C1 The Cold Wave!

In March, a rare cold snap hit the city, bringing an unexpected chill.

Outside the Grandview Hotel, a petite figure bundled up tightly against the cold. She wore an oversized mask and hat, pulling the brim lower as she passed a line of black-suited bodyguards.

A taxi happened by, and she flagged it down. As she got in, a gust of wind blew her mask aside, revealing a stunning face for just a moment before it was hidden again by a thick scarf.

Once inside, Xia Nannan frowned in distaste as she stuffed several pairs of men's underwear into a plastic bag. If it weren't part of her plan, she wouldn't have gone to such lengths.

Rolling down the window, the cold wind rushed in, bringing a slight mistiness to her eyes. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, but all she could see was the memory of last night's passionate encounter with Zheng Yizhou.

Biting her lip, she gripped the plastic bag tightly. At least she managed to steal Zheng Yizhou's underwear and snap some compromising photos. It wasn't a total loss.

When Xia Nannan opened her eyes again, she smiled, the mist in her eyes completely gone.

In the presidential suite of the Grandview Hotel, suits and ties were strewn across the floor, but notably, no underwear was in sight.

On the bed, a man lay naked, his muscles defined and smooth, accentuated by the red marks trailing from his back to his waist.

In his hand, he clutched a piece of paper with elegant handwriting: "Nice skills, see you next time."

Zheng Yizhou, of all people, had been seduced by a woman in this city. What a story that would make!

Even more absurd, the woman had stolen all his spare underwear!

Zheng Yizhou's strikingly handsome face was so dark it seemed like it could drip water. A thin piece of paper was crushed to bits in his palm. He narrowed his eyes coldly, stretching his neck, and his gaze deepened. It had been ages since anyone dared to provoke him so brazenly.

Zheng Yizhou swiftly dialed a number. Before the person on the other end could speak, he bluntly demanded, "Bring me a pair of underwear."

A chuckle escaped from Huangfu Ping. "Zheng, did you really sleep with the girl?"

Zheng raised an eyebrow, glancing at the red stain on the bed, confirming the answer.

Huangfu Ping gasped audibly. Last night, when Zheng's men mentioned it, he hadn't taken it seriously. But now...

Huangfu Ping stroked his perfectly chiseled chin, shaking his head with a tsk. "So you're not the gay guy the news makes you out to be..."

He felt a sense of relief wash over him.

The silence on the other end was deafening, sending chills down Huangfu Ping's spine. He quickly tried to recover, "My bad, don't punish me. The underwear's on its way!"

Just as he was about to hang up, Zheng's chilling voice came through again, "Wait."

Huangfu Ping felt his hair stand on end.

"Also, get me the surveillance footage from the hotel from 5 PM yesterday until now."

Huangfu Ping paused, realizing Zheng was looking for someone. Could a one-night stand lead to something more?

Though incredulous, Huangfu Ping promptly delivered what Zheng needed to the hotel.

After changing clothes, Zheng emerged from the bathroom. Huangfu Ping watched him elegantly fasten his cufflinks, a harmonious image forming in his mind. He couldn't help but smirk, teasing, "She slept with you and stole your underwear? This girl's got quite the bold taste."

"If you keep talking, I'll throw you into the river to feed the fish," Yizhou said coldly, casting a sharp glance. Ping immediately got the hint and shut his mouth.

"The surveillance footage?"

"Right here." Ping, noticing Yizhou's sour mood, handed over the USB drive without another word.

"Play it," Yizhou instructed, rubbing his temples with an air of impatience.

Ping complied.

"Hold on." As the video fast-forwarded to around six in the morning, Yizhou suddenly called out, "Stop it right here."

The screen froze on the moment when Nannan got into a cab, the wind blowing her mask aside, revealing half of her face to the camera.

"Zoom in," Yizhou urged.

Ping couldn't help but think how ironic it was that he, who controlled the entire city's resources, was now being ordered around by Yizhou. It felt a bit humiliating.

"Wow, Yizhou, you've got quite the eye for beauty," Ping remarked, noting the delicate features on the screen, even if they were a bit blurry.

Yizhou's lips tightened into a thin line. "Find her for me within three days."

Ping stared at Yizhou in disbelief. "Are you serious?"

In all the time he'd known Yizhou, he'd never seen him show interest in any woman.

Yizhou's lips curled into a cold smile. "Absolutely."

He was eager to see her begging for mercy.

Ping swallowed hard. "No need for three days. I can find her in one."

Ping had confidence in his intelligence network, but boasting to Yizhou ended up backfiring.

By noon on the fourth day, Ping sheepishly entered Yizhou's office, hands spread wide. "Couldn't find her."

Zheng Yizhou lifted his gaze coldly and mocked Huangfu Ping, "What, is the Huangfu family's intelligence network so weak that it can't even catch a single woman?"

Their powerful and meticulous military intelligence methods failing to locate just one woman was indeed hard to justify.

Huangfu Ping initially felt a bit embarrassed, but hearing Zheng Yizhou's words, he retorted, "Without some real skills, how could she have gotten close to you, Mr. Zheng? If you fell for her tricks, what hope does our intelligence network have?"

Zheng Yizhou's eyes turned icy, and his voice carried a chilling edge, "Do you want to end up feeding the fish in the moat?"

"No, definitely not," Huangfu Ping replied sheepishly, rubbing his nose. "Give me a few more days. As soon as she steps out, my people will find her."

"Make it quick!" Zheng Yizhou spat out the words through gritted teeth. Over the past three days, his patience had worn thin.

Logically, the woman drugging him and having a fling could only mean she wanted fame or money. But three days had passed with no media attention or blackmail photos. If it weren't for the vivid memory of that night, Zheng Yizhou might have thought it was all just a wild dream.

Staring at the unclear face on the screen, Zheng Yizhou gripped his pen tightly. When he found her, she would pay for what she had done.

The phone rang faintly for half a minute, nearly vibrating off the desk before Zheng Yizhou finally picked it up.