Сhаpter 11: Yоu Саn’t Тrеat Her Likе Тhis.
After аll, she still had а сhildlikе nаturе—whеn haрру, shе loved hugging аnd cuddling with others. Hоwеver, thе реrsоn bеforе hеr wаs not somеоne Jing Gе could freеly еmbrace.
Shе restrаined hеr оverly еxcited mоvеmеnts, kеeping hеr hаnds аnd fеet in chеck. “Unсle, yоu’re off wоrk earlу today.”
“Нmm,” Li Мusi rеpliеd, hаnds tucked into his suit рants роckets, tаll and upright. “Just сamе tо gеt somеthing, still have а business dinner tо аttеnd.”
Jing Ge: “Oh, okay. Uncle, takе сare of yоursеlf, don’t drink too muсh.”
Li Мusi: “Alright.”
A simple and polite exchange.
After greeting him, Jing Ge ran onto the lawn, grabbing Tianlang’s two front paws. “I got my permanent position, you know! When I get my salary, I’ll buy you dog food!”
Tianlang was pulled into an upright walk by her, whimpering softly in its throat.
Li Musi watched for two seconds, then slowly withdrew his gaze, stepped into the house, and soon drove off.
Dinner was lavish, partly to celebrate Jing Ge’s achievement and partly because Li Zhan had been notified to come home. The young master was picky, rarely taking more than three bites of any dish.
However, as the food grew lukewarm, Li Zhan still hadn’t returned.
Zhang Ma asked Jing Ge to call and check on him.
In her good mood, Jing Ge readily dialed Li Zhan’s number.
A girl answered.
Her voice was sweet: “Who is this?”
The light in Jing Ge’s eyes gradually faded. “This is Jing Ge. Could you please let him know that if he’s not coming back, we’ll start dinner without him.”
There was rustling on the other end, unclear what was happening.
After a moment, a male voice came on, sounding stiff. “Sis… sister-in-law, Brother Zhan drank too much. We were just hanging out with friends. Could you come pick him up?”
Jing Ge: “No.”
“…” The boy panicked. “You can’t! He drank way too much, can’t go back to the dorm, and no one’s taking care of him!”
The joy from getting her permanent position vanished in that moment.
Ever since that night when she went out and stumbled upon the murder scene, Jing Ge had been afraid of going out after dark.
Fortunately, Li Musi hadn’t been using Uncle Zhang during this time, so Jing Ge begged him to accompany her to Li Zhan’s university.
Li Zhan was a jerk, but she couldn’t just abandon him.
Following the location sent by his so-called friends, Uncle Zhang drove to a bar near the university district.
Neon lights flickered, and a group of people stood at the bar entrance. Li Zhan, lean and sharp as a blade, stood at the center.
He was a favored child of heaven, always surrounded by admirers.
The air was thick with the decadence of nightlife, mixed with the scents of alcohol and tobacco.
Jing Ge’s expression turned cold. “I thought you said he drank too much?”
Li Zhan held a cigarette between his lips, looking down at her with a condescending gaze.
Someone beside him quickly chimed in, “He did drink a lot, just came out for some fresh air.”
As he spoke, Li Zhan’s rugged Land Cruiser screeched to a stop at the entrance. A tall, striking girl stepped out in short boots, bold and flamboyant. “This car is so cool! Can I borrow it for a few days?”
“Don’t even think about it! Brother Zhan treasures this car—he doesn’t even let us ride in it usually!”
The group burst into laughter.
Li Zhan casually stubbed out his cigarette. “Go ahead, it’s no big deal. It’s good that someone appreciates it.”
His words seemed to carry a deeper meaning.
Jing Ge asked calmly, “Are you coming or not?”
Li Zhan: “What if I’m not?”
Fine, suit yourself!
Without a moment’s hesitation, Jing Ge turned and headed straight back to Uncle Zhang.
The defiance in Li Zhan’s eyes instantly turned icy.
No one around dared to speak.
Jing Ge told Uncle Zhang to drive.
Without the slightest hesitation, Uncle Zhang started the car.He was Li Musi’s man, taking orders only from Li Musi, so naturally he now only listened to Jing Ge—regardless of whether the person outside was the esteemed young master of the Li family.
Just as the car was about to drive off, the rear door was roughly yanked open, and someone reeking of cigarettes and alcohol, wrapped in the cold winter night air, climbed inside.
“Be gentle!” Jing Ge snapped impatiently. “This is Uncle’s car!”
Li Zhan’s sinister eyes fixed on her. “He’s my uncle. Why are you so worked up?”
Jing Ge suppressed her anger, turning her face toward the window.
She refused to engage with him any further.
The warm air inside the car amplified the smell of smoke and alcohol clinging to Li Zhan. Feeling suffocated, Jing Ge reached over and rolled down the window, letting the cold wind hit her face.
In the next instant, Li Zhan’s arm stretched past her and closed the window.
Without a word, Jing Ge rolled it back down.
Li Zhan raised it again.
Jing Ge lowered it once more.
Li Zhan pulled it up again.
The two of them were locked in a battle over that window, neither willing to back down first.
When Jing Ge rolled the window down for the Nth time, Li Zhan suddenly grabbed her hand. “Do you have to oppose me like this?”
“Who do you think you are?” Jing Ge finally lost her patience. “Why should I listen to you?”
Li Zhan retorted, “I’m your fiancé, your future husband!”
Jing Ge shot back, “Not for much longer!”
“…” Li Zhan stared at her, suppressing his anger for over ten seconds before suddenly releasing her hand, his tone turning utterly shameless. “You can’t call off this engagement. The Jing family can’t either. Marrying me is your fate.”
His words carried absolute certainty, reminding Jing Ge that she was destined to be his.
Li Zhan softened his tone slightly. “If you just humor me a little, we can go back to how things were before, okay?”
Back in those youthful days, when Jing Ge was still small, she would always light up with joy whenever she saw him. Sometimes, when her hair was messy, she’d even ask him to help comb it. Li Zhan, clumsy as he was, would often tug too hard and hurt her, earning him an annoyed glare from the little girl.
When did things start to change between them?
Li Zhan couldn’t even remember anymore.
It had been so long.
Perhaps it began when she skipped a grade and got into the high school she wanted. Not only did a time gap emerge between them, but an indescribable, insurmountable chasm also formed.
Jing Ge said nothing.
She kept her gaze fixed outside the window.
Her body language radiated resistance, a clear unwillingness to respond.
Li Zhan called out to her, “Gege.”
He said, “We’re both twenty now. We can officially be together.”
They could have been long ago.
Yet, they had been locked in opposition, neither willing to yield, with nothing but arguments and cold silences between them.
Fueled by alcohol, Li Zhan was willing to be the first to lower his guard.
But Jing Ge replied, “I can’t humor you.”
Concise and to the point.
Not a single extra word.
Cold and heartless.
Li Zhan enunciated each word slowly, “You can humor Uncle, but not me, right?”
“…” Jing Ge abruptly turned to look at him, the disappointment in her eyes unmistakable. “Why don’t you go say that in front of Uncle, huh? Go say it to his face!”
Li Zhan sneered, “You’re getting defensive.”
An uncontrollable surge of rage welled up inside her. Jing Ge held back until her voice trembled. “Uncle Zhang, could you please pull over?”
The car pulled to the side of the road. Uncle Zhang asked, “Do you need me to step out for a moment…”
“No,” Jing Ge replied, her expression strained to the limit. “Thank you. I’m going back to my place.”
With that, she pushed the car door open and walked off into the night alone.
Li Zhan’s clenched fists trembled, veins bulging on the back of his hands. “Get back here!”
There were taxis waiting by the roadside for passengers.
Jing Ge casually pulled open a taxi door and slipped inside.Li Zhan roared, “Jing Ge!”
The door slammed shut.
The girl’s stubborn, lonely figure vanished behind that car door.
Uncle Zhang anxiously said, “This won’t do…”
“What won’t do?” Li Zhan gritted his teeth. “The Jing family will force her to come back!”
Uncle Zhang suddenly fell silent.
After a long pause, he cautiously said, “You can’t… bully her like this.”