The auction was officially underway.

Every single time I put my eyes on an item, Lu Tsewei immediately raised his paddle to outbid me—purely to provoke me.

Catching my eye, he even smirked, leaning down to whisper sweet nothings into Lin Zhao’s ear: “Zhizhi, what’s yours stays yours. Nobody can take it away from you—whether it’s jewelry… or a person.”

Lin Zhao blushed furiously, not forgetting to shoot me a smug, triumphant glance.

Me: Good lord, is this greasy-tongued excuse for a man implying I’m trying to steal from her? Does he actually want to see me steal something for real?

Meanwhile, the live comment section was practically swooning:

【Aww, the main couple is so sweet~】

I, on the other hand, felt like throwing up. It took a deep breath just to keep my temper in check.

Turning my head, I caught Ha Shichen staring intently at me, his dark gaze pinned to my face.

Which only pissed me off even more.

“What are you looking at? You’re in for it tonight!”

Ha Shichen: “…”

Comments:

【Damn, does Qiao Sheng know how to do anything other than torture the side male lead!】

【Side Male Lead: I’m completely innocent here!】

【Is he really to blame though? Nah, the main couple’s smug attitude is what actually deserves a slap in the face.】

【Okay but… Ha Shichen’s abs are looking pretty damn fine right now.】

【I’m rooting for Qiao Sheng to buy out all four empress-tier items! Let’s see some real drama~】

The anger in my chest morphed into… a rather hard-to-describe sensation, and my face felt a little warm.

If Lu Tsewei wanted to play bidding wars, fine. I’d play until he broke.

So I started bidding ridiculous, sky-high amounts on completely useless filler items.

Only when he began glaring at me as if he wanted to drill a hole through my back did I finally stop, completely satisfied.

Right after that came the main event—a blinding pink diamond necklace, my actual target for the evening.

The moment I raised my paddle, right on cue, Lu Tsewei jumped in to outbid me.

Lin Zhao’s face turned slightly pale as she tugged on his sleeve: “Tsewei… that’s enough.”

She knew the stakes all too well. The marriage alliance between our families was already in tatters thanks to him; if his family found out he was throwing away millions just to spite me, her standing in his world would plummet off a cliff.

Lu Tsewei ignored her completely and raised his paddle again.

I smirked, preparing to hike the price further, when Ha Shichen placed a hand over mine, stopping me—and casually called out fifty million.

I froze for a second.

Lu Tsewei gritted his teeth and kept raising the stakes, while Ha Shichen calmly countered every single bid without breaking a sweat, his expression completely unreadable.

In the end, the hammer fell on the necklace for a staggering… 120 million.

Before Lin Zhao could even process the touch of emotion in her eyes, Lu Tsewei snapped at her and dragged her away in a huff.

I tilted my head, looking at him: “You stopped me… just to buy it for Lin Zhao?”

Ha Shichen looked straight into my eyes: “It’s for you.”

Me: “…Huh?”

Comments: 【???】

Maybe because I looked so utterly bewildered, a faint, cold smile touched his lips: “Don’t flatter yourself. I just bought some peace and quiet… so you’d stop finding ways to torture me.”

…Fair enough. I do love a man with a bit of a bite.

The comments went wild:

【Lmao, he’s so terrified of getting punished that he’s bribing her!】

【Claims he hates the white moonlight, yet drops 120 million on her? That’s literally the emperor saying he’s bored of his concubine while visiting her quarters every single night!】

【The more he hates it, the more he submits; the more he submits, the more addicted he gets—addicted to the point of losing his damn mind!】

I chuckled quietly to myself: You guys are overthinking it. The man is simply terrified of me.

Then again, I never did play by the rules anyway. Heh.

When we got back home, I immediately put on the pink diamond necklace and stood in front of the mirror, giving myself a dramatically deep spin.

Changing from one dress into another, I couldn’t bear to take it off, humming a random melody under my breath as I tried on outfit after outfit.

Suddenly—

I nearly shrieked when I noticed Ha Shichen standing quietly in the doorway of the walk-in closet, watching me.

He must have just showered. Damp black hair fell over his forehead, and he had nothing on except a towel wrapped around his waist.

A few faint, faded marks were still visible across his fair skin, scattered over his chest and shoulders…

Ha Shichen leaned against the doorframe, crossing his arms, his dark eyes looking at me with cool indifference: “It’s late. I have an early meeting tomorrow.”

I let out a soft hmph: “Out of respect for this necklace, I’ll spare you tonight. Go sleep in the guest room.”

Comments:

【Wait, why do I actually find this kind of sweet? Like a main wife protecting her honor.】

【What are you standing there for?! Scoop her up and run before the white moonlight changes her mind!】

【The white moonlight is finally acting like a decent human being for once. Respect!】

Ha Shichen didn’t move an inch. His eyes darkened, growing deep and stormy, like a heavily suppressed tempest.

A faint, subtle smirk touched his lips: “Another submission test?”

Before I could even process what he said, my feet left the ground.

“Put me down!” I pushed against his shoulders, but his solid, muscular arms held me in a vise grip that didn’t budge an inch.

“Not happening.” His voice was low and raspy, his breath hot against my ear, sending shivers down my spine. “Let’s wrap this up quickly… I have a meeting tomorrow morning.”

Plop! My back hit the soft mattress. The scent of fresh laundry mixed with the subtle mint fragrance clinging to him made my head spin.

He planted his arms on either side of my head, trapping me completely. Before I could say a word, his lips claimed mine.

The kiss was fierce, urgent, as if trying to steal the very air from my lungs. Tilting his head, his tongue swept across my parted lips, sending a sudden tremor straight through my heart.

His fingers tangled into my hair, pulling gently to tilt my chin up, forcing me to take in a kiss so deep the entire world felt like it was spinning on its axis.

Instinctively, I grabbed his tie, winding it around his wrist to pin both his hands above the headboard.

He paused for a beat, then let out a low, rumbling laugh against my lips, the vibration humming through his chest: “Where on earth did you learn this trick, hmm?”

Gasping for air, I bit his lower lip softly, my voice trembling ever so slightly: “Shut up…”

In the blink of an eye, he flipped our positions, breaking free effortlessly. He locked both my wrists together with one hand, pinning them firmly above my head.

His lips trailed down my chin, sliding over the column of my neck, leaving a scorching path that made me arch my back toward him.

The crisp sound of tearing fabric echoed faintly. Buttons popped off my shirt one by one, scattering across the sheets. The heat of his chest pressed down against mine, our heavy breaths colliding in an intoxicating, suffocating rhythm.

Unable to stop myself, I wrapped my legs tightly around his waist. My breath hitched and my heart hammered wildly as his hand slid down my spine, tracing every single curve as if committing them to memory.

He raised his eyes, his breathing heavy: “Qiao Sheng… didn’t you say you were sparing me?”

I bit my lip, my vision hazy from the overwhelming heat in the room. Between ragged breaths, I managed: “Shut your mouth… and keep going.”

He chuckled softly, that deep, raspy sound vibrating against my ear—equal parts dangerous and fiercely indulgent.

He leaned down, his kisses no longer rushed, but slow and deliberate, tracing my shoulders, my collarbone, then dipping lower.

Every single spot his lips touched burst into flames, sending waves of shivers through me.

The silver chain of the necklace nestled against my chest clinked softly against his skin, the faint sound cutting through the quiet room filled only with heavy breathing and erratic heartbeats.

I gripped his shoulders tight, my body completely stripped of all resistance, able to do nothing more than whisper his name: “Ha… Shichen…”

He paused for a brief second, leaning right against my ear, his voice thick and impossibly dark: “I’m right here… wife.”

Then he continued, every movement a blend of unyielding dominance and overwhelming tenderness, as if trying to carve my name into every inch of his skin.

The pillows were thrown into disarray, the sheets hopelessly tangled, warm sweat pooling in the hollows of our collarbones and backs.

Trembling, I could do nothing but hold tightly onto the man above me.

Comments exploded:

【Wait, he literally asked to be punished?! Is this man completely head over heels or what?】

【This couple is literally: fight like cats and dogs, but somehow ridiculously compatible in bed.】

【Ahhh, pretending to be all tough, but that look in his eyes just now was pure adoration!】

In the middle of the night, completely exhausted, I shoved him away: “Enough! Don’t you have a meeting tomorrow?”

Sweat dripped down his chest as he spoke, his voice raspy, deep, and wickedly seductive: “Qiao Sheng… is that all you’ve got?”

I raised an eyebrow, looking at his flushed face, my lips curving into a dangerous smirk: “Well now, Ha Shichen… you actually dare to provoke me?”

I snatched the tie still lingering around his neck and yanked it hard, pulling him down onto the bed. His deep black eyes flickered with a sudden, sharp shock.

“Then don’t even dream about making it to that meeting tomorrow!”

Straddling his hips, I used the tie as a restraint, binding his wrists as I leaned down to lightly lick away a bead of sweat near his collarbone. Ha Shichen drew in a sharp breath, his shoulders trembling slightly.

“Qiao Sheng…” His voice broke.

I smiled, nipping him softly before pulling back, my eyes locking onto his conflicted yet intensely desperate gaze: “Be good. Tonight, you belong to me.”

Leaning down, I trailed kisses along the firm contours of his abs, feeling every muscle tense under my teasing.

He tried to lift his hands, but I held the tie fast, tilting my head with a low chuckle: “If you dare fight back, I’ll make you regret it.”

The result: I had to set my alarm for 9:00 AM.

Struggling to force my eyes open… the space beside me was completely empty.

Me: “…”