After encountering Luo Jingshu, Chu An felt a growing unease. She’d already shown him the necklace reluctantly; now there was no way she’d willingly send him the picture.
Something told her that if Luo Jingshu got too involved, it might lead to trouble for Xiao Cheng.
“I really don’t know much,” Chu An forced herself to stay calm, but the unnatural look on her face only deepened Luo Jingshu’s suspicion.
To be fair, Chu An was never great at hiding her emotions. She hadn’t even been able to fool Xiao Cheng in the past, let alone someone as perceptive as Luo Jingshu.
Luo Jingshu was the kind of person who wouldn’t rest until he got what he wanted. And when it involved Xiao Cheng, his persistence grew tenfold. There was a strange feeling in his chest—an intuition that he had to figure this out, or he might miss something crucial.
“Miss Chu, I mean no harm,” Luo Jingshu said, lowering his gaze. His tone was flat and cold yet carrying an unmistakable weight. “As long as you cooperate.”
Fuck.
Chu An cursed silently. This bastard wasn’t just warning her—this was outright intimidation.
The way he spoke made her believe he was entirely capable of following through. She couldn’t imagine what would happen if she crossed him.
A sudden thought came to her: Luo Jingshu had connections with Fu Ju, and Fu Ju probably knew about… that. If so, wouldn’t Luo Jingshu know too?
And her sexual orientation…
Chu An gritted her teeth. “Fine, but you have to promise that you’ll keep it to yourself after I show you.”
The necklace was clearly significant to Xiao Cheng. Chu An didn’t fully understand the context, but she could tell from his expression when he mentioned it that this wasn’t something trivial.
Luo Jingshu gave a faint hum of agreement. He hadn’t actually planned on doing anything to Chu An. His earlier words had been more of a test, and it seemed she wasn’t all that hard to scare.
His brows furrowed slightly. Why would Xiao Cheng choose someone so unreliable for this task?
If Chu An was so easily intimidated into betraying Xiao Cheng, what if someone else pressured her? What if she did something to harm Xiao Cheng?
That thought sent a cold chill through Luo Jingshu’s heart.
Feeling the oppressive atmosphere, Chu An steeled herself against her discomfort. She hesitantly retrieved her phone, found the photo, and held it up.
“This is the necklace he wanted me to find.”
The indifferent expression on Luo Jingshu’s face disappeared the moment his eyes landed on the photo.
His pupils darkened, and a storm brewed within them, as if a sudden tempest was building. The coldness on his face deepened.
Luo Jingshu’s lips pressed into a tight line as he stared at the image, his fists clenching at his sides. His entire body was as taut as a drawn bow.
From his reaction, Chu An could sense shock and even… something she couldn’t quite place.
She licked her lips nervously. “You… recognize it?”
Luo Jingshu’s gaze seemed glued to the image. After a long pause, his hoarse voice finally broke the silence. “Did Brother Cheng send this to you?”
This was the necklace Xiao Cheng had gifted him in their past life.
Luo Jingshu stared at the familiar design, countless memories flooding his mind.
“Yes,” Chu An replied cautiously. “He asked me to find the designer.”
Her careful observation only confirmed her suspicion—Luo Jingshu knew something.
Luo Jingshu pulled out his phone and handed it to her. “Send me the photo.”
Given that she’d already shown it to him, Chu An didn’t see the harm in this next step. She forwarded the image but couldn’t hold back her curiosity. “You know something about it, don’t you?”
After saving the photo, Luo Jingshu glanced at her coldly. “Don’t bother looking into it anymore. And don’t tell anyone about this.”
“But…” Chu An hesitated.
He cut her off sharply. “Listen to me.”
There was a sternness to his tone that brooked no argument. His expression carried a deeper, inscrutable meaning, leaving no room for resistance.
Seeing no other option, Chu An relented with a weak, “Alright.”
Luo Jingshu stared at her for a moment, then turned and strode away with long, hurried steps, as though unable to wait a second longer.
As he left, Chu An finally relaxed, her tension dissipating as she leaned against the tea room door. She quickly closed the door and called Xiao Cheng.
“Xiao Cheng, I’m so sorry! After you left, I ran into Luo Jingshu outside…”
She recounted the entire ordeal, repeatedly apologizing. “I’m really sorry. I ended up sending him the picture too.”
She omitted how terrifying Luo Jingshu’s expression had been, though her trembling voice betrayed some of her lingering fear.
Xiao Cheng frowned. Could Luo Jingshu have seen this necklace before?
“It’s fine. It’s not a big secret,” Xiao Cheng reassured her. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll handle him.”
Even if Luo Jingshu had suspicions, there was no way he’d uncover Xiao Cheng’s true identity, let alone the fact that he was a transmigrator.
Still, Xiao Cheng couldn’t shake the unease in his chest.
After a few more words to calm Chu An, he hung up and turned, ready to seek out Luo Jingshu for answers.
Before he could take more than a couple of steps, a tall figure appeared, striding toward him with urgency.
Luo Jingshu’s cold, sharp features seemed to radiate frost, his expression far more intimidating than the winter chill outside.
Xiao Cheng suddenly understood why Chu An had been so scared earlier.
The moment Luo Jingshu saw him, there was a flicker of light in his eyes. As he approached, Xiao Cheng noticed that his eyes were slightly red, and his face appeared flushed—perhaps from the cold wind.
“Brother Cheng,” Luo Jingshu stopped in front of him, looking unusually at a loss, as if unsure how to compose himself.
Xiao Cheng studied his expression. This wasn’t the right place for a conversation. He suggested, “Let’s find somewhere to talk?”
Luo Jingshu took a deep breath, his voice trembling slightly in the cold wind. His hoarse, low tone betrayed a hint of fragility, as though he’d just recovered from an illness. “You…”
He hesitated for a long time, unable to find the right words. Finally, he simply nodded, his eyes fixed intently on Xiao Cheng’s face. “I’ll follow your lead.”
A strange feeling stirred in Xiao Cheng’s heart. Luo Jingshu’s reaction was unusual—too strange.
Could it be that the necklace really carried some hidden story?
Could the initials on it truly be Nian Nian?
But how had the necklace ended up at his house? Could Luo Jingshu have accidentally left it behind during a previous visit?
Xiao Cheng had been misled by a persistent sense of déjà vu, but now a new hypothesis emerged. Perhaps the necklace originally belonged to Luo Jingshu and had nothing to do with him. But why did Luo Jingshu seem so certain about it if that were the case?
It was still a mystery he couldn’t fully explain.
“Let’s talk in the car,” Luo Jingshu suggested.
In the middle of winter, standing outside wasn’t ideal. Xiao Cheng wasn’t dressed warmly and would surely catch a cold. Besides, Luo Jingshu had only just recovered from his own illness.
Xiao Cheng nodded. “Wait here for a moment.”
He needed to inform He An so the latter wouldn’t worry if she couldn’t find him.
Luo Jingshu stood where he was, watching as Xiao Cheng’s figure retreated into the house. The light illuminated his slender, upright silhouette, as picturesque as a painting.
Luo Jingshu’s fingers twitched slightly. For a fleeting moment, he had the irrational urge to pull Xiao Cheng back.
An inexplicable panic welled up inside him, and he frowned deeply. Just now, he’d felt an absurd sense of foreboding, as if Xiao Cheng might not come back.
A lingering unease had gnawed at his mind since he saw the necklace. Luo Jingshu didn’t know how to broach the subject with Xiao Cheng.
He had always believed that Xiao Cheng was a wandering soul who had taken over that person’s body. Though he later began to doubt this theory—no one but him seemed suspicious of Xiao Cheng’s identity—he still held onto the belief that the Xiao Cheng he loved was not the same as the one from his previous life.
All his assumptions stemmed from the fact that he, too, had been reborn.
Because of his own rebirth, Luo Jingshu instinctively questioned everyone around him. After all, he could never be sure if he was the only one who had been granted a second chance.
If someone behaved differently from their past life, Luo Jingshu would grow suspicious.
And Xiao Cheng was the most glaring example.
When he saw the necklace, Luo Jingshu’s doubts surged again. In their previous life, Xiao Cheng had gifted him that very necklace, explicitly stating when he had designed it.
The necklace only existed after Xiao Cheng had met him in his previous life.
The two initials on it were irrefutable proof.
No matter how he looked at it, the necklace shouldn’t have ended up in Brother Cheng’s possession.
Rubbing his temples, Luo Jingshu wondered if he had been wrong all along—if Brother Cheng and “Xiao Cheng” were actually the same person.
But their personalities were so different…
As Luo Jingshu wrestled with his thoughts, Xiao Cheng emerged from the villa.
Luo Jingshu snapped back to attention, his gaze locking onto Xiao Cheng. Whenever he looked at him, it was as if his eyes were glued, unable to stray for even a second.
No wonder Xiao Cheng often teased him for acting like an obsessive fan.
“Brother Cheng.”
“Let’s go.” Xiao Cheng strode forward, eager to get back to the car.
The two of them climbed into Luo Jingshu’s car. Sensing the need for privacy, the driver quickly exited to give them space to talk.
With the heater running, the chill that had seeped into Xiao Cheng’s bones began to dissipate. He couldn’t help but shiver slightly, shaking off the cold that clung to him.
“You’ve seen that necklace before?” Xiao Cheng asked.
“Mm.”
Luo Jingshu’s dark gaze carried an almost oppressive weight. Xiao Cheng met his eyes but suddenly found himself at a loss for words.
“You…”
“Was the necklace yours?”
Luo Jingshu tapped his fingers lightly against his leg. “Not exactly.”
The ambiguous answer left Xiao Cheng feeling like he was walking a tightrope, his heart suspended in uncertainty. Luo Jingshu refused to give him a straightforward answer.
“Can’t you explain more clearly?”
Luo Jingshu asked instead, “Where did Brother Cheng see the necklace?”
Xiao Cheng hesitated. “At my house.”
Luo Jingshu let out a soft sigh. Xiao Cheng’s vague response only deepened his uncertainty. “The necklace was mine. Brother Cheng, can you let me see it?”
“Is it really yours?”
Xiao Cheng scrutinized him, his lips pressing into a thin line. “Then tell me—where did you get it?”
Luo Jingshu leaned in slightly, watching Xiao Cheng’s reaction carefully. “It’s custom-made.”
His unhurried explanation of the necklace’s design details perfectly matched the image Xiao Cheng had in his mind.
The more Xiao Cheng listened, the more confused he became. It felt as though Luo Jingshu could read his thoughts. If the necklace truly belonged to Luo Jingshu, how could he know so much about it?
“Maybe I accidentally dropped it before,” Luo Jingshu finally suggested.
Xiao Cheng’s head throbbed with pain. He was half-skeptical about Luo Jingshu’s words, mainly because he couldn’t explain his own familiarity with the necklace, though what Luo Jingshu said made sense.
“If it’s yours, I’ll return it to you,” Xiao Cheng sighed. “But I don’t have it on me. I’ll give it to you another day.”
“Can’t we go to your house and get it now?” Luo Jingshu’s gaze dropped slightly, landing on Xiao Cheng’s flushed lips. “Brother Cheng, I want it now. That necklace is very important to me.”
For some reason, Xiao Cheng suddenly felt irritated, as though he was being forced into something he didn’t want to do. “I’m not going to keep it from you, but it’s late, and I don’t feel like going out.”
“Are you wary of me, Brother Cheng?” Luo Jingshu crossed his legs and leaned back against the seat. “What are you worried about?”
Xiao Cheng grew increasingly uncomfortable. Luo Jingshu’s unusually assertive attitude chilled his expression.
“Fine, I’ll give it to you.” Xiao Cheng rolled down the car window and called the driver back from afar.
Luo Jingshu noticed Xiao Cheng’s cold demeanor, his lips pressed into a tight line, clearly upset.
Luo Jingshu licked his lips and sighed inwardly, realizing he had been too hasty. Brother Cheng had only recently softened his attitude toward him—he shouldn’t have pushed too hard and ruined it.
Just as he was about to speak, Luo Jingshu suddenly covered his mouth, a series of suppressed coughs breaking the silence in the car.
Although his fever had subsided earlier that morning, his cold hadn’t fully healed. His throat was painfully sore, and his head felt foggy.
Perhaps he had been affected by his condition, his mind clouded. Under normal circumstances, he wouldn’t have spoken to Xiao Cheng that way.
“Brother Cheng,” the boy’s hoarse voice was barely audible, laced with a nasal tone. His reddened eyes looked at Xiao Cheng with a pitiful expression.
Xiao Cheng, however, was unmoved. In fact, he even leaned back a bit. “Stay away from me.”
Don’t spread your germs.
He’d already noticed Luo Jingshu’s flushed face earlier, which was due to his cold.
Luo Jingshu steadied his breathing, but Xiao Cheng’s blatant disdain stung him deeply, making his eyes turn redder and his heart ache.
“Brother Cheng, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to pressure you earlier.”
Xiao Cheng disliked feeling manipulated, and Luo Jingshu’s attitude reminded him too much of the time he had been deceived by him before.
Even as Luo Jingshu apologized humbly now, Xiao Cheng remained displeased.
“This is your idea of making it up to me? You said you realized your mistakes?”
Xiao Cheng couldn’t trust a single word from Luo Jingshu’s mouth. It seemed he had never truly understood what he’d done wrong. His innate dominance and controlling nature couldn’t be changed.
Luo Jingshu finally realized how badly he had erred. He should never, under any circumstances, have shown his assertive side in front of Xiao Cheng.
“Brother Cheng, I’m sorry.”
Xiao Cheng sneered, “Don’t say that. What could you possibly owe me?”
Luo Jingshu stopped apologizing then. Instead, he got up from his seat, bent his knee, and knelt partially at Xiao Cheng’s feet. His fever-flushed face tilted upward, gazing at Xiao Cheng unblinkingly.
“Then let Brother Cheng punish this disobedient puppy, okay?”
Xiao Cheng instinctively glanced around, relieved to see the car’s privacy partition raised. The driver hadn’t witnessed this scene.
He sighed in relief. If someone else had seen this, he wouldn’t have been able to explain himself even if he jumped into the Yellow River.
“If you like kneeling, suit yourself.”
Xiao Cheng no longer intended to stop Luo Jingshu. Although he had no intention of playing along with this strange game, if Luo Jingshu wanted to act like a dog, he wouldn’t stop him.
Luo Jingshu really did remain half-kneeling at his feet. The boy’s tall, slender figure, dressed in a black suit that perfectly highlighted his broad shoulders and narrow waist, carried an inexplicable allure even in such a seemingly humble posture.
Far from appearing diminished, his actions seemed steeped in an air of unspoken intimacy.
Xiao Cheng, who initially had no such thoughts, couldn’t help but admit the scene was unsettling.
It felt like all that was missing was a collar around Luo Jingshu’s neck—or perhaps a whip in his own hand.
The thought made Xiao Cheng stiffen, horrified that he had been led astray by Luo Jingshu.
How could he think such things?
Xiao Cheng decided to look away, focusing instead on the passing streetlights outside the car window. But just a few minutes later, he felt a faint touch on his knee.
Startled, Xiao Cheng instinctively pulled back his leg and glared at Luo Jingshu. “What are you doing?” he demanded through gritted teeth.
Luo Jingshu remained silent, gently taking Xiao Cheng’s hand on his own. “Brother Cheng, your hands are so cold.”
“This puppy should warm its master’s hands,” he said softly.
Xiao Cheng was speechless.
He yanked his hand back forcefully. “That’s not necessary!”
The streetlights outside illuminated the scene inside the car, casting a warm glow on Luo Jingshu’s face. His expression was tinged with an intoxicating allure, as if he were some ethereal creature thriving on seduction.
Xiao Cheng stared at Luo Jingshu’s face for a moment, then couldn’t help but think with a hint of resentment: ‘What a waste of such a good-looking face, yet the owner is nothing but a jerk.’
“Brother Cheng.”
Luo Jingshu’s voice was sticky, as if he was deliberately trying to sound coquettish. Why couldn’t he just speak normally?
Xiao Cheng suddenly turned his head, and in one swift motion, he yanked Luo Jingshu’s face hard. There was no mercy in the action, only full of anger and frustration. Luo Jingshu’s face quickly turned red from the force.
“Ugh, Brother Cheng.”
Luo Jingshu didn’t struggle, enduring the sharp pain on his face. He cautiously placed his hand on Xiao Cheng’s knee, looking up at him. “Why did you pull my face?”
Xiao Cheng pushed his hand away with a cold expression, as if brushing off some dirty dust. “I just wanted to see how thick your skin really is.”
Luo Jingshu didn’t even blink, but inside, he felt a suffocating pain. So you’re still that proud?
Xiao Cheng frowned, a spark of irritation flashing in his eyes. “If you come any closer, I’ll kick you.”
Luo Jingshu lowered his gaze and quietly moved back, not wanting to truly anger Xiao Cheng.
It would be hard for anyone to believe, but even the decisive, cold, and seemingly cruel Luo Jingshu had moments of vulnerability.
Xiao Cheng began to consider Bai Yiheng’s earlier suggestion—what if he really paid for a fake boyfriend?
Luo Jingshu was so smug that his possessiveness towards him was absurd, and Xiao Cheng just wanted to make him angry.
But then he reconsidered. Luo Jingshu was a madman, and when he was angry, he might even hurt himself, let alone others. What if something happened to the fake boyfriend?
He couldn’t drag innocent people into this.
Xiao Cheng thought for a moment. ‘I can’t possibly ask Bai Yiheng for help, right?’
