhua's beauty carries an evil and dangerous temptation, while Chao Youye's beauty is like the cold moon hanging in the sky, cold, distant, eternal, and carrying a desperate and inviolable divinity.
Conquering such an existence... The thought itself was enough to make Ning Xiuyan's self-esteem, which had been trampled into the mud by Zhang Xuanhua, feel a twisted, almost self-destructive excitement.
He took a deep breath, forced himself to suppress his turbulent emotions, and quickly put on the most perfect smile on his face, a combination of the dignity of a young man from an aristocratic family and just the right amount of enthusiasm.
The moment Chao Youye was about to push the door open and walk out, he took the initiative to greet her and extended his hand.
His movements were deliberate and familiar, as if they were old acquaintances.
"Mr. Chao? Nice to meet you!" Ning Xiuyan's voice was clear, trying hard to hide the subtle tension in his voice. "I didn't expect to meet you here. What a coincidence. I'm Ning Xiuyan, the second son of the Ning family."
Chao Youye's footsteps stopped when he was one step away from the revolving door.
My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It will be even more exciting later!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
