The heavy rain pounded down, forming circles of ripples on the black gem-like Lake Moose. A speedboat broke the silence of the night with the dark wave it dragged across the lake, only to be swallowed by the darkness immediately after, returning everything to its shadowy state.
Lu Shiran, soaked to the bone, stood in front of Villa Number 1314, adjusting the black-framed glasses she had put on deliberately and pressed the doorbell.
Ding dong...
"Who is it?"
A mellow male voice echoed from behind the crimson door. It was so charming it was almost unfair.
"I'm Lu Shiran from the Lu Group. I'd like to discuss our company's acquisition plans with you." Lu Shiran biting her lip lightly, doing her best to remain calm.
Click...
The door creaked slightly, opening a crack, revealing a dim light from within but no person was visible behind the door!
Lu Shiran's mind went blank for a moment, before she carefully pushed the door open with her fingertip.
Into her hazy sight came a pale-gray wall, a pale-gray ceiling, a dark gray carpet, and two minimalist crystal wall lamps bent upwards, flooding the entire hall with dim light. A couch almost as wide as a small bed was placed under a large crystal lamp, with a cup of hot tea still steaming on the armrest.
She carefully removed her shoes outside the door to avoid dirtying the lavish carpet below. She then took out a handkerchief from her bag to dry off the rainwater on her face and hands.
Her umbrella had been blown away on the boat. This island was private property, isolated from public transport and taxi services. She had waited for quite a time for the hotel shuttle but it hadn't arrived, leaving her no choice but to walk here in the rain.
"What would you like to discuss?" The pleasant male voice came from above the stairs.
"I am Lu Shiran, daughter of Luzhang Hai from the Lu Group. I would like to speak with Mr. Liu about the acquisition." She cast an inquiring glance upward, the light in front of her eyes blur, catching a vague glimpse of a tall man leaning against the railing on the second floor, his figure too unclear to discern.
"Acquisition?" He asked in a deep voice.
"Alright, Mr. Liu, please extend the deadline, just a month will do. Give me a month, and I'll repay the money," Lu Shiran strained to stand erect, not wanting to look too disheveled.
"Heh, and how will you repay?" he began to descend slowly.
From this distance, Lu Shiran could still feel the domineering aura radiating from him. She stepped back and murmured, "I will raise funds to repay you."
He remained silent and walked closer. Standing this tall, all Lu Shiran could do was look up to him. In the dim light, she could see his long limbs, tight muscles, healthy skin color...
Oh God! He only had a bath towel wrapped around him! Lu Shiran's eyes widened dramatically, her gaze uncontrollably stuck to his lower abdomen.
She moved back a few more steps, nervously stammering, "I will repay you, just stay right there!"
"What game are you playing?"
His mellow laughter filled Lu Shiran's ears, carrying a touch of mockery and the rich scent of red wine, which made her more anxious.
Lu Shiran bit the tip of her tongue, her heartbeat pounding like a furious rainfall. The sounds of the world disappeared, leaving only the deafening thud of her heart.
He moved closer, gently lifting her chin with his burning fingertips, forcing her to look up.
He was a good-looking man, the dim light adding a layer of mystery to him, especially those eyes, deep like endless pools, beyond fathomable.
But, a handsome man, wrapped only in a bath towel, inviting her to discuss business at night...
What was that supposed to mean?
Suddenly, the man chuckled softly, running a finger across her glasses, and said quietly, "You're scared."
"Mr. Liu, please cancel the acquisition announcement tomorrow. Our company is currently in a plight, but the platform is good. Given time, I am sure I can revive it." She bravely met his gaze, as raindrops trickled down her hair, wetting her small face. Her water-filled eyes, tinged with blush, blinked slightly, trying hard to stay composed.
"How old are you?"
His breath got closer, like a scorching branding iron, searing her icy earlobe.
She shuddered, hurriedly pushed his hand away, and asked anxiously with wide eyes, "Are we going to talk or not?"
"Heh…" He chuckled softly and quickly withdrew his fingers.
The light in the living room was suddenly gone, she could see nothing!
"What are you trying to do?" She quickly withdrew towards the corner, her voice trembling with anxiety.
"The power is out." The man paused, chuckled lowly, and his slender fingers slowly moved from her forehead downwards, landing on her lips.
"Let me go first." Lu Shi Ran struggled a few times, her temples pulsating, his actions tightening her up like a drawn bowstring.
Several beams of light penetrated through the exterior of the villa, falling onto the man's eyes, as deep and dark as an abyss. His gaze was like a hunter that had caught a lamb. Beneath his proud nose, a subtle hint of a smile hung on his thin lips.
"A game of loneliness, a new project from the hotel that I wasn't aware of." His sarcastic words and scent of alcohol drilled into every cell of hers.
"Boss Liu, it seems you have no intention of discussing serious matters. If you used this as an excuse to bring me here for some ulterior motives, sorry, you got the wrong person." Lu Shi Ran gathered her courage, pushed his hand away, and ran. She took a step too quickly, tripped over the sofa, and fell to the ground with a painful groan.
Her hands flapped instinctively, catching onto something warm. Half a second of petrification later, she realized something was off about this thing.
It was his leg!
She panicked, clumsily stumbling to her feet, and in her panic, grasped his bath towel, dragging the entire thing down.
She squatted on the ground, keeping her eyes tightly shut, throwing the towel back over him, "Quick, put it back on, why are you so perverse?"
The corner of the man's mouth twitched, a cold light flashing in his eyes, clearly straining his patience. He grabbed the towel she was holding, was about to tie it around his waist, when a ferocious barking sound suddenly rose, a shadow cast wide opened the slightly ajar door like a black flash of lightning and lunged at both of them.
Watching the row of sharply white teeth, Lu Shi Ran was so scared her soul nearly left her body. She pushed the man's arm towards the direction of the charging dog.
His towel fell off again, and then...
