Chapter 3: Made Up Your Mind?

"Driver—the Peninsula Hotel." Shen Yan instructed the cabbie.

Su Yu sprawled across the back seat, the world spinning.

Fuck. This bastard was rough.

She fumbled in her bag, fished out a hundred-yuan bill, and held it out to Shen Yan, bleary-eyed.

"Tip."

Shen Yan: "..."

He didn't take it. In the dark of the back seat, his eyes grew deeper, something dangerous glinting in their depths.

His thin lips pressed into a flat line.

When Su Yu got no response, she pushed herself upright, slumping against the door. Her hair was a mess. Her fox eyes swam with drunkenness.

She looked up. "What, not enough?"

She dug into her bag again, pulled out a wad of cash, and threw it at him.

Shen Yan's face went completely black.

"Behave. Or I'll dump you on the side of the road." The warning was clipped.

He got it now. She thought he was a gigolo.

A flicker of displeasure crossed Su Yu's eyes. She propped her head on one hand, slurring. "You're weird. Giving you money and you don't want it. You doing this for free?"

Shen Yan: "..."

At some point—Shen Yan couldn't pinpoint when—this woman's brain had completely derailed from the tracks of normal human logic.

He tugged at his collar, irritated, and shoved the money back into her bag.

"I'm not a gigolo." The words came out through gritted teeth.

Since when did Shen Yan sink to gigolo work?

And for free, no less.

This woman needed to be dealt with.

Su Yu tilted her head, studying him. "You're very good-looking. It's just your temper that's a problem."

"Urp~"

She burped.

"..." Shen Yan stared at her, utterly speechless.

He'd seen bad drunks before. But this was something else.

Up front, the cab driver kept sneaking glances through the rearview mirror, face full of gossip-hungry curiosity.

The entire ride, Su Yu peppered him with questions. Shen Yan ignored every one, staring out the window at the passing streets, face like thunder.

When they reached the Peninsula, Shen Yan got out, hauled Su Yu from the back seat without ceremony, and carried her into the hotel.

The cabbie watched them go, shaking his head in wonder. "Kids these days. They really know how to live."

Shen Yan owned this hotel. He carried Su Yu into the elevator and headed straight for the penthouse suite.

The floor numbers climbed.

Su Yu lolled against him, mumbling. "Gigolo, put me down. You're making me nauseous."

Shen Yan: "..."

This woman was exhausting.

The elevator chimed. Shen Yan stepped out into the brightly lit corridor.

"Gigolo, where are we going?"

In her haze, Su Yu felt like she was flying.

Shen Yan pulled out the key card, answering her with a cold face. "Where do you think? You don't know?"

Beep~

The door opened. He slotted the card into the wall panel.

The moment they were inside, he set her down.

Thump. The door shut behind them.

Su Yu leaned against the wall by the entrance. Facing her was a mirror.

The woman in the reflection had flushed cheeks from the alcohol, dark waves tumbling messily around her face, framing that delicate oval face—somehow even more captivating in disarray.

"Drunk girl. Made up your mind?"

Shen Yan walked up to her. One long arm braced against the wall above her shoulder. He looked down at her, voice low and unhurried.

Su Yu looked up. Her gaze landed on his pressed-thin lips. She didn't answer his question.

"Gigolo. Kiss me."

She reached out, pale fingers curling slightly, fingertips brushing across his lips in a deliberate tease.

Arrow nocked, bow drawn. No turning back.

Shen Yan cupped the back of her head and kissed her.

Something electric spread through the air.

Su Yu rose on her toes, arms looping around his neck, meeting his cool lips with her own.

She had zero technique.

But she was enjoying this—his kiss—more than she could say.

The feeling was addictive.

She bit down hard on his lower lip. Shen Yan grunted in pain.

The taste of blood mixed with alcohol flooded between them.

Shen Yan frowned, pulling back a fraction. He stared at her, voice rough. "Are you a dog?"

Su Yu blinked her hazy fox eyes, frowning right back. "You're a grown man and you talk too much. So annoying."

She didn't want to talk right now.

This time, she grabbed his neck and pulled him down—bossy, imperious.

With a little experience under her belt now, Su Yu turned soft, kittenish. Shen Yan was losing ground.

He slid an arm around her slender waist and kissed her back—hard.

This kiss came like a storm.

Su Yu kept her eyes closed, feeling the heat and frenzy of him.

Shen Yan pressed his forehead to hers, breathing ragged. One hand trailed to the small of her back. He asked, strained: "No regrets?"

Su Yu narrowed her eyes, hooked his neck again, and silenced him with her mouth.

That kiss was her answer.

Then—a rush of cool air.

A full survey. Top to bottom.

From start to finish, they fit together like they'd been designed for it.

Some things need no words.

Afterward, Shen Yan took a wet wipe and carefully cleaned her up—including the makeup that had smeared completely across her face.

He had to admit—without makeup, she looked different. Softer. Almost gentler.

He got up, tossed the used wipes in the trash, then grabbed the cigarette pack from the table and stepped onto the balcony. The lighter's flame flickered under the night sky. He lit one and smoked in silence. Through the haze, his features looked darker, more brooding.

But his gaze never left the woman sleeping in the bed.

He had to admit it: she was beautiful. She drew him in.

The corner of Shen Yan's mouth curved up—just slightly. His gaze softened.

He didn't stay the night. Sometime in the small hours, he left.

The next morning.

Su Yu woke slowly, a killer hangover splitting her skull.

She rubbed her head, blinking around in confusion.

Where is this? This isn't my apartment.

Fragmented memories from last night flooded back... along with flashes of Shen Yan's gorgeous face.

Gigolo? Pay by the hour?

The key points clicked into place. She shot upright in bed.

What did I do last night?!

She threw back the covers—and found herself completely naked. She scanned the room. No one else.

But the clothes scattered on the floor and the marks on her body told her everything she needed to know. Last night had definitely happened.

She got up to hunt for her clothes. Found them by the door.

Su Yu: "..."

Exactly how wild was last night???

"..." She couldn't hold back the profanity. "Fuck me running with a lemon!"

Dressed and somewhat presentable, she washed up in the bathroom, then pulled out her phone. Several missed calls. A pile of WeChat messages.

All from coworkers.

She skimmed through them, then called her colleague Chu Yao.

The line connected instantly.

"Su Yu! Where did you go last night? Why didn't you pick up? We were worried sick!" Chu Yao's booming voice blasted through the speaker.

Su Yu instinctively pulled the phone away from her ear. "Yao-jie, I drank too much and headed home early. Didn't get a chance to tell you guys. Can you cover for me? I need two hours off."