Lin Xingwan quickly averted her gaze, her cheeks still burning.
Zhou Jinbai: "???"
How did this woman end up in his house?
But in the next second, Zhou Jinbai's confused eyes found clarity in the gift boxes placed on the table.
He looked at Lin Xingwan's uncertain gaze, frowned, and walked into the room without a word.
When he emerged from the room again, he was already wearing a T-shirt.
"Let's eat," Zhou Jinbai said silently, bringing the dishes to the table.
"I've already eaten. Mr. Zhou, thank you very much for saving me. I have other matters to attend to, so I must leave now." Lin Xingwan felt inexplicably nervous whenever Zhou Jinbai was around.
This man's aura was too powerful; her mind was filled with images of him without his clothes.
Setting aside romantic feelings, she found him incredibly sexy and alluring.
The female CEO, who commanded the business world, was blushing and her heart was racing because of this. If Liu Mengqin knew, she would surely mock her.
"Whatever it is, we can talk about it after you've eaten," Zhou Jinbai glanced at Lin Xingwan. Feeling unable to refuse, she sat down.
She looked at the four dishes and one soup on the table, initially thinking she wouldn't be able to eat.
But the food tasted surprisingly good, and she ended up eating two large bowls.
"Here, try this too," the old lady kept serving Lin Xingwan food.
Lin Xingwan quickly shook her head, "Grandma, your cooking is delicious, but I'm truly too full. I really can't eat anymore."
"Jinbai made this. A man who can cook is better than a rich and handsome man, isn't that right, Wanwan?" the old lady asked.
Lin Xingwan nodded in affirmation, "Men who can cook are very charming."
The old lady's smile was so wide that her wrinkles seemed to be able to catch mosquitoes.
Zhou Jinbai raised an eyebrow and glanced at Lin Xingwan, noting that this woman knew how to please the elderly.
After the meal, the old lady insisted on washing the dishes, leaving Lin Xingwan and Zhou Jinbai alone in the living room.
Although the old lady couldn't clearly hear what Lin Xingwan and her grandson were discussing, seeing them together, they looked so compatible.
The old lady couldn't help but take out her phone and secretly took several photos.
Meanwhile, in the living room, Lin Xingwan looked apologetic, like a child who had made a mistake. "I'm sorry for coming over without your permission. But you were injured because you saved me, and I feel very guilty. Your arm injury... it must hurt a lot, right?"
"It's nothing," Zhou Jinbai glanced lazily at Lin Xingwan, then returned his gaze to his phone screen.
However, his peripheral vision still caught Lin Xingwan's nervous demeanor.
Her light blue dress made her skin appear even fairer. She sat upright and composed on the sofa, her hands clasped restlessly in her lap.
She looked as if she had been bullied.
Zhou Jinbai's brow furrowed slightly. Did he look that intimidating?
The old lady efficiently finished washing the dishes and then affectionately sat beside Lin Xingwan, cutting fruit for her.
They chatted for a while longer. The old lady, under the pretense of worrying about potential after-effects for Zhou Jinbai, added Lin Xingwan on WeChat.
Zhou Jinbai rubbed his temples in exasperation. This old lady was trying to find him a wife every minute of every day.
What's more, Lin Xingwan had solemnly given her contact information and promised to be responsible for any future after-effects he might experience.
"It's getting late, I should be going home now," Lin Xingwan glanced at the time, realizing it was already ten o'clock.
"Jinbai, go and see her off," the old lady instructed, and Zhou Jinbai had no choice but to get up.
"No, no, you don't have to. My car is parked not far away," Lin Xingwan quickly refused.
"The roads in this complex are narrow, and even the closest parking spot is about five hundred meters away. It's not safe for a young woman to walk alone at night," the old lady said to Lin Xingwan, but her sharp glances were directed at Zhou Jinbai.
"Let's go," Zhou Jinbai said and walked towards the door.
Lin Xingwan hurried to follow him.
As Zhou Jinbai had said, the old alleys of the complex looked rather eerie at night. Even with the streetlights overhead, it gave a sense of unease, like being in an ancient mansion.
Lin Xingwan repeatedly wanted to find a topic to chat with Zhou Jinbai about, as the silence between them as they walked was too awkward.
But she couldn't think of anything to say, so she could only lower her head in distress.
"Careful—" Just as Lin Xingwan was agonizing, Zhou Jinbai's voice suddenly rose several octaves. In the next second, she felt a weight on her waist as she was pulled into a firm embrace.
It was only a brief hug. After letting go, Zhou Jinbai instinctively shielded Lin Xingwan behind him and then, with a stern face, reprimanded the young man on the motorcycle, "Huang Mao, how many times have I told you there are many elderly people in this complex? Every time you come back, you make such a fuss. Are you itching for a beating?"
The young man on the motorcycle immediately plastered a fawning smile on his face. "I was just too excited to see Brother Zhou! And who is this... your sister-in-law?"
The young man's gaze turned incredibly ambiguous. "Hello, sister-in-law! You're so beautiful. My name is Huang Mao. I wish sister-in-law and Brother Zhou a hundred years of happiness and a lifelong union."
Lin Xingwan wanted to explain, but Huang Mao sped away on his motorcycle, kicking up dust.
"That brat is always so reckless. You weren't scared, were you?" Zhou Jinbai looked at the person behind him, whose small, delicate face was filled with alarm.
Lin Xingwan quickly regained her senses. "No... I'm fine..."
She looked at the man in front of her, her mind filled with the faint, subtle fragrance emanating from him, a scent of laundry detergent mixed with sunshine.
Clean and pleasant.
"You're all grown up. Even if you don't watch where you're going, you should at least listen to sounds. The motorcycle was very loud just now," Zhou Jinbai looked at the woman who barely reached his chest, his tone not accusatory, yet he saw her lowering her head, revealing a beautiful swan-like neck.
He recalled the feeling of her waist in his arms just now.
Soft and slender.
And that faint, elusive fragrance.
"Sorry, I was lost in thought." Lin Xingwan's toes were practically digging into the ground with embarrassment. Why did she feel like her brain went on vacation whenever she was with this man?
Finally, they reached where Lin Xingwan had parked her car.
Lin Xingwan practically fled.
Zhou Jinbai once again doubted himself. Was he that terrifying?
The next day, Lin Xingwan had intended to go to the company.
However, as soon as she woke up, she felt groggy and weak, unable to muster any strength.
She took her temperature and found she had a slight fever.
Lin Xingwan simply took a few fever reducers and went back to bed to sleep.
In her drowsy state, Lin Xingwan heard the doorbell ring.
She assumed it was the takeout she had ordered, so she got up to open the door.
When she saw Gu Shaoting, dressed in a suit and tie, standing before her, Lin Xingwan was taken aback.
Gu Shaoting's face was grim, and his eyes were filled with disappointment and impatience. Before Lin Xingwan could speak, he launched into a tirade, "Blocked my number? Didn't go to the company? Playing hide-and-seek? Lin Xingwan, how long are you going to keep this up?"
Gu Shaoting's demeanor made it seem as if Lin Xingwan had committed some heinous crime.
Lin Xingwan looked at Gu Shaoting for a long time, her eyes shifting from shock to disappointment, and then to a cold sneer. "So, me being sick and not going to the company is you thinking I'm throwing a tantrum? As for blocking your number, I simply feel that someone who disregards his fiancée's life is not worthy of being in my contacts."
Lin Xingwan's sarcastic tone made Gu Shaoting feel a moment of guilt. He explained, "When I rushed into the fire, Shi Rou was already unconscious. I had to save her first. You know, Shi Rou has been sickly since she was young. I thought you, as her sister, would be understanding. I didn't expect you to make a big deal out of it. Lin Xingwan, you're standing right here in front of me, alive and well. But do you know that Shi Rou is still in the hospital? She's been worried about you, and you..."
"Enough!" Lin Xingwan's anger flared up. There were countless good men in the world; why did she fall for such a pathetic excuse for a man? Her usually placid face was now etched with intense anger. "Gu Shaoting, I don't want to waste my breath on you. We're breaking off our engagement."
Gu Shaoting was even angrier than Lin Xingwan. He grabbed her hand forcefully. "You want to break off our engagement because of this? Lin Xingwan, you are truly selfish and willful."
Lin Xingwan tried to pull her hand away, but the man's grip was incredibly strong. She frowned in disgust. "Let go of me."
"Lin Xingwan, I've come all this way to find you. Just accept it. I'll pretend I didn't hear what you just said, but I warn you, don't say it a second time, or it might affect our relationship."
Listen to that condescending tone, as if he were bestowing a favor!
"Relationship?" Lin Xingwan looked at Gu Shaoting and suddenly let out a low laugh. "I'm afraid our relationship isn't as deep as yours and Lin Shirou's. I sincerely wish you and Lin Shirou a loving and lasting union. Don't go around harming others."
The once gentle, elegant boy in a white shirt had long since changed, becoming the pathetic man who now constantly accused and manipulated her.
Lin Xingwan finally realized that she had always been in love with the memory of Gu Shaoting from the past; the man standing before her was terrifyingly unfamiliar.
She had given him enough chances. Once her disappointment was full, it was time to leave.
Gu Shaoting's disappointment and anger intensified at Lin Xingwan's words. "You think I'm involved with Lin Shirou? Lin Xingwan, your thoughts are truly filthy. Do you know how much Shi Rou wishes we were together, and you..."
*Slap*—
Lin Xingwan raised her hand and slapped Gu Shaoting. Since he couldn't understand human language, she had to teach this man a lesson like one would discipline an animal.
Gu Shaoting hadn't expected Lin Xingwan to hit him. This was completely different from the well-behaved woman he remembered.
The woman before him was like a shrew, not even a tenth as gentle and understanding as her sister.
Gu Shaoting gritted his teeth, his expression terrifying, as if he were about to devour Lin Xingwan. "Lin Xingwan, my patience has its limits."
"Get out, or I'll call the police immediately." Lin Xingwan's eyes were cold and resolute. She was utterly disgusted by the man in front of her.
"Let go of me."
"Don't touch me!"
Gu Shaoting looked at Lin Xingwan shouting at him and felt extremely humiliated.
Being a man who cared deeply about his reputation, he tried to push Lin Xingwan into the house, but Lin Xingwan refused to let the wolf in and forcefully pushed Gu Shaoting back outside.
Suddenly, the force restraining Lin Xingwan vanished.