On Thursday evening, as dusk fell, the entire city was aglow with neon lights.
A Wuling Bingo was parked in front of the Yulongting International Hotel.
“Good luck—I’m looking forward to hearing good news from you.”
Song Ran turned her head slightly to look at Ruan Zhi, who was unbuckling her seatbelt, and gave her a word of encouragement.
Ruan Zhi took a deep breath, turned to her, and smiled gently, revealing two dimples on her cheeks:
“Yeah, I will. Please drive carefully.”
Rong Che had originally planned to pick her up, but she made up an excuse to decline. For now, she couldn’t let him know that she had moved out of the Ruan family home.
As she opened the door and got out of the car, she immediately spotted the young man standing out from the crowd at the entrance.
A coffee-colored British-style coat, paired with a black turtleneck sweater, makes the wearer look even more dashing and elegant, exuding an air of distinction.
No wonder passersby kept glancing at him as they came and went.
Even she couldn’t help but feel her heart racing.
“A-Che…”
To make a good impression on Ah Che’s father tonight, her senior spent the whole afternoon yesterday helping her pick out an “outfit.”
She wore a pink woolen cape-style top, with a collar and cuffs trimmed with fox fur of the same color and exceptional quality, paired with a white mermaid-style skirt embellished with pearly white sequins that shimmered as she moved.
To Rong Che, the girl walking toward him looked like a sweet little fairy dancing on a tranquil winter lake.
A flash of astonishment and admiration lit up his dark eyes. He curved his lips as he met Ruan Zhi’s gaze, placed both hands on her shoulders, and, unable to resist, leaned down to kiss her cheek:
“Ruan Ruan, you look so beautiful tonight.”
Caught off guard by his affectionate gesture, Ruan Zhi stiffened imperceptibly, and a wry smile flashed across her eyes.
See, Ruan Zhi, if you don’t come clean with him, you’ll feel uncomfortable and guilty whenever the two of you get even a little close.
“A-Che, after we have dinner with your father tonight, can we talk? I have something very important to tell you.”
“Okay.”
When he met her clear, almond-shaped eyes—which were so earnest they bordered on anxiety—Rong Che was slightly taken aback, but he assumed she was worried his father wouldn’t approve of their relationship.
Feeling a surge of tenderness, he put his arm around her shoulders and led her into the hotel, smiling gently to reassure her:
“Sweetie, don’t be too nervous. My dad just seems stern and hard to get along with at first glance, but he’s actually a gentleman—he won’t give you a hard time. Tonight is just a formality: we’ll have dinner and exchange a few words. Just think of it as having a casual chat with an older relative.”
“Besides, you’re such a good kid—my dad’s sure to like you, too.”
She was delicate and well-behaved; even Mrs. Rong, who was usually very particular, praised her after seeing her just once.
His voice was so compelling that Ruan Zhi believed him, but the moment she thought about what she had to tell him tonight, her heart suddenly felt heavy.
The two of them disappeared from the hotel entrance.
A pair of jet-black eyes inside the vintage green Rolls-Royce finally withdrew their gaze, resting instead on a stack of investigation reports and photographs lying on the dashboard. Though his dark eyes betrayed no emotion, his thin lips were pressed into a straight line.
“I really wouldn’t have guessed, Mr Rong—your son doesn’t look anything like you.”
Ah-Xing, sitting in the driver’s seat, shook his head and sighed.
You never know until you look it up—and when you do, you’re in for a surprise.
Mr Rong is so upright—his body is even cleaner than a hand stained with blood—but his son, on the other hand…
“Shut up.”
Without even lifting his eyelids, Rong Junheng put the items in a folder, casually tossed it aside, picked up a pair of black leather gloves, and tapped the back of the driver’s seat.
“Watch your mouth.”
His voice was deep and crisp, with a chilling edge.
Ah-Xing shrugged as he watched his boss push open the car door and step out. His long, muscular fingers casually fastened the buttons of the suit jacket he wore under his black overcoat, and he strode into the hotel on his long legs.
That tall, imposing figure, striding with such vigor that the wind seemed to follow in his wake—exuding, from the inside out, the regal aura of a king standing atop the pyramid—wow…
Even as a man, I can’t help but admire him.
The next moment, he suddenly recalled the night he’d delivered a few boxes of condoms to his boss’s hotel room; his expression turned extremely strange, and he cursed silently to himself:
What a disaster—that’s really a sin!
That’s his son’s girlfriend.
*
In the quiet, elegant private room, Rong Che’s father hadn’t arrived yet, so the two of them sat on the sofa, chatting as they waited.
Rong Che was away on a business trip for over a week, so the two of them would just video chat in the evenings. Sometimes, when Rong Che worked late, Ruan Zhi would see how exhausted he looked and, after exchanging just a few words, would urge him to get some rest.
Since returning to Rongcheng a few days ago, he’s been busy with the project his father assigned him, so Rong Che hasn’t spent much time with Ruan Zhi.
Seeing her looking so sweet and well-groomed at that moment, he felt a fire burning inside him.
“Sweetheart…”
He took her soft, slender hand in his and caressed it, his burning gaze fixed on her:
“Did you miss me?”
“……”
Ruan Zhi’s ears turned red, and her thick eyelashes drooped slightly.
She was on edge the whole time and felt particularly uncomfortable with his sudden flirtation.
Knowing that his girlfriend was easily shy, Rong Che chuckled softly and didn’t press the issue.
He simply reached out to pull her into his arms and whispered in her ear, which was flushed red:
“I miss you every day, and I can’t wait to marry you. Once you graduate, let’s get married, okay?”
“…Okay.”
With his familiar scent filling her nostrils, Ruan Zhi’s heart trembled violently, and her slightly reddened eyes welled up with sorrow.
If you don’t mind, after I come clean tonight.
Rong Che was instantly delighted and held her even tighter.
At an age when his blood was running hot, and having already experienced the pleasures of romance, he’d faced setbacks at work over the past couple of days, leaving his body on edge and tense to the extreme—he was just looking for an outlet.
Ruan Zhijiao leaned her soft body against his chest, and her delicate, subtle fragrance wafted straight into his nostrils, stirring intense passion within him.
“Sweetheart, I want to kiss you.”
No sooner had that hoarse voice reached her ears than, before Ruan Zhi could even react, he lifted her chin, and his hot breath brushed against her lips……
“Young Master Rong, Mr. Rong has arrived.”
Suddenly, the waiter’s announcement rang out in the private dining room,
“Mr. Rong, this way, please…”
The enthusiastic conversation came to an awkward halt when they saw the young couple kissing intimately on the couch.
With a loud “boom,” Ruan Zhi’s face flushed crimson. The moment their lips touched, she pushed Rong Che away, so embarrassed she wished she could find a hole to crawl into right then and there.
Rong Che’s body stiffened as well, and his feverish excitement instantly cooled.
He quickly stood up, looked at the stern-faced man who was waving the waiter away, and called out, sounding slightly awkward:
“Dad, you’re here.”
“This is my girlfriend, Ruan Zhi.”
Ruan Zhi had been too shy to face anyone, but as soon as she heard Rong Che introduce her, she instinctively sat up straight, looked up, and called out to him sweetly:
“Hello, Uncle… Uncle…”
A face she could never forget—not even if it turned to ashes—slammed itself into her pupils, and her sweet, soft, trailing tone trembled and faltered as if it had been battered by a storm.
When she met the man’s gaze—eyes as deep and bottomless as a black hole—her head went completely blank, and she was utterly at a loss as to how to handle such an absurd situation.
The man from that night… how could he be Ah-Che’s father?
No, that’s impossible! There must be a mistake—there just has to be!
The private room was well-heated, but she was freezing all over and shivering uncontrollably.