City Z, a thriving metropolis filled with various glamorous women. Their intention is obvious - to seduce men with their sexual appeal in exchange for money. The ease with which they pocket wads of cash is as simple as taking candy from a baby.
The most dazzling nightclub in town, Dake nightclub, is where all the beautiful women of City Z gather. With men swaying to the seductive beats of their partners, they reluctantly submit to their intense desires. The fiery lust burning within their veins is too strong to suppress.
In the luxurious hall, club women are generous in displaying their most charming side. However, on the spotlit center stage, a woman dressed in a red tight-fitting dress is twirling skillfully around the pole, her steps light despite the towering 15-centimeter heels she’s donning.
The crowd below is surprisingly indifferent to her performance, save for one man at the bar, whose eyes are glued to the pole-dancing woman.
Adorning a simple white V-neck T-shirt with a few decorative buttons that subtly expose his sharp collarbones and fair complexion, he exudes a certain allure. His black, tailored trousers handcrafted by a professional designer, pair impeccably with his lean build. His icy black gaze, cold as it toys with a glass in hand, remains fixated on the woman as though she's merely an object of his amusement.
His angular features look particularly grave under the dim lighting. At over 1.8 meters tall, he towers over most, but his stature is slim and upright.
His hatred cannot be put into words, but only expressed through his gaze. Indeed, the woman trying to lure men with her seductive gaze is his ex-girlfriend, from whom he parted ways with seven years ago. She, whom he refuses to acknowledge, yet cannot deny.
Now, the innocent girl has metamorphosed into a provocative clubwoman, having slept her way to her current status. While he, through years of hard work, has built his own empire and risen to the role of CEO of Han Enterprises.
He chooses not to linger on the past, full of painful memories, nor the love he was once deceived by. As the music volume gradually recedes, a clear and cold voice of refutation pierces his ears...
“Let's break up; we're not right for each other.” A request to break up after two and a half years of dating seemed rather abrupt and outrageous, understanding the kind of woman who could pull off such a thing was almost impossible.
"Two and a half years of dating and out of the blue, you say we're not right for each other; do you really think I'd buy that excuse, Miss Song Man Ni?"
Under a cloudy sky teetering on the edge of a downpour, the biting cold wind blows away fallen leaves on the ground. The woman on the side of the street appears uninvolved as she gazes into the distance. Her black hair cascades across her face, obstructing her vision and enhancing the gap between her and the man in front of her.
"What do you have? Hmm? What exactly do you have? We have been together for two and a half years, you know. But what have you given me during these two and a half years?
You are nothing but a penniless loser. You have nothing I need. I don't just need your sincerity, I also need money. You have no money, can you afford to keep me? You have no money, can you buy cars and houses? You have no money, can you give me the life of a rich wife?"
Those piercingly painful words remained etched in his mind.
At this moment, he coldly put down his wine glass, walked through the crowd, and went onto the stage.
Against the pulsating music which didn't stop, he stood behind Song Manni, contemptuously curling his lips into a wicked smile. As she turned around, he reached out with his pure and slender right hand and tightly pulled her off the stage. In the banquet hall where everyone was caught in high spirits, who would notice their every move?
Song Manni was startled as she looked at the man's retreating figure. Who was this guest... He was...
Thud! Until the man stopped and turned around, she incredulously raised her eyes. She was dazedly staring at the person standing in front of her, a familiar face, but with added charm and charisma. He... He was Han Xuanmo, the poor boy who couldn't give her happiness in the past!
"Han... Han Xuanmo??? Weren't you already gone? Didn't you leave before? Why... why did you come back?" She desperately wished everything was just a dream, and when she would wake up, everything would go back to normal. But reality was always so brutal, leaving her bewildered.
"What, are you afraid to see me?" He took one step forward, standing only a fraction of an inch away from her. With a look of disdain, Han Xuanmo brushed his slender finger against her fair cheek. His eyes were filled with ambiguity. Towards her, he had only resentment.
"Don't do this…" She turned her face away to avoid his gaze.
"Seven years ago, you did everything you could to break up with me. Flirting was your specialty, wasn't it?" Ah!
She was just a dancer in a nightclub and had seen countless men. Though dancing and singing catered to the entertainment of the men visiting the club, until now she still retained a bit of her dignity. In Han Xuanmo's eyes, however, she was a cheap, promiscuous woman.
Song Manni's body began to shake uncontrollably. "You're still as promiscuous!" Han Xuanmo leaned over, bringing his face close to her ear, his slender finger lightly lifting the strands of hair falling on each side of her face, whispering softly.
"We broke up seven years ago. I've already said everything that needs to be said, Han Xuanmo. I hope you won't disturb my life. I need to return to my job, please get out of my way!"
"Is this how you refuse customers who patronize the club?" Ha! Did Song Manni still think he, Han Xuanmo, was the penniless guy he was seven years ago? "With just one word, I can make it impossible for you to survive in Dake nightclub." Why did the current Han Xuanmo look so frightening? Especially those deep black eyes, cold to the extreme.
Han Xuanmo lowered his head to gaze at Song Manni's partially exposed cleavage. Her corset accentuated her already slim figure into something smolderingly attractive, and her lips, shining under the light with the gloss of bright lipstick, looked ever so tempting.
"I apologize, sir," she said with tension in her voice, "but I am merely a dancer here at Dake Nightclub, and I can't refuse customers. But I am not an escort. If you need one, our manager can arrange that for you."
What a joke. Was Song Manni still pretending to be modest and pure? A nightclub dancer, no longer pristine, yet believing she had the indomitable spirit to speak her mind?
"Come in!" Han Xuanmo commanded as he pulled her into the private booth next to him, its dimly lit ambiance thick with romance.
"What are you doing? I'm working right now, please respect that," she replied. Even though she was trembling inside, trailing off his domineering grasp, she wanted to prove herself she wasn’t the debauched woman men saw her as.
Kimono-attired, leaning against the booth door, she turned her face away from his, breathless. Her tassel earrings swung freely, shining with luminescent highlights.
Han Xuanmo, preparing himself for confrontation planted his right elbow against the door, his intense gaze locking onto Song Manni. There was no escape. "You were the one who wanted us to break up, remember?" he sneered. Beneath his soft tone, her breathing became laborious.
"That's right! I prefer wealthy men! After dating you for two years, I realized poor means nothing! I'm a woman and you can't give me what I want!"
"Is this what you want?!" Han Xuanmo interrupted with anger, "Do you know what kind of place you're working at? Have any clue about the tests one has to go through? Song Manni, is it worth disgracing yourself like this?"
"Why should you care?!" Tears streamed down her face as she lashed out at him:"Yes, I did break up, but you are the one in another relationship now!” Wait… why was she revealing all this in front of him? "I do not wish to see you again, not today, not ever."
She firmly rested her trembling hands on his chest, her voice choked with emotion. She was done explaining herself, wanting to leave the past where it belongs, without clinging onto those painful memories.
"Seven years ago, watching you cry tore me apart, and I vowed, as Han Xuanmo, never to see you in tears again. But now, I find your tears, and everything about you, disgusting, loathsome, filthy."
Han Xuanmo leaned closer, whispering into her ear, "How could you possibly know of my struggles, my sacrifices on behalf of my father? If not to pay his debts, how could I demean myself to such a state?"
"Then just leave! And stay out of Dake Nightclub! Why are you here? I am licentious, I am cheap, I am..." Before she could say another word, Han Xuanmo interrupted her with a passionate kiss, “Mmmh…” Caught by surprise, Song Manni’s eyes widened as she stared blankly at his handsome face just inches away from hers.
Han Xuanmo's skilled tongue swiftly breached her lips. She tried to escape from his powerful embrace, but it was futile. A potent numbness suffused her body as if he was swallowing her whole.
The sudden, urgent kiss left her incredibly flustered. Eventually, mustering all her strength, she pushed Han Xuanmo violently away. "Didn't you say I disgust you? Why are you kissing me then?"
"True, who knows how many men have claimed those little lips of yours. But tonight, they belong to me." What?! Song Manni instinctively resisted, vigorously shaking her head to avoid Han Xuanmo's advancing lips, only to be firmly held in place by his forceful hands.
"Don't you always say I am not good at anything? Now, you'll see, whether I am adept or incompetent at something as simple as a kiss."
"Wh..." Instinctively, she wanted to resist, but there was something about Han Xuanmo's irresistibly seductive lips, she found herself captivated. Damn, his kissing technique was far too... seasoned.
