“Comrade.”
The moment Lin Xi got a clear look at the man standing in front of her, her mind went completely blank.
Xiao Jingwen?
Unlike that night when he had been half-naked, the man was dressed in a full set of special forces combat gear today.
A black tank top, tight-fitting combat trousers, and a pair of combat boots. The trouser legs were neatly tucked into his boots, making his legs look long and straight.
He had to be at least six-foot-two.
Just standing in front of her, the man cast a shadow over her.
She looked up and saw Xiao Jingwen’s deep, sharply defined features sculpted by the half-lit, half-shadowed light.
He looked even cooler than he had that night.
The moment their eyes met, her dead memories suddenly came rushing back. Lin Xi felt as though every muscle in her body was aching.
“Is there something you need?” Lin Jianguo asked warily as he looked at Xiao Jingwen.
“My surname is Xiao. Xiao Jingwen.”
“Xiao?”
Hearing that surname, coupled with the military uniform, the suspicion in Lin Jianguo’s eyes instantly disappeared.
He immediately put on a smile.
“Ah, you’re from General Xiao’s family?”
Xiao Jingwen’s brows furrowed. Before he could say anything, Lin Jianguo understood.
“You’re here about my daughter and Mingze’s marriage, right?”
Xiao Jingwen said nothing.
Lin Jianguo continued on his own. “Ah, I knew it. That child was definitely just talking out of anger yesterday.”
“They’ve already slept together. How could they possibly call off the marriage at the last minute? Mingze isn’t the kind of irresponsible young man who’d do that, right?”
Lin Jianguo looked at Xiao Jingwen with a hint of ingratiation.
When he met the man’s dark, inscrutable gaze, Lin Jianguo’s heart gave a jolt.
It took him a moment to realize that they were standing in the middle of the street and that he had said too much.
He hurriedly tried to smooth things over.
“Well… since this is about such an important matter as marriage, why don’t we discuss it at home?”
Xiao Jingwen’s tone was indifferent.
“No need.”
“We’ll talk about Zhao Mingze another day.”
What?
He wasn’t here about the marriage?
The smile on Lin Jianguo’s face froze.
Once he calmed down, he realized that from beginning to end, Xiao Jingwen’s gaze had been fixed on Lin Xi.
Lin Jianguo swallowed and asked, “You know my daughter, Lin Xi?”
Lin Xi.
Xiao Jingwen narrowed his eyes slightly, his Adam’s apple bobbing once.
That was a nice name.
Under that intensely predatory gaze from above, Lin Xi felt her breath catch in her throat.
Judging by how that man had behaved that night, he was definitely not someone to be trifled with.
And now he had stopped her right in the middle of the street…
Could he be planning to have her arrested for sexual harassment?
“I don’t know him!”
Whatever Xiao Jingwen wanted, Lin Xi had no intention of giving him a chance to speak.
A brief, low chuckle came from above her.
Lin Xi looked up.
Their eyes met.
Xiao Jingwen’s lips curved into a faint smile, as if he approved of Lin Xi’s answer.
“We’ve only met once.”
As he spoke, he pulled several bills from his pocket and held them out to Lin Xi.
“This comrade helped me out before and lent me seven yuan. I’m returning it now.”
Seven?
Lin Xi took the money blankly.
Wasn’t it three yuan?
Watching Lin Xi walk away, Xu Shaoqin clutched his chest and let out a breath of relief.
“So she’s her father! Thank goodness, thank goodness!”
“Hey, Brother Xiao, why didn’t you ask where Sister-in-law lives?”
“We’ll find out.”
Xiao Jingwen clenched his fist.
He used the pain to suppress the itchy sensation in his palm.
At the guesthouse.
After finishing his mission, Zhao Mingze was about to pack his things and go home.
He had just folded a piece of clothing when there was a knock on the door.
Zhao Mingze opened the door.
“Uncle?”
“Give me a minute. I’m almost done packing.”
Xiao Jingwen said nothing and walked straight into the room.
“Come in. Close the door.”
Thinking there must be another new mission, Zhao Mingze followed him inside.
After entering, Xiao Jingwen’s gaze swept over the bed before he slowly walked to the table and casually leaned against it.
“Tell me. What’s going on with the Lin family’s daughter?”
The smile in Zhao Mingze’s eyes vanished instantly, his pupils shrinking as his gaze darted away.
“What Lin family’s daughter?”
Not knowing how to answer, he instinctively tried to play dumb and muddle his way through.
But…
Xiao Jingwen was Xiao Jingwen.
“Do I really have to spell it out for you?”
The man leaned against the table and gave a faint chuckle.
Zhao Mingze’s heart gave a violent tremor.
There were only nine years between them.
Yet his uncle always had a way of making people feel an overwhelming sense of pressure, as though he were standing high above everyone else.
Zhao Mingze swallowed and stammered, “It happened a few days ago… I accidentally got drugged, so I ended up with Lin Ran…”
He left the rest unsaid.
They were both men. Surely his uncle understood.
Silence descended over the room.
Seeing that Xiao Jingwen remained silent for so long, Zhao Mingze grew increasingly anxious.
“Uncle, I know I was wrong about this. I can compensate her…”
“Compensate her?”
At those words, Xiao Jingwen lifted his eyes and looked at him, narrowing them slightly.
“Not marry her?”
Zhao Mingze lowered his head and took a deep breath, as though he had finally summoned enough courage to make up his mind.
“I can’t marry her.”
Zhao Mingze said, “Uncle, you don’t know this, but I’ve already made a verbal marriage agreement with Lin Ran’s older sister.”
Xu Shaoqin had originally come in just to watch the drama unfold.
But now—
What did Zhao Mingze mean?
Did he sleep with his own sister-in-law?
Then Lin Ran’s older sister…
Could it be Lin Xi?!
Holy crap!!!
Xu Shaoqin felt like his heart rate was about to exceed its limits.
He didn’t even care whether this was his Brother Xiao’s family business anymore and directly interrupted the two men.
“Uh… let me ask something. What’s Lin Ran’s older sister’s name?”
Not knowing why Xu Shaoqin suddenly cared about this, Zhao Mingze answered honestly.
“Lin Xi.”
“Very good.”
Xiao Jingwen nodded.
After a moment, he straightened up and rubbed his fingers together.
“You don’t need to pack anymore. Come home with me now.”
“What?”
A bad feeling rose in Zhao Mingze’s heart.
Xiao Jingwen didn’t waste any more words. He walked straight to the door.
“I’ll wait for you downstairs. One minute.”