Chapter 49

Chapter 49: Cunning Emperor Yan

“Brother Shi,” Xie You Lin said slowly, lowering his voice like he was about to deliver a medical diagnosis, “tell me the truth. Are you… not capable?”

Otherwise why would she leave a bank card with a balance of 0.10? That was clearly messing with him.

Fu Yan Shi didn’t answer. He looked around the suite.

It had been tidied with an almost deliberate thoroughness. There wasn’t a single trace of the woman—nothing left behind, nothing out of place.

Even the bathroom had been restored to the way it looked before anyone stayed there.

And yet everything that happened last night had been real.

He hadn’t imagined the heat. He hadn’t imagined the bite on his neck. He hadn’t imagined her eyes.

Fu Yan Shi’s jaw tightened.

“You Lin,” he said finally, voice flat, “if a woman is clearly… already in it, and then suddenly refuses you—what’s the reason?”

Last night, everything had been so natural.

At first, the phone ringing had interrupted them. He’d thought that meant there’d be no follow-up. But later she’d come back. Everything should have gone smoothly.

He’d felt it—both of them had been pulled in.

And yet, at the end, nothing happened.

The pain on the back of his neck had already faded, but the memory hadn’t. Before he passed out, he’d seen those eyes. Clean. Calm. Not a trace of desire.

Xie You Lin pointed at his neck. “Brother Shi, just look at that. Who would believe she had no interest?”

That mark had taken force.

Then he shrugged with the careless cruelty of a friend who enjoyed poking at your dignity. “Unless your technique wasn’t good and you made her uncomfortable.”

Fu Yan Shi’s expression didn’t change, but his eyes turned colder.

Still, his mind replayed last night against his will.

She had been the one to lead at first—so bold, so unhurried.

Then how had she suddenly—

Fu Yan Shi’s gaze narrowed.

Had it happened after he stopped being passive?

“Could it be,” Xie You Lin said, eyes lighting like he’d found entertainment, “she likes holding the lead?”

He nodded at his own theory, delighted. “A lot of girls don’t like big bad wolves anymore. They like little puppies.”

He paused, then squinted. “No, wait—Brother Shi, don’t tell me you found a… older one.”

Most people who liked little puppies were older, mature. Younger ones liked the uncle type.

Fu Yan Shi didn’t respond.

But something in his expression tightened, the faintest shift that made Xie You Lin’s grin widen.

Even Xie You Lin didn’t take his own words too seriously. In his eyes, his close friend was a pure big bad wolf—cold, ruthless, and completely opposite of a little puppy.

As for what happened last night, he didn’t plan to dig too deep.

Whoever that woman was, it wasn’t the washed-up Best Actress.

And as long as she had nothing to do with Qiao Qing Yan, Xie You Lin didn’t care.

They probably wouldn’t meet again anyway.

Even Fu Yan Shi had said nothing happened.

An accident.

Let it pass.

Fu Yan Shi adjusted his collar. Whether by intention or irritation, the more he adjusted, the wider it fell open—making the red mark even more obvious.

“Let’s go,” he said, voice controlled. “We’re heading back.”

Not long after they left the hotel, a set of candid photos of Emperor Yan exploded across the internet.

“Emperor Yan suspected of having a relationship.”

“Emperor Yan suspected of announcing a relationship.”

“Kiss marks on Emperor Yan.”

“Emperor Yan’s relationship exposed.”

“Emperor Yan spent the night at a hotel with his girlfriend.”

Soon people dug up a list of rumored girlfriends—women who had been in the same hotel.

Of course, the first person ruled out was the washed-up Best Actress, Qiao Qing Yan.

After all, in the minds of the entire internet, no matter what happened, Qiao Qing Yan couldn’t possibly be linked to Emperor Yan.

The discussion shifted like a tide.

Before long, everyone was obsessing over Emperor Yan’s rumored girlfriend. They made charts. They ran site-wide polls. They argued themselves hoarse.

And Emperor Yan—the person involved—did nothing.

No response.

No denial.

If anything, his silence only poured gasoline on the fire.