Chapter 52 Possession

The next morning, Yu Bai drew back the curtains and saw that the weather outside was foggy, with fine, drizzling rain falling in the damp air.

It was indeed bad weather.

Yu Bai called out to Wen Qin, who was still lazing in bed, and turned to wash up. The warm water washed away the last bit of drowsiness, and her mind was completely clear. After putting on some light makeup, Wen Qin got out of bed and hurriedly changed her clothes and washed up.

After Wenqin finished getting ready, she took Yu Bai to the hotel's buffet restaurant for breakfast.

Jiang Jizhou and Yue Ming had already arrived at the restaurant and were having a meal. Jiang Jizhou also saw Yu Bai and Wen Qin coming towards him. Wen Qin smiled brightly and was no longer reserved. "Hello, President Jiang."

Jiang Jizhou looked up and his gaze fell on Yu Bai. She wasn't looking at him, but rather her eyes were slightly lowered, her thick eyelashes casting a small shadow, and the dark circles under her eyes were even more pronounced.

Jiang Jizhou nodded slightly in response to Wenqin's greeting, his eyes still fixed on Yu Bai, and asked casually, "Didn't you sleep well?"

Yu Bai looked stunned and remained silent for a moment. Wen Qin smiled and replied, easing the awkward atmosphere, "No, President Jiang, thanks to you, we were able to stay in such a nice hotel and sleep very well."

"That's good." Jiang Jizhou smiled slightly and looked away.

Wenqin then said, "Then, Mr. Jiang, let's go eat first."

Jiang Jizhou nodded, and as Wenqin and Yu Bai turned to leave, he added, "Sit together and eat."

Yu Bai remained silent, but Wen Qin responded and went with Yu Bai to the food pick-up area.

"It seems like President Jiang was asking you something just now," Wenqin whispered to Yu Bai. She wasn't stupid; she noticed that although it was she and Jiang Jizhou greeting each other, Jiang Jizhou's gaze was following Yu Bai.

Yu Bai feigned ignorance, "Hmm? Ask us."

Wenqin blinked, a hint of doubt in her eyes, "Is that so?"

"I'm not going to say anything more. I want to eat something delicious. This kind of opportunity is rare." Wenqin's thoughts were already drawn to the dazzling array of dishes, and the little incident from earlier was forgotten.

Yu Bai smiled and nodded in agreement.

After getting their food, Yu Bai and Wen Qin returned to Jiang Jizhou's table. Wen Qin sat down next to Yue Ming first, so Yu Bai had to sit next to Jiang Jizhou.

Jiang Jizhou glanced at the small amount of rice on Yu Bai's plate and said softly, "No appetite?"

Yu Bai nodded.

She ate her meal with a calm expression, without saying a word. But Jiang Jizhou knew that Yu Bai was sulking with him. Because Wen Qin and Yue Ming were present, Yu Bai had no choice but to swallow her anger and not get angry. Besides, this was work, and no matter how angry Yu Bai was, she still had to work with him. Thinking of this, Jiang Jizhou felt much better for no reason.

After dinner, at 8:30, Mingchuan sent someone to pick up the four of them.

Upon seeing Jiang Jizhou, the village party secretary bowed slightly, smiled, and warmly offered him a cigarette.

Jiang Jizhou reached out to stop him, saying, "I don't smoke."

The village party secretary took back the cigarette boxes and welcomed them into the car.

After a bumpy ride, we arrived in Mingchuan in the evening.

Yu Bai suffered from severe motion sickness. Although she took motion sickness medicine on the way, she still felt nauseous and exhausted after arriving at her destination. Jiang Jizhou frowned when he saw her pale face.

The village party secretary booked a private room at a restaurant to treat Jiang Jizhou and his group to dinner. All the town leaders were present, but Jiang Jizhou did not attend because he was worried about Yu Bai.

"Yue Ming and Wen Qin go ahead, I'll take her back to the hotel first."

Before Yu Bai could refute, Jiang Jizhou pulled her away. Yu Bai was feeling very carsick, so she followed Jiang Jizhou away, leaving Yue Ming and Wen Qin looking at each other in bewilderment.

The hotel is the only one in town, located near the Qingxi Mountain scenic area, and is usually booked by tourists.

Far from the hustle and bustle of the city, this place boasts a beautiful environment and fresh air. It's the perfect time of evening when the sky is bathed in the blue hues of the night, a time of tranquility and profound peace.

Jiang Jizhou and Yu Bai strolled leisurely through the greenery. She breathed in the fresh air, fragrant with the scent of grass and trees, which eased her motion sickness.

It was also one of the rare instances where they coexisted peacefully without any tension.

"Are you feeling better?" Jiang Jizhou asked with concern.

Yu Bai nodded. "Much better."

They walked to the lakeside, where the water was clear and sparkling, bringing a sense of peace.

Several beautifully dressed girls walked out of Qingxi Mountain across the way, smiling and walking happily.

What a harmonious and beautiful scene! Yu Bai unconsciously took out her phone to take a picture. The picture was beautiful. She smiled and tilted her head slightly, but met Jiang Jizhou's gentle gaze. She then looked away uncomfortably.

"Life is good here too."

Jiang Jizhou picked up a stone slab from beside his feet and skipped it across the water in a beautiful motion, creating ripples that startled water birds, which then spread their wings and soared into the sky.

Yu Bai lowered his eyes, "But it lacks the vibrancy of a city."

Jiang Jizhou was surprised, "You like it?"

Yu Bai stared at him intently. "You like it."

Jiang Jizhou was taken aback, then burst out laughing.

"I like it when you're around."

His voice was so gentle it was almost unreal, like an old cassette tape, always making people nostalgic, yet clearly aware that it was all in the past.

The blue gradually deepened, with a pale crescent moon hanging within it, and countless stars scattered throughout, twinkling with golden light.

“But I don’t like it.” Yu Bai said, each word distinct and cold, like a calm, still lake.

"Jiang Jizhou, why is it always you who takes the lead in our relationship? Back in high school, you pulled me out of the mud. I am still grateful to you to this day. At that time, I was insecure and introverted, and I only dared to secretly like you. It was you who kept expressing your burning love to me, which made me let down my guard and willingly fly like a moth to a flame. But in the end, I was burned all over."

Yu Bai gave a bitter smile, his increasingly cold gaze shifting away from Jiang Jizhou's pale face.

"I disappeared from your world heartbroken, wasn't that what you wanted? But after so many years, I finally started a new life, and you're now approaching me without any regard for my wishes or boundaries, treating me like your possession. What am I in your eyes? A toy you can take when you want and discard when you don't?"

Her eyes were filled with sorrow and desolation, and Jiang Jizhou felt a pang in his heart. He shook his head helplessly, "No, Bai Bai, in my heart, you will always be the most precious."

Upon hearing this, Yu Bai's face showed a mocking expression, and he laughed self-deprecatingly.

"What do I need to do for you to forgive me?" Jiang Jizhou asked earnestly, gazing intently at Yu Bai.

"I want you to stop bothering me."

“Impossible.” He rejected it almost immediately.

Yu Bai sighed softly. Jiang Jizhou was still immersed in his own emotional world and couldn't extricate himself. Her opinion didn't matter to him at all.

"What do you want?" Yu Bai stared at Jiang Jizhou, gritting his teeth.

"I want you back by my side." Jiang Jizhou stared intently at her.

The last, gentle, hazy blue of sunset fell upon them, yet it only deepened their sense of desolation.

Yu Bai felt a deep sense of powerlessness. Look, he was clearly begging her to forgive him, but every word he said was for his own sake.

"Jiang Jizhou, you are really selfish."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Jizhou was taken aback. He tried to find some evidence on Yu Bai's face that she still loved him, but her expression was indifferent, revealing a tired and powerless seriousness, and her eyes were full of disgust for him.

Jiang Jizhou felt a sharp pain in his heart. He opened his mouth, wanting to defend himself and express his love for her, but suddenly realized that Yu Bai no longer needed his so-called love.

If true love is about letting go, then Jiang Jizhou cannot let go; for him, love is about possession.

Perhaps Yu Bai is right. He is selfish, with only selfish love. He cannot imagine Yu Bai wearing a wedding dress for another man; he cannot accept her smiling and saying she loves him to another man... He would go crazy.

Jiang Jizhou couldn't give Yu Bai the kind of love that meant letting go and leaving. He finally looked away, his face growing paler by the minute.

"I'm hungry." Yu Bai didn't want to argue with him about this anymore, so he turned and left.

Jiang Jizhou followed, "What would you like to eat?"

"casual."

This is a scenic area, so there are many restaurants. Jiang Jizhou took Yu Bai to a restaurant that looked clean and bright. They served braised fish, a local specialty, which was caught from Qingxi Lake and had very fresh meat.

Yu Bai loves to eat fish. He carefully removes the fish bones to get a piece of tender fish meat, which satisfies him in one bite.

Jiang Jizhou enjoyed watching Yu Bai eat fish; he was quiet and focused, allowing for close observation without being easily noticed.

After Yu Bai finished eating several fish, Jiang Jizhou's plate still hadn't touched one fish. Yu Bai frowned slightly, "Aren't you going to eat it?"

Jiang Jizhou then started eating. Yu Bai was already about 80% full and sat there looking at her phone while waiting for him.

Chi Qinghe sent Yu Bai a WeChat message, asking her what she was doing.

Yu Bai chatted with him casually.

Chi Qinghe mentioned that he had almost finished dealing with his affairs. He had recently completed a large project and was in the final stages of finishing up. It would be completely finished soon, and he could come to Nancheng to find Yu Bai in a few days.

Yu Bai calculated the time and realized that by the time Chi Qinghe arrived in Nancheng, she should have already gone back.

"Who are you chatting with?"

Jiang Jizhou had finished eating and pulled out a tissue to wipe his mouth. He saw Yu Bai staring intently at his phone, typing.

Yu Bai looked up at Jiang Jizhou and said calmly, "Boyfriend."

Jiang Jizhou paused, then a hint of hostility flashed in his eyes, which he quickly suppressed. He stood up, seemingly impatient, and said, "Let's go."

Yu Bai was happy to see Jiang Jizhou suffer a setback, and calmly followed behind him. When they came out of the restaurant, it was completely dark outside, like ink splashed on the ground, with only a few sparse, dim streetlights. They walked back to the hotel, one in front of the other, a few steps apart.

The two remained silent throughout the journey.

Because Jiang Jizhou wasn't there, the dinner ended quite early. Yue Ming and Wen Qin had already returned to the hotel. As soon as they entered the room, Wen Qin, who was lying on the bed playing on her phone, immediately scanned Yu Bai's entire body with an extremely gossipy look, making Yu Bai feel uneasy.

"Did you come back with President Jiang?" Wenqin covered her mouth and chuckled.

Yu Bai nodded helplessly.

"Does President Jiang have feelings for you?" Wenqin asked Yu Bai in a low voice.

Yu Bai, however, said solemnly, "There's nothing between him and me. We're just boss and employee."

Seeing Yu Bai's serious expression, Wen Qin didn't press him further. Yu Bai turned to wash up.

After a long day of travel, the two were already feeling sleepy by 10 a.m.

"Turn off the lights, we have to get up early to work tomorrow."

"good."

The stars twinkled outside the window, illuminating every room. Some people were sleeping soundly, while others were unable to sleep all night.

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Author's Note: I'm so sorry everyone, I've been busy looking for a job lately, and only recently had some free time after going home for the Chinese New Year. The story is almost finished, but I won't abandon it! [pity][pity][pity]