Chapter 6 – A CEO's Cold Gaze and a Heated Warning
The penthouse at the top of Phoenix Tower was silent, save for the soft hum of the air conditioner and the distant clatter of rain against the glass windows.
Meilin Xue sat on a velvet couch, her posture relaxed but every nerve in her body alert.
Across from her stood Li Yanzhou, the enigmatic CEO who held power like a weapon and walked like the world owed him silence.
He had not said a word since she entered the room.
Instead, his obsidian eyes studied her, tracing the curve of her jaw, the slight tremble of her hand, the guarded steel behind her calm expression.
"You came without an appointment," he finally said, his voice low and sharp, like winter winds cutting through silk.
Meilin met his gaze. "I didn't think you'd mind."
"I don't. But I don't appreciate surprises, Miss Xue."
"I figured a man like you had enough surprises in his life," she replied coolly. "Let's not waste time. I came to make a deal."
His brow lifted slightly, amused. "You? Making deals?"
"I have something you want."
"And what makes you so sure of that?"
Meilin leaned forward, her eyes narrowing. "Because the moment you touched me that day at the charity gala… my system reacted."
Yanzhou's expression didn't change, but the air seemed to tense. "System?"
She held out her hand. A soft glow pulsed at her wrist—the mark of the Celestial Marriage System.
It shimmered with ancient runes only those with true energy could see.
Yanzhou's jaw tightened imperceptibly.
He knew what that was.
Magic. Forbidden. Lost to the common world.
"You've been marked," he murmured. "That's... dangerous."
"No," Meilin said calmly. "That's fate."
---
FLASHBACK – Four Days Earlier
After Meilin left the Li family estate, she spent two sleepless nights deciphering more from the Celestial System.
The interface now showed a new notification:
> 💫 "One Fated Thread Detected. Potential Bond: 42%. Compatibility: Mysterious Energy Affinity – High. Do you wish to investigate further?"
[Yes] [No]
She clicked Yes.
The name: Li Yanzhou.
It made no sense. She had barely exchanged a few words with him in her past life. But the system was never wrong.
The more she looked into him, the more she uncovered strange anomalies—his background was spotless but too perfect. Rumors whispered of his dealings in black-market artifacts and ancient relics. Men who crossed him vanished without a trace.
But it was his birth history that startled her the most.
Born in a storm. Adopted by the Li family under mysterious circumstances. Never married. Never seen with a woman more than once. And yet… protected by a magical barrier that only the system recognized.
Why did the Celestial System glow so brightly near him?
---
Back to the Present
"Are you part of the cultivation world?" Meilin asked bluntly.
Yanzhou turned away from her, walking toward the expansive window overlooking the skyline.
"I was born into it," he said. "But I walked away."
"Why?"
"It's bloody," he said softly. "And binding. No one leaves without paying the price."
She stood and walked toward him. "Then maybe we're not so different."
He glanced at her sideways. "You've seen blood too?"
"I was sacrificed in it," she whispered.
For the first time, the mask on his face cracked.
"Lin Haoxuan," Yanzhou said the name as if he were tasting poison.
Meilin didn't ask how he knew.
Some people knew things they shouldn't. Yanzhou was one of them.
"What do you want from me?" he asked.
She took a deep breath.
"I want an alliance. A fake marriage. Power for protection. Your secrets for mine."
"You think I'm desperate enough to tie myself to a woman I barely know?" he snapped, the warmth gone from his tone.
"You think I'm foolish enough to love again?" she returned just as sharply.
Silence fell again, tense but not hostile.
She reached into her purse and placed something on the coffee table—a charm glowing faintly with silver energy.
"I cleansed this. It was buried under your name in a hex circle. Someone's targeting you, Mr. Li."
His eyes darkened.
"You're lying."
"Then have your people test it," she said, turning toward the door. "When you're ready to talk terms, you know where to find me."
And with that, Meilin Xue walked out of the lion's den—not a victim, not a pawn—but a player.
---
Later That Night
Yanzhou stood alone in the moonlight, the charm in his hand glowing brighter now.
"She's dangerous," his assistant said from the shadows.
"She's necessary," Yanzhou replied.
He stared out the window, the glowing charm casting eerie shadows on his face.
"But if she's lying... I'll end her myself."