I Want You - Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Shang Congzhi endured the humiliation and got into Mu Xinglan’s car. To her surprise, the car pulled up in front of a styling studio.

Shang Congzhi looked at the man who had personally opened the door for her. “Why did you bring me here?”

Mu Xinglan’s tall, slender figure leaned in slightly as he looked down at her, asking nonchalantly, “Scared?”

“Who’s scared?” Shang Congzhi hummed, placing her hand on his extended palm. It wasn’t like they were going to a hotel to check into a room; what was there to be afraid of? It wasn’t as if Mu Xinglan had a fetish for “fitting room play,” after all.

Half an hour later, when Shang Congzhi walked down the spiral staircase in an incredibly beautiful, form-fitting black silk gown, the studio staff let out gasps of awe. Her slightly wavy long hair had been braided by a skilled stylist with a pearl headband, loosely pinned back, with natural curls framing her face, highlighting her perfect features.

“So beautiful!”

Hearing the studio staff’s praise, the young man sitting on the sofa waiting finally lifted his gaze. He stared for a few seconds, then withdrew his eyes, his voice as gentle and composed as ever: “Not bad. Let’s go with this one.”

Shang Congzhi went down, lifting her hem without looking at Mu Xinglan. She found a floor-to-ceiling mirror and checked the design of the back, feeling very satisfied. The highlight of this dress was the back—a large cut-out design down to the waist, adorned with several pearl chains against her snow-white skin, mysterious and alluring.

It wasn’t until Mu Xinglan handed over his credit card that he caught a glimpse of her smooth, white back.

“…”

The studio staff, both men and women, were all staring at her back.

Mu Xinglan’s gaze dimmed. He grasped the slender wrist that was holding the hem and led her into the nearest fitting room: “Take it off.”

Shang Congzhi was shoved into the cramped space of the fitting room unexpectedly. She looked at the handsome man just inches away, her beautiful eyes full of alarm: “You aren’t trying to make me play ‘fitting room play’ with you, are you?!”

The space was so narrow they could hear each other’s heartbeats. Seeing Mu Xinglan remain silent, Shang Congzhi instinctively took a half-step back. “Let me tell you, if an ‘adult transaction’ means I have to pay with my body, I will absolutely not sacrifice—”

Before she could finish, Mu Xinglan used two fingers to hook her shoulder, dragging them down to unzip the invisible zipper at her waist. He repeated his previous words: “Take the dress off.”

After saying that, he handed her the backup dress he had chosen earlier and turned to leave.

Shang Congzhi: “???”

“Wait, what exactly are you doing?” she cried, clutching the gown that was about to slip off. In a panic, she grabbed the edge of Mu Xinglan’s suit jacket, demanding he explain before he left. It’s not like changing back and forth is effortless!

Before opening the door, Mu Xinglan whispered: “Accompany me to a ball, and I’ll return the yacht to you.”

Having received a concrete answer, Shang Congzhi let go. A ball, huh? Being his date in exchange for her yacht worth over 100 million? This trade isn’t a loss!

At night, the Luyun Manor was aglow with lights. The extravagant villa gates opened from both sides as limited-edition luxury cars—a rare sight even in the country—drove in one after another, making it a “bragging night” for supercars. Tonight, the villa was hosting a high-society masquerade ball; everyone there was either wealthy or noble.

Outside the banquet hall, waiters were handing out masks. Shang Congzhi, clutching Mu Xinglan’s arm, chose a painted fox mask; it matched her newly changed light-gold embroidered sequin dress with the high slit perfectly. Thin diamond chains hung on her shoulders, making the fabric cling to her body, reflecting brilliant radiance under the lights. Her graceful, slender figure and glowing white skin held up the dress’s opulence effortlessly. It suited her even better than the one she had swapped out.

One had to admit, Mu Xinglan’s aesthetic taste was spot on.

Shang Congzhi pursed her red lips and entered with him. The place was a flurry of fragrance and shadow, incredibly grand. Indeed… the world of adults.

She asked uneasily: “Are you sure that if I accompany you to this ball, you’ll return the yacht?”

Mu Xinglan led her inside, his voice unhurried: “As long as you are obedient.”

Shang Congzhi looked up at Mu Xinglan. Why do I feel like… he’s brushing me off? She tugged on his sleeve with her fair, slender fingers again: “No way. If you don’t promise, I’m leaving right now!”

Mu Xinglan lowered his eyelashes. In Shang Congzhi’s eyes, which were brighter than the lights, he gave a slow smile: “Zhizhi, here you can only enter. You cannot leave before midnight.”

Shang Congzhi: “!!!”

D*mn. Outplayed. She looked at Mu Xinglan in shock. What happened to the refined, upright Mr. Mu?! Even though she didn’t like him anymore, she had still believed in his character. Was he just toying with her trust like this?

Mu Xinglan pulled the fox mask from her hand and put it on her himself: “As long as you’re a little more well-behaved tonight, I’ll have Secretary Qin take you to get the yacht tomorrow.”

After putting it on, the man lifted her delicate chin to admire her for a few seconds, then used his clean fingers to gently brush aside the curled stray hairs on her cheeks. The mask covered the top half of her face, but her peach-blossom eyes curved upward slightly—even when angry, they seemed filled with a pool of shimmering spring water. With her red lips and black hair, she was stunning. She really did look a bit like a vixen now.

Shang Congzhi looked back at the floor-to-ceiling window. She discovered that indeed, cars were only coming in, not leaving. And—her phone had been confiscated by Mu Xinglan when she changed her clothes.

It’s over. When under someone else’s roof, one has to bow their head. Everything was for the yacht. Shang Congzhi thought of that first-tier actress who had hijacked the yacht for her commercial, and mentally noted down her name in her little black book.

As time arrived, the brightly lit hall suddenly went dark. Shang Congzhi subconsciously grabbed the man’s arm tightly: “What’s going on?”

Mu Xinglan’s cool voice was strangely reassuring in the darkness. He leaned down and whispered in her ear: “Don’t be afraid.” Because it was too dark, his thin lips nearly bumped into her ear when he leaned down to speak. Shang Congzhi covered her tingling earlobe, muttering indignantly: “If you want to talk, just talk; why lean down?”

The next moment, she understood why he had to speak into her ear. Brilliant lights suddenly flashed on, and music followed. The feast of glamour changed; the lights circled a dance floor in the center. Shang Congzhi watched in horror as women who had seemed noble and elegant were dancing with ease, their moves hot and uninhibited.

Little country bumpkin Zhizhi watched this scene in shock. What is going on?? Remembering the limited-edition luxury cars outside, and how she had heard a waiter refuse someone entry by saying: “Your estimated net worth does not meet our minimum requirement; I apologize.” She had asked what the minimum was back then. The waiter had answered: “Estimated at 10 billion.”

So, the people here wearing masks and dancing recklessly… the social circle they belonged to was obvious. Do they all relax like this in private?

Just as Shang Congzhi stared at the dance floor, a pair of strong, powerful arms cinched her slender waist and pulled her onto the floor. Shang Congzhi was so startled she stepped right onto Mu Xinglan’s leather shoe. Clutching his lapels, she stood on her tiptoes and whispered fiercely in his ear: “WHAT ARE YOU DOING!!!”

“Didn’t you want to dance?” Mu Xinglan held her shoulders, replying nonchalantly.

People on the dance floor saw them and quite cooperatively cleared a spot. Shang Congzhi was forced to “want” to dance. The music on the dance floor gradually slowed, turning into an amorous ballroom dance. Shang Congzhi glimpsed many people hugging and kissing while dancing, which scared her into looking away immediately.

She looked up, wanting to say something to Mu Xinglan, and met his ink-black eyes squarely. Shang Congzhi parted her red lips, but before she could speak, the man pulled her in a circle. The butterfly bones exposed in the air instantly pressed against his chest. Even through the suit and shirt, Shang Congzhi could feel the distinct, hard, masculine muscles contrasting with her own soft, graceful frame.

It was riddled with danger. Mu Xinglan’s magnetic voice sounded by her ear: “The man on the left wearing the white mask is the president of Mingyao Entertainment. He loves to ‘submerge’ (blackmail/exploit) female celebrities, especially young, beautiful girls like you. He is unscrupulous and has a low-class style.”

Shang Congzhi steadied herself and looked over subconsciously. The young man in the white mask, wearing a formal suit, had his hands resting on the waist and hips of a woman with a scorching figure, dancing a close-contact dance. As he grew more audacious and saw her looking, he even smiled at her. Before Shang Congzhi could react, Mu Xinglan spun her around, shielding her from all prying eyes.

Shang Congzhi was momentarily stunned—not because she was scared, but because she was curious about Mu Xinglan’s motive.

“Zhizhi, there are many people like that in the entertainment industry. Hearts are complex; there’s nothing here worth playing with.” Turning her body back to face him, Mu Xinglan looked into her eyes calmly. It was as if this pool of amorous decadence hadn’t stirred his emotions in the slightest.

At some point, the massive ballroom seemed to have only the two of them left. A spotlight landed on them. On the dance floor, a man and woman wearing identical fox masks stared at each other. The man was tall and straight; his exposed jawline was perfect and superior. Even though half his face was covered, his exceptional elegance was clear. The girl buried in his arms, just by looking at her slender legs and snow-white, beautiful back, was clearly a stunning beauty.

The pair’s looks were too high-tier. Cheers, applause, and jeers suddenly erupted. Someone shouted: “Ten-minute tongue kiss!”

“Tongue kiss! Tongue kiss!”

It turned out they had walked into the center of the stage, triggering a hidden segment. Kiss… Mu Xinglan… with tongue!

When she looked up and her eyes met his beautifully shaped thin lips, she felt as if she’d been electrocuted and struggled to get out of his arms. The jeering around them became even more boisterous. Shang Congzhi looked at Mu Xinglan for help, but discovered his handsome face showed no signs of discomfort. He was just looking at her, his thin lips even curling into a slight arc.

What kind of sick humor does this dog man have?

Suddenly, Shang Congzhi’s expression went calm. She didn’t believe Mu Xinglan would actually kiss her. He viewed her as a younger sister; he would have to be insane to kiss her. She even steeled herself, rested her hands on his shoulders, and took the initiative to stand on her tiptoes to meet his lips.

Her mind was racing: Push me away, fairy! Then she could pretend to be a heartbroken, injured girl and run away.

Her soft red lips moved closer and closer to the man’s thin lips. Ten inches. Three inches. Finally, one inch…

She looked straight into the man’s handsome, picturesque face, close enough to hear their breaths intertwining. Shang Congzhi’s movements froze.

Fortunately, her peripheral vision caught the clock—the hand was pointing to midnight. Shang Congzhi backed up two steps, suddenly lifted her hem, turned, and ran. Her slender, graceful figure vanished into the banquet hall like a gust of wind. The jeering crowd hadn’t even reacted yet. She was like Cinderella whose magic automatically wore off at midnight; once the time was up, she would disappear from the ball.

Fortunately, Shang Congzhi hadn’t lost her heels.

There was a large temperature difference between day and night on the mountain; the cold wind blowing on Shang Congzhi made her mind completely clear. I almost couldn’t hold back and kissed him just now. It was all because of Mu Xinglan’s face—it was just too bewitching! Even if she didn’t like him as a person anymore, it didn’t prevent her from coveting his looks and body. That’s normal. Even a fairy has normal physiological reactions.

She gently stroked her heart, which was in chaos from the running.

When Mu Xinglan came out, he saw the girl standing at the entrance, her hair blown into a mess, yet unable to conceal her stunning beauty. He sighed inwardly. His long fingers unbuttoned his suit jacket and took it off. He walked to her side in a few steps and wrapped the suit jacket around her slender, fragile frame.

Mu Xinglan led her through a side door to the second floor. Compared to the bustling first floor, the second floor was much quieter. At the end of the corridor, there was a circular lounge area. Mu Xinglan stopped: “Wait here for a while.”

He had come to the second floor to talk business with the owner of Luyun Manor, and Shang Congzhi had just happened to bump into him. There were inevitably people in the entertainment industry with sleazy methods. Even if she wasn’t done “playing around,” she needed at least some sense of awe for the circle. If she was lawless and he didn’t happen to notice, what would happen if she got bullied? If he hadn’t wanted to use this to make her more vigilant and recognize the treachery, the corruption, and the rot beneath the glamorous surface, Mu Xinglan would never have stepped foot into a masquerade ball.

Shang Congzhi looked at the handsome, calm man beside her, but the image in her mind was the scene in the center of the dance floor—if she hadn’t stopped, they definitely would have kissed.

Before he entered the room next door, Shang Congzhi asked: “Why didn’t you dodge just now?”

The man’s silhouette paused, his cool voice echoing slowly: “Zhizhi, we are a married couple.”

“Married couple my foot! What does he mean by emphasizing that?”

There was only Shang Congzhi in the lounge. She made a call to her best friend, Fu Xingqiao, to vent.

Fu Xingqiao’s voice was a bit blurry: “He’s hinting at you.”

Shang Congzhi heard her strange tone and thought she hadn’t woken up yet, so she lounged lazily on the sofa: “Hinting at what?”

Fu Xingqiao: “Meaning, hinting that you should fulfill your marital duties. A ‘pure ascetic’ type like my cousin usually likes to be ‘repressed but randy.’ So, he means… um, he’s, uh, seducing you, baby.”

Her voice was intermittent, the tail end stretching like elongated sugar threads. In the next second, she seemed to be talking to someone beside her: “Oops, Xie Jin, be gentle. I’m chatting with Zhizhi.”

Shang Congzhi finally realized why Fu Xingqiao’s tone was so strange. Her red lips twitched: “What are you two doing, hatching chicks in the middle of the night and picking up the phone!”

In the next second, a man’s cold, indifferent voice came from the phone: “Is Mu Xinglan incompetent?”

Shang Congzhi: “???”

Before Shang Congzhi could speak, her phone was suddenly snatched away. Mu Xinglan, having finished his business, stood before her and said into the phone, word for word: “You two, don’t corrupt the kid.”

At the same time, Shang Congzhi reached out to grab her phone back to avoid it being confiscated again. Who knew she would step on her dress, lose her balance, and slide off the sofa, landing half-kneeling on the carpet and bumping her forehead into the side of the man’s thigh.

“Sss…” She gasped.

Mu Xinglan braced her arm with one hand, his brow furrowed as he scolded her: “Careless.”

Xie Jin’s voice came through: “Then keep a tight leash on your kid. You two don’t have normal married activities at night, but others do.”

Mu Xinglan threw the phone onto the sofa, too lazy to talk to him, because the scene was becoming a bit out of control. When Shang Congzhi bumped into him, her hair had hooked onto his belt.

Mu Xinglan braced her with one hand while trying to press down her restless little head: “Don’t move around. I’ll untangle you.”

On the phone, Xie Jin, having been interrupted mid-tryst with his wife, was naturally unhappy. Since he was unhappy, he wouldn’t let Mu Xinglan be happy either, continuing to output “venom”: “Or are you really incompetent? Is the性冷淡 (sexually frigid) part fake? Is the ‘base equipment’ being inadequate the truth?”

Shang Congzhi wanted to cry. She peeked upward unintentionally—if the situation hadn’t forbidden it, she really wanted to defend Mu Xinglan with one sentence: His ‘base equipment’ is absolutely fine, and it might even be overdeveloped.

Fortunately, Xie Jin finished his output and hung up, feeling refreshed. From someone else’s perspective, Shang Congzhi was half-kneeling on the floor, and the man’s slender fingers were at his belt—it looked incredibly lewd.

“Mr. Mu, it seems you need a room.”

A voice containing a playful laugh came from behind. Just in time, Mu Xinglan had untangled the strand of hair from his belt and pulled her up from the floor. He replied in a flat voice: “No need, we are leaving.”

Shang Congzhi felt relieved as her hair was saved. She looked instinctively at the source of the voice and saw a young man. His medium-length hair was slightly curled, revealing handsome, refined features. He wore gold-rimmed glasses with chains, and the affectionate, teasing eyes looking at everyone from behind the lenses were now looking at them with amusement.

However, Shang Congzhi didn’t focus on his face, but instead on the white mask he was toying with in his hand. Her dark pupils trembled slightly. This isn’t— the man from the dance floor?

Judging by the room he walked out of, Mu Xinglan had been talking business with him. She knew Mu Xinglan; when choosing partners, he generally looked at character first. If the character was vile, they were blacklisted immediately.

So— Shang Congzhi suddenly realized that Mu Xinglan might have been deliberately deceiving her. Her eyes narrowed slightly, and in front of Mu Xinglan, she asked the man toying with the mask: “Are you the president of Mingyao Entertainment who loves to ‘submerge’ young, beautiful, new people?”

Loves to ‘submerge’? And the ones submerged are young, beautiful newcomers? He and his usual female companions were clearly mutually consensual; who was spreading rumors about him!

Luo Yanbai looked at Mu Xinglan. Mu Xinglan, standing behind Shang Congzhi, glanced at him nonchalantly, his thin lips silently forming a number. Luo Yanbai automatically switched into a playboy mode: “That’s right, I do indeed have that hobby recently.”

“Is the little girl scared?”

“If you’re scared, stay away from me!”

Mu Xinglan didn’t want Shang Congzhi to talk to him anymore. He held her hand and walked out, coaxing her: “See? The entertainment industry is very dangerous. When you’ve had enough fun, come home with me.”

He sounded just like a devoted husband persuading his wife who had cheated to willingly return to the family.