Chapter 24 "Only as Secret Lovers"
Hearing these meaningful words, Wen Jia looked back at him, and a very inopportune thought suddenly entered her mind—
Xu Shaoting is also the kind of man with specific desires.
The idea came abruptly and strangely. In all his past encounters, he had always been proud and self-restrained, always feeling that he shouldn't indulge in those unspeakable desires.
But his words at this moment are so frivolous, as if they reveal a side of him that is unknown to others.
Upon realizing what was on her mind, Wen Jia was instantly ashamed, lowered her eyes, and inwardly berated herself.
This is insane...
She didn't dare look at him, so she used a sincere tone to make up for her lack of sincerity, "You promised not to touch me, you can't break your promise."
Xu Shaoting found her serious expression quite amusing. He raised his head with a half-smile, then suddenly moved closer to her, his warm breath brushing against her ear.
Wen Jia felt a ticklish sensation in her heart from his breath, and gently pushed him away, but deliberately didn't push him completely away. "Chairman Xu," she tried to change the subject, "how many relationships have you had?"
Xu Shaoting's expression was calm, but his breathing was hot. "Why do you ask that?"
Wen Jia couldn't help but recall the kiss in the car earlier. The movements were so gentle, and even though their lips were just touching quietly, she couldn't resist it.
"You're a great kisser."
Xu Shaoting didn't answer her question. He lowered his eyes, took her wrist, and led her a few steps. She was behind him, looking at his hazy back, and suddenly realized that the question was inappropriate.
The contract has been signed, and she is now his "legal" girlfriend. No man wants to answer questions about his girlfriend.
She lowered her head and remained silent, letting the man lead her. The two walked to the room diagonally opposite the study.
“This is the room prepared for you,” he said, opening the door. “The basic necessities are all ready and brand new. If you need to add or replace anything, just tell Lin Youzhe and he will take care of it.”
Xu Shaoting glanced back at her. “You can stay in this room anytime. If you don’t like the layout, you can choose any of the other bedrooms. You can stay in one room a day.” He smiled meaningfully. “Including the master bedroom.”
Wen Jia shook his hand, "So you have this kind of unserious side?"
"I told you, don't think too highly of me."
He paused, as if suddenly remembering something, raised his hand, and said righteously, "Also, during the contract period, I don't want you to have any other romantic relationships."
Wen Jia frowned, her expression displeased. "What does Chairman Xu take me for?"
Xu Shaoting turned around completely and looked at him. "Don't overthink it. I just like to be clear about things. We only have a contractual relationship. Theoretically speaking, I have no right to interfere with your other private life." He stared at her deeply and said very seriously, "Of course, I still don't want you to have any."
"Didn't you just say you hoped this relationship could be shown to others?"
How come you changed your attitude so easily?
Xu Shaoting was both amused and exasperated, and deliberately teased her, "Didn't you say you wanted to keep it a secret? Then we can only be secret lovers."
“Fine, a secret lover it is,” she laughed seductively, “if Chairman Xu can still save face if he sees me being ambiguous with someone else.”
After he finished speaking, Wen Jia saw his eyes dim instantly, but when he spoke again, his tone was indifferent: "You can try. Besides, you should be even more concerned about saving face than I am, right?" He seemed to be laughing. "After all, being exposed for being ambiguous with two men at the same time won't make for a good headline."
Fearing she would fall into his logical trap, Wen Jia quickly tried to cover it up, saying, "That doesn't make any sense..."
"What?"
"And you, do you have other feelings?"
“I won’t,” Xu Shaoting blurted out, his voice firm and resolute. “I won’t have any other feelings for you, I can assure you.”
Wen Jia smiled and said, "That would be best. If you are photographed having other scandals, I wonder how the media will portray me."
Is that all?
Wen Jia looked at him, puzzled.
"Is it just because you're afraid of being portrayed by the media that you don't want me to have any other feelings?" His tone was calm, but his expression seemed eager to know the answer.
What a contradiction.
Wen Jia looked away, her expression and tone calm. "Of course, I won't ask too much of you."
"You can ask."
Wen Jia smiled, but her smile was very restrained. She had never met anyone who wanted to be asked to do something. She lowered her eyes and shook her head. "I believe you, so there's no need."
Xu Shaoting took a breath, his eyelashes fluttered, and he looked away from her. He nodded frankly, hummed in agreement, and said, "I'll listen to you."
This topic should end here, Wen Jia thought.
For the next few hours, tacitly, no one brought up the topic again.
Xu Shaoting showed her around the entire manor. Later, she learned that the residence was indeed built halfway up a mountain. Originally, such terrain was not suitable for large-scale construction, and it took the construction team seven years to barely achieve a basic structure. The place was sparsely populated, the air was crisp and clear, the view from every window was excellent, and every corner was quiet. It took the two of them two hours to explore every corner.
She was wearing flat shoes, but by the end her feet were aching, and Xu Shaoting had to carry her all the way back to the main hall.
The two sat on a sunken sofa. He lifted one of her legs and gently massaged it. "There's an auction banquet tonight. Would you like to come with me?"
"Tonight? Isn't that too rushed..."
Xu Shaoting reassured her, "No, it's a private dinner, so there won't be too many media."
Wen Jia hesitated for a moment. She was now holding a hundred million yuan, so she had to at least show some of the attitude of a service provider.
So he glanced at what he was wearing, then took out his phone and said, "I'll tell my assistant to borrow a dress for me."
Xu Shaoting snatched the phone from her hand and said softly, "It's ready." Then he turned to Lin Youzhe, who was standing not far away, and gave him instructions.
"You can bring your people over now."
-
Forty minutes later, the doorbell rang at the villa.
Two butlers were already waiting at the door, which was opened wide, and seven or eight men and women dressed in formal attire and wearing masks stepped into the living room one by one.
The woman at the head of the group was holding a bouquet of flowers, while two men behind her were pushing a large luggage cart. The cart was filled with several huge bags, which were stacked neatly and orderly, with a black 'VELRA' logo on the front of each bag.
The women behind them were carrying several shopping bags of different sizes and dessert bags.
Wen Jia was still oblivious to what was happening. She carefully observed the newcomer. The woman at the front had smooth, short, center-parted hair and wore a very stylish, wide-shouldered gray suit, which made her look both unconventional and capable.
The woman approached the sofa, first smiling and nodding to Xu Shaoting, who was sitting in the center of the sofa, and then extending a hand to Wen Jia: "Ms. Wen, hello, I am Ding Qianru, brand collaboration designer for VELRA in the Asia-Pacific region. It is a pleasure to serve you today."
After she finished speaking, she carefully placed the flowers in her hand into Wen Jia's arms. Wen Jia was stunned for a long time. When she came to her senses, all the staff had already entered the main hall of the villa, and all kinds of desserts were neatly arranged on the coffee table.
Wen Jia turned her head to look at Xu Shaoting and whispered, "What's going on? What a big commotion..."
She wasn't unfamiliar with designer brands coming to her home for fittings, but this was the first time she'd ever experienced such a grand affair, complete with flowers, desserts, and the entire brand's collection seemingly brought to her estate.
Xu Shaoting didn't answer her. Instead, he calmly stood up from the sofa and said to the staff around him, "Thank you all. Please move to the dressing room."
The staff understood and took their luggage to the cloakroom.
Ding Qianru picked up a thick magazine from the bag and pulled Wen Jia to sit down on the sofa: "Ms. Wen, this is a catalog of our new VELRA autumn/winter dresses. We brought all the styles you can see in this book today, and each one comes in sizes EU33-35." Ding Qianru paused, then smiled and said, "I suppose you wouldn't need any larger sizes."
"You can enjoy your dessert while browsing. If you find a style you like, you can try it on after our staff has displayed all the dresses."
Wen Jia glanced at the dressing room next to her. Inside, several staff members were arranging clothes hangers, tearing off dust bags, and ironing formal wear. Their work was well-organized and their tasks were clearly defined.
She turned her head and took a few symbolic bites of a macaron. Ding Qianru noticed her hesitation and smiled, "Ms. Wen, the desserts are specially prepared to be low-calorie, so you can eat them without worry."
However, she didn't dare to eat as much as she wanted in the end. She only ate about one-tenth of the desserts on the table before wiping her mouth with a tissue and not touching them again, focusing all her attention on the new illustrated book.
She and VELRA did not have any overt business collaborations before, but she has a keen sense of fashion, so she always pays close attention to VELRA's activities.
She casually flipped through a couple of pages. "Are these new styles that haven't been released yet? I haven't seen them on your official website or social media."
Ding Qianru paused in her coffee-drinking motion, clearly surprised by Wen Jia's discovery. She put down her cup. "You're also interested in VELRA?"
Wen Jia smiled faintly, knowing she was being modest, and said, "VELRA is such a big brand with distinctive designs, I'm afraid of missing out on the new models."
Ding Qianru's smile deepened, and she nodded. "Yes, Miss Wen, these are all styles expected to appear on the market next year, including this new style catalog you have in your hand, which is actually our internal information. So, if nothing unexpected happens, you should be the first to wear them." Ding Qianru leaned closer to Wen Jia and whispered to her, her previous businesslike tone completely gone, "There's nothing I can do, he just gave us too much..."
Hearing this, Wen Jia smiled teasingly and turned her head seemingly casually to look in Xu Shaoting's direction. As expected, their eyes met in mid-air. When she looked over, he did not look away and stared at her intently. "Is there anyone you like?"
She smiled and nodded.
Xu Shaoting raised an eyebrow in satisfaction. "I'm glad you like it."
Wen Jia chatted with Ding Qianru in the living room for nearly twenty minutes, laughing and talking the whole time. At that moment, the staff member from the dressing room came out, placed his hands respectfully in front of him, and bowed to Wen Jia, "Miss Wen, the dress has been ironed."
Ding Qianru was very approachable and easy-going. After chatting with Wen Jia for a while, the two had become quite familiar with each other. She took Wen Jia's arm and pulled her to her feet. "Come on, darling, I promise you'll find something you like."
Xu Shaoting's walk-in closet is exceptionally spacious, with beige and black as the main colors. Three sides are glass sliding doors, which clearly indicate that it is cleaned and maintained by a professional every day. It is spotless, and his complete set of custom-made suits, shirts and leather shoes are neatly arranged inside.
In the center of the dressing room is a display case where men's ties, bow ties, watches, and cufflinks are neatly arranged in velvet boxes, clearly visible.
At this moment, the square display case is filled with all kinds of jewelry and diamond necklaces.
Moreover, the rest of the large walk-in closet was filled with more than a dozen movable clothes racks, but fortunately the space was still large enough that it did not feel cramped or crowded.
Hundreds of evening gowns that have never appeared on the market before are displayed here, neatly categorized by color and length, and each one is ironed without a single wrinkle, regardless of material.
Nearly thirty pairs of women's flats and high heels were placed in front of the dress.
For the first time, the walk-in closet, usually brimming with male hormones, was filled with such a strong feminine atmosphere.
Ding Qianru reached across the clothes rack, hooked one of the dresses with her finger, and pulled it out, waving it at Wen Jia. "Darling, this is the one you just spotted. Would you like to try it on?"
Wen Jia looked delighted, "The actual product is even more beautiful than the pictures."
At this moment, only the two of them remained in the dressing room. Wen Jia was about to change her clothes, so Ding Qianru walked to the door and left it slightly ajar.
The dress was too elaborate to fit one person alone. Wen Jia generously removed her clothes one by one, and when Ding Qianru turned her head, Wen Jia was left with only a lace bra on her upper body.
Ding Qianru exclaimed inwardly, "...So generous, darling."
Wen Jia looked down at her body and said frankly, "I'm used to it. Sometimes I even take my dress off completely in front of the stylist and assistant." She smiled and added, "They're used to it too."
Ding Qianru cooperated with her, taking out a pair of brand new breast pads, tearing off the plastic film, and handing them to Wen Jia.
She took off her lace bra and threw it aside, then took the one Ding Qianru handed her and gathered it up casually.
Before she was fully dressed, there was a sudden knock on the solid wood door of the dressing room. Wen Jia instinctively turned around and looked outside.
Xu Shaoting stood at the door of the dressing room, but respecting her privacy, he did not peek inside. He simply said, "Have you tried it on? Let me see."
Before Wen Jia could speak, Ding Qianru, who was standing to the side, heard the sudden male voice and exclaimed in surprise.
The sound was too jarring and inappropriate, so Xu Shaoting frowned and looked inside.
Wen Jia remained in the same posture as before, but quickly turned around, facing the doorway sideways.
Xu Shaoting saw the scene clearly, his gaze and figure completely fixed. His eyes were deep, his fingers unconsciously stroked his chin, and he deliberately cleared his throat.
Hearing his movements, Wen Jia looked down and, realizing what he had seen, a blush instantly crept up her ears and cheeks.
She shouted, "Xu Shaoting, you're so rude!"
"..."
"Xu Shaoting, you're being a pervert!"
"..."
When she got anxious, she stopped calling him "Chairman Xu" and started calling him by his full name.
The staff outside the door were seeing Xu Shaoting for the first time, and it was also the first time they had ever seen anyone dare to call him by his full name like that. They stood in the living room, pursing their lips and looking at each other in bewilderment.
The man whose full name was called instinctively raised his hand, "Sorry, I didn't see it."
"You're lying! How do you know what I'm talking about if you didn't see it?!"
"...Really, no."
He wanted to explain, but Wen Jia didn't give him a chance at all. The blush on her pretty face became more and more obvious, extending to her ears, as if it could turn into paint and drip down.
Separated by a door, Xu Shaoting pursed his lips, closed his eyes, took a deep breath, exhaled, and when he opened his eyes again, his expression held a hint of doting affection and helplessness that he himself was unaware of:
"...I'm sorry, it was my fault."
-----------------------
Author's Note: Jiajia, your husband's cunning side has only been developed to 0.1%.
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