Sitting inside the Lamborghini, Chu Xia was pushed across the finish line by Jiang Suizhou, while waves of cheering surged all around her.
She froze for a moment, feeling a subtle and strange tightness in her chest.
But very quickly, she shut her eyes tightly and shook her head, telling herself:
“Wake up, Li Chu Xia.”
From before, Chu Xia had always felt that Jiang Suizhou was like a golden axe sent by the heavens to test her.
A golden axe—who wouldn’t want it?
But the moment she said it out loud, the golden axe would disappear.
Because what belonged to her from beginning to end was only an iron axe. If she lied, her ending would be just like the greedy landowner in the fable.
When she was with him, his attitude was always so ambiguous that it confused and troubled her. Did he like her or not?
At one point, Chu Xia even seriously considered becoming Jiang Suizhou’s kept woman—it didn’t seem so bad.
But when she actively took off her coat and sat on his lap, she saw his expression suddenly darken.
That day, he pushed her onto the sofa and left without a word. His back as he walked away almost overlapped with Shen Siren’s when he abandoned her.
That day, Chu Xia felt unprecedented humiliation.
She knew she was overthinking things. She had eaten his food, used his money, and been raised by him until she developed an illusion—that he actually liked her. But the other party wasn’t even interested in touching her…
After that, Chu Xia only treated Jiang Suizhou as a financial backer. Every day by his side, she was preparing to leave him. She carefully catered to his preferences, thoughtfully fulfilled his requests, and avoided doing anything extra or saying anything unnecessary—completely eliminating the possibility of “wishful thinking.”
She felt Jiang Suizhou hated her, because in the middle of the night, he would quietly come to her bedside and stare at her sleeping face. Sometimes for an hour, sometimes the entire night.
Once, she felt his hand brush against her neck, and she thought that at that moment, he was probably considering how to kill her without dirtying his carpet.
After all, he knew everything—she was the one who killed his younger brother.
Chu Xia also knew that to Jiang Suizhou, her existence was merely a tool to strike a fatal blow to Shen Siren.
Later, in the second half of their time together, Jiang Suizhou’s moods became increasingly good.
Because she had completely figured out his preferences and temperament—she knew what to say and what to do to make him happy.
But at the same time, Chu Xia became more and more clear-headed every day.
She knew she had killed Jiang Cixing, and the Jiang family would never accept her. Jiang Suizhou could only be her temporary shelter. Sooner or later, they would settle accounts.
So she ran away.
“Knock knock—”
The car window was tapped.
Chu Xia snapped back to reality and saw Jiang Suizhou bent over outside the window, looking at her.
She adjusted her expression, rolled down the window, and smiled brightly:
“You just lost the championship.”
Jiang Suizhou looked in a good mood. He pinched the soft flesh on her cheek.
“If you’ve had enough fun, let’s go back, champion.”
Chu Xia blinked at him.
“I won the race. By the usual rule, can I ask for a reward?”
In the past, Chu Xia and Jiang Suizhou often competed—horse riding, skydiving. At first, she didn’t dare, but to encourage her, he would always tempt her with things she wanted. If she succeeded, she would get a reward. Over time, this became an unspoken agreement between them.
Her original goal in racing with him was exactly this.
Jiang Suizhou raised an eyebrow, signaling her to continue.
“I want you to get my father out from Sheng Jing Shi.”
The man’s gaze darkened slightly, but his expression showed no surprise.
He was silent for a moment, then leaned on the car roof, bending down to look at her.
“Have you completely broken up with Sheng Jing Shi?”
Hearing him emphasize the word “completely,” Chu Xia thought for a moment.
Completely?
She had deceived Sheng Jing Shi and fled after his proposal. At this moment, that man probably wanted to kill her.
So she nodded pitifully.
“I only have you left, Jiang Suizhou.”
At that moment, even though he knew she was pretending, his heartbeat still faltered slightly.
But outwardly, he only smiled lightly.
“When he got your father out back then, it was medical parole. I can get him out, but it’s only a temporary solution. If Sheng Jing Shi wants, he can report it to the Jiang family, and your father could be sent back in at any time.”
Chu Xia lowered her eyes.
“I know. But I’m afraid he’ll take it out on my father right now.”
Jiang Suizhou squinted at her.
“What exactly did you do?”
Chu Xia avoided answering and instead looked at him suspiciously.
“If you don’t help me, don’t tell me it’s because you can’t do it?”
Jiang Suizhou laughed in anger.
She was using provocation on him?
He tapped her forehead lightly.
“You trying to take advantage of me? I can help you, but you must fulfill my condition.”
That condition was for her to return to him.
After all, a bird raised too long away from home will forget how to return.
That night was destined to be unsettled.
The next morning, as sunlight just broke through the clouds, a secretary who had worked all night hurried into the Longwan Villa with a serious expression.
The moment he entered, he was shocked by the chaos inside.
The place looked like it had been robbed—tables and chairs overturned, paintings smashed to pieces, red wine stains and cut marks everywhere.
The secretary recognized them immediately: they were the paintings he had helped President Sheng buy back from Miss Li not long ago.
“President Sheng, we found her.”
Sheng Jing Shi sat slumped on the sofa, his shirt collar open, his voice hoarse:
“Where is she?”
“Huating Road No. 5… Young Master Jiang of the Jiang family, Jiang Suizhou’s private residence…”
Before the secretary could finish, a loud crash rang out—the coffee table was smashed to pieces.
“President Sheng! Your hand!”
At Huating Road No. 5.
When Jiang Suizhou came downstairs, he saw Chu Xia curled up on the sofa. His footsteps immediately softened.
He took a blanket and gently covered her. Looking at her sleeping face, his gaze softened.
He brushed away the strands of hair on her face. Suddenly, a knock sounded at the door, and Chu Xia immediately woke up.
“Is it my father?” she asked immediately.
Jiang Suizhou pressed her shoulder lightly.
“Don’t get too emotional later.”
“What do you mean?”
At that moment, a middle-aged man was brought in by bodyguards, his feet off the ground as he struggled wildly.
A black bag covered his head. He resisted fiercely, panicked and struggling, held down by two bodyguards.
One of the guards shouted “Don’t move,” and he immediately squatted down with his head in his hands, crying out loudly:
“I’m sorry! I was wrong!”
“Dad!”
Chu Xia rushed forward. Jiang Suizhou sighed softly and followed.
He signaled the guards, who immediately released the man.
Chu Xia grabbed her father’s arm, trying to lower his hands, but he kept shouting hysterically:
“I’m sorry! I was wrong!”
She quickly removed the black bag from his head, but he still covered himself defensively, trembling.
“Dad, it’s me! It’s me—Xia Xia!”
Hearing those words, the middle-aged man finally slowly stopped struggling. His arms lowered hesitantly, revealing a pair of dull, frightened eyes—like a child’s, full of fear and confusion.
“Xia Xia is waiting at home… I need to go home…”