Zhou Tianhao led Xiao Churan into his office and, the moment he closed the door, a glimmer of excitement flashed in his eyes.


Without making a sound, he locked the door behind them before gesturing for Xiao Churan to sit on the couch.


Xiao Churan, feeling a bit uneasy, nervously wrung her hands as she sat down opposite him.


Zhou Tianhao smiled and asked, “Miss Xiao, what kind of cooperation are we discussing today?”


With slight embarrassment, Xiao Churan said, “To be honest, Mr. Zhou, the Xiao Group is currently experiencing some cash flow issues. I wanted to ask if you’d be open to letting us purchase some construction materials on credit.”


“On credit?” Zhou Tianhao feigned a troubled expression and said, “Miss Xiao, you must know that our Tianhao Building Materials has a strict policy—we never allow purchases on credit. Our terms are simple: payment first, then materials.”


“I understand,” Xiao Churan replied apologetically. “But I really have no other choice. However, please rest assured that our project is with Emgrand Group, the largest enterprise in Jinling. They always pay on time, so as soon as we receive the payment from them, we will settle our balance with you immediately.”


Zhou Tianhao chuckled and said, “That sounds reasonable, but Miss Xiao, do you know why we implemented this no-credit policy in the first place?”


Xiao Churan shook her head. “Why?”


Zhou Tianhao sighed dramatically. “I used to be very accommodating, allowing clients to take materials on credit, trusting them when they said they’d pay after receiving their own payments from their clients. But do you know what happened? I ended up losing over 300 million yuan in unpaid debts.”


“Three hundred million?!” Xiao Churan was shocked.


The entire Xiao family’s assets barely exceeded 100 million. She hadn’t expected that Zhou Tianhao had over three times that amount in bad debts alone.


Zhou Tianhao sighed. “These dishonest businesses all made the same promises—‘We’ll pay soon, we’ll pay immediately,’ but in the end, they never did. I had no choice but to put a stop to all credit transactions. I have plenty of materials, but anyone who wants them has to pay upfront.”


Xiao Churan felt utterly disappointed. It seemed like this deal was impossible.


But she also understood that if this was his policy, she couldn’t force him to break his own rules. Standing up, she politely said, “I understand, Mr. Zhou. I’ll inform my grandmother and try to secure the necessary funds as soon as possible.”


As soon as she got up, Zhou Tianhao quickly stopped her. “Hey, hey! Miss Xiao, no need to rush!”


He hurriedly stood up and added, “That rule applies to ordinary business partners, but for you, Miss Xiao, things are different!”


Xiao Churan frowned slightly. “What do you mean, Mr. Zhou?”


Zhou Tianhao squinted his eyes, his gaze filled with greed.


Truth be told, Xiao Churan was breathtaking.


So breathtaking that Zhou Tianhao could hardly breathe.


At home, he was stuck with an ugly, frail, aging wife who was a far cry from Xiao Churan.


But Xiao Churan? She was a goddess. Not only was her face flawless, but her figure was also incredibly enticing.


A woman like this was the ultimate prize!


Why was she stuck with a useless loser for a husband?


That piece of trash—could he possibly be better than him?


The thought of it made Zhou Tianhao feel like a thousand ants were crawling under his skin.


For years, he had been faithful to his wife, never having the chance to be with a stunning beauty. His life had been wasted on that hideous woman.


But today? Today was his chance to break free!


This was his golden opportunity—his once-in-a-lifetime chance to have Xiao Churan.


With that thought in mind, he smiled and said, “Miss Xiao, since you’ve come to me with a request, we can definitely talk. I’m actually quite flexible.”


Xiao Churan’s eyes lit up with hope. “Mr. Zhou, are you saying you’re willing to grant us the credit line?”


Zhou Tianhao deliberately kept his words vague. “Well, for ordinary clients, I’d definitely refuse. But for someone like you, Miss Xiao… I might be willing to consider it.”


Excitedly, Xiao Churan quickly said, “Mr. Zhou, our project with Emgrand Group is very solid. If you grant us this credit, we’ll repay you the moment we receive our payment from them.”


Zhou Tianhao nodded. “Give me a moment. Let me brew some tea, and we’ll talk this over properly.”


He turned around and walked toward the cabinet, where he retrieved a teapot.


As he did, with his back facing Xiao Churan, he stealthily pulled out a small bottle of sleeping pills from his pocket.


These were strong sedatives his doctor had prescribed for insomnia—one pill could knock someone out for a full day.


Zhou Tianhao planned to drug Xiao Churan, take advantage of her, and record everything.


If she ever tried to report him, he’d use the footage to ruin her.


With those videos and photos in his possession, she would never dare to expose him.


She wouldn’t be able to tell her husband.


She wouldn’t be able to tell her family.


She’d be his—his secret mistress, forever under his control.


His personal plaything.


The thought of it made him tremble with excitement.


Quickly, he crushed six pills into the tea.


One cup—just one sip—would be enough.


With the tea prepared, he masked his anticipation, calmly carried the teapot back, and sat down.


Pouring Xiao Churan a cup, he smiled warmly and said, “Miss Xiao, don’t rush. Have some tea, and let’s talk.”


Xiao Churan didn’t think twice. She had talked so much that her throat was dry, so she picked up the teacup and took a big sip.


Zhou Tianhao’s eyes burned with desire.


He devoured her with his gaze—her long, slender legs, her graceful waist, her perfect curves, and her delicate, stunning face.


She was a dream—a fantasy made real.


And soon, she would be his.


Today was his lucky day.


The very thought of what was about to happen made Zhou Tianhao’s entire body heat up with anticipation.