The cool beauty forcibly bids for top A: Chapter 51

For two days straight, Shen Yanzhou threw himself completely into high-pressure work. The engagement was a troublesome matter, and in order not to affect his work, he had to finish handling everything that needed to be dealt with in advance.

During this time, that new neighbor had sent him three or four messages, all related to the puppies. Shen Yanzhou saw them but didn’t reply. Perhaps seeing that he didn’t respond, the man stopped sending messages.

However, during these two days of spare time, the words the man had whispered past his ear, “I’m precisely the type of person who is most interested in married men,” kept echoing repeatedly in his mind.

Although the other party had added a casual “just joking” afterward, and most of the man’s face was hidden behind a mask, making it impossible to see his true expression, that half-joking, half-serious look in his eyes made Shen Yanzhou feel that he didn’t seem to be joking at all.

After finishing work and returning home, Shen Yanzhou closed his eyes and began to review everything again.

The accidental car crash on the road, the “misfire” between the two dogs at the pet hospital, plus this man brazenly showing up at his doorstep holding a dog, using the identity of a “new neighbor.”

“Who is he? What is his purpose?” Shen Yanzhou murmured softly.

If he were just an ordinary admirer or someone with ulterior motives scheming for the wealth of Hong Kong Transport Group, there would be no need to use such elaborate, roundabout methods. And being able to quietly move into the Hillside mansion across the street showed that his background and means were definitely not ordinary.

And what made Shen Yanzhou feel most uneasy was his own body.

Thinking of this, he raised his hand and irritably loosened the buttons at his collar. He didn’t know why, but getting close to that man made the gland at the back of his neck heat up and ache uncontrollably.

This familiar yet dangerous feeling made him uncontrollably think of that man from half a year ago, the one who would drive him crazy in bed.

Memories that had finally been about to die out were now threatening to flare up again. This feeling was not pleasant.

Since this man of unknown origins had already extended his claws into his territory, yet refused to show his true face, he wanted to personally peel off that person’s skin and see what was hidden underneath.

Shen Yanzhou picked up his phone and dialed Eric, his partner who specialized in ultra-luxury real estate transactions on Hong Kong Island’s Hillside and Repulse Bay.

“Eric, it’s Shen Yanzhou.” He walked to the floor-to-ceiling panoramic window, his gaze passing through the heavy night, looking at the brightly lit villa across the street. “When did Old Man Chen’s house across the way change hands?”

Eric on the other end of the phone sucked in a breath, then lowered his voice: “Mr. Shen, this deal didn’t even go up on the agency websites. It was transferred five days ago in the afternoon through an expedited process. The methods… could be described as quite ruthless.”

Shen Yanzhou’s brows furrowed slightly: “The day before yesterday? Old Man Chen is so superstitious about feng shui, how could he leave so hastily?”

“The sky didn’t fall, but the Chen family’s capital chain was forcibly cut off.” Eric sighed, revealing insider news that had just spread through the circles, “Old Man Chen’s eldest son’s infrastructure investment project in Indonesia suddenly blew up, urgently needing several hundred million in cash to fill the hole. Now bank credit is tight, they simply can’t get approval. Without the money, the Chen family’s publicly listed company would be force-liquidated at market open.”

“The strangest thing is, less than a day after Old Man Chen received the call about the blowup, the buyer’s representative showed up with a signed contract and directly knocked on the Chen family’s door.”

Shen Yanzhou’s eyes narrowed slightly: “So the new owner acquired this house with cash?”

“Mr. Shen, you know that going through normal procedures, for this level of Hillside luxury home, doing due diligence, going through foreign exchange bureau approval, the fastest would still take two months.” Eric’s voice couldn’t hide his amazement, “But the other party’s legal team directly threw out an ‘unconditional guarantee agreement,’ the original price plus a twenty percent premium, several hundred million in cash directly transferred into the Chen family’s offshore account. The other party didn’t even look at the house. What they bought was purely the ‘immediate move-in rights’ to this property.”

“What is the buyer’s background?” Shen Yanzhou asked coldly.

“Hard to investigate.” Eric laughed bitterly, “We didn’t even get close to finding out who the ultimate beneficiary is. All we know is that it’s an office newly registered in the Cayman Islands.”

Speaking to this point, Eric paused, his tone hesitant: “However, Mr. Shen, there’s something I find very strange.”

“Speak.”

“The buyer spent several hundred million to buy this top-tier luxury home. They didn’t look at feng shui, didn’t ask about renovations. Their representative only held the blueprints and repeatedly confirmed one thing with us,” Eric’s voice sounded somewhat creeped out, “They asked whether the floor-to-ceiling window in the master bedroom on the second floor of this villa could, without any obstruction, see in a straight line the balcony of your living room and bedroom.”

Shen Yanzhou’s breath caught.

“Understood.” He hung up the phone cleanly.

He raised his eyes, looking through the thick night and swaying tree shadows at the brightly lit villa across the street again. Then he leaned back on the sofa, rubbing his brow with a headache. His gaze landed on little Pudding lying on the cashmere rug.

This heartless little Tang dog was sleeping soundly, sprawled out on his back into a fluffy dog pancake, exposing his soft, pink little belly, rising and falling rhythmically with his breathing.

Hearing Shen Yanzhou walk over, little Pudding smacked his lips, rolled over with a rumble and climbed up, shook his fur, and immediately wagged his tail like a little motor, trotting over to Shen Yanzhou’s feet with happy little pitter-patter steps.

He skillfully sat his bottom down, tilted up his round little face, and deployed his best move, the “head tilt kill.” His two floppy ears swayed back and forth with the movement. In his grape-like big eyes was nothing but pure, clear stupidity and innocence.

Shen Yanzhou bent down, scooped up little Pudding from the floor into his arms, and then rang the neighbor’s doorbell.

Ding dong.

The doorbell didn’t ring for long before the villa door was pulled open from inside.

The man who opened the door wore a loose black casual T-shirt, with a dark gray apron tied around his waist. The apron ties tightened behind his back, outlining his broad shoulders and lean waist.

Shen Yanzhou looked at the man, finding it somewhat absurd.

Clearly he was cooking in his own home, yet he still stubbornly wore a mask on his face.

Wearing a mask when going out was one thing, but wearing a mask even when cooking at home? There was definitely something fishy.

Before Shen Yanzhou could speak, that undignified little Pudding in his arms sniffed his nose and directly jumped out of Shen Yanzhou’s arms, sliding in with a whoosh, wagging his tail as he drilled into the man’s house.

“Pudding!” Shen Yanzhou called out with a cold face, but the little scumbag dog had already run off without a trace.

The man propped one hand on the doorframe, his voice low and slightly hoarse: “Mr. Shen, what brings you here?”

Shen Yanzhou met his gaze, his tone cool: “I happen to have some free time today. Wasn’t it you who said the two dogs need to spend more time together?”

The man stepped back half a pace, clearing the way inside. His deep gaze slid from Shen Yanzhou’s fair neck all the way to his slightly pressed thin lips, asking extremely naturally: “Have you eaten? I pan-fried some steak.”

The aroma of top-grade wagyu beef mixed with rosemary and butter seared into his nostrils. He had been so busy these past few days with little appetite, but smelling this scent now, his stomach faintly stirred with hunger.

Shen Yanzhou glanced at the man: “I suppose I could try some.”

“Then sit here and wait for me to finish.” The man led him inside.

Walking into the villa’s interior, the first floor layout had been completely opened up. The most eye-catching feature was an extremely spacious open-concept kitchen, with a marble island counter, built-in ovens, even the placement of the high stools was exactly the same as Shen Yanzhou’s own kitchen.

The coincidence was enough to make one’s scalp tingle.

Shen Yanzhou sat down on the high stool in front of the island counter without showing any reaction. This position had an excellent view, just enough to take in the man’s cooking appearance completely.

The warm yellow kitchen light shone on the man’s body. He skillfully tossed garlic and thyme into the hot pan, focusing on basting the steak with hot oil. Every movement flowed smoothly like water.

So familiar.

Shen Yanzhou looked at him through the rising steam and cooking smoke, his thoughts drifting back to half a year ago.

Thirty Million had always stood like this in his open-concept kitchen, wearing an ill-fitting apron, fussing over all kinds of delicious food for him. From steaming hot claypot rice with cured meats, to crystal-clear shrimp dumplings, to a late-night bowl of instant noodles with a fried egg on top… whatever he wanted to eat, that man could always find a way to make it to coax him.

Thinking of this, an indescribable discomfort welled up in Shen Yanzhou’s chest.

The silhouette was very similar, but the habits were not.

This man was left-handed, but Thirty Million was right-handed.

Not only that, the sleeves of the man before him were casually rolled up to his elbows. Under the bright light, Shen Yanzhou could see clearly that his wrist was clean, with smooth muscle lines, without any scars.

But Thirty Million’s wrists and arms had many old scars of varying sizes and depths, some deep enough to see bone.

Shen Yanzhou lowered his eyes, his hands unconsciously clasped in front of him. If it really were the same person, how could even his dominant hand have changed? How could those bone-deep scars have disappeared so cleanly?

Could it be that he really was overthinking things?

Just as Shen Yanzhou was lost in thought, the originally sizzling frying pan was turned down to low heat. The man picked up long tongs, flipped that perfectly browned piece of wagyu, and through the rising white mist, his gaze landed on Shen Yanzhou’s face.

“Mr. Shen has been staring at me. Is there something you want to ask me?”

Shen Yanzhou propped one hand on the marble island counter, his cool phoenix eyes slightly raised: “I want to know why you wear a mask when you go out, and even wear one when cooking in your own home.”

“Just returned to the country, not quite used to Hong Kong’s humid climate. My nose is a bit uncomfortable.” The man put down the tongs in his hand and asked casually: “Or… is Mr. Shen actually curious about what I look like?”

The warm yellow light spread silently. The butter aroma in the air seemed to grow thick and sticky.

“Not particularly.” Shen Yanzhou withdrew his gaze lightly, deflecting the question without much force, “You live here alone? In such a big place.”

“Yes, alone and single, not long after a breakup.” The man picked up the conversation.

He transferred the pan-fried steak onto a warmed white ceramic plate, his tone carrying a casual self-mockery, yet his eyes never left Shen Yanzhou: “I wonder if Mr. Shen knows how to get over a relationship?”

Before Shen Yanzhou could answer, the man added in a low voice on his own: “However, someone as high and mighty as you would definitely never encounter such things. I was rude that day. I had just returned to Hong Kong and didn’t recognize Mr. Shen. Later I looked up some information online and found out that Mr. Shen is so famous in Hong Kong…”

The man’s gaze slowly swept over his exquisite, flawless eyebrows and eyes, the cold, delicate collarbones hidden beneath his collar, his voice pressed extremely low: “A top beauty of Hong Kong’s social circles like you, what kind of person couldn’t you have?”

“You’ve probably never been troubled by matters of the heart.”

Shen Yanzhou’s eyes flickered slightly.

Indeed, this statement was not false. What kind of person couldn’t he have if he wanted them?

“To forget an old love, it’s actually very simple.” Shen Yanzhou met his gaze, “Start a new relationship, find a similar replacement and that’ll do.”

The man smiled, cleanly cutting the steak into evenly sized pieces. Then he pushed the plate across the marble counter, stopping it steadily in front of Shen Yanzhou.

“It’s a good method, but for me, it’s too difficult.” The man handed Shen Yanzhou the silver knife and fork.

“What’s so difficult about it?” Shen Yanzhou took the knife and fork.

“Because, just like your family’s Pudding, I’m a hopeless face-con.” The man added in a low voice, “After meeting someone too stunning, my aesthetic standards seem to have been completely set. Looking at anyone else, I always feel like they fall short in every way.”

“Enough talking, Mr. Shen. Have a taste and see if it suits your palate.”

Shen Yanzhou looked at the perfectly colored steak on the plate, then looked at his empty plate, and raised his eyes to ask him: “You’re not eating?”

“I’m not hungry.” The man casually untied the apron ties and draped it on the island counter beside him. “Hong Kong has been in the returning south season recently, the humidity is a bit heavy. I sweated a bit while cooking just now, feeling sticky all over. I’ll go upstairs and take a shower first.”

Shen Yanzhou’s hand holding the silver fork tightened slightly, but his face still maintained that cool, arrogant expression: “Alright then.”

The man didn’t say anything more, turned around, and went up the stairs to the second floor.

With the man’s departure, the vast first floor fell quiet.

Shen Yanzhou forked up a small piece of cut wagyu and put it in his mouth.

The rich fat aroma mixed with rosemary melted on his tongue. The heat control was masterfully precise. Even the ratio of black pepper and sea salt hit Shen Yanzhou’s extremely picky taste buds perfectly.

Very delicious, but also familiar enough to make one’s heart tremble.

Shen Yanzhou truly couldn’t imagine who else could cook food that suited his palate exactly like that person.

He put down his knife and fork, wiped the corner of his lips. Right now was undoubtedly the best opportunity.

He stood up and looked around the spacious living room. Minimalist cold style. On the surrounding walls and storage cabinets, there were no photo frames left behind. Indeed, he had just moved in not long ago.

Seeing that the first floor couldn’t yield more clues, Shen Yanzhou followed the faint sound of water from upstairs and went to the second floor.

The closer he got to the master bedroom, the stronger the Alpha pheromones diffused by the water vapor became, like an invisible spiderweb, silently winding around Shen Yanzhou’s breathing.

He pushed open the half-closed door and walked in.

In the man’s bedroom, a massive black walnut bookshelf occupied the entire wall, densely packed with profound original finance books and several sets of heavy hardcover classics.

Could it be that person? That person hadn’t gone to school much, read nothing but pulp literature. How could he read these books?

His gaze moved from the bookshelf to the desk. There were no extra clutter items on the desk, only a black and gold Montblanc pen resting quietly there.

The first time that man had entered his study, he had given him a Montblanc pen and a notebook.

Shen Yanzhou’s gaze slowly turned toward the brightly lit bathroom.

On the frosted glass door, the man’s tall, upright silhouette was reflected. Water flowed down his broad shoulders and lean waist, washing over him. A body full of explosive male power was faintly visible through the white mist. Even the build was so similar.

So, was it really him?

Shen Yanzhou stood outside the bathroom door, his heart beating violently in his chest.

Should he go in directly? Or wait for him to come out? But if he waited until after the shower, what if he put on that damned mask again?

His curiosity had now climbed to its peak.

He stepped forward, grasped the bathroom door handle, and gently turned it.

The door was unlocked.

Thick, damp, scalding steam instantly rushed toward him. Shen Yanzhou frowned slightly, because he keenly detected that what filled the air was the scent of his usual body wash, the kind he habitually used. That even such private preferences could be replicated perfectly was too strange.

Through the hazy white mist, Shen Yanzhou’s gaze crashed into view.

Under the showerhead, the man stood sideways to him. Water flowed down his deep brow bone, passed his high nose bridge, his sharply defined jawline, and finally crashed onto his full, bulging pectoral muscles.

Without the mask’s obstruction, that face was completely exposed under the bright light.

Shen Yanzhou’s heart skipped a beat.

Too similar.

Familiar eyebrows, familiar contours, exactly the same as the puppy he had bought for thirty million.

Just as he was lost in a daze, the man who had been standing under the showerhead suddenly stepped forward. A strong, powerful arm wrapped around Shen Yanzhou’s waist and directly pulled him into the shower area.

Warm water instantly poured down from above, thoroughly drenching Shen Yanzhou’s white loungewear. The loose fabric clung tightly to his cold, fair skin, outlining his lean waistline and the faint curves of his chest. Half-wet silver hair stuck messily to his forehead. Water droplets slid down his flushed eye corners, both broken and enticing.

The man pinned one of his wrists above his head with one hand, pressed the other hand against the wall, completely trapping him between himself and the wall. His tall body pressed down completely, his burning hot chest pressing against him through the wet clothes.

“Mr. Shen.” The man lowered his head, his lips almost touching Shen Yanzhou’s ear, his voice mixed with the splashing water, “If your fiance knew that you secretly ran into another man’s bathroom to watch him shower… what would he think?”

Shen Yanzhou let out a cold laugh, struggling to free one hand. His long, powerful fingers ruthlessly pinched the man’s jaw right before his eyes, his nails mercilessly digging into that sharp jawline, leaving a glaring red mark, forcing the man to look at him.

That face was fully exposed under the close-up water light. Similar eyebrows, similar nose tip, similar lip shape.

“Thirty Million?” His voice tightened.

The man let him pinch his jaw, not dodging at all. Instead he leaned down, his high nose tip almost touching Shen Yanzhou’s. Water droplets fell from his chin onto Shen Yanzhou’s slightly parted red lips.

“What Thirty Million? Do you want thirty million, or do you want to give me thirty million?”

Shen Yanzhou’s gaze scraped down along the man’s Adam’s apple, passing his firm pectoral muscles and abdominal muscles, but there were no bone-deep knife scars that belonged to that person.

Could it really not be him? Or was he doing this deliberately?

Just as Shen Yanzhou’s gaze tried to continue exploring downward, a broad, bony palm suddenly covered over, fitting perfectly to block his eyes.

Vision went dark, and other senses were infinitely amplified.

The man’s burning hot chest pressed tightly against his. Water flowed between their bodies. The man lowered his head, warm breath spraying on Shen Yanzhou’s sensitive ear, his voice hoarse enough to burn:

“Want to make love with me?”

“What are you? There are so many people in all of Hong Kong who want to climb into my bed. Do I have to agree to every person who asks me this?” Shen Yanzhou laughed coldly.

“If you don’t want to,” the man’s palm pressed tightly over his eyes, “then why were you looking at me there with that kind of gaze?”

“Or is it that Mr. Shen is this patient with every person who wants to climb into his bed?”

Shen Yanzhou, with his eyes covered, was forced to raise his long, vulnerable neck. But the corner of his lips curved into an extremely cold, gorgeous mockery. “Take your hand away. Tell me your name. Or tomorrow I’ll have someone throw you out of this Hillside villa.”

“My name is Fu Sizhou.”

Fu Sizhou looked at the beauty before him, drenched and raising his vulnerable neck, looking at his slightly trembling lips, the faintly visible front of his clothes. In his mind, he uncontrollably replayed that night from the surveillance camera, the patch of wetness seeping out from here… desire grew wildly in his blood, burning his throat hoarse.

He released the hand covering Shen Yanzhou’s eyes, and instead forcefully gripped his nape. His rough thumb heavily rubbed that extremely fragile, sensitive gland, then slowly lowered his head.

Bit by bit, drawing closer.

Mint-flavored top-tier Alpha pheromones swept over with intense pressure. Instinctive trembling made Shen Yanzhou’s breathing catch slightly. But even so, he still held his back rigidly straight. His beautiful phoenix eyes, even when forced red at the corners, still looked like an offended superior, glaring harshly at this face identical to “Thirty Million.”

It wasn’t him. Even the scent of the pheromones was completely different.

Their lips were separated by mere millimeters. Scalding, moist breaths intertwined with extreme danger. Shen Yanzhou endured it forcefully, looking at him coldly: “What exactly is your relationship with Fu Sihan?”

Hearing this, Fu Sizhou deliberately turned his head, avoiding his full red lips. Wet, thin lips brushed past Shen Yanzhou’s cold, fair cheek, stopping at his sensitive ear, using the tip of his tongue to lightly lap away the water droplet on his ear bone.

“Sister-in-law.”

“He’s my older brother.”