Chapter 50 Gasping for Breath: Have you and your boyfriend ever been in the car? ...

What happened that night was so unexpected that Ning Jiu still can't believe that someone like Qiao Bolin would be willing to be a lover.

A few days after the summit ended, she blocked Qiao Bolin, and Qiao Bolin did not make any further moves. Ning Jiu naturally thought that the matter was over.

She was merely representing Shen Zhiying at that summit; once the results were submitted, the rest was naturally none of her business.

In the past few days, Lian Zhuoxun has been calling repeatedly, saying that after the summit, several psychology professors were quite interested in the theories she proposed, and the investors behind her were also interested in learning more and wanted to arrange a further discussion with her.

The mere thought that the investor's boss was Qiao Bolin made Ning Jiu impossible to accept. Moreover, besides the psychological project program from Li Linda Studio, Ning Jiu initially thought Dou Miao's mention of the Kailin contract was a scam. However, after talking with Pei Yueli and the former boss of the psychology studio, she realized that it wasn't quite like that.

There were no issues with manpower, processes, or funding, and the contract terms had no obvious loopholes. It seemed that this large order, which landed on the small consulting firm, was simply due to the personal relationship between the person in charge and the company owner.

Ning Jiu was initially skeptical and hesitant about accepting the offer, but then she thought about how she had accumulated some connections at the EZGT Summit, but due to Qiao Bolin's actions, she couldn't use these resources for a while and they were being wasted. This inevitably made her feel bad. After much deliberation, she decided to take the order.

Kai Lin said he would send someone to talk to them. At that time, Ning Jiu was having lunch with Su Ming at a Japanese restaurant in downtown Shanghai. Ning Jiu knew the restaurant owner, who gave them a bottle of red wine when they arrived. Halfway there, Ning Jiu saw a message from the handover agency entrusted by Kai Lin and was stunned.

Su Ming noticed her distraction and raised an eyebrow with some curiosity.

"What's wrong?"

"Are all big companies this competitive? They even schedule meetings during lunch breaks," Ning Jiu's gaze swept across the screen. "It's okay, we'll eat our food and reply during working hours."

She clearly had something more important to say to Su Ming than work.

“I apologize for some of the things I said in Potsdam.” Ning Jiu turned off her phone, her expression sincere. “If it caused you any harm, that was not my intention.”

Su Ming was somewhat surprised that she would bring this up on her own initiative. He put down the chopsticks he was using to pick up sushi and laughed heartily.

"I was impulsive back then," he said, the atmosphere was just right, and he acted rashly. Looking back now, Ning Jiu had actually been very lenient with him. "We can take it slow, like this is actually quite good—"

"That's what I wanted to tell you too." The well-behaved girl straightened her back a little. "We can pause our current relationship for a while."

Su Ming's smile froze abruptly: "Xiao Jiu, what do you mean...?"

That's exactly what I meant.

Ning Jiu's tone remained gentle.

"If you're considering getting a girlfriend now, we should break up as soon as possible, otherwise it wouldn't be fair to you."

Su Ming tightened his grip on the corner of the table, the veins on the back of his hand bulging, and then suddenly released his grip when he reached the limit.

"Is it because of that Mr. Joe?"

"What?" This time it was Ning Jiu's turn to frown.

“You know that Mr. Qiao, right?” Su Ming was also a top student from a prestigious university, so he didn’t sense that the two of them had a different vibe than others. “The way he looks at you is strange. Did he force you to break up with me?”

Ning choked for a moment and didn't say anything.

She can't possibly say that the Mr. Qiao you mentioned not only didn't force us to separate, but also willingly became the third party, can she?

"I do know him, and we even... have a significant history." Regardless of whether what happened that night actually occurred, given Qiao Bolin's current personality, too much contact between her and Su Ming could cause him trouble. It's better to cut things off quickly. "I feel we've known each other for so long and are friends, and I don't want you to get involved in this—"

"What if I wanted to get involved?"

Su Ming interrupted Ning Jiu, who was taken aback.

He may have felt a bit agitated by his words, so he cleared his throat and adjusted to his usual gentle demeanor.

“What I mean is, my mom is coming to Shanghai in the next few days and she said I should bring my girlfriend to meet her.” Over the years, he had gotten to know Ning Jiu’s personality, so he deliberately used a reason that she couldn’t refuse. “She has known for the past few years that you are my girlfriend. If I tell her this on the spot, she probably won’t be able to handle it.”

Su Ming makes a good point.

In the past two years, they have each gotten what they wanted. He helped her resolve her romantic entanglements at school, and she naturally had an obligation to help him resolve his family troubles.

After hearing his words, Ning Jiu almost immediately began to think.

"But we can't keep using this one excuse. What if we can't cover it up later..."

“This is the last time,” Su Ming pressed his advantage. “My mom is coming next month. We’ll just coax her like before. I’ll figure out how to break up afterwards.”

He has one more month; he will find a way to sway Ning Jiu.

After having lunch with Su Ming, it was almost time for her lunch break. Ning Jiu opened WeChat and found that the person who was handing over the work had added her to a group chat at some point.

At first, Ning Jiu only felt that one of the people in the group's WeChat profile picture looked familiar, but when she actually clicked on it, she couldn't help but burst out laughing.

Su Ming turned to look at her in surprise. Ning Jiu covered her mouth and waved her other hand.

"I saw someone I knew and just couldn't resist."

"An acquaintance?" In Su Ming's memory, apart from being with Pei Yueli, he had never seen Ning Jiu smile so happily. "Is she also from our university?"

“No,” Ning Jiu replied, “my high school classmate.”

Ning Jiu was truly surprised to find that Li Mingyuan was among the people sent by the handover organization.

Li Mingyuan was clearly not prepared for this situation. The group chat was buzzing with messages, and after a long while, he sent Ning Jiu a private message with a question mark.

[Li Mingyuan] Sister Jiu, so the psychological counseling studio the company said they'd contacted was you?

After high school, Ning Jiu still kept in touch with Li Mingyuan and Gao Hexin from time to time. However, Li Mingyuan went to Beijing for university and Gao Hexin went to study in Hong Kong. Apart from getting together during holidays, they mostly communicated online.

She had heard Li Mingyuan complain more than once that big companies looked glamorous on the outside but didn't treat people like human beings. Lunch breaks were compressed to the extreme, sometimes there wasn't even time to eat lunch, let alone work overtime until late at night. She never expected that she would end up at this company by chance.

[Ningjiu] You said you were transferred to headquarters, so this is the place? I'm at Heweiting right now. If it's nearby, just come over, I'll treat you to dinner.

Li Mingyuan posted a crying emoji.

[Li Mingyuan] It's no use. The supervisor is strict, and when it's time to go back to being a beast of burden.

I thought studying at school was tiring, but I didn't expect that working would be the real ordeal.

I'm just a poor, struggling working person.

But rules are made by people. Ning Jiu thought for a moment, patted Su Ming who was about to leave, and turned to look at him.

"I might have to stay here a little longer." Meeting Su Ming's questioning gaze, she explained, "The psychology studio has a big order and they need someone to handle it. The person in charge is nearby, so I thought I'd treat them to a meal."

Business meetings also involve meals, and where you eat doesn't matter.

Ning Jiu posted her location in the group chat. Pei Yueli had gone abroad on a business trip with her boss a few days ago and was currently on vacation, so she brought along the report Ning Jiu had written at school. When she arrived, she heard that it was a project related to her own company, and wanting to see if there was anything going on, she decided to stay and participate as well.

Li Mingyuan and his group arrived at Heweiting and were led by the owner to the largest private room inside. The slender young woman tied up her loose, black hair, revealing her fair and long neck, and shook hands with the person in charge.

"Hello, is this Mr. Gu? Thank you for agreeing to meet in person. Let's talk over a meal."

Besides Gu Zheng, who was clearly in charge, Li Mingyuan and two or three staff members were also present. When Li Mingyuan shook hands with Ning Jiu, he secretly winked at her and mouthed, "Thanks to you for saving me, I am eternally grateful." Ning Jiu raised her eyebrows in response.

As soon as the two let go of each other's hands, Li Mingyuan felt a gaze directed at him. It was the man next to Ning Jiu, who had a refined appearance and exuded an academic yet casual aura.

He paused slightly, his gaze slowly shifting to Ning Jiu as if to ask what was going on. The latter understood his meaning, recalling her earlier conversation with Su Ming. Since their relationship was about to end, there was no need to introduce each other as before.

"This is my friend—"

“I’m Xiaojiu’s boyfriend,” the man’s gentle voice cut off Ning Jiu’s words. Su Ming stepped forward and shook hands with Li Mingyuan politely and thoroughly. “I’m currently pursuing my PhD in Artificial Intelligence at Shanghai University. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Pei Yueli frowned slightly and looked at Su Ming.

Even after all these years, Li Mingyuan still couldn't hide his expression.

He looked at Su Ming, then at Ning Jiu beside him, his eyes filled with undisguised surprise. Just as he was hesitating, several people beside him shook hands with Su Ming in turn.

"Mr. Su and Ms. Ning are both outstanding individuals and graduates of Shanghai University. It is our honor to discuss cooperation with you."

The mutual flattery quickly subsided, and the conversation soon turned to practical matters. Pei Yueli and Li Mingyuan ate their food on the side, while the others occasionally offered a few comments. Most of the conversation was between Gu Zheng and Ning Jiu.

When the two sides discussed the specific details, Gu Zheng was initially a little apprehensive, worried that Ning Jiu was young and inexperienced, and that he could only talk a good game but not deliver results. However, as they talked, he gradually realized that this was not the case.

Although the girl looked young, she was very smart and could quickly capture the other person's attention. Her understanding and practice of mental health support projects were not just theoretical. After a deeper conversation, he gradually dispelled his initial concerns and his tone softened.

"I have no problems on my end, but whether it will be finalized depends on the final decision from the Kailin board of directors."

“Okay,” Ning Jiu was prepared to wait a few more days for the final decision. “Then we’ll contact you again later.”

"No need," Gu Zheng said with a smile, "Boss Kailin will be here soon."

? ? ?

The entire private room fell silent instantly. Gu Zheng noticed the gazes directed at him and began to explain.

"I just heard about the arrangements from above. It just so happens that they are nearby, so this meal is on them."

Li Mingyuan immediately put down his chopsticks, and the food lost its flavor. His sense of responsibility as a working-class person awakened within him, and he almost immediately sat up straight.

Ning Jiu realized something and turned to whisper in Pei Yueli's ear.

"The boss they're talking about, could it be the same supervisor you complained about last time?"

“Very likely,” Pei Yueli nodded with a sense of foreboding. “We’re incompatible according to the Chinese zodiac, and I was afraid that if we met again, we would argue and affect your business, so I ran away first.”

She gestured to the crowd, and just as she walked to the door in her high heels, a commotion suddenly came from outside the private room.

The door to the Japanese restaurant was just a light-colored curtain. The curtain was lifted from the outside, and a man in leather shoes walked in with a slight bend. His arrogant and flamboyant face was revealed under the light, and his light-colored pupils met Pei Yueli's eyes without any attempt to hide them.

Gu Zheng, who had been sitting, suddenly stood up.

"President Yu."

Ning Jiu was nearby and heard Pei Yueli curse under her breath. The man in front of her seemed not to hear it, staring straight at Pei Yueli with a leisurely smile on his lips.

"Verona said she was on vacation in the Maldives today, how come I see you here?"

"..." Pei Yueli felt her temples throb twice.

At first, Ning Jiu only thought that the man in front of her had exquisite and outstanding mixed-race features and a high-class aura. But later she felt that he looked familiar, as if she had seen him somewhere before.

She realized something was going off track and thought to herself, "This is bad." Yu Kelin had already naturally sat down next to Pei Yueli and casually mentioned something.

"A friend of mine is coming over later, so please make yourselves at home."

Ning Jiu finally remembered when she had first met Yu Kelin.

I only caught a fleeting glimpse of him at the winery dinner, but even a short time should have left some impression of his appearance. If I remember correctly, he was standing next to Joel Bolton.

In an instant, she felt a chill run down her spine, and her mind flashed back to how everything had gone too smoothly when she signed the contract with Kailin.

It was because she met Qiao Bolin at that summit that her plans were disrupted, and she was unwilling to let the opportunity slip away again, which is why she agreed to the generous contract offered by Kailin.

He understood her personality and naturally knew which conditions she would refuse and which she would agree to.

Just as she was thinking, the curtain of the private room was lifted again. Ning Jiu heard Li Mingyuan next to her gasp, and Su Ming almost immediately frowned and looked at the door with hostility.

A fair and slender arm was lowered from the curtain. In the lamplight, a faint old scar could be seen on the back of the hand, which stood out somewhat in starkly against the almost perfect lines.

His refined and gentle demeanor was accentuated by his striking features, giving him an insurmountable sharpness. He walked straight in, seemingly oblivious to the gazes directed at him.

Gu Zheng clearly recognized Qiao Bolin, and his posture, which had been upright since Yu Kelin's appearance, straightened up even more unconsciously.

The private room, which was originally quite spacious, suddenly felt cramped with the arrival of the two people.

Aside from Ning Jiu, the person directly involved, probably only Li Mingyuan truly understood the relationship between the two.

He looked at Qiao Bolin, who sat calmly in a corner of the private room, a thousand miles away from Ning Jiu. He felt a lump in his throat and tried to speak but found himself unable to utter a word.

As the person in charge of the handover, Gu Zheng took on the responsibility of introducing the two parties. When it was Qiao Bolin's turn to introduce Su Ming, Qiao Bolin extended his hand with a normal expression, but Su Ming did not shake it back, making the scene quite awkward.

Gu Zheng's satisfied expression froze instantly. He carefully observed Qiao Bolin's expression, but fortunately, the latter did not show any dissatisfaction and calmly withdrew his hand. Yu Kelin promptly brought up a new topic, glossing over the little episode.

“Actually, this mental health support project was first proposed by Berlin.” Yu Kelin smiled casually, his tone sounding like he was chatting. “I heard that Ms. Ning was attending the EZGT Summit in Potsdam a few days ago, and her report just happened to meet our needs. In addition to the current project list, we may be able to cooperate with our group in the long term in the future.”

His gaze shifted to George Berlin.

"To be honest, I just returned from abroad, so I may not be as familiar with the situation in China as I am with Berlin. He went to high school in Jiangcheng back then, and he was an alumnus of the same school as Miss Ning. I suppose he is somewhat familiar with her?"

"Not familiar with it."

Before Qiao Bolin could speak, Ning Jiu spoke first.

“Mr. Qiao has always been an outstanding person. He has already started his own company at such a young age. I am just a worker who has just taken over the studio. Although we are from the same school, the difference between us is huge, and we can’t be said to be familiar with each other.”

Despite saying this, his tone was neither humble nor arrogant, and as soon as he finished speaking, a subtle stiffness appeared in the atmosphere.

Ning Jiu remained calm, took a sip of tea, and acted as if nothing had happened.

Yu Kelin raised an eyebrow slightly.

"What does Miss Ning mean?"

Actually, Ning Jiu still had some hesitation in her heart.

It's been a long and difficult process for Kailin's order to get this far. The report is the result of three days of writing. Should we give up now?

As the private room fell silent, a notification sound rang out. Ning Jiu looked toward the source of the sound and felt a weight on her shoulder as Su Ming put his arm around her shoulder.

"I'm so sorry, we have an appointment to meet your parents this afternoon, so I'll have to say goodbye now."

Today, a lot of time was indeed spent on this matter, but now the contract is only one step away from being finalized, and Yu Kelin's smile faded.

"Then this contract—"

"We won't sign this contract either."

Before Ning Jiu could react, Su Ming grabbed her wrist and pulled her out of the private room. It was already afternoon, and there were few pedestrians in the mall. At first, she went along with his grip without saying a word, but when the two of them entered the elevator alone, she suddenly broke free from his hand.

"What do you mean?" Ning Jiu looked up at him in disbelief. "You're rejecting the contract for me?"

"Shouldn't you refuse?" Su Ming gritted his teeth. At first, he wanted to hold back, but later he found that he couldn't hold back any longer. "This is obviously a trap set by that Mr. Qiao. He's just waiting for you to jump in. If you don't refuse, are you just going to let him control you?"

"No matter what, this seems to be my business," Ning Jiu said, suppressing her frustration. This was the first time she had seen Su Ming lose his temper like this. Considering their long-standing friendship, she said, "It's my job to refuse, you can't just..."

Before she could finish speaking, Su Ming interrupted her.

"Yes, I'm not your boyfriend, and we don't really have anything to do with each other. It was all one-sided on my part, okay?" He looked down into Ning Jiu's eyes, his tone sad, clearly out of spite. "Our relationship isn't even a breakup. Let's just not see each other."

"Okay," Ning Jiu replied quickly and calmly. "Let's both calm down first."

"......"

This time, it was Su Ming's turn to be stunned.

Su Ming had bought a car since he started his doctoral studies. It was parked in the ground parking lot. With a ding, the elevator doors opened. Ning Jiu didn't follow Su Ming out, and they didn't even exchange glances. She went straight down to the basement.

There was a taxi stand in the underground parking lot. Ning Jiu got off the elevator and walked in the direction she remembered. Her phone kept ringing along the way. She glanced at it when she had a moment. Most of the calls were from Su Ming. They were saying that he had said something wrong or something, and asking if Ning Jiu was still in the mall. He said he would come to pick her up.

Her mind was in turmoil, and she didn't reply to his message immediately. Instead, she opened Pei Yueli's chat window, which was pinned to the top of her chat list. Seeing that the contract and report had been safely stored, she breathed a sigh of relief and sent him a thank you message.

As they approached the taxi stand, a black sedan suddenly turned and drove by, its blinding headlights shining directly at them. Ning Jiu instinctively squinted.

Before she could even catch her breath, she was suddenly pulled by a strong force to the back seat of the car next to her.

The car door slammed shut, plunging the world into darkness. The noise and light outside were shut out, leaving only a suffocating atmosphere inside the car.

Ning Jiu's heart suddenly raced. Before she could even see who it was, her shoulder was firmly pressed down. Her phone slipped from her grasp and fell to the ground, landing right at the person's feet.

Before the screen could turn off, Ning Jiu looked up and met those clear, glass-like black eyes. The familiar clarity from her memory overlapped with the deep gaze of the present moment. She was momentarily distracted, and Qiao Bolin took the opportunity to pick up her phone, his clear finger bones reflected on the screen.

Oh no, there's also her chat history with Su Ming on there!

She has a boyfriend in public now, and he's still so arrogant. If he really finds out that Su Ming isn't her real boyfriend, who knows what he might do?

Thinking this, Ning Jiu immediately leaned forward, pretending to snatch the phone.

A smile flashed in Qiao Bolin's eyes. With a slight flick of his wrist, he easily evaded the phone from her reach. Ning Jiu missed her target, but lost her balance due to inertia and was suddenly pulled closer.

The next instant, her lips brushed against the side of his neck, landing precisely on the small mole hidden in the light.

The lips felt delicate yet burning hot, carrying a familiar sandalwood scent. Ning Jiu felt as if she had been scalded, and even her breathing became erratic.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Qiao Bolin's Adam's apple bobbing slowly, and his clear, smiling voice was right next to me.

"You just left your boyfriend, and you're already so eager to kiss me?"

......ill.

Ning Jiu tried to leave, but he held her even tighter and she couldn't move. So she turned her attention to the phone he was still holding.

Taking advantage of his inattention, she pretended to struggle, twisted her wrist sharply, and hit the edge of the phone with her fingertips, knocking the phone back to the ground.

Qiao Bolin's gaze followed it downwards, and Ning Jiu's heart tightened. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer to her.

Their bodies were unexpectedly pressed together.

For a moment, it was as if some memory had been triggered, and Qiao Bolin instinctively straightened his back.

The two pressed themselves even closer together, and the heat emanating from their clothes caused Ning Jiu's face to instantly turn bright red.

"You are a hypocrite."

Qiao Bolin nodded in agreement, pressing their bodies even closer together, his expensive shirt creased under the pressure. With a beep, whether from her struggle or his deliberate action, the car windows closed completely, and the privacy film rolled down.

The carriage instantly darkened, as if isolated from the outside world, leaving only their rapid, intertwined breathing.

Ning Jiu bit her lips until they were bright red, trying to push him away, but in her panic she couldn't muster any strength and instead tore open the buttons on his shirt.

As the clothes fell loose, the fingertips brushed against not the cold buttons, but the intense heat.

The action went against the original intention, and the air froze instantly.

Qiao Bolin lowered his eyes, his gaze so deep it seemed to want to swallow her whole, yet a faint smile played on his lips.

"Back then, we were always at home; I don't think we ever came here by car, right?"

His fingers skillfully touched the hollow of her lower back; the movement was light, yet precise. Ning Jiu almost lost all strength, her eyes reddening with a seductive hue, biting her lip to keep from crying.

Qiao Bolin looked at her with a cold eye, his tone full of doubt.

"Why don't you cry? I like it when you cry, when you cry in front of me."

Those hands, accustomed to signing contracts, slid down her waistline, their fingertips teasing her irregularly like playing the piano, with utmost patience, until finally—

Ning Jiu couldn't suppress his physical reaction; a tear slid down his cheek and landed on the scar on the back of his right hand, its heat seeping through.

Qiao Bolin's cold expression finally returned to normal. He softened his grip, giving her enough time to catch her breath.

Just when Ning Jiu thought it was all finally over, the man lowered his head, his voice clear and gentle, yet carrying a chilling warmth.

He asked her.

"Have you and your boyfriend ever been in the car together?"

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Author's Note: I spent a whole day revising the last chapter...

I've been really busy with work lately, and JJ keeps locking me in her contacts. I'm so tired.