Love for One Night

Ch 2: Over-the-Shoulder Throw (9)

"If a woman truly loves you, she'll do anything for you. This is the most heartbreaking aspect of a woman, but also the most foolish and pitiful. Sometimes, I really don't understand how women think—knowing full well they're being used, yet..." Moya waved her hand, cutting off her own train of thought before she strayed too far. "But that's not the point. The point is, this condition—where a woman falls madly in love and her intelligence drops to zero—is both her greatest strength and her greatest vulnerability."

Ryo rolled his eyes. "If loving me means doing anything for me, then she doesn't love me at all. Every time she acts clueless and oblivious, it drives me up the wall."

Moya looked at him like he'd lost his mind. "She's not clueless; she just hasn't realized it yet. Think about it: she stood outside in the cold wearing that short skirt for over an hour because of something you said. Hmm? Ha! Don't you get it yet?"

Ryo snorted disdainfully. "Hmph, wasn't there another woman, Sara or something, who used to wait for me outside my house every day, just to see me for a moment?"

"That's different. Sara is a shrewd woman. She wasn't waiting for you; she was waiting for an opportunity. Otherwise, she wouldn't have cozied up to your father so quickly. She knows exactly who calls the shots in your family."

Ryo's pride was slightly wounded, but he had to admit that it was true.

Moya continued to enlighten him. "But April is different. She's the kind of pure and naive girl who, if you so much as get slight angry with her, will come running to you obediently. Even if she's filled with grievances, she'll do anything to make you happy."

Arden, who had been listening nearby, couldn't take it anymore. "Hey, Moya, I'm starting to doubt if you're even a woman. You're always scolding us for messing with girls, and now you're enthusiastically teaching this fool how to manipulate a young girl? You just want to watch the world burn, don't you?"

"How dare you call me a fool..."

Moya smacked Ryo, who had leaned in, square in the face, pushing him away before turning to Arden. "Our dear Prince Charming really knows how to cherish women. I'm doing this for the girl's own good. Without falling a few times, women can't become strong."

Arden sneered. "You think you're some kind of savior?"

"I'm not a savior. I just... quite like that girl."

Arden raised an eyebrow, suddenly realizing. "Oh, so you've got your eye on her. What, are you waiting for her to suffer a major blow from a man so you can swoop in and take advantage?"

Moya covered her mouth, laughing coquettishly. "Don't make me sound so wicked, alright?"

Arden held his forehead. "That poor girl, running into the likes of you two... I can't imagine what bad karma she's paying off from her past life."

"You actually believe in karma? Aren't you afraid that in your next life, you'll be reincarnated as a woman in a... brothel, being slept by thousands of men?"

Leaning lazily on his arm, Arden smirked nonchalantly. "That wouldn't be so bad. At least I'd be making money lying down."

Even Moya, who had known Arden for years, was exasperated by his shocking nonchalance. For someone so devoted to indulgence and unafraid of consequences or divine retribution, it seemed there was no cure.

"By the way, how's that fierce girl of yours?" Moya asked, suddenly interested in the only woman on earth who could possibly rival him.

"What do you mean?" Arden was puzzled by Moya's curiosity.

"What are you planning to do with her?"

Arden shook his head. "I haven't thought about it."

Moya was a little disappointed. "Really? I thought you were quite taken with her before."

He was still somewhat interested, but he truly hadn't thought of what to do next. At least, not yet.

Take her to bed again? That didn't seem very meaningful. No matter how unique a woman is, in bed, it all boils down to that singularly passionate moment. If it's just about chasing that moment, then the specifics of the woman—whether to be tender or persistent, what kind of effort to invest—start to lose their importance.

Although capturing prey often culminates in this ultimate goal, reducing everything to its essence can feel barren, overly stark, and devoid of depth. Depth isn't about how close you get to the truth but about how much you layer over it—how many flowers you plant, houses you build, and illusions you create to make it seem unattainable.

If he was going to pursue her, it had to be worth it. The experience had to satisfy not just his body but also his spirit and soul, all in one go. Like a sage preparing to read a treasured book, he'd need to cleanse himself before beginning.

Such a unique woman deserved a method that made the pursuit exciting and worthwhile. Otherwise, she'd be no different from the women who came before or would come after her.

Unconsciously, this glass of plain water rose in his estimation. For Arden, women had always been for indulgence; he'd never cared about how to season or present them. Yet, she had managed to occupy his mind.

This woman wouldn't be so easily erased from his thoughts. At the very least, the way she had thrown him over the shoulder had left a lingering psychological shadow.

That time, he was caught off guard, but if it were a face-to-face fight, he didn't think he would necessarily lose. However, the idea of constantly being on high alert against a woman was definitely a thankless and exhausting task. That was one of the reasons why, even after finding out from Ryo where she was living, he hadn't gone to see her.

Yet, he wasn't willing to give up on her entirely. A woman like her was somewhat of a challenge. But how to approach this challenge? This question took up a considerable part of his life.