Su Ding abruptly dropped the lamp in her hand and lunged at Jin Ye, asking in surprise, "Why are you back? Why didn't you tell me in advance?"
Jin Ye quickly caught her and lifted her off the bed.
"Let's talk outside."
Su Ding was still a little dizzy, leaning into Jin Ye's embrace, feeling much more at ease.
As they passed Zhang Gang, he had already been cornered by the men in black, trembling all over. "Su Ding, save me! I promise to give up Wang Siwei's property immediately. Don't let them touch me, don't go!"
Zhang Gang cried out almost with a sob.
He knew that if Su Ding left, he might be finished. These men in black would definitely cripple him, and he absolutely couldn't be ruined here.
Su Ding glanced at Zhang Gang, then whispered into Jin Ye's ear, "Leave him his life, keep an eye on him to ensure he signs the settlement agreement with Xu Yan and submits it to the court, completely handing over Siwei's property."
Jin Ye grunted and instructed his subordinates, "Keep him breathing."
With that, he quickly carried Su Ding out of the room, into another, more luxurious suite. He had Su Ding sit on the sofa to rest while he went outside to give instructions.
"Are you feeling better?"
Jin Ye walked over and asked softly.
Su Ding looked up at Jin Ye. The light was much brighter now, and she inexplicably found Jin Ye different today. Although it was still the same handsome face, she felt a change in his entire demeanor.
"When did you come back?" Su Ding asked.
"Two hours ago. I originally planned to surprise you, but I didn't expect to hear about this from my subordinates," Jin Ye said, walking over and sitting beside Su Ding.
After speaking, he slowly raised his arm, wrapping it around Su Ding's waist, and said softly, "Surprised?"
Su Ding leaned into Jin Ye's embrace, catching a faint, elusive scent.
She sniffed and raised an eyebrow, "Did you put on too much perfume today? It's a bit strong."
Jin Ye suddenly sat up straight, sniffed his sleeve, and his expression showed a hint of strangeness, but he quickly recovered and chuckled.
"Perhaps. I was in a hurry to see you when I got back, so I didn't pay attention."
Jin Ye looked at Su Ding with gentle eyes, "It's been so long since we last saw each other, I missed you so much. Do you miss me?"
Su Ding nodded, but she couldn't shake off an inexplicable feeling of strangeness.
Perhaps it was because they hadn't seen each other for a while, and she was overthinking things.
Su Ding thought to herself.
She looked up, appraising Jin Ye, and said softly, "Aren't you going to ask me what happened with Zhang Gang?"
"Ah, I know everything now."
A flicker of another emotion crossed Jin Ye's face, and he explained, "I heard from my subordinates on the way. Zhang Gang had wanted to kidnap Wang Siwei before, but you discovered it, so he held a grudge and has been trying to deal with you."
Su Ding nodded in understanding, "Yes, that's right. I didn't expect him to attack so suddenly. Zhang Gang is truly cunning."
"Don't worry, I'll make sure he does what he's supposed to," Jin Ye said with a smile, placing his hand on Su Ding's shoulder and gently stroking it.
Looking into Su Ding's eyes with a tender expression, his body gradually moved closer, embracing Su Ding. "Finally, I can hold you."
Su Ding let him hold her and closed her eyes, wrapping her arms around his waist.
"Me too. I thought it would be a while longer before you returned, but you've given me such a big surprise. The children will surely be happy to see you too," Su Ding said softly.
Jin Ye's hand gently caressed her waist, his lips softly kissed Su Ding's fair neck, and the two held each other tightly.
What Su Ding didn't see was the clarity and glee that remained in Jin Ye's eyes.
He slowly leaned in to press down on her.
However, in a sudden instant, Su Ding felt a strange sensation, and she instinctively put her hand between Jin Ye and herself.
She looked up at the man above her, her eyes shining with nervous light.
"What's wrong?"
Jin Ye looked at her deeply, his hand reaching to unbutton Su Ding's clothes.
Su Ding grasped his hand. "Let's go home, I don't feel comfortable here..."
For some reason, perhaps it was Jin Ye's scent that was no longer as light as before, or perhaps Jin Ye's actions were somewhat different from his usual behavior, but she couldn't get into that state. The emotional surge she felt upon seeing Jin Ye was not the same as before.
"Isn't this perfect right now?" Jin Ye's voice trembled slightly, his eyes fixed on Su Ding with a desperate possessiveness.
His hand pulled at Su Ding's clothes with a little force.
His breathing grew heavier.
Su Ding bit her lip, her grip on Jin Ye's hand tightening. "No, let's go home." Her voice was firm.
Jin Ye frowned, showing a hint of displeasure. "You don't want to see me?"
"No, you're back. Shouldn't we share the news with the children first?"
Su Ding had lost all sense of a joyous reunion, replaced by a growing sense of unease. She wasn't sure if it was her own doing or Jin Ye's... If it were before, she might have been happily immersed in Jin Ye's affection, but now, lying in his arms, she felt an uncomfortable awkwardness. It was as if she were lying in someone else's embrace, in Jin Ye's body. She couldn't quite describe this feeling, but it was very real.
Jin Ye fell silent.
The heat in his eyes gradually flashed with impatience and displeasure, then dissipated, replaced by a compromise.
"Alright, as you wish," Jin Ye said in a deep voice and got off Su Ding.
Su Ding adjusted her clothes. When she looked at Jin Ye again, she suddenly noticed a mole on the back of his neck. She remembered having noticed it when they were intimate before, and there was no mole there. What was that? Could it be dirt? Su Ding thought to herself and went forward to help Jin Ye tidy his collar.
As her fingers brushed his collar, they subtly grazed the mole on the back of Jin Ye's neck. She wanted to confirm if it was a mole or something stuck there.
The result proved that it couldn't be wiped off; it was indeed a mole. Moles could appear later in life, but Su Ding remembered Jin Ye not having one. Had one grown in just a few days? Up close, the perfume still smelled different from usual. From the first day Su Ding met Jin Ye, she had noticed that he was very sensitive to smells. He always chose light scents, strictly controlled the amount he sprayed daily, and she had never seen him spray too much. Moreover, whenever Jin Ye returned from a business trip, no matter how urgent, he would remember to bring her a gift. This time, he hadn't even mentioned it? Had he forgotten?
"Let's go home now. The children should have arrived home," Su Ding proactively took Jin Ye's arm and pulled him towards the door. Jin Ye had no choice but to follow, though his gaze was somewhat inscrutable.
Back in the car, Su Ding initiated a conversation about the overseas work.
"Didn't you say that foreigner was difficult to deal with? Did he agree to concessions?"
"Yes, we prepared several proposals. He was hesitant at first, but because the qualifications of the other bidders were generally mediocre, he ultimately chose us," Jin Ye nodded, his expression unchanged.
Su Ding observed Jin Ye's demeanor, and her heart grew more puzzled. Although Jin Ye was someone who didn't show his emotions easily, he would still express his feelings to her. He had worked overtime for this project for who knew how long, and now that it had progressed so smoothly, his current reaction was not what she would expect.
"Then let's celebrate tonight! You like lamb, don't you? I'll call Aunt Zhang now and have her prepare it in advance." Su Ding asked tentatively. She knew Jin Ye didn't like meat, but the current Jin Ye gave her the illusion of being someone else, and she wanted to know how Jin Ye would answer now.