Boundary - Chapter 31

When Gu Yetong opened her eyes at dawn, she was met—unsurprisingly—with that familiar pair of dark pupils.

The man’s palm brushed over her cheek, making her instinctively close her eyes again, wanting to fully immerse herself in the warmth radiating from his touch.

On the sofa, in the bathroom, even at the dinner table—they had come dangerously close to losing control several times. But considering her exhaustion from traveling, Jin Nanting ultimately held back from taking her again, instead urging her to sleep early while he stayed quietly by her side.

When she opened her eyes once more, he was still gazing at her, as if he hadn’t blinked at all. His eyes were so deep, seemingly bottomless—but that didn’t mean they were hollow or indifferent.

She raised her hand and traced the faint furrow between his brows, gently smoothing it with her fingertips.

“Today… is the board meeting, isn’t it?” She had a vague sense of what weighed heavier in his dark eyes today.

“You overheard everything yesterday.”

When it came to Jin Corporation’s affairs, she tried to maintain some distance. After all, she managed another company with intersecting interests.

But this matter wasn’t just a major event for Jin Corp—it was a pivotal moment for Jin Nanting himself.

“Last time, your father implied… he’s retiring? Is it being announced at this meeting?”

The man closed his eyes and nodded. “To be precise, it’s a forced retirement… pressured by me.”

The crease between his brows deepened, so much that it ached in her chest. “But if you’re confident the board will approve, then there must be some inevitability to it.”

At the end of the day, corporate leaders had to satisfy stakeholders—only then could they secure support and loyalty.

“The risks of his aggressive global property acquisitions over the past few years became glaringly obvious last year. If he insists on sticking to his old investment strategies, he’ll only drag Jin Corp into ruin.”

Success and failure both came from the same source. Jin Huaili’s bold use of financial leverage had once reaped massive profits during the real estate boom, securing his position as the group’s successor.

But no industry could sustain endless rapid growth. When stagnation hit, the next wave had to be caught at the right moment.

What Jin Nanting wanted now was to pivot toward energy.

“Energy is an eternal demand—only the sources will become more diversified and tech-driven in the future.”

So these days, he had been shuttling between Europe and the Middle East, trying to exchange the overpriced, loss-ridden properties his father had acquired for assets and equity with real future potential.

She agreed with his vision. He had even inspired her to look beyond real estate and consider new possibilities for her own company.

But she also understood the deeper shadow in Jin Nanting’s eyes.

“You’re not a heartless machine. Doing the right thing can still hurt.”

“But I thought I’d at least feel some sliver of joy, satisfaction, or pride.” He let out a bitter laugh. “For finally wresting power from his hands.”

When had he first resolved to overthrow his own father? Was it when he realized that man’s power was the very reason his mother had left?

Had all these years of restraint, endurance, and relentless effort been leading to this moment?

“You should feel joy and pride.” Gu Yetong leaned forward, pressing against his chest. “For your own achievements, not because of him…”

The living, the dead, those by their side, those long gone—the people who shaped them undeniably left deep, lasting imprints. Even though her own heart still carried lingering shadows, she believed they shouldn’t be bound by the past.

“Congratulations. I’m really happy for you.”

Because they were the ones who should truly shape each other’s future.

Jin Nanting reached out and pulled her tightly into his arms. His chin rested against the top of her head, as if she were his lifeline—his anchor.

“Thank you.”

She wanted to share some of his burden. And I can, Gu Yetong thought.

They held each other in silence, their skin gradually warming against one another.

“I’m sorry.”

The man’s voice broke the quiet.

“Hmm?”

“I forced you, too.”

Gu Yetong paused before realizing he was talking about their marriage—their beginning.

But had she truly been coerced solely by his power? Even if so, had she resigned herself to fate, allowing things with Jin Nanting to progress this far?

Or had there been a point—some unknown moment—when she, too, had been drawn in by the layers of depth in those dark eyes?

Wanting to get closer. Wanting to unravel him.

She didn’t know.

All she knew was… “You’ve got plenty of chances to make it up to me.”

She lifted her head and brushed a light kiss against his jaw, the stubble pricking her lips with a faint itch.

Plenty… enough for a lifetime.
Since when had she, too, begun seeing a shared future as their only option?

“Gu Yetong, you’re not waiting for a man who truly loves you, are you?”

She suddenly remembered Jin Nanting’s taunt from back then. At the time, she hadn’t held such expectations. She’d experienced infatuation, even love—but those experiences hadn’t given her more faith in it.

If anything, they’d left her more lost.

Yet now… she was hoping. Hoping that what they had wasn’t just an irresistible physical pull.

Hoping their bond could grow deeper. Last longer.

The man who’d stirred these hopes in her hooked a finger under her chin and leaned down, capturing her lips. “How about starting now?”

By the time she felt his morning arousal, Gu Yetong was already wet. And as his fingers teased her, that dampness turned into restless need.

“The board meeting… will you make it?” she murmured when Jin Nanting tugged her panties and sleep pants down in one motion.

“I know an efficient method…” His voice was rough, but the faintest trace of amusement finally returned to his eyes for the first time that morning.

He spread her legs, his long fingers circling her cl*t before parting her folds. His gaze never left her entrance, watching as it fluttered in anticipation, before he slowly lowered his head.

“Wait—” Just as his lips were a palm’s breadth away, Gu Yetong clamped her thighs around him, trapping him between them.

Then, with a radiant smile, she whispered, “I’ve… heard of an even more efficient method.”