Chapter Six: Jiao Jiao, You Wouldn’t Want to Get Choked Either, Right? (2/2)
You are seriously messed up!
Wen Zhijiao felt like she was on the verge of having a mental breakdown as she struggled to comprehend the absurdity of all these men.
Jiang Yuancheng, Pei Ye—if you guys are rich, then can you both please use that money of yours to get yourselves a psychologist?!
Just as she was about to reach her breaking point, she heard the sound of the seatbelt clicking into place, securing its buckle. By the time she snapped out of her thoughts and looked up, Pei Ye had already retreated from her. He hadn’t completely left though, despite stepping out of the car. He still lingered at the entrance, holding the car door. As he leaned in, his mischievous eyes still carried a trace of that usual arrogance. “Mute as ever. I don’t really get what Jiang Yuancheng sees in you… Unless you never really—”
As he spoke, he began to move closer again. However, before he could even advance forward, he suddenly felt something cold press against his forehead. He looked up and saw that it was Wen Zhijiao’s finger who was poking him in the center of his brows. Her brows were arched slightly, while her beautiful face was almost completely unreadable. Her gaze was calm as it met his with an unsettling intensity.
With her body temperature slightly lower than normal, her skin naturally felt a little bit cold to the touch. For this reason, it couldn’t be helped that when she had pressed her fingertip against his forehead, Pei Ye immediately felt a chill run through his body, nearly making him wince.
“Stay away from me.”
Wen Zhijiao said, her tone cold and heavy.
If you want to talk, then talk. If you want to be rude, then go be rude! I won’t stop you. You can be as annoying as all you want, but don’t you ever dare come any closer to me.
As she thought of this, Pei Ye suddenly stopped talking and just stared intensely at her. She perceived how his Adam’s apple bobbled a few times while the blue veins on his neck seemed to also restlessly pulse. It took a few more seconds before Pei Ye finally decided to pull back. Stepping away from her, he then proceeded to close the door tightly.
Finally, there was a moment of peace.
Wen Zhijiao let out a long exhale as she felt the tension in her body finally beginning to ease. She lifted her hands, tightly clutching onto her fastened seat belt, before looking up and leaning herself against her seat.
Outside the car, Pei Ye’s footsteps were quick and urgent. However, it didn’t last long because he later stopped in his tracks. As if he couldn’t resist to take a glance, he turned around, only to see the line of cars starting to drive away. For a moment, he clenched his fists, feeling a little dryness in his throat. Even though their encounter only lasted for a brief time, he could still feel the warmth of her finger lingering on his forehead. A little distraught, he couldn’t help but place his palms over his head, covering it. In that certain moment, he felt almost conflicted, not knowing whether he had wanted that warmth to fade as soon as possible or he had hoped for it to remain any longer.
When Pei Ye returned to the lounge on the third floor, Xie Guanhe and Gu Ye immediately cast a few glances in his direction.
But there was nothing to see in his expression at all. Pei Ye only looked calm. “Got a call from my team in regard to race funding. We ended up talking longer than I expected.”
“Hundreds of millions have already been poured just to indulge your hobby. Is there really a need for you to discuss funding with your team?” Gu Ye smiled, a trace of playfulness gleaming in his sharp eyes. “No need to put up an act. Guanhe had already inquired about your whereabouts around the temple, and apparently, there were claims from a number of Taoist priests that they had witnessed you chasing after some girl.”
Pei Ye’s calm appearance finally slipped as he immediately turned to look at Xie Guanhe with a betrayed expression. “Brother!”
Since he and Xie Guanhe were cousins, his first instinct was to turn to his cousin and blame him for his exposure.
Xie Guanhe, on the other hand, wasn’t guilty at all for revealing his cousin’s whereabouts as he kept his calm expression, though a faint trace of amusement could also be seen lingering in his eyes. “If you are serious with her, then feel free to bring her home and introduce her to us. After all, you are old enough now for such matters.”
Pei Ye seemed to hesitate at first before quickly denying him. “It’s not like that.”
“Her family background doesn’t really matter as long as she has a clean record.” Xie Guanhe offered him some words of reassurance while giving him a sincere look. “There’s really no need for us to consider those aspects, so you don’t have to overthink it too much.”
And that itself was the truth. This was no exaggeration. The Pei and Gu family had long been established with their wealthy reputation, with their history of prosperity almost tracing back to Ming dynasty or even earlier. The Gu family’s line of business was vast and could almost be considered an empire, with the heavy industry’s precision manufacturing as their central focus. On the other hand, the Pei family specialized in the real economy industry, controlling numerous enterprises across the country. In the previous generation, the Pei family had two children, with the son eventually inheriting the whole family business while the daughter married herself into the Xie family, who was known for their influence and being deeply rooted in politics for generations. After being raised in the Taoist temple for several years, it was only recently that Xie Guanhe returned to the Xie household to handle its affairs. As for the Jiang family, it had produced countless financial tycoons and bankers in its generations. Jiang Yuancheng’s father had even managed to marry the daughter of an oligarch in Country R, who held significant control over several global banks.
Pei Ye naturally knew this truth well. After a long silence, he quietly muttered, “No, it’s not the same thing.”
Xie Guanhe lightly drummed his fingers on the table, casually yet as if he was also hinting at something. “Since you feel that way, then you can only remember your words. One should know that when it comes to dealing with a snake, it has to strike the snake at its weakest point1“打蛇七寸” (dǎ shé qī cùn) is an idiom in Chinese that translates to “strike the snake at its weakest point.” It means to target an opponent’s or problem’s vulnerabilities directly and decisively.. Just by hesitating only once, it can already lead to the most fatal scenario. But if you know that it’s impossible, then just cut it off completely.”
Pei Ye scoffed. “Don’t try to lecture me with your bureaucratic airs as if I’m someone that you can intimidate! I can handle my own affairs!”
Clearly annoyed by what he heard, Pei Ye finally decided to stand up and storm out of the room, slamming the door behind him.
The orange tabby cat was originally sleeping on Gu Ye’s lap. When the door was slammed shut, the loud noise immediately startled the cat out of his sleep, sending him scrambling away in fear.
Right as soon as the cat dug its claws on his legs to dash off, Gu Ye immediately winced and groaned. He quickly placed his palm on the affected area, gently rubbing it, in an attempt to soothe the pain. Even so, he still didn’t forget to comment on the earlier altercation with a disapproving mutter. “Look at him all being riled up now, and the future hasn’t even set in yet. I wonder what will happen if he finally finds out. Should we break the news to him now, or keep it under wraps for a little bit longer?”
“Just let him be for now,” Xie Guanhe replied. “Since I’m part of the Xie family, I can’t openly involve myself too much in the matter. While Jiang Yuancheng has already helped him in the past, he might just be too preoccupied with his engagement preparations right now to extend another helping hand. And since you’re set on staying out of it… then we can only let him figure all these concerns out on his own.”
“Don’t make me sound heartless. I just don’t like helping fools,” Gu Ye corrected him as he stood up from his seat and lifted a pillow before bending himself in order to search for the chubby cat. “Then what about Wen Zhijiao? What should we do with her?”
Xie Guanhe replied, “For now, we’ll see how the engagement banquet goes. If anything goes wrong again this time, then… we’ll just find a way to deal with her.”
Gu Ye was a bit skeptical. “By dealing with her, you mean to say that you’ll get rid of her but not kill her, right? After all, we’re still living in a society governed by laws.”
He then laughed at his own words, with Xie Guanhe later joining in as well.
Outside the window, the sky had already been tinged with yellow, casting deep shadows against the trees that had been illuminated by the light that was currently setting.
In the woods that enclosed the whole surrounding area of the estate, a car slowly drove by in its most shaded stretch.
Wen Zhijiao was leaning against the back seat when she found herself sinking into a deep sleep once more. In the dream, she was suddenly thrown hard into a corner by some unseen force. It felt as though someone had just been strangling her by the throat right now, and the furious voice that later accompanied it eventually terrified her to the point of tears.
“Wen Zhijiao! If anything happens to her, then I intend to make sure that you will also get buried with her!”
“You vicious woman! I won’t let you go!”
“Wen Zhijiao! If you have the guts, say something! Go on! Keep on quibbling!”
Wen Zhijiao slowly felt the constriction around her throat tightening more and more. Right now, she was heavily crying, desperately trying to strike the other person’s hand in an attempt to break free from his murderous restraint.
“Refusing to admit it, huh? Then I’ll strangle you to death right now!”
Master Qingtang2清汤大老爷 (Qīngtāng Dàlǎoyé): a homonym for 青天大老爷 (Qingtian Da Lao Ye) which describe officials who handle cases impartially. Based on my research, “Master Qingtang”/ Clear Soup Master, on the other hand, is an internet slang used to refer to overly enthusiastic netizens who loves to judge and uphold justice., it’s not that she doesn’t want to confess. It’s that she’s being choked right now and can’t even make a word!
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