For someone never lacking in female companionship, Simon rarely dreamt of women. Yet this morning, he found himself in what felt like an increasingly vivid dream—until he awoke and realized it wasn't a dream at all. Gently reaching into the blankets, he caught hold of the little "busy bee" who had been hard at work before dawn, pulled her onto his chest, and held her by the waist, enjoying the feeling of warm skin against his.
It was early morning.
The sky was still dim, no later than five o'clock.
Zhu Momo obediently rested on Simon's chest for a while before she whispered softly, "Simon, am I useless?"
"You are."
"I... I'm okay now."
"Sleep, sweetheart."
"Okay."
Zhu Momo listened and stopped moving, curling up against his chest. She soon drifted off to sleep again, comforted by the warmth.
At six o'clock, Simon got up as usual.
Pressing Zhu Momo back into the bed when she stirred awake, he dressed and headed to wash up before going downstairs alone.
This was a luxurious mansion located in the Trousdale Estates of Beverly Hills. Zhu Momo and her entourage had arrived in Los Angeles two days earlier and were staying here. After the party last night, Simon had stayed over as well.
Carmen Kass, the woman in charge of Simon's personal affairs, had also moved in temporarily with her team the previous night. When Simon went downstairs, the house was already bustling with activity. He asked one of the house staff to guide him to the gym, where he warmed up briefly before stepping onto the treadmill to start a slow jog.
A few minutes later, a figure entered the gym.
Without stopping his movements, Simon glanced over. It was Ren Jingxi, one of Zhu Momo's assistants.
"Good morning," he greeted in Mandarin casually.
Through his peripheral vision, Simon noticed her movements stiffen slightly, as if flustered. After a few seconds, she responded softly, her voice barely audible over the hum of the treadmill, "Good morning to you too."
The gym returned to silence, save for the sound of the treadmill.
Simon assumed she would leave quickly. With her shy demeanor and introverted personality, it seemed unlikely she could withstand being in his presence for more than thirty seconds.
However, to his surprise, she didn't leave. Instead, she slowly approached, eventually stopping at the treadmill next to his, standing slightly ahead and to the side, close to him.
Her eyes darted nervously, avoiding his gaze.
Simon took the opportunity to observe her up close.
She wasn't wearing her hair in the ponytail she'd sported the night before. Instead, her shoulder-length black hair was loose, framing a delicate oval face with light makeup. She wore a fitted lavender sweater, black tailored pants, and nude stockings over her legs, her feet in modest black heels. The look was intelligent and subtly mature.
Noticing Simon's gaze, Ren Jingxi hesitated, then seemed to gather her courage. She lifted her head and met his eyes.
Simon locked eyes with her for a moment before speaking. "Are you trying to seduce me?"
At his question, her face flushed red almost instantly, and her eyes flickered nervously. After a brief pause, as if worried he might misunderstand her intentions, she nodded slightly.
It seemed true that Westerners were direct in their approach. She didn't deny it.
Simon hadn't expected her to admit it so readily. He studied her again and asked, "And then?"
She bit her lip lightly before replying softly, "Whatever you say."
"Oh? And why are you trying to seduce me?"
Ren Jingxi instinctively wanted to bite her lip again but stopped herself. Taking a deep breath, she met his gaze as though she had nothing to lose. "I want to be like Momo. I want to be your woman."
"Why?"
"I want to live a better life."
"Isn't your life good now?"
She hesitated before nodding. "It's good," she said, then added after a moment, "but... it's not the same."
Simon studied her again before saying, "Give me a real reason, and I'll agree."
Ren Jingxi fell silent.
Simon didn't rush her. He casually increased the speed of the treadmill, focusing on his workout.
Over a minute passed before she spoke again, her voice barely audible. "My mother passed away last year."
Simon didn't respond, listening as she continued.
"Heart disease. The surgery failed. She was only 49," Ren Jingxi said, leaning slightly against the treadmill next to him. Her head was bowed. "Later, I found out it was because the hospital in my hometown wasn't good enough. If she had been treated in Beijing, the success rate would've been over 70%. And here, I've learned that the best hospitals in the world have a 90% success rate for similar surgeries, with almost no risk."
"My parents were both teachers. Until last year, our family lived a good life—stable, happy. I thought it would always be that way. I planned to graduate, stay at the university as a lecturer like my parents, and do better than them, to make life better for my family—my parents, my younger siblings. I never imagined how fragile it all was."
"And then, these past few months, following Momo, I've seen another side of the world."
"I'm not asking for much. I just want my family, and myself, to have enough money and power so that when something happens, we don't have to resign ourselves to fate."
Simon listened quietly. He didn't look at her tear-streaked face, instead keeping his tone calm. "Alright. From now on, you're my woman."
Ren Jingxi carefully wiped away her tears and tried to steady her emotions. Looking up at Simon on the treadmill, she asked, "What should I do?"
"When I need you, sleep with me."
"Okay," she said softly, bowing her head again. "Anything else?"
"No. Being my woman is simple. Just don't cheat on me. Other than that, I don't care. When you want to leave, just let me know in advance. You'll be free to go."
"I won't leave you," she said quickly.
"The thing is, I don't plan to keep you forever. When you grow old, or when you realize I've already forgotten about you, it's best you leave on your own. Don't make me kick you out."
She paused briefly, then nodded lightly. "I understand."
Simon noticed she was still standing there and asked, "Anything else?"
Ren Jingxi hesitated before organizing her thoughts. "I've been working hard to learn English and read books about business recently. I want to do something meaningful. Is that okay?"
"Of course. I welcome any type of woman in my life. Whether you want to live a pampered life as a trophy, or work hard to build a career, it's fine by me. But honestly, I prefer women who are ambitious. They're less boring. So, what do you want to do?"
"I don't know. Can you give me some suggestions?"
"You mentioned reading books about business. Running a business isn't easy. It's best to start with a business school education. What was your major in university?"
"Chinese Language and Literature," Ren Jingxi said, glancing at him and quickly adding, "Same as Wuling. Our graduate focus is also the same—Applied Linguistics."
What the hell?
Simon mentally rolled his eyes but reminded himself that university graduates in China were still rare resources in this era. The state-assigned job system had only been abolished last year, and employment was still relatively easy to find. He let it go.
That said, these skills wouldn't be easy to apply in reality.
Looking her over again, Simon asked, "Can you write novels?"
"Yes, I've published many articles," Ren Jingxi replied, her tone more confident. She'd been a standout in her department, regularly earning money during her undergraduate years by publishing short pieces in various magazines and newspapers. This was one of the reasons she and Mo Wuling had been offered teaching positions.
Unfortunately, everything changed after her family's tragedy.
Simon noticed the confidence in her voice and decided to test an idea. "Alright, then. It seems you won't be going back to China with Momo and the others. Today, you'll come to New York with me. We'll discuss things in detail on the plane."
Ren Jingxi agreed but felt her mood dip again.
Because of Mo Wuling.
Not only had their long-standing friendship been a source of support, but Mo Wuling had also helped her secure this job. She still owed her friend a significant sum of money for her mother's surgery. And now, she had essentially taken her friend's niece's man. Their friendship seemed unlikely to survive this betrayal.
Simon noticed her change in expression and could guess her thoughts but chose to say nothing. It was her decision, after all, and every choice came with consequences.
After breakfast, Simon prepared to head to the East Coast. Outside the villa, he exchanged affectionate goodbyes with Zhu Momo. Inside, Ren Jingxi confessed everything to Mo Wuling. The conversation ended with Ren Jingxi walking out with a clear red handprint on her pale face, while an angry Mo Wuling glared daggers at Simon, who was still sweet-talking her niece.
Mo Wuling desperately wanted to march over and slap him as well. But... after mustering her courage several times, she couldn't bring herself to do it.
Meanwhile, Zhu Momo, now more playful, pouted at Simon and asked when he would visit her in China again. Simon had last visited during the Chinese New Year, though it had been a private trip. With several important matters still to finalize, he assured her he would visit again after his European tour in April. Satisfied with his answer, Zhu Momo finally let him go.
As Simon's car pulled away, taking Ren Jingxi with him, Zhu Momo quickly realized what was happening. Unlike her aunt's fiery reaction, Zhu Momo simply pouted and clung to Simon briefly before letting him leave.
Watching the car disappear, Mo Wuling turned to Zhu Momo and said angrily, "Momo, break up with him. If you don't, I'll have to tell your mother."
"Okay," Zhu Momo replied breezily, stretching her arms out as she basked in the warm Los Angeles morning sun. She skipped lightly back toward the villa.
Mo Wuling followed, unsure whether Zhu Momo's "okay" was agreement or defiance. The latter seemed more likely. Frustrated, she caught up with her niece. "Didn't you see? In just one night, he seduced my friend. It's outrageous!"
Standing on the villa's porch, Zhu Momo turned back with a cheeky smile. "Auntie, Simon was with me all night. How could he have seduced her? It must've been her who threw herself at him."
That was exactly what Ren Jingxi had told her earlier.
Mo Wuling fumed. "He should've refused! Jingxi is my friend, and I'm your aunt. How could he do this?"
Walking into the villa, Zhu Momo shrugged in an exaggeratedly Western fashion. "Because he's a playboy, Auntie. A super, super playboy."
Mo Wuling was left speechless.
Was there any better excuse than that?
Reaching out, Zhu Momo took her aunt's hand. "Alright, don't be mad. How about we stay in Los Angeles a bit longer? I'll pay for everything, okay?"
Mo Wuling pulled her hand away. "Don't even think about it. If you miss more classes at the Central Academy, you'll be expelled."
"Bah, with Simon Westeros behind me, who'd dare expel me?"
"Your mom will flip out. I think she's already starting to suspect something."
"Let her suspect, then. She's so busy these days she barely has time to eat. How could she have time to deal with me?" Zhu Momo replied, wrapping her arms around her aunt playfully. "Come on, Auntie. Let's stay a bit longer. How about we start with Universal Studios this morning?"
Mo Wuling wanted to argue but was dragged along.
Meanwhile, onboard Simon's private Boeing 767, Ren Jingxi remained subdued. Simon didn't rush the conversation, instead instructing Carmen to bring her some ice for her cheek and suggesting she rest. He retreated to his onboard office to handle some work.
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