1
I grabbed Lục Tầm by the tie and pulled him onto the bed.
“What’s this about being a celibate Buddhist? In the end, you’re just wearing a suit and tie and pretending to be respectable!”
Lục Tầm: “……”
He blinked, his voice low. “It was a business meeting. It was just work.”
“Shut up!”
“You stole a deal from me, and you still have the nerve to say it was work?”
The more I thought about it, the angrier I got. The alcohol went to my head, and I shoved him down, pinning him beneath me.
He let out a soft groan. His large hand settled on my waist and lifted me slightly. Lục Tầm gritted his teeth. “You’re pretty strong.”
“Shut up.” I pinched his cheek to keep him from saying anything else, then leaned down to kiss him.
I’d only meant to bite him once, but his lips were surprisingly soft.
As I kissed and nipped at him, the heat in the air gradually rose.
Lục Tầm didn’t kiss me back, but his Adam’s apple bobbed slightly.
“Chu Đại, get down.”
“No.”
I sat astride his waist, rocking a little as I threatened him. “Give that deal back to me, or else…”
“Or else what?”
I narrowed my eyes. “I’ll sleep with you!”
His gaze darkened. He was silent for a long while before speaking coolly.
“That’s it?”
2
Lục Tầm had a sharp tongue.
Under the influence of the alcohol, I really did “torment” him.
But he was a hundred times more stubborn than I was.
“Good girl.”
His voice was low as he kissed from my forehead to my ear. “I’ll be gentle.”
His lips brushed mine, then slowly slid lower.
The heat and the drunken haze left me almost unable to breathe.
I clung tightly to his shoulders.
A night of passion…
…
When the morning light filtered through the curtains, I woke in his arms.
His hand was still on my waist. The roughness of his skin made me realize—
This wasn’t a dream.
I was doomed.
Lục Tầm and I had been mortal enemies for over a decade.
His father and mine were business rivals who fought so fiercely it was practically a bloodbath.
By our generation, nothing had changed.
He ran ten seconds faster than me, while I was always ten places ahead of him in the rankings.
Whenever he flirted with someone, I sabotaged it completely.
When he got in the way of my love life, I made sure he didn’t get off easy either.
So we’d both stayed single to this day.
I became the “young heiress” in everyone’s eyes, while he truly lived up to his reputation as a “celibate Buddhist.”
I’d thought I’d spend my whole life at odds with him, but then…
Had I really slept with him?
Unwilling to accept it, I lifted the covers and took a look.
Still unconvinced, I looked again.
Then again. And again.
Then my face flushed bright red, and I pulled the covers over my head.
3
Lục Tầm was fast asleep.
One arm was wrapped tightly around my waist, while his other hand rested lightly on his forehead. The Buddhist prayer beads he’d worn for years were still around his wrist.
Seeing the prayer beads, my troubled heart suddenly sank.
Lục Tầm had someone he liked.
He’d never taken those prayer beads off. I’d heard they were a gift from that girl, and that he treasured them.
But no one knew who the “girl of his dreams” was.
Perhaps because he was afraid I’d sabotage things, he’d never revealed her identity. Only occasionally, when he was drunk, would he mention her.
A girl in a white dress, with black hair—gentle and pure.
I was the complete opposite of that ideal.
Besides, if either of our families found out about this, it would be the end of the world.
I sighed and prepared to sneak away.
But when I got dressed, I realized just how wild we’d gotten the night before.
My pants were still pinned beneath his feet.
My underwear was draped right over his head.
The embarrassing scenes from last night flashed through my mind.
I didn’t dare linger another second and hurried out of the room.
When I got home, I hurried to shower and put on a high-necked top to hide the shameful marks.
Then I went to find my father.
“I want to go abroad.”
My father didn’t even look up. “Sure, go ahead. Better come back after you finish your studies and deal with that brat from the Lục family once and for all.”
Me: “……”
Actually, I was the one he’d dealt with last night…
My fingers unconsciously brushed my neck, where a few hickeys still remained…
My father suddenly asked, “When are you leaving?”
I bit my lip. “Today.”
4
Time passed, and I’d been abroad for two years.
Two years ago, I got drunk and threw myself at Lục Tầm.
After sleeping with that cold, monk-like man, I’d fled in a panic.
I blocked every way he could contact me.
But even after I ran away, I kept dreaming about that night.
That cold, arrogant man had held me in his arms and gently, yet ruthlessly, swept me into a delirium with no way out.
Two years later, my father was hospitalized, and I flew back home right away.
I was carrying a one-year-and-one-month-old little girl in my arms.
As soon as I left the airport, I held my daughter and scanned the crowd for our driver, Tiểu Lý.
But then, a familiar face suddenly appeared in the crowd.
Lục… Lục Tầm?!
I froze, then instinctively turned to run.
But I was a step too slow.
He was a whole head taller than me, with long legs. It took him only a few strides to block my path.
“Why are you running?”
His expression was frighteningly grim. His gaze dropped to the baby in my arms, and his voice lowered.
“Is she mine?”
I guiltily lowered my head, my fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of my daughter’s dress.
“…Cẩu.”
“Cẩu?”
Lục Tầm laughed in anger.
“Chu Đại, you’re something else. First you forced me into bed, and now you’ve even taken my dog?”
I was at a loss.
I used to walk his dog just to annoy him, until the dog got more attached to me than to its own owner.
That day, after I ran away from his house, the dog kept following me and wouldn’t go back no matter how much I tried to shoo it away.
So I chartered a private jet and decisively took both myself and the dog abroad.
“Where’s the dog?” he asked through gritted teeth.
I answered honestly.
“Abroad. It got married and had seven puppies.”
Lục Tầm gritted his teeth and growled.
“You sure can have a lot of kids.”
5
I really didn’t want to face Lục Tầm, so I lowered my head and said softly.
“My father’s in the hospital. I need to go see him.”
“Mm.”
Lục Tầm glanced at me and said calmly, “City General. I’ll take you.”
Then he crouched down and looked at my daughter tenderly.
“Want some candy?”
His voice softened considerably.
She was still little and only knew a few simple words. Now she lifted her tiny hand and babbled.
“Mom…”
As she spoke, the little girl giggled and suddenly grabbed the Buddhist prayer beads on his wrist, yanking hard—
The cord snapped.
The beads scattered across the floor.
Lục Tầm stared at the scattered beads, his expression unreadable.
My heart sank.
I was done for.
Everyone knew he’d worn those Buddhist prayer beads for years and never once taken them off.
Lục Tầm reached toward my daughter. I panicked and tried to stop him.
“She’s just a little girl. I’ll pay you back for however much they cost—”
I didn’t even finish the sentence.
Lục Tầm had already bent down and picked her up, gently blowing on her little hand.
“The cord broke. They’re ruined.”
Then he patted her head, his voice full of affection.
“What a strong little one. Such a good girl.”
Me: ?
Was this really the same cold, celibate Buddhist devotee with a pure heart and no worldly desires that I knew?
As I stood there stunned, a man came up behind me, lightly patted my shoulder, and said with a smile,
“The luggage is all set. Honey, is this a friend of yours?”
Lục Tầm froze.
He glanced at the man beside me, his gaze icy.
“Who are you?”
The man casually extended a hand to him, beaming.
“I’m Chu Đại’s husband. My surname is Cẩu.”
Lục Tầm glanced at me, narrowed his eyes, and gave a cold laugh.
“No wonder. I heard her call the little girl ‘Cẩu’ just now.”
6
The man beside me glanced at Lục Tầm and smiled.
“Well… he’s not wrong.”
Lục Tầm looked down at my daughter, then glanced at Cẩu Tuân beside me.
His expression darkened further.
“They look a lot alike.”
With that, he handed the little girl back to me, then bent to pick up the Buddhist prayer beads from the floor.
I started to help him pick them up, but Cẩu Tuân gently tapped my hand to stop me.
“Let me do it. You’re holding the baby; it’s not convenient.”
Lục Tầm’s hand suddenly stilled.
“No need.”
As if someone had hit fast-forward, he gathered every last bead in just a few seconds, carefully wiped off the dust, and put them back in his pocket.
Seeing how carefully he treasured them made my heart sink.
How much must you love someone to cherish a little thing she gave you for so many years?
Unable to hold back, I blurted out,
“How are things between you and Đàm Vi?”
Đàm Vi—the only daughter of the Đàm family and the girl of many wealthy young men’s dreams.
Over the past two years, the Đàm and Lục families had been in frequent contact, and rumors about the two of them had grown more and more common.
Some even said the elders of both families had recently discussed a marriage alliance.
At the mention of Đàm Vi, Lục Tầm idly turned the Buddhist prayer beads in his hand, glanced at Cẩu Tuân, then looked at me.
He raised an eyebrow.
“You’re so interested in my life. Aren’t you worried your husband will get jealous?”
I was at a loss for words.
I was about to think of a comeback when Cẩu Tuân put an arm around my shoulders and smiled faintly.
“My wife loves gossip. I hope you’ll understand.”
Lục Tầm didn’t answer. He merely glanced at me and said nonchalantly,
“I have lunch plans with Vi Vi. I won’t be seeing you two off.”
“Turn right outside. There’s a taxi stand.”
I nodded, but a pang of bitterness rose in my heart.
Vi Vi?
Just hearing that made me sick.