Domineering CEO with Mind-Reading

"Thud~"

"Ah—"

Tang Beisi, groggy from sleep, instinctively clutched her aching forehead, struggling to pry open her heavy eyelids just a sliver, only to realize she had fallen out of bed.

Huh? When did I return home? Wasn't I slumped over my office desk, laboriously working overtime on the annual performance report?

Wrapping herself in her blanket, Tang Beisi clambered up from the floor and settled back into bed, closing her eyes, intending to resume her slumber.

In her semi-conscious state, she thought she glimpsed a spacious, opulently decorated bedroom... and a man?

Tang Beisi's initially muddled mind snapped to attention, her hands involuntarily tightening their grip on the blanket. She slowly opened her eyes, directing her gaze towards the man.

Tang Beisi was struck dumb with astonishment.

Is there really a man here?

"Ah—" Tang Beisi sharply inhaled, her first thought being, Who is this brazen intruder, daring to trespass into a private residence?

She had completely forgotten that, with her modest salary barely reaching five figures, she couldn't possibly afford such a lavish bedroom in Suzhou.

Their eyes met, and time seemed to stand still, Tang Beisi's mind going blank.

Then she saw the man nearby begin to speak, his voice low and resonant, imbued with an immensely dangerous aura: "Tang Beisi, aren't you going to explain?"

Tang Beisi clutched the blanket tighter, her eyes wide with fear as she stared at the man before her.

She thought to herself, Are modern-day scoundrels all this attractive? No, rather, this domineering? He intrudes into her home and expects her to explain?

Explain what?

Tang Beisi was breathless, swallowing hard, her forehead beaded with cold sweat, fearing what this man might do to her.

Meanwhile, she covertly scanned her surroundings, trying to grasp the situation.

Her gaze inadvertently swept over a floor-length mirror in the distance, then snapped back to it with a start.

This time, she saw clearly: the reflection in the large mirror was unfamiliar to an extreme.

The woman in the mirror was strikingly beautiful, her captivating peach blossom eyes filled with wariness and panic. Her eyes slightly upturned at the corners, long eyelashes, a high-bridged nose, and delicately shaped lips, her fair skin tinged with a faint blush. Under the warm, indoor lighting, she appeared delicate, endearing, and heart-stirringly lovely.

But this wasn't her.

Nor was this her rented, rundown apartment.

What in the world is happening?

"Welcome, Host, to your journey through 'The Heartthrob and Charlotte,' where you will take the place of the original Tang Beisi and navigate the forthcoming plot," a mechanical system voice echoed in Tang Beisi's mind.

Immediately after, a flood of memories not her own surfaced abruptly before her eyes, as if she had just watched an entire season of a TV series.

So she had been transported into a book? And she had become a disposable supporting character, married off to the wealthy second male lead, appearing for no more than three chapters?

In the book, this second male lead, Gu Hong, was depicted as handsome and elegant, graceful and refined, but with a ruthless and deeply calculative personality. He was the primary antagonist.

He was also the unattainable love of the heartthrob female lead, Su Ka Luo.

The original Tang Beisi, like the female lead, was her twin sister. At the age of ten, following their parents' divorce, Tang Beisi was reluctantly forced to live with their impoverished father, enduring a life of poverty and scorn. Meanwhile, her sister Tang Ka Luo, who took her mother's new husband's surname and became Su Ka Luo, led a life of luxury and pampering as a cherished and spoiled young heiress.

In comparison, Tang Beisi had nothing in common with the female lead except for their shared bloodline as full sisters.

Tang Beisi harbored a deep-seated resentment, especially suspecting that the coin toss that determined her fate might have been rigged by Su Ka Luo. Fortunately, Tang Beisi's father was later acknowledged by a wealthy family, catapulting her into the life of an affluent young lady.

Her family had even arranged a marital alliance with Gu Hong.

Gu Hong, the childhood friend and unattainable love of Su Ka Luo, was someone Tang Beisi had always looked up to from a distance. And yet, one day, she found herself married to Su Ka Luo's cherished love. Wasn't this a twist of fate too delightful to believe?

However, Gu Hong did not reciprocate her affections. Even the pretense of a loving relationship in public felt like a one-woman show, leading to unbearably awkward situations.

It didn't take long for the elite social circles to learn of Tang Beisi, the newly acknowledged daughter of the Tang family with humble origins, turning her into an utter joke.

Tang Beisi was overwhelmed with shame and indignation.

Especially when encountering Su Ka Luo's superficially concerned gaze, she vowed to win Gu Hong's heart and infuriate Su Ka Luo.

She went to great lengths to sabotage others, even attempting to seduce Gu Hong by drugging his coffee and lying in wait for him, unclothed. Alas, her efforts were to no avail.

The novel's conclusion regarding Tang Beisi was bleak: discarded by Gu Hong and facing a tragic end.

Aware of the plot, Tang Beisi gazed at the luxurious mansion and her stunning reflection in the mirror, her emotions in turmoil. With such advantages, why not live a comfortable, leisurely life as a wealthy, carefree woman? Why go through all this trouble for a man?

It seemed utterly pointless.

Upon opening her eyes, she was met with a pair of cold, deep-set eyes.

The man who had just questioned her was staring intently at her, his gaze gradually intensifying with a chilling coldness.

Had Tang Beisi not closed her eyes, she would have seen the fleeting surprise and confusion in the man's eyes when she mentally uttered her previous thought.

The system, having heard Tang Beisi's complaints, explained, "You only need to maintain the original character's deep love for Gu Hong. Rest assured, due to the reputation of both the Gu and Tang families, Gu Hong has only removed the original character from this room, not from the mansion."

Tang Beisi, perplexed, thought, "Well, thanks for that."

"Wailing, can I still get out of this now?" she wondered.

Tang Beisi had no desire to maintain such a preposterous persona.

Especially when she found herself unclothed in front of a man who had been drugged.

She tried to carefully shift her body, planning to roll as far away as possible while wrapped in the blanket.

However, she soon realized with horror that while she could move her hands and torso, her legs were immobile.

Was she really obligated to maintain the original character's persona?

How could she be forced into such a task?

The system spoke again, "As long as you complete the original character's storyline, you can return home and will be rewarded with a luxurious mansion and an incredibly handsome 'little milk puppy(Refers to younger, clingy, cute, sunny boys).'"

Tang Beisi, about to lash out in anger, paused, "Repeat that?"

The system obligingly reiterated, "A luxurious mansion and an incredibly handsome 'little milk puppy.'"

Tang Beisi, resigned, thought, "Fine."

She had to follow the storyline.

Moreover, the plot dictated that Tang Beisi would be expelled from the room by Gu Hong, but it did not demand the extreme of sacrificing herself to extinguish the fire of the grand villain's desires.

The forthcoming script was minimal, merely requiring her to maintain the facade of being "deeply in love." For Tang Beisi, who had always been single, this was somewhat bothersome.

But then again, isn't working anywhere still work?

"Alright then. I might not have eaten pork, but haven't I seen pigs run?" Tang Beisi mused internally, lifting her head to once again face the man before her.

This man, Gu Hong, possessed a striking, refined appearance. His figure, clad in a tailored, dark bespoke suit, exuded an aura of aloof nobility. With his sharp, frosty features and the slight, unsmiling curve of his lips, he stood with one hand casually pocketed, his presence alone exerting an overwhelming pressure. Truly fitting for the novel's greatest antagonist.

His charisma, his attractiveness...

Wait, Gu Hong seemed slightly tense, as if he was struggling to restrain something.

As Tang Beisi scrutinized him, Gu Hong's confusion deepened. His disdain for this woman had been palpable, and not immediately throwing her out upon sensing something amiss was the last shred of restraint he held as a man. Yet, she was still internally muttering nonsensical things.

Yes, just then, Gu Hong realized that he could actually hear Tang Beisi's thoughts.

"Mr. Gu," Tang Beisi began, nervously licking her dry lips.

She wondered if the potent drug was beginning to take effect. She noticed his gaze growing more dangerous, even as a faint sheen of sweat appeared on his forehead. Looking down, Tang Beisi's cheeks flushed abnormally with a sudden wave of heat. She quickly averted her eyes.

Was their first meeting supposed to be this... stimulating?

But then, why worry? It's just a novel, after all.

"Ms. Tang Beisi, I do not wish to ask again." Gu Hong spoke once more.

This time, his voice was even deeper, tinged with a subtle, barely perceptible magnetism, and a slight tremor?

Tang Beisi realized that this man was probably on the verge of succumbing to the raging power within him. She needed to maintain her facade and escape before the villain's predatory instincts fully awakened. What if...

She ended up on the losing end?

Wasn't it just about maintaining her persona to regain mobility? Thinking of the grand mansion, thinking of the adorable 'little milk puppy'...

Tang Beisi steeled her heart, pinching herself hard under the blanket. Tears, saline and involuntary, immediately sprang to her eyes.

"Ouch, ouch, ouch... All this trouble for Gu Hong, it's too much," she lamented inwardly.

On the surface, Tang Beisi's eyes reddened, her long lashes glistening with moisture as they fluttered.

She looked at Gu Hong, whose dark eyes exuded a terrifying pressure, with a tender, beseeching gaze. "Mr. Gu, please don't send me away. Perhaps, I could assist you in some way?"

Before he could respond, she tightened her grip on the blanket and briefly glanced at his form, quickly averting her eyes again.

"No, no, this is too absurd," she thought to herself.

But before she could complete her thought, Gu Hong casually picked up a white towel and tossed it towards her. The next moment, the towel landed precisely over Tang Beisi's head, obscuring her entire field of vision.

Tang Beisi was bewildered.

"Get out," Gu Hong commanded, his voice now laced with anger.

Without sight, Tang Beisi knew that this man was on the brink of losing his composure, likely about to act impulsively.

"Gu Hong..." Tang Beisi's voice, muffled by the towel, endeavored to sound soft and filled with a sense of grievance and heartache, perfectly embodying the role of someone deeply in love. "Won't you reconsider and let me help you?"

"Get out."

On the surface, Tang Beisi whimpered pitifully, "Wuu wuu wuu..."

But inwardly, she resolved, "Alright, brother, rolling out right now."

She wiggled her feet under the blanket and found, to her relief, that she could indeed move them. She quickly wrapped herself up in the blanket again and leapt out of bed. Not even bothering to remove the towel obstructing her vision, she cautiously made her way towards the door, relying on her memory.

As she passed by the man, Tang Beisi caught a glimpse of Gu Hong's slender, pale fingers, strikingly beautiful and well-defined. And next to his hand...

"No, no, no, can't look, mustn't look," she thought as her cheeks grew hotter.

She glanced at her own hand. The warm light in the bedroom filtered through the towel, casting a soft, gentle glow on her fair, smooth hand, making it appear even more delicate.

She clenched her fingers tightly, gripping the blanket with increased strength. "Just need to make it out of this room, and I'll be safe," she thought as she hurried along.

However, just as she was about to reach the door and lift her hand to the doorknob, a magnetic, resonant voice of the man echoed from behind her. "Mrs. Gu said she would help me, didn't she? I've given it some thought..."

Gu Hong deliberately paused in his speech, leaving Tang Beisi bewildered and nearly crashing in confusion, before he casually uttered the two words that would decide her fate: "Alright."

Tang Beisi's breath hitched in surprise: "?"

"Going back on your word isn't a good look, brother," she thought to herself.

Then, turning around and removing the towel from her head, she was met with the sight of the man who, just a minute ago, had disdained her. Now, his eyes were filled with a playful light and... a hint of barely controlled fury.

Tang Beisi's mind buzzed with confusion.

Her thoughts were a chaotic whirlpool, her mind a blank canvas. She couldn't comprehend why Gu Hong would suddenly ask for her help. Didn't he despise the original character in the novel? After their arranged marriage, he had treated her as invisible, never seeking her out or showing any interest.

Other than being obliged by family elders to bring her to the ancestral home, Gu Hong barely spoke a word to the original character. Even when visiting the family estate, he insisted on separate rooms, refusing to share a bed with her and openly displaying his aversion.

And now, he was asking for her help?

It was utterly absurd.

"What did you just say?" Tang Beisi momentarily forgot to control her expression. "Gu Hong, Mr. Gu, I'm sorry, I didn't catch that."

Inwardly she pleaded, "Please say you misspoke, so I can hurry up