At the top floor of the Orton Hotel, a hormone-fueled pool party was in full swing in the private swimming hall.
Men and women in revealing attire were everywhere, laughing and chasing each other as they jumped into the pool, while the more daring ones indulged in passionate underwater embraces... A scene of decadent luxury and indulgence.
A sexy bunny girl in a skimpy outfit strutted along the pool edge with a tray of drinks, when suddenly a pair of hands shot out from the water. The woman screamed as she was pulled into the pool, sending up a small splash.
"Master Shen! Master Shen!"
The men and women in the pool shouted in unison toward the second-floor corridor—
Shen Tingfeng hooked his sunglasses down his nose, flashed a wicked grin, and shrugged off his bathrobe. Wearing nothing but a pair of floral swim trunks, he stood outside the railing. As the screams from the pool grew louder, he leaped.
A massive splash erupted. The women in the pool shrieked, the men whistled and hollered, like a wild tribe dancing in chaos.
Shen Tingfeng surfaced from the water, wiped the droplets from his face, and spread his arms wide. Instantly, a beauty nestled into his embrace.
"Master Shen..."
Outsiders always called him "Master Shen," never "Second Master Shen," because Shen Xiaoxing rarely showed his face. Over the past two years, the city of Shencheng had nearly forgotten that the Shen family had an eldest son.
A beauty offered him a kiss, but Shen Tingfeng dodged with a sly grin, making her pout and cling to him coquettishly.
A stir rippled through the crowd. An Qing walked in, wearing a sexy three-piece bikini with a colorful sheer shawl draped over her. She held her elegant swan-like neck high, exuding an air of arrogance and nobility.
The men present whistled at her repeatedly. Qi Ming pulled her into his arms, but An Qing refused him. "I want to see Second Master Shen."
Qi Ming chuckled. "Master Shen, she's looking for you."
Shen Tingfeng, who had been happily playing water guns with the beauties, paused at the words. His gaze roamed over An Qing's figure. Dripping with water, he lounged into a deck chair, and a beauty handed him a glass of whiskey.
An Qing wasn't intimidated by him. Everyone in Shencheng knew that the second young master of the Shen family was a womanizer—no less than a thousand women had shared his bed.
She had come this time to win Shen Tingfeng over and use his value to bind him. An Ru marrying Shen Xiaoxing in her place was just a temporary measure. The second young master was the true heir to the Shen family. If she could snag him, she would become the matriarch!
Shen Tingfeng was a lecherous playboy who never mistreated a beautiful woman. He grinned roguishly at An Qing and crooked his finger, beckoning her over.
An Qing lifted her chin haughtily and walked toward him. The moment she got close, a hand suddenly yanked her, and in a dizzying spin, she landed in Shen Tingfeng's arms.
He tilted her chin up, his peach blossom eyes brimming with charm. "Looking for me?"
An Qing smiled coyly, wrapping her arms around his neck, her voice soft and sweet like a kitten's purr stroking a man's heartstrings. "Coming here, of course I'm looking for Second Master Shen."
Shen Tingfeng smirked at her. By now, he had seen countless beauties—women with perfect bodies were a dime a dozen. An Qing's looks, though distinctive compared to the women here, still couldn't hold a candle to An Ru in his heart.
It was just that woman had left too stunning an impression on him, to the point where he, who usually never turned down a pretty face, had been practically saving himself for An Ru lately.
So now, he was more eager and ruthless than ever in his vendetta against Shen Xiaoxing. He wanted both the women and the power!
"What's your name?" Shen Tingfeng twirled her curly hair around his fingers like he was playing with a pet, a hint of disdain lurking in his charming eyes.
An Qing's gaze flickered. "An Ru."
She couldn't tell Shen Tingfeng her real name yet.
Once she secured her position as the Shen family matriarch, and An Ru was kicked out by Shen Xiaoxing, she would swap their identities back and continue as the legitimate "An Qing."
Shen Tingfeng narrowed his alluring peach blossom eyes. "You're an An too?"
An Qing leaned into his embrace, her face flushed with feigned shyness as she bit her lip. "Mm."
"Which An?"
"There might be many Ans in Shencheng, but only one An Corporation." She slowly leaned closer to his handsome face, blowing a seductive breath. "And I'm the second miss of the An Corporation."
"As I've heard, the An Corporation only has one miss—my sister-in-law, An Qing."
An Qing froze. She had forgotten that An Ru was just a nominal foster daughter in the An family, treated no better than a servant, and naturally never disclosed to the outside world.
She forced out, "I... I'm the An family's foster daughter."
The man suddenly let out a scoff. He gently stroked her delicate cheek, his tone deceptively soft. "A foster daughter, and you think you're worthy of climbing into my bed?"
He wasn't picky—he took whatever woman came his way. But lately, his appetite had waned. He'd developed a taste for the cold, elegant type, and everyone reminded him of An Ru. Over time, his desires had dulled.
An Qing was a prideful one. Hearing this, she was so stunned with rage that her heart filled with gunpowder. But given Shen Tingfeng's status and power, she had no choice but to swallow her anger.
At the Seaside Villa.
Ever since Jiang Su came to Blue Zhen for a project inspection, she had been forced into the role of his host. Her daily workload had shrunk significantly, and not only was it easier, but her salary had tripled. An Ru had been in a good mood lately, and a smile even crept onto her face. The two dimples deepened, drawing the man's gaze.
But there was one thing: in front of him, An Ru acted like a sneaky cat.
The man suddenly leaned in, his expression flat. "Why do you smell like another man?"
An Ru's heart skipped a beat. She was terrified he might notice how close she'd been with Jiang Su. Though it was work-related, she couldn't deny that they'd spent a lot of time alone together, and the way he looked at her was ambiguous and suggestive...
In short, she felt guilty whenever she faced Shen Xiaoxing.