Upon reaching the couch area of her hotel room, she stopped in her tracks.

"What are you doing here?" She was getting nervous, sensing danger of the situation. There was a man slouching on the couch.

"Why? You don't want to see me?" The man stood up and approached her. It was s.h.i.+ Fan Hai.

He had visited the culmination party earlier that night. Man Rui did not expect that there would be more of him tonight.

Teng Man Rui took a step back, and held her breath. All her senses were heightened.

The man extended his hand and stroked the lady's hair. Then he kissed her lips. She gasped.

Teng Man Rui took another step back. He surged forward. He kept on surging forward. He was being aggressive.

Then he stopped.

"How did you get in here?" Teng Man Rui inquired.

s.h.i.+ Fan Hai raised his hand holding the room's card, then sheepishly smiled. "It's my room too."

Teng Man Rui narrowed her eyes. He must have bribed the hotel's management for this little favor. "Fan Hai, please leave." She was trying to be firm with her stand.

"There's nothing between us now."

She headed towards the room's gla.s.s window and stared outside. "Leave. Now." She repeated.

There was only silence between them in the room. She had not heard the opening and closing of the door. Therefore, the man was still there.

"Huh!" She gasped. Before she could turn around, she was locked in place by the man's strong arms. He was hugging her from behind. He was sniffing her hair, and seemed to be too preoccupied. He whispered near her ear. "Man Rui. Man Rui. Why don't you join me instead? You'll be my queen."

His hand that was originally on his waist had sneakily moved upwards toward her bosom. He cupped her supple breast with it.

Teng Man Rui struggled out of his grasp. "s.h.i.+ Fan Hai, stop!! Just stop!!" Teng Man Rui grabbed the hand that was on her bosom and threw it in the air. She turned around abruptly and pushed him away. He only budged a little. She was no match for him in terms of strength. The struggle was making her weaker and more tired.

She sighed and closed her eyes. She was nearing tears. "s.h.i.+ Fan Hai, I beg you please leave my room. Leave my life! We talked about it didn't we? Back in Shanghai a few months ago?"

"Well, I'm taking it back." s.h.i.+ Fan Hai grinned his taunting smile. "Think about it, Man Rui. You'll be beside me when I already get what I want. Everything that's mine will be yours too."

They were face to face with each other. Teng Man Rui had completely expended her strength. There was no use in struggling against this man. s.h.i.+ Fan Hai held her waist close to his body. "Think about it Man Rui." He sealed it with a pa.s.sionate kiss. It was so aggressive that Man Rui's whole body trembled and her knees wobbled from so much weakness. The man's hold of her on the waist was the only thing that's keeping her still on her feet. The man further deepened the kiss.

There were two teardrops that managed to escape the lady's closed eyes. Her whole body was trembling so hard. She was too frail against this aggressive man.

Upon sensing the tears that fell on his lady's cheeks, he stopped kissing her lips. Instead, he kissed her cheeks where the tears fell down. "Don't cry my queen. Don't be too hard on yourself. Be with me, beside me. Let's take on this path together." He tightly hugged her, his hand was wrapped around her waist, while the other hand was on her nape, supporting her neck and head.

Man Rui could only wail from her man's words. She was trying to recall the reason why, in the first place, had she chosen to love this man. Of all the good bachelors out there, why had she fallen in love with this devil? If only you could teach your heart to love and un-love, if only you could teach your heart to only choose people to love within the acceptable range.

She was pondering whether or not she was lucky, that the man she loved reciprocated her sentiments, equally, even stronger than her own feelings. Other people in the same situation would be ecstatic – would be over the moon, knowing that their loved one had returned their feelings.

But for her, it seemed it was a curse. She could not let go of this man, and he could not let go of her either. Only, this man was blinded by greed, and was kept in the dark for so long, and had decided on his own to be in the dark path for the rest of his life.

She, on the other hand, had always treasured her morals, and her relations.h.i.+ps with her family and friends. Could she really exchange all her goodness for this man?

"s.h.i.+ Fan Hai." She retorted once she calmed down a bit. This man was still holding her in place. "I don't have to choose. You choose instead. Be by my side, and forget all those craziness, or I won't be with you. Let's just live a simple life, mhmm?" She was pleading with her voice, with her eyes.

The man bellowed in laughter. "HAHAHAHAHAHA."

"Simple life? What would come out of a simple life, Man Rui? You're being too naive my queen." He kissed her cheek, then proceeded in playfully nibbling the edge of her ear. "Have you thought about your future, and all your descendants' future with that simple life of yours? I'm paving the way for our future together – to be the strongest family in Imperial, such that all the other families will bow to us, and to all our descendants."

"You don't have to step on other people." Man Rui argued back. She buried her face on his shoulder.

"Think about it my queen. The path I want to take with you." He ignored her argument, rather, he proceeded in carrying her in his arms and headed towards the bedroom.