The Duke’s Affair -Part One

Long Yu led Ye Ye into the club, where the beautiful, fully transparent, suspended floor emitted various colors of light, changing in sync with the lights on the ceiling. The music was pounding, the DJ was skilled, and the excitement was palpable as he mixed tracks… Young men and women, handsome and beautiful, were swaying in the dance pit… Ye Ye tugged at Long Yu’s hand, signaling him to lower his body. Why are all the men so tall these days? Long Yu turned his head, slightly bending his 190 cm tall frame, bringing his ear close to Ye Ye’s lips… “Are those your friends?” Ye Ye pointed at the colorful mix of men and women in the dance pit. “No,” Long Yu shook his head, pointing to a group of handsome men on a large sofa at the other end, “Those guys over there are… These ones are probably just extras they brought along…” He led Ye Ye towards his friends, “SKY, Ji, Hai, Yang!” Long Yu called out loudly. The four men turned around, stood up, and shook hands with Long Yu, exchanging greetings. Ye Ye hid behind Long Yu, subtly swaying to the beat, completely oblivious to the four men in front of Long Yu… “Yu, is that your woman?” Yang asked, looking at the vague figure behind Long Yu. “Yeah!” Long Yu nodded, pulling Ye Ye out from behind him and presenting her to the group with a boastful tone, “She’s Ye Ye. Mine!” Ye Ye blinked her eyes at the four somewhat familiar handsome men, her lips pursed for a while without recognizing them, but their faces seemed to be on the tip of her tongue, “Uh—Hello, I’m Ye Ye—his!” She grabbed Long Yu’s hand, pulling him up, going along with his vanity. After all, she had promised Long Yu not to entertain other suitors, so for now, she was ‘his’. Long Yu grinned, feeling pleased inside. “So you’re Ye Ye! The Wing Chun girl?” Yang immediately recognized her, one of the two fierce women from last night at the bar, which was also one of the reasons they decided to come to Italy early, but they didn’t expect her to be Long Yu’s friend… Disappointed… Ye Ye, reminded by Yang, also recalled last night’s events. They seemed to have had a good chat with Qiu Yu: “What a coincidence, meeting again so soon!” Ye Ye smiled. “Where are your other sisters?” Hai asked. “They’re sleeping at home. If I had known, I would have called them to come too!” Ye Ye said regretfully. “Actually, it’s not too late to call them now…” SKY suggested, as he quite liked Qiu Yu… The other men also looked at Ye Ye with an expectant air, except for the cool and icy Ji… “Alright then, I’ll give it a try, but you’ll have to go pick them up, we just arrived today, we’re not familiar with the place…” Ye Ye said. “Of course…” Yang said. “So you guys know each other?” Long Yu asked his friends while Ye Ye was on the phone. “Yeah, we met yesterday, not very familiar!” Hai said. “Yesterday? Where?” Long Yu asked. “At a nightclub in Paris!” SKY said. Yang briefly recounted the events, and Long Yu listened with a smug smile, “See, my woman is just awesome! She can do anything!” “Just keep being proud, but it seems she doesn’t care that much about you!” Ji said coldly, his sharp eyes seemingly able to see through everything! “Hmph! You’re just jealous!” How could Long Yu admit that Ye Ye’s heart wasn’t really with him yet? “Hey, who’s going to pick up my sisters?” Ye Ye returned after hanging up the phone, sitting next to Long Yu and addressing the other four. “I’ll go with Yang!” SKY volunteered, pulling Yang up. “Okay, the address is… the phone number is… call when you arrive, and they’ll come down!” “Alright! You guys enjoy yourselves, we’ll make sure to bring the beauties back safely!” Yang said with a cheerful smile, eagerly pulling SKY towards the exit. Ye Ye and the others sat on the couch, playing dice and drinking, waiting for SKY and Yang to return. Long Yu had a good capacity for alcohol, and even with Ji and Hai taking turns trying to outdrink him, he remained unfazed. Ye Ye, feeling bored, didn’t drink anything but red wine. Watching Long Yu enjoying himself, she whispered into his ear, “Yu, I’m going to dance, you guys keep playing!” “Okay!” Long Yu patted her waist, releasing his grip on her arm. Dressed in bright pink, Ye Ye shone in the center of the dance floor, capturing all eyes… She danced on her own, the lights accentuating her graceful and seductive moves. People unconsciously gathered around her, and several bold boys stepped up to dance with her, with flirtatious invitations… Ye Ye responded without shyness but kept a certain distance, preventing the eager suitors from getting too close… The music continued, growing more intense… Ye Ye was joyfully lost in the dance, moving with all her might—this was how she could forget the things she must forget… Forget the fluttering heart of a 19-year-old girl… “Yu, your woman is really something!” Hai watched the dazzling Ye Ye in the crowd, even among the deliberately dressed, blonde and blue-eyed men and women, the naturally unadorned Ye Ye stood out as the most striking and unique! Ji also put down his glass, admiring Ye Ye’s dance that was both soft and strong. Unlike the typical flirtatious moves of modern women, her moves were skillful, sharp, and free-spirited, making her both alluring and sophisticated! Long Yu, seeing more and more men around Ye Ye, suddenly found it very irritating. He stood up abruptly and headed towards Ye Ye—[From Paris to Rome: Twenty-Five, No Limits to Youth] Ye Ye danced with her whole body, every cell radiating energy, her hair flying, creating captivating layers and curves from every angle… Long Yu approached and suddenly wrapped his arms around Ye Ye’s waist, joining her rhythm. Ye Ye knew it was Long Yu because she didn’t think anyone else would dare to be so forward under his watch, and she trusted that Long Yu wouldn’t allow it! Smiling, she leaned back against his chest, and they danced closely… Why be shy when you can be free? The music transitioned into a slow dance, and they continued moving in a slow, close embrace… Long Yu, moved, rested his chin on Ye Ye’s shoulder, holding her close as they slow-danced, whispering in her ear, “Woman, you’re responsible for this! I can’t help but like you!” His tone was both dominant and petulant. Ye Ye laughed, lifting her hand to touch Long Yu’s face, still leaning back against him, “Then try to move me! Maybe I’ll fall for you!” “You’re a sprite! You can’t just inflame me and run away~! I won’t allow it!” Long Yu said, a bit sullenly. He had always been irresistible to women, but now he was powerless against Ye Ye! Ye Ye chuckled in his arms, “I’ve always been a bad girl! I specialize in teasing and running away!” “I will break your wings so you can’t escape!” Ye Ye laughed, her laughter beautiful. If one day Ye Ye decided to stay, it wouldn’t be because her wings were broken, but because her heart was intoxicated, having forgotten how to fly away… Long Yu lowered his head, kissed Ye Ye’s graceful neck, took a deep breath, and left a pink mark. Smiling, he said, “This is the mark of Yu. From now on, you must come to receive it on time every day!” “Alright, I’ll come every day to receive it until I want to fly away or you make me forget how to fly…” Ye Ye seemed to promise, yet her words were not absolute. In fact, Long Yu was really quite good, more domineering and outstanding than Xiao Yanting, more carefree than that other man… Long Yu understood her implication, but he neither forced nor delved deeper because that would be meaningless; the significance lay in each day that followed… Feeling a bit tired, Ye Ye pulled Long Yu back to the lounge area, just as SKY and Yang arrived with Qiu Yu and Du Miao Miao. The three girls hugged joyfully and greeted the men present. Du Miao Miao, looking at Long Yu, who was clearly possessive, asked Ye Ye curiously, “Who is he to you, Ye Ye?” “Him? He’s mine!” Ye Ye laughed, quoting Long Yu. “What do you mean he’s yours?” Du Miao Miao asked, puzzled. “Just mine!” Ye Ye smiled. “Oh! You’re such a fickle woman!” Du Miao Miao said with a pointed look, referring to Xiao Yanting. They didn’t know about Dean. “Hehe! Come on, let’s go dancing!” Ye Ye clearly wanted to change the subject, pulling her two friends back to the dance floor… Watching the dazzling trio on the dance floor, the five men drank and chatted. “I’m going to pursue Qiu Yu!” SKY announced seriously to his friends. “Hehe, SKY, don’t forget you have a fiancée arranged by your family!” Yang poured cold water on his enthusiasm. “So what?” SKY said, “Pursuing doesn’t mean I have to marry her, but if the feeling is right, it doesn’t mean I won’t marry her either. The engagement is just a family decision, not my will!” “Hehe, since you’ve said so, we can only wish you well!” Hai said nonchalantly, perhaps he might have… “Actually, Du Miao Miao is not bad either, but of course, Ye Ye is the best, but she’s taken by Yu!” Yang said awkwardly, “Maybe I could chase Du Miao Miao, she’s pretty cute…” “Did you forget she has a blond fiancé?” Ji reminded. “It seems that blond guy is the son of Britain’s richest man…” Hai recalled. “So what if he’s the richest man’s son? Yang isn’t bad either!” SKY chimed in. “Maybe we should change the topic! Let’s talk about business?” Long Yu suggested to his four friends. “Let’s talk about our ‘Five Elements Club’ then!” Yang said. “Yes, this will be our 20th branch, so it’s also outside of our family businesses. The 20th club, entirely funded by us five, could be considered a milestone in our joint venture!” Hai said. “Therefore, the planning and interior design should highlight this significance!” Ji said practically. “The casino in Dubai is about to open, and we need to start the construction here. Let’s divide the tasks,” Long Yu said. “Alright, Yu and SKY, who wants to pursue Qiu Yu, will stay in Italy to oversee the construction of the club. Yang and Hai will go to Dubai, and I’ll return to the U.S. headquarters to manage and keep an eye on things, and also check if my brother has managed to ruin our family’s company…” Ji said, always the most steady among them, thus responsible for key scheduling and assignments. “If your brother could ruin one of Asia’s four major families, the Sato family, I would be impressed!” Long Yu said with a wry smile, which was nearly impossible. Everyone laughed. “Then Hai and I will set off for Dubai tomorrow!” Yang said. “Yes, and I’ll head back to the U.S. to watch our competitors’ moves!” Ji said. “Good!” Everyone accepted their upcoming tasks. After dancing, Ye Ye, Miao Miao, and Qiu Yu returned to the lounge, still energetic, and started playing dice and drinking with Yang and the others. The group was in high spirits, with Ye Ye leaning tiredly on Long Yu’s shoulder. She wasn’t much of a drinker, not because of her capacity but because she didn’t like drinking much. Whenever it was her turn, Long Yu considerately took her place, his drinking capacity being exceptionally good — after all, his family ran the world’s leading restaurant chain, Ao Hua Lou, and how could the prince of such an establishment not hold his liquor? The young and talented quickly became friends amidst laughter, embodying the notion that youth knows no bounds, freely expressing beauty, releasing youth, and enjoying life… ***** Seeing the comments and votes from everyone, I’m deeply touched and delighted, deciding to maintain three updates daily… Today’s third update is complete! Thank you! [From Paris to Rome: Chapter Twenty-Six, Fast Food Love] Around 2 a.m., Long Yu and the others drove Ye Ye and her friends back to their residence. Before getting out of the car, Long Yu kissed Ye Ye’s neck again, “Don’t forget, darling, this is Yu’s mark!” His words were full of arrogance, his wild eyes making Ye Ye nod in a daze. Back in her room, after cleaning up, Ye Ye lay back on her bed, sent a few safety messages to her family, and then lay back, bored, against the headboard. Jet lag was a terrible thing — she couldn’t sleep. And the inexplicable restlessness in her heart was even more troubling. Ye Ye tried to sort out her thoughts… The events of the past two days could only be described in three words — too fast! After ‘losing’ her first love, she quickly left her hometown of Hong Kong, soon arrived in Paris, met Huo, the man she only knew by name and knew was married. He was always domineering, like a king, coldly overlooking everything with a charming, shallow smile, showing a hint of softness only when embracing her… Her heart fell for him without reason, making her question if her persistent first love was really love… Impulsively and boldly, she pressed her lips, which no one had ever kissed, against his cold yet lingering lips… forgetting he was a married man… She soon realized she was sinking, soon realized she couldn’t face this forbidden affection, and soon left Paris for Italy… She knew this was escape… a timidity she had never experienced in 19 years…