The wild wind could not be stopped, and it recklessly tousled her hair, making her look like a homeless little fox.
Xu Yanzhi paused, said nothing, and just looked at her.
From initial confusion to confirmation that it was him, the panic on Meng Jiuyi's face gradually subsided.
"Mr. Xu, what are you doing here?"
The banquet is going to last all night, so all the guest rooms have been reserved.
"Shouldn't I be asking you that?"
Xu Yanzhi smiled slightly, "Couldn't sleep in the middle of the night, so you came here for a walk?"
He was so mean. He was clearly making a sarcastic and teasing tone, but he did it so subtly that it left you speechless.
Meng Jiuyi remained silent.
Xu Yanzhi said, "Get in the car."
"No need, I can manage myself—"
"Are you sure you want to walk back? It takes more than an hour to drive from here to the city center. If you walk, you'll have to get there by tomorrow morning, right?"
His eyes were misty as he met Uncle Zhuang's gaze through the rearview mirror.
Uncle Zhuang immediately said, "Miss Meng, please get in the car. I just checked the journey and it will take seven and a half hours. It's not safe to travel at night. Not long ago, a woman went missing here, and when she was found, both of her kidneys were gone."
With each word he spoke, Meng Jiuyi's heart clenched. When she disembarked, she was indeed resolute, no matter how long or dark the road ahead, she was determined to leave, not wanting to leave any trace, and she was even unwilling to use the Shen family's car.
The resentment and sorrow she had felt along the way were enough to lessen her fear of the dark, but hearing him say this now sent chills down her spine.
He wanted to be stubborn for a while longer, but his body betrayed his will, and he had already gone to the other side to pull the car door.
"Then I'll have to trouble you."
Xu Yanzhi touched his lips, looked out the window, and smiled slightly.
There are two kidneys too.
The car door closed, and the Rolls-Royce drove smoothly, with a faint fragrance lingering in the air that was very reassuring.
Meng Jiuyi, as a guest, boarded the car and was very polite.
"Mr. Xu, is there another plan for you to leave so early tonight?"
"I have an unavoidable dinner appointment tomorrow. What about you? Didn't you say you were in England?"
How did you know?
Her eyes widened in surprise. With her hair cut short, it was easy to draw attention to her eyes, which were bright whether she was smiling or not.
Xu Yanzhi lowered his eyes, his tone perfectly normal.
"I heard it from someone else."
It must have been Tan Ni who told him.
She considered how to make the lie more believable, "Actually, I returned to China last night. I originally planned to secretly rest at home, but I heard that the banquet was unprecedented, so I was attracted to come."
Xu Yanzhi tapped his fingers idly on the car window, looking down at her with such nonchalance in his tone.
"So now, why did you run away in a huff? Was it because you didn't meet expectations?"
He hadn't forgotten the moisture in her eyes.
What do you mean by running away in a huff? She wasn't in a huff at all.
Meng Jiuyi's rebellious spirit always came at the worst possible time. "The night is beautiful tonight, and it would be a shame to waste time on the banquet. That's why I decided to come out and admire the moon."
Xu Yanzhi gave her a meaningful look. "She is quite touching."
As he spoke, the car window rolled down a crack. The weather in late summer in Kyushu is unpredictable. Dark clouds shrouded the full moon, preventing even a faint light from penetrating.
His question, phrased with just the right amount of provocation, asked, "So it's worth it for Miss Meng to come out and wait a whole night early?"
Meng Jiuyi: "..."
She discovered that this person, like Tan Yuchen, had the ability to shut people up without them even realizing it, and somehow her silver tongue had rendered her speechless in front of Tan Yuchen.
A balloon with its string cut floats gently in my heart.
She wanted to argue, but her voice was weak and she lacked confidence. "It was clearly Mr. Xu who arrived suddenly and scared it away."
Uncle Zhuang glanced at the rearview mirror in the car and wondered if he was seeing things.
He saw Xu Yanzhi curl his lips into a slight smile, as if he was helpless against her sophistry and unreasonable arguments.
The car was silent, and the two remained speechless for a moment.
Her coat wasn't properly covering her, and Xu Yanzhi noticed the red marks on her arm, his gaze shifting slightly.
What happened to the injury on your arm?
Meng Jiuyi suddenly realized what was happening and reflexively pulled her coat back to cover herself completely.
"...It's nothing, I just bumped my head accidentally."
She thought she had answered confidently, but little did she know that the moment her eyelashes trembled, Xu Yanzhi could see right through her guilty conscience.
His gaze lingered on the back of her neck, where he paused abruptly—there was a trail of red marks winding downwards, like grapes. The car's lighting wasn't bright, and he hadn't noticed it because his attention hadn't been on it earlier.
Xu Yanzhi continued to stare at her, for so long that Meng Jiuyi began to get nervous, wondering if he had discovered something.
She didn't look up, so naturally she didn't see the spring rain receding silently in his eyes, like the morning fog gradually rising, becoming as unpredictable as ever.
He asked, "Was it Tan Sheng who made you disembark?"
Meng Jiuyi looked over blankly, their eyes met, and for a moment, embarrassment felt like ants crawling all over her body.
He misunderstood!
Something struck her heartstrings, and the words of explanation were already on the tip of her tongue when her mind went blank for a moment.
How so?
His intelligence is undeniable, and he can honestly admit that it's not Tan Sheng, but his good brother.
The result was simply that her reputation worsened.
Meng Jiuyi's expression fell silent, and he softly hummed in agreement, having no choice but to apologize to Tan Sheng once again.
"Not really. I almost bumped into my aunt on the boat just now, so I got off as a precaution. Please keep this a secret, Mr. Xu."
These words sound familiar; they're all meant to tell him to keep it a secret.
She described it briefly, but Xu Yanzhi could perfectly imagine the scene: her and Tan Sheng in the room.
What kind of force could leave marks on such an insignificant place as an elbow, and in those unseen areas hidden by the coat...?
Xu Yanzhi felt a slight tightness in his chest as he struggled to breathe.
He subconsciously thought it was the tie that was holding him back, but when he raised his hand, he remembered that he had taken off the tie before getting on the bus.
He lowered his voice, "Is someone who kicks you off the ship at the slightest trouble and makes you walk back home in the middle of the night really worth it?"
He was both asking a question and offering a reminder.
After all, he was practically her senior.
Meng Jiuyi was taken aback. So what if she wasn't worth it? She had met some people before, but they had only given her more incisive reminders that she was unworthy.
She said in a low voice, "Perhaps everyone has their own helplessness."
Her words sounded like she was trying to exonerate Tan Sheng.
Xu Yanzhi didn't answer her; for the first time, he lacked manners and didn't respond.
The atmosphere suddenly turned cold. Through the dark gray glass window next to him, Meng Jiuyi could vaguely see the man's brows furrowed, his impatience barely contained.
She was stunned for a moment.
The balloon, which had been floating so lightly just moments before, suddenly had several holes punched in it, and now, barren and adrift, it's impossible to tell where it's gone.
He must think she's a very casual person.
Meng Jiuyi's eyelashes fluttered, and she silently moved to the side.
The atmosphere instantly became even more icy.
The two didn't have much to say to each other; the fresh and clean fragrance made Meng Jiuyi drowsy.
He had been in control of the atmosphere between them, and now even the farewell was rushed. After the man got out of the car, the Rolls-Royce returned the way it came.
The streetlights outside the car swept across the man's face, which was closed and deep in thought, as calm as a deep pool.
Uncle Zhuang asked, "Is the young master in a bad mood because of Miss Meng?"
The eyes reflected in the rearview mirror slowly opened.
Uncle Zhuang decisively did not ask any more questions.
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