Seeing that the staff member believed her and her dignity remained intact, Yan Jiaojiao was about to leave when suddenly, a warm flow surged in her lower abdomen. She bent over, clutching her stomach.
The staff member hurriedly asked, “What’s wrong, young lady?”
Yan Jiaojiao thought it might be that time of the month. Luckily, she had brought supplies in her bag today. She looked up, tears glistening in her eyes. “Sister, could you watch my child for me? I need to use the restroom.”
Her soft, trembling voice made the staff member agree without hesitation, even kindly pointing out the restroom’s location.
Yan Jiaojiao stood up, placing her hand on the shopping cart to encircle Ling Yi, and instructed, “Be good and wait here with this sister, okay?”
Ling Yi looked at her pale face, a flicker of doubt crossing his eyes before he lowered his head and mumbled, “Mm.”
Just as Yan Jiaojiao was about to leave, she turned around immediately upon hearing his response, her stomachache seemingly forgotten. “You spoke!”
She gazed at Ling Yi with delight, her upturned fox-like eyes brimming with joy. Ling Yi, with his head bowed, felt her intense gaze and fluttered his eyelashes.
A few seconds later, the shadow before him shifted as he looked up to watch her retreating figure, his eyes fixed on her until she disappeared.
Yan Jiaojiao hurried to the restroom. Just as she finished washing her hands and was about to leave, she was abruptly pulled into the stairwell.
The stairwell was right next to the restroom, dimly lit. Yan Jiaojiao’s hands were pinned behind her back, and she felt a large palm tightening around her waist. Her lips and teeth trembled uncontrollably.
“Who… who are you? I’m warning you, let me go now! I’m the eldest daughter of the Yan family. If you dare lay a finger on me, my father won’t let you get away with it!”
Terrified and disoriented by the situation, Yan Jiaojiao struggled but couldn’t break free. All she knew was that the person restraining her was likely much taller than her.
His hand had already wandered to her back, sending chills wherever it touched. She shuddered, suddenly thinking of Xie Chuanyan at that moment.
That bastard! His fiancée was about to be assaulted, and where the hell was he now?
She began sobbing, choked with tears. The man paused, his hand stopping.
“Wahhh, damn you! If you dare touch me, I’ll haunt you even as a ghost! I’ll cling to you day and night, making sure you can’t sleep, leaving you listless and drained. And I’ll tell the King of Hell not to let you reincarnate—you’ll just dissipate into nothingness and become fertilizer for the flowers!”
Even in her extreme fear, Yan Jiaojiao didn’t hold back with her sharp tongue.
Just as she was lamenting her miserable fate, a deep male voice sounded. “So fierce, huh?”
The voice was familiar. Yan Jiaojiao tentatively called out, “Xie Chuanyan?”
“Hmm… Ouch.”
Confirming it was him, Yan Jiaojiao stomped hard on his foot, her eyes red as she glared up at the man in the shadows. “Are you insane?!”
He had nearly scared her to death.
Xie Chuanyan wiped the tears from the corner of her eye, bending down apologetically to soothe her. “My fault.”
He had thought his sweetheart would recognize his scent. He had been too confident.
Yan Jiaojiao refused to let him hug her, wishing she could put a million miles between them. Sniffling, she said, “You scared me. Don’t even think about touching me for a month!”
“Not happening.”
Xie Chuanyan pulled the girl into his arms, burying his face in the crook of her neck, greedily inhaling her sweet, soft scent.
He had only been apart from her for a day but had missed her to the point of madness. He had dropped everything at work and flown over, only to end up angering her.
Xie Chuanyan lowered his voice to negotiate. “Will the pink diamond from the ‘VM’ auction in France be enough to calm you down?”Yan Jiaojiao stopped pounding his shoulders. It was said that the pink diamond was from the “Ve” Legend series, the only one of its kind in the world, with a price tag nearing a hundred million. It had been auctioned off to an anonymous buyer a week ago.
Just looking at the pictures had made her heart flutter uncontrollably, and now, hearing him mention it, her curiosity was thoroughly piqued.
“You bought it?”
“Yes, it’s at Morning Garden. You’ll see it when you go back.”
Yan Jiaojiao lowered her lashes, her thoughts clearly written on her face as she pondered. After wrestling with herself long enough, she cleared her throat. “You’re the one who wanted to give it to me, not me asking for it.”
Xie Chuanyan’s gaze never left her, utterly enamored by her tsundere demeanor. A flicker of dark light passed through his cool eyes, gradually giving way to helpless affection. As the girl looked up, he leaned down and captured the pink lips he had long coveted.
Yan Jiaojiao was forced to cling to him, all her resistance swallowed ruthlessly by the man.
A mere taste was no longer enough to quench his thirst. He opened his eyes to see the girl’s glistening, misty eyes tinged with seduction, slowly being drawn into desire by him.
When Xie Chuanyan finally released her, Yan Jiaojiao felt as if she had just run an intense 800-meter sprint, gasping for breath.
She glared at the man resentfully, but her expression was mistaken for an invitation.
Xie Chuanyan’s warm breath brushed against her, deepening the blush on her already reddened ears. His voice was hoarse as he asked, “Shall we go to the car?”
Yan Jiaojiao decisively pushed him away. In your dreams!
Her feeble strength was like a drizzle to Xie Chuanyan, utterly weightless. He easily seized her wrist. Fearing he might actually carry her to the car, Yan Jiaojiao hurriedly said, “I still have to film the show.”
She looked at him pitifully, her voice filled with grievance, then lowered her head again. “You promised me.”
Xie Chuanyan rolled his throat, unbuttoning his collar to let in some air. The desire in his eyes still churned, but he suppressed it, letting out a muffled “Mm.”
Yan Jiaojiao looked at him happily, pointing outside. “Then I’ll go?”
Though she quickly reined in her delight, Xie Chuanyan had already caught it, and a wave of irritation surged within him.
At that moment, he wanted to take back the promise he had made to Yan Jiaojiao. He feared that if he let her roam free for too long, she would fall in love with the outside world and never want to return to his side.
The harsh words of refusal were already on the tip of his tongue, but he veered at the last moment. “Go ahead.”
The girl’s figure quickly disappeared, without a trace of reluctance. Xie Chuanyan leaned against the wall and lit a cigarette. Amid the swirling smoke, his eyes were bloodshot and coldly fierce.
In the dark stairwell, he had entertained countless thoughts of locking the girl firmly by his side. But in the final second, her lively, beautiful smile flashed before his eyes. “Brother Chuanyan, I want to marry you.”
Her sweet, soft voice seemed to still linger in his ears, yet she no longer remembered.
Yan Jiaojiao was still the same spoiled, dazzling young lady, but she had forgotten him—forgotten that she once loved him.
A burning sensation spread from his fingertips. Xie Chuanyan stubbed out the cigarette, his expression returning to normal as he answered the phone that had been ringing in his pocket for a while.
Yan Jiaojiao stayed in the restroom a while longer, all because Xie Chuanyan had kissed her lips swollen. How was she supposed to face anyone like this? She’d be laughed at!
Applying lipstick only made her lips look like sausages. Covering her mouth, she bought a few masks at the pharmacy. When she returned, she immediately spotted Ling Yi waiting for her in the same spot.
He was obedient. The young woman looking after him was nearby, introducing toothpaste to a customer while occasionally glancing at Ling Yi.
Only when Ling Yi saw her figure did he lower his gaze.Yan Jiaojiao: “Thank you, miss. We’ll be heading out now.”
The young woman: “No need to thank me. This kid is really attached to you.”
Yan Jiaojiao: “Huh?”
She looked down in surprise. How could Ling Yi possibly be attached to her?
The young woman smiled as the customer bought several more boxes of toothbrushes on her recommendation. “I asked him to come over here, but he refused. He just stayed where he was, waiting for you. His eyes kept watching you the whole time, as if afraid you’d leave him behind.”
Hearing the young woman’s slightly teasing words, Yan Jiaojiao felt an inexplicable discomfort in her heart.
She ruffled the unruly hair on Ling Yi’s head and smiled, saying, “This little rascal is so handsome—I could never bear to leave him behind.”
When checking out, Yan Jiaojiao picked up a few lollipops from the counter and handed them to Ling Yi. “You were very good today. This is your reward.”
A sudden burst of vibrant color appeared in Ling Yi’s gaze. Seeing him stunned, Yan Jiaojiao simply shoved the lollipops into his hand, with two falling onto his lap.
Ling Yi picked them up and held them tightly, looking up at Yan Jiaojiao as she checked out. His usually indifferent expression softened slightly. She… was like a bright splash of color.