Chaрter 6: Luring Hеr tо Таkе Rеspоnsibilitу, Рleаse Guidе Me in thе Futurе
Thе globаllу limitеd high-end businеss сar оffеrеd аn ехсeрtionаllу spacious intеrior.
Аs Qiaо Zhiуаng tоok her sеat, she nаturаllу аnd graсefullу lifted the bасk hеm оf hеr qipаo, everу mоvеmеnt еxuding the elеgаnсe аnd pоise of а wеll-brеd lаdy.
“Miss Qiао. Seatbеlt.” A low, mаgnеtiс mаle vоiсe suddenly sounded beside hеr eаr.
Веfоrе she сould reaсt, he hаd alrеadу leaned in close, his long arm reaching around her waist to pull the seatbelt, then guiding it across her.
The distance between them abruptly narrowed.
The familiar scent of ebony wood enveloped her once more, unexpectedly seeping into her breath.
Qiao Zhiyang froze slightly, her gaze involuntarily drifting downward.
There, she saw his distinct, cold-white, slender fingers gripping the seatbelt. As he helped fasten it, the veins on the back of his hand faintly bulged, exuding a subtle yet undeniable sensual tension.
Qiao Zhiyang’s attention was inevitably drawn to it.
These hands… they’d be perfect for gripping bedsheets.
“…..!!!”
The bold thought that popped into her mind instantly turned the Little Lamb a shade of pink.
Stop, stop, stop!
What am I thinking?!
Mr. Cen is dignified, refined, and as pure as the breeze and moonlight—how could I casually defile him like this?!
Qiao Zhiyang felt her ears grow even hotter.
The little figure in her heart once again frantically tapped the wooden fish, dong dong dong.
“Ahem.”
Afraid that her unusual behavior might be noticed by the man before her, she quickly cleared her throat softly.
Shifting her gaze away, her soft, sweet voice carried a hint of flustered embarrassment. “Third Brother, you don’t need to address me as Miss Qiao anymore. You can just call me by my name.”
“My name is Qiao Zhiyang.”
With rosy cheeks, the girl looked at him with clear, bright eyes, her red lips curving slightly. “The ‘Zhi’ as in ‘to know,’ and the ‘Yang’ as in ‘rippling.'”
Cen Zhou gazed at the slight curve of her lips. Behind the cover of his glasses, his deep, ink-like eyes had long been filled with a fanatical, obsessive infatuation.
The ‘Yang’ as in ‘rippling.’
Indeed, rippling in his heart.
He just wondered when this Little Lamb of hers would start rippling all over him.
Cen Zhou’s Adam’s apple bobbed slightly.
He skillfully concealed the burning intensity in his eyes.
Remaining the restrained, noble gentleman she saw before him.
He nodded, crossing his long, powerful legs and folding his hands elegantly, his posture relaxed and graceful. His thin lips curved lightly. “Alright, I understand.”
The Little Lamb thought he had only just learned her name now.
Little did she know that long ago, he had already engraved her name in his heart a thousand times over.
So long that even if asked to write it backward, he could do so without hesitation, his pen flowing smoothly.
Cen Zhou’s deep eyes locked onto her intently.
Like a wolf who had long been plotting, staring at the little lamb he had coveted for so long, his morbidly overwhelming possessiveness on the verge of erupting.
In the past, he could only rely on thinking of her name to ease all his desires.
Now, she was right before his eyes.
So this time.
He would never let go again.
“Little Zhiyang.”
He chuckled lightly, suddenly leaning closer toward her.
Raising his hand.
His fingertips gently hooked a few stray strands of soft hair near her ear, tenderly tucking them behind.
Behind his glasses, his phoenix eyes were as deep as turbulent seas. His slightly lowered voice was seductively lingering, tinged with a restrained huskiness.
“Please guide me well in the future.”
The man’s warm fingertips, calloused yet gentle, brushed against the back of her ear, stirring a faint, tingling sensation on that small patch of skin.
Coupled with the intimate form of address, it felt like an intense chemical reaction, making her shiver involuntarily.
Qiao Zhiyang’s breath suddenly grew erratic.How could he suddenly…!
But when she looked up, she found the man before her had already returned to his seat.
Just as before, his posture was lazily upright, and his gaze toward her remained as clear and gentle as ever. “What’s wrong?”
As if his earlier gesture was merely an elder politely tucking a stray strand of hair behind a younger person’s ear.
And casually greeting her in a lighthearted tone.
Qiao Zhiyang blinked, immediately feeling a wave of relief in her heart.
So it was just her misunderstanding.
She thought to herself, someone like Mr. Cen—a Buddha-like figure of such purity and grace—could never harbor any improper thoughts toward her.
He must have just been teasing her like a child earlier.
After leaving the airport, the road back to the city center began to grow congested.
Qiao Zhiyang gazed at the towering buildings outside the window, took a deep breath, and mustered the courage to take her phone out of her small bag.
As soon as she turned it on.
A barrage of messages and calls instantly flooded the screen, as expected.
【Qiao Zhiyang, have you grown wings now? How dare you run away from home!】
【After all the effort I put into raising you, is this how you repay me? Has your conscience died, or did you feed it to the dogs? How could you treat your own mother like this? How can you be so selfish!】
【I’ve been so strict with you, and it’s all for your own good! You’re the young lady of the Qiao family, representing the face of all of us. Do you have any idea how many people you’ve embarrassed with this stunt?】
【Tell me! Have you secretly met someone outside? Is that why you’ve become so disgraceful?】
【You better get back here right now, or don’t blame me for disowning you, you ungrateful daughter!】
The other party was clearly furious, with no regard for the fact that they were family.
Insulting words piled one after another, heavy enough to suffocate.
Qiao Zhiyang’s eyes instantly reddened.
As if out of a long-ingrained habit of self-punishment, she bit down hard on her lower lip, seemingly numb to the pain.
She had anticipated the bombardment of messages and calls from home.
That’s why she hadn’t turned on her phone earlier—she didn’t want to expose her vulnerability in front of others.
Now that she was facing it alone, she thought she was no longer afraid.
But
seeing these messages now, she realized.
She was still that weak and useless coward.
The courage she had painstakingly gathered vanished in an instant, like a punctured balloon, floating aimlessly.
A profound sense of helplessness surged through her.
Qiao Zhiyang clenched her lower lip, her hands gripping the phone weakly. The lively sparkle in her eyes moments ago now faded into emptiness.
Exhausted, she gazed at the sky outside the window, an unconscious longing flickering across her face.
“What are you thinking about?”
A gentle, low magnetic voice suddenly sounded softly beside her.
Cen Zhou looked at the girl who had turned away, trying hard to conceal her emotions, his brows slightly furrowed.
His usually strong and indifferent heart felt as if it had been sliced by a sharp blade, a dull ache spreading through him.
He didn’t force her to turn around, nor did he press her directly.
Instead, with a mature and steady approach, he patiently and gently reassured her, “If there’s something troubling you, you can talk about it. Don’t keep it bottled up inside.”
Qiao Zhiyang, with her back to him, felt a tremor in her heart.
This kind of concern, sensing her distress, made her eyes well up uncontrollably.
But after years under strict control, she had long grown accustomed to bearing all her emotions alone.Qiao Zhiyang took a deep breath, trying her best to act as if nothing was wrong as she turned around and met his gaze, forcing a faint smile. “I’m fine, I just…”
“It’s okay if you don’t want to say it.”
Just as she struggled to speak with a hoarse voice, forcing herself to continue, the man before her lowered his gaze. His earnest and patient eyes seemed to treat her like an invaluable treasure. “Don’t feel too burdened. I just want you to know.”
Cen Zhou met her slightly reddened eyes, which held back her emotions, and reached out to gently stroke the top of her head. His steady, powerful voice was filled with tenderness reserved only for her.
“Don’t get used to enduring grievances.”
“Because I’m here.”