CHAPTER 251: CHAPTER 142 A WONDERFUL ENCOUNTER

The small bedroom wasn’t small at all.

In a 200-square-meter presidential suite with only two bedrooms, a reception room, a large living room, and a multifunctional bathroom, one could imagine how spacious it was.

The smaller bedroom, compared to the larger one, only differed in that its simpler bathroom couldn’t accommodate a bathtub; otherwise, it had everything one would expect.

That 2.2-meter by 2.4-meter bed was large enough to host a group brawl.

The newly changed bedsheets and duvet cover were a beautiful fifty shades of grey—chic and fashionable.

Han Lie took a look around, felt very satisfied, and happily went to take a shower.

Before entering the bathroom, he specifically checked the door. It wasn’t locked, which immediately put him at ease.

While he was showering, Zhao Shengnan pushed open the door and walked in, carrying a basin of hot water.

Han Lie jumped. "Who’s there?!"

"It’s me, your sister-in-law."

Zhao Shengnan replied, then turned the tables. "Honestly, why wouldn’t you lock the door while showering?"

Brother Lie felt utterly wronged. "I didn’t notice... Wait, are you blaming *me* for not locking the door when *you’re* the one who entered my room without permission?"

"Who else?"

Through the frosted glass of the bathroom, Zhao Shengnan scrutinized Han Lie’s blurry figure and sat down on the bed with a sly smile.

The frosting on the bathroom glass wasn’t a solid panel; only a section over a meter high in the middle was frosted, while the upper and lower parts were clear glass.

Once seated, she could clearly see Han Lie’s calves.

Long, firm, with smooth, full muscles, and very sleek skin.

She licked her lips and, just like that, started chatting with Han Lie through the glass.

"You didn’t answer when I knocked, so of course, I had to come in and check, didn’t I? Your kind sister-in-law brought you hot water, and this is how you welcome me?"

Good heavens, this woman wasn’t just playing innocent—she was purely provocative!

Brother Lie... no, that’s wrong. The award-winning actor Han Lie continued his performance. "Alright, thank you. Just leave the water cup on the bedside table, and please, hurry out! What will I do if Brother Yingjun sees you here?"

"Explain what?"

Zhao Shengnan sneered dismissively but didn’t continue to flaunt her confidence. Instead, she skillfully tried to reassure Han Lie.

"Relax, he won’t think of me all night. Once he starts playing cards, he wouldn’t care even if his own father died, so what am I to him?"

Yikes, such resentment...

Han Lie turned off the faucet, grabbed a towel to dry his hair, his voice becoming clearer.

"It’s not good whether he knows or not... I have a lot of respect for Brother Yingjun."

"Nonsense!"

Zhao Shengnan’s disdainful expression intensified as she bluntly exposed Han Lie. "Out of that crowd outside, who do you actually respect?"

Oh, quite perceptive, aren’t we?

But Han Lie wouldn’t admit to a single thing.

"They’re all quite good! Sister-in-law, you’re being a bit strange. Who do you think I look down on?"

"You know very well, and so do I."

Zhao Shengnan flopped onto the bed, her voice slow and emphatic. "Apart from that idiot Liu Yingjun, everyone knows what’s what."

These rich second-generation kids... the dumb ones are truly dumb, and the smart ones are genuinely shrewd. But that’s to be expected; this group is inherently more extreme than ordinary people, and labeling them is the most prejudiced of stereotypes.

Han Lie didn’t continue the discussion about respect; that wasn’t the main point right now.

"Sister-in-law, if you look down on Brother Yingjun so much, why are you with him?"

Han Lie was adept at changing the subject, and sure enough, Zhao Shengnan’s attention was diverted.

"Us two... we’re basically locked in."

She sighed, her tone filled with reluctance yet devoid of anger or similar emotions.

"We’re from the same town, and our family businesses are very complementary. I knew back in junior high that I’d definitely marry him someday. It’s incredibly boring!"

Han Lie didn’t understand for a moment. "Boring?"

Zhao Shengnan looked up. "Knowing who you’ll marry and how the next twenty years of your life will unfold the moment your romantic feelings first blossom—do you think that’s interesting?"

Han Lie wrapped the bath towel around his waist and walked out of the bathroom, drying his hair.

"You two are what people call a match made in heaven. How many people envy what you have but can’t attain it?"

Zhao Shengnan was momentarily dazzled by Han Lie’s smile. Seeing his chest muscles, so much more robust than Liu Yingjun’s, a wave of heat surged within her.

Dazed for a moment, she suddenly felt an overwhelming urge to confide.

"Marriage alliances are a gamble. If you land a good one, then no matter how unwilling you are, at least you can have some cheap sense of happiness. If you land a bad one, no amount of self-consolation helps; it’s just torture. Don’t you dare say you don’t understand."

I really don’t! Han Lie inwardly protested.

At his level, he had indeed encountered some wealthy people from the Magic Capital due to work, but these were superficial interactions; he didn’t understand their lives.

Moreover, he hadn’t seen many involved in arranged marriages. Mostly, it was Magic Capital girls not marrying outside the city, local families with property intermarrying... Did that even count?

Fortunately, Zhao Shengnan just wanted to vent and wasn’t actually looking for an answer.

Or, more accurately, she was trying to rationalize her actions and find sufficient psychological support.

"How tough is it in a small place? If you don’t stick together, you get beaten down. Even if you do stick together, you still have to face the overwhelming power of national giants.

Our two families can’t easily separate; if we did, neither would fare well.

But honestly, I’m truly fed up with that oaf Liu.

He’s useless when it comes to serious matters, but when it comes to playing cards, drinking, and clubbing, he’s wilder than anyone. I started arguing with him in high school, and I’ve argued until now. I’m just tired, too exhausted to argue anymore.

The thought of my future, the future of our two families, all resting in his hands—it scares me so much I feel like I’m going crazy.

But there’s nothing to be done; the path is already set.

All we can do is marry early, have a couple of kids, and then rely on our parents to hold on for a few more years.

With hundreds of millions in assets from both families at stake, my personal wishes are insignificant."

Han Lie remained silent, watching her intently, trying to discern if her demeanor was genuine or feigned.

The conclusion was... half true, half false, perhaps.

It was clear she was genuinely unwilling to continue like this, but she neither had the ability nor the desire to change things.

In reality, she had already resigned herself to her fate.

However, from her words, one could analyze that their two families actually needed each other, which gave her the right to be willful, within limits.

"Within limits"—a rather interesting way to put it. Playing around separately, does that count as "within limits"? As long as they protect each other’s reputation and don’t expose things publicly, it probably counts. Tearing down pretenses face-to-face, however, that would be beyond the limits.

Han Lie found this incredibly amusing.

In his previous life, he had seen such marital arrangements, but those were always among older couples in their thirties or forties.

Someone like her, starting to run wild before even getting married, he had truly never encountered.

However, Han Lie could understand. Born in the 90s, who wasn’t a bit rebellious?

Calling off the wedding was out of the question, but surely, she could find some fun for herself, right? Sneaking into his room in the middle of the night had indeed crossed a line, but damn, it was thrilling! It wasn’t just her who found it exciting; Han Lie himself felt a stir of anticipation.

Dumplings... no, sister-in-law...

But on the surface, he remained that aloof, ascetic god.

"I deeply sympathize with your situation, but I can’t offer you any comfort."

Han Lie tossed the towel aside, walked to the sofa by the window, crossed his legs, and sat down in the shadows.

The moonlight today was very dim, but the city lights outside were bright, shining into the room and spilling onto the bed, outlining her figure, making it appear slender and sensual.

Of course, as Zhao Shengnan looked from the light into the shadows, Han Lie, hidden there, seemed even more mysterious and alluring.

A firm chest, clearly defined abs, a slim waist, long legs...

Once they were out of sight, they formed an even more potent illusion in her mind.

As if a single touch could shatter it, yet it also felt like it might burst forth with even more fervent vitality as she drew closer.

Zhao Shengnan thought she could smell the hormones swirling in the air.

Han Lie merely exuded them, making no other move.

This inversion of active and passive roles made Zhao Shengnan feel secure, and it also allowed her to experience an unprecedented thrill.

She rolled from the right side of the large bed to the far left, propped herself up on an elbow, supporting her head, and lay on her side, watching Han Lie with a focused yet hazy gaze.

Damn, this girl looked incredibly sexy right now.

But Han Lie remained calm.

No, that wasn’t right. Actor Lie wasn’t calm; he was confident and composed, absolutely determined not to make the first move. The one truly in control of the situation isn’t necessarily the one who takes the initiative.

"You should be more careful. Sister-in-law."

Han Lie emphasized the last two words.

It sounded like a particularly righteous reminder, yet it brought Zhao Shengnan an even more intense stimulation.

"What did Wu Song call Pan Jinlian again? It wasn’t these two words."

Han Lie remained silent.

"Sao Sao?"

Zhao Shengnan asked and answered herself, then suddenly started to giggle.

"How amusing! Little Uncle, call me ’Sao Sao,’ won’t you?"

Han Lie still didn’t utter a sound.

Zhao Shengnan, however, didn’t feel discouraged.

She was a clever girl; perhaps not possessing great wisdom, but smart enough. If Han Lie were truly so righteous, he would have definitely left by now. Since he hadn’t moved, wasn’t he struggling?

"Go on, say it! There’s a reward if you call ’Sao Sao’~~~"

After sufficient buildup, she made no effort to conceal her "wolfish ambitions."

She was very wild.

Han Lie just watched her quietly, not speaking, but his eyes held a spark.

Many straightforward men mistakenly believe that building emotional tension requires copious sweet talk; this is a misconception.

The most potent emotional stimulation often comes from a restrained "silence that speaks louder than words."

The "wall pin" often depicted in idol dramas might look silly, but it’s actually very clever.

You trap her, stay silent, make eye contact, and convey admiration, desire, and possessiveness through your gaze—that is your moment of maximum sexual tension.

When she’s on edge, her heart pounding, and begins to experience intense psychological fluctuations, if you then make a bold move, you can create an extremely powerful and profound, impactful memory for her.

Otherwise, why do girls love watching wall pin scenes so much?

Can’t such enduring popularity teach you the correct methods?

Of course, there are prerequisites for this, but we’ll discuss the details in the next masterclass.

In any case, Han Lie had now met all the prerequisites. So, his gaze instantly ignited Zhao Shengnan’s emotions.

She suddenly sat up and, trembling, walked over to Han Lie.

Han Lie feigned a degree of helplessness, his gaze somewhat evasive.

"Sister-in-law, please don’t be like this. It won’t be good if Brother Yingjun and the others find out..."

Weak! So utterly weak!

Zhao Shengnan smiled triumphantly, feeling she was just one small step away from completely conquering Han Lie.

So, she asked enticingly, "How would they find out? Listen, there’s no sound at all... This is a presidential suite, with the highest standards of soundproofing..."

Han Lie appeared even more conflicted.

"Even if they don’t find out, Lou Xiaoxiao will surely know, won’t she? Your friendship isn’t that solid. If she decides to turn on you someday, you won’t be able to bear the consequences."

"TEE-HEE-HEE..."

Zhao Shengnan, sensing Han Lie’s displeasure and still in a highly suggestible state from feeling conquered, quickly thought of a way to please him.

"Wait a moment, I’ll go get Xiao Xiao!"

The ’prey’s’ eyes suddenly lit up.

Aha, now *this* could work!

Zhao Shengnan paused for a moment, then, steadying herself against the wall, quietly slipped out the door.

A few minutes later, Lou Xiaoxiao, shy and hesitant, followed Zhao Shengnan and tiptoed into the small bedroom.

...