Rong Junheng averted his gaze from Ruan Zhi and cast a casual glance at her delicate, pale face, which had turned ashen with fear.
Just a moment ago, that face had been as rosy as a peach blossom in Rong Che’s arms, radiant and bashful.
“Xiao Che, is your girlfriend feeling under the weather?”
The moment the man’s crisp voice rang out, Ruan Zhi jolted awake.
The familiar face and voice made it impossible for her to even try to fool herself.
Rong Che also noticed that something was wrong with her:
“Sweetie, are you okay? You were fine just a moment ago.”
Nervously, he placed one hand on her back and reached up with the other to touch her face; it felt ice-cold to the touch.
Ruan Zhi looked down in a panic and clutched the sweater on his chest tightly:
“I suddenly have a headache, Ah-che. I think I’ll just…” go.
“It’s cold out—she might have caught a chill—so bring her a cup of hot tea.”
The deep voice that suddenly rang out was authoritative and aloof, leaving no room for argument.
The man turned around and sat down at the dining table.
Ruan Zhi’s parted lips closed tightly.
She never had the chance to say that word, “go,” again.
Rong Che was worried about her, so without a word, he put his arm around her and led her over, helping her sit down.
Ruan Zhiru felt as if she were sitting on pins and needles; her mind was elsewhere. She took the hot tea that Rong Che had poured for her and sipped it slowly, keeping her eyelids slightly lowered and not daring to move a muscle, afraid of making eye contact again with the man across from her, whose presence was overwhelming.
When she entered the private room, the heat was on full blast, so she took off her pink cape and was wearing only a white, fitted turtleneck sweater and a mermaid skirt.
Worried that she might really have caught a cold, Rong Che turned around and went back to the couch to get her clothes.
As soon as he left, Ruan Zhi felt as if her entire body were completely exposed to the man’s gaze, with nothing to hide her, and her heart was pounding so hard it felt like it was about to leap out of her throat.
Her hands, resting on the tabletop, clasped the small teacup tightly; her pale pink fingertips had turned slightly white from the pressure.
“It seems like Miss Ruan is really afraid of me?”
Rong Junheng glanced at her nervous fidgeting, his dark eyes fixed on the top of her jet-black hair.
If he doesn’t say something soon, that head of her’s might just crawl under the table.
Ruan Zi’s heart skipped a beat, and she bit her lip. She wanted to pretend she hadn’t heard or seen anything, but since Ah-Che was still there, that was clearly out of the question.
Taking a quiet breath, she lifted her head slightly, glanced quickly at him, then fixed her gaze on the teacup in her hand. Her mouth went dry as she said:
“Well, kind of… Uncle… he has such an imposing presence… and he’s so dignified, so…”
Her mind was in a jumble, but she managed to squeeze out a sentence.
I don’t even know how the words “Uncle” came out of my mouth.
Rong Junheng’s hand, which was holding the teacup, paused, and the corners of his lips twitched imperceptibly.
Is that a compliment?
Or was it a veiled jab at how scary he looks?
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Rong Che walking over with some clothes; he lowered his gaze to sip his tea and said nothing more.
Ruan Zhi let out a sigh of relief. This man never let his emotions show; she couldn’t read him, but there was one thing she was certain of.
He wouldn’t go around spouting nonsense in front of Ah-Che.
After all, there’s no benefit to him in talking about such an “embarrassing” matter.
The private room was large, and Rong Che could faintly hear the two of them talking, but he couldn’t make out what they were saying.
Seeing how slightly nervous and flustered Ruan Zhi looked, I assumed her father had asked her something.
So he didn’t ask; instead, he gently and thoughtfully helped her put on the pink cape and asked her a few questions to see how she was doing.
Ruan Zhi tried her best to act as if nothing were wrong, hoping only to finish the meal quickly and leave.
Once the food was served, she couldn’t enjoy her meal. Seeing that she was eating so little, Rong Che kept serving her food and urging her to eat more.
The man’s piercing gaze kept sweeping over her from time to time, and she was on edge, afraid he might say something shocking that she wouldn’t be able to handle.
Fortunately, for the rest of the meal, he didn’t ask her another question; he just chatted with Ah-Che.
It was as if tonight was meant solely to discuss business with his son, and meeting his girlfriend was just an afterthought.
Although her mind was elsewhere, she could sense the tense deference in Ah-che’s tone as he spoke to him, and the hope that shone through his words.
He wanted to gain the man’s approval.
But the man merely gave a faint “Mm-hmm” and said nothing else.
Their conversation was extremely formal, completely lacking the warmth and closeness one would expect between a father and son.
She was lost in thought when a sudden doubt crossed her mind.
Is this man really Ah-Che’s biological father?
Not only do they look nothing alike, but Ah-Che is twenty-two this year, and that man looks to be in his thirties at most—how could he possibly have a child this old?
When Rong Che saw Rong Junheng put down his chopsticks and glance at his watch, he knew the meal was coming to an end.
I glanced over at Ruan Zhi, only to see her staring straight ahead, as if lost in thought.
“Ruan Ruan?”
The moment Ruan Zhi snapped back to her senses, her gaze came into focus, only to meet, completely unprepared, a pair of dangerous eyes as deep as a dark pool.
The man was leaning back in his chair, looking relaxed, and was staring at her meaningfully; her heart skipped a beat, and she quickly looked away.
“Ah-che, are we leaving?”
“Mm-hmm.”
Rong Che didn’t think much of it; he assumed she had been listening to the two of them discuss business and had simply zoned out out of boredom.
“Dad, we’re going to head out now.”
Rong Che helped Ruan Zhi to her feet.
“Let Ah-Xing take Miss Ruan home first; you stay here and keep me company for a while.”
Rong Junheng took a sip of tea and glanced up at the young couple holding hands in front of him.
He spoke casually, yet his tone left no room for refusal.
It was clearly something he wanted to discuss with Rong Che—or perhaps something Ruan Zhi shouldn’t hear.
Rong Che’s heart sank, and he squeezed Ruan Zhi’s hand a little tighter:
“Ruan Ruan, Ah-Xing is my dad’s driver and bodyguard. You go home first, and I’ll get in touch with you later, okay?”
“All right, you go talk to Uncle. It’s easy for me to hail a cab on my own, so I won’t bother Uncle’s driver.”
Ruan Zhi forced a smile, pulled her hand away, and turned to leave.
She moved quickly; just as Rong Che was about to try to persuade her again, the door to the private room suddenly swung open.
Ah-Xing walked in wearing a black leather jacket and pants, his arms crossed over his chest, and grinned at Ruan Zhi:
“Come on, little sis, I’ll take you home.”
Rong Che looked slightly surprised.
When did my father tell Ah-Xing?
Ruan Zhi stood frozen in place, her heart sinking.
Did this person plant a bug in the private room?
……
Rong Che walked Ruan Zhi to the door, then turned around, and Rong Junheng’s icy voice rang out:
“I remember you told me last time that you wanted to marry her, right?”
Rong Che paused for a moment, then nodded firmly:
“That’s right, Dad. I love Ruan Ruan. Even though her parents passed away when she was young and she’s been living with her uncle ever since, she’s a very well-behaved and thoughtful girl—so thoughtful it breaks my heart. I’ve known her since I was thirteen, and I courted her for three whole years in college before she finally agreed to be my girlfriend.”
Although this 22-year-old had gained experience in the company at an early age, his eyes still betrayed the naivety and reckless boldness characteristic of his age.
Beneath his gentle, handsome exterior lies an extremely restless heart.
This child really doesn’t look anything like the Rong family—and certainly not like him.
Rong Junheng, tall and imposing, leaned casually back in his chair, tapping the tabletop lightly with his long fingers as he scrutinized Rong Che, who stood before him.
Rong Che met his inscrutable gaze, unconsciously straightening his back as the fingers hanging at his sides slowly clenched.
“I’d like to know—during those few days you were on a business trip to Beijing…”
His heart suddenly tightened.
“Who were you taking with you?”
His calm tone didn’t sound like an accusation; it was more like a casual conversation between father and son. Yet it struck Rong Che like a bolt of lightning, sending shivers down his spine and filling him with intense anxiety.
“…just a sales representative in the marketing department.”
After he finished speaking, feigning composure, a deathly silence fell over the private room.
Rong Junheng’s dark eyes, which seemed to see right through everything, sent a chill down his spine, and he suddenly realized he had made a fatal mistake.
His face drained of all color, and he said in a panic:
“Dad, I didn’t mean to…”
Rong Junheng raised his finger slightly, signaling him to be quiet.
“If this is your attitude toward marriage, I suggest you take care of yourself.”
After saying that, he gave Rong Che a deep look, picked up the leather gloves from the table, stood up, and walked out.
You must bear the consequences of the misdeeds you have committed.
All he could do was offer a reminder.
Rong Che stared blankly as Rong Junheng slipped on his coat, his tall, broad figure disappearing through the doorway.
How could he have forgotten? If his dad hadn’t looked into it thoroughly, he definitely wouldn’t have asked him for no reason.
But he, of all people, panicked—damn it—and, hoping for the best, tried to bluff his way out of it.
With a “thud,” a heavy fist slammed down on the table, sending the porcelain bowls flying and causing them to clatter noisily.
Rong Che’s face darkened with a grim expression. After a few seconds of silence, he pulled out his phone and quickly sent a message:
[Don’t contact me again. The apartment on Chunyuan Road will be transferred to your name. Remember to keep your mouth shut—otherwise, I’ll make sure you end up with nothing, and you’ll be sent back to the countryside.]
As soon as he sent the message, he immediately deleted all of the other person’s contact information.
*
A suite at the Yulongting Hotel was brightly lit.
In the living room, the distinctive, childlike cries of “SpongeBob—” and “Patrick—” rang out one after another.
Ruan Zhi simply couldn’t contain her anger. She stormed out of the bathroom and, facing Ah-Xing—who was glued to the couch watching SpongeBob—said angrily:
“Let me out—I want to go home right now.”
I knew that man wouldn’t let her off that easily.
After she followed Ah-Xing out of the private room, he threatened her into going upstairs.
What bothered her the most was that this suite was clearly the same one from that night.
Every extra second she stayed there made it hard for her to breathe.