Hearing Wen Zhuo’s words, the girl suddenly felt enlightened.
That’s right—if she were in mortal danger, her brother and Wen Zhuo would definitely do everything in their power to save her.
Thinking this, she turned her head, her sparkling eyes widening as the black pupils gleamed with light. She tentatively asked:
“Wen Zhuo, are you powerful?”
Wen Zhuo didn’t mind her calling him by his full name directly, but he was momentarily stunned, unsure what she meant by “powerful.”
After pausing for a second, the man cleared his throat lightly, the tips of his ears slightly reddening.
“Ahem… I suppose I am. You…”
Before he could finish, Jing Nian’an eagerly continued:
“Never mind, I’ll just tell you directly. I just dreamed…”
Just as she was about to describe the dream, the words seemed to be choked by an invisible hand gripping her throat, unable to make a sound.
Realizing this, the girl’s palm-sized face was filled with panic, her almond-shaped eyes instantly widening into perfect circles.
Jing Nian’an looked up at Wen Zhuo, fear rapidly spreading within the clear pupils of her eyes.
Seeing her like this, the man’s sword-like eyebrows tightened. “What’s wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?”
At that moment, Jing Nian’an’s mind went completely blank.
That terrifyingly realistic dream had already made her doubt the world she was in, but it was only a suspicion.
Now, she couldn’t even tell anyone about the dream—this undoubtedly confirmed to her that this world truly was a novel!
Realizing she was destined for the tragic fate of a malicious cannon fodder, tears instantly welled up in the girl’s eyes.
Jing Nian’an trembled all over, her hands clutching desperately at Wen Zhuo’s lapels, her fingertips turning white.
Wen Zhuo keenly sensed something was wrong, his voice unconsciously rising with urgency:
“What exactly is wrong? You’ve been acting strange since earlier—did someone bully you?”
Although he knew no one would dare bully her, the girl’s behavior was truly abnormal.
The next second, the girl opened her slender arms and threw herself back into Wen Zhuo’s embrace.
Her fluffy head rubbed against his chest, and bean-sized tears fell in rapid succession.
Soon, a dark, damp stain spread across his neatly ironed shirt.
“Wah… Brother…”
She sobbed, her shoulders trembling, her rose-scented hair disheveled and scattered across Wen Zhuo’s arm.
Her soft, sweet voice carried a thick, tearful tone as she whimpered, “I might be dying…”
Hearing her ridiculous words, Wen Zhuo’s frown deepened instantly.
He pulled her slightly away, cupping her tear-stained little face in his hands, his slender fingers gently wiping away the tears on her cheeks.
His voice was so tender it could drip with warmth: “Jing Nian’an, don’t talk nonsense.”
Wen Zhuo patiently coaxed her, but before he could say much more, the girl’s phone rang abruptly.
Wen Zhuo frowned, glancing at the caller ID with confusion—it was an unfamiliar number.
Gently patting the girl’s trembling back, he took her phone and answered the call for her.
“Hello, is this… Miss Jing? Our boss said he’ll come find you in a moment.”
Xue Xiaomin’s tentative voice came from the other end of the line.
But to Wen Zhuo, the words sounded like a threat.
The man’s voice, usually as gentle as a spring sun, now carried a layer of frost: “Fine, let him come.”
Hearing this, Jing Nian’an’s still-tearful voice quickly interrupted: “N-no… That won’t do!”The next second, the girl rushed over with reddened eyes to snatch the phone.
Her voice still carried traces of unshed tears, yet she forced herself to sound fierce: “Don’t come! I—I’ll go myself!”
After saying this, she hastily hung up the call.
Wen Zhuo’s eyes sharpened, his expression darkening completely.
Suppressing the turbulent emotions raging within him, he unconsciously lowered his voice:
“Jing Nian’an, explain clearly. Where do you plan to go?”
The girl didn’t answer, only grabbing his sleeve to wipe her tears haphazardly before trying to break free from his embrace.
But in the next moment, Wen Zhuo’s long arm reached out, catching her slender waist.
The silk nightgown was as thin as a cicada’s wing, the waist beneath his palm delicate and soft, his fingertips unconsciously grazing it twice.
Pulled back by him, the girl tumbled back into his arms.
“What are you doing!”
Though her eyes were still red, she effortlessly unleashed her temper.
Wen Zhuo didn’t let go, deliberately softening his voice as he stubbornly continued questioning:
“Explain before you leave. Why were you crying just now? Who was the person on the phone? And where are you planning to go now?”
Jing Nian’an struggled briefly but couldn’t break free, so she resorted to defiance, digging her nails into his arm as she snapped:
“Wen Zhuo, how annoying! It was just a nightmare, and Lin Jinhuan invited me out to play.”
Her mood shifted swiftly, completely forgetting how she had just sought comfort in his embrace.
Ignoring her aggressive display, Wen Zhuo’s gaze deepened. He gently turned her face with his knuckles, forcing her to look at him:
“Be back before dark, or I’ll come pick you up myself.”
After saying this, he slowly released his arm from around her waist.
Long before the girl in his arms began associating with that second daughter of the Lin family, Lin Jinhuan, all the girl’s information had already been uploaded to his phone.
Upon investigation, he discovered that she had been brought in by Jing Lüyan to “protect” the girl closely.
Since Jing Lüyan personally found a friend for the girl to interact with, he naturally felt reassured.
However, heh, his cousin was truly meticulous…
Whether it was protection or disguised surveillance… no one could say for sure.
But… was she really crying just because of a nightmare?
Wen Zhuo lowered his gaze, his peach blossom eyes deepening in color, thick lashes casting shadows beneath them.
Jing Nian’an turned her head away dismissively, uttering a perfunctory “Mm.”
Seizing the moment he was lost in thought, she slipped nimbly from his embrace.
Barefoot on the soft carpet, she leaped gracefully toward the bathroom like an elegant Ragdoll cat.
~
Another half hour later, Jing Nian’an finally made her way to the entrance of the club with slow, hesitant steps.
The lambskin Mary Janes on her feet were adorned with small bows, emitting a soft “tap-tap” sound with each step.
She looked as lovely as a little rose gently nudged along by the evening breeze.
Just as she was about to step through the gilded doors, a doorman suddenly stopped her.
The young attendant, upon seeing her face, grew flustered and stammered:
“M-Miss, please show your white card…”
The girl furrowed her delicate brows, her long lashes casting fine shadows under the light.
Just as she was about to speak, the club manager hurried over, apologizing repeatedly: “Sorry, sorry, Miss Jing, please go ahead!”
The girl let out a light “hmph,” her delicate nose wrinkling slightly as she walked past the trembling attendant and entered.
The manager escorted her all the way to the booth before respectfully taking his leave.Turning back to look at that slender figure, he quietly wiped the sweat from his temple.
This morning, the boss had specifically reminded him, and he had nearly made the mistake of keeping this little ancestor outside the door due to a momentary oversight.
But then again, this young lady Jing seemed quite easy to talk to…
~
Lin Jinhuan had caught sight of Jing Nian’an the moment she stepped through the club’s entrance.
Pursing her lips, she watched the graceful figure approach, slowly swirling the amber-hued liquor in her glass, remaining silent.
She wanted to see if this spoiled young lady would take the initiative to sit beside her.
Or perhaps, if she would offer an explanation for pretending to be sick and standing her up.
After all, no one had ever dared to keep her waiting for four hours!
As soon as Jing Nian’an entered the booth, Xue Xiaomin and two other followers hurriedly stood up, warmly greeting her and ushering her toward the center.
The young girl glanced up and caught sight of Lin Jinhuan’s expressionless face sitting in the middle, her heart skipping a beat.
Then she plopped down in the seat next to Xue Xiaomin.
Tilting her chin up, she put on an air of superiority: “I—I’ll just sit here.”
But her voice grew softer and softer, the last syllable almost disappearing into the air.
In an instant, the temperature in the booth seemed to drop to freezing, and everyone felt the atmosphere grow increasingly tense.
Lin Jinhuan looked up, her sharp eyes fixed on the delicate yet thorny little rose across from her, and asked calmly:
“Is An’an not feeling well?”
Hearing this, Jing Nian’an immediately straightened her back.
But the moment her eyes met Lin Jinhuan’s, she faltered, her gaze drifting nervously to the side.
With a tone that was both defensive and defiant, she replied, “I wasn’t feeling well earlier, so why did you ask me to come here? What do you want?”
Lin Jinhuan nearly laughed in exasperation at her attitude.
The young lady might have a bad temper, but her mind was sharp.
Look at it—brand new, barely even used.
Though inwardly annoyed, Lin Jinhuan maintained her professional composure, smiling calmly as she replied:
“Wasn’t it you who said you’d never been to a bar and insisted I bring you here?”
After speaking, Lin Jinhuan watched with amusement as the fair face across from her gradually flushed red, even the tips of her ears turning a lovely shade of pink.
Though she knew she was in the wrong, Jing Nian’an, true to her nature, refused to back down easily, her voice unconsciously rising:
“I just—I just forgot for a moment!”
It held no intimidation whatsoever, sounding more like a petulant whine.
Lin Jinhuan decided not to tease her any further and snapped her fingers.
A waiter immediately presented a row of exquisite cocktail-making tools and an array of dazzling liquors.
Her slender fingers moved deftly, quickly mixing a pink cocktail, which she pushed toward Jing Nian’an.
“Try it.” Her tone brooked no refusal.
Jing Nian’an stared at the glass, her beautiful almond-shaped eyes filled with wariness.
Was she… planning to poison her…?
Xue Xiaomin, sensing the tense atmosphere, quickly tried to smooth things over:
“This is our boss’s specialty cocktail! It’s sweet and not spicy at all. You should give it a try!”
Skeptical yet curious, Jing Nian’an leaned in cautiously, like a wary kitten, and sniffed the drink before finally taking a small, resigned sip.
Instantly, the sweet, refreshing liquor spread across her tongue, smooth and rich, its fragrant aroma dancing on her taste buds.
“It’s delicious!”
Her eyes lit up, and she murmured to herself without thinking.Lin Jinhuan cast a cold glance at Xue Xiaomin before turning her gaze back to Jing Nian’an.
Watching the young girl across from her, who looked like a cat that had successfully stolen a treat, Lin Jinhuan’s stern expression softened unconsciously. She asked softly:
“Still want more?”
The girl nodded eagerly, her head bobbing like a pounding pestle, her dark, soft hair swaying with the motion.
The reason Lin Jinhuan had agreed to bring her to the bar was that children from wealthy families typically undergo alcohol-tasting training.
These young ladies and gentlemen, born with silver spoons in their mouths, must learn to maintain their composure amidst toasts and drinks to avoid embarrassing themselves at important occasions in the future.
But Lin Jinhuan hadn’t expected that the Jing family would protect her so well.
The usually domineering young lady had never even touched alcohol before!
Lin Jinhuan had taken matters into her own hands, bringing her here without reporting to that person.
She admitted that this indeed violated basic professional ethics.
But…
If she hadn’t agreed, with Miss Jing’s knack for being persistent, she would surely have found someone else to bring her…
Lin Jinhuan didn’t want that.