Chapter 31

Last night, after Jiang Wanwan dropped her father off at home, she hurriedly left and returned to her rented apartment.

She had originally planned to stay home for the night since she was back, but her English teacher, Bai Yan, suddenly called to say that she had something to do during morning reading tomorrow and couldn't supervise the class, so she asked Bai Yan to help out.

Hearing the other party's urgent tone, Jiang Wanwan did not refuse and readily agreed.

When I got back to the rented apartment, the living room door was already closed.

"Snap—" Jiang Wanwan pressed the switch, and bright light instantly filled the entire room.

As Jiang Wanwan turned around, she almost dropped her bag. She saw a tall man sitting on the sofa, staring out the window, seemingly lost in thought.

"Ah Xiao, you scared me to death!" Jiang Wanwan touched her pounding heart with one hand and hung up her bag with the other.

Xiao Mingzhu had grown accustomed to the darkness, but the sudden light made him squint involuntarily. He looked at the woman whose expression remained unchanged, his hand stroking the ring on his finger.

She drank alcohol.

Men are extremely sensitive to smells. From the moment Jiang Wanwan entered the room, he could smell a faint scent of alcohol, which masked the woman's usual fragrance.

"Where did you go?" Xiao Mingzhu's voice was low, with a hint of questioning that even he himself didn't realize.

Jiang Wanwan slapped her forehead, only then realizing that she had made a last-minute dinner with Tie Shengnan and the others and forgot to tell A Xiao.

"Sorry, Xiao, I'm having dinner with my colleagues tonight and forgot to tell you beforehand."

She was so exhausted from helping Tie Shengnan twist colorful ropes that she was starving and had no energy left to think about anything else. After finishing her meal, she encountered her drunken father and hurriedly took him home.

Jiang Wanwan noticed the food on the table next to her, and a look of guilt appeared in her eyes. "I'm sorry, I didn't know you were waiting for me to eat."

Xiao Mingzhu noticed that the woman's eyes were slightly red, whether from drunkenness or guilt, he sighed, and the anger in his heart inexplicably dissipated.

Before this, no one had ever made him wait this long. If his subordinate had done this, he would have fired him long ago.

But when facing Jiang Wanwan, Xiao Mingzhu was willing to lower his bottom line again and again.

"It's alright, I'll go make you some hangover soup." The man stood up, his eyes filled with compromise and helplessness, and walked straight towards the kitchen.

During this period, Xiao Mingzhu's cooking skills have improved dramatically. No one would have guessed that this man, who can now skillfully flip a wok, would be a business tycoon who controls the economic lifeline of Country Y, and whose every decision will cause hundreds of millions of dollars to flow into the global economic market.

Jiang Wanwan smiled and couldn't help but smile. She suddenly felt that it was nice to have someone at home.

She walked to the sofa and sat in the spot where the man had been sitting not long ago; the cushion still held the warmth of his body.

The hangover soup was ready in no time.

Jiang Wanwan gazed at the bowl of hangover soup, which looked absolutely delicious, her eyebrows curving upwards, her eyes sparkling like countless stars.

"Ah Xiao, you're amazing! I wonder which lucky girl will become your wife in the future..."

The woman picked up her bowl and sighed from the bottom of her heart, thinking that a man like Ah Xiao, who was rich, handsome, and good at taking care of his family, was truly rare in this world.

Jiang Wanwan felt she was not fortunate enough to have him, given the vast difference in their social statuses, and she dared not harbor any romantic feelings for him.

Xiao Mingzhu leaned back on the single sofa, his demeanor elegant yet relaxed, befitting someone in a superior position.

He raised his eyebrows slightly, looked into Jiang Wanwan's eyes, and asked with an unusually serious expression, "What kind of man do you like?"

Jiang Wanwan didn't think much of it, assuming he was just chatting with her. She tilted her head, as if pondering how to describe it.

Watching the woman deep in thought, the man felt his heart race for no reason, along with a surge of excitement he hadn't felt since he had completely seized the family inheritance at the age of eighteen.

The feeling is like a wild beast locking onto its prey, waiting for the right moment to strike swiftly and capture it in one fell swoop.

Because she had been exposed to the wind when she came back that night, Jiang Wanwan's cheeks were flushed, as if she had applied blush. She pouted and murmured softly, "Maybe...maybe I'm just a free spirit..."

What kind of answer is this?

Xiao Mingzhu frowned slightly after hearing this, feeling even more confused. This is a society governed by the rule of law; who isn't a free person?

The woman on the sofa was already dozing off. Hearing her even, deep breathing, the man's eyes darkened.

After a long while, Xiao Mingzhu suddenly smiled, his lips curling up and his eyes shining with a determined light.

"Wanwan—" the man repeated these two words, like a lover's whisper, or like a wild beast's mark.

"Huh?" Jiang Wanwan woke up suddenly, and for some reason, she felt a chill all over her body.

Gazing at the woman's bewildered and innocent face, Xiao Mingzhu regained his usual gentle demeanor and softly said, "Wanwan, go back to your room and sleep. It's not comfortable to sleep here."

Jiang Wanwan regained some consciousness. She groggily got up and stumbled towards her room.

Suddenly, her foot slipped, and she tripped on the carpet!

Jiang Wanwan was now fully awake. She closed her eyes tightly, bracing herself for the pain that was about to come.

The expected pain did not come; a pair of large hands held her firmly in their arms.

"Thank...thank you." After regaining her balance, Jiang Wanwan sincerely thanked the man. If it weren't for him, she would have fallen flat on her back.

Jiang Wanwan felt like she had escaped a disaster. She took a deep breath, but the hand on her waist still didn't leave, which made her feel a little uncomfortable.

The man seemed to notice the woman's stiffness, so he immediately withdrew his hand and told her to close the bedroom window when she went to sleep that night so she wouldn't catch a cold.

Jiang Wanwan looked at the man with a normal expression, smiled and nodded. The seed of doubt in her heart disappeared. It seemed that she had been overthinking it.

While most ordinary girls dream of marrying into a wealthy family, Jiang Wanwan is an exception. She only wants to find an ordinary partner and live an ordinary but fulfilling life.

Ideally, the two of you could go grocery shopping, cook, and go for walks together... Even if you say things that are meaningless and trivial, you can still laugh together and spend the rest of your lives together.

But these are clearly not the tasks of a traditional wealthy wife. They might have to take care of their families, attend various banquets, and even help manage the company...

Although Jiang Wanwan couldn't predict what her future life with her partner would be like, she knew very well that she didn't like the lifestyle of a wealthy wife.

She loves freedom, the wind, the boundless plains of the prairie, and the distant mountains hidden in the clouds.

But she has always been seen as a good girl by those around her, an obedient and sensible daughter in her parents' eyes, and now she has become a teacher. Society seems to have labeled her in some way, making it impossible for her to break free from the shackles of her mind.

After washing up, Jiang Wanwan lay in bed with her eyes closed, but her thoughts kept running.

Like many nights, she wondered what would happen if she didn't follow this "predetermined path" in her life.

She is not a tenured teacher, nor does she need to consistently achieve grades or results that satisfy her parents.

If she has nothing, will anyone still love her unconditionally?

Jiang Wanwan didn't know, and dared not think about it anymore. Slowly, she drifted off to sleep.

In the next bedroom.

Xiao Mingzhu looked down at his hands, where he had just touched Jiang Wanwan's slender waist. The soft touch seemed to still linger on his fingertips, making him savor the memory and lose control of himself.

He placed his hand near his nose, took a deep breath, and his eyes were filled with a terrifying obsession and intoxication.

Whether it's a passionate and fiery foreign woman, a noble lady, or a demure college student... no one has ever given Xiao Mingzhu this feeling, which is why he has never been with a woman.

However, Jiang Wanwan's appearance has undoubtedly shattered all of this, and he has begun to have the most primal desires for women.

Although Xiao Mingzhu appeared calm, his mind was filled with images of her bright and generous smile when they first met, and her kind and anxious eyes when she saved him... Finally, the image settled on her charmingly naive appearance tonight due to her drunkenness.

His heart skipped a beat. The night was still long, and Xiao Mingzhu had plenty of time to savor the wonderful experience.

People may be late, but a set alarm clock will always ring on time.

The morning sunlight slanted onto the soft white quilt, and Jiang Wanwan rubbed her eyes.

So sleepy!

She twisted up in bed, thinking she'd sleep for another five minutes, and then closed her eyes again.

The clock hands ticked away...

"Whoa!" Jiang Wanwan sat up abruptly. Wait a minute! She was supposed to supervise the morning reading session today!

She grabbed a sweatshirt and threw it on haphazardly, a stark contrast to her polished look on her first day at work.

"Xiao, I'm not eating at home tonight! My parents are calling me home for dinner. You'll have to eat well at home by yourself."

The woman's hurried words of advice lingered in the air, and then the door slammed shut with a bang.

It was only after receiving a message from her mother that morning that Jiang Wanwan learned that her father had drunk so much last night because he had been promoted!

Jiang's father went from being an ordinary employee to a department manager.

No wonder he was so excited last night. Jiang Wanwan was naturally happy for her father's promotion, and she was going home for dinner tonight to celebrate.

Steam rose from the steamer of the breakfast shop downstairs, and the fresh aroma of soy milk wafted into the nostrils of passersby.

Jiang Wanwan walked briskly into the school. When she arrived at the classroom door, she unexpectedly saw Bai Yan.

"Huh? Ms. Bai, didn't you have something to do today?" Jiang Wanwan asked with a puzzled look. The other party had just switched shifts with her yesterday, asking her to take over the English morning reading.

However, Bai Yan walked hurriedly with a furrowed brow, completely ignoring Jiang Wanwan, and headed straight for the principal's office as if a raging flood was behind her.

Jiang Wanwan muttered to herself, "Why is the other party in such a hurry? What are they going to do?"

However, she didn't pay much attention to it, and simply pushed open the classroom door and went inside.

At lunchtime, Tie Shengnan sat down next to Jiang Wanwan with her tray.

"Wanwan, have you heard about Bai Yan?" Tie Shengnan asked mysteriously, while Jiang Wanwan was completely confused.

"What's wrong with Teacher Bai?" she asked, puzzled.

"Oh! You didn't know that? It's been all over the school for a while now."

Besides teaching in the morning, Jiang Wanwan also attended a meeting or talked to students in class. She didn't have time to sit down and relax, so she naturally didn't hear about the shocking news from the school.