This is in the luxurious suite of a five-star hotel in Jiangzhou.

The thick velvet curtains were drawn tightly, not a sliver of light penetrating. The air conditioner hummed softly, emitting a slight breeze. The floor lamp cast a warm and gentle glow, and the air was thick with an ambiguous tension.

Qiao Liang wore pajamas and leaned against the large, soft headboard, his hands crossed over his lower abdomen. He looked at Ye Xin Yi who walked out of the bathroom like he was admiring prey.

This usually cold and aloof beautiful woman, at this moment, was meek and obedient. She wore a pink yukata, her hair still damp from the shower, casually draped over her shoulders.

The housewife's yukata neckline revealed a patch of snow-white skin, with two beautiful curves faintly visible. Beneath the curves were two plump mounds, and her long, slender legs peeked out from under the hem of her sleepwear. Her entire body radiated an alluringly mature scent.

Qiao Liang's eyes were dazed, his heart pounding like a drum. A wave of heat surged in his lower abdomen. The beautiful woman before him was the most sought-after beauty in Jiangzhou, the talented and charming reporter of Jiangzhou Daily. Countless men had fantasized about her, longing to possess her.

But at this moment, she was about to become the prey beneath her own power.

Looking at Ye Xinyi's humiliated and helpless expression, Qiao Liang felt a surge of immense satisfaction in his heart.

If she hadn't beaten Ye Xinyi in the interview to become Deputy Editor-in-Chief and head of the reporters, could Ye Xinyi, who usually treated her with cold aloofness, be so obedient?

Oh, it's good to have power, isn't it? Higher officials can really crush people. This woman, even if she had a million reasons not to want to come, wouldn't dare say no. She has to obey and come here willingly.

The more Qiao Liang thought about it, the more satisfied he became, and the hotter the heat in his abdomen became. This heat made him breathe heavily, panting like a calf.

"Untie--"

Qiao Liang's voice was hoarse, and there was a slight tremble to it. The hoarseness came from nervousness and excitement, while the trembling stemmed from conquest and drive.

Ye Xinyi bit her tender lips tightly, her eyelids trembled, and her fair face flushed red, a hint of bitterness. She trembled as she reached for the sash of her yukata…

The yukata slipped slowly, and in Qiao Liang's eyes, what was falling wasn't the garment, but the complete breach of this woman's final defenses.

As the yukata slid down to the ankles of the young woman, a curve gracefully revealed a delicate and white mermaid-like beauty before Qiao Liang.

Joe's eyes widened instantly, he swallowed hard, his lower body surging involuntarily. He stared at the naked mermaid before him, who seemed reluctant but ultimately compliant. Unable to contain his overwhelming physical desire any longer, Joe pulled Ye Xinyi onto the bed and roughly panted before attacking her...

"Beauty, I've finally got you." Qiao Liang kissed Ye Xinyi's tender skin wantonly while laughing proudly.

"Ah…" The woman seemed to be startled, instinctively resisting for a few moments. Her emerald-green arms, like polished jade, waved back and forth, her fiery body writhing this way and that, but was soon consumed by Qiao Liang's madness...

"Bang bang bang..."

In the midst of a pleasant dream, a sudden and violent knocking startled Joe Liang awake, making him jump.

Joe Liang shot up in bed, drenched in sweat, his heart pounding violently. His breath came out in ragged gasps.

Look around, where is the luxurious suite of a five-star hotel, where are the beautiful women and their wives? You clearly lie in your own bedroom at home, the bedroom door is open, the bedside lamp is on, and there are materials for tomorrow's job interview beside your pillow.

Holy crap, it was all just a dream!

A spring dream leaves no trace.

Qiao Liang regretfully touched his head. It's a pity, the dream just now was too real, especially Ye Xinyi's alluring figure, the warm touch, made him...

"Bang bang bang..." The rough knocking on the door sounded again.

Joe glanced at the time, 11:30 p.m., and couldn't help but get angry. Damn it, who the hell knocked on the door in the middle of the night, disturbing his good dream? He had finally been able to conquer Ye Xinyi once in his dream, but it was ruined like this.

Then it hit me, could it be that my wife Zhang Mei returned from her business trip unexpectedly and forgot to bring the house keys?

Zhang Mei works at the city Broadcasting Bureau. She's been very busy lately and is frequently transferred, sometimes for over half a month at a time.

Joe Liang was dazed and confused as he opened the door. He stood there stunned, three strangers standing in front of him: a woman leading the way, followed by two men. All three wore serious expressions.

"What the... are you doing?" Qiao Liang was a little dumbfounded.

The woman in the front had short hair that reached her ears, fair skin, a black suit dress, and mid-heel shoes. She looked to be about 37 or 8 years old. Her figure was slender and elegant, exuding the charm of a mature woman, but her expression was very cold.

The woman sized Joe Liang up and down, her heart skipping a beat as she saw the tent he was leaning against under his pajamas. Her brow furrowed—what kind of spring dream had this kid been having?

"Are you Qiao Liang, the office director of the Jiangzhou Daily?" The woman's voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable air of authority.

Qiao Liang nodded. "Yes, I'm Qiao Liang. You are..."

The woman flashed her credentials before Qiao Liang's eyes, saying in an unquestionable tone, "We are from the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection, Room 3. Qiao Liang, please come with us."

Joe suddenly felt wide awake, his eyelids twitching uncontrollably. Damn it, how did the纪委 (Party Discipline Inspection Committee) find him?

"Please, may I ask what I've done wrong?" Qiao Liang stammered.

"You know exactly what's going on. Now get dressed and come with us immediately." The woman's voice was harsh, leaving no room for negotiation.

Seeing the situation, Qiao Liang knew that it was useless to say more at this moment. He quickly went back to his room, put on his clothes and went downstairs with them. They got into a black sedan. A woman sat in the co-pilot seat, and two young men were sandwiched between him in the back seat, one on each side.

A black sedan drove out of the residential area, its destination unknown. Everyone stood in silence.

Qiao Liang's heart was filled with apprehension at this moment.

I'm anxious and restless. I have an interview for the deputy director position tomorrow, and this whole ordeal with the disciplinary committee will delay things.

In recent days, Qiao Liang participated in the public recruitment examination for deputy department heads organized by Jiangzhou City. He applied for the position of Deputy Editor-in-Chief at a newspaper and ranked first in the written test among over 300 candidates.

Also applying for this position is Ms. Ye Xinyi, the Chief Editor of the Newspaper's Reporting Department. Her written exam score was 0.5 points lower than Qiao Liang's, placing her in second place. The third place went to a department head from the City Culture Bureau, who scored 4 points less than Qiao Liang. All three have qualified for tomorrow's interview. Since the gap between the third-place candidate and the top two is significant, the main competition will be between Qiao Liang and Ye Xinyi.

Qiao Liang and Ye Xinyi's relationship was average, even hostile. It wasn't because of any conflict between them, but rather due to the discord between the party secretary and editor-in-chief of their newspaper, Li Youwei, and the chief editor Wen Yuan.

This time, Qiao Liang and Ye Xinyi both applied for the position of deputy editor-in-chief. They received support from Li Youwei and Wen Yuan respectively. Both of them hoped to have someone they knew in the newspaper's leadership team.

Joe Liang was determined to win this interview. He was set on defeating Ye Xinyi and getting the promotion, stepping up to be the deputy manager.

Joe Liang had calculated it perfectly. Once he became the deputy editor-in-chief, he would definitely be in charge of the reporters' department. Then Ye Xinyi would become his subordinate. He wouldn't have to worry about her disobedience.

Unexpectedly, at this very moment, I was suddenly taken away by the Commission for Discipline Inspection in the middle of the night.

Qiao Liang's heart was pounding. He really hadn't done anything that warranted the Discipline Inspection Commission's involvement. Could it be that someone else's troubles had somehow implicated him?

Who else could it be?

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First published on the Traditional Chinese Novel Website