That night, he clasped my hand and said, “Don't go.” When he woke up, it became evidence that I had “put on a good performance.”
Shen Nian never imagined that one encounter after work with her drunk boss, Gu Chenzhou, would completely upend her quiet life. The ruthless CEO, feared throughout the business world and known as “the King of Hell,” clutches her wrist and hoarsely begs her to stay in a moment of weakness. A glass of honey water, offered on impulse, earns her no gratitude. Instead, the next day in the CEO's office, he humiliates her coldly:
“You put on quite a performance last night. Tell me, how much will it take for you to leave the company?”
Humiliation burns through Shen Nian like a raging fire. In front of the entire company, she slams her resignation letter onto Gu Chenzhou's desk, the symbol of his absolute power. It is her quietest yet loudest act of defiance.
She thinks that will settle everything, and that she can escape the cold empire he controls. But late that night, a violent pounding shakes her front door. Outside, the man who had carried himself like he owned the world that day has torn away his mask of refined composure. Gu Chenzhou, eyes bloodshot and still reeking of alcohol, corners her by the door, his fury destructive:
“Who gave you permission to resign?!”
“You still haven't kept your promise from last night!”
“One drunken promise, one misunderstanding, one decisive turn away.”
“He thinks she's acting. She thinks he's cold and heartless.”
“Only when she's truly about to leave does he realize that ‘Don't go’ was the deepest fear in his heart.”
“And the payoff he offered her himself has now become the most ironic obstacle in his pursuit of her.”
