The wealthy military officer spoils his wife excessively

"Wait—" At the crucial moment, out of self-preservation instinct, Suwen forcefully resisted him.

Just kidding. During filming, the director spent who knows how long he had to put that paperclip there, and the two leads laughed countless times. In the end, it was only after the director got angry and shocked them that they finally got into character. Besides, it was just for show; they didn't actually need to be connected, so of course they could put it however they wanted. Now, with his heavy weapon attached, even the slightest movement could kill her at any moment.

She'd have to be so submissive unless she's tired of living!

"Director Lu—" The sweet, cloying voice was sickeningly sweet.

Lu Zheng was caught off guard by her sudden sweet talk and took a short break to catch his breath, waiting for her reaction.

"Director Lu, what's the point of the paperclip? Can we shoot something else first?" As she spoke, she flipped herself up and pounced on him, giving him a passionate kiss.

Caught off guard by her sudden attack, Lu Zheng nearly stumbled against the headboard. But his quick thinking kicked in, and he braced himself against the bed with his elbow, while wrapping his other arm around her waist and watching her with a leisurely air.

"How about we film the scene you watched in the office that day?"

The kitten's meow was so enticing that Suwen kissed him even more deeply and passionately than before. Their disordered breaths mingled together, impossible to separate.

She was rarely so proactive, so...unrestrained. Although Lu Zheng's long-cherished wish to try the paperclip had failed, things seemed...not bad at all?

Coming to his senses, Lu Zheng responded even more fiercely, his hands firmly locking her waist, their lips rubbing together so hot it hurt. Su Wen freed her hands and deftly tore off his tie.

Tie, suit, vest, shirt, all were eventually thrown to the ground. Her barely-there cheongsam was also ruined in his hands. With a "rip" sound of fabric tearing, something had already spiraled out of control.

Suwen pushed his shoulders and pressed him down onto the bed.

Lu Zheng raised his chin in an arrogant arc, wanting to continue the passionate kiss, but Su Wen dodged away and instead kissed his Adam's apple, bit his collarbone, lingered on his chest for a moment, and then buried her head down, wanting to break the mask of this man's aloofness.

Aren't you a stickler for every little thing? Aren't you going to recreate the scene exactly as it was? Sorry, I'm a stickler for every little thing too!

I'll suffocate you, I'll suffocate you!

What's the deal with this situation where you dig a hole for yourself and jump in?

Lu Zheng taught her another lesson with his actions: even if the man is on the bottom, it doesn't stop them from regaining their virility and dominating the battlefield.

Suwen finally couldn't help but cry out, but he pressed her neck down and kissed her, leaving only a whimper-like moan.

Lu Zheng lifted the flushed face, looking at the last trace of untamed arrogance in those big eyes: "What, you can't take it already?"

Just a minute ago, she had spoken those words with such pride, but now he was returning them to her in full.

As he said, this man was indeed very meticulous about certain things.

This is absolutely torture!

Suwen bit him in dissatisfaction.

He tormented her in bed, and she always found a way to get her revenge. Last time he left a tooth mark behind her ear, this time…

Before her fingernails could even scratch his irresistibly handsome face, he grabbed her hand: "You little rascal, what mischief are you up to now?"

Her revenge plan was stalled, and before she could even utter a sound, a series of events nearly drove her out of control. Su Wen felt a sudden, sharp pain in her abdomen, as if a nerve had snapped, causing her to glare at him.

He just smiled.

His kisses were still wet and tender, and he kept staring at her intently, as if he wanted to etch every inch of himself into her bones and blood.

Amidst the ensuing torrent, Su Wen thought helplessly: This man is truly ruthless.

He wanted her to never be able to leave him for the rest of her life.

The night was slightly cool, the lights were dim, and desires had dissipated.

Lu Zheng had already gotten up to shower. There was a washroom attached to the lounge.

Suwen sat on the bed in a daze for a long time, then threw off the covers and got out of bed barefoot. Seeing the torn underwear on the floor, she felt a little annoyed. She kicked it under the bed, wrapped herself in a thin blanket, and went to knock on the bathroom door.

The splashing water stopped. The door opened a crack, and billowing steam escaped, revealing Lu Zheng's water-drenched face as the white mist dissipated.

He was soaking wet and covered in foam, and of course, he wasn't wearing anything.

Suwen didn't expect him to open the door like this—

With such blatant and undisguised male beauty right in front of her, she finally felt uncomfortable, turned her head away, and asked in a complaining tone, "What should I wear?"

Lu Zheng seemed to understand, then smiled and said with some disappointment, "I thought you knocked on the door to shower with me."

She was so angry she couldn't speak, and regardless of whether he was dressed or not, she glared at him, her face flushed.

He patted her head with his soapy hands: "Wait a minute, I'll go downstairs and buy it for you after I'm done washing up."

As the year draws to a close, award ceremonies fill the public's attention. People in the industry, whether famous or not, who have worked hard all year, always want to show their talents at this time, hoping to appear on television and in the newspapers to increase their exposure and prove that they haven't just coasted through the year.

"Lust, Caution" broke its year-end box office record in Hong Kong within 30 days of its release and enjoyed great success in other regions as well. Its release in mainland China on Christmas Day, December 25th, offered couples on dates another option. Reportedly, long queues formed at cinemas in major cities that night, with even late-night screenings sold out. Many non-customers complained about not having booked tickets in advance, resulting in disappointment.

This fervor continued for a week without any sign of abating, with the most frequent inquiries being about screening times. Within ten days of its release, the film had already grossed over ten million yuan at the Beijing New Film Union and over ninety million yuan nationwide, making a total box office exceeding one hundred million yuan a certainty.

With impressive box office results, promotional activities have become increasingly frequent. Besides rushing to premieres across the country, Suwen has been receiving so many invitations to award ceremonies, including several nominations.

Xiao Ai is busy every day getting clothes from various designer stores for her and altering sizes. One dress after another passes through her hands like an assembly line. She's busy, but she's happy with her busy schedule. Her newcomer is really popular now. Several of her assistants from the same period would make a few sarcastic remarks when they bumped into each other at work.

Jealousy, raw jealousy back then. Who wouldn't want to be a big star's assistant? I've heard that some assistants of superstars walk around acting all high and mighty, bossing everyone around, even more confident than minor celebrities.

In contrast, Su Wen was much calmer. The honors came too quickly, and aside from the initial overwhelming flattery, she had slowly come to terms with reality. Take her trip from Venice to Chicago and New York, for example. Their film had won numerous awards, mostly for Best Foreign Language Film, Best Original Score, and Best Feature Film—frankly, those were technical awards, irrelevant to her as the lead actress.

Let's turn back to China. If you can catch the last train at the end of the year, there's the Taiwan Golden Horse Awards, and closer to home, there's the Asian Film Walker Awards, which will be held in Busan, South Korea this year.

Suwen was genuinely surprised that their film was quite popular in South Korea. Koreans' understanding of Chinese-language films is still stuck in the 1990s with Leslie Cheung. They don't know anything about the 1997 Hong Kong handover, just like we're unwilling to delve into the North-South Korean conflict. Their impression of Chinese-language films is still rooted in 1990s Hong Kong cinema. Fortunately, Xue Shaofeng's previous film, *Infernal Affairs*, had a significant international impact and still holds some influence in the eyes of Koreans. Plus, Koreans are quick to embrace new things, so word spread, and quite a few people came to see it in theaters.

The night of the Walker Awards ceremony could be called the night of "Lust, Caution," or perhaps the night of Nie Suwen.

She received nominations for both Best Actress and Best Newcomer at the awards ceremony. Before she left, Ye Zi, Xiao Ai, and several staff members prepared a celebratory banquet for her. Su Wen had just returned from a busy day out; it was already past nine o'clock, and she hadn't had dinner yet. As a complete newcomer, she couldn't refuse any magazine interviews. Later, after work, the editor-in-chief invited her to dinner, which she politely declined. Su Wen always dared not have too much contact with people who made a living from journalism, for fear of revealing her secrets and having them published in the news.

After work, only a few rooms in the office building still had lights on, but she knew Ye Zi would never leave so early. She went to Ye Zi's office, and before she could even sit down and have a sip of water, all the lights above her suddenly went out.

The room was plunged into darkness.

She stood up, clutching her water glass, and stood there stunned for a long while. Had the main control panel lost power?

Just as I was about to open the door to ask, the door was suddenly opened from the outside. The small glow of the candles illuminated the smiling faces of a group of people. Xiao Ai led the way, pushing a three-tiered cake cart into the room. Behind her were several colleagues from the company. Together, they set off confetti cannons and rushed in, cheering.

Suwen was stunned.

"It's not my birthday today..."

Ye Zi, holding a champagne glass, wanted nothing more than to slap the girl on the head: "Who said we were going to celebrate your birthday?"

Xiao Ai had already pushed the car in. The only thing in the entire office was the flickering candlelight on the cake. She smiled and said, "Ye Zi said she wanted to celebrate your success in advance. I wish you all the best and hope you win your first international award."

After he finished speaking, everyone applauded.

Lu Zheng turned off the shower and came out while drying his hair. Su Wen sat up from the bed again, grabbed a towel to take a shower, but Lu Zheng wrapped his arm around her waist and she fell back into his arms.

He was barefoot, and his wet kiss landed on her cheek. His damp hair brushed against her face, and Suwen flinched. The fresh scent of shampoo wafted over her.