Chapter 28 "What if I said I could protect her forever?"...
Wen Jia was pinned down by Xu Shaoting, his broad shoulders almost completely enveloping her, his shadow pressing down heavily.
The room was spacious, but she inexplicably felt the air was thin and she felt a little suffocated.
Xu Shaoting's gaze locked onto the person beneath him. "Speak."
Wen Jia's toes were tense, her fingers curled up at her lips in bewilderment, and she spoke in a muffled voice, "What does Chairman Xu want me to say?"
Xu Shaoting sighed almost imperceptibly, gently removing her hand from his lips, his tone tinged with helplessness, "Wen Jia, if you think I'm doing all this just to help..."
Before he could finish speaking, there was a knock on the suite door. Xu Shaoting turned around, his brows furrowed, clearly his patience had run out. "Who is it?"
"Mr. Xu, Mr. Zhang asked me to bring you some red wine." The waiter's voice rang out from outside the door.
Xu Shaoting's gaze fell back on the face of his servant. He stared at him for two seconds before getting up from the sofa to open the door himself. When he returned, he looked very lazy, with his shirt sleeves rolled up, his collar open, and a bottle of red wine in his hand.
He looked relaxed, yet his demeanor was far too dignified and handsome, unlike any of the male actors she had ever worked with. Wen Jia turned her head to look at him, flustered, and in her daze, she heard a deep male voice beside her ear, "What are you looking at, so engrossed?"
He had already walked up to her, looking down at her.
Wen Jia covered up, saying, "I wasn't looking at anything." She blinked her eyelashes, her pupils sparkling. "What were you trying to say?"
Xu Shaoting said seriously, "Tell me, do you really think I'm doing all this just to help you?"
Wen Jia uncorked the bottle and said in an unprecedentedly open-minded tone, "Otherwise what? Or is it just because I'm your 'girlfriend' now, that you feel embarrassed when I'm being bullied?"
That signature bright smile was back on her face, but her eyes held an extreme indifference.
The room was eerily quiet. Apart from the splashing sound of her pouring red wine into a wine glass, there was no other sound, as if even breathing had completely disappeared.
She didn't get a response to her words because she saw that Xu Shaoting's expression was very indescribable. He just stared at her, his jawline and lips were taut, his brows were deeply furrowed, and there seemed to be something unusually hot churning in his pupils.
He spoke after a long time:
Do you know what you're saying?
Wen Jia felt a chill in her heart, but she didn't show it. "Wasn't I clear enough, Chairman Xu? You're a smart person," she said, tossing her smooth black hair over one shoulder and taking a sip from her wine glass.
“I am very grateful for Mr. Xu’s help, and I will repay you.”
After saying that, she turned to leave, but the man's hand reacted faster than her body.
He snatched the wine glass from her, completely unconcerned that the liquid spilled onto the white wool carpet. Holding her arm in one hand and the glass in the other, he spoke, each word distinct:
"Wen Jia, do you think our relationship is just a transaction? Just a transaction where I helped you and you need to repay me?"
Wen Jia's eyes were calm, but her lips were stubbornly pursed. "I dare not ask too much of Chairman Xu."
He was so strong that his grip on her arm made it ache slightly, and she murmured, "It hurts..."
He then realized what was happening and let go of her.
She rubbed her arm, her heart aching like the flesh within it. She truly dared not ask for too much from him in this contractual relationship. No one knew that her feelings at this moment were just as indescribable as when she heard him say he was engaged. In that instant, she understood that she and he were not from the same world. How could someone who needed to fake his feelings truly care about others?
It's just a piece of paper forcibly binding two people who shouldn't be connected together.
Xu Shaoting closed his eyes tightly, two words were about to come out, but seeing her resistant reaction, he swallowed them back. For the first time, he experienced the bitter feeling of being speechless and choked with emotion.
A silence fell. The two had much to say, but neither spoke first. Xu Shaoting turned and walked straight to the landline, ordering a waiter to come in and change the carpet.
The waiter felt a low pressure as soon as he entered the room. He cautiously looked up and saw the man leaning against the window, a cigarette between his fingers, his brows furrowed with displeasure, as if even the smoke couldn't dispel it.
The woman sat in the center of the sofa, swirling her wine glass, but she didn't take a sip. Her mind wasn't on the wine at all; she was staring at the floor, her lips pressed tightly together, as if she had something difficult to say.
The waiter didn't hear any conversation between the two of them until they left the room.
Wen Jia finished half a bottle of red wine, stood up, and said, "I'm very happy today. Thank you, Chairman Xu. I'll head back now; my assistant will be worried about me."
Xu Shaoting chuckled, extinguished his bright red cigarette, and walked over to take her hand, which was adorned with a pink diamond ring. "We'll stay here tonight."
Wen Jia wanted to refuse, but how could he give her the chance?
She had no way to break free from him.
Xu Shaoting took out his phone and instructed Lin Youzhe to bring over brand new toiletries and a change of clothes.
Wen Jia's mind went on a sudden alarm bell: "Didn't you agree not to touch me?"
Xu Shaoting said with a helpless yet meaningful tone, "It's good to be wary, but when did I ever say I was going to touch you?"
Wen Jia's face flushed instantly, but what came out of her mouth was not shy at all, "Does Chairman Xu dare to say that he had no intention of touching me?"
"..."
She tapped the man's chest, looked straight into his eyes, and pressed, "Dare you say it?"
The next second, he grabbed the hand that was groping his chest, pulled it onto his shoulder, and whispered in her ear, "Miss Wen, why do you touch a man in this place so casually?"
He reached down, slipping his hand inside her dress, finding the transparent clasp on her bra. He stopped there, saying:
"How about we switch?"
Wen Jia's mind went blank for a moment. Feeling the cold touch of his fingers, a shiver suddenly ran through her body.
She believed he was fully capable of doing it.
He was described as upright and abstinent, yet at this moment his slender hand rested on the hidden clasp of the woman's bra; he was also said to be burning with desire, yet at this moment he completely stopped moving and even sought her opinion.
It's too disjointed...
Zhou Jingcheng was right after all.
What gentleman, what self-restraint?
Men understand men best.
Wen Jia's heart was pounding, fearing that he might do something reckless without warning at any moment.
But he didn't. He just kissed her forehead and asked, "Has anyone surnamed Zhou ever treated you like this?"
She was on the verge of tears. Although his tone was gentle, his interrogative aura made it impossible for her to ignore him.
The man in front of her felt inexplicably unfamiliar. The way he explored her with his hands and the indescribable words he uttered made it impossible for her to reconcile the man in this moment with the man she knew.
She even felt that the person standing in front of her was a different man.
She lowered her eyelashes, rested her forehead against his chest, and murmured softly, "Does this mean I... saw a side of Chairman Xu that he can't show to others?"
Xu Shaoting's large, warm hand stroked the back of her head, smoothed her hair, then lifted her head from his chest and kissed her for a long time until she couldn't breathe. He looked at the woman in his arms, who was breathing slightly, and said, "I have an even more shameful side."
After saying this, accompanied by a gasp, Xu Shaoting picked Wen Jia up and carried her to the bathroom, saying in a sanctimonious tone, "You should take a shower."
The bathtub had been filled with hot water by the waiter before the two entered, and the water temperature was just right. Wen Jia understood what he wanted to do. She glanced down at her expensive, high-quality dress, and kicked her legs, trying to protest, "I'm wearing a dress... this fabric can't get wet..."
Upon hearing this, Xu Shaoting paused for a few seconds, then quickly said, "I'll buy you new ones." He looked down at the person in his arms, as if suddenly remembering something, and a playful smile appeared in his eyes. "Aren't there still so many pieces? We'll wash them one by one."
Wen Jia thought he would make further moves, but he didn't. Instead, he gently placed her in the bathtub, crossed his arms, looked at her for a long time without saying a word, and then stepped out of the bathroom.
The wet dress clung uncomfortably to her body, so Wen Jia took it off and tossed it aside. She removed her makeup and then completely immersed herself in the bathtub. She bathed for over forty minutes, only coming out when she was almost suffocating in the bathroom.
She put on her bathrobe, dried her hair as she left the bathroom, and through her dripping hair, she caught a glimpse of Xu Shaoting's profile.
He sat calmly on the sofa on the left, his long legs stretched out, flicking ash into the ashtray. It was the first time he had smoked so unrestrainedly in front of her, as if he was trying his best to restrain himself from something.
Hearing her movement, the man turned to look at her. Her collarbone and calves were completely exposed, and her wet black hair was still dripping with water, flowing down her temples, past her jawline, and finally down her collarbone into the unfathomable cleavage.
His eyes shifted from calm to dark, and it took him a second to regain his composure. He cleared his throat and looked away.
Wen Jia calmly found the hair dryer, but her black hair was only half dry when the hair dryer was snatched away by another hand with a masculine aura.
Xu Shaoting had somehow walked up behind her and casually took out a hairdryer, gently blowing her hair.
Wen Jia let him play with her hair, looking down at her nails, "Has Mr. Xu blow-dried hair for many girls?"
Why do you ask that?
"curious."
Xu Shaoting paused, looking at the woman's cervical vertebrae visible beneath her thin, white skin as she lowered her head. "It's been used on girls."
Wen Jia had her back to him, so he didn't know that her eyes suddenly moved; she lowered her eyelashes, as if some light had been extinguished.
"I knew it."
"Don't you have any questions?"
"What do you want to ask?"
"Ask me who I've blown this for."
He paused for two seconds, then said, "That's your freedom."
Then she heard a helpless laugh from above her head, "It's for my sister."
Her gaze changed once again, this time from dim to bright.
"Sister? My biological sister?"
"Hmm, who do you think it is?"
“Of course I thought it was other women,” he paused and then emphasized, “many other women.”
Xu Shaoting remained silent for a moment:
"Wen Jia, what image do I really have in your heart?"
She rolled her eyes. "Did I say something wrong? Should I have said 'many other men'? Mr. Xu, do you prefer men?"
Xu Shaoting turned off the hair dryer and closed his eyes tightly.
What's wrong with this woman's thought process?
You shouldn't have asked.
He let out a sigh of relief, led her to the bedside, and commanded her in a deep voice, "Go to sleep."
"Then you..." she hesitated, as if there was something she couldn't say.
Xu Shaoting coaxed her, "I won't touch you."
She walked towards the bed with peace of mind, but just as her knees touched the edge of the bed, he suddenly grabbed her wrist, and she stumbled and fell into his arms.
"Are you so afraid of me touching you?"
She said seriously, "I only fulfill my contractual obligations."
Xu Shaoting wanted to continue being a beast, but then he noticed her tired expression and couldn't bear to torment her any longer. He simply asked, "You didn't answer one of my questions earlier."
"What?"
"Has anyone surnamed Zhou ever treated you like this?"
"Yes, even closer than you are to me."
She almost without thinking
After saying that, she didn't dare to look at his expression. She knew without a doubt that it was something she couldn't say. She immediately turned around, climbed onto the bed, and pulled the covers over her face.
Xu Shaoting stood by the bed, watching her movements. The man, who was usually good at controlling his expression, was now terribly dark-skinned. It was rare for his aura to drop to midnight twice in one night. He stared at her for nearly five minutes, and only when he saw that she was completely asleep did he suppress the strange emotions in his heart, lift his foot and turn off the main light, leaving only a dim yellow sleep lamp for her.
He didn't know that Wen Jia wasn't trying to fall asleep by covering herself with the blanket.
She propped herself up on her arms, the blanket arching in the air, and looked at the pink diamond ring on her middle finger in the dim light from the headboard.
Sixty million, crystal clear, and radiant.
She slept wearing this pink diamond.
There was a terrace connecting to the room, which was a public area, so it wasn't a balcony in the true sense. Xu Shaoting walked to the railing, leaned against it, lit a cigarette, took a deep drag, and looked up at the thin figure on the bed. He seemed annoyed, or perhaps trying his best to suppress some unspeakable desire. He deliberately inhaled the smoke as deeply as possible, held it for a few seconds, and then slowly exhaled.
He was pondering what she had just said, and certain unspeakable images surfaced in his mind.
But it wasn't between him and her, it was between Zhou Jingcheng and her.
He inhaled the smoke deeper and deeper with each puff.
The night was intensely dark, and the cruise ship continued to sail slowly on the Yunting River, the entire ship falling silent.
In the silence, Xu Shaoting stayed alone on the terrace for a full hour, smoking one cigarette after another, until the last bit of scarlet flame in the darkness went out before he returned to his room.
The person on the bed was clearly fast asleep, her body rising and falling with her even breathing. She was a good sleeper, lying peacefully on her side, with a dim, yellowish light emanating from her.
The man closed the balcony door and turned around. Suddenly, her phone, which was on the bedside table, vibrated.
The noise was neither too loud nor too soft, not enough to wake a sleeping person, but it was particularly jarring to those who were awake.
He slowly walked to the bedside, looked down at the sleeping person, then glanced at the phone, lost in thought.
He had only intended to hang up for her, but it was too late now, because he had already seen the caller ID.
He changed his mind in an instant.
The three characters “Zhou Jingcheng” were prominently displayed on the screen.
He was no longer annoyed; a faint smile appeared on his lips as he slowly swiped to answer the call.
Instead of speaking first, I waited for the other person to speak first.
Zhou Jingcheng clearly hadn't expected him to answer the phone, and said without any warning, "Wen Jia, you..."
However, the unusual silence on the other end of the phone immediately alerted him. He called out hesitantly, "Wen Jia?"
Xu Shaoting scoffed lightly, his tone calm, "President Zhou, what's the matter with calling her?"
There was a half-minute silence on the other end, as if they were processing this unexpected yet reasonable event.
"Why did you answer the phone? Where is Wen Jia?" Zhou Jingcheng's tone was very calm, but this calmness was very restrained, as if he was suppressing great displeasure.
“In my room,” he said, then added meaningfully, “asleep.”
"Shouldn't I be asking you that, Mr. Zhou? Why are your calls always so untimely?"
After hearing this, Zhou Jingcheng remained silent for nearly two minutes. Seeing that he didn't speak for a long time, Xu Shaoting said again, "If there's nothing else, I think President Zhou doesn't need to call anymore."
Zhou Jingcheng understood his unspoken message and, recalling the events on the cruise ship that evening, scoffed, "When did Chairman Xu become so ruthless?"
The man calmly sat back down on the sofa. "Face is reserved for those who are valuable."
“Value?” Zhou Jingcheng found it absurd. “Chairman Xu, didn’t Wen Jia tell you that most of her resources in the past few years were provided by me?”
Xu Shaoting got annoyed, so he took out another cigarette, lit it, took a puff, and then answered him:
“Zhou Jingcheng, if you think Wen Jia is the kind of person who would be moved by your petty gains,” he smiled sarcastically, turning his gaze to the bed, “then now I know why she hasn’t reacted after all these years of you being by her side. Besides, even without you, she could have achieved it on her own, and I’m sure you wouldn’t deny that.”
She paused, her tone growing colder, "If I were you, I wouldn't have been so blatant in keeping her by my side all the time. Otherwise, you wouldn't be in such an embarrassing situation tonight, would you?"
"So you deliberately made things difficult for me tonight, didn't you?"
"If you already know why you're asking?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Wen Jia stirred under the covers, making a soft rustling sound. Xu Shaoting noticed, got up, and went to the bedside. He gently patted her curled-up body until she fell back asleep, then lowered his voice:
“Of course, it’s not just you, there’s also Shen Qiaowen. If it were just you, it wouldn’t be enough for me to bring her here today,” he patted the blanket for Wen Jia, and when he spoke again, his tone was light and mocking, as if he had just realized something. “Sorry, Mr. Zhou, I’ve gone off on a tangent. I forgot that you don’t seem to know about how Shen Qiaowen used to make things difficult for Wen Jia on set.”
Zhou Jingcheng jumped into the trap he had set, "Shen Qiaowen is making things difficult for Wen Jia? When?"
Xu Shaoting looked up, his smile flippant, "See, that's why I said you're worthless."
Zhou Jingcheng gripped his phone tighter and tighter, his knuckles turning white. He was clearly losing his temper, and his tone became aggressive, "Xu Shaoting, have you ever thought that by protecting Wen Jia like this and going to such extremes, Wen Jia won't have an easy time in the industry in the future?"
Zhou Jingcheng spoke as if he genuinely cared for Wen Jia. Xu Shaoting found it grating. He looked down at the woman on the bed, brushed aside her stray hairs, and spoke slowly:
"What if I said I could protect him forever?"
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