At midnight, in the bustling district of the city, the hustle and bustle never ceases.
In the corridor of a hotel, Zhao Xiaomo adjusts her tailor-made cheongsam. The high-slit tail of the dress coupled with her black stockings hints tantalizingly to her fair, long legs.
She looks at herself in the makeup mirror, checking once again that her makeup is flawless, then knocks on the door of Room 403 in front of her. In no time, the door is opened and a guest steps out.
The man stepping out is half-dressed, with a pair of jeans on his lower half. He props the door open with one hand, his bronze tinted skin shimmering under the orange lights. His defined musculature, especially on his abdomen and arms, bristles with power, like a small clenched fist.
"Hello, sir, I am a service staff of the hotel. Did you order any special services just now?" Zhao Xiaomo curls her lips, a smile spreading across her features, making her even more enticing.
Gaokai, standing at the door, doesn't respond immediately. He simply gazes at Zhao Xiaomo, assessing her silently. He hadn't ordered any service at all. After a busy day, all he had planned was a refreshing bath and sleep. Yet, to his surprise, he has a seductress knocking on his door.
However, he's unsure if this ill-gotten fortune comes free or with a price. After all, he had faced such 'honey traps' from business competitors before.
Gaokai stays silent for a moment, sighs, shrugs, and says, "I didn't order anything. You've got the wrong person." But just as he's about to close the door, the seductress immediately steps forward to stop it, preventing him from closing the door prematurely.
Zhao Xiaomo gazes at the man filling with caution before her, a mischievous smile on her face. She hooks her arms around his neck, and after closing the door she says, "There's no mistake, isn't this Room 403?"
"This is..."
"Sir, did you order service but don't want to enjoy it now?" As Zhao Xiaomo speaks, she boldly wraps her arms around his neck. Her slender, fair arm slides down his rough chin to his chest, she whispers, "Sir, even if you ordered the service but do not want to enjoy, the service charge is still required!"
"How much?" Gaokai looks at the enchanting woman tempting him, his heart instantly sets ablaze. While he had faced honey traps a couple of times before, none of them was as appealing as her.
Hearing Gaokai inquire about the price, Zhao Xiaomo's heart leaps with joy. She pulls him closer, sitting back on the fluffy white duvet. The black stockings on her feet contrast against the white bed, creating an enticing setting.
"We can discuss the price after the service. If you're satisfied, don't forget to give me a generous tip." Zhao Xiaomo says this as she begins to unbuckle his belt. Truthfully, this is her first time undertaking such a task. Although she might appear calm and experienced, she is nothing more than a greenhorn, her amateurishness revealed in a matter of minutes.
Gaokai looks at the seductress struggling to unbuckle his belt, taking almost ten minutes for the task. He can't help but smile. The seductress who was radiating confidence just a while ago is now blushing.
Yet, her rosy cheeks seemed as flushed as if she were drunk, an appealing sight indeed.
"I...I, cough... This is my first time doing this, I may not be very skillful, but trust me, I'll satisfy you," Zhao Xiaomo was so embarrassed she wished the ground would swallow her up.
"First time?" Gao Kai echoed, and after seeing her nod, he determinedly switched roles, pushing her down beneath him. He leaned close, lifting her chin, "How fortunate. I just love the words 'first time'". With that, he leaned in for a kiss, giving Zhao Xiaomo no chance to ponder.
The kissing intensified. Unlike Zhao Xiaomo, as Gao Kai kissed the little sprite in his arms, he also taught her how to please him.
"Hold it here." He guided her hand to his waist while his other hand caressed her smooth skin. His eyes lowered, appearing like a dominant leopard, as he tenderly licked her ear.
Her ears were a sensitive spot. Caught off guard, she couldn't help but moan softly.
Suddenly, he paused. His gaze shone brightly like gleaming gems in the darkness, looking at her. Lying on the deluxe mattress, Zhao Xiaomo felt a chill along her spine. This man, who had halted their flirtation midway, bent down again and whispered in her ear, "If your technique isn't up to par, moaning can help compensate."
"..." Zhao Xiaomo's eyes widened. Gao Kai was at odds with her adorable embarrassment, causing a flutter in his heart.
The night deepened. The room was filled with a sweet fragrance.
At three in the morning.
Zhao Xiaomo suddenly awoke covered in sweat, which seeped through her back onto the bed. She painly rubbed her inner thigh; beside her, Gao Kai was still sound asleep.
Having just completed an intense activity, the sleep quality was high. Watching Gao Kai sleep like a dead log, she couldn't help but roll her eyes, holding back her impulse to slap him as she gritted her teeth and crawled out of the bed.
She grabbed a long shirt and put it on, then walked over to Gao Kai. Putting on a sweet smile, she snapped a few selfies with him on her phone. From the photos, anybody would mistake them for a couple. Then, using Gao Kai's phone, she promptly sent the pictures to the founder of JE Group--Lady Gao Mifu, who was also Gao Kai's mother.
Having done all this, Zhao Xiaomo finally took a breath of relief. She closed the phone and walked over to the windowpane. The presidential suite's floor-length window of this five-star hotel provided a panoramic view of the city.
Zhao Xiaomo leant against the window, her svelte legs elegantly crossing one another. She gazed into the serene city through the window.
Approximately one year ago, she couldn't have imagined that she would experience such a day. She thought that her life would remain as it was— a life filled with betrayal by her best friend, the destruction of her family, and a future in ruins.
Nevertheless, a cruel joke was played by fate. Unbelievably, she was reincarnated on the day of her parents' death anniversary, and returned to the age of eighteen from thirty.
Eighteen. That beautiful and vibrant time, when everything had yet to happen.
Zhao Xiaomo grips her phone tightly. This time, she won't repeat her mistakes! Not only will she reclaim her home and career, but she will also make sure those who've hurt her taste their own medicine.
As she's deep in her thoughts, her silent phone suddenly starts to vibrate violently. Zhao Xiaomo shakes herself from her trance, unlocking her phone screen to see a call from her best friend.
Incoming call—Zhao Nianxi.
Zhao Xiaomo's hand brushes over the name on the screen, hatred surfacing in her eyes. She takes a deep breath—it was this woman who pushed her to the brink of despair those years back. Even after reincarnation, she occasionally has uncontrollable urges to kill her. But she won't—fate has given her a second chance, and she doesn't just want to 'repay' this woman, but also to cherish the people she failed to appreciate before.
Regaining her composure, she casually answers the call.
"Hello?" Zhao Xiaomo deliberately lowers her voice.
"Xiaomo, where are you? Why haven't you returned to the dormitory this late?" The voice of Zhao Nianxi is anxious from the other end of the call, as if genuinely worried.
If she wasn't aware of the future, she probably would've believed this woman who she trusted most in her past life.
Zhao Xiaomo purses her lips, whispering, "Nianxi, I'm at XX Hotel. I can't make it back tonight due to some issues."
"What's going on? I get worried if you spend the night outside."
"No need to worry, I am already an adult." Zhao Xiaomo knows that her eighteen-year-old self used to be a naive girl who only listens to Zhao Nianxi obediently.
"Even if you're an adult, you are still my little sister. You… you should protect yourself when you're out." The clear, sincere voice of Zhao Nianxi comes through: "It's okay for me to explain to the dorm supervisor, but next time you need to tell me in advance if you plan to stay out overnight."
"Alright! Thanks, Nianxi. Love you, muah." After hanging up the phone with Zhao Nianxi, Zhao Xiaomo squinted slightly, she knew that Zhao Nianxi would not rest until her family was left in ruins.
Therefore, since Zhao Nianxi didn't pretend to be polite and confronted her openly, then she would respond in the same way. This drama, she, Zhao Xiaomo, would accompany to the very end.
After Zhao Xiaomo put down her phone, she wondered who among her current classmates could imagine that in more than ten years, Zhao Nianxi, about to reach her middle age, would destroy the entire Zhao family by exploiting Zhao Xiaomo's trust in her. Zhao Nianxi even used her own suitor to frame Zhao Xiaomo, leaving her future in ruins.
Moreover, she specifically chose to hold her engagement ceremony on the seventh day after her parents' death, flaunting her marriage to the then-popular second-generation rich man, Gao Kai.
That is, the man she seduced tonight. Therefore, the first thing she had to do after rebirth was to snatch away her future lover, and let her taste the bitterness of unrequited love.
Although Zhao Xiaomo didn't understand why she could be reborn, but since Fate had given her this opportunity, she wouldn't waste it. This time, she didn't want to be a pawn of Zhao Nianxi, this time, she had to protect her real family.
Around six in the morning, when she was about to leave for work, Zhao Xiaomo quietly changed her clothes. Gao Kai was still asleep, his steady breathing and complexion glowing in the morning light.
If she disregarded the fact that this man would soon be Zhao Nianxi's husband, Zhao Xiaomo quite liked his physical appearance. She suddenly remembered the wildness of the previous night and- her face flushed. With feigned anger, she made a face at the still-dreaming Gao Kai, and was preparing to leave when she noticed Gao Kai's dropped wallet.
Zhao Xiaomo thought that wallets used by men like him were always luxury brands, but Gao Kai's was a simple cloth pouch, which she could tell from its appearance, had been used for many years. It had once been a goose yellow fabric but was now faded to white.
With a stroke of curiosity, Zhao Xiaomo picked up his wallet. Just as she did, she heard a sound from behind, a sudden shift that gave her a start. She quickly snatched up her things and bolted from the room. It was then she realized the man on the bed was still asleep and merely talking in his sleep.
Without lingering, Zhao Xiaomo hurriedly grabbed her stuff and left the room. As she was leaving, she noticed she'd accidentally taken Gao Kai's wallet as well.
Looking at the closed door, Zhao Xiaomo felt a bit awkward. She came here to seduce Gao Kai, Zhao Nianxi's fiance, take some compromising photos for her future plans.
Zhao Nianxi had used her to destroy her family and future, so this time, she intended to do the same to Zhao Nianxi, not just tarnish her reputation, but also take away her belongings.
Zhao Xiaomo was never an innocent victim, nor did she know how to show mercy. However, stealing Gao Kai's wallet wasn't part of her plans. She frowned slightly, and after a few seconds of hesitation, she finally left the hotel.
No matter what, the wallet was now in her possession, and it was inconvenient for her to return it now, she could only wait for another opportunity to return it to him. Zhao Xiaomo believed that as long as Zhao Nianxi was involved, she would have chances to deal with him in the future.
What she didn't know was that Gao Kai, Zhao Nianxi's future husband, the CEO of JE company, a well-known young master in the jewelry industry, was indifferent to anything except for one old cloth wallet...
