”You still remember those words?” Xiao Yao’s eyes were full of surprise. “Have you forgotten?” He stretched and turned his head, his lazy voice even more low and enchanting.
”Of course I haven’t forgotten.”
”I won’t forget either.” He looked at her deeply.
”But I didn’t do anything well…” Xiao Yao muttered, suddenly remembering something and started feeling around her neck.
”What are you looking for?”
”Last time at the villa, I forgot to return your necklace… Oh, it seems to be caught in my hair.”
”Let me.” Ye Qing moved closer, trying to untangle the chain caught in her hair. Pushing aside her hair, as if afraid to pull out a single strand, his movements were extremely careful.
Xiao Yao was completely stiff! From the moment his fingers brushed through her hair, she felt her scalp go numb, and goosebumps covered her entire body. She had to use all her self-control to hide her uncontrolled reactions.
The skin on her neck touched by his gentle fingers felt like it was on fire, and the sensation continued to spread!
”Is it… done?” she asked, holding her breath.
”Just a moment.” His breath brushed past her ear.
No, she couldn’t bear it for even a moment! Xiao Yao truly couldn’t suppress her trembling.
”Are you cold?” he noticed.
She just shook her head.
Ye Qing stopped asking, his movements momentarily clumsy.
The two bodies close together, sensing each other’s temperature and breath.
Inhaling her subtle hair fragrance, his fingertips touching her delicate skin, a charming youthful scent had already occupied his sense of touch and smell.
At this moment, Ye Qing discovered a voice raging in his chest…
That irregular rhythm was more than just a heartbeat, but a frequency of heart movement.
This awareness scattered his attention, slowing his movements.
It also gave him a certain impulse… in the end, he still suppressed his desire to embrace her.
”Done.” Patting her head and smoothing her hair, Ye Qing deliberately created distance between them.
”Done?” Touching the still-hanging necklace, Xiao Yao turned her face, asking hesitantly: “I was going to return it to you.”
”Why return it?”
”This… ” Xiao Yao blinked, not quite understanding. “This was originally your thing.”
”But it’s been kept with you. And you haven’t completed what you promised me, right?”
”You…” Xiao Yao stared, unable to help muttering: “You said you didn’t take this matter to heart.”
”I want you to keep it in mind.” He smiled a bit mischievously, yet with a rare playful lightness. “If you keep wearing this necklace, you’ll always feel like you owe me something. That should be a good thing for me.”
”Hmph! So you’re this bad? You’re deliberately setting me up!” she protested softly.
”Mm, are you regretful?” he pretended to be serious.
Glancing at him twice, Xiao Yao tried to suppress her smile, hoping he wouldn’t see her overflowing sweetness. “I’ll just consider it as boarding the wrong boat and making a bad friend. I can only admit defeat.”
”So I can continue to scheme?”
”You wish! Do you really think I’m that stupid? When everything’s been exposed, who would still fall for it?”
”That’s hard to say. Sometimes… falling for it is voluntary.”
In this back and forth, the undertones made Xiao Yao’s heart flutter with sweetness.
Yes, it is precisely this feeling that makes Xiao Yao, who knows she will face her parents’ questioning upon returning home late, still willing to act boldly.
This is voluntary.
That night, Lu Qing sent her to her doorstep, and Xiao Yao insisted on climbing the stairs by herself.
After going upstairs, she deliberately lingered in front of her own door, waiting until she judged he had gone far enough that he wouldn’t hear any “wailing and howling”, before daring to open the door and enter.
Amitabha, heaven is merciful! Discovering the house was completely silent, Xiao Yao quickly slipped back to her own room, thinking that no matter how big the issue, she would deal with it after a good night’s sleep.
However, for Lu Qing, this night seemed far from over.
Returning to the villa and parking his car, Lu Qing was blocked by a figure that suddenly appeared as he stepped out of the parking area.
“Finally caught you. I was beginning to think you wouldn’t come back tonight,” a modern woman stood facing him, her tone rather unfriendly.
Lu Qing glanced at her and frowned. “What are you doing here so late?” After asking, he strode towards the house.
“I—” The woman followed behind him, her three-inch high heels clicking loudly, and her delicate voice made the villa seem particularly restless in the deep of night.
“Gao Luqing, what do you mean by asking me why I’m here? Are you mistaken? Or have you suddenly developed amnesia and forgotten who I am?”
Walking into the living room, Lu Qing poured himself a glass of whiskey and handed a glass of red wine to the woman behind him who was making a fuss. “Who are you? Su Pao Mei, young miss of the Su family, current vice president of Su Group. Here, a toast to you.”
The word “toast” made Su Pao Mei freeze.
Something was wrong with this man! Regardless of anything else, the sweet smile at the corner of his mouth—if it wasn’t because of her, Su Pao Mei would rather believe he was possessed!
“Seems like you’re in a good mood? Is this why?” She pulled out a kraft paper bag from her purse and placed it on the table.
Lu Qing pulled out several Polaroid photos from the bag and was shocked to find that the main subjects were actually him and Xiao Yao! Moreover, some of the photo angles were incredibly intimate after being taken.
Lu Qing’s brow furrowed, his tone deep: “You’ve been investigating me?”
“Investigate you? Hmph.” Su Pao Mei scoffed. “Who do you think I am? Would I do something so boring?”
“Then these photos—”
“A friend from a magazine gave them to me. Since the male protagonist is you, she specially informed me before publishing, and I asked her to bring the photos for me to see first.”
“And then?” She saw them, and she’s not reluctant to share?
“It’s simple. I’m here just to tell you a few things. If you’re just playing with this girl, I don’t care; but if you’re serious, then you’d better think carefully.”
“Think about what?”
Pao Mei slightly widened her eyes, as if finding his question amusing. “Don’t you know why we’re getting engaged?!”
Lu Qing swirled the crystal glass, his thoughts turning.
He naturally knew the behind-the-scenes truth of this engagement.
For a long time, Su Group and Huawei had a delicate cooperative relationship. Although Su Group was indispensable in expanding overseas markets back then, with Su Group’s increasingly ambitious power grab, hidden concerns were also planted in Huawei.
Recently, Su Group deliberately leaked news about competing for the chairman position while subtly indicating a willingness to marry, the implications of which were unspeakable.
In the end, Lu Qing and Su Pao Mei would get engaged, Su family would give up the chairman position, and righteously assist their son-in-law to take over—it was that simple.
Su Pao Mei suddenly glanced at him with a strange expression. “Anyway, we’re going to be together sooner or later. Why not do it tonight?”
Yue Qing almost spat out the wine in his mouth. He glared at Su Pao Mei and shook his head. “Is this a habit of yours after drinking?”
“Ahem!” Pao Mei was not offended by his sarcasm, and said seriously: “This is my mother’s idea. She said to prevent you from being fickle and ruining the big picture, so she had to do this. Let’s go upstairs before I change my mind.”
Looking at her aggrieved face, Yue Qing spread his hands, “Your mother’s idea? What about your own choice? Have you thought about it? Do you love me?”
