**Chapter 34 – Dazzling and Bewitching**

Aside from the cold, clear moonlight, the vast room had no other source of illumination.

Qin Mang wore a frost-colored robe. Moonlight spilled across her slender, graceful figure, the faintly shimmering silver patterns on her back looking like flowing moonlight itself. From behind, she was the epitome of ethereal beauty, like a fairy untouched by the mortal world — a moonlit goddess descending from the heavens.

However—

From the front…

Her porcelain-like fingertips were pressed against a small, intricately designed metal cage.

The cage swayed gently, its sleek lines reflecting dazzling flashes of light.

Qin Mang squinted playfully. “Didn’t you almost suffocate last time?”

“I’m going to guest star in a drama soon. We can’t have our dear President He suffering while I’m away, right? This thing here—your sweet little wife can keep you company remotely.”

“How about it? Isn’t this the perfect birthday gift?”

Pleased, she withdrew her wolf-like claws and pulled a small, sleek remote control from beneath the pillow.

Facing the dangerously attractive man in front of her, she smiled brightly. “There’s more to this surprise.”

Not afraid of him at all.

Because she had a secret weapon!

Once it was activated—

What the surprise was, well, that would become crystal clear.

In the quiet room, a soft mechanical hum sounded.

Qin Mang’s red lips curled upward. Her pretty face donned an innocent look. “Wow\~”

He Lingji leaned against the headboard. His gray-blue eyes looked still and fathomless, like the calm of a deep ocean, a stark contrast to her mischief.

His self-control was formidable.

It was as though his mind and body could be separated—his spirit could escape, but his body was trapped, caged, unable to be soothed or saved.

The tiny remote had a lot of buttons and was quite complex.

It could even connect to a phone!

That made things even more interesting.

Qin Mang was having the time of her life, pressing each button to see what it did.

Her vibrant red lips emitted surprised little gasps like someone witnessing the wonders of the world for the first time.

“Wow, it does that too?”

“Ooh! This must be for privacy… Quite ergonomically designed, actually—”

He Lingji’s deep eyes flared with a dark glint, like a still sea suddenly stirred by massive waves.

Qin Mang froze when she met his gaze.

She realized his eyes were even more bewitching than the planet-blue sapphires she’d spent a fortune on.

“Mrs. He, this is—”

“…Abuse.”

His low, raspy voice wrapped around the words like burning lava.

Seizing the moment when she was distracted, He Lingji snatched the silver remote from her hands.

Only then did Qin Mang realize what he was trying to do.

Like a slippery fish, she slipped from under his arm and darted away—

Leaving only her silky frost-colored robe caught in his fingers.

In the chaos—

She must’ve pressed something by accident.

The cold, silver cage suddenly sprouted **soft spikes**.

What the hell!?

Qin Mang was genuinely stunned!

He Lingji: “…”

He suddenly gave up resisting and collapsed against the headboard.

Qin Mang: “…”

“Hubby, you… okay?”

“Done already?”

Moonlight bathed his form, adding a delicate sheen to his cold, handsome face.

From a distant, divine god…

He’d turned into a seductive demon.

Every inch of him oozed temptation.

After a pause, the man murmured, “Unlock it.”

Qin Mang, though momentarily swayed, refused firmly. “No.”

“It’s dirty.”

“How am I supposed to wash it if you won’t unlock it?”

“You’re gonna make me—”

That word he always tried to slip in while she gamed almost escaped his lips again.

Qin Mang interrupted quickly, “Wash, wash! I’ll wash it, okay!?”

No way was she letting him say that dirty word!

He Lingji closed his eyes, looking like a man drained after the deed. “You did this. You deal with it.”

?

When Qin Mang picked up the towel, something felt… off.

What was she doing again?

Wasn’t she supposed to be **punishing** this man?

How did it turn into **him enjoying it**?

She threw the warm towel down.

Strike!

Standing beside the bed, she glared down at him:

“This is something every proper married man should wear.”

“If you refuse to put it on, it must mean you’re sneaking around behind my back…”

“I knew it. You lied to me. I mean, you even dared come home smelling like perfume—what else wouldn’t you dare do…?”

He Lingji smirked faintly. “All proper men wear this?”

“Exactly.”

Qin Mang nodded seriously and spouted nonsense with a straight face. “Any married man who refuses to wear it isn’t proper. You shouldn’t hang out with such men—they’ll corrupt you!”

Very good.

Following the principle that good things must be shared—

He Lingji immediately ordered a custom set for his close friend, the famously henpecked “Number One Whipped Husband in Business” — **Rong Huaiyan**.

Rong Huaiyan: \[What is this?]

He Lingji: \[Something good.]

Rong Huaiyan opened the box: \[You actually used it?]

He Lingji replied with a question: \[What, you won’t?]

Rong Huaiyan: \[Let me ask you something first.]

He Lingji: \[Oh, my wife says men who won’t wear it are improper and lack morals. She doesn’t let me associate with such men — she says I’ll be led astray.]

Maybe others couldn’t fully appreciate the benefits of this device.

But Rong Huaiyan—an aristocratic heir educated in astronomy, geography, poetry, and literature—was no ordinary man.

His family’s century-old collection of books naturally included knowledge of couple’s games from across cultures and eras. He understood **perfectly** the marvel of this invention.

Rong Huaiyan: \[Good brother. Thank you.]

Who would’ve thought this seemingly uptight and prim He Lingji had such treasures up his sleeve?

As thanks for his friend’s generous sharing, Rong Huaiyan compressed his personally curated “knowledge” into a file and sent it to He Lingji.

File note:

**“For private viewing when wife’s not home”**

It looked just like a spammy adult ad.

But it included every kind of couple’s play from ancient times to the modern world.

Very thorough.

It wasn’t in vain that he had read the “Classics of the Sages” for over twenty years.

He really did know a lot.

Originally,Qin Mang had intended to just mess with him a little, making He Lingji beg her to unlock it.
Who would’ve thought this man wouldn’t play by the rules—he really went to work like that the very same day.

This device was specially designed—very thin and light. When worn with suit pants, nothing seemed unusual from the outside.

But—
Qin Mang watched He Lingji acting so calm and composed and felt even more baffled than him.

What if someone noticed?
Wasn’t he afraid at all?
Did this dog of a man have no sense of shame?

Soon, Qin Mang learned that shame truly wasn’t part of his vocabulary.
Every time he had a physical need, he’d directly ask her to unlock it remotely.

Qin Mang: “…”

After a few days of this,
Receiving the occasional call from He Lingji during the day to unlock it, Qin Mang finally couldn’t take it anymore.
She decided to make a surprise inspection.

Was this damn man really not just playing with her?

Recently, the paparazzi had grown tired of following her.
Qin Mang easily shook them off and headed to the He Corporation.

She had a password given to her by Secretary Cong earlier, allowing her to take the CEO’s private elevator from the parking garage straight to the top floor.
This floor only had the CEO’s office and the secretarial office. Regular employees wouldn’t come up easily.

But Qin Mang didn’t expect to encounter a refined and pretty-looking woman there.
And the woman even knew her.

“Good afternoon, Mrs. He.”
The elegant and intellectual woman greeted her warmly.
She gave off a very pleasant aura.

Everyone who knew her identity was one of He Lingji’s secretaries, so Qin Mang naturally assumed she was the new one.
She asked directly, “Where’s He Lingji?”

“President He has a banquet tonight.”
“He’s already gone out.”

Lou Tingdai responded calmly and gracefully. Her voice was pleasant.

At first, Qin Mang didn’t think much of her. But as they brushed past each other, she caught a faint whiff of the woman’s perfume and glanced at her lazily, then said casually, “You… take me there.”

Lou Tingdai showed a hint of surprise,
But still responded, “Yes.”

It was a private banquet.
Those who could have in-depth collaborations with the He Corporation were all prominent figures in the industry.
Naturally, they were all familiar faces.
Qin Mang wasn’t afraid of meeting them.

When they arrived at the Shenghe Bay Hotel, it was already close to afternoon.
Qin Mang didn’t expect to come up empty again.
Her patience was wearing thin. Annoyed and feeling warm, she took off her coat and draped it over her arm, revealing a luxurious and refined velvet gown beneath. Her slender waist and delicate bones stood out under the dazzling crystal chandelier—just standing there, she was a sight to behold.

The hotel manager quickly came over to greet her.
Just as Qin Mang was about to cancel the surprise inspection and call directly, Secretary Cong rushed out of the elevator.

“Secretary Cong?”
Cong Zhen’s eyes lit up when he saw her:
“Ma’am.
You’re just in time.”

Ma’am?
The hotel manager glanced in surprise at the sharp-featured, stunning female celebrity, clearly not expecting that identity.
He had been the one to receive her the last time she came for a magazine shoot.
He never imagined she had such a status.

Having lived over forty years, he naturally knew what to say and what not to, what to hear and what to ignore.

Secretary Cong handed her a keycard. “Go take a look at President He.
I’m off to buy some medicine.”

Qin Mang held the card between her fingers, frowning, “What’s wrong with him?”
Wasn’t he perfectly fine this morning?

Secretary Cong hesitated, glancing at the hotel manager and Lou Tingdai who had followed Qin Mang, then said, “He drank a bit.”

As for what kind of drink—
Better let the madam ask herself.

“You’ll understand once you see him!”
With that, he hurried off.

Qin Mang was left hanging.
She curled her fingers and narrowed her pretty eyes suspiciously—what was He Lingji up to now, this scheming dog?

Surely he wasn’t just drunk?
But Secretary Cong’s expression didn’t suggest drunkenness.

Lou Tingdai thought for a moment.
Watching Qin Mang’s worried and graceful silhouette, she silently followed.

…

*Beep—*
The door opened.
Inside the presidential suite, the curtains were tightly drawn.
When Qin Mang entered, she nearly thought she’d fallen into a pitch-black alternate dimension.

She ignored Lou Tingdai who followed her, shut the door behind her, and was just about to turn on the lights when—

A hoarse voice, barely restrained, came from the darkness: “Where’s the medicine?”

Familiar, yet foreign.
He Lingji’s voice was usually cold and detached—never had it sounded this suppressed, each word seeming to spark with fire.

“What’s wrong with you?”

Following the sound, Qin Mang finally saw him leaning on a black armchair by the floor-to-ceiling window.
His back was to her.
His shirt lay damp on the floor, and his wet black hair looked messy and languid, like he’d been soaked in cold water.
But the intricate tattoos on his cold, pale skin glowed eerily in this dark setting—an indescribably wicked beauty.

When he heard her voice, he slowly turned around.
And what met her eyes were a pair of deep, abyss-like blue pupils.

When he fully turned—
Qin Mang sucked in a breath.
Holy crap!
This—this—this—this—
She finally understood why He Lingji had left the banquet early.

“Come here.”
He Lingji swept his cold, pale fingers through his damp fringe.
His cold, handsome face was fully revealed.
His features were deep and flawless.
Water dripped from his hair, soaking his face.

Qin Mang’s first instinct was to run.
But that felt wrong—
After all—

The silver metal device on him was as cold and intense as his blue eyes in the dark.

“Wait.”
“I’ll unlock it right now.”

Something wasn’t right.
Qin Mang stepped closer, breathing in the sharp scent of wine.

“You were drugged?”
“Or seduced by some little vixen?”

If it was the former, she could unlock it.
If it was the latter—
He could suffer.
Serves him right!

He Lingji pulled her into his arms, his lips brushing her ear: “If you don’t unlock it, I’ll just…”

A blatant threat.

Before Qin Mang could protest,
He Lingji rested his jaw on her shoulder, as if drained: “There’s no vixen.
Only a little devil.”

Qin *“Little Devil”* Mang: …

He whispered by her ear.
Turned out, he had been served some deer blood wine by a business partner and drank it by accident.
Normally, that amount wouldn’t be a problem for someone with He Lingji’s self-control, but—
He was wearing Qin Mang’s “birthday gift.”

Any slight arousal would trigger it and set off a punishment.
To avoid losing control in public, he had immediately booked a room once he realized something was wrong.

Qin Mang felt a bit guilty.
She opened her small handbag.
Sure enough, the phone linked to the cage’s app was flashing red alerts.

And of course, her phone was on silent.
She hadn’t looked at it once.

While unlocking it, she muttered under her breath:
“This isn’t my fault.”
“It’s the boy-who-cried-wolf situation.”

He Lingji had triggered the device for fun so many times before that she had muted the app.
Who knew this time—
It was real.

The cold silver cage clattered onto the carpet with a soft thud,
Like a beast set free.

But—
Was deer blood wine really that effective?

The moment she unlocked it,
Qin Mang immediately felt the effects of the wine.

Her slim back pressed against the window, she sensed danger.

“No, no, no!”
“We’re not compatible—I don’t want to end up in the hospital again!”

From the way He Lingji was looking at her, she knew if she gave in, she’d be making a return trip to the ER tonight.

Ahhhhh!
The memory of that hospital visit—she would rather die than go through it again!

He Lingji held on to a shred of reason,
Pinching her chin:
“Then relax a little.”

A few minutes later, Qin Mang looked miserable:
“I can’t. I’m nervous.”

She had trauma now.
Worried he might go crazy from all the built-up restraint and the effects of the wine,
She quickly softened her voice and hugged his waist,
“Let’s go buy some lube, okay?”

He Lingji’s thin lips curled into a cold smile:

“You’re asking me to go buy this?”

Originally, Qin Mang said she would go buy it.
But He Lingji might misunderstand and think she was trying to run away.

Suddenly, as if struck by a thought, the girl’s seductive eyes narrowed.
“Your secretary is right outside. Let the secretary go buy it.”
Her long hair cascaded down, nearly enveloping her entire figure.
Charming and graceful.

The closed door suddenly opened.
Lou Tingdai instinctively looked up.
She saw a tall and slender figure and was about to speak when, from behind him, a soft and lazy voice of a woman came:
“You should buy a few extra bottles of lubricant.”

Lubricant?
Lou Tingdai’s pupils involuntarily widened.
In her mind, He Lingji was like a god on a pedestal, cold and emotionless, as bright as the moon, untouched by worldly desires. Even though he was married, Lou Tingdai never dared to imagine that he could share a bed with a woman or engage in intimate actions.
She couldn’t possibly associate lubricant with him.
How could that be?

He Lingji didn’t notice Lou Tingdai’s gaze. His indifferent eyes glanced over her and shifted to the secretary, Cong, who was running toward him with a medicine bag.
He had heard Qin Mang’s last words.
He Lingji’s voice, cold and distant, was calm:
“You go buy it.”

Cong immediately nodded:
“Anything else?”
Such as contraceptive products?
They were all adults, so they understood the hidden implication of his words.
He Lingji’s voice dropped at the end:
“Mm.”

“Bang――”
The door closed.

At this moment, Qin Mang was lazily lying on the sofa where He Lingji had leaned earlier, her slender figure graceful, red lips against pale skin, under the dim light, looking like a stunning beauty straight out of a vintage oil painting.
But her words were dripping with sarcasm,
“Our CEO He really pampers women.”
“Can’t even let the female secretary run errands.”
“Poor Secretary Cong――”

He Lingji saw that she was still thinking about such things.
While bending down, he said softly:
“She is not a life secretary.”
So, his personal needs were not her responsibility.
He Lingji was always very clear about boundaries, especially when it came to employees’ duties.
Do your own job well.

After spending an entire day and night in that hotel suite, Qin Mang no longer dared to act out.
Especially in this area.
Though it had been fun to tease He Lingji during the process, in the end, she was the one who suffered.
Fortunately, her short vacation ended.
A director of a suspense film invited her to play a supporting role in the movie.
This time, it wasn’t an 8-second role, but a fully fleshed-out female victim character.
The filming would take a week.
The old director was well-connected in the industry and had a great reputation.
Even a guest role was a great opportunity for Qin Mang.
Qin Mang cherished every acting opportunity and arrived early on set to prepare for the shoot, even though this film was going to be a real test for her.

“Do you have claustrophobia?”
Meng Ting, who came with her to the set, looked startled.
“The scene tomorrow involves you being locked in a small dark room. Is that okay?”

Qin Mang flipped through the script:
“It’s from when I was a child. I should be able to handle it now.”

Since her childhood experience with claustrophobia, Qin Mang had never stayed in a closed space alone.
She always had to leave a light on or open the curtains.
“And there’s the camera, so it should be fine.”
Meng Ting had already checked out the filming location.
Because Qin Mang was playing a victim who gets tortured to death by her own sister in a small dark room, the set was designed to resemble a horror movie.
Qin Mang claimed it would be fine, but deep down, she was also nervous.
However, she was proud and didn’t want to show any vulnerability in front of others.
Her gaze drifted to her quiet phone.
Her eyes lowered, and her delicate neck, bathed in the soft light, looked fragile and pale.
It should be fine.
Qin Mang fluttered her long lashes and reassured herself—
No, it would definitely be fine!
…

“Again.”
“Wrap your arms around your knees, crouch, express fear.”
“Face the darkness, face the unknown terror.”
“Yes, that’s great!”

The old director was never stingy with praise. He was kind, patient, and well-loved in the industry; no one had ever said anything bad about him.
Especially since Qin Mang’s performance was outstanding.
It seemed as if she was truly scared.
It was winter, and the room temperature was low. The director wanted to create a trembling, frightened atmosphere, so there was no heating equipment on set.
Qin Mang wore a thin, torn costume and curled up in a dark corner.
Her once stunning face was marked with two scratches, giving her a tragic beauty that was even more striking than her usual perfect makeup.
This scene truly tested her acting skills.
The director had prepared for multiple takes, but to his surprise, Qin Mang passed the scene in one go.

When the call of ‘cut’ came,
Qin Mang remained sitting on the cold floor, unable to snap out of it.
In that pitch-black, claustrophobic room,
A pair of hidden eyes seemed to be watching her,
And she was transported back to when she was seven, after her mother passed away and her father entered a monastery. Her home fell into chaos, and the friends who had once followed her suddenly turned against her, locking her in the school supply room.
It was dusty, narrow, and suffocating.
The triangular ruler, straightedge, and other objects on the wall seemed to stare at her.
Qin Mang spent an entire night there.
After that, she developed a fear of darkness.
From then on, she liked everything that sparkled—gems, lights, anything that shone.
Her uncle, who had been surrounded by enemies in the Qin family, became her protector from that day onward.
He supported her and created a safe space for her.
As she grew up, she was able to sleep in the dark, and she thought she had almost forgotten that painful memory.
But this time,
The dim memory became clear again.
Whenever she closed her eyes, the pairs of eyes in the dark would appear, shouting and threatening her.

Qin Mang suddenly opened her eyes, the yellow wall light flickering—
And she spent another sleepless night.

After shooting that claustrophobic scene, Qin Mang’s face grew increasingly pale and worn out, her once-beautiful face losing much of its fullness.
Everyone thought she was just wearing makeup to match her character.
Only A Tong knew the truth.
Qin Mang hadn’t slept for three days.
Even the strongest person couldn’t hold up forever.
The problem was, her medication wasn’t working at all.
A Tong hesitated, quietly took out her phone, and planned to inform CEO He.
She had Secretary Tao’s contact information.

Qin Mang, half-closing her eyes, was sitting in the break room, glancing at her, but didn’t stop her.
As the year drew to a close, He Lingji was becoming busier and had almost no time to rest.
Since Qin Mang joined the set, he had been sleeping in the company’s lounge.
There were endless meetings every day, and occasionally, he had to travel for business.
He had long been used to such a high-intensity workload, and so were his secretaries.
Tao Tan, as the only female secretary, was no exception. She went on business trips and worked overtime like the other male secretaries.

When A Tong called, Tao Tan was getting ready for a business trip.

Her flight was at 4:00 PM, and it was already 2:30 PM.
He Lingji was in a meeting.
Tao Tan held her phone, looking troubled but still agreed,
“Alright, I’ll tell CEO He.”

Lou Tingdai was standing at the secretary office door, holding some files.

She smiled when she saw Tao Tan hurriedly packing up.

“What’s wrong? You look so pale.”

Lately, Lou Tingdai had been coming to the secretary office frequently, and her relationship with Tao Tan was fairly good.

They occasionally ate together in the employee cafeteria.

Seeing her ask, Tao Tan felt it wasn’t something to hide, especially since Lou Tingdai knew about her identity as the wife.

So, she said: “Recently, the madam has been having insomnia while on set.”

“Her assistant is a bit worried and wants to ask CEO He if he can spare some time to check on her.”

The image of Qin Mang’s bright and delicate face appeared in Lou Tingdai’s mind.

Her eyes flickered slightly as she smiled and said:
“I was just about to head to the meeting room too.”

She knew Tao Tan’s flight was at 4:00 PM.