I Wish To Never Leave Your Side - Chapter 1

Tonight was Qiu Yan’s first night as Mo Lishen’s lover.

Following instructions, Qiu Yan had bathed meticulously and was now waiting for her patron.

Clutching the hem of her bathrobe tightly, she sat on the edge of the bed, trying to steady her breathing. Closing her eyes, she wrestled with the thought, should she flee or stay?

Just days ago, Mo Lishen’s previous lover had spent only one night with her and was sent to the hospital the next morning. Sitting in this room, Qiu Yan had no idea how many women had been here before her, nor what kind of torment they had endured at Mo Lishen’s hands.

To her, the room reeked of debauchery, nauseating her and making her want to escape immediately.

But if she ran, where would she go to earn money? Rely on the meager one or two hundred yuan she made daily as an extra?

Qiu Yan blinked away a tear that had welled in the corner of her eye. Lifting her head and opening her eyes, she struggled to accept her surroundings.

The sound of a car engine outside pulled her back to reality. Unable to resist, she stood up and peered through a gap in the curtains.

A black car had just pulled up in front of the building. Out of nowhere, a figure dashed toward the car door as it began to open, clutching something in hand.

In the blink of an eye, two bodyguards pinned the person to the ground. The car door finally swung fully open, and Mo Lishen stepped out leisurely, walking over to the kneeling figure.

“Make him look up,” Mo Lishen said flatly, devoid of any emotion.

The bodyguard grabbed the man’s hair, forcing his neck upward.

Mo Lishen idly twisted the ring on her right middle finger and glanced up. “Mr. Wang, following me is not a wise move.”

“Ms. Mo, please, spare me,” the man stammered, trembling at the sight of the ring. “I was just following orders. I swear I’ll never appear before you again…”

“Hold him steady.” Mo Lishen had no interest in hearing more. With a flick of her right hand, a slender blade emerged from the ring. Aiming at the man’s ear, Mo Lishen swiftly brought the blade down.

A piercing scream tore through Qiu Yan’s eardrums. She covered her mouth with both hands, her pupils dilating in horror. The room echoed with the sound of her ragged breaths.

Frozen in place, only one thought consumed her: she had to get out of here. Perhaps overwhelmed by fear, her legs gave way, and she collapsed. By the time she tried to steady herself against the window and stand, it was too late.

The sound of a lock turning came from the door…

Mo Lishen accepted a wet wipe from her assistant, meticulously cleaning the blood from her hands. She removed the ring and carefully wiped the slender blade.

“Is she in the room?” Mo Lishen glanced at the closed bedroom door before heading into the washroom.

“Yes,” the assistant replied, following her and offering disinfectant wipes and tissues. “Her name is…”

“No need for introductions. I’ll ask her myself later.” Mo Lishen pumped a few squirts of hand soap, washing her hands thoroughly before taking an alcohol wipe to disinfect the ring, a glint of amusement in her eyes.

“You may leave. Wait for me downstairs.” Mo Lishen put the ring back on, dried her hands, and strode step by step toward the bedroom.

Qiu Yan clenched her fists tightly, desperately searching for something to defend herself with, yet knowing it was futile. All she could do was stand there, trying to regulate her breathing.

The sound of high heels grew closer, each step pounding in rhythm with her frantic heartbeat. Overwhelming fear made her legs feel weak and her stomach churn.

The door to the room was finally twisted open. Qiu Yan stood with her hands clasped in front of her, not daring to lift her head, only stealing a glance at the newcomer from under lowered brows.

From Mo Lishen’s perspective, Qiu Yan’s posture was obedient and submissive, greatly pleasing her.

Mo Lishen let out a soft, amused breath, the corners of her lips curling slightly as she slowly approached Qiu Yan.

By the faint light from the window, Qiu Yan stole a look at Mo Lishen. She was wearing a deep V-neck silver gown with a hemline adorned with hanging diamonds. The scattered crystals on the dress shimmered with a cold gleam under the moonlight. The gown accentuated her slender figure perfectly, and a black fur stole draped over her shoulders seemed to conceal all desire, making her both dangerous and captivating.

Mo Lishen’s legs, visible beneath the hem of her dress, were long and pale. Her skin was so fair it seemed almost bloodless under the moonlight, and the glimpses of her skin as she walked were strikingly alluring.

Qiu Yan instinctively stared at her legs until a voice came from above her head:

“What are you looking at?” The woman’s emotionless tone sent a shiver down Qiu Yan’s spine, and she instinctively stepped back.

Mo Lishen wrapped an arm around her waist, locking her in an embrace.

Mo Lishen was half a head taller than Qiu Yan, whose body tensed up, too afraid to look up at her.

Mo Lishen leaned in close, tilting her head to lightly sniff her. “Not bad, you’re very clean,” she said, her tone teasing and playful, though her eyes remained cold as they gazed at the trembling little quail in her arms.

Qiu Yan’s body remained rigid. She didn’t know what to do to avoid angering her patron, so she dared not speak or make any movement.

The person who had brought her here had only told her to wash thoroughly and wear nothing but a bathrobe while waiting in the room. Beyond that, Qiu Yan knew nothing.

Her understanding of Mo Lishen came only from business news and hearsay and, of course, from what she had just witnessed: Mo Lishen cutting off someone’s ear.

At the thought, Qiu Yan instinctively hunched her shoulders.

Mo Lishen gripped Qiu Yan’s chin. “What are you afraid of?” With her other hand, she guided Qiu Yan to the bed, leaning close to her ear and whispering, “As long as you behave, I won’t hurt you.”

The cold fragrance that accompanied Mo Lishen’s proximity made the reality of being kept all the more tangible. Qiu Yan had no choice but to endure it, not daring to resist.

Mo Lishen scattered light kisses over Qiu Yan’s eyes and nose while her right hand untied the bathrobe and slipped inside.

Qiu Yan pressed herself against the headboard, her hands gripping the sheets tightly. Mo Lishen’s hands were cold, and the icy touch against her skin made Qiu Yan shiver.

Mo Lishen showed no tenderness, going straight for two sensitive spots with firm pressure.

Caught off guard, Qiu Yan let out a muffled moan.

After making the sound, she felt a wave of shame and turned her head slightly away.

Mo Lishen gently grasped her neck, turning her face back, and began to peck at the corners of her lips. “What’s your name?”

The woman’s voice had grown husky.

“Qiu Yan,” she replied, struggling to keep her voice steady as she tried to ignore the hands roaming over her body.

“Which ‘Yan’?”

“The ‘Yan’ from ‘rich wine and spring’s abundance,'” Qiu Yan’s breathing began to grow uneven.

“How old are you?” Mo Lishen’s kisses didn’t deepen but drifted downward, nipping lightly.

“Twenty… four.”

Four years younger than Mo Lishen.

“What did you do before coming here?” Qiu Yan’s bathrobe had slipped off completely, leaving her exposed to the other’s whims.

Qiu Yan almost blurted out “extra,” but a shred of remaining rationality made her grant the other a meaningless shred of dignity. She changed her answer: “An actress.”

As soon as the words left her mouth, Mo Lishen’s eyes snapped open. Her grip unconsciously tightened as she stared at Qiu Yan in the darkness.

The pain made Qiu Yan’s breath catch. She bit back a sound, but a few faint sobs escaped her.

The person above her stilled. Qiu Yan opened her eyes to look, this was the first time she had met Mo Lishen’s gaze.

Her eyes were icy and sharp, scrutinizing Qiu Yan like a beast lurking in the dark, fixated on its prey. Qiu Yan felt the ring, still stained with fresh blood, press against her skin and slowly trace its way toward her carotid artery.

Mo Lishen curled her right hand, the ring grazing Qiu Yan’s face as she spat out two frigid words: “An actress?”

By now, Mo Lishen’s eyes had fully adjusted to the dark. When she finally saw Qiu Yan clearly, she froze for a moment.

She reached over and switched on the bedside lamp.

Cold white light instantly flooded every corner of the room. Qiu Yan found it glaring and tilted her head slightly away.

But the moment she turned, a powerful grip seized her chin, and the back of her head slammed hard against the headboard.

Dizzy and disoriented, Qiu Yan had just regained her vision when a sharp slap from Mo Lishen sent her head whipping to the side.

Only after the door slammed shut did Qiu Yan dare to breathe deeply again. Her skin was delicate, and the mark of the slap quickly bloomed across her cheek.

After a long while, she pulled the bathrobe from nearby and wrapped it around herself. As she tied the belt, she noticed several red marks where she had been gripped tightly.

She quickly closed the robe and tied it securely, as if she could conceal her shame and humiliation this way. Qiu Yan wiped her face and walked into the bathroom, wanting to wash away the scent of that person and everything that had happened tonight.

Steam filled the room as Qiu Yan rinsed her body. Unbidden, her mind replayed the events of the evening. She had expected inhuman torment, but instead, her patron had simply left.

Was it her appearance? Was she not good enough to earn this money?

Perhaps it was for the best. Otherwise, one careless misstep, and she might lose more than just an ear.

Remembering the ring on Mo Lishen’s hand, a chill ran through her. She turned up the water temperature, letting the steam envelop her.

She recalled what she had seen moments earlier:

The corners of Mo Lishen’s eyes were tinged with red…

Inside the business car, Mo Lishen twisted open a bottle of ice water and drank deeply. Bai Hua, her assistant in the passenger seat, held her breath, watching Mo Lishen cautiously through the rearview mirror. The woman tonight was someone she had found just days ago, surely her qualifications weren’t so lacking as to provoke such displeasure.

“She’s an actress,” Mo Lishen finally spoke, casting a frosty glare toward her assistant.

Bai Hua opened her mouth but said nothing. She had investigated Qiu Yan and found no record of her acting in any notable productions. She only knew Qiu Yan had spent years working on film sets. At the time, Bai Hua thought working odd jobs on set hardly qualified someone as an actress.

But she didn’t dare contradict Mo Lishen. “I’m sorry, Ms. Mo. I failed in my duty. Should we… keep her?”

Mo Lishen recalled Qiu Yan’s appearance, her sorrowful eyes, the teardrop mole beneath them, and felt a memory stirring deep within her.

She pulled a cigarette from her bag, lit it, and took two slow drags.

“Keep her.” The woman’s voice echoed in the car, and Bai Hua’s tense heart finally settled.

She had no other women prepared at hand. If this woman didn’t stay, she was afraid Mr. Mo would be angry. To this day, she still didn’t understand why Mr. Mo refused to hire actresses. It seemed that in the future, she would have to be even more careful when selecting mistresses.

“Proceed as usual.” Mo Lishen took only two puffs before extinguishing his cigarette and added, “Find someone to keep an eye on her. Don’t let her run away.”

“Yes.”

“Wait.” Mo Lishen changed his mind again. “No need to assign someone to watch her for now. Just proceed as usual.”

“Yes.”