“Is being my woman so unbearable for you?” Junhao pulled her into his arms, seriously saying: “If you really can’t accept me, I can consider letting you go.”
“Really?” An Ke raised her head, not quite believing what she heard and confirming again: “You’re really willing to let me go?”
Junhao’s face was full of smiling meaning as he looked at her without expressing his opinion.
An Ke pinched her face to confirm she wasn’t dreaming, then suddenly remembered Pei Xuanyan’s entrust: “I want to ask you one thing.”
“Go ahead.”
“Pei Xuanyan told me everything. Let Pei Xuanzhi go. What she did was wrong. I think she just loved you too much.” An Ke looked forward to his response.
“I’ll agree to anything you want.” Junhao agreed without hesitation: “As long as you follow my instructions when meeting my parents later.” He pressed her head against his chest, inhaling her light fragrance.
An Ke was immersed in her own joy and naturally didn’t see the calculating smile on Junhao’s face.
He loves everything about me, loving his money, him as a person, and so much more. In short, I will definitely marry him. An Ke used everything she learned from TV, truly casting herself as a passionate woman who would do anything for love.
Lin Xiang Hua laughed out loud, saying repeatedly: “Let’s choose an auspicious day and get this done. It’s best if you two go register first.”
“I have no objection, as long as Hao is free, anytime is fine.” An Ke blushed, truly immersing herself in the role.
The family finished dinner in a lively atmosphere. Jun Hao’s thoughtfulness made An Ke’s heart flutter, and Lin Xiang Hua pulled An Ke aside for a long chat before finally leaving space for the two of them.
“What did you call me today?” Jun Hao gazed at An Ke, his deep eyes seeming to burn her.
“I didn’t call you anything,” An Ke blushed, lowering her head and not daring to look directly at Jun Hao.
“I want to hear you call me ‘Hao’,” Jun Hao cupped her reddened face and kissed her cheek: “Baby, call me once more.”
“Hao…” An Ke called out as if enchanted.
“Haha…” Jun Hao let her go and laughed: “Can a woman now face her true feelings? You still dare say you feel nothing for me. Even if I had no money, many silly women like you would still throw themselves at me. I said the bet was lost, and you will never escape me in this lifetime. Even if I don’t want to play anymore, you can’t do as you please.”
“You… bastard.”
Jun Hao’s mocking voice laughed: “Baby, don’t be angry. I just want you to experience falling from heaven to earth.”
014 Leaving
“Jun Hao, remember, don’t fall into my hands, or I’ll make you wish you were dead.” An Ke angrily tore off the necklace from her neck and threw it on the ground.
“You…” Jun Hao tried to grab her, but An Ke wouldn’t let him come close, leaving in anger.
Jun Hao picked up the necklace and held it in his palm, watching her back as she went to her room, lost in thought.
“Son, you’ve given away this ancestral necklace. Why not just marry her and ease your father’s and my worries,” Lin Xiang Hua, who had appeared behind Jun Hao at some point, looked in the direction An Ke had disappeared.
“Mom, are you still worried that your excellent son can’t find a wife? As long as I want to marry, this villa would be full of candidates,” Jun Hao teased Lin Xiang Hua.
“But I know An Ke is the only girl you’ve given this necklace to. Xuan Ling never had this honor,” Lin Xiang Hua sighed: “Your father and I won’t force you to marry someone of equal social status. We just want you to be happy. The most important thing is to have children for the Jun family soon.”
“Mom, don’t worry. Go rest, or Dad will complain I’m taking up his beloved wife’s precious time.” Jun Hao pushed Lin Xiang Hua to her room, his tone unchanged, but a fleeting darkness in his eyes revealed his current mood.
“Young Master, Miss An is leaving,” Li Sao stood nearby, unsure what to do.
“Son, do you need your mom’s help?” Lin Xiang Hua turned back, seeming to want to see through his heart.
“Mom, go to your room. Your son is more than capable of handling this little girl,” Jun Hao sent Lin Xiang Hua to her room before following Li Sao to find An Ke.
“Baby, where are you going so late?” When Jun Hao’s familiar smile appeared beside An Ke, she didn’t turn to look at him, as if one glance would dirty her eyes.
He moved forward and tightly grabbed her, as if letting go would make her disappear.
She used almost all her strength to shake him off, coldly laughing: “Jun Hao, no matter what despicable means you use, I won’t be afraid. Please never appear in front of me again.”
“Are you sure you won’t regret it?” His hand was so heavy, crushing her bones.
She decisively told him word by word: “The only thing I regret in this life is wasting nearly a month of time in this place.”
He looked at her, his smile deepening. After a long while, he spoke: “Wear this necklace, and I’ll let you go.”
“I don’t need it.” An Ke turned away decisively, knowing she wouldn’t foolishly fall on the same stone multiple times.
Jun Hao stood in place, watching her gradually move away until she disappeared from his sight. For a moment, he wanted to run and catch her, to imprison her by his side. From the moment he first pointed at her, he never intended to let her go.
Pei Xuan Zhi left the mental hospital, promising Pei Xuan Yan she wouldn’t harm anyone again. Pei Xuan Yan didn’t dare tell her that her release might be due to An Ke’s help, fearing her extreme personality wouldn’t accept it.
Pei Xuan Yan formally took over the Pei family enterprise. Initially, the company’s veterans didn’t approve of his methods, but his work performance was undeniable. In just a few months, Pei’s financial income rose sharply, solidifying his position as the chief.
After leaving Jun Hao, An Ke returned to her father’s side, working as a makeup artist at a wedding company in City B. Life was calm and pleasant, though she never expected Chen Yun would resign from the Jun family and follow her to City B.
An Ke never dreamed she would meet Pei Xuan Yan again, encountering him at the company’s celebration party. She then learned this wedding company was a Pei family subsidiary. What Pei Xuan Yan said at the banquet, she didn’t remember, or perhaps didn’t hear at all. He still had that cold expression, now with an added confidence and dominance of a successful person. She just looked at him from afar, thinking he probably didn’t remember her.
Months passed quickly. Summer had gone, and autumn breeze blew gently, the few remaining yellow leaves floating down. An Ke walked home alone, slightly drunk from the party, wanting to get home quickly to avoid Chen Yun’s nagging.
A black BMW stopped in front of her, and Pei Xuan Yan walked out: “An Ke, let me take you home.”
An Ke shook her head, thinking it was a hallucination from drinking: “You still remember me?
Pei Xuanyan pulled her into the car, skillfully gripping the steering wheel. Both were silent for a long time before he asked, “An Ke, how have you been these past few months?”
“This is my own life, walking my own path, step by step. I feel grounded and authentic,” An Ke replied to him.
That day, Pei Xuanyan took An Ke home and insisted on coming inside, where he only met An Ke’s father, An Hong. An Ke told him that her mother had passed away when she was very young, and her father had raised her and her brother An Qiao alone, working a steady job. Their life wasn’t wealthy, but they managed.
Chen Yun was not friendly towards Pei Xuanyan, watching him with a wary eye from the moment he entered, always trying to keep An Ke away from him. An Ke just laughed it off.
