The Duke’s Affair -Part One

Ximen Xu entered the banquet hall, searching for Dean’s figure, but only saw Jones and the bodyguards at the entrance to the balcony. He quickly approached, “Where’s Dean?” Ximen Xu asked Jones. “The Duke is on the phone on the balcony,” Jones replied. Ximen Xu pushed the door open. On the balcony, he saw Dean, looking stern, smoking alone, leaning against the railing, “What’s wrong? Not greeting the guests, smoking here alone?” “…” Dean ignored him. “Trembling lips are a hidden hint – your eyes suggest secrets – I hide in the darkness to talk – why are we so deeply stuck…” Ye Ye dialed Dean’s number again; she didn’t want to be punished without even a chance to explain! Ximen Xu watched Dean, who stared at the flashing screen with “Ye Ye” prominently displayed, frowning, thinking for a moment, then hung up and turned off his phone… Ximen Xu observed Dean’s actions; he knew that song, “Night,” was it Ye Ye calling? But this number was only known to their four assistants, Jones, and a few of Dean’s friends; no woman knew it, not even his wife Misha! Yet, Dean, who never used songs as ringtones, had a Chinese song… “Is it Ye Ye?” Ximen Xu probed. Dean’s silence was an implicit acknowledgment. Ximen Xu was surprised; Ye Ye knew this number! Seeing Dean’s cold, yet seemingly angry face, he hesitated, “Dean, did you two have a fight?” Dean took a drag of his cigarette, slowly exhaled, “A fight? When have you ever heard the word ‘fight’ associated with me?” He raised his handsome eyebrows, squinting. “Hehe, then why didn’t you answer her call? I don’t think she could guess this number on her own without your consent!” Ximen Xu leaned against the railing, picked up Dean’s cigarette, lit one for himself, and exhaled smoke mischievously, “You’ve really broken all your rules for her!” “Have I?” Dean looked into the distance, uninterested. “Yes. You let her spend the night in your room, let her stay at the villa, gave her your number, allowed her to call you Dean, cared about her diet, and the first thing you did in the morning was to fire the maid who disrespected her last night… And all this, even Misha never enjoyed!” Ximen Xu paused, then added, “The most important thing is, you took her virginity!” “How do you know she was a virgin?” Dean didn’t remember telling him that! “This morning, while you were still in bed, the maids washing your sheets were discussing that there was blood on the sheets!” Ximen Xu laughed, “Of course, you could say you ran a red light last night! But I don’t think you’d be desperate enough to sleep with a woman on her period!” “You’re really something else!” Dean muttered, not bothering to explain Ximen Xu’s guesses. “You’re admitting it, though. A beautiful girl like Ye Ye truly deserves special attention from men… I saw her leaving with Long Yu when I came in… Are you hiding here smoking because of this?” Ximen Xu recalled the scene he saw when he entered. “Ugh, you talk too much!” Dean was annoyed by Ximen Xu’s chatter. “Ho, actually, you can have as many lovers as you want, but if you fall in love with that woman, you’ll be in big trouble… After all, the family does not tolerate the scandal of divorce…” Ximen Xu bluntly reminded him. He smelled danger in the air, so he felt compelled to warn his good friend and leader. “When did I ever say I would get divorced?” Dean retorted coldly, “The moment I got married, I told myself that marrying anyone is just a mission! My life, my main focus, is on my career, on expanding our family empire!” He spoke fiercely, as if he were convincing himself rather than informing Ximen Xu. “…” Ximen Xu’s eyes flickered, but he said no more. The two men, lost in their thoughts, smoked in silence under the cover of night…