She and Jiang Xu had been together for so long, and they had taken precautions every single time—how could she possibly be pregnant?
It must be that there had been too many worries lately, too much mental stress, causing her period to be delayed.
“What’s wrong?” Jiang Xu’s pale, slender hand picked up a shrimp, skillfully peeling it.
Lin Jianxi shook her head. “Nothing.”
Jiang Xu placed the peeled shrimp into her bowl, took a wet wipe to clean his hands, and moved the crab in front of her to the other side. “Crabs are cold in nature. You can eat them in a few days.”
Lin Jianxi frowned as she stared at the plate of steamed crab. She loved seafood, especially crab and crayfish. She had bought the crab specifically, and now she couldn’t eat it?
Jiang Xu glanced at her, his voice cool. “If you want to be in so much pain during your period that you go numb, go ahead and eat it.”
Lin Jianxi was left speechless. Once, during her period, the pain had been so intense that she nearly lost consciousness, breaking out in a cold sweat all over, her abdomen feeling as if a drilling machine were boring into her.
After the meal, Jiang Xu cleared the dishes, while Lin Jianxi wandered around the shop, planning to go back and salvage that cheongsam. She saw Jiang Xu walking toward her, holding her bag.
Jiang Xu approached her slowly, lowering his gaze to look at the petite woman before him, his thin lips parting slightly. “Let’s go home.”
Lin Jianxi paused briefly, then walked past him toward the inside. “You go ahead. I still have things to finish.”
Jiang Xu turned slightly, watching the woman’s pale, delicate nape, then stepped forward and grasped her slender, white wrist. “Lin Jianxi, it’s late.”
Lin Jianxi stiffened slightly. The man’s hand held her wrist gently, warmer than she had imagined, carrying a faint electric current that made her heart tremble.
Jiang Xu led her toward the door, his other hand carrying a beige pearl-chain handbag.
Once outside, Jiang Xu released her wrist and instead took her hand, adjusting his pace to match hers.
By now, the sky had darkened. The two walked along the bluestone-paved path, the sound of high heels tapping rhythmically on the ground. Warm yellow streetlights cast their glow upon them.
Lin Jianxi glanced sideways at their overlapping shadows, her heartbeat suddenly accelerating. This was the first time they had walked hand in hand like this—it felt almost like a date…
Jiang Xu led Lin Jianxi toward the parking spot. Arriving at the passenger door, he opened it for her, placing his hand on the top of the doorframe. “I’ll drive.”
“Okay.” Lin Jianxi bent down and slipped into the car, watching as the man walked around the front and took the driver’s seat.
Lin Jianxi pulled the seatbelt over and fastened it, then turned her gaze toward the man in the driver’s seat, her voice soft. “Jiang Xu, don’t you have anything you want to say to me?”
Jiang Xu’s hand, which had been pulling the seatbelt, paused. He turned to meet Lin Jianxi’s eyes. “Are you talking about the contract breach? I respect your decision.”
Hearing this, a faint, almost imperceptible curve lifted the corner of Lin Jianxi’s lips. “Jiang Xu, it’s your production team that’s losing out, not me. On the contrary, I’ve gained a little.”
Jiang Xu’s eyes held a faint smile as he turned to look ahead, starting the engine. “I haven’t lost out either.”
Lin Jianxi: “…”
Jiang Xu continued, “I’m just the director. I didn’t invest in it—just a worker.”
Lin Jianxi’s lips twitched. Jiang Xu was indeed the director, but he could also be a producer. He rarely invested unless it was a project predicted to be a huge hit.
Since Jiang Xu hadn’t invested, it seemed Lin Yujing’s new drama wouldn’t create much of a stir. It was just a pity for such a good setup, and most importantly, the director was Jiang Xu. Wasn’t he afraid his reputation would be ruined?
Lin Jianxi turned to look at the night scenery outside the window. For some reason, she seemed to be in a good mood today.
“Want to go see a movie?”
A man’s deep, clear voice reached her ears. Lin Jianxi turned to gaze at the man in the driver’s seat, and upon closer inspection, she could see a faint curve at the corner of his lips.
Jiang Xu glanced at her sideways, frowning slightly as he called her name in confusion, “Lin Jianxi?”
Lin Jianxi’s heartbeat gradually quickened, her gentle voice tinged with a slight tremor, “Why?”
“Tomorrow is Children’s Day.”
Lin Jianxi suddenly laughed, “Jiang Xu, I’m twenty-three years old, not a child.”
“Does not being a child mean you can’t celebrate Children’s Day?” Jiang Xu’s deep voice seemed to carry a hint of amusement.
Lin Jianxi suppressed the slight curve of her lips and muttered softly, “You skip the holidays when we should go see a movie, but on the ones we shouldn’t, you insist…”
“Lin Jianxi, I heard that.” Jiang Xu turned his gaze to the woman’s strikingly beautiful face. “I was busy before and neglected you. That won’t happen again.”
Lin Jianxi turned her head. The man was wearing a white shirt with the cuffs rolled up, revealing his pale wrists. A Patek Philippe watch adorned his wrist, and the contours of his profile were sharp and defined.
Lin Jianxi stared at his profile. “Jiang Xu, we’re about to get divorced. There’s really no need for you to do this. Once the time comes, we’ll go get the divorce papers.”
Jiang Xu’s knuckles tightened on the steering wheel, turning white. His thin lips pressed into a straight line as he remained silent.
Lin Jianxi swallowed, her throat dry, and turned to gaze at the dazzling night scenery outside the car window.
Over ten minutes later.
The car drove through the gates of Lanxi Garden. Jiang Xu parked the car in front of the courtyard and turned off the engine. Lin Jianxi unbuckled her seatbelt and got out of the car without even glancing at him.
Lin Jianxi didn’t wait for Jiang Xu. She headed straight for the entrance and pressed the elevator button to go upstairs.
Once upstairs, Lin Jianxi entered the master bedroom and turned to close the door. Suddenly, a large hand pressed against it. Lin Jianxi froze for a moment, instinctively taking two steps back.
Jiang Xu pushed the door open and, without a word, swept the petite woman into his arms, carrying her toward the bed.
Lin Jianxi’s pupils contracted slightly. By the time she realized what was happening, the man had already pinned her to the bed, his lips covering hers in a soft yet forceful kiss as he pried her lips apart.
Jiang Xu greedily drank in her scent, his eyes half-closed as he kissed her with tender, lingering affection.
Lin Jianxi’s mind went blank. The sudden kiss caught her off guard, leaving her body tingling and her head dizzy. She forgot to resist.
The kiss felt as though it lasted an eternity. Lin Jianxi parted her flushed lips slightly, panting, her cheeks tinged with red and her eyes shimmering and alluring.
Jiang Xu steadied his breathing, his hands braced on either side of her as his deep eyes locked onto hers. “Lin Jianxi, I said I won’t divorce you. This is the last time I’ll say it.”
Lin Jianxi’s eyes were tinged with red at the corners, her chest rising and falling unevenly. Even after all this time, her breathing remained somewhat unsteady. “Then we’ll settle it in court.”
“Lin Jianxi!” Jiang Xu’s face darkened, his narrow, deep peach-blossom eyes so intense they seemed to drip with ink.
Lin Jianxi stiffened slightly, for a moment feeling as though she had been transported back to her first year of high school, when he had called her name in the same tone.
Jiang Xu reined in the emotions in his eyes, leaning down to kiss her fair earlobe, his voice low and husky. “Lin Jianxi, as long as I don’t relent, you won’t win.”
Lin Jianxi trembled, a tingling numbness spreading from her earlobe as the man’s warm breath brushed past her ear, his husky voice seeping into her consciousness one word at a time.
Jiang Xu gently bit her earlobe, then moved off her and carried her into the bathroom.
As soon as they entered, Jiang Xu set her down. Lin Jianxi’s heart raced wildly, her breathing ragged. She turned to flee, only to have the man seize her by the waist.
Jiang Xu tightened his grip on her slender waist, pinning her against the door. Leaning close, his warm lips pressed against her earlobe as he murmured, “Running?”