Chapter Two: Jiao Jiao, You Wouldn’t Want the Car Door to be Forced Open Either, Right? (1/2)
The hotel was suddenly extremely quiet. Wen Zhijiao could only feel the man’s arm tightening around her waist, though she still didn’t dare to lift her eyes. For a moment, her mind was a complete mess, and she didn’t know what to do.
Why was he even here?
And how long had he been staying here?
As if time had slowed into a halt, the noise from her surroundings seemed to blur out and fade into the distance. It was as if she had been submerged in deep, cold water at this very moment.
“Jiao Jiao, please don’t be mad! They were just joking with you!”
“We’re sorry! Sorry—huh? Who is he—?”
It seemed that several classmates had followed after her in order to explain and coax her to come back. At their voices, Wen Zhijiao was able to pull herself back to reality. However, in the next second, her hand was suddenly grasped by him. His fingers were cold and a little rough as he gently stroked her knuckles.
Wen Zhijiao tried to pull her hand away, but his grip, in response, tightened. His sharp gaze deeply penetrated into hers as a hoarse voice later came out of its throat.
“Jiao Jiao, where’s your ring?”
It was only a simple question, but it immediately sent a wave of dread crawling up her spine. Her lips parted slightly, slowly curling into a fake smile. She eventually raised her head to look at the voice’s owner.
—Jiang Yuancheng.
The first thing she noticed was his cold, brooding dark gray eyes, followed by his tall and broad figure.
Jiang Yuancheng’s face was simply devoid of any traces of a smile. His chiseled features were as sharp and dangerous as a predatory hawk’s that had locked its aim onto its prey, while his lips and face were abnormally too pale, as if there wasn’t much blood to touch some life into it. Behind him stood a number of four or five men who were keeping a respectful distance, their deferential gesture immediately making them seem like they were this man’s bodyguards.
Wen Zhijiao whispered, “Can we not talk about this right now?”
Jiang Yuancheng only lowered his gaze. Squeezing her fingers, he repeated his question as if he didn’t hear her just now, “Where is your ring?”
Wen Zhijiao’s eyelashes fluttered as she mumbled her response, “It’s probably in the washroom. I remembered taking it off just before I washed my hands because I was afraid of getting it wet. And then I left in a hurry. I must have forgotten to retrieve it in my rush to leave.”
She then raised her eyes. Meeting his gaze, she sent him a nervous, flattering smile.
Right after she said those words, the cold, oppressive air surrounding Jiang Yuancheng’s body seemed to dissipate a little. His expression also softened.
Wen Zhijiao quietly exhaled in relief. However, the next moment, she saw Jiang Yuancheng slowly pull something out of his pocket.
Under the light, the gemstone embedded on the ring shone brilliantly while carrying a beautiful luster to it.
“You must have remembered things wrong. I found this in your dressing room,” Jiang Yuancheng said as he gently stroked through her hair with his long, slender fingers. He then spoke in a soft, coaxing tone, “Jiao Jiao, if it were not for my approval, this invitation would never have reached your hands. But I still tried it out, wanting to test you. But in the end, you still came.”
Wen Zhijiao simply couldn’t maintain her smile anymore as it immediately faltered. And for that moment, she was almost tempted to break out into a screaming fit.
He knows everything.
Whether it be sneaking off to the reunion, secretly taking off the ring, or secretly harboring thoughts she shouldn’t have.
She turned her head away, refusing to speak.
Jiang Yuancheng’s sharp features darkened with a controlled intensity. “Before we got engaged, you made a promise to me that you would be honest with me, and that you wouldn’t think about him anymore.”
Wen Zhijiao’s pale face flushed deep red. “But it was you back then who—”
She immediately stopped speaking, unwilling to continue.
However, Jiang Yuancheng couldn’t seem to bear her silence as he continued speaking for her instead, “Back then, you must have thought that you could definitely escape from me and that you could just simply coax me and sweet-talk your way out of everything like every time, right?”
There was a hint of sarcasm in his eyes.
Wen Zhijiao still didn’t say anything, but the hands hanging at her side had tightly clenched into fists, making her shoulders tremble from the exerted pressure.
A light chuckle escaped from Jiang Yuancheng’s throat. Lowering his head, he then began to reach out for her clenched hands to take it with his before slowly prying her hand open and gently sliding the ring onto her finger.
She could feel a cold metallic sensation grazing her skin while the ring was being slowly inserted onto her finger, the sensation only stopping once it finally settled in place.
For a moment, Jiang Yuancheng stared at her ring finger with satisfaction. At the same time, one of the men behind him approached him, respectfully handing over the cane that had previously fallen to the floor earlier.
His left leg had once been injured, and although it didn’t affect his ability to walk, it left him with a slight limp.
Even so, Jiang Yuancheng didn’t take the cane immediately, only focusing his gaze at the woman wrapped in his arms.
Her thick black hair draped over her fair neck and slender shoulders while her soft and warm body trembled slightly under his gaze. Even though she was locked in his embrace, she seemed unbearably cold with her lips pressed tightly together. Despite her struggles to maintain a cold expression, it only ended up in vain because of her currently pale face. It made her seem like a fragile vase that could shatter anytime at the slightest touch.
No matter how many times she made a mistake, she still hadn’t learned her lesson—always showing this vulnerable, helpless expression.
No matter how much he taught her, she never learned to impose her toughness and could only rely on these clever, little tricks.
Jiang Yuancheng’s Adam’s apple moved. The restrained coldness in his eyes seemed to get more covered with a deeper frost. “Take her back to the car, and make sure to turn up the temperature and make it warm.”
“Yes, sir.”
A man responded.
Jiang Yuancheng nodded, finally extending his hand to take the cane. The ache in his leg finally felt ease for a moment. It was only after he watched his people escort Wen Zhijiao that he finally turned his attention to the group of men who had been chasing his woman prior. This time, unlike earlier, they were all silent after having just watched the drama unfold before their eyes.
A strange smile suddenly appeared on his face as if intending to mock them. “Are you all classmates of Jiao Jiao?”
The moment those words fell from his lips, several people immediately fled from their table and into the lobby’s hall, which was only a short distance away because their venue was merely separated from the public’s eye with mere screen panels, sheer curtains, and potted plants.
As the night deepened, the moon still hung in the sky, while a light drizzle began to pour itself over the city
Even though it was already evening, City A was still lively and bustling with traffic. All the cars seemed to flow in an endless stream, making the central business district brightly lit, while the raindrops glistened against the neon lights, pouring over and streaking down car windows, leaving long trailing lines behind.
Inside the car, the heater was turned up high, and the faint scent of sandalwood quietly filled the air, making people feel almost lightheaded from the overly warm temperature.
Wen Zhijiao sat in the back seat, almost unable to resist raising her neck slightly, while she pressed her crimson lips together. She rarely does exercise and dislikes both the heat and the cold. Now, with the soft scent and stifling warmth surrounding her, she felt increasingly irritable.
She hated Jiang Yuancheng, so naturally, even the air that carried his scent made her feel repulsed. It almost made her feel sick. It was as if his ghostly presence was still trying to haunt her, refusing to let her go even for a second.
“I want to switch cars,” Wen Zhijiao said.
She knew Jiang Yuancheng would never use a single car to send her back. Since he was ruthless with his methods, he had made a lot of enemies in business. In order to ensure her security, whenever she was transported, he would always make sure to assign additional cars in the front and behind to provide more protection.
The driver responded in a careful and respectful tone, “Miss Wen, I’m afraid you might not find them as comfortable since the other cars are commonly used by us servants.”
Despite his polite response, the refusal was direct and clear.
Wen Zhijiao had no intention of making things difficult for him, but her expression was still a bit sour as she rolled down the window.
Cold raindrops immediately poured in through the gap, immediately dispelling the overly warm temperature, along with the suffocating, faint fragrance that had been lingering within.
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