Chapter 5: Anybody Would Do

Even after getting into the car, his words kept looping in my mind. “Are we really only ever going to be like this?” What else did he expect?

The first time I met Xie Yun was a total disaster, and everything that followed wasn’t much better. To put it bluntly, I never wanted to get entangled with him in the first place.

I remembered that morning five years ago vividly. When I woke up on the hotel bed, I lay staring blankly at the crystal chandelier on the ceiling, my mind a complete vacuum. My entire body ached like I’d been run over, and even lifting an arm felt like an impossible chore.

From beside me, a low, raspy male voice grunted, “You’re awake?”

I rolled my eyes. “Obviously. Who sleeps with their eyes open? What am I, a dolphin?”

Xie Yun didn’t get mad. Instead, he casually tossed something onto the mattress beside me. Sitting up while clutching the duvet around my chest, I took a closer look, only to realize it was a foil pack of morning-after pills.

A wave of annoyance washed over me instantly. “Where’s the water? Were you planning on letting me choke it down dry?”

Without a word, he got up and walked out of the bedroom. I seized the chance to scramble out of bed and throw on some clothes. My dress from the night before had been ripped to shreds and was completely beyond saving, but thankfully Xie Yun had ordered a replacement. The only problem… it was way too tight around the chest. I gritted my teeth and yanked up the zipper, feeling like my breasts were about to burst right out of the fabric.

Just as I was wrestling with my hair, which looked like a literal bird’s nest — Xie Yun walked back in. He handed me a glass of warm water. I grabbed it, gulped the pill down in one go, and then, ever the pragmatist, held out my palm:

“All done. Now hand over the compensation so you can get the hell out.”

Xie Yun didn’t move. Leaning his back against the wall, he narrowed his eyes at me like he was studying some rare, bizarre specimen.

I ignored him and went back to combing through my tangled mane. It took a solid few minutes to tame the tragic mess, yet Xie Yun remained glued to the same spot, utterly silent.

I glinted down at my phone screen: no bank transfer notification. I looked back up at him: still sporting that same cold, arrogant face.

Losing my patience, I stretched out my hand again, completely unbothered. “Transfer the hush money. Otherwise, I’m calling the cops.”

I knew a threat like that wouldn’t hold any real weight with someone of his caliber, but at least it demonstrated the pathetic, lingering resistance of an honest citizen.

His gaze flicked over to the dark crimson smear on the bedsheet. The next second, his fingers clamped tightly around my chin. “Last night… anybody would’ve done for you, huh?”

I choked. “The room key wasn’t even meant for you in the first place.”

Xie Yun let out a sharp laugh. He was smiling, sure, but he looked like he was two seconds away from committing murder. “So anybody would have done.”

I didn’t bother explaining. The guy I had actually picked out last night had been carefully vetted: handsome, filthy rich, and most importantly, single. I still had a shred of a conscience—I wasn’t interested in playing home-wrecker. Even when I’d initially targeted Xie Yun, it was only because he was single while the other trust-fund babies all had girlfriends, making them off-limits.

Who could have guessed my flirting skills were so rusty back then? Before I could even land the guy, I nearly got choked to death. Pressed for time, I ended up picking a random heir who had just broken up with his girlfriend to hit my monthly KPI. And yet, before I could even launch my plan, I somehow landed straight in Xie Yun’s clutches anyway. Talk about occupational hazards!

“Doesn’t matter who it was,” I said, taking a deep breath and forcing my voice to stay even. “The guy who slept with me last night was you. Rest assured, as long as you pay up properly, I guarantee I’ll never show my face near you again.”

I genuinely had zero interest in staying tied to a psycho like him. Squeezing out whatever cash I could and vanishing into thin air was the ultimate strategy. Besides, last night had been my first time; walking away empty-handed would be doing myself a massive disservice.

Xie Yun gave a cold, mocking half-smile. He had a gorgeous face, but his mouth was laced with pure poison. “Not happening.”

With that, he released my chin, turned on his heel, and walked out. It wasn’t until his footsteps completely faded down the hallway that I finally snapped back to reality.

…Wait, what? He actually just left?! Son of a bitch!

I stared at my reflection in the vanity mirror, the distinct red imprint of his hand still visible on my chin. The guy was richer than God, yet somehow cheap as hell. Would dropping a little cash really make a dent in his bank account?

Furious, I immediately flipped into “salvage the crime scene” mode. From the hotel slippers, bath towels, and mini perfume bottles to every tiny decorative trinket I could cram into my bag — I cleared the place out.

Back in my matchbox-sized rented room, I changed into casual clothes and inspected the designer dress he’d bought me. It was the latest runway piece from a luxury house; reselling it online would fetch a decent sum. Consider it emotional damage compensation, I thought. From now on, I was going to stay as far away from Xie Yun as humanly possible!

Before I even had time to mourn my tragic fate, my phone alarm went off. Time to grind.

Only, ever since that “disaster” of a night with Xie Yun, it felt like someone had flipped a switch on my bad luck: everywhere I went, I kept running into him!

Take the golf course, for instance. I’d worked there as a caddie for two years, sprinting around the green like a dog fetching balls every single day, and I had never seen Xie Yun’s face once.

Yet after that night, he haunted the place like a persistent ghost, showing up daily. Just looking at him sent my blood pressure through the roof, but I had to suck it up because Xie Yun specifically requested my services every time. Apparently, he took great pleasure in watching me run back and forth like a spinning top, drenched in sweat. On the bright side, his tips were incredibly generous. For the sake of the bag, I endured!

After an entire round of golf, I was so exhausted my hair was plastered to my face. During a short break, Xie Yun handed me a pack of tissues. “Wipe your face.”

I snatched it up instantly. “Thanks, boss.”

He stared at me in silence for a long moment before abruptly asking, “Why didn’t you come find me?”

“Huh?”

Xie Yun’s brows knitted together. A guy like him clearly wasn’t used to repeating himself, but playing dumb was my specialty. Find him for what? To get provoked again? Or to get torn apart by his sharp tongue? If getting chewed out came with a paycheck, I’d consider it, but getting tormented for free? Yeah, pass.

I worked myself to the bone every single day, taking on multiple side hustles just to get by, yet it felt like I was legit haunted.

Working as a caddie? Ran into Xie Yun.

Working as a waitress at a high-end French restaurant? Ran into Xie Yun again.

Even when I landed a sweet, high-paying tutoring gig and walked through the front door all excited, the first thing that hit my eyes was that brutally familiar silhouette. A little girl sprinted out from the living room, threw her arms around his legs, and squealed:

“Uncle! The tutor is here! See, I told you — she’s super pretty!”