After realizing he had been played, Lu Qingxu decided to cut his losses.
He passed the male waiter's WeChat to Melody, resolving to have no further contact with her.
He sent his business card, expecting Melody to quickly message him to ask what was going on.
He was prepared to explain.
However, after sending the message, there was a long delay in her response.
He couldn't quite describe the feeling in his heart – a mix of anticipation, nervousness, and disappointment.
He couldn't sleep, anxiously waiting from morning to afternoon, but Melody still hadn't replied.
What was going on?
Generally, women believed they were the disadvantaged party in relationships.
They would eagerly seek commitment from men or demand more emotional investment.
Why was she so indifferent?
It was his first time, and the experience had been good. Lu Qingxu couldn't pretend nothing had happened.
In fact, Melody's method of "sting operation" left him with a lingering, intoxicating impression.
He didn't calm down until night fell and Melody still hadn't responded.
He wanted to understand what was on her mind.
He tentatively found an excuse to send her another message.
Well, another half hour passed, and still no response.
Lu Qingxu was beside himself with frustration.
Could it be that his performance last night wasn't good enough? Was this woman not satisfied with him?
Or perhaps, she had many partners, and he was just one of them, someone she completely disregarded?
Having remained chaste for so many years, his first experience had been such a major setback, it felt like it could kill Lu Qingxu.
He lost his focus at work that evening. After a tour of the bar, he returned to his private room in the club and couldn't help but message Melody directly.
"Do you want to meet again tonight?"
Two cigarettes later, there was still no response.
He was going mad.
He had never encountered someone so dismissive!
Was he really that bad, Lu Qingxu?
He decided he had to go and get an explanation in person!
Grabbing his car keys, he drove to the villa.
"Are you home? I'm at your doorstep."
After waiting a few minutes, there was still no response in the chat.
Furious, he made a voice call.
Melody didn't pick up.
He got out of the car and angrily rang the doorbell.
He had even fantasized about how he would show off his muscles and strong physique to Melody when she opened the door.
However, after ringing several times, no one opened the door.
The house was silent, dark, and she was clearly not there.
Not only was she not replying, but she had disappeared after sleeping with him! Excellent! Zhan Beijue, this is the good client you introduced me to!
Lu Qingxu, filled with rage, drove back to his car and called Zhan Beijue.
Of course, he didn't dare to accuse him directly, only hinting at his displeasure.
Zhan Beijue felt a bit guilty about taking his mother to North City without telling Jiang Nanfang.
Jiang Nanfang was too smart; he was afraid of any slip-up that might create a rift between them.
To avoid revealing Melody's whereabouts, he had only booked a suite when checking into the hotel.
Melody stayed in the inner room, and he stayed in the outer one.
When Lu Qingxu called, he was working in the common area.
Lu Qingxu, suppressing his anger, used the opportunity to ask about the contract signing and what the next steps were, seeking clear instructions.
Was he calling this late just to discuss this?
Zhan Beijue was uninterested.
"Got it. You don't need to worry about it anymore. They will contact you when needed."
That was it?
After a day of agonizing over it, his question was dismissed so easily?
Lu Qingxu felt both disappointed and unwilling to accept it. "What do you mean?"
"What do I mean? I said, they will contact your people when needed. Don't bother her when she's not needed. Isn't that clear enough?"
"..." Lu Qingxu became even more depressed.
After speaking, Zhan Beijue, seeing no objection from his end, was about to hang up.
But Lu Qingxu's true intention hadn't been expressed yet. He didn't know how to say it, only that he was unwilling to hang up.
"Are you that busy? Don't you have time to talk a bit more?"
"My brother is going through a critical period of heartbreak. He's been miserable these past few days, spending his time drinking at the club. As his friend, aren't you going to show some concern?"
Zhan Beijue was aware of Lu Mingzhe's state.
However, he was unable to help.
"I'm in North City now and might not be back for a while. Besides, I'm not a woman; what difference would accompanying him every day make?"
"Heartbreak is something you have to get over yourself. You have experience and free time, so put in some effort."
He went to North City?
After being played by that irresponsible woman, he was now free and clear, running off to North City??
What kind of situation was this!
A Zhong finally woke up around ten in the morning after sleeping soundly.
He tried to turn over and found his head nestled in Zhou Jinbei's embrace.
He was so startled he dared not move. He raised his eyes and quietly gazed at her sleeping face.
Zhou Jinbei was truly young, her skin tight and smooth, her features sculpted and delicate, breathtakingly beautiful.
Looking at their positions and recalling yesterday's events, A Zhong felt his face burning.
Although it wasn't their first time experiencing such intimacy, it had been a confused affair before, and he hadn't even seen her face after waking up...
Seeing her sleeping face so openly for the first time felt unreal, like a dream.
As his heart was filled with emotion, Zhou Jinbei also opened her eyes.
Seeing him awake, her eyes clear and bright, gazing at him intently, she curved her lips into a smile and touched her forehead to his.
"Awake?"
A warm, comforting current surged through his entire body.
This wasn't a dream; it was real.
It seemed he and Zhou Jinbei had truly and openly crossed a certain boundary, and A Zhong was overjoyed.
But at the same time, he felt a faint worry.
Was this another moment of impulse for her? Would it be the same as before later on?
After a few seconds of closeness, he suppressed the urge to embrace her and asked softly.
"Do you remember what happened last night?"
Of course, she remembered; she hadn't been drinking yesterday.
Zhou Jinbei's expression changed. She separated from him and looked at him seriously.
"Why do you ask? You don't remember, do you? Are you trying to renege?"
A Zhong couldn't help but smile.
He placed her on his shoulder and gently touched his face with her fair, slender fingers.
"How could I? Do you know how long I've waited for this day..."
That's good.
Zhou Jinbei breathed a sigh of relief.
"So, are we boyfriend and girlfriend now?"
Although A Zhong desperately wanted them to develop into that kind of relationship, he couldn't help but think of her family situation, her parents.
Many concerns resurfaced.
"Beibei, I'm much older than you, and... I advise you to think carefully."
"What do you mean?"
"I've learned a little about your family situation from President Zhan, and your parents might look down on my age and family background..."
Zhou Jinbei withdrew her hand from his, sat up abruptly, and looked at him with a serious and earnest expression.