Chapter 123 A steady heartbeat was stirred up by his words.
Lin Zaoyi's breath hitched, and her misty eyes rippled uncontrollably, circle after circle, lingering for a long time.
Mingxian felt a mix of emotions. She tilted her head slightly and, sensing the gaze, Lin Zaoyi slowly raised her head. She didn't say anything, mainly because she didn't know what to say, and stared blankly at her mother.
There was no need to say anything more. Just by looking at her for a few moments, Mingxian had already figured out what her daughter was thinking. A few days ago, she was still hoping that her daughter's happiness was because she had come out of poverty, but in reality, it was all because of Zhaojing.
Since that's the case, she'll take the gamble.
He took a deep breath and said, "Okay, but you have to agree to one condition."
For no apparent reason, Lin Zaoyi's nose started to sting. She didn't know if it was because her mother's attitude had softened or because there was a glimmer of hope between her and Tan Zhaojing.
She just wanted to cry, and unconsciously looked at him. Almost instantly, his gaze turned to her, and his lips slightly curved upwards, as if silently comforting her and telling her that he was there for her.
It felt even more sour, and Lin Zaoyi blinked quickly to drive away the moisture in her eyes.
His voice brushed past her head, "Aunt Ming, please speak."
"You are not allowed to associate with Zaoyi until all of this is resolved. I can be guided, but Zaoyi cannot."
The person involved remained silent, but the onlookers raised objections, "Ah... no contact? Then what will the brother do if he misses Lin Zaoyi?"
Mr. Tan looked at his daughter and said, "I haven't had any contact with your Aunt Ming for over ten years, and we're still doing fine, aren't we?"
Tan Jiani rolled her eyes sincerely, "How can you compare to my brother? He's unmarried and has no marriage partner, he's clean. You're different, if you meet him, it'll be considered marital infidelity."
Tan's father: "..."
He couldn't hit or scold him, so he coldly ordered in anger, "Quiet down and eat your food!"
Tan Jiani couldn't eat, and kept glancing at her brother, wanting to hear his opinion.
After a two-second pause, Tan Zhaojing nodded. "Okay."
Tan Jiani: "...Brother, you just agreed?"
Her father glared at her, "Or are you planning a rebellion?"
She doesn't like to respond to conversations.
“Aunt Ming,” Tan Zhaojing poured a glass of warm water and handed it to her, “I will be busy for a long time. I will be going on a business trip on Thursday and will be away from the country for almost a month.”
Mingxian took the cup, and had already brought it to her lips before taking it away. Zhaojing suddenly said that there must be another reason for the trip, "Is there something wrong?"
Tan Zhaojing: "I would like to offer you a small suggestion."
Though she called it an opinion, Mingxian inexplicably sensed a hint of settling scores later. "Go ahead," she said.
"Should we stop arranging blind dates for Zaoyi?"
"..."
So that's where I was waiting for her.
She took a sip of water to moisten her throat. "I only arranged it once."
Tan Zhaojing: "But the person you arranged seems to have further intentions."
Mingxian was slightly surprised, "Does Bai Shen have one?"
As he asked, he turned to look at his daughter.
Lin Zaoyi: "..."
She glanced at the man speechlessly. How long was he going to keep being so jealous?
"No, Mr. Ji has no feelings for me."
“Of course not!” Tan Jiani interjected, but before she could finish her sentence, her brother glanced at her, and at his signal, she shut her mouth.
Mingxian sensed something was amiss; either her daughter was oblivious, or Bai Shen was being reserved. She gave her stance: "I won't get involved too much."
However, there is a "but": "If Zao Yi really falls in love with someone else, don't blame me."
Tan Zhaojing: "..."
Lin Zaoyi: "..."
Hearing this, Aunt Sun, who was hiding in the shadows, stopped and slipped out the back door with her back bent. She had no coat on and the cold air made her shiver. There was too much information to take in, so this was a good opportunity to calm down.
After calming down, she dialed the housekeeper's number, very excited, but was ruthlessly interrupted by the housekeeper Zhao before she could finish speaking, "Be careful what you say."
"No, Butler Zhao, I heard it with my own ears! You must report this to the old chairman immediately, or Young Master Zhaojing will marry Miss Zaoyi!"
Butler Zhao rubbed his temples. "Aunt Sun, have you forgotten your job?"
Aunt Sun paused for a moment, then asked, "Didn't the old chairman tell me to keep a close eye on the new wife?"
Butler Zhao countered, "Then what are you doing?"
"But this concerns a major life event for Young Master Zhaojing!"
The response from the other end remained lukewarm: "That's none of your business."
Aunt Sun: ? ? ?
Is she really being nosy?
After much deliberation, Butler Zhao called the young master of the house and made it clear, "I have absolutely no intention of taking your side."
Tan Zhaojing had never thought that way. He knew very well that Uncle Zhao was only reminding him because of their years of friendship, and in any case, he should thank him.
"Don't say that," Butler Zhao said quickly. "When you say thank you, it makes me feel like I belong to you."
Tan Zhaojing smiled faintly, "That's fine too. If Grandpa ever catches you betraying us, I'll take care of you in your old age."
"Forget it, I'm just retiring."
Before hanging up the phone, Butler Zhao suggested that there was no rush to deal with Aunt Sun; keeping her under their noses would be safer.
Tan Zhaojing and Uncle Zhao considered this point together.
...
The night was quiet under the serene moonlight, especially since this was a villa area.
It was cold outside, so Lin Zaoyi didn't go to the terrace. Instead, she leaned against the sofa, gazing at the starry sky, her mind filled with thoughts of him.
Lost in thought, a knock sounded at the door. "Zao Yi."
Tan Zhaojing's voice.
Without hesitation, she jogged over.
The door opened, and that familiar scent of wormwood wafted into my nostrils. "Didn't you leave?"
Tan Zhaojing led her into the house, then closed the door behind him with his other hand. "There's something I forgot."
"What"
The next second, the scent of wormwood in the air became stronger, and he pulled her close, saying, "I didn't hug you."
His words stirred up my usually steady heartbeat.
She concealed her pathetic behavior perfectly, saying, "Just for this?"
Tan Zhaojing said, "Not entirely."
She tilted her head back. "Hmm?"
He smiled slightly, "I want you to kiss me again."
Lin Zaoyi: "..."
Seeing that she didn't speak, the man raised his chin and said, "I can kiss you too."
He bent his neck, bringing it an inch closer, "Is it alright?"
Getting too close, the breath they exhale hits your face, burning you.
Lin Zaoyi felt a pang of anxiety and was speechless; she had never seen him act so gentlemanly before.
The word "no" had barely escaped her lips when his lips fell upon hers. She retreated, and he caught up without giving her a chance.
He lifted her up by her legs and placed her on the sofa nearby.
When someone moved outside, Lin Zaoyi couldn't help but shiver, afraid that someone would suddenly turn the doorknob and come in. Although their relationship was pretty much exposed in the family, they couldn't be so unrestrained. Besides, he had just promised his mother that they couldn't see each other until everything was settled.
She tilted her head to avoid his kiss, but his breath found her ear. "It's Jia Ni. She's too scared to come in."
Sure enough, Tan Jiani's humming tune came through the crack in the door.
“That won’t do either…” Lin Zaoyi pushed him, but he didn’t budge and covered her again.
Between breaths, his hoarse voice reached my ear, "Zaoyi."
"ah?"
He uttered "I like you" through his teeth, then swallowed it with a kiss. Lin Zaoyi's resistance gradually turned into surrender to his tenderness.
She wrapped her arms around his neck in response.
There was a hand inside her cotton pajamas, lingering there, causing her to tremble. She instinctively pushed him away, but he grabbed her hand and raised it above his head, his hot breath falling on her neck and then slowly moving downwards.
"Don't…"
Her voice trembled violently, soft and tinged with a sob, "Tan Zhaojing, not here..."
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