Because she felt "forced," Han Yanyan sat in Yao Chen's car with a stiff face. Yao Chen, on the other hand, wore a smile at the corner of his lips and handed over his phone, “All the photos are in there. You can delete them yourself.”
Han Yanyan opened his album. Wow, there were quite a lot—three or four dozen pictures. The photos were all quite modest; either they showed her back or Yao Chen holding her close, his arm covering her chest. But anyone could tell that in those pictures, she appeared entirely naked. It was clear that Yao Chen had enjoyed himself quite a bit last night.
“Don’t be angry. No one else saw them; I was just teasing you,” Yao Chen said, playfully biting the inside of his cheek to suppress laughter.
Han Yanyan turned her head to look at him. This man was handsome, fit, wealthy, and powerful. Sometimes he was assertive, and other times he showed a gentle dominance. If he were in a romance novel, he would undoubtedly be the male lead. In the end, he would certainly wash his hands of the underworld and have a happy ending with the female lead.
But in reality… if Han Yanyan were the "real student, Han Yanyan," these photos would have been enough to ruin her.
She turned to face the front, “President Yao, what exactly do you want?”
Yao Chen drove steadily and replied, “To pursue you.”
Han Yanyan let out a self-deprecating laugh, “This is the first time someone is pursuing me with naked photos.”
“Oh?” Yao Chen raised an eyebrow, “Then how do others pursue you? Tell me about it.”
“No need to pursue,” Han Yanyan said. “When two people like each other, they naturally end up together.”
That was how it had been for her and Xiao Xu; natural, plain, and happy. That was how life and love should look.
Yao Chen scoffed at her.
He had put Han Yanyan in touch with Jin Hao and stopped her as she was getting out of the car. “I have some business these next few days and won’t be around. I’ve told Old Lin to keep an eye on you. If anything happens, don’t hesitate to find him. I’ll be there for you.”
His gentle assertiveness came out of nowhere.
Han Yanyan blinked and could only say, “Thank you.”
Yao Chen changed into his luxury extended car at Jin Hao. Xiao Yang took the sports car to park it for him. Once finished parking, he saw Han Yanyan still standing on the steps, watching as Yao Chen's car drove away.
“Yanyan, you…” he approached her, hesitating a bit, “Are you together with President Yao?”
Han Yanyan didn’t want to talk to him much and retorted, “Stop talking nonsense,” before turning and walking inside.
What nonsense? She had just gotten out of his sports car! And he heard she had even been seen coming down from the fifth floor in a bathrobe during the day. Yao Chen had a suite on the fifth floor! Ahh, hadn't she said she had "no interest" in Yao Chen? Pretty girls sure were tricky!
For several days, Han Yanyan didn’t see Yao Chen, and without him, her life went on in a very calm manner.
But the department head suddenly called for her, “Your parents called the school, saying you’ve blocked them and accused you of being unfilial. They hope the school can manage you. What’s going on?”
Han Yanyan smiled faintly, “I work several jobs to cover my tuition, living expenses, and my brother’s dialysis fees. My brother wanted a gaming laptop, and they pressured me to pay for it. I couldn’t afford it, so they called me unfilial. I had no choice but to block them.”
The department head’s face turned blue with anger. Even he could see that Han Yanyan’s clothes were extremely cheap, bought from street vendors. Nowadays, female students would film embarrassing videos to buy designer handbags. Han Yanyan’s approach of working to support herself was simply outdated.
“Don’t worry. Just focus on your studies; if they call the school again, I will handle it,” he assured her. “I noticed you didn’t apply for financial aid. Would you like me to help you apply?”
Han Yanyan shook her head, “Actually, my family's income isn’t low, but my brother’s illness is a burden. My current income can cover basic expenses as long as they don’t waste it. Financial aid should be reserved for those who really need it.”
The department head was moved and went on a long motivational talk before finally letting her go.
As soon as Han Yanyan stepped out of the teaching building, she fished her phone out and pulled her family’s number off the blacklist, dialing it.
“Can you use your brains? You think I’d hurry to send you money like this? Save your breath; I’m telling you clearly, I don’t have money this month!”
After speaking, she hung up and blocked the number again. Just wait, once they realize she really won’t give them money, they would surely back down. Having their daughter pay while they act superior—what kind of reasoning was that!
As soon as classes ended, Yao Chen's call came in, “North Gate.” It was short and to the point.
After getting into the car, Yao Chen said, “You don’t need to go to Jin Hao tomorrow. I have a banquet and need a female companion. Come with me. Don’t make that face; I’ll have Old Lin arrange overtime for you and pay you extra.”
“By the way, do you have…” He glanced at Han Yanyan’s cheap clothes, then changed the subject, “Forget it, you probably don’t. Let’s go buy you some clothes.”
Yao Chen took Han Yanyan to a mall filled with high-end brands. He chose a store and bought her a small dress for the banquet along with matching shoes. When Han Yanyan emerged from the fitting room, she dazzled him.
“It’s truly correct that people should dress well,” he exclaimed.
“We still need to buy a coat. I only have a two-hundred-yuan down jacket; if I wear that over the dress, I’ll make your face go cold enough to land in Antarctica,” Han Yanyan said casually.
Yao Chen's eyes brimmed with mirth, “I like your straightforwardness.”
President Yao wasn’t afraid to spend money on women. After all, what was the point of him making money if he didn’t use it? After finishing at the store, besides the outfit for the banquet, he also bought Han Yanyan a pile of everyday clothes.
“Throw away what you need to; from now on, you’ll have plenty of new things to wear,” Yao Chen said.
When Han Yanyan was trying on clothes, Yao Chen quietly instructed the staff to throw away her old clothes. She would have to wear the new outfit, shoes, and coat directly.
Even a shabby old handbag stood out too much. Yao Chen had that thrown out as well and bought her two new handbags.
After the assertive kindness, Yao Chen launched his money offensive.
Han Yanyan accepted it with a cold face, but inside, she felt exceedingly happy, thinking she was quite something.
They also enjoyed dinner together, which felt like a date.
Later, when Yao Chen dropped Han Yanyan off at her building, he asked, “Aren’t you going to invite me up for a bit?”
Han Yanyan replied, “This place is rented by my boyfriend; he wouldn’t like me bringing another man up.”
“Oh?” Yao Chen asked, “Where is he?”
“Studying abroad,” Han Yanyan replied, her expression unreadable.
Yao Chen found his happiness particularly amusing.
Han Yanyan reached for the door lock. Yao Chen grabbed her arm and pulled her back, leaning her against the seat back, coaxing, “Alright, don’t be angry. He’s abandoned you, so don’t hold onto that. Cherish the present, okay?”
The space in the car was too small, bringing them close together. Han Yanyan deliberately made her breathing a bit unsteady.
Yao Chen noticed and smirked, satisfied with the hormones he was giving off. He leaned in to kiss her. Han Yanyan turned her head, so he only managed to kiss her ear, but it wasn’t enough. His teeth grazed her earlobe.
Han Yanyan trembled all over, pushed him away, and bolted up the stairs.
Yao Chen watched her vanish, touching the steering wheel, proud of his progress.
Back home, Han Yanyan tossed the paper bag aside and flopped onto the sofa, leaning her head back. She felt quite pleased with how things were progressing.
It was about time she let Yao Chen “conquer” her bit by bit, she thought. But the way he bit her ear… felt strangely familiar.
If Yao Chen truly was Ding Yao, then… Cheng Yu, where are you?
She rubbed her face vigorously.
The next evening, Yao Chen arrived in his extended luxury car to pick her up. Even though he had seen her in the small dress the night before, Han Yanyan had styled her hair and changed her makeup, making her look like a completely different person.
She was a girl from humble beginnings but looked like a refined lady.
Yao Chen was truly taken aback.
The banquet was a proper business event, attended by serious businesspeople. Han Yanyan, who had been bound within the “female student” shell for a month, inhaled the familiar atmosphere, feeling as if she had come back to life.
As she sipped her drink, she thought, Yao Chen mingling in this setting showed he was serious about turning his life around.
That was good. She smiled.
Yao Chen was chatting with others, occasionally glancing at Han Yanyan. When someone approached her for conversation, she handled it with poise and charm.
Yesterday he had worried she might be shy in this environment. Those who had never been to such occasions often seemed out of place. But now, her presence blended perfectly with the surroundings; she resembled a woman born into wealth. Who would have guessed just yesterday her total outfit cost less than five hundred yuan?
Yao Chen was puzzled. Was this the result of her higher education? No, in this crowd, nearly everyone was well-educated, and he was the one who had barely graduated from high school. But even so, no one could match her allure.
Yao Chen lit a cigarette, quietly observing Han Yanyan for a while. When she turned down another suitor, he finally made his way over.
“This one looks good,” he handed her a glass of wine.
“Not busy anymore?” Han Yanyan accepted the drink.
“Almost done talking,” Yao Chen said, loosening his tie slightly.
Han Yanyan put down her glass and adjusted his tie for him. “Don’t do that; it’s not over yet. That’s not proper business etiquette; people will think you’re being dismissive,” she advised.
Yao Chen allowed her to fix him, saying, “You know quite a bit.”
“Basic business etiquette; I've attended lectures at school,” Han Yanyan replied.
That night, she intentionally drank a little more. After tangling with Yao Chen for so long, it was time to “open her heart.” Alcohol was the best medium.
Her body proved weak against alcohol, and on the way back, she grew dizzy and gradually fell asleep.
When she woke, she found herself pressed back against the seat by Yao Chen, kissing her.
This man looked good in a suit, but now, with his tie tossed on the seat and several buttons of his shirt undone, he seemed less like a man and more like a wolf.
Han Yanyan bit him, trying with all her strength to push him away. Yet her current body was far weaker than the enhanced “Han Yanyan” from the end of the world, not to mention weaker than “Miss Han,” the one training every day at the boxing gym. Still slightly tipsy, her pushes were soft and lacking strength.
That bite, however, drew blood from Yao Chen’s lip. He wiped it away, seized both her wrists, and pressed her down for a fierce kiss, his tongue and hands bold and unrestrained.
Han Yanyan shone brightly that night—both pure and confident.
Yao Chen was consumed by his desires, feeling the flames of passion rising within him.