Chapter 1: The Mistress’s Provocation

Three years into our marriage, this wasn’t the first time Zhou Jisheng had been tangled in a scandal.

It’s just that previously, the women in his orbit were always fleeting flings—one-night amusements where everyone went their separate ways by dawn. At the very least, they had enough common sense to stay away from the legal wife.

This time, however, was different. Zhou Jisheng had clearly pushed the envelope too far.

The woman’s name was Qiao Lu. Having grown up overseas, she possessed a bold, striking personality, exuding raw seduction from the crown of her head down to her manicured fingertips.

When I dragged my suitcase into the foyer, Qiao Lu was lounging on the sofa. And the detail that nearly made me laugh out loud was… she was wearing my brand-new loungewear.

The muffled sound of running water drifted from the bathroom, and it didn’t take a genius to figure out Zhou Jisheng was inside.

Catching sight of me, Qiao Lu didn’t look panicked in the slightest. Instead, her lips curved into a charming, deliberate smile:

“Mrs. Zhou.”

I stood by the doorway for a few seconds, just looking at her. After a moment, I spoke up slowly:

“That outfit you’re wearing… looks a lot like my pajamas.”

Qiao Lu glanced down at the silk slip dress hugging her figure, then rose with total ease. She arched her back just enough to accentuate her voluptuous curves:

“Though I’d say it looks much better on me.”

She offered an amused appraisal of me from head to toe:

“Mrs. Zhou, you’re far too thin. This style just doesn’t have the right canvas to work with.”

I remembered buying that set last month because of something Zhou Jisheng casually mentioned. Men—they always prefer the kind of lingerie where less fabric somehow means more value.

Too bad I’d studied ballet since childhood; my slender frame was never the kind of woman Zhou Jisheng genuinely lusted after.

Qiao Lu, on the other hand, was a different story. Striking enough that even another woman had to concede her appeal. No wonder Zhou Jisheng had been obsessed with her for three solid months without growing tired, even going so far as to drag her straight into our newlywed home.

I dropped my suitcase and replied with complete indifference:

“If you like it, keep it.”

I hadn’t even worn it yet anyway.

Qiao Lu raised an eyebrow, letting out a light laugh:

“Mrs. Zhou is certainly generous.”

I looked straight at her:

“Are you planning on staying the night?”

The long flight had left me utterly exhausted. Right now, all I wanted was a scalding hot shower and a deep sleep. If Qiao Lu was staying, I’d gladly book a hotel. After all, she was the one crashing this marriage, not me.

Before Qiao Lu could answer, the bathroom door swung open. Zhou Jisheng walked out wrapped in nothing but a single bath towel.

Seeing me, he froze for a fraction of a second, but smoothly recovered his practiced composure:

“Niannian, why didn’t you call before coming home?”

He stepped closer, his tone dripping with a gentleness that made it sound as though he wasn’t the one actively cheating:

“I’m sorry. I’ll get her out of here right now.”

“Mhm.” I gave a perfunctory nod and pushed past him. “I’m taking a shower first. I’m tired.”

Zhou Jisheng instinctively reached out to stroke my hair:

“Wait for me.”

After my shower, I sat at the vanity running through my skincare routine. Zhou Jisheng had already escorted Qiao Lu out.

He stood right behind me, and my eyes drifted to my own reflection in the mirror—specifically to the cluster of vivid, scarlet love bites on my neck, standing out so sharply that even concealer couldn’t fully mask them.

My hand froze mid-air:

“Miss Qiao doesn’t seem to be single anymore. Aren’t you worried about getting tangled up in that?”

I calmly resumed smoothing in my cream. Zhou Jisheng watched my serious expression and chuckled, resting his hands on my shoulders:

“Niannian, if a married life becomes too stagnant, problems are bound to follow.”

“And since divorce isn’t an option for us.”

“Sometimes… you just need a reasonable spark to keep the dynamic balanced.”

I stared at the man in the mirror. Born into families like ours, our marriages were mapped out from the very beginning. I’d known that since I was a child.

Yet when I actually walked down the aisle, I had still harbored a foolish sliver of hope.

After all, we grew up together. After all, before the wedding, he used to look at me with a tenderness that convinced everyone it was true love.

It wasn’t until he repeatedly played fast and loose with other women that I finally understood: men will always wander when given the chance.

“What are you trying to say?”

“I hear Qiao Lu’s fiancé is quite an interesting character.” Zhou Jisheng leaned down, pressing a light kiss to my forehead. “Niannian… Would you like to go out and meet him?”

“If I recall correctly, his type is pretty close to that male celebrity you like.”

“We can start as a casual double date. If you hit it off and want to take it further, I won’t stand in your way.”

I looked at my own reflection, nearly laughing aloud. My husband was earnestly advising me to go cultivate an extramarital affair.

And he had no idea that my recent trip to Hong Kong hadn’t been for work at all.

I had gone to see a man. A man I had been intimately entangled with for three grueling, unforgettable days and nights.

The corners of my lips curved upward:

“Sure. Let’s meet him.”

The dinner date was set for the following evening.

As I was changing, Zhou Jisheng suddenly zeroed in on my neck:

“Niannian, what happened to your neck?”

I fastened my pearl necklace and answered without missing a beat:

“The hotel had terrible mosquitoes. Bit me raw.”

“Should we cover that up?”

“No need.”

He didn’t press further.

Instead of my usual muted pastels, I reached into the back of the closet and pulled out a form-fitting crimson dress.

Zhou Jisheng lingered over me, his gaze narrowing:

“Don’t you usually hate bright colors?”

“Just felt like something different today.”

He stepped up behind me to zip up the dress. Seeing me pick up my lipstick to reapply, a sudden note of bitterness crept into his voice:

“All of a sudden, I kind of don’t want to let you go out looking like this.”

I turned my head to look at him:

“Shall I stay home then?”

Zhou Jisheng fell silent for a few seconds before ultimately shaking his head with a serious expression:

“We’ve already made plans. It’s bad form to flake.”

I smiled:

“Alright, let me change my shoes.”

As I bent down to slip into my stilettos, his gaze dropped to my ankles and calves. After a quiet beat, he murmured in a low voice:

“Niannian… How is it that every time you come back from a business trip, you look even more stunning?”

I met his eyes with a faint smile:

“Must be the climate and the water quality in Hong Kong.”

Tonight’s private dining room was situated on the top floor of the city’s most exclusive private club.

When Zhou Jisheng escorted me inside with my hand tucked into the crook of his arm, I lifted my gaze—and locked eyes with the man sitting directly across from Qiao Lu.

A bespoke black suit. A crisp shirt buttoned all the way to the top collar.

An aura of chilling detachment, so effortlessly aristocratic that it made ordinary people feel unworthy of sharing the same air.

And the most damning part of all…

Just last night, this exact same man had driven me to tears with a hoarse, breathless voice.