Monday morning arrived with the usual chaos—overcrowded subways, honking cars, and the faint smell of street food wafting through the early Shanghai air. Shen Jiawen clutched her coffee like it was a lifeline, grateful for the distraction it gave her hands.
She was still sore.
Not just physically, though the ache in her thighs reminded her constantly of the night she'd had. But mentally too. The weekend had passed in a blur, and now that the high was fading, the consequences settled in.
She had slept with a stranger.
Not just any stranger. A powerful, emotionally distant man who had made her feel alive in ways she didn't know she craved. They hadn't exchanged names, and she had walked out before the sun came up, assuming—no, hoping—that was the end of it.
But fate had other plans.
"Jiawen!"
She looked up to see her boss, Director Liu, waving her over with unusual urgency.
"You're assigned to the Z-Tech presentation this week," he said, handing her a thin folder. "Client's name is Lu Zeyan. CEO. Tech giant. Big opportunity. He's new to our firm, and I want you on it."
She blinked. The name didn't register immediately—not until she flipped open the folder and her eyes caught the headshot clipped to the back page.
The folder slipped from her fingers.
She stared.
Same sharp jawline. Same cold, unreadable eyes. Same aura of untouchable control.
Him.
The man from the bar. The man from the bed.
Lu Zeyan.
Her stomach twisted. A strange mix of panic and disbelief surged through her chest.
This was impossible. Ridiculous. Shanghai had millions of people. What were the odds?
"Are you okay?" Director Liu asked, brows furrowed.
She nodded too quickly. "Yes. Sorry. Just—surprised. I've read about Z-Tech, but didn't expect him to personally attend."
He chuckled. "Apparently, he oversees key deals himself. Hands-on type. Doesn't waste time with fluff. You'll present our Q2 proposal and negotiate the terms. It's a big one. Impress him."
"Of course," she murmured.
Impress him? She had already… impressed him in a way no corporate deck could.
She snatched the folder and walked quickly back to her desk, heart hammering like a trapped bird. How was she supposed to face him? What if he recognized her?
Then again… what if he didn't?
The thought stung more than it should have.
The meeting room on the fifteenth floor was pristine—white marble floors, floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city skyline, and an air-conditioning unit blasting arctic levels of chill.
She stood at the head of the long glass table, laptop connected to the projector, slides ready. Her team was seated, fidgeting with their notepads.
And then the doors opened.
He stepped in.
Lu Zeyan was even more intimidating in daylight.
Dressed in a perfectly tailored black suit, his presence was like gravity. The room stilled. Conversations stopped. All eyes went to him.
But his eyes found her.
The moment their gazes met, it was like something shifted—quietly, internally. His expression didn't change, but there was a flicker in his eyes. A pause. A flash of recognition.
Her heart stopped.
He remembers.
She didn't move. Didn't breathe. She couldn't.
Lu Zeyan gave a small nod, then turned his attention to Director Liu with a handshake.
He was pretending.
He wasn't going to acknowledge it. Not here. Not now.
Jiawen forced her legs to move, to smile professionally as she clicked to the first slide.
"Good morning. I'm Shen Jiawen, lead analyst for the Z-Tech account. Today's presentation will cover market alignment strategies, proposed partnerships, and data analytics integration based on your specifications."
Her voice was steady, but her hands were trembling behind the laptop.
Half an hour in, she was regaining control. Numbers were her safe space. Market trends and projections gave her confidence, something her personal life had recently robbed her of.
But every time she looked up, he was watching.
Not constantly. Just… consistently.
He asked pointed questions. Sharp ones. He challenged her conclusions but never unfairly. She answered every single one, her nerves sharpening into resolve. She would not be rattled.
Even if her body remembered the way his mouth felt on her skin.
Even if the ache between her thighs had nothing to do with pain and everything to do with memory.
She finished the presentation with a smooth summary and closed her laptop.
"Thank you for your time. I'll be available to discuss revisions if needed."
He leaned back in his seat, fingers steepled under his chin.
"Efficient. Clear. No wasted words."
His voice was the same one that had whispered into her neck two nights ago.
"We'll move forward," he said, eyes still on her. "With Shen Jiawen as the direct liaison."
Her stomach dropped.
Director Liu looked thrilled. "Excellent. Jiawen, you'll coordinate directly with Mr. Lu."
She bowed her head slightly. "Understood."
Lu Zeyan stood.
"Shen." He said her name with a familiarity no one else in the room caught—but she did. "Walk me to the elevator."
They stepped into the empty hallway, the doors closing behind them.
For a few beats, neither spoke.
She kept her gaze forward, chin lifted.
"You knew," she said quietly.
"From the moment I walked in," he replied.
She turned to face him. "Are you going to pretend it didn't happen?"
He studied her for a moment. Then said, "Are you?"
Her lips pressed into a tight line.
"It was supposed to be one night," she said. "No names. No attachments."
"You said that first."
"And you agreed."
He nodded slowly. "I did."
The silence between them thickened.
Finally, she straightened her blazer and forced a smile. "Then let's keep it that way. This is work now."
She walked ahead and pressed the elevator button.
The doors opened.
Before stepping in, she glanced at him one last time.
"Have a good day, Mr. Lu."
His expression remained unreadable, but his eyes lingered.
"You too, Miss Shen."
The elevator doors closed between them.
And her heart thudded in her chest like a warning.
Because deep down, she knew—this was far from over.
End of Chapter Two.