Chapter 10: Just Playing Around, or Seriously?
At the same time, in the courtyard.
Lin Zaoyi believes tonight is an opportunity; she now has a legitimate reason to move out.
Then her mother said, "Jiani is just so straightforward. I didn't even take it to heart, so why are you taking it to heart?"
She was speechless. "I'm doing this for your own good. If a fight really breaks out one day, you'll be the one in trouble."
"Why should I be in a difficult position? It's not me who's arguing."
The tone was extremely matter-of-fact.
“Zaoyi,” Mom turned her head to look at her, “I won’t be afraid of making things difficult for you and causing you any grievances. You should make a fuss. This marriage was arranged by your Uncle Tan, not by me paying for it.”
His words made such a good point that she was speechless for a couple of seconds. "But—"
"But what? Can't you spend more time with your mother? Belated maternal love is still love."
He patted her on the bottom and said, "Smile, don't wear your emotions on your face."
She couldn't laugh. "If I don't wear my emotions on my face, am I supposed to hang them on the wall? I'm not Mona Lisa."
Mingxian: "...You little rascal."
The negotiations failed once again, and Lin Zaoyi was somewhat dejected. Instead of returning to her room, she wandered around the courtyard.
At night, Xiyuan Garden is brightly lit with lamps everywhere, making the quiet pebble path bright.
Someone approached from behind, making a rustling sound as they moved. Before she could turn around to see who it was, the person spoke.
Why did you lie?
This was a voice that could provoke her emotions at any moment, and now it carried a strange questioning tone.
It's hard not to panic.
My feet were on pebbles, and with the tension, my ankle twisted and my body swayed.
Driven by the survival instinct, they grab whatever they can get their hands on.
For example, his arms.
Fortunately, this man had a conscience and didn't shake her off. Not only that, he also held her waist, and in a short while, she felt the skin he touched start to burn.
"you…"
The man in front of her suddenly lifted his eyelids. Caught off guard, their eyes met. He was already unpredictable, and his aura was heavy and imposing. Being so close to him, she was so nervous that she forgot what she was going to say.
"What about me?" he replied calmly.
“No…” Lin Zaoyi avoided those dark, inky eyes and lowered her eyelashes. “I’m standing firm now. Thank you, Brother Zhaojing.”
Two seconds later, he withdrew his hand, but his feet remained planted in front of her.
She blinked slowly. "Excuse me... is there anything else?"
The man spoke calmly, "Let's come back together."
This...
She didn't know either.
If they insist on an explanation, it's probably because they feel guilty.
My mind is quite sharp, and I quickly came up with an idea.
“Tan Jiani is here. She cares a lot about you as her brother. If I say I want to be with you, she will definitely be unhappy and think I’m stealing you away.”
"Yeah?"
"Otherwise what?"
She blurted out a rather unfriendly tone, then realized her mistake and quickly corrected herself, "Yes."
Tan Zhaojing raised his lips slightly, his tone ambiguous, "So sensible."
Lin Zaoyi took it as a compliment and smiled sweetly, "Brother Zhaojing, I'll go back to my room first."
She lowered her head and hurriedly walked away from him.
As she ran, the strands of hair hanging behind her head rippled in a flustered arc in the darkness.
Tan Zhaojing slowly narrowed his eyes, and then chuckled very softly.
...
As night falls, another kind of urban vibrancy begins.
At the Royal Lan Club, the door to the VIP private room was knocked open by the head manager, who bowed slightly to the boss and said, "President Meng, we've arrived."
Meng Henian instructed, "Make sure to remove the smell of smoke completely."
Some people didn't understand this operation, asking, "What does it mean?"
Duan Linlai replied, "Tan Zhaojing is coming."
I couldn't help but complain, "This dog is like an old man in his seventies or eighties, it can't stand noise or smoke."
My friend laughed, "You dare say that to my face?"
Duan Lin smirked, "Stop stirring things up."
The timing was perfect; less than half a minute after the waiter left, Tan Zhaojing pushed open the door and came in.
Duan Lin poured him a glass of wine. "Luckily you don't mind the smell of alcohol, otherwise we'd have to go to a temple for gatherings in the future."
Tan Zhaojing ignored him, raised his hand and loosened the collar of his shirt, then sat down on the sofa with his arm loosely resting on the armrest, while picking up a wine glass with his other hand and swirling it gently.
Duan Lin jokingly recounted the afternoon's interview, "Why were you in such a hurry to hang up? Did I hit a nerve? It seems Zao Yi doesn't consider you her brother."
At this point, a friend interjected, "Who is Zaoyi?"
Duan Lin: "Uncle Tan's current wife's daughter."
He put his feet on the coffee table leg and said familiarly, "From now on, Zaoyi is also my sister."
Tan Zhaojing made no attempt to respond, her dark eyelashes drooping casually.
Duan Lin continued talking, this time about serious matters, "How's the surveillance footage coming along?"
As he asked, he looked at Meng Henian again.
Meng Henian had no idea. "What surveillance?"
Duan Lin thought that Tan Zhaojing, being a taciturn person, hadn't had a chance to speak yet, and was about to speak for him when the taciturn person spoke first, "It's nothing."
Meng Henian's curiosity was piqued, and he asked again what kind of surveillance footage it was.
Tan Zhaojing lowered his eyelashes slightly, his fingertips casually stirring the ice cubes in his wine glass, the transparent glass clinking.
After a short while, he shook his head.
Meng Henian didn't press the matter further, as he didn't want to discuss it, but there was something he needed to ask: "What happened between you and that woman the night before you left on your business trip? Was it just a fling, or were you serious?"
These words were like a stone thrown into a lake, instantly creating ripples, and everyone turned to look at Tan Zhaojing.
Duan Lin, who had been lazily playing with his unlit cigarette, suddenly sat up straight, his legs twitching with excitement. "Tan Zhaojing has a woman? When did this happen?"
Meng Henian gestured for him to ask him directly.
Duan Lin turned his gaze and saw that the dog had its eyes downcast and refused to answer.
He guessed that the most likely candidate was Yuan Lai, as he had always known her thoughts.
"Yuan Lai, right?"
Tan Zhaojing finally mustered the courage to speak, "What does this have to do with her?"
This sentence has a double meaning.
Tan Zhaojing had a woman, but it wasn't Yuan Lai.
I silently mourned for Yuan Lai for two seconds. I had advised her before that she could talk to Tan Zhaojing about anything, but not about feelings. She was too rational, and being too rational made her seem inhuman.
Someone like him is only suited for arranged marriages.
Duan Lin continued, "Then who do you think it is?"
The dog quieted down again.
The only question could be asked was Meng Henian, who was not entirely sure either, but he noticed that Tan Zhaojing had teeth marks on his neck that night, and there were also several mottled lipstick marks on his shirt collar.
I was completely stunned.
He put down his drink. "Based on my understanding of you, a one-night stand is unlikely to happen to you. So, who is that girl?"
Tan Zhaojing remained silent, but his eyes deepened, and his raised fingertips unconsciously touched the side of his neck, stroking it lightly.
This action seems to be a recollection, or a savoring of memories.
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