Chapter 57: A Heart Set Firmly, Then Firmer Still

He Tian sat on the sofa in the office, pondering carefully over what Wang Xinmeng had just said.

No matter how he thought about it, he couldn’t quite grasp what she truly meant! What did she mean by saying that he was now He Long, and it had nothing to do with He Tian? None of it made sense! Others might not know, but surely Wang Xinmeng understood? Yet, her words left He Tian with a new thought—not about what she said, but rather, he began to doubt whether his so-called entanglements and persistence were truly what he wanted.

He had joined Dragon Soul to enjoy freedom—was this the freedom he was enjoying now? Was suppressing his feelings really a manifestation of liberty? No! Absolutely not!

As he recalled the various images of Zhu Liman, a mischievous smile flickered across He Tian’s face. “Am I He Long now? Heh… Xinmeng, don’t regret this!” The knot in his heart, hidden beneath He Long’s face, suddenly loosened with a bit of reflection.

He Long felt a wave of relief—and even a sense of anticipation! Damn, Zhu Liman, Cao Xiaomin, Shi Yongrong—they were all stunning beauties, the very best of the best! Each had her unique charm and grace. More importantly, as far as He Tian had observed, all three were still virgins! And Cao Xiaomin and Shi Yongrong were only about twenty-five or twenty-six—at the height of their allure! If an opportunity arose, wouldn’t it be wonderful to take advantage? After all, right now, he was He Long…

Besides, didn’t Zhu Liman ask for his cooperation? Well, he’d cooperate then! Damn it, he’d like to see how he could play with her! The more He Tian thought about it, the more pronounced the wicked smile at the corner of his lips became.

Just as Wang Xinmeng pushed open the door, she caught sight of that very smile. This left her heart in turmoil, and she found herself wondering if she’d said the wrong thing earlier. If her younger sister found out that she’d, in a sense, condoned He Tian’s entanglements with other women, what would she think of her? Wang Xinmeng herself dared not face that faint feeling lurking in her own heart, choosing instead to evade it.

“Xinmeng! I’ve made up my mind! Let Designer Zhu do whatever she thinks is best. I don’t care—as long as it helps you!” He Tian greeted her with a beaming smile as she entered.

Yet, seeing He Tian so cheerful, Wang Xinmeng found herself unable to feel happy. It was as if she’d inadvertently removed some shackle from him. But now that things had come this far, she could only comfort herself: this is He Long. Once he’s home—no, once he leaves the company—He Long will disappear, replaced by He Tian. None of this will matter! As long as Liman can create a perfect masterpiece, it will all be worth it.

“He Tian, thank you,” said Wang Xinmeng.

“No need to say that! But, I trust you won’t tell Xinrou about any of this, right?” He Tian met her eyes, smiling.

He Tian had never spoken to Wang Xinmeng like this before, not when the shackles still bound him.

Wang Xinmeng felt a sudden panic. The look in He Tian’s eyes was intensely aggressive, making her uneasy. Yet she couldn’t summon any anger—she had no idea where it could even come from.

“I told you, you’re He Long now, not He Tian!” Wang Xinmeng continued, “I’ve already dropped a hint to Liman and the others. They won’t see you as just an ordinary model anymore. You don’t need to worry about that.”

“That’s fine! Then I’ll go meet Zhu Liman,” He Tian replied with a slight smile, eyeing Wang Xinmeng before leaving with a smirk.

He Tian felt thoroughly refreshed, as if this was who he was meant to be all along—doing whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted, disregarding everything else. This was true freedom!

“He…” Wang Xinmeng turned to watch him leave, her expression tinged with annoyance. By her nature, He Tian’s gaze as he left would have counted as outright teasing. Yet now, she had no right to complain. She herself had told He Tian he was He Long, and thus not responsible for anything as He Tian. She’d well and truly set herself up for trouble.

But then, Wang Xinmeng began to ponder another question: Was He Tian acting this way on purpose, or was this his true nature? If it was the former, it was manageable. If it was the latter, her little sister might have her hands full falling for a man like him. Wang Xinmeng felt a wave of inner chaos overtake her.

“Heh, Sister Cao, Sister Shi, Sister Zhu—my apologies, I was a bit impulsive earlier! I thought Sister Wang had already made everything clear to you. I’m just doing this for fun, nothing much to do with being a model!” He Tian laughed. “It wasn’t until Sister Wang explained it to me that I understood. Sorry, Sister Zhu, for my earlier attitude.”

“It’s nothing, He Long. I was at fault too. I was just anxious to see my designs come to life, and I didn’t know the nature of your relationship with Xinmeng. Don’t take it to heart,” Zhu Liman smiled, her earlier anger with He Long gone.

Inwardly, He Tian was surprised. He had intended to play with his identity as He Long, but Zhu Liman’s attitude had changed so much—he couldn’t help but wonder what exactly Wang Xinmeng had said to the three women.

“He Long, since you call me sister, let’s be good siblings from now on! You must cooperate with Liman’s designs—she’s a top designer! Just think, your inspiration could spread across the world. Isn’t that an honor?” Cao Xiaomin beamed at him.

“Don’t worry, brother! If Liman dares lay a hand on you, just tell me and I’ll set her straight!” Shi Yongrong teased with a grin.

“With sisters like you, I feel reassured. But Sister Zhu, I’m afraid today’s not good for me. Let’s do it another time when I have more free time,” He Tian replied with a smile.

“Give me just an hour!” Zhu Liman jumped up to block his way. “I’m really afraid the inspiration will slip away!”

He Tian hesitated—he had a car race tonight, and it was already nearly evening.

“He Tian, Liman is right. For a designer, nothing is more important than inspiration. Time can destroy all creative sparks!” Wang Xinmeng appeared at the door, smiling.

“So, what should I do?” He Tian looked at Zhu Liman, whose eyes were full of hope and pleading, and at last, he couldn’t bear to refuse.

“Great! Come with me to the design studio!” Zhu Liman said excitedly.

“We’ll come too! We can’t let Liman really bully you!” Shi Yongrong said, beaming.

“I wouldn’t mind watching!” Cao Xiaomin glanced at He Tian, then pulled Wang Xinmeng along. “Let’s go enjoy some art together!”

“I’d rather not…” Wang Xinmeng protested.

“Oh, come on, you’re the boss! You have the final say over Liman’s designs, you must be there! Besides, who knows, you might be tempted to create your own masterpiece with such a perfect specimen in front of you!” Cao Xiaomin dragged her along.

Wang Xinmeng could only follow, helpless. Yet, an unexpected flicker of longing arose within her, leaving her suddenly at a loss.

Under the curious gazes of many in the company, the four most powerful women of Mengrou Fashion Group led a man into Zhu Liman’s private design studio.

He Tian felt as if his shackles had vanished. Yet, even so, stepping into the designer’s domain, he couldn’t help but feel slightly ill at ease.

For the room was filled with all sorts of women’s lingerie—of every variety imaginable! He even spotted many pieces of intimate apparel. Admittedly, despite his discomfort, He Tian felt a surge of excitement! It was much like the time he’d been pushed into the restroom with Ouyang Bingbing and the others.

Zhu Liman quickly took out her sketchpad.

“He Long, take off your clothes!” she ordered, seeing him still standing motionless.

“Isn’t this enough? Do I really need to… take everything off?” Even without his shackles, He Tian couldn’t become a lecher. This only convinced him further of his innate innocence!

“Hehe, of course you need to undress, He Long! I wonder if my sketching skills are still up to par?” Cao Xiaomin giggled, producing her own drawing pad, looking perfectly ready.

But her demeanor was so different from outside—now, to He Tian’s eyes, she exuded a sultry allure.

“It’s been ages since I’ve sketched such a perfect model!” Shi Yongrong was even more provocative, licking her lips as she spoke.

He Tian felt a rush of heat rise within him. Good heavens! This was too much!

Regret began to gnaw at him—especially when he noticed that, although Wang Xinmeng’s expression was stern, there was a hint of anticipation in her eyes.

He Tian realized he’d fallen into a den of wolves. And every wolf was female! The transformation in these four women’s demeanor made him recognize the madness of modern society. It confirmed his suspicion that the wild confidence of those stunning women he’d met in the clothing store was everywhere.

“Do I really have to strip?” But as a man, He Tian steeled himself and decided to go all in, comforting himself internally: if they’re not afraid, why should I be? Let it be for the sake of art!

“Hurry up and take it off!” Zhu Liman urged, clearly impatient.

Her words were so ambiguous! If He Tian hadn’t been trying to steel himself, he would have lost his composure.

Even though he’d braced himself, he still felt awkward and uneasy—because his body was already reacting uncontrollably. If he took his clothes off now… wouldn’t that be mortifying?

But with Zhu Liman’s constant urging, even questioning his manhood, He Tian grew indignant.

He quickly stripped naked.

Then, with true resolve, he stood fully exposed before the four stunning women…