Die jenseitige Schmiedin

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Originating from "A Night of Deep Affection" by Mo Xian

As night falls and darkness replaces daylight as the city's ruler, neon lights of various colors begin to flicker in the night. People who have been busy all day tear off their gentle masks, releasing their souls in a wicked or wild manner. All the restlessness proclaims—the night has only just begun...

Ye Zi stood blankly in a corner, not knowing where to go or what to do—it had been five days since Zhiwen confessed the matter to her, and she was still at a loss.

Zhiwen, whose full name is Du Zhiwen, was her childhood sweetheart. They went north together to study and work, planning to get married in two years, even making plans about how many children they would have and whether they would be boys or girls. Now, that once-at-hand happy future seems so distant, even unattainable to her…

The incident happened to Zhiwen, a young and promising finance manager who was highly valued by his boss. However, he made a foolish mistake and embezzled company funds to speculate in stocks. After several reversals, he lost everything! Zhiwen said that he did it all for their future, to buy her a bigger house, and to hire a maid to serve her and make her a young mistress. But... the company found out.

Ye Zi really wanted to tell him that she didn't want to live in a big house, nor did she want to be waited on or be a pampered young mistress, but... seeing Zhiwen's haggard and dejected appearance, she couldn't bring herself to say it. After all, Zhiwen had done it all for her... but that was a whole million.

Yes, one million might not be much to a wealthy person, but for her, from the south and from a modest background, it was a significant blow. After crying in secret, she still had to pull herself together to comfort Zhiwen, who had been suspended from his job and given a deadline to repay the loan. Five days passed, and in those five days, she borrowed from everyone she could, even calling her mother in the south and lying that she was planning to get married and buy a house. Her widowed mother believed her and happily sent her savings. But it still wasn't enough. Her own money, her mother's money, and the money borrowed from others still amounted to 210,000. She was at a loss, not knowing what to do, and there was only one day left until the repayment deadline.

She had initially pinned her hopes on her friend Fengzi, after all, they had both come from the south, her family was well-off, and she was shrewd and capable—a veritable "money-grubber" in the past. But unexpectedly, Fengzi had gone on a business trip abroad, her whereabouts unknown. Unable to contact her, with time running out and her last glimmer of hope fading, she truly didn't know what else to do.

One day left, just one day. Zhiwen's company had initially refrained from pursuing the matter for now, considering his relatively hard work, but if he couldn't pay, he wouldn't be able to escape being sued, and his life would be ruined. But now, what should he do? What should he do?

Wandering slowly through the bustling streets, looking back blankly but unable to find a way back—that must be loneliness.

Ye Zi curled her lips in mockery, glanced at the flashing neon lights behind her, and suddenly stepped into the door of a pub.

Who cares? Indulgence or depravity, let her get drunk tonight. Perhaps alcohol can give her some courage to face Zhiwen.

She's drunk, at least... at least she's drunk, and that voice in her heart will no longer ask her if she loves him...

"Give me a glass of wine."

She sat down at the bar, and with a burst of courage, she spoke, but became timid under the bartender's questioning gaze. She quickly pointed to a man who had just sat down next to her, "Same as him."

The handsome and refined bartender raised an eyebrow and smiled, whistling softly, and teased, "Pei, no wonder you left the triumphant William Castle and ran back to my little-known place. It turns out it's all for the lovely lady."

Ye Zi was stunned for a moment, and just as she was about to speak, a deep, pleasant male voice with a slight foreign accent rang out beside her, saying in a rather impatient tone, "Yang, shut up!"

"Oh, you're angry! Don't be angry, my dear, what's the rush!" The oblivious bartender continued to provoke her, even promptly refilling her martini after she finished her first one. "Hi, beautiful lady, I'm Wei Yang, the sworn brother of this ice-faced guy next to you, so you can just call me Yang like him. By the way, after saying so much, I haven't asked your name yet. I'm sure you'd be happy to share! It would be best if you could also give me your phone number, that would be so convenient..."

With her head spinning and a noisy nine-headed bird chattering incessantly beside her, Ye Zi, usually so gentle, finally snapped. She grabbed Fang Weiyang's collar across the bar and snapped, "Shut up, you're so noisy!"

This was the first time in his life that a woman had treated him like this, and Fang Weiyang was dumbfounded. He asked blankly, "You...you're talking about me?"

Her hand was getting a little sore, so she simply let him go, muttering under her breath, "Idiot!"

Another first in his life, Fang Weiyang tried to confirm again, "Are you really cursing me?" He then pretended to be cool by propping his head up with one hand and trying to touch her small hand with the other to take advantage of her tenderness.

"Smack!"

Instead of getting a bite of the tender tofu, he was struck by an iron palm. The man who had been called Pei earlier sneered and withdrew his hand. Looking at his old friend's foolish look of having found a treasure, he sneered, "Stop drooling. There's no one else with low IQ here except you."

"Hey, you..." Before Fang Weiyang could finish protesting, Ye Zi nodded approvingly at Pei, "You're a smart person, but..." Already quite drunk, she suddenly leaned closer to him and whispered, "You have to be careful, if you're always with idiots, you'll become stupid too."

Smelling the alluring scent of alcohol emanating from her, the man's originally clear blue eyes instinctively darkened in the dim light. He remained silent, and as the atmosphere became so strange that Ye Zi became alert and tried to slip away, he stretched out his iron arm and intercepted her.

"Why are you unhappy?" he asked.

Her heart raced from his warm breath, and she had no time to answer his question. She struggled and said, "Let me go." But all she did was like a mantis trying to stop a chariot.

"Why are you all alone...so lonely?" The man carefully chose his words. "Tell me, and maybe I can help you."

Loneliness! A stranger actually noticed the loneliness in her heart!

Ye Zi was stunned upon hearing this, completely forgetting to break free. She looked up and stared directly at the seemingly unruly yet handsome and noble man in front of her. She was not swayed by his appearance; her gaze was fixed on his clear, sky-blue eyes. After a moment of silence, she said, "I need money to save people, 210,000. If you are willing to pay that amount, I will go with you."

"Do you know what you're saying!" the man said coldly. Seeing her nod, two icy glints flashed in his blue eyes, making Ye Zi shrink back slightly. Then she raised her head and met his gaze firmly. The man cursed under his breath. Just when Ye Zi thought he was going to storm off, he suddenly grabbed her and strode away rudely.

“If that’s what you want, then so be it!” the man said angrily.

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Chapter One: "A Night of Passion" by Mo Xian

Seven years later, at the Ouni International Building.

Ye Zi looked up at the world-renowned commercial building, and a faint smile appeared on her lips. Seven years had passed. After experiencing a series of life changes, including the loss of her mother and the birth of her child, it would be difficult for anyone not to become strong. Besides, she still had Lucky to rely on, so she was not alone.

This time, she sold all her belongings in her hometown in the south, quietly went north, and then came to apply for a job at the company where Azi works. I wonder if Azi will be furious and kill her if she finds out.

Looking up once more at the gleaming, cold building, Ye Zi suppressed her smile and stepped into her new workplace, confident and composed.

※※※

The 20th floor, the Human Resources Department.

"Ms. Ye, judging from your resume, you are a competent secretary. So, based on your experience, how would you handle a handsome, wealthy male boss with many suitors?"

After asking a series of routine questions, the young HR manager, Mr. Huang, asked a startling question. There was no way around it; their boss was too alluring, causing his four former secretaries to neglect their duties and compete with their girlfriends for his attention. The boss was furious and ordered that if the fifth candidate behaved the same way, he would consider transferring him—himself, the youngest manager in the HR department! To serve in the emperor's presence.

Good heavens, who would dare! Seeing them once or twice a week is already unbearable; if they were by my side every day, I'd be torn to pieces by ice blades!

"I think a busy job can relieve the boss's troubles. Besides, taking myself as an example, as long as I make the most of my time to look at the handsome men at home every day, I can completely control my saliva production during work hours."

As soon as Ye Zi finished speaking, a cheerful whistle rang out from the doorway. Turning around, she saw a handsome man in an expensive suit leaning against the door, smiling broadly as he said, "Impressive, impressive. Your insight is truly remarkable, beautiful lady."

Nodding to him, Ye Zi turned her gaze back to Manager Huang and politely asked, "Any more questions?"