The Guide to Rising to Power: The Ultimate Schemes of a Green Tea Beauty

A few days later, Shen Yao carefully selected a small gift: a nice tie. It wasn't too expensive, but it showed thoughtfulness.

She planned to go to Yu Chuan's villa where he lived alone to maintain her "caring girlfriend" persona.

The villa was located in a high-end community with tight security. Shen Yao had been there several times and knew the way well.

She had just reached the villa's gate and was about to ring the doorbell when she heard the deep, powerful roar of a car engine behind her.

She instinctively turned around and saw a black sedan slowly come to a stop.

The car is understated, but its smooth lines exude an aura of quiet authority.

What made her heart skip a beat was the license plate, which started with 京A (Beijing A).

The car door opened, and a man stepped out.

He wore a well-tailored dark gray overcoat, his figure was slender and thin, his temperament was aloof, and his every move exuded the elegance of a noble young master.

His features were not as flamboyant and handsome as Xiang Yuchuan's. His eyebrows and eyes were like an ink painting, more profound and serene, like distant mountains and cold jade, or like a pure white snow lotus blooming in the snow.

He exuded an aloofness. But in Shen Yao's eyes, this only fueled her desire to keep climbing up and bringing him down from the top.

He came from the capital, and he was by no means an ordinary person.

Almost instinctively, Shen Yao's body adjusted faster than her brain.

Her originally casual standing posture instantly became reserved and graceful. She turned slightly to the side, allowing the sunlight to perfectly outline the soft lines of her profile and slender neck.

A polite yet slightly puzzled smile appeared on her face as she met the gaze of a stranger, her clear eyes meeting his.

This is a skill she developed without a teacher; when faced with high-quality prey, her body automatically enters a hunting state.

The man's gaze lingered on her face for less than a second, as quickly and precisely as if scanning an object.

He saw her; her features were exquisite even without makeup, but he could also clearly see the deliberate attempt to conceal her incongruity with the environment in her eyes.

It's beautiful, but lacks depth.

Xie Yunzhou had seen plenty of girls like this.

He and I are from different worlds.

He withdrew his gaze expressionlessly and walked straight to the courtyard gate, as if Shen Yao were merely a beautiful vase placed by the roadside.

Shen Yao's perfect smile froze for a moment. The indifference in the other person's eyes for that instant gently stung the pride she had been trying so hard to maintain.

She could even feel the condescending scrutiny in his gaze as he lingered on her, as if assessing the value of a commodity, before the man opened his thin lips and concluded, "Not worth mentioning."

An indescribable sense of shame, anger, and resentment surged into her heart in an instant.

Why did he look at her like that?

Just then, the villa door opened, and Xiang Yuchuan came out, probably having heard the car.

He paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "Yunzhou, why didn't you tell me you were coming?" His tone was clearly familiar.

Then he saw Shen Yao and was somewhat surprised: "Yao Yao? What are you doing here?"

Shen Yao immediately composed herself, putting on a gentle smile again. She stepped forward and handed the gift bag to Xiang Yuchuan: "I just happened to be passing by and bought you a tie. See if you like it."

Xiang Yuchuan took the bag, casually put his arm around her waist, and introduced her to Xie Yunzhou: "Yunzhou, this is my girlfriend, Shen Yao."

Then he said to Shen Yao, "Yao Yao, this is Xie Yunzhou, my childhood friend, a brother I grew up with. He just came from the capital."

Shen Yao nodded obediently to Xie Yunzhou and greeted him, "Hello, Mr. Xie."

Xie Yunzhou simply gave a faint "hmm" in response, without lingering his gaze on her for long.

Xiang Yuchuan said to Shen Yao, "Yunzhou and I have something to discuss. Would you like to sit in the living room for a while?"

Shen Yao was very perceptive; she immediately smiled and nodded, "Okay, you all go ahead with your work, I'll go make you a cup of tea."

After speaking, she turned around gracefully and entered the villa first, without showing the slightest displeasure or curiosity.

As Shen Yao stepped into the spacious and luxurious living room, the smile on her face slowly faded.

She walked to the huge French windows and looked at the two men talking in the courtyard outside.

Xie Yunzhou, Beijing...

Shen Yao's heart began to pound uncontrollably. The humiliation of being ignored just now had transformed into a stronger, almost greedy desire.

Xiang Yuchuan's fish was indeed more valuable than she had imagined.

He is not only a springboard, but may even be a key to a wider world.

After Xie Yunzhou left, only Shen Yao and Xiang Yuchuan remained in the villa.

Xiang Yuchuan seemed somewhat unpredictable due to the arrival and departure of his childhood friend. He loosened his collar, leaned back on the sofa, and beckoned Shen Yao over.

Shen Yao obediently sat down beside him, not immediately bringing up the memorable man from earlier, but gently resting her head on his shoulder, her voice soft and sweet:

"Yuchuan, your friend just now looked really serious."

She used "Yuchuan" instead of "senior" as before, which was a natural change after they became closer, and also her subtle test.

Xiang Yuchuan seemed to enjoy her dependence on him, put his arm around her shoulder, and casually said:

"Yeah, Yunzhou is just like that. He's always had the temperament of an old man since he was a child. After spending so much time in the capital, he's become even more rigid and inflexible."

His tone was familiar, but he was unwilling to talk much.

Shen Yao wisely stopped asking questions, instead tilting her head back, her eyes glistening with tears, and looking at him with a hint of coquettishness: "Then, do you like the tie I gave you?"

Xiang Yuchuan looked down at her face, which was so close to his. Under the light, her skin was so smooth that no pores could be seen, and her lips looked like flower petals covered with dew.

His Adam's apple bobbed, and his voice deepened: "I like it. I like everything you give me."

As he spoke, he lowered his head and kissed her.

This kiss was deeper than usual.

Shen Yao could feel his arms tightening and his breath burning hot.

A thought struck her, and she began to respond cautiously, no longer passively enduring, but occasionally probing with the tip of her tongue, emitting soft, alluring whimpers.

Her response was like a powerful medicine, instantly igniting Xiang Yuchuan's passion.

His kisses grew more passionate, spreading from her lips to her cheeks, then to her earlobes, and finally lingering on her slender, delicate neck.

A warm, moist sensation accompanied by a slight stinging pain came through her. Shen Yao closed her eyes, but calmly calculated the rhythm in her mind.

She could feel the changes in Xiang Yuchuan's body; his palms had become burning hot as he gently stroked her back, with a gradual downward motion.

It is here.

Every kiss before ended at this critical point.

Sure enough, after his kiss lingered on her collarbone for a moment, his movements gradually slowed down. Finally, as if he had used up all his strength, he buried his head in the crook of her neck, breathing heavily, but made no further moves.

It stopped again.

Shen Yao's heart sank, but a blush crept onto her face at the opportune moment. Her eyes were hazy, and she gently nudged him with a hint of grievance, urging, "Yu Chuan."

Xiang Yuchuan looked up, his eyes still brimming with emotion, but he reached out and roughly straightened the collar of her clothes that he had just messed up, his voice hoarse: "No."

Shen Yao's heart turned completely cold.

Once is respect, twice is restraint, three times, four times...

This can no longer be explained by simple gentlemanly manners.

Combining the rumors she found out from the private investigator about his "playboy" relationships without any real intimate connections, a bold guess formed in Shen Yao's mind.

Xiang Yuchuan likely has some kind of obstacle or extremely conservative bottom line regarding matters between men and women.

His previous "girlfriends" probably didn't even kiss him; they were purely for show.

Now, his decision to stop her isn't because he doesn't want to, but more likely because he can't, or because of extreme psychological wariness.

Regardless of the reason, this sends a dangerous signal to Shen Yao.

His feelings and desires for her were not yet strong enough for him to cross that unknown boundary.

How can this be?

She couldn't accept that she had invested so much time and energy only to be relegated to the status of a "superficial girlfriend".

Intimate contact is one of the most effective ways to deepen bonds and increase the other person's "sunk costs".

If she can't even reach this step, how can she be sure that she is "special" among his many girlfriends?

How can we have more leverage during his potential period of boredom?

No, she had to break this deadlock.

Shen Yao didn't show the slightest dissatisfaction or doubt. Instead, she seemed extremely shy, burying her face in his chest and muttering softly, "You bad guy, you just know how to bully me."

Her completely trusting yet shy demeanor made Xiang Yuchuan's tense body relax a little.

He held her tighter, resting his chin on the top of her head: "Wait a little longer."

Waiting for what? He didn't say.

Wait? She doesn't have that much time to play innocent games with him.

She had to find a way to make him impatient.