Jiang Wanxing's urgent, desire-laden whisper—"I… want more…"—struck Lu Chen's soul like a bolt of blazing electricity, sending his heart, already racing with the triumph of having "hunted" this "Queen of Serpents and Scorpions," into another uncontrollable frenzy!
In his arms lay a peerless beauty, fully ripe and emanating the intoxicating blend of orchid and fine red wine. Her voluptuous curves, supple and graceful like the most pliant vines, wound around him with an almost greedy fervor. Her exquisite face, flushed like a perfectly ripe crimson apple from oxygen deprivation and unspoken ecstasy, was tilted back, her large, dew-laden phoenix eyes glistening with an alluring mix of passion and surrender.
Her sensuous lips, swollen and tinged scarlet from their just-completed kiss—laden with conquest and possession—now parted slightly, like two petals thirsting for the sweet dewdrops of an awaited storm, a fatal invitation to which no heart could remain immune.
Any ordinary man, faced with such unabashed and sultry submission, would have long ago succumbed to his primal instincts, laying claim to this haughty queen—hitherto worshipped only in dreams—forcing her into a delirious dance beneath him, eliciting breathless cries of pleasure.
Yet Lu Chen was no ordinary man.
He was… a hunter with a clear mind.
He knew that the more effortless the prey seemed to offer itself, the more vital it was to remain utterly composed and… rational.
Although Jiang Wanxing had thoroughly fallen into the elaborate web of his "Heart-Hunting Scheme," she remained a supreme enchantress who had navigated the roaring seas of commerce for two decades. Her pride, her brilliance, and her defiance burned like molten lava beneath a volcanic crust, liable to erupt at the slightest provocation.
At this moment, she appeared like a shipwrecked soul adrift on a sea of emotions, desperate to cling to any lifeline that might deliver her from solitude and despair.
If he now yielded to the current and claimed her wholly, the aftermath might not be the envisioned communion of bodies and souls or the queen's submissive devotion. Instead, it could unleash a rage born of shame, resentment, and fear of her own relinquished control—an unpredictable and ferocious backlash.
That was not Lu Chen's desire.
He sought more than Jiang Wanxing's body—he coveted her heart; her soul; and the vast commercial empire she commanded, promising him boundless advantage in the days ahead.
Thus, he must… restrain himself.
He had to emulate the greatest and most patient of beast-masters—using the most precise, subtle, and deeply resonant touch to methodically dismantle the defenses of her heart, long weakened by loneliness and misunderstanding—until she willingly, even eagerly, surrendered everything.
As this thought coursed through him, the tired yet triumphant glint in Lu Chen's dark eyes—touched by the success of orchestrating this moment via his "Heart-Hunting Chart"—flashed with an enigmatic blend of mockery and comprehension.
He slowly lowered his head, gazing at this once-distant, awe-inspiring beauty—now as helpless as a lamb waiting for favor—with eyes brimming with pity and a possessive tenderness. Then, in a tone of brazen gentleness and unassailable authority, he spoke words laced with infinite temptation and fatal suggestion, audible only to them:
"Wanxing, I know… you want more."
His voice, like the richest red wine and the deadliest poison combined, each syllable a sharp feather graze across her soul, already on edge from overwhelming desire.
A subtle shiver ran through the voluptuous curves of Jiang Wanxing's body as if struck again by an electric current. Her phoenix eyes, glistening with drunken passion, ignited in an inferno fierce enough to melt steel.
Deep within her, in a place long frozen by neglect and aridity, a hidden corner of her being stirred uncontrollably, a tumultuous blend of shame, terror, and a craving as addictive as poison, pulsing through her core.
"But…" Lu Chen's tone shifted, laced with a perfectly measured regret and restraint, "now… is not the right time."
"What?!" Jiang Wanxing's clouded gaze snapped back to clarity, her phoenix eyes wide with disbelief. She stared at his handsome, youthful face, her look a volatile mix of shock, confusion, and the humiliation of feeling deceived.
She did not understand—she could not fathom it.
She had stripped away every shred of pride and reserve, laying herself bare with the most earnest entreaty a woman could extend.
Why... why had he turned her away?
Was she truly so... unworthy of his desire?
Lu Chen could almost hear the cacophony of self-doubt, disgrace, and dark thoughts stirring within her—his rejection birthing seeds of destructive fury.
He knew the moment was close, but still shy of perfection.
With reverent care, he extended his hand and gently wiped a single glistening drop of moisture from her flushed cheek—the residue of their kiss—his touch as soft as a lover's whisper yet carrying an irresistible authority:
"Wanxing, you are a woman… worthy of true devotion."
"I refuse… to possess you in this haze of alcohol and lust."
"That would not only disrespect you, but desecrate the precious bond that has brought us together."
Lu Chen's declaration rang with noble eloquence and heartfelt sincerity, framed by an expression of pained resolve and eyes imbued with compassion.
It was flawless—irresistibly sublime in its delivery.
Jiang Wanxing's tumultuous heart, already ravaged by the intensity of her emotions, surrendered once more to his unwavering chivalry.
In her phoenix eyes, the flames of anger and humiliation were extinguished as though doused by a gentle spring rain, replaced by an indescribable emotion—movingly tender, and even more profound dependence.
He... he actually cared about my feelings?
He... he actually doesn't want me like this?
Could it be... his feelings for me run deeper than mere desire?
This man... he truly... is nothing like those who think only with their lower half!
These thoughts, sweet as the finest honey, melted the last shards of bitterness and hardness in her heart, softened by years of isolation and misunderstanding.
She silently thanked fate for her restraint—had she forfeited herself too soon, what sacred "bond" might they have defiled?
Lu Chen watched this sublime vision—this "Queen of Serpents and Scorpions"—melt under the spell of his meticulously crafted words, feeling a heady rush of triumph as his plan came to fruition.
He knew it was time... to declare his true terms.
"Wanxing," his voice now brimming with earnest anticipation for their shared future, "though our beginning may be… unconventional."
"I hope we build a bond that is… enduring and illuminated by a brighter destiny."
"To achieve that future, what I need most from you is not your body alone, but your intellect, your resources, and the influential network you've cultivated across Star City and the Jiangnan provinces."
His admission was transparent, visionary—he spoke as if she were his indispensable partner in the grand ambition he was forging.
Jiang Wanxing's heart, already softened by gratitude and dependency, fell deeper under his spell, surrendering completely to his vision.
"Lu Chen…" her voice trembled with overwhelming emotion and indescribable joy. She reached out, her delicate hand clutching his powerful one with a hunger that mirrored his own. Her phoenix eyes, brightened by tears, shone with unshakable determination and devotion:
"You have my word—from this moment on, my everything will be yours to command."
"Whether it is the commercial assets of Wanxing International or the personal connections I have nurtured for twenty years across the Jiangnan region—whatever you require, I will lay it all at your feet!"
She blushed like a peach blossom in spring, her voice a seductive murmur as she added, "Even... myself..."
Lu Chen smiled—a smile brimming with confidence and the potent magic of absolute control.
He knew that, from this moment on, Jiang Wanxing, the woman tagged as "S-Tier Prey" in his 'Heart-Hunting Chart,' had irrevocably become his coveted prize—his empire of desire would forever be anchored by this solid and indispensable cornerstone!