Chapter 6 The Mole on the Left Cheek

“Wu Ming didn’t come,” Wu Zhou said bluntly.

Jiang Xia was in low spirits, but having worked for many years, she was adept at reading people's expressions. She forced a smile and said, "Really? I thought..."

He tried to interrupt Mr. Wu's next words.

But then Wu Zhou, who was in the driver's seat, called his name softly, forcing Jiang Xia to look at him.

"Mr. Wu." Their eyes met.

Wu Zhou gripped the steering wheel tightly with his right hand and asked, "Jiang Xia, are you disappointed?"

With just a few words, Jiang Xia vaguely sensed that something was amiss.

Perhaps Wu Zhou was just asking a simple question, but a person with a guilty conscience is easily on edge and doesn't want to hear what Wu Zhou has to say.

But the other party bluntly stated, "You want to see Wu Ming."

Jiang Xia quickly learned from his brief interactions with Wu Zhou and readily agreed, replying, "I'm not disappointed, just a little surprised. After all, you're very busy with work, and Jiusi Technology is a rising star in the domestic technology sector. By the way, I brought some cookies; you can try them."

Jiang Xia placed the gift that was originally intended for Wu Ming in the center console storage area and gave it to him.

There were only the two of them in the car, so quiet that they could hear each other breathing.

Wu Zhou looked at the brown paper bag, his voice a little hoarse, and whispered his thanks.

"Thank you for your trouble, but I won't bother you any longer..." Jiang Xia prepared to open the door and get out of the car.

It's better not to eat this meal, so as to avoid feeling uncomfortable.

Rather than eating, he preferred to spend time with Wu Ming and chat about their recent situations through a meal together.

Jiang Xia twisted the door; was it locked?

He was somewhat at a loss when Wu Zhou stepped on the gas.

With a roar of the engine, the car sped onto the main street, the scenery on both sides rushing past.

Once the car was on the main road, Wu Zhou said, "No trouble at all. I have a dinner party today at a Chinese restaurant. You can just go in and order something to eat. I've booked the whole place."

Jiang Xia lowered his eyes, relieved that she wasn't deliberately leading him away to interrogate him, giving him some breathing room.

As soon as the car left the apartment area, Jiang Xia's phone kept ringing, making his palms ache from the vibrations.

He opened WeChat and saw Wu Ming sending him messages non-stop. There were already 56 messages, and the number was still increasing. The latest one read: "Jiang Xia, have you seen my older brother yet?"

“I told him that you were having a terrible time in the Fog Kingdom because you had no one to keep you company. I felt so bad thinking about how you weren’t eating or sleeping well, and that’s when he finally agreed to take you out to eat!”

"Remember to help me get some information out of him! Find out why he's in such a hurry for me to get married!"

Wu Ming sent a tongue-out emoji, which contrasted sharply with Jiang Xia's expression off-screen.

I love you, my dear.

Jiang Xia rubbed his temples, feeling utterly overwhelmed. He took a deep breath to calm himself down.

Wu Ming sent another message: "I'm too busy today, I'm shopping right now. What do you want? I'll get it for you."

After getting up early this morning, he first took a taxi to a popular restaurant to check in, took photos and sent them to Xie Xingzhang, then went to play tennis, and at noon he bought items according to a list to bring back souvenirs for Xie Xingzhang.

He is indeed very busy, but his busyness has nothing to do with Jiangxia.

When Jiang Xia saw the pictures of luxury goods sent by Wu Ming, he was momentarily dazed.

The watches in the photo are arranged neatly.

He asked, "What do you want? Pick one."

Jiang Xia replied, "No need."

Wu Ming sent a winking emoji and concluded, "Baby, if you can really find out what my older brother means, you'd better wait for my gift bombardment."

Wu Ming's messages kept ringing like a death knell, never stopping.

Jiang Xia gripped her phone tightly, her fingertips trembling slightly, her breathing erratic, and she quickly composed herself.

"Don't call me 'baby,' it's weird."

Is it okay to freely give someone the title or nickname you use for your lover?

Wu Ming replied, "No, it's a term of endearment. If someone else wants me to call them that, I won't agree."

He felt carsick from looking at his phone, and Wu Ming's words left him even more speechless.

Jiang Xia smiled bitterly, trying her best to accept it. Indeed, there are many people like that in the workplace; it's just a title.

But he found it difficult to complete the task.

Wu Zhou is a high-end predator that keeps a close eye on its prey; it can smell unusual scents in the wind.

What stance should we take to probe in order to avoid alerting Wu Zhou to anything amiss?

While he was still hesitating, the man beside him, hearing the beeping notification sound, broke the awkward atmosphere in the car by speaking first: "Wu Ming's news?"

Jiang Xia stiffened and honestly replied, "Yes."

Wu Zhou stared straight ahead and asked bluntly, "Aren't you going to look?"

Jiang Xia quietly silenced his phone, explaining, "I usually don't look at my phone when I'm in a car; I get carsick easily."

Wu Zhou hummed in agreement and lowered his voice: "Your relationship with Wu Ming is better than I imagined."

Jiang Xia knew very well that he wouldn't say that without a reason; there must be one.

What did he see?

A terrible thought arose in Jiang Xia's mind: Could it be that Wu Zhou realized he had a crush on Wu Ming, and that's why he urged Wu Ming to get married, in order to deal with this potential problem in this way?

No, I hid it very well, I shouldn't have given myself away...

Feeling anxious, Wu Zhou drove him to a Chinese restaurant. The car was parked in front of the restaurant, and a waiter came to park it.

Jiang Xia followed closely behind him on his right rear side. After entering, she made an excuse to go to the restroom first.

He hid in the toilet and called Wu Ming.

"Didn't you invite me? Why is it your brother?" Jiang Xia lowered his voice, his eyes fixed on the doorway.

Wu Ming explained, "It was originally mine, but my brother wouldn't let me leave my residence by more than three kilometers. I told him I had made an appointment with him, and he said it was on his way."

Was it on the way again? Jiang Xia quickly recalled what happened last time.

Would a normal person go that way by chance?

No, no, absolutely not.

Ever since Wu Zhou interfered in his younger brother's marriage, he has been acting strangely.

He hovered his fingertip over the phone screen for a long time before finally concluding that he also needed outside help!

His brain shut down; he couldn't concoct enough lies to cover up his frantic heartbeat. He still had the strength, but no direction.

If Wu Zhou presses him further, he cannot guarantee that the psychological defenses he has built up will not completely collapse in front of a seasoned hunter.

He could calmly be Wu Ming's best man... He told himself more than once that it might not be love or liking, but perhaps just dependence, but his feelings were genuine.

Looking for Zhan Lintian? As Wu Zhou's project partner, their relationship should be alright...

I've only met them once, why should I bother them?

But if he doesn't find a "middleman" to help him now, it's hard to say whether he can even get out unscathed, let alone help Wu Ming.

Jiang Xia added Zhan Lintian as a friend and then left the cubicle.

He had been in the bathroom for too long, leaning against the sink, looking at the young man in the mirror.

He's not young anymore.

Perhaps in a few years, fine lines will appear on this face, and the once bright eyes will become dull and lifeless.

Time has matured his appearance, and experience has gradually settled his heart. Despite his fear, he cannot give Wu Zhou the opportunity to question him.

Love that cannot be open and honest is like a seed that never sprouts; the best outcome is for it to wither silently in the soil, barely preserving the dignity of both parties in the end.

Many things simply don't exist if you don't speak up or I don't mention them, and everything remains the same.

Since Zhan Lintian hasn't become a friend yet, Jiang Xia can only take it one step at a time.

However, the other party was very generous. Jiang Xia calculated that the toy set he gave her yesterday could sell for more than 2,000 RMB on a second-hand platform, so he should have some goodwill towards her.

When he returned to the table, Wu Zhou had already ordered the dishes and served the appetizers.

Jiang Xia smelled the aroma and looked at the dishes. Suddenly, he thought, "If I'm going to die, I might as well die with a full stomach."

If Wu Zhou were to question him, and he were to deny it to the death, could Wu Zhou forcefully pry open his mouth?

Thinking of this, Jiang Xia sat down with a smile and thanked him gently.

Looking at his smile, Wu Zhou gave a soft "hmm": "The chef at this restaurant has very authentic skills. He cooked a few dishes according to the taste of your hometown."

Wu Zhou stared at his face; he had lost weight.

Jiang Xia has a faint mole on the lower left cheek, in just the right spot. If he were to lose some flesh from his cheeks, the mole would be visible from the front.

He didn't know when the mole appeared. As Jiang Xia grew up and her chubby cheeks thinned out, he noticed it.

Or, when Jiang Xia purses her lips, the movement of her facial muscles can also make that small mole visible from the front.

It has many unique features.

Jiang Xia blinked and smiled as she spoke, making it impossible for Wu Zhou to see the mole anymore: "Mr. Wu, you're too kind."

He didn't care who Mr. Wu was inviting today, whether they were the project's clients or not; he just ate and left.

Not long after, Zhan Lintian arrived at the dinner location ahead of time. As soon as he stepped into the second floor of the restaurant, he suddenly stopped and saw Jiang Xia.

In front of the floor-to-ceiling window, the young man ate quietly with his head down. The waiter was serving dishes, and there were already several dishes on the table, but not all of them had been served yet.

Wu Zhou sat opposite him, watching him.

The atmosphere between the two was a little strange.