The car was silent, the driver maintaining a steady speed.
On the armrest to the left sat a cup of coffee. Even when the vehicle turned, the liquid barely rippled.
A completely different level from the driver of the Lin family.
Yan Sui was enjoying the high-end service and actually wanted to exchange a few casual words with Jiang Yuan.
The man in front of her—despite his terrible reputation and intimidating aura—was strangely the first person she had met after returning who didn’t make her dislike him.
But she was a polite girl. It wouldn’t be right to be annoying when the other party clearly seemed uncomfortable.
Just then, the man suddenly took a deep breath and spoke softly.
“No need to thank me.”
His voice was slightly hoarse, trembling faintly in a way that was almost imperceptible. Yet it sounded unexpectedly gentle and clear.
The car seemed to wobble slightly for a moment.
Yan Sui blinked.
Only then did she realize he was responding to her thanks from three minutes ago.
…Hmm.
Such a long reaction time?
She silently labeled him again: “slow response outside work mode,” and oddly found it a bit cute.
That gave her the confidence to speak again.
Yan Sui smiled, her cheeks showing faint dimples as her eyes curved like crescents.
“Mr. Jiang, do you live nearby too? What a coincidence.”
Jiang Yuan’s fingers curled slightly, hidden beneath his sleeve. His nails unconsciously pressed into his fingertips again and again.
He was using all his strength to control his expression and voice, carefully choosing every word—
Even though there weren’t many words to choose from.
“Yes,” he said. “A coincidence.”
The urge to hide in the shadows and the desire to move closer clashed violently inside him.
Her scent filled his nose.
“Are you also going to Griffin Academy, Mr. Jiang?” the girl asked softly.
His responses remained slow, as though each sentence had to be processed carefully.
“Yes. Group business.”
So cold.
But he answered every question.
Maybe they could talk a little more.
Yan Sui got straight to the point.
“Mr. Jiang, you must be very familiar with the area.
“Do you know where I can find a part-time job?
“My father doesn’t give me money. I’m very poor.”
At that moment, Jiang Yuan finally lifted his eyes.
A faint, dangerous sharpness leaked from his slightly upturned eyes.
He was the kind of man soaked in blood—one look from him could make anyone shrink back.
Yan Sui pouted slightly, thinking she might have pushed too far.
But then he spoke slowly.
His voice was still low and gentle, unexpectedly pleasant.
Only the tone felt… slightly strange.
“I’ll have Qi Wan arrange it.”
The driver immediately responded.
“Yes, sir.”
Yan Sui widened her eyes in surprise. She hadn’t expected him to agree so easily.
He was actually a really good person!
“Mr. Jiang!” she said brightly, genuinely grateful. “You’re so nice~ You really helped me a lot!”
Jiang Yuan’s throat tightened. His breathing stalled for a second.
That kind of praise didn’t feel like praise.
It felt more like mockery of the ugly things he could not admit to.
He could not bring himself to respond.
Even though she was sitting some distance away, separated by the armrest and cup holder, every word she spoke felt like it burned against his skin.
Fortunately, the girl quickly turned away and leaned toward the driver instead.
“Mr. Qi, right? Can I leave my number with you so you can contact me more easily?”
She was very self-aware—of course she didn’t think someone like Jiang Yuan would personally handle such trivial matters.
Nor did she expect someone like him to give her his contact information.
But the driver’s expression, usually as rigid as a machine, twitched for the first time.
“Miss Yan, you can directly contact President Jiang.”
Yan Sui looked at the driver.
Then at Jiang Yuan, who had been silent and barely made eye contact more than once.
She hesitated.
Just as she was about to speak, Jiang Yuan took out a pen and paper, placing them between them.
His pale fingers tapped lightly.
“Your number.”
Wow. He was surprisingly easy to talk to.
Yan Sui happily wrote down her number and watched as he folded the paper into his palm.
Then she pulled out her phone and tilted her head.
“Mr. Jiang, could you also give me your number?”
He exhaled deeply.
Annoyed?
But Jiang Yuan merely pressed his lips together and took the pen she had just used.
When he wrote, the back of his hand was exposed, revealing faint, scattered wounds across pale skin.
The cuts had already scabbed over, trailing along his knuckles. Together with the faintly raised veins, his hand had a strange, broken beauty to it.
Strange—how could someone like him get injured like that?
Yan Sui stared until he finished writing, then finally looked away.
He wrote his name and number.
The handwriting was elegant, just like him.
She didn’t understand why he didn’t just save it on his phone, but it didn’t matter.
She happily put it away.
By the time she looked up again, the car had already stopped in front of her dormitory building.
The driver got out and opened the door for her.
She had never experienced such treatment before, and happily waved goodbye to both of them.
Qi Wan gave her a mechanical nod.
Jiang Yuan seemed to murmur a “goodbye,” but she didn’t hear it clearly.
She turned and entered the dormitory building.
But the moment she opened her door, she paused.
There were many dorm buildings in this area.
She had never mentioned which one she lived in.
Inside the car, Jiang Yuan sat holding the note she had written.
He stared blankly at the seat she had just occupied, unbuttoning the top two buttons of his shirt.
He felt like he couldn’t breathe.
Yet he couldn’t bring himself to open the window.
Her scent was still here.
Her warmth was still here.
His pale fingertips touched the seat lightly, the remaining warmth traveling from his fingertips straight into his heart.
Index finger. Middle finger. Ring finger.
Then his entire palm pressed against it.
The eyes that had been lowered the entire time no longer needed to hide.
Bloodshot excitement and pain spread through his gaze as his breathing grew uneven and rapid.
Of course he already knew her number.
He could recite it backwards.
But this was her handwriting.
Something of hers that could be kept. Something he could touch.
So good.
So close.
He had promised to stay away… so why couldn’t he stop himself?
He wanted her to never get off the car.
No. He should stay away from her.
A madman.
…
Qi Wan sat in the driver’s seat, silently waiting for further instructions.
The morning meeting had already been delayed, but no one dared start without President Jiang.
Finally, the breathing behind him calmed slightly.
Jiang Yuan spoke.
His voice had completely lost the gentle disguise from earlier.
Cold. Impatient. As always.
“Qi Wan… did I just look like a normal person?”
Qi Wan: ?