Chapter 1: The First Flame

Tonight, the eighteenth birthday of Commander Du’s only daughter was celebrated in grand style at his residence, with brilliant lights, a gathering of distinguished guests, and an atmosphere of extraordinary festivity.

Du Deming stepped out of the black sedan, his tall and straight figure accentuated by the crisp dark blue military uniform he wore. He strode briskly toward the house, offering only slight nods to the guests and various concubines who greeted him along the way, his demeanor far from warm.

“Where is the young lady?”

Passing through the elaborately decorated lively garden, Du Deming entered the magnificent villa and ascended the stairs, casually asking the butler Zhou beside him.

Zhou the butler hurriedly replied, “The young miss said it was noisy downstairs, so she’s upstairs chatting with her classmates.”

At this moment, a faintly audible call of “Xiao Rou’er” came from the second floor, sounding delighted. Du Deming’s gaze paused slightly, and he turned his steps toward Du Sha’s room.

As he approached the room, the sounds of laughter inside became even clearer. Without stopping, Du Deming twisted the doorknob and walked in. But before he could see whether “Xiao Rou’er” was truly in the room, a pair of arms suddenly wrapped around his waist, and a soft body hugged him from behind at an angle.

Du Deming turned his head to see a girl beside him with her eyes covered by a white silk blindfold, wisps of hair falling onto the delicate fabric, her charming dimples visible at the corners of her lips.

The girl hadn’t realized that the person she was hugging wasn’t her classmate. With a smile, she stretched out her delicate white hand to remove the silk blindfold from her eyes and said playfully, “I finally caught you…”

Before she could finish her sentence, the girl’s mouth fell open, her eyelashes fluttering like dancing butterflies. She took two steps back in disbelief, her face flushed as she whispered softly, “Hello, Commander Du.”

Du Deming gazed at the girl before him—dressed in a water-pink linen-lined cotton cheongsam that reached just below her knees, revealing slender white legs. Her long, wavy European-style court hair was adorned with a feathered headpiece, making her look like a delicate pink lotus that stirred an unbearable itch in his heart. He waved his hand behind him, signaling the butler to clear the room.

Zhou the butler understood the commander’s intention and ushered the group of stunned young ladies out.

Although Dusha had just returned to China, the addition of three new concubines in less than half a year—bringing the total to ten alongside the previous seven—made it abundantly clear what kind of man her father was. Seeing the pleading look in her friend’s eyes, her heart softened, and she whispered to Du Deming, “Father, it’s too late. Rou Rou needs to go home…”

Du Deming didn’t even glance at his daughter, his gentle gaze fixed as if appraising prey already within his grasp.

“From now on, the Commander’s residence will be her home. She won’t go anywhere else.”

Du Deming was not one to restrain himself. Once his desires flared up, he wouldn’t care whether the other person was his daughter’s friend or a whole generation younger than him, nor would he mind that this was his daughter’s private bedroom.

Dusa was forcibly escorted out by Butler Zhou, and as the door closed behind her, she faintly heard soft pleas for mercy and the sound of satin tearing, yet she was powerless to intervene. In the end, biting her lip, she crouched by the doorway, covering her face and crying alongside her friend inside.

……

“Cut! Perfect! This shot is a wrap!”

After an hour of shooting, the long take was finally completed in one go, allowing Director Chen Guang to finally breathe a sigh of relief and easing his anger toward Yan Duo, who had been holding them back.

Chen Guangdao As soon as the director finished speaking, Yan Duo followed Liu Chuang out of the room at a distance.

Liu Chuang seemed to be in a rather bad mood, which was completely different from his state before filming began. Director Chen found it somewhat strange. Liu Chuang was a good friend of his and a rare talented actor willing to play antagonists. Director Chen didn’t want to strain their relationship, so he asked with a smile, “Teacher Liu, if you’re not satisfied with this shot, shall we reshoot?”

Without stopping his descent down the stairs, Liu Chuang replied indifferently, “No need!”

Director Chen didn’t mind the slight rejection and called after Liu Chuang’s retreating figure, “Take care on your way.”

After that, he gathered the remaining crew to proceed with the next scene.

Everyone had worked until now to wrap up, and Yan Duo deserved much of the credit. Feeling a bit embarrassed, she apologized to the director, who simply waved her off and encouraged her to keep up the good work.

The actress playing the female lead, Du Sha, was named Zeng Meng. She glanced at Liu Chuang’s retreating back and leaned in gossipily toward Yan Duo, asking, “What’s up with him?”

After saying “ng” three times, Liu Chuang could still joke with them with a smile. It had only been a few minutes—why was he suddenly unhappy? Zeng Meng privately suspected that something must have happened between Liu Chuang and Yan Duo in the room earlier.

“I don’t know, I didn’t pay much attention,” Yan Duo smiled at Zeng Meng, picking up the small black bag on the seat. The phone inside was vibrating. She grabbed the phone and said to Zeng Meng, “I’m done for the day. See you tomorrow.”

Zeng Meng wanted to ask more, but Yan Duo had already slipped into the changing room, leaving no chance for further questions.

The phone wasn’t ringing because of a call but due to a message notification. Yan Duo didn’t even glance at the sender, “10086,” but noticed the low battery alert—only 3% left. Without bothering to change clothes, she unzipped her backpack to connect her phone to a power bank. But before she could find it, the phone vibrated again.

Yan Duo looked at the incoming call display, took a deep breath, and tapped “Answer.” “Professor Ji.”

“Wrapped for the day.”

“What time will you be back at the hotel?” Yan Duo glanced at her phone—8:20, with only 1% battery left. “I should be back by 9.”

“You’re already at the hotel? Okay, I’ll try to get there by 8:50. By 9…” I’ll come see you.

Before she could finish speaking, the call had already gone silent. Yan Duo glanced at her phone—it had completely run out of battery and shut down automatically. With no time to find a charger, she tossed the phone into her bag and quickly changed her clothes.

After changing clothes and returning the costume to the makeup artist, without time to remove the makeup or wait for the crew’s shuttle bus in ten minutes, Yan Duo slung her bag over her shoulder and hurried out of the set. At the entrance, she hailed a taxi and quickly got in.

Liu Chuang, sitting in his private car not far away, watched the departing taxi with a mix of disdain and eagerness. She was the first woman to reject him twice.

Rushing against the clock, Yan Duo finally got out of the taxi at 8:45. She tucked her watch away, slung her bag over her shoulder, and sprinted toward the hotel. Just as she reached the elevator, the doors were about to close.

“Wait a minute!”

In a moment of desperation, Yan Duo stretched out a hand to stop the closing door, and after painfully squeezing her fingers, the elevator finally opened completely.

Yan Duo ignored the pain in her hand and hurried into the elevator, but the moment she stepped in, she felt a scorching gaze. She glanced up, only to see the other person’s eyes casually drifting away, yet her heart pounded wildly.

Ji Ran.

Besides Ji Ran, there was another man by his side, and judging by their interaction, they seemed to know each other.

Yan Duo turned to face the elevator buttons, glanced at the illuminated “25,” pressed “10,” then walked to a corner far from the two of them and stood there. She pretended to be nonchalant as she tapped on the elevator wall, finishing the words she hadn’t completed on the phone.

Knock knock knock.

On the fourth floor, the elevator doors opened, and someone stepped out, but the sound of knocking on the cabin never ceased.

“Since we’ve got nothing to do later, how about grabbing a drink?” the man beside Ji Ran asked him.

Ji Ran glanced at the continuously rising numbers and absentmindedly responded with a vague “Hmm.”

Hearing this response, Yan Duo, who had already knocked nine times, hesitated—should she knock once or twice more? But before she could decide, the elevator doors opened again, and the 10th floor arrived.

Yan Duo didn’t have time to think too much. Carrying her bag, she turned left out of the elevator without looking back and headed straight to her room.

Hao Ming looked at Yan Duo, who had just walked out, with great interest and said to Ji Ran, “Don’t you think that girl looks somewhat familiar?”

Ji Ran didn’t answer, simply pressing the elevator’s close button, cutting off the view outside.

The elevator was empty now, and Hao Ming no longer held back, muttering to himself, “Ah, I remember now. Wasn’t she the one who played your concubine in that drama last year? What was her name… Duo or something? She’s really pretty. Hey, do you know if she has a boyfriend? Or maybe a sugar daddy?”

Hao Ming kept chattering away with questions, but Ji Ran paid no attention, as if lost in thought or perhaps slightly annoyed.

The elevator finally arrived at the 25th floor. Ji Ran was the first to step out with his long legs, while Hao Ming followed closely behind, still relentlessly pursuing the earlier question “Hey, why aren’t you saying anything? Don’t tell me you don’t know either?”

Ji Ran took out the room card from his coat pocket, approached the sensor area, and the door beeped open. He turned to Hao Ming and said, “I think she’s already married. Also, I’m a bit tired and won’t be coming down later. Feel free to do as you please.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Ji Ran walked into the room and casually closed the door behind him.

Hao Ming stood dumbfounded at Ji Ran’s door, unable to process what had just happened.

She got married? Is that for real?

And this Ji Ran—he rushed back right after dinner, refusing to go out for drinks, saying he was “tired.” Who’d believe that!

Wait a minute, he clearly looked upset just now. Who pissed him off?

Hao Ming couldn’t figure out Ji Ran’s thoughts and could only scratch his head before returning to his own room.

When Yan Duo arrived at her room, there were only 10 minutes left until 9 o’clock—just enough time to charge her phone, remove her heavy makeup in the bathroom, and change clothes. By the time she rushed to the door of the penthouse suite, it was exactly 9 o’clock. Taking a deep breath, she raised her hand to knock, but the door opened from the inside, and her lifted arm was grabbed and pulled inward.

By the time the door closed again, Yan Duo found herself pinned against it.

The man before her wore a bathrobe, exuding an invigorating blend of lemon, citrus, and crushed green leaves. Her heartbeat quickened, but she didn’t know how to respond to the man whose eyes held an ambiguous mix of anger and desire. In the end, she flashed her dimples and raised her right hand in a beckoning cat gesture.

“Hi~”

The man glanced at Yan Duo, then lowered his head to capture those cherry-pink lips, feeling something within him about to erupt.

Yan Duo felt her dress slipping down and panicked slightly, “I haven’t showered yet!”

The man carried her toward the bed, his steady voice tinged with urgency.

“I can’t wait any longer.”

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