Chapter 17: Use Me, Won't You?

"So, why are you unwilling to divorce? What is it that you truly want?"

Qiao Chenye’s eyes gleamed as he waited for Wen Yan’s response.

Wen Yan still did not answer. She simply walked around him, heading straight to the tea table in the hall. As she bent down to retrieve the tea set, the sound of boiling water pouring into the teapot added a chill to her words:

"I want power. I want the power that men hold in their hands."

The sound of the water hit the pot, making her statement feel even colder. Qiao Chenye let out a sudden laugh, his eyes filled with surprise. He had initially thought Wen Yan was a weak little rabbit, but this unconcealable ambition made him feel that they were the same kind of people.

Like attracts like; this only proved that Qiao Chenye’s decision to take this step was correct—they were a perfect match.

"I knew it," he said, stepping after her, his voice laced with excitement. "It’s not that you don’t want a divorce; it’s that you aren't satisfied with just ending it this way. You want more."

Wen Yan turned to look at him, her gaze firmer than before. "Exactly. Do you have anything else to ask? If not, finish your tea and please leave. My husband might be back soon, and I don't want him to misunderstand."

Qiao Chenye, however, didn't touch the teacup. Instead, he moved closer, step by step, his tone dropping into a serious register. "I didn't come here to negotiate today. I came here to join you."

"Join me in what?" Wen Yan raised an eyebrow, her tone mocking. "Are you asking me to be your mistress again?"

"No."

Qiao Chenye leaned down, suddenly lifting her off her feet and setting her firmly on the edge of the tea table. Before Wen Yan could react, he lowered his head and kissed her.

When they parted, he stared at her flushed lips. "Join your plan. To serve you."

"Are you insane?"

Wen Yan panicked, reaching out to push him away. Qiao Chenye gently caught her wrists, pulling them downward, his eyes earnest. "To accomplish these things, you need more power. As it happens, I have that power. You can use my influence as much as you like, until you succeed, until you have finished every part of your plan."

"Sister, I am more reliable than your husband. I have more money and more power than he does. You can use me to finish him off." Qiao Chenye looked like a sincere puppy.

Wen Yan was stunned, but quickly recovered and pressed, "And the price? What do you want from me?"

"I want you to choose me."

"You and I are on the same path. If you don't want to be my lover, that's fine." He grabbed Wen Yan’s hand and kissed the back of it, his voice suddenly softening with a hint of pleading. "I am willing to be your lover. Sister, let me be your lover, won't you? I will serve you." It looked like a plea, but he had already pierced through to her hidden desires.

Wen Yan’s hand froze in mid-air. The heat from Qiao Chenye’s palm seeped into her wrist, scorching and intense, making her fingertips tingle. She looked at the pleading in the man’s eyes, even the way he called her "Sister" wrapped in a sticky, coquettish tone, and her heart skipped a beat.

The system was frantically flooding her mind: [Host! Something is wrong! This is absolutely not right!]

Wen Yan suppressed the chaos in her heart and tried to pull her hand away, but Qiao Chenye gripped it tighter. His thumb gently stroked the kiss mark on the back of her hand, his eyes filled with anticipation, like a large dog waiting to be fed—a far cry from the cold, sharp CEO Qiao of moments ago.

"Be my lover?" Wen Yan curled the corner of her lips, trying to remain calm. "Isn't Young Master Qiao afraid of losing face if this gets out? Entangling yourself with a married woman doesn't sound like your style."

"My style is varied. Whatever you like, I have. And I have the power you need, so those who dare to gossip will only do so in silence."

"Even if I killed your husband, they wouldn't dare do anything to me." Qiao Chenye leaned in, his nose almost touching her forehead, his warm breath sweeping across her lips. "Is this the kind of power you want? I'll give it to you. Let me be your lover."

Every "Sister" mixed with her own breathing intoxicated Wen Yan, reminding her of the entanglement from that night. He deliberately emphasized the word "Sister," drawing out the tail end with a seductive tone, offering up the initiative.

Wen Yan’s cheeks grew hot. She turned her head to avoid his gaze, but Qiao Chenye reached out, pinched her chin, and turned her back to him.

"Look at me," he said in a low voice. "Sister, you wouldn't refuse, would you? Let me be your lover, let me be your golden canary—a canary that spits out gold coins."

"If you want to take him down, just use me, okay?" With his puppy eyes and pleading gaze, how could this be the villain? Wen Yan knew very well whether he was the villain or not.

Wen Yan met his eyes, which held nothing but undisguised affection and possessiveness. Though he seemed humble and pleading, beneath it all lay deep ambition. He was enjoying this; he was expectant.

She remained silent for a moment, then suddenly laughed, reaching out to gently touch his cheek. "Qiao Chenye, you really are... insane."

"Aren't you, too?" Qiao Chenye teased, staring into her eyes.

The system was already in a frenzy in her mind, panicking as the plot veered further off course: [Host, he is the villain! He is not a person; he is just your mission. You are supposed to tear him to pieces!]

Wen Yan said with a smile, "I know."

The system let out a sigh of relief, but feeling uneasy about the scene before it, it asked, "You *will* tear him to pieces, won't you?"

"Will I?" Her voice grew softer.

"Mm-hmm~"

Wen Yan replied, and looking at the anticipation in Qiao Chenye’s eyes, she offered him a sweet kiss, giving him her answer.

She feigned composure and asked, "What if I use you up and throw you away?"

Qiao Chenye suddenly lifted her from the tea table, his solid arms wrapping around her waist, and carried her toward the bedroom.

"Would you be able to bear it? You won't find another rich 'third party' like me who throws himself at you in the whole world." His nose brushed against her earlobe, his warm breath grazing her neck.

Qiao Chenye gently nudged the bedroom door shut with his foot. He placed Wen Yan on the edge of the bed and knelt on one knee, gently removing her slippers with a devotion as if he were handling a rare treasure.

Wen Yan’s toes curled involuntarily. "You... don't have to do this."

Qiao Chenye looked up, his deep eyes flashing with a dangerous light in the dimness. "Do what?"

He suddenly gripped her ankles and pulled gently, causing her to fall back into the soft bedding, then leaned over her. "Or perhaps... Sister prefers it like this?"

Wen Yan’s breathing grew rapid. Her fingers unconsciously gripped the sheets beneath her, and she blinked, teasing Qiao Chenye. "Special service? I don't have the money to pay your fee~"

Qiao Chenye kissed her collarbone, his voice low and muffled. "My reward..." His lips moved to the edge of hers, their warm breaths mingling. "...is watching you enjoy it."

His fingertips deftly undid the first button of her shirt. "Using my power to trample them underfoot."

The second button popped open. "Watching you become the next me..." His presence completely engulfed her.

Wen Yan was bewitched by the picture he painted and tilted her head to touch his chin. Qiao Chenye suddenly sealed her lips, swallowing all her unspoken words in a scorching kiss.

Only when both were panting did he pull back slightly, his voice raspy. "So, Sister, do you want to verify my sincerity?"

Wen Yan did not answer; she expressed her will through action. She kissed him back, her fingers eagerly undoing the buttons of his shirt.

Qiao Chenye let out a low chuckle, shifting from passive to active, and deepened the kiss.

Clothes fell to the floor one by one, and the moonlight traced their overlapping silhouettes. Qiao Chenye’s kisses moved from her lips downward, leaving faint red marks on her fair neck. Wen Yan’s fingers dug deep into his sturdy back muscles.

Qiao Chenye’s eyes were as dark as the night. He savored every reaction of hers as if tasting a rare delicacy.

Long after, the ripples of passion slowly subsided. Qiao Chenye carefully moved away from her, yet still held her in his arms. Wen Yan was exhausted, curling up against him, drifting off to sleep almost immediately.

The system was throwing a tantrum in the background, but seeing Li Jingyan working overtime while these two spent the night in a haze of intimacy, it was forced to accept the reality before it.

*Ding...!!*

[Li Jingyan revenge reward: Revenge progress at 5%...] the system chime sounded.

The system sighed. At least... it was revenge.

Li Jingyan would probably never imagine that while he was working overtime at the office, his boss and his wife were in his home, spending the entire night in his bed...