Shen Yue did not entertain the boy’s request. She forcefully pulled her hand back, her clear eyes still as pure and clean under the red and green lights.
Her slender fingers, now stained with Tang Zhe’s spilled liquor, touched his fair, fragile skin, revealing the prominent dark veins beneath. She took a handkerchief from her pocket and meticulously wiped his face, then casually tossed it onto the floor.
Ignoring the boy beside her, she helped Zhuang Wan'er up and left.
The people in the private room were engrossed in their own activities, and with the loud music, they paid little attention to the scene unfolding.
However, the girl’s striking appearance did catch some eyes. Those who saw it, however, heard nothing.
Tang Zhe’s chest heaved, his breathing heavy and ragged. He ran his fingers through his hair and closed his eyes.
After an unknown period, he opened his eyes again. The haze had cleared, and his pupils were now a deep black, churning with dark, burning passion.
He could clearly feel this was the first time, and it was so intense, so exhilarating, that his entire body trembled.
A flash of white caught his eye. Tang Zhe paused, staring for a long time before bending down to pick up the handkerchief.
The silky texture felt like the girl’s skin, and his dark eyes were like a swirling, thick abyss.
He tentatively brought it to his nose to smell.
A faint, delicate fragrance drifted into his nostrils, causing his fingertips to tremble. He shivered, burying his face in the handkerchief.
—
Shen Yue waited outside the restroom. Zhuang Wan’er had gone inside to throw up.
The system buzzed excitedly: [Oh my god, oh my god, you, how dare you? You scared me half to death! Do you know how dangerous that was? If Tang Zhe hadn't let you go, you would have been finished!]
Shen Yue: [I must have had a sure thing, which is why I did it.]
The system asked: [What sure thing? Your looks?]
Shen Yue smiled sheepishly, her lips pressed together: [My looks are very useful. I’ve known that since childhood, but that’s not the main point. Tang Zhe's target has always been me. He approached Zhuang Wan'er for me as well. Since that’s the case, I'll make sure his heart and eyes are only on me.]
The system: [What if Tang Zhe isn’t interested in you?]
Shen Yue glanced at the restroom: [If he’s not interested in me, that would be even better. Perhaps he’d just kick me out.]
The system grew anxious: [But now he *is* interested in you, and, and… he looks a bit abnormal. Will this affect the later missions?]
Shen Yue: [It won’t affect them. It might even help.]
The men's and women's restrooms were opposite each other. Shen Yue, standing in the corridor and discussing with the system, suddenly caught sight of a tall figure.
Before she could hide, she was spotted by the man.
Since she had already been seen, Shen Yue had no choice but to remain where she was.
The man exuded an imposing aura, his legs long and lean. He strode over in a few steps. Even in the dim light, his somber expression was evident. His tall frame, like a gathering storm, pressed closer.
Before the man could start questioning her, Shen Yue preempted him, “What are you doing here?”
Wei Jingzhou paused, then gritted his teeth and said, “I’m discussing business.”
The girl clearly didn’t believe him, her clear, watery eyes widening slightly. “What kind of business requires discussing here?”
“Shen Yue, it should be me asking you, why are you here?”
Wei Jingzhou’s fingers gripped her wrist like a brand. Sensing her slight evasiveness, his expression instantly turned as dark as a sudden hurricane.
He tightened his grip, his voice growing deeper. “Come back with me.”
Saying this, he roughly tugged her to leave. She remembered Zhuang Wan’er in the restroom and struggled to pull his hand away.
“Wei Jingzhou, my friend is in there. She’s drunk!”
The man turned back, his eyelids chillingly lifted as he looked at Shen Yue, his voice icy. “Is she that important?”
Shen Yue hadn’t expected him to ask that. It wasn’t about importance, and besides, her friend was a woman!
The girl looked at him blankly, her exposed fair skin appearing almost transparent.
The man, still gripping her wrist, pulled her into his embrace, his long, strong fingers pinching her delicate, fair chin.
The force was considerable, causing her pale pink lips to part slightly, revealing a shy hint of her tongue.
Wei Jingzhou’s Adam's apple bobbed.
The man’s actions were far from gentle. The girl’s chin hurt, and her long, thick eyelashes trembled, glistening with a misty sheen as if from distress.
Her slender white fingers clutched the front of his clothes, wrinkling the once perfectly smooth suit.
Her fair fingers, against the black suit, looked like soft jade.
Her voice was even softer, and a faint fragrance emanated as she spoke, “Wei Jingzhou, you’re hurting me.”
These plaintive, wronged words struck the man’s eardrums, stirring a subtle emotion.
Wei Jingzhou released her chin and instead began to rub her lips, a heavy, rough caress. His eyes were dark as he said faintly, “I’ll have someone send your friend back. You’re coming with me now.”
Without another word, he roughly pulled her out.
Shen Yue looked back at the restroom, her eyes clear and unclouded, entirely devoid of the former fragile helplessness.
The car’s heating was on high. Shen Yue untied her scarf and set it aside.
The driver silently operated the partition, dividing the space.
The man beside her remained silent. Shen Yue knew he was angry, so she softened her voice to explain, “I didn’t know they’d invited me to dinner at a bar. I’ll be more careful next time. And I didn’t drink a single drop. I just sat there for a bit.”
Wei Jingzhou glanced at the girl. Her sincere, adoring gaze sent a tremor through his chest.
Her soft, boneless fingers tentatively took his hand, probing like a kitten. Seeing that he didn’t shake her off, she held on tighter.
Her fair chin still bore a faint fingerprint. With her eyes slightly lowered, she looked pathetically cute. “Don’t be angry, okay? I’ve already promised you. You looking at me like this makes me a little scared.”
The man, tall even when sitting, his silent, cold demeanor filled with an indescribable gloom, was starkly different from his usual self.
Hearing Shen Yue say she was afraid of him, Wei Jingzhou’s heart surged with a sudden impatience. He turned his head, his dark eyes fixed on the girl, a gaze like sharp blades, as if able to pierce her very soul.
The girl’s eyes were red. Her pale pink lips, rubbed by him, looked like overripe peaches. His inner irritation did not subside; instead, it spread into a more intense itchiness.
The fingers holding his hand were fragile and beautiful; a slight bend would shatter them.