The next day.
Eddard did not wait for the King's return. Instead, he received devastating news.
King Robert Baratheon was on the verge of death.
While hunting, he had drunk too much "Dragonfla." The wine was extrely strong with powerful aftereffects. In his drunken state, he was gored and disemboweled by a wild boar.
By the ti Eddard rushed over, Robert was already breathing his last.
He looked at his good brother, at the terrible wound torn open by the boar, at his pale face.
He could not bring himself to reveal that the King had been cuckolded. A dying man…
Robert hurriedly dictated his will and passed away.
Eddard stood by the bedside, silent for a long ti.
That night, Renly Baratheon ca to him on his own initiative.
Robert's younger brother, Lord of Storm's End, and Master of Laws. Young, handso, and ambitious.
"Lord Eddard," Renly spoke quickly, "we must strike first. While everyone is still asleep tonight, we seize Joffrey from his mother and use him as leverage. Give the word, and I can bring you a hundred n."
Eddard looked at him in confusion.
"May I ask, what would I need these hundred n for?"
Renly stared at him as if he were an idiot.
"To strike first, of course! Detain Cersei's three children tonight and hold them hostage! Whether Robert is alive or dead doesn't matter — we must control the next king!"
Eddard frowned.
He found this deeply dishonorable.
He refused Renly.
Not long after Renly left, another visitor arrived.
Petyr Baelish.
The Master of Coin — Littlefinger.
His face wore that trademark smile, but his eyes were frighteningly sharp.
"Lord Eddard…"
He said, "I have a proposal. You beco Regent and support Joffrey's ascension. Once the ti is right, we can use the secret of his parentage as a killing blow to eliminate both Joffrey and Queen Cersei."
Eddard stared at him.
"Have you no sense of honor at all?"
Littlefinger smiled and continued to persuade him.
"Make peace with House Lannister, release the Imp, and marry your daughter to Joffrey. We will have enough ti to deal with Stannis. If Joffrey becos too hated after taking the throne, we simply reveal he is a bastard and support Lord Renly instead."
Eddard was silent for a mont.
Then he spoke.
"I need the City Watch. Go and buy them for ."
Littlefinger looked at him, a strange glint flashing in his eyes.
But he said nothing, only smiled and nodded.
"As you wish, my lord Hand."
He turned and left.
As he turned away, the smile on his lips deepened.
It was a smile Eddard could not see — one carrying hidden aning.
Eddard stood by the window, gazing into the night.
He thought he had the situation under control.
He did not know that in the ga of thrones, every step was filled with danger.
And he was walking straight toward the abyss.
Because news traveled slowly in Westeros, Luke naturally could not learn of the series of events in King's Landing imdiately. At this mont, he was handling affairs on Earth.
Pengcheng, Lu Group Headquarters.
The fifty-eight-story office building stood in the bustling business district. Its glass curtain walls reflected the blue southern sky. Luke's office was on the top floor, with floor-to-ceiling windows facing Pengcheng Bay — an open view with breathtaking scenery.
He actually ca to the company very rarely.
Professional managers and teams handled daily operations. He only needed to set the general direction, review financial reports, and sign important docunts.
Today, he had finally finished signing the last docunt.
Sunlight poured through the windows, and cargo ships moved slowly across the bay. Luke put down his pen, rubbed his wrist, leaned back in his chair, and gazed at the scenery outside, lost in thought.
As he was thinking, the office door was gently pushed open.
A faint, refreshing fragrance drifted in.
It wasn't a strong perfu, but the clean scent of laundry detergent mixed with the warm aroma of body heat. The sll was subtle, almost imperceptible, yet it made one want to inhale deeper.
Luke turned his head.
Li Zijin walked in.
She wore a well-tailored white blouse that accentuated her waistline. The top button was undone… not on purpose, but left casually in her hurry, which made her neck look even more slender.
A black pencil skirt hugged her curves perfectly, stopping three centiters above her knees. It swayed slightly with each step.
Her silk-stockinged legs had smooth, flawless lines with no excess fat. Her ankles were so delicate one worried whether the thin heels could support her weight.
When she bent down to pick up a docunt, the hem of her blouse slipped out of her skirt, revealing a small patch of skin on her lower back. Against the black fabric, that skin was dazzlingly white.
Her high heels clicked crisply and rhythmically across the marble floor.
Click, click, click.
Each step landed perfectly on the beat, neither hurried nor slow, yet it made one instinctively want to look up at the source of the sound.
As she passed by Luke, she brought a faint breeze. Only then did he notice the small pearl earrings on her earlobes, peeking through her black hair.
Her lips were painted with a soft bean-sand color lipstick. When pressed together they ford a fine line; when she spoke, they parted gracefully, unconsciously drawing one's gaze.
Yet her eyes when looking at Luke were professional, distant, and carried a perfectly asured politeness and smile.
"President Lu, here is another docunt that requires your signature," she placed the file on the desk, her voice cool. "If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave."
Luke put down his fountain pen, leaned back in his chair, and looked her up and down.
Then he suddenly spoke:
"What's wrong? Feeling horny?"
Li Zijin froze.
Her eyes widened, and a blush rapidly spread across her face. That professional, distant, perfectly asured smile instantly collapsed.
"You scoundrel!" she gritted her teeth, glaring at him fiercely. "What… what are you saying?!"
Luke stood up and walked toward her.
Li Zijin instinctively backed away.
One step, two steps, three steps.
Her back pressed against the office door.
Luke placed both hands on the door, trapping her between his arms. His face leaned in so close that their breaths mingled.
Li Zijin covered her chest with her hands, her pretty face flushed. She swallowed nervously and said shyly:
"You scoundrel… what do you want to do now?"
This girl had now beco Luke's secretary.
Not long ago, when Luke was leaving Xiaoping City, she had treated him to a al. During dinner, she had shyly and hesitantly asked him to help her find a job.
Luke had laughed at the ti.
"Find a job? Co be my secretary then."
She had been stunned.
Back in high school, so bored female classmates had joked that Luke would beco a CEO one day, and Li Zijin would be his secretary. At the ti it was just playful banter between teenagers — no one took it seriously.
No one expected it to actually co true.
Since then, their relationship had progressed rapidly.
She had not only beco his secretary, but sohow also his lover.
Even now she still didn't understand how her twenty-plus years of preserved chastity had been so muddle-headedly given to this scoundrel.
At this mont, pinned against the door, her heart was pounding so hard it felt like it would burst from her chest.
Luke looked down at her, a wicked smile on his lips.
Then he kissed her.
He kissed those alluring red lips directly.
After a long while, their lips parted.
A glistening strand of saliva stretched between them.
Li Zijin had gone completely weak. If Luke hadn't been supporting her, she would have collapsed.
She looked drunk, like a puddle of mud, letting him hold her.
Her eyes were misty and seductive, her breathing unsteady.
"Don't…" her voice was soft as water. "Stop… not in the office…"
Luke ignored her.
This office had a hidden resting room.
The door closed.
No one knew how much ti passed.
Li Zijin, covered in sweat, lay on Luke's chest like a kitten just pulled from water.
Her fingers traced circles on his chest, again and again.
"You scoundrel…" her voice was lazy and satisfied. "Will you marry ?"
Luke kept his eyes closed, savoring the girl's warmth.
"Why would I marry your mom?"
Li Zijin froze.
Then she reacted, pounding his chest with her little fists. The punches were soft and powerless, but full of sha and anger.
"You're so bad!"
She paused, then asked again: "Then tell , between and those ocean horses, who's better?"
Luke opened his eyes and thought for a long mont.
"Mia is better than you."
Li Zijin's smile froze.
"You're all bark and no bite…"
Luke continued: "She's more sensual than you. You're too skinny, your ass isn't perky enough…"
"She's also younger than you — she's still a college girl."
"Ah—!"
Li Zijin shrieked and sat up abruptly. Her little fists rained down on Luke's chest like a storm, full of protest.
"You scoundrel! You've gone too far! Taking advantage and still acting smug!"
"If you dare abandon , I'll bite you to death!"
She opened her mouth, pretending to bite.
Luke laughed and pulled her back into his arms.
"Co on then. I'm not satisfied yet anyway."
Li Zijin struggled for a mont but couldn't break free.
In the end, she gave up resisting and buried her head in his chest, mumbling sulkily:
"Anyway… if you dare abandon , I'll… I'll…"
She thought for a long ti but couldn't co up with any harsh threat.
"What will you do?"
"I'll… I'll pester you every day and annoy you to death! I'll dox you, cyberbully you, and tell all our classmates and teachers that you're a scoundrel!"
Luke laughed.
Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the curtains, casting dappled shadows on the floor.
He held the girl in his arms and suddenly felt a little dazed.
His white moonlight… had truly been shaped by him!
Two worlds, two lives.
He suddenly felt very content.
Li Zijin shifted in his arms, finding a more comfortable position.
"You scoundrel," she murmured sleepily, "don't move… let sleep for a while…"
Luke gently patted her back.
"Go to sleep."
She soon fell asleep.
Her breathing was even and deep.
Luke stared at the ceiling, seriously considering who was actually better.
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