At that moment, Wen Xuxue had just finished styling her hair.
She stood up, the blue fishtail skirt accentuating her slender waist to perfection, swaying gracefully with every step.
Wen Xuxue looked at herself in the mirror, feeling quite satisfied.
She then went to her jewelry box, picking and choosing until she selected a pearl necklace and a diamond-studded watch. After putting them on, she finally replied: 【Now is fine. Are you off work yet?】
Zhou Shijing quickly replied: 【Not yet.】
Wen Xuxue had never been one to be considerate. She began to act coquettishly: 【Then can Older Brother come a bit earlier? I don’t want to wait too long for you.】
When Zhou Shijing saw this message, a flicker of emotion passed through his cold eyes.
When she needed something, she called him “Older Brother”; when she didn’t, it was just “you.”
What a pragmatic kid.
He gave a slight tug at the corner of his lips and replied: 【Okay.】
So Wen Xuxue, dragging her long skirt, walked to the entrance hall and sat on the shoe-changing bench, slowly putting on her shoes.
Just then, her phone suddenly started vibrating.
It was a call.
When Wen Xuxue saw the name “Zhao Sui,” she frowned and answered.
Zhao Sui spoke first: “Where are you?”
Wen Xuxue said: “What’s wrong?”
Zhao Sui said: “Hurry up and get ready. We left too early last night, and my dad said he didn’t get a good chance to meet you. He wants us to go out for dinner tonight.”
Wen Xuxue suddenly fell silent.
After a long pause without her saying anything, Zhao Sui frowned: “Why are you mute?”
Wen Xuxue’s tone was not very pleasant: “Does it have to be tonight?”
Zhao Sui said: “Your dad is coming too. If you don’t show up tonight, you can call and tell him yourself.”
The mere mention of her father made Wen Xuxue afraid, and she didn’t dare refuse. She could only say: “Fine, come pick me up in ten minutes.”
After hanging up, she rubbed her phone screen for a moment before cautiously sending a message to Zhou Shijing: 【Older Brother, I’m sorry, I have something to do tonight, so I won’t be having dinner with you.】
The next second, Zhou Shijing’s call came through.
Wen Xuxue waited for a moment before daring to answer.
Neither of them spoke first.
The atmosphere was too silent and too cold. Wen Xuxue pursed her lips and called out: “Older Brother.”
Zhou Shijing’s voice was very calm, betraying no emotion: “What do you have to do tonight?”
Wen Xuxue lowered her eyes, choosing to hide part of the truth, and said: “Having dinner with my dad.”
Zhou Shijing’s voice was deep: “Really?”
Being questioned by him, Wen Xuxue’s heart inexplicably skipped a beat. But then she thought, rounding it off, she really was having dinner with her dad—why should she feel guilty?
She said: “Really.”
Zhou Shijing said: “Okay.”
Then he hung up the phone without hesitation.
Wen Xuxue breathed a sigh of relief. Just then, Zhao Sui sent her a message: 【I’m downstairs at your place.】
So Wen Xuxue picked up her bag and took the elevator downstairs.
When she reached the entrance of the residential complex, a white BMW was indeed parked by the roadside.
A man stood in front of the car smoking. When he saw her, his eyes lit up. He immediately threw the cigarette butt on the ground, stamped out the ember, and opened the passenger door, waiting quietly.
“How did you manage to look so beautiful in such a short time?”
Zhao Sui asked her while waiting.
Wen Xuxue deliberately walked slowly, wanting to wait until the smell of smoke had completely dissipated before getting in the car.
She didn’t want to talk to him, so she remained silent.
The sun had already sunk to the horizon, its lingering glow not particularly intense. A faint, warm light filtered through one side of the road, falling upon the black Bentley that had been parked across the street all along.
It was too dazzling, too prestigious, and Wen Xuxue’s gaze was involuntarily drawn to it.
Yet when she looked over, her heart suddenly tightened.
License plate: [Jing A·99999]
Ostentatious and flamboyant, it declared the extraordinary status of the car’s owner.
She remembered that Zhou Shijing had such a license plate…
She hoped she was mistaken.
Wen Xuxue held her breath and boldly looked toward the rear window.
As if by tacit understanding, the window was rolled halfway down.
The man’s cold, beautiful eyes instantly appeared before her.
At that moment, Wen Xuxue’s body froze completely in mid-air.
Unbelievable.
Her phone in her pocket suddenly vibrated.
Wen Xuxue stiffly pulled out her phone.
Zhou Shijing had sent her two messages:
[Didn’t you say you were having dinner with your dad?]
[Or do you like calling your boyfriend ‘daddy’?]
Wen Xuxue’s heart jolted. She lifted her head extremely slowly, locking eyes with the man in the car.
Zhou Shijing’s gaze was too cold, enough to freeze her solid.
Wen Xuxue felt afraid.
He was angry.
He was definitely angry.
She stood frozen in the middle of the road, not daring to move a muscle, as if she had turned into a beautiful statue.
“Wen Xuxue.” Zhao Sui frowned, walking over to her, grabbing her arm, and leading her forward. “Why did you suddenly stop?”
Wen Xuxue’s body remained tense as Zhao Sui pulled her into the passenger seat. Only after he started the car and drove a considerable distance did she dare to relax.
“Look, even if you’re not satisfied with me, can’t you at least pretend? I ask you things and you don’t say a word. Are you going to be like this when we meet my parents later?”
Having been ignored for so long, Zhao Sui was furious, and his tone was harsh.
Wen Xuxue retorted, “Can you stop yelling first? Of course, I’ll pretend properly in front of your parents.”
Zhao Sui said, “You better.”
Wen Xuxue ignored him after that. She opened her phone and discovered that ten minutes ago, Zhou Shijing had sent her another message: [Xiao Xue, was lying to Older Brother fun?]
Wen Xuxue’s heart, which had just settled, was instantly suspended again.
How could she have known she’d run into Zhou Shijing just then?
Didn’t he say she was still at work? How did he end up right outside her building?
And to make matters worse, he happened to see Zhao Sui picking her up.
She thought for a moment, realizing that since she now worked at his company, she absolutely couldn’t offend the top CEO, or she’d be fired. She decided to apologize sincerely: [I’m sorry, Older Brother.]
After a while, Zhou Shijing replied: [Older Brother is very angry.]
Wen Xuxue chose to throw the question back at him: [Then what should I do?]
Zhou Shijing didn’t reply for a long time.
Wen Xuxue was terrified of him—not just of him as a person, but even more afraid of him firing her.
In her anxious state, she couldn’t hold back and said: [Older Brother, punish me.]
Zhou Shijing: [How should I punish you?]
Wen Xuxue: [Hit me.]
Zhou Shijing: [Hit you like before?]
Wen Xuxue sent a cute cat sticker: [Mhm.]
Zhou Shijing: [Didn’t you say you didn’t like it when Older Brother hit you?]
Wen Xuxue: [I lied to you, Older Brother. Actually, I like it.]
Zhou Shijing: [Xiao Xue really enjoys lying to Older Brother. Lying to Older Brother makes you feel good, doesn’t it?]
Wen Xuxue: Holy crap.
How did he come to that conclusion?
Zhou Shijing: “After you finish eating, come to Older Brother’s house yourself.”
Wen Xuxue’s heart skipped a beat. After a moment of silence, she still replied, “Okay.”