Chapter 19: A Woman Full of Charm

Xiao Li sat in front, confused by the darkness swirling beneath the surface. “Boss, whatever you say. Where to next?”

“Back to the villa first.” Li Chuzhe clutched his phone tightly, as if holding back something deep inside.

The Li family’s business spanned continents, so they owned villas in the heart of nearly every capital city. Returning to this one in Zhongguo, Li Chuzhe stood before it, and everything felt different—familiar yet utterly changed.

“Boss, should I call Aunt Li over to cook?”
“No need. I’ll do it myself.”

Li Chuzhe stepped into the slightly aged villa alone. Everything was spotless, meticulously cleaned on a regular schedule—no dust, no neglect.

In the grand hall, a massive wall bore a huge canvas painting: a young Li Chuzhe beside an elderly woman, both smiling softly. He walked slowly toward it, fingertips brushing the fabric with careful reverence. The towering artwork made him seem small, insignificant against its scale.

"Grandma," he whispered, voice low, "I'm back. Missed me, didn’t you? Sorry… been busy lately."

Then he shrugged off his coat and tossed it onto the sofa, rolled up his sleeves, and headed straight for the kitchen.

Inside the fridge, fresh vegetables and meat were restocked regularly by staff. He didn’t even glance at them—just grabbed a carp and a red radish. In smooth, practiced motions, two simple dishes came together like magic.

Sitting alone at the dining table, steam rising from the food, his expression flickered—complex, unreadable.
"Grandma… did I get better at cooking?"

He ate without hesitation, finishing every bite. Nothing left behind.

Upstairs, only one room remained: a spacious study lined with neat, orderly books. On one wall, another full-length canvas hung—this time just Grandma’s gentle smile, warm and timeless.

Most of the books were about computers. Grandma had never finished college, but she’d worked hard to earn money, buying books to teach herself. She died before she could fulfill her dream.

Li Chuzhe pulled out the office chair—the same one he used to sit in as a boy—and settled in. He powered on the computer, then disabled all location tracking and camera feeds. With a few keystrokes, he slipped into a hidden hacker channel, breaching the highest levels of the Sa family’s system.

A genius among geniuses, Li Chuzhe could dismantle firewalls that would stump entire teams. Within seconds, he was inside their top-tier network.

Before any alarm could sound, he’d stolen every secret file, then planted a tiny digital bomb deep in their core system. Anyone who tried to check the logs would trigger it instantly. Their systems wouldn’t be fully repaired for at least three days.

Afterward, he wiped every trace of data from the laptop—then shut it down completely.

The next morning, Xiao Li burst into the villa like a whirlwind. “Boss! The Sa family invited you to a banquet tonight. They’re celebrating our long-standing partnership.”

Li Chuzhe smirked faintly. “Hmph. Old Sa really is a survivor—he’s calm as ever, even now.”

“What’s your take, boss?”

“Get ready. We’re going.” He pulled out a cigarette, fingers long and elegant, letting a sliver of smoke escape between them.

He told Xiao Li to gather a few trusted men—hidden among the crowd, ready to act on instinct. The party was packed with guests. Rumor had it, the Sa family had even brought their daughter.

When Li Chuzhe arrived, he stepped out of the car and immediately sensed danger in the air—eyes watching, calculating, hostile. But he didn’t flinch. Just glanced once, cool and composed, and moved toward the center of the venue.

It was an open-air event, with a massive pool at the heart of it. Music thumped from a DJ booth—rock beats pulsing through the night. Beautiful people danced, laughed, splashed in the water.

At the second floor, windowless and elevated, Sa’s CEO sat facing the scene below, surveying his domain.

“Mr. Li,” a servant said, “our boss would like to speak with you.”

“Lead the way.”

Li Chuzhe’s eyes flicked across the pool—everyone there was buzzing with adrenaline, drunk on music and power.

He took his seat on the left side of the Sa family. To his right sat a woman—elegant, pale-skinned, stunning. Her dress was deep wine red, slit high along one leg, reaching almost to her waist. Her figure was sharp, confident—dangerously alluring.

Xiao Li leaned close, whispering, “Boss, there are too many outsiders in the crowd. Not all of them are ours.”

Li Chuzhe barely moved his hand—just a subtle gesture to silence him.

Sa smiled warmly. “Mr. Li, look how time flies. Eighteen years of partnership already. You’ve grown from a boy into a man of stature. Heard you’re still single?”

“Thanks for asking,” Li Chuzhe replied calmly, eyes fixed on the crowd below. “I’m married now. Recently.”

Sa’s face froze for half a second—awkward, then quickly masked with laughter. “Oh! That’s wonderful news! Who knew you’d finally found someone after all these years?” He glanced sideways at his daughter. “Imagine—never touched a woman, and suddenly, love strikes!”

Li Chuzhe’s expression darkened. No reply.

Still, Sa wasn’t done. “Let me introduce my daughter—Sa Naya. My only child. She’ll inherit everything. I hope you two can build a strong relationship. Good foundation for future collaboration.”

Everyone in the room heard the unspoken message loud and clear.

Li Chuzhe’s lips twitched. “Pleasure to meet you. Excuse me—I need to step away for a moment.”

He tilted his head slightly toward Sa, then rose smoothly from his seat, turning to leave.

Just then—chaos erupted.

From outside the room, a group of men stormed in, wild-eyed, rushing toward Li Chuzhe.

But Li Chuzhe was faster. He dodged the first few with ease.

The next wave learned from their mistakes. As one lunged, he grabbed Li Chuzhe’s leg—pulling him down with brutal force. Both tumbled into the pool.

Xiao Li, meanwhile, had been drugged in secret. He lay unconscious on the floor.

Sa Naya rose gracefully, her smile delicate, almost shy. She turned to her father and gave a soft nod. Then—without hesitation—she leapt into the pool.

By the time Li Chuzhe hit the water, everyone else had already been cleared out. The pool was empty except for him.

He surfaced first, cold and lethal in his gaze. Above him, a woman plummeted from the sky—straight toward him.

No hesitation. He twisted aside.

Then, without a glance back, he walked out of the pool—dripping wet, face stone-cold.

Sa Naya swam effortlessly, watching him go. She saw the man walk away, leaving her behind—unconcerned, uncaring.

And in that moment, something hot and furious stirred deep inside her chest.