Provocation [Beijing Elite Circle]

[Please add my series novel Zhe Zhi to your favorites. Blurb below.]

Powerful man lowers his head, possessive pursuit. Full book: 5R. Thank you for supporting the official release!

*

The first time Lin Zhi met Gu Huaizhi was at a donation ceremony at T University Library.

As a freshman, she went onstage to present an award in a pair of high heels that didn't fit. She stumbled, nearly fell, and lurched into his arms. The man's warm palm steadied her by the elbow.

She looked up. The man before her wore a well-tailored suit, his manner composed and distinguished.

She had never imagined that she would later become entangled with him.

-

When they met again, she was wearing her work uniform, a dress, and greeting passing customers with a practiced smile. To her surprise, she found herself caught in Gu Huaizhi's calm, scrutinizing gaze.

He took her out to eat and recommended her for an internship. Lin Zhi thought she was simply lucky, never noticing the dark glint in Gu Huaizhi's eyes when she casually mentioned that she had a boyfriend.

Nor did she know that one day, when she went to work at his house, he would pin her against the floor-to-ceiling window.

On a snowy night, his hot breath misted the glass. Desire clouded his eyes as he murmured coaxingly, "Break up with him, hmm?"

-

Gu Huaizhi was notorious among the powerful elite of the capital as a man not to be crossed. In business circles, he was known for his ruthless methods, yet every gesture carried the refinement of a scion from an old, distinguished family.

There were few things in this world that interested him. Lin Zhi was one of them.

He had assumed she would be easy to get. But that night, when she refused to give in, Gu Huaizhi smiled.

It was fine. He had simply been too impatient.

He wielded immense power, tempting and pressuring her again and again. At last, one night, he got what he wanted.

He was used to controlling everything, including her.

Later

In the top-floor lounge of a shopping mall, the usually dignified Mr. Gu knelt on one knee. Carefully supporting the slender ankle of the young woman in his palm, he bent to try a shoe on her.

He had given her his whole heart, asking only for even the smallest response.

-

1. Happy ending, one couple, six-year age gap.

2. Content warning: The heroine has a first-love boyfriend early on, but breaks up with him for certain reasons after meeting the hero.

3. This is the author's let-loose creation: old-school, melodramatic, and over-the-top. The hero is deeply flawed, and later he has to chase after love. Read for fun, and don't apply it to real life.

----------Dividing line----------

Series preorder, Zhe Zhi, opening in October. Please add it to your favorites. Visit my profile to go straight to it.

Fostered in another's home | Age gap | Powerful man lowers his head | Possessive pursuit | A scoundrel's devotion

Black-hearted girl vs. devoted scoundrel capitalist

Nan Zhi once thought that the older brother from her newly blended family hated her.

When she was seventeen, she stayed at his home and met the man who had just returned from abroad. He was dressed in a suit, his bearing distinguished, and his eyes held undisguised coldness and disdain.

It made sense. Her mother had once broken up his family. As the daughter of the other woman, she was lucky he hadn't thrown her out.

He had money. As it happened, she needed money.

Her grandmother was gravely ill. Nan Zhi had tried acting sweet, testing his limits, and flirting with him. But once her tricks were exhausted and exposed, all she got in return was deeper contempt.

Later, she left the city and packed away the memory of those days living under someone else's roof, along with Ji Yan himself.

Until

In a corridor at a banquet, a large hand pinned hers firmly above her head. His tall frame pressed down over her, his breath scorching and his voice low and dangerous.

"Is that your new boyfriend?"

"It's been a few years, and your taste has really gone downhill."

A commotion rose from the banquet hall, as if the guests were about to leave. Nan Zhi's nervous heart nearly stopped.

Ji Yan watched her, then suddenly smiled. "Zhi Zhi, what do you think your boyfriend would say if he knew we'd slept together?"

-

As one of the industry's top investors, Ji Yan was always a good judge of character.

From the first moment he saw Nan Zhi, he knew that of all the people in the world, she was the last one who would ever be obedient.

He simply underestimated her nerve.

First came her cautious testing, then her increasingly bold flirtation. After she did it over and over, he gripped her wrist and pinned her to the wall, demanding to know what she wanted. She blinked and smiled. "Brother, I'm short on money."

At first, he was utterly cold toward her.

Later, she became his weakness.

To have her, he didn't mind taking her from someone else.

*

One couple, both virgins, happy ending, eight-year age gap.

Content warnings:

The heroine is emotionally detached early on and has no other boyfriends.

Neither lead is perfect.

Theme: Love life and keep moving forward with a positive attitude.