Chapter 30
◎Old house on fire◎
Cheng Jiamo spoke in a very low and soft voice, almost as if she were whispering. Even He Jingyang, who was sitting not far away to her right, might not be able to hear her clearly, let alone the others.
He Qingzhao didn't deliberately lower his voice when he spoke; it was at a normal volume, so everyone in the room heard him. Then everyone looked at He Qingzhao and glanced at Cheng Jiamo as well.
He Lin held his wine glass and said with a playful smile, "It seems that even Big Brother isn't free now; he has to apply in advance to drink."
Cheng Jiamo's face flushed instantly, feeling as if her entire face was burning. Half shy and half angry, she glared at He Qingzhao and said, "What nonsense are you talking about? Do you think I can make decisions for you?"
Before He Qingzhao could speak, she hurriedly added, "I'm going to the restroom."
After Cheng Jiamo left, the men in the room completely dropped their pretenses, some smoking and others laughing lewdly.
Amidst the laughter, Xun Chen spoke up, his Mandarin accent thick with a roguish air: "No wonder Young Master He's iron tree blooms and his old house catches fire, little sister-in-law..."
Before he could finish speaking, Zhong Qi quickly stuffed a cigarette into his mouth, silencing him, and said with a smile.
"You haven't even had a drink yet, Boss Xun, what are you saying that's so drunk?"
In their circle, the term "little sister-in-law" is essentially a euphemism for a mistress.
A proper wife or girlfriend is not called "little sister-in-law"; only a kept woman is jokingly referred to as "little sister-in-law".
If it were someone else bringing a woman, and Xun Chen jokingly called her "little sister-in-law," Zhong Qi wouldn't stop him at all; he might even laugh along.
However, this person is He Qingzhao. Xun Chen may not know He Qingzhao, but Zhong Qi knows very well what kind of person He Qingzhao is.
He Qingzhao is very self-disciplined and cherishes his reputation, especially in matters of the heart. He is strict to the point of being harsh, preferring to suppress his physical desires rather than easily seek out women.
He and He Qingzhao have known each other since they were five or six years old, and have been friends for more than 20 years. He has never seen He Qingzhao with any close women, never dated any girlfriends, and never dated any random women.
But today he saw He Qingzhao holding Cheng Jiamo in his arms, and now he even brings this girl along when he comes to discuss business. This is enough to prove that He Qingzhao is not just playing around, but really likes this girl. Otherwise, he would not have made an exception for her.
Since He Qingzhao likes her, he must be seriously dating her. Calling her "little sister-in-law" not only belittles the girl, but also slaps He Qingzhao in the face.
So when Xun Chen was about to say the words "little sister-in-law", Zhong Qi hurriedly interrupted him.
Zhong Qi turned to look over and, sure enough, saw that He Qingzhao's face had turned cold.
He Qingzhao has a pair of naturally sharp phoenix eyes. Because he always appears refined and gentle, with a smile on his face, people mistakenly believe that he is gentle and easy to get along with. But in fact, he is cold-blooded to the core. When he gets ruthless, he will not show any mercy to anyone.
Now, when he's not smiling, that fierceness is unmistakably revealed in his eyes and brows.
Zhong Qi glanced around and noticed that not only He Qingzhao had a cold face, but He Zongxun and He Jingyang also had indifferent expressions.
The others all stopped laughing; some lowered their heads to light cigarettes, while others pretended to admire the scenery.
He Qingzhao stood up, his voice indifferent: "I'm going out for a smoke."
As soon as he left, Zhong Qi picked up a lighter and threw it at Xun Chen: "Did you take the wrong medicine today?"
Xun Chen realized he had said the wrong thing and slapped his mouth hard: "It's all my fault for having such a foul mouth. I thought..."
Zhong Qi interrupted him: "Don't think that way."
He Zongxun, who had been silent all along, smiled and said, "Boss Xun, you should be careful with your jokes. My brother finally got a girlfriend. If you break them up with just one sentence, even if my brother isn't angry, I can't forgive you."
Although he spoke with a smile, his hawk-like eyes carried a powerful sense of pressure.
Under He Zongxun's gaze, Xun Chen felt a little scared and hurriedly stood up to apologize: "Oh dear, it's my fault, it's my fault. I'm clumsy with words and almost said the wrong thing. Battalion Commander He, please don't take it to heart."
He apologized while offering He Zongxun a cigarette.
He Zongxun waved his hand, refusing the cigarette.
Zhong Qi said a few words to defuse the situation, and the matter was considered closed. He Zongxun didn't say anything more.
Cheng Jiamo went to the restroom and leaned against the sink for a while to calm down.
Just as she was hesitating whether to return to the private room, her phone rang. It was an unfamiliar number, originating from Beijing.
"Hello." She answered the phone.
"Little cousin, where in northern Beijing are you?"
Cheng Jiamo recognized Luo Chenghao's voice and asked coldly, "How did you know my phone number?"
He Qingzhao walked to the bathroom door and was about to go in when he heard Cheng Jiamo's voice and stopped, standing outside the door.
He couldn't hear Luo Chenghao's voice, but he heard Cheng Jiamo remain silent for a while before saying impatiently, "Do you have something to say? If not, I'm hanging up."
Then I heard Cheng Jiamo say in a very aggressive tone, "Are you sick in the head?!"
He Qingzhao walked in and saw Cheng Jiamo's sullen face. He went up to her, hugged her, lowered his head, and rubbed his chin against the top of her head: "Who made my darling angry?"
Cheng Jiamo complained to him, "He's a disgusting person."
He Qingzhao asked, "A man?"
Cheng Jiamo: "Mm."
He Qingzhao took the phone from her hand, held the screen up to her face to unlock it, and opened the call log.
Cheng Jiamo quickly grabbed his wrist: "What are you doing?"
He Qingzhao said with a smile, "Call him, I'm going to yell at him."
Cheng Jiamo was amused by him: "No need, there's no need to talk to such a boring person. It's a waste of breath to scold him."
He Qingzhao's attitude was firm: "No, he made my girlfriend angry, and I must scold him to avenge her."
Cheng Jiamo burst out laughing, unable to stop.
He Qingzhao lowered his head and kissed her on the cheek: "Let's go back and have dinner."
Cheng Jiamo: "Okay."
She was about to leave, arm in arm with He Qingzhao, when her phone rang again. It was the same number, Luo Chenghao calling.
He Qingzhao answered the call for her directly, put it on speakerphone, and politely said, "Hello."
Luo Chenghao: "Who are you?"
He Qingzhao's voice was tinged with laughter: "I'm Cheng Jiamo's boyfriend. Who are you?"
Cheng Jiamo tried to snatch the phone back, but He Qingzhao raised his hand so high that she couldn't reach it even when she jumped.
"He Qingzhao," she called softly.
He Qingzhao held Cheng Jiamo's phone in one hand and wrapped his other arm around her waist, pulling her into his embrace. He said to her in a doting tone, "Baby, be good, let me finish scolding you first."
Cheng Jiamo: "..."
Instead of jumping up and down to grab the phone, she looked at He Qingzhao with a look of anticipation, wanting to see how he would curse.
He Qingzhao: "I don't care which stinking ditch you're from, don't call my girlfriend again. If you do, I'll skin you alive."
Luo Chenghao: "Fuck your mother, you fucking have the guts to tell me your address, I'm coming over there right now! Let's see how capable you are!"
"..."
Cheng Jiamo was terrified. She looked up at He Qingzhao in a daze, her face pale with fright.
He Qingzhao gently patted her head and said to Luo Chenghao on the other end of the phone, "I don't need to tell you my address, you can't get in anyway. Tell me yours, where are you, I'll come find you."
Luo Chenghao: "I'm right here at the Dream Intertwined Bar, you gotta come over here if you dare!" He then threatened Cheng Jiamo in a gruff voice, "Cheng Jiamo, you'd better come with your boyfriend!"
He Qingzhao calmly hung up the phone, returned it to Cheng Jiamo, and took her hand as they walked out.
Cheng Jiamo looked at him nervously: "He, He Qingzhao, are you, are you really going?"
He Qingzhao countered with, "Do you want me to go or not?"
Cheng Jiamo pursed her lips: "Why do you always ask me that? You were asking me that when we were drinking just now too."
He Qingzhao looked into her eyes: "Because I want to know what you think."
Cheng Jiamo said, "Whether you drink alcohol or not when you eat with your friends is your business. You don't need to ask for my opinion or consider my thoughts. If you want to drink, then drink, I won't stop you. If you don't want to drink, I won't persuade you."
This is her true thought; she didn't say it on purpose to show how virtuous she is.
Although she never thought "virtuous" was a good word, in the eyes of the public, this kind of behavior is virtuous, and a virtuous girl is a noble virtue.
She doesn't like being virtuous, nor does she want to be a virtuous person.
The reason she said such things is because she doesn't like being constrained by others, nor does she want to constrain others, even if that person is her boyfriend.
Looking at her expression that said, "Do whatever you want, I don't care at all," He Qingzhao felt a heavy weight pressing on his chest, making him uncomfortable.
He longed to hear Cheng Jiaming say to him in a spoiled and domineering manner, "He Qingzhao, don't drink or smoke. Drinking and smoking are bad for your health. I don't want you to drink or smoke."
But she gently and understandingly told him that he didn't need to ask for her opinion or consider her thoughts; he could do as he pleased, and she wouldn't stop him from drinking.
The reason they don't stop them is because they don't care, right?
Because she didn't care, she wouldn't interfere with whatever he did.
"Okay." He gave a slight smile. "I won't ask you again."
Back in the private room, all the dishes had been served, but no one touched their chopsticks; everyone was waiting for He Qingzhao.
He Qingzhao sat down and started drinking. He poured himself a full glass, didn't eat a single bite of food, and tilted his head back to gulp down the wine.
Everyone: "..."
Seeing that He Qingzhao was drinking by himself, Xun Chen hurriedly stood up and toasted him: "Boss He, I'd like to toast you."
He Qingzhao raised his glass and clinked it with his, still maintaining the refined and elegant demeanor of a noble young master, and said with a gentle smile, "One glass for me, three for Boss Xun, how about it?"
Zhong Qi lowered his head and rubbed his nose with the back of his hand. He knew He Qingzhao would retaliate, and sure enough...
It's fortunate that he stopped him. If he hadn't, and Xun Chen had been allowed to speak so bluntly, He Qingzhao probably wouldn't have just let Xun Chen drink.
After all, being in He Qingzhao's position, it's too easy for him to get rid of someone.
Xun Chen naturally knew this, so how could he dare to refuse? He readily agreed, "Alright, alright, as long as Young Master He doesn't mind, I'll drink to my heart's content with you today!"
He Qingzhao said, "Five bottles of soy sauce-flavored liquor, drink until you're done. Can Boss Xun drink that much?"
Xun Chen nodded vigorously: "Yes, yes, yes!"
He has to be able to, otherwise all the connections he's painstakingly built up in Beijing's elite circles over the years will be ruined.
Cheng Jiamo realized that He Qingzhao was playing a prank on her, but she didn't know why and didn't dare to ask.
She sat silently watching He Qingzhao drink with others. After watching him drink half a bottle of baijiu in one go, she finally realized something was wrong and tugged at his sleeve: "He Qingzhao, stop drinking."
He Qingzhao tilted her head to look at her: "Didn't you say you wouldn't care?"
Cheng Jiamo felt a lump in her throat, a dull and astringent discomfort.
She lowered her head: "Whatever."
He Qingzhao picked up his phone and called Ye Sui: "Find someone for me." He gave Luo Chenghao's number, "After you find him, loosen his skin, just let him bleed a little, don't cripple him."
Cheng Jiamo's hand holding the chopsticks trembled, and one of them slipped from her hand and fell to the ground.
She wasn't surprised that He Qingzhao memorized Luo Chenghao's phone number after just one glance; someone like He Qingzhao could easily have a photographic memory. What surprised her was that He Qingzhao openly made a phone call in front of so many people, ordering someone to deal with Luo Chenghao.
Looking at the expressions of the people at the table, they were all very calm, as if it were perfectly normal. Some of them didn't even blink.
She felt inexplicably flustered and had no idea what to say.
He Qingzhao hung up the phone and looked at her with a half-smile: "Aren't you heartbroken?"
Cheng Jiamo, holding another chopstick, struck his hand without thinking, glared at him, stood up, and ran out.
He Qingzhao glanced at the small red mark on the back of his hand and smiled.
"It's over." Zhong shrugged. "Old He's been beaten senseless."
He Lin laughed and said, "Big brother won't be able to eat today." He looked towards the door, "Big brother, aren't you going to chase after them?"
He Qingzhao said calmly, "Why chase after her? Is she just throwing a tantrum? Are we really going to indulge her?"
Sitting next to Zhong Qi, Huo Junhou chuckled: "You've already brought the person to us, so stop pretending. If you keep pretending..."
Before he could finish speaking, He Qingzhao had already stood up.
He Jingyang couldn't help but laugh out loud, but when he met He Qingzhao's cold gaze, he quickly suppressed his laughter and boldly said something.
"If you can't bring yourself to do it, I'll go and comfort her for you."
He Qingzhao's voice was low and cold: "Mind your own business!" He pulled out a chair and walked out. When he reached the door of the private room, he turned back to the people inside and said, "You guys eat, don't worry about me. I'll come to the tea room to find you in half an hour."
Cheng Jiamo walked out of the restaurant, sat on a bench in the garden, and kicked a small pebble with her head down.
He Qingzhao sat down next to her, stretched out his hand and put it on her leg: "Did you hurt me?"
Cheng Jiamo neither removed his hand nor pulled it, but instead turned her head to look at him.
"He Qingzhao, I'm sorry, it's all because of me that you were scolded by others."
Actually, she didn't need to apologize, since it wasn't her who asked He Qingzhao to answer the phone; he insisted on answering it himself.
Regardless, because of her, Luo Chenghao scolded He Qingzhao, which ultimately angered He Qingzhao. So it's no big deal for her to say "sorry." After all, apologizing won't hurt her or cost her any money.
Seeing that she wouldn't hold his hand, He Qingzhao had no choice but to take her hand himself, squeezing her soft, white hand in his own, and then wrapping his other arm around her waist, pulling her into his embrace.
"Don't say 'I'm sorry' to me again. I don't like hearing it. If you insist on saying it, I hope it's something else."
Cheng Jiamo leaned against his chest, wrapped her arms around his waist, and rubbed her face against his chest.
He Qingzhao didn't kiss her cheek after drinking, afraid that the smell of alcohol would bother her, so he held back and kissed her behind her ear.
Don't be angry.
Cheng Jiamo: "I should be the one saying this to you, so don't be angry."
He Qingzhao lowered his head and kissed her neck, restraining himself from biting her fair and delicate neck once, his voice low and husky: "I'm not angry, I just want you."
He didn't say it, but he wanted more than just her body; he wanted her heart, he wanted to possess her completely.
Cheng Jiamo shrank her neck: "A month will pass quickly."
He Qingzhao breathed heavily against her neck: "But I can't wait any longer, I'm afraid things might get complicated."
Cheng Jiaming laughed and pushed him away: "He Qingzhao, why are you becoming more and more improper?"
What do you mean by "the longer the night lasts, the more things might go wrong"? She's not going to run away.
He Qingzhao couldn't quite describe his feelings. In short, he was very anxious and restless, and he wanted to have her right away, watch her succumb to his body, and hear her say she loved him over and over again.
He desperately wanted to see her with hazy eyes, flushed cheeks, and softly pleading with him, his heart aching with longing.
Cheng Jiamo glanced at him. Under the streetlight, his cool and handsome face was half-lit and half-shadowed, the light and shadow outlining his deep and sharp features, making him look even more handsome and charming.
She blushed and buried her face in his chest.
"If you want to know, just ask me. You don't need to ask anyone else."
He Qingzhao said arrogantly, "I won't ask, I'll find out myself."
Cheng Jiamo raised her head: "Even if you don't ask, I'll still tell you. That person's name is Luo Chenghao, he's Yu Shijie's sister's son, and he's five years older than me. When I was twelve or thirteen, he said some disgusting things to me, and I really hated him."
"The summer after I graduated from elementary school, I went to Yu Shijie's house with my mom. He was there that day, and I was wearing a green dress..."
He Qingzhao covered her mouth with his hand: "Don't say anything."
Cheng Jiamo didn't say anything more and pushed his hand away.
He Qingzhao grabbed her waist with both hands and pulled her onto his lap.
"I'm not angry because that bastard insulted me, but because..."
He stopped himself in time and didn't continue.
Cheng Jiamo asked, "And what is it? Is it to make me angry?"
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