Chapter 72 "You're only allowed to look like this in front of me..."
Lin Zhongyuan couldn't believe that the man who had been avoided being mentioned these past few days was standing right in front of him.
No, it should be said that he was standing next to Wen Jia.
No, that's not quite right. It should be said that he held Wen Jia tightly in his arms.
That's still not right. It should be said that he not only held her in his arms, but also kissed her affectionately.
"President Lin," Xu Shaoting said calmly, "what is it?"
"It's alright, it's alright. I was just worried something might happen to her inside alone, so I came to check on her."
Seeing that she was not only unharmed but also being gently coaxed by the man, Lin Zhongyuan knew that if he stayed any longer, he would only be making a fool of himself. He turned to leave, saying, "I'll go first, Chairman Xu. I feel at ease with you here."
She hadn't taken two steps when the man called out to her, "Wait."
Lin Zhongyuan slowly turned his head.
"Why are you worried about something happening to her alone inside?" Xu Shaoting frowned sharply. "You mean, has this happened to her before?"
Wen Jia's sobbing in his arms completely stopped.
Lin Zhongyuan glanced quickly at Wen Jia and hurriedly explained, but his words sounded weak. "No, no, no, it's just that she's been in a bad mood these past few days. She's the lead actress, so Director Yu and I definitely have to take extra care of her."
Lin Zhongyuan didn't know if the man believed him or not. He only saw the man nod slightly, seem to tighten his grip on the person in his arms, and then say, "Thank you."
Then the door was slammed shut.
Inside the room, Xu Shaoting pinned her against a corner and scrutinized her for a while in the light before asking, "Why would he worry about you getting into trouble alone in there?"
Wen Jia looked down at her toes, unable to move, her voice barely a whisper, "I don't know... he just said it casually... he was joking..."
“It’s not casual.” Xu Shaoting shook his head slightly, his tone firm. “He’s a smart man; he wouldn’t joke about something going wrong.”
Wen Jia racked her brains but still didn't know how to start the conversation.
"Tell me the truth."
She didn't want him to worry, so she remained silent and didn't answer.
Xu Shaoting's heart sank as he looked at her hesitant expression.
He cupped her face in his hands, gently stroking it with his fingertips, then slowly moved down, examining the skin on her neck inch by inch. After confirming that it was intact, he grasped her slender wrist and examined it repeatedly, as if searching for some shocking mark.
His movements were so gentle, as if he couldn't hold onto her, as if she were right in front of him and would disappear in the next second.
"I'm fine..."
Xu Shaoting ignored her, grabbed the back of her head, and pulled her into his arms, holding her so tightly that their two burning bodies almost merged into one.
"Don't tell me you almost made me lose you."
Wen Jia placed her slender fingers on his shoulders, "No... no."
Five minutes later.
Yu Kaiqing was called to the suite door. Xu Shaoting slowly walked out and locked Wen Jia inside, deliberately not letting her out.
“Chairman Xu…” Yu Kaiqing looked at the tall man standing there, trembling with fear.
Xu Shaoting lowered his eyes. "Lin Zhongyuan just said he was worried something might happen to her if she were alone in her room. Why? Did she have any ulterior motives?" He couldn't finish the sentence, so he changed his words, "Did she ever think of doing something foolish?"
"No, no! I didn't do anything stupid!" Yu Kaiqing waved her hand, shaking her head vigorously. "But she did do it once..."
The suite door was suddenly flung open, and Wen Jia's uncomfortable cough came through, "Kaiqing, don't..."
Before he could finish speaking, the door was ruthlessly pushed back shut by a large hand.
“Speak,” he commanded.
"Once, she cried alone in her room until she developed respiratory alkaloid poisoning!"
A flicker of pain flashed across Xu Shaoting's eyes. Although this was much better than the worst outcome, the imagery conjured by those words was enough to tighten his heart repeatedly.
However, what followed was what truly broke his heart.
“She was suffering from insomnia almost every day for a while. Sometimes she would just stare at the ceiling and say nothing, and sometimes she would cry all night long…” Yu Kaiqing lowered her head and poured out everything in one go. “That night, I was worried about her, so I went to her room. I knocked on the door for a long time, but no one answered. I forced my way in and found her curled up on the carpet, breathing rapidly, her limbs were convulsing, and her face was so pale…it was terrifying…”
The corridor was deathly silent.
The man's breathing suddenly became heavy, as if something was blocking his chest, causing waves of choking pain that prevented him from relaxing his brow.
Yu Kaiqing didn't dare look at his expression and continued, "But luckily, President Lin was there too. Seeing that her condition was very serious, he immediately took her to the hospital... and she was given emergency treatment..."
When did this happen?
"On Christmas Day."
The night she called him when she was slightly tipsy.
Such vivid memories.
He could remember her teary eyes and sorrowful expression, but he never imagined that she was going through such a struggle outside of the phone call.
Yu Kaiqing's throat tightened as she recalled Wen Jia's appearance at the time. "Chairman Xu, she really had a bad time during the period when you broke up. She didn't smile genuinely for a single day. Sometimes I was so worried that I had to go to her room in the middle of the night to check on her."
Language is incredibly destructive. Each word is like a heavy hammer blow, leaving him bloodied and mangled.
"I understand." He waved his hand, sending Yu Kaiqing back.
He turned and went back to his room, without hugging or checking on her as eagerly as before.
He simply looked at her silently, with a gaze she had never seen before, a gaze that almost overwhelmed him with pain.
"Wen Jia." His Adam's apple bobbed violently. "So I almost really lost you, didn't I?"
She couldn't deny that she knew better than anyone how serious the situation was, but she pouted, feeling extremely wronged, "I didn't mean to do that. I don't know why, but I just couldn't calm down after crying for a while."
"You don't need to explain anything." Xu Shaoting grabbed her waist tightly, pulling her into his arms for the umpteenth time, confirming her presence with his body heat.
Hearing that her life was in danger was a million times more painful than hearing her say she wanted to break up.
"I was just scared afterward." His lips brushed against her hair. "Kaiqing said it was Christmas night? Why were you crying so hard? What were you thinking?"
She pondered for a moment, "I thought about so many things, about everything we had before, and then I realized that it seems we have no future—"
Xu Shaoting realized he shouldn't have asked, so he stopped her from continuing and just closed his eyes briefly. "I'm sorry, I always arrive late."
"You're not too late," Wen Jia obediently hugged him back, trying to ease the tension, "Not late at all, the news of your relationship came at just the right time..."
“I’m not here because of the relationship,” he interrupted her, going straight to the point: “It’s because I know the truth about how you broke up with me.”
Wen Jia glanced down guiltily, "Don't mention it again..."
Xu Shaoting sat down on the sofa with a half-smile, and as before, pulled her into his arms, lifting her thighs slightly. "So much lighter?"
Wen Jia didn't say anything, she just curled up in his arms.
"So good, baby." He kissed her ear, unable to get enough of it. "Why are you so good? Hmm?"
"Because I miss you." Wen Jia obediently hugged him, pressed her chest against his, and then, quite pathetically, wanted to shed tears.
“You know what, Xu Shaoting,” she blinked, now that she was by his side, she had regained the confidence to let her tears fall, “I’ve been having this kind of dream a lot lately, and when I wake up I realize that the most ordinary scenes that I used to see can only be seen in my dreams now.”
Xu Shaoting felt the hot, wet sensation on his chest, lifted her chin, and kissed it away. "Don't cry."
“No,” Wen Jia shook her head with a smile, “she’s crying tears of joy…”
Xu Shaoting looked away.
He too had such dreams, and he too had stared blankly at his empty side for a long time upon waking.
Fortunately, they all got what they wanted and regained it.
At this moment, both of them remained silent in tacit agreement, their silence more a sense of relief at having each other again than a feeling of being in a daze, a heavy yet burning peace. It was not light, for it was soaked with tears.
“I know. Because I feel the same way. Every time I wake up and can’t touch you, I feel like the house is so big it makes me anxious.”
Wen Jia felt extremely wronged, her eyes filled with tears, as she touched his handsome features.
He took her fingers, kissed them, and casually asked, "Why were you avoiding me in Zurich that day?"
She went to Zurich to find peace and understand, to forget him, but she didn't dare tell the truth. She could only stammer and ask, "How did you know I was in Zurich too? Did you send someone to monitor me?"
Xu Shaoting: "..."
After a two-second silence, he said in a sanctimonious tone, "I asked the lock seller to spy on you."
Wen Jia suddenly realized, "You went to the love lock area too."
"Well, thankfully it's still quite new and not rusty."
Hearing his words, Wen Jia felt incredibly guilty. He cared about whether the lock was rusty, but she had only cared about whether the lock could be unlocked.
She guiltily looked away, but the man pressed her for answers:
"The uncle said you've been standing there for a long time, what were you thinking about?"
"I wasn't thinking about anything..."
Her reaction confirmed his suspicions. He smiled faintly and nodded, taking steps closer. "Are you tired of walking along Bahnhofstrasse? Is it fun to hide from me?"
Xu Shaoting's coercive aura became increasingly pronounced with these two questions. His tone grew somber, and his previous gentleness vanished, as if he had become a different person.
"Tired, not fun anymore, I'm not hiding anymore..." Wen Jia was a little scared, biting her lower lip, feeling guilty like she'd been caught doing something wrong, and wanted to get off him.
But instead, they were imprisoned.
In the tense atmosphere between them, he gazed at her with adoration and uttered his final question, word by word:
"How's the food at that restaurant?"
Wen Jia suddenly looked up at him, her face flushing red and then pale. "You...how did you know?"
"I told you, there's no place in this world where I can't find you, why don't you believe me?"
"You didn't even come to find me?" She swallowed hard, somewhat incredulous.
Xu Shaoting smiled slowly and deliberately, "You're avoiding me like this, why would I go looking for you? Do you think I'm that pathetic?"
"No, no, no!" She panicked and didn't know how to explain, so she could only rely on his affection and bet that he wouldn't be angry with her. She buried her face in his chest and said, "I won't allow you to talk about yourself like that. I won't hide from you anymore! I won't hide from you anymore! And I don't want to be separated from you."
She kept softening her tone, trying to calm him down.
Hearing this, Xu Shaoting was finally satisfied. He released his hand from hers, kissed her forehead, and said, "I promise you."
The long-awaited kiss and the familiar heartbeat reassured her, and she greedily indulged in the moment. The suite fell silent again, both of them savoring the tenderness, only the silent flow of affection remained.
She nestled against his chest, blinking slowly. After a long pause, she finally asked, "Will you blame me?"
"What's it to you?"
"It's my fault for lying to you about why we broke up."
"Won't."
"Have you ever blamed me?"
"I can't bear to part with it."
Wen Jia felt a little guilty and murmured, "Your father told you, didn't he?"
"Um."
At this moment, she completely forgot about Xu Bozheng's authority and said, "Uncle is so kind."
Xu Shaoting chuckled indulgently, lifted her face, and forced her to look him in the eye. "Wen Jia, you're really willing to do this."
"I can't help it, I can't let myself become a burden to you."
"Do you know what a burden is? Anything that prevents me from being with you is a burden."
Returning to the topic, Wen Jia dared not speak again.
Fortunately, the phone rang, and the situation was resolved just in time.
It was He Lingyi who called.
She answered the phone, her voice trembling with a sob, "Mom."
He Lingyi asked astutely, "Have you been crying again?"
“Yes, I cried, but not because I was sad, Mom,” Wen Jia glanced at the man opposite her and lowered her voice, “I was reading the script, and I was happy to cry because I got to the second half.”
Xu Shaoting looked down at the person in his arms, smiled silently, then wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her forcefully.
Wen Jia wanted to indulge but dared not, her eyes opening and closing intermittently, tightly controlling her throat, afraid of letting out any shameful gasps.
On the other end of the phone, He Lingyi was also silent for a long time, then suddenly realized something and asked, "What's the second half?"
Wen Jia pulled away from his lips, her tone clearly filled with lingering sweetness, "The second half is... the two of them got back together."
"It's because the misunderstanding has been cleared up, right, Nannan?"
“Yes,” she smiled sweetly, “the misunderstanding has been cleared up.”
Xu Shaoting listened to the mother and daughter's cryptic conversation with a half-smile. After she hung up the phone, he looked down at her and kissed her lips, asking, "What were you talking about?"
He asked, but didn't give her a chance to answer, even stealing away her breathing space.
This time, his kiss was very gentle. As they kissed, they both lost control. The room lights were turned off. The hotel was in the suburbs, and outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, instead of bustling neon lights, was a tranquil river view.
The darkness of night provides a natural backdrop, casting the silhouettes of a man and a woman on the sofa.
Xu Shaoting's hand, supporting her weight, bulged with veins, and his breath lingered in her ear, "Baby, did you miss me?"
Wen Jia's eyes were red, and she looked at him with moist lips, "I did."
How much do you want to?
"I want to so much..." she whispered weakly.
"Where do you want to go? Tell me?" Xu Shaoting asked in a flirtatious tone, "Where do you want to go?"
"..."
He knew her too well; even in the dark with his eyes closed, he could control her precisely. It was difficult for her to say anything against her will, even if it meant, "I do want to..."
The man, satisfied, kissed her rewardingly. "And here? Isn't this where you miss me the most?"
Before he could get an answer, the long-lost feeling came over him vividly and unexpectedly, making Xu Shaoting's scalp tingle. He kept kissing her, "You missed me that much?"
Wen Jia didn't reply, but her trembling reaction answered honestly for her.
He chuckled softly, his breath brushing against her earlobe, "I miss you too."
She sensed it.
...
After an unknown amount of time, two figures, their reflections blurred by the French windows, embraced tightly.
Wen Jia was disoriented, and the arms around his neck tightened more and more until the aftershocks of the trembling in her body gradually subsided. Only then did she slowly open her eyes, her pupils unfocused and hazy for a long time. Finally, she regained her senses after the man's repeated reassurances.
Xu Shaoting hooked his arm and touched the light switch on the bedside table.
"Don't open it."
"You're not going to open it again?" he said deliberately. "I want to see you."
He always enjoyed admiring her at times like these.
"no."
"Okay."
He coaxed the beast into turning on the light without saying a word.
The moment the lights came on, Wen Jia instinctively snuggled into his arms, but he gently cupped her face in his hands.
"Why are you hiding?" His gaze was deep. "It's so beautiful, why won't you let me see it?"
"…rogue."
He seemed to enjoy her playful scolding, pulling her closer and stroking her bare back. His gaze remained fixed on her, appreciating the reaction he elicited.
She missed him so much that her lips had barely parted from her mouth.
It was a bit messy on the sofa, but Xu Shaoting suppressed his desire and stopped after satisfying her.
He tried to comfort her while saying nasty things that she couldn't hear.
Her cheeks flushed as she listened, and she asked breathlessly, "Chairman Xu, do your subordinates know that you would say such things?"
"What's it to them?"
"...They definitely don't know that you're like this in private. They definitely don't know that a boss who's so serious when discussing business in meetings can say things like this... things like this."
If she hadn't heard it herself, she probably wouldn't have been able to imagine it.
"What kind of words?" he asked, giving her a light, fleeting kiss.
"That's terrible." She simply couldn't bring herself to repeat it.
"Then go and tell them, okay?"
"..." Her eyes sparkled, and she smiled with captivating charm. "Never mind, you're only allowed to look at me like this."
Her possessiveness pleased Xu Shaoting. He raised an eyebrow, hugged her even tighter, and patiently coaxed her for a long time. Only when he saw that her breathing had completely calmed down did he ask, "Are you done?"
Wen Jia nodded gently.
"Shall I carry you to wash?"
She seemed reluctant, as if she wanted more. However, she couldn't bring herself to say it, and simply reached out her hand towards something.
"It's not the right time now, I'll give it to you later." He chuckled as he stopped her, then picked her up and carried her to the bathroom.
After a quick shower, she was wrapped in a bath towel and put back on the bed, just as Yu Jianshan called.
Yu Jianshan was oblivious to what was happening outside his work. It wasn't until the day he actually joined the crew that he learned that Wen Jia and Xu Shaoting had broken up. Now, he heard from Lin Zhongyuan that the two had not only reconciled but were also inseparable. It had only been a few days since then. He asked Lin Zhongyuan several times if it was really true before he called.
Wen Jia was too weak, so Xu Shaoting answered the call for her on speakerphone.
"Chairman Xu is here?" Yu Jianshan asked bluntly.
"I'm here," Xu Shaoting replied seriously.
"..."
"Let's go to a private room in the restaurant, I'll treat you to dinner."
Xu Shaoting glanced at the languid woman on the bed, "It's not convenient today."
Yu Jianshan coughed lightly, glanced around at the people sitting around the round table in the private room, turned his back and lowered his voice: "It's New Year's Eve tonight, everyone's waiting. You're the investor, you should at least show up."
Hearing this invitation, which carried a hint of moral blackmail, Xu Shaoting smiled faintly: "I'll be there later."
In his position, no one can morally blackmail him anymore. Even if he's invited, the power is in his hands. Whether he wants to go or not is entirely up to him; it's just a matter of his word.
What truly changed his mind was the word "everyone".
Xu Shaoting put down his phone and looked at her meaningfully: "Do you think we should let everyone know that we've gotten back together?"
Having just gone through something physically demanding, Wen Jia had no energy or mental capacity to think about such things, and she didn't even bother to lift her eyelids. "You go in my place."
"What if they think it was just me who got back together with you? Can you bear that?" He leaned down and asked in her ear.
"..."
Seeing that she didn't speak, he coaxed her to stand up, his tone carrying a hint of sly regret: "Who told you to tell them we broke up? You really shouldn't have made it so obvious to everyone."
"..."
It makes absolutely no sense.
She grumbled reluctantly, tidied herself up, and was led to the restaurant by him.
When they arrived, the round table was already full.
Yu Jianshan invited the director team, production team, and main cast. Kai Qing was also there. Thanks to Wen Jia, Zhong Rui got the third male lead role in the audition, so he naturally attended as well.
Lin Zhongyuan and Lao Fang were old acquaintances. The assistant director did not participate in the reading session, so Wen Jia was relatively unfamiliar with him. He was a tall and thin middle-aged man.
Upon seeing the two arrive, Yu Jianshan invited them to sit down.
"Director Lu, Lu Zizhuo." He leaned slightly forward and introduced him to Xu Shaoting in a low voice.
Upon hearing this, Lu Zizhuo took the initiative to extend his hand to Xu Shaoting, "Chairman Xu, I've heard so much about you."
Xu Shaoting put on his usual serious and polite smile, which he wore in business, and shook hands with him in return.
Tonight's gathering wasn't a formal social event, but rather a private one. Perhaps because he was happy for Wen Jia, Lin Zhongyuan was in particularly high spirits. He opened several bottles of Moutai and also prepared some beer and foreign liquor. The various liquors shimmered under the lights, and their aroma filled the entire private room, instantly igniting a lively atmosphere.
"Let's drink until we drop! Before filming officially starts, let's have a blast!" Yu Jianshan, a lover of wine, was especially enthusiastic at this moment.
Old Fang started to liven things up, teasing in a good-natured tone: "Teacher Wen, can we have a drink today?"
The question was directed at Wen Jia, but everyone at the table simultaneously looked at the man beside her.
Including Wen Jia herself.
Xu Shaoting calmly took off his chilly coat and handed it to the waiter. As he turned around, he felt the subtle, almost imperceptible gazes around the table. He said indifferently, "I'll drink it for her."
"Brother-in-law is so generous!" Qin Jiawen was the first to respond.
He was a witness to Xu Shaoting's dealings with Hu Baiyin, and in his heart, he felt more admiration than respect for his brother-in-law.
Although most people in the private room were aware of the relationship between the two, it wasn't until Qin Jiawen's teasing that the matter was brought to the forefront in a half-joking manner.
So no one dared to mention the dating scandal that was still trending on social media, and a knowing laugh broke out among the guests.
"Why call him brother-in-law? Be more formal, Chairman Xu is an investor!" Lin Zhongyuan joked.
At this point, the people around could no longer pretend they hadn't heard anything and all wanted to stand up and toast their sponsor.
In ordinary business social situations, whether or not the drinking is for a specific purpose, Lin Youzhe doesn't need to stop; someone else will drink for him.
But today was different. He was accompanying her, so naturally he had to stand in front of her. He accepted all the drinks offered, downing several glasses without showing any sign of disorder. He remained clear-headed, dignified, and composed.
The toasts from the crowd varied greatly:
"Thank you, Chairman Xu, for your support of our production team. Happy New Year!"
"I respect Chairman Xu and wish him a successful filming and a great success for the show!"
The first half of the round saw the group behaving very seriously, delivering formal toasts. The atmosphere was lively, but there was a certain degree of restraint about it.
When it came to Kaiqing, Pan Yunwen, Qin Jiawen, and Zhong Rui—
"First, I wish my sister happiness every day from now on, and second, I wish my sister and Chairman Xu a long and lasting relationship!"
"Wishing Sister Wen a successful shoot, and also wishing my sister and brother-in-law a smooth relationship and a happy life. In short... may everything go smoothly!"
May the future bring you greater happiness, and may this life always be with you!
"I wish you both a better and better relationship," Zhong Rui, the person involved in the scandal, said frankly, "May you understand how to love each other better every day than the day before."
Clearly, Xu Shaoting was pleased with the blessing, and smiled very politely before taking Wen Jia's hand under the table.
Looking at the way the younger generation was offering their blessings, Yu Jianshan asked suspiciously, "What's going on? It's like a wedding!" He then turned to the two people involved, feigning ignorance, "Or is there some good news you two haven't told us?"
A barrage of gazes immediately fell upon the man and woman.
"No, Director Yu." Wen Jia smoothed her hair with one hand and gripped Xu Shaoting's hand tightly with the other, her palm damp with sweat.
Xu Shaoting sensed her dampness and knew that she wasn't unwilling, but rather passive by nature and shy about expressing herself.
He squeezed her hand back and asked softly, "Everyone's saying this, will you give me this chance?"
The wind in Wen Jia's heart suddenly stopped, and the tide also receded.
"We just made up, isn't it too fast?"
It wasn't that she was unwilling, but she was afraid of being too high-profile.
Xu Shaoting raised the corners of his lips, nonchalantly, "We just made up, we didn't just get together."
Before she could respond further, and as the surrounding conversation subsided, he raised his eyes in full view of everyone:
"Director Yu is right," Xu Shaoting said calmly.
"Wen Jia is indeed my fiancée now."
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