Chapter 1

First time I got mad at him. I swore I wouldn’t speak to him for a whole week.

Unluckily for my resolve, he returned from a business trip and casually handed me a nine-figure jewelry set.

I forgave him instantly, dutifully whipped up eight dishes and a soup, and tucked myself into bed, waiting nicely.

The result? I barely whined a tearful “Hubby…” before he picked me up and carried me straight to the shower.

Zhou Yuandong was obnoxious. But the diamonds were to die for.

Second time I got mad at him. I turned my back to him every night and played dead.

In the middle of the night, my phone buzzed—a ten-million-dollar wire transfer.

I flipped around in a heartbeat, wrapping my arms around him to coo, “You’re off tomorrow, right? So… no sleep tonight?”

He looked down at me like I was completely hopeless. “Weren’t you the one who said capitalists have no soul?”

I swallowed hard. “I promise I won’t cry. No backing out.”

A smirk played on his lips as he pulled a sleek pair of handcuffs from the nightstand drawer.

“Turn around, Little Yan.”

My knees trembled. Before I could even think about bolting, he pinned me and cuffed my wrists tight to the headboard.

He leaned in, his lips brushing mine. “You said no sleep tonight. Not a single second less.”

I tried to put on a helpless, pity-me face, but earned a sharp slap on my rear for the effort.

I fell shut, obediently taking it.

I couldn’t walk for three days. On the bright side, my bank account was glowing with another ten million dollars.

Zhou Yuandong really was a bastard… But cold, hard cash smelled oh-so-sweet.

The third time. I was genuinely, incandescently furious. I threw out all the jewelry, designer bags, and valuables—and made a break for it in the dead of night.

My suitcase overflowed, so I yanked off his bedsheet to make a makeshift sack.

Without waiting for the staff, I dragged it down the stairs alone, crept through the garden, and sneaked toward the main gates.

Out of nowhere, Zhou Yuandong materialized like a ghost.

Panicking, I tripped and landed flat on my butt in the gravel path—the sharp pain bringing instant tears to my eyes.

His face was dark as a storm cloud as he scooped me up like I was… some piece of dirty treasure.

Still fuming, I bit my lip and smeared mud straight onto his pristine face to spite him.

Zhou Yuandong froze like a statue, his tone dangerously cold. “Little Yan. I suggest you don’t test your luck.”

His voice was deep, sultry, and cold enough to send shivers down my spine even in thirty-eight-degree summer heat.

Hurt and humiliated, my tears spilled over, soaking the front of his suit jacket.

“My… my butt hurts so bad,” I sobbed.

He knit his brows, letting out a soft sigh. Without a word, he carried me back up to the bedroom.

Surprisingly, he didn’t punish me that night. Though he couldn’t resist teasing me, remarking that my fresh bruise looked nice and round, quite “stylish,” in fact.

I wanted to bite his head off, but he pinned my wrists to the mattress and leaned down for a soft kiss.

That was always when I was at my weakest, when the bridge of his nose brushed gently against mine.

I melted completely, drained of strength like a doll with its batteries pulled out.

My arms wrapped around his neck, sinking into his chest, my heart racing out of control.

He kissed me softly a few more times before pulling back, his gaze dreamy with a strange, fleeting trace of loneliness.

“Go to sleep,” he murmured, caressing my cheek. “I’m taking a shower.”

Half-asleep, I overheard him instructing the head gardener outside, “Tear up the gravel path. Replace it with soft turf.”

“Yes, Mr. Zhou,” the gardener replied. “We’ll make it thick and soft.”

Sob… Dominant CEO Zhou was unbearable, but the gardener was an absolute angel.

I made a mental note to give that sweet old man a massive holiday bonus tomorrow morning.