Perhaps the lingering effect of the first man on a woman was quite strong. Damn self-esteem. Shen Jing stiffened her face. "It has nothing to do with you."
"Keep me company."
His hand slowly slipped into the pocket of his suit trousers. "I haven't eaten either."
Shen Jing let out a small hum.
In the blink of an eye, Zhou Luchen's free hand grabbed her wrist before she could react.
"Rough," she accused him.
To say they weren't close was one thing, but they were... very close.
And so, he led her away.
She staggered into his car.
She recalled how Zhou Luchen had been completely open to her advances, allowing her to cling to him. Even after they'd met, he could feign ignorance, teasing her nonchalantly. His interest was limited to mere amusement; he never succumbed to inappropriate desires. Witnessing that scene on the street today, she felt a definite resistance in her heart. Yet he could lead her away without leaving a trace.
What exactly do you want, Zhou Luchen? What do you want? That insubstantial thread subtly tugged at her emotions. Just three hours ago, a glamorous movie star was sitting in the front seat of his red sports car. And now, he could so easily switch to another girl.
He took her to a private dining establishment. It was so quiet there were hardly any other guests. The atmosphere was tranquil and secluded. Large trees even grew inside the building.
Zhou Luchen hadn't eaten dinner; he truly just needed someone to dine with.
Freeloading off the second young master of the Zhou Family, and with a hungry stomach, Shen Jing ate her fill with peace of mind.
Every now and then, she glanced at Zhou Luchen across from her.
His short hair was neat and jet-black. His face bore a trace of deep fatigue. How could a man's appearance be so distinguished, his physique so alluring, and his behavior so wild, yet all fit together so captivatingly?
She scooped a spoonful of porridge and sneaked another glance at Zhou Luchen.
Caught by Zhou Luchen, he put down his chopsticks. "What are you looking at?"
Shen Jing masked her expression. "The lacquer thread carving on the screen is beautiful."
Behind where Zhou Luchen sat stood a screen, on which a phoenix was depicted using lacquer thread carving, an intangible cultural heritage craft.
Of course, it was beautiful. She played the part convincingly. If she claimed to be pure, well, she wasn't that pure anymore. Her little tricks were utterly transparent to Zhou Luchen, hardly worth a second look.
The more she feigned, the more Zhou Luchen enjoyed teasing her provocatively. "Is it as beautiful as you?"
His voice was low, matching his handsome face, intensely seductive.
Understanding the insinuation in his words, knowing he was referring to those muddled nights they had spent together, Shen Jing's breath hitched.
The next second, she wisely lowered her head and focused on her food.
Zhou Luchen's lips curled into a sneer.
The head chef attending them had, of course, heard everything but, well-trained for such occasions, pretended to know nothing.
"Mr. Zhou, would you like to order anything else?"
Zhou Luchen looked at Shen Jing.
She popped the last small piece of dessert into her mouth with a little spoon. Its taste was soft and fragrant. She nodded slightly.
"Yes."
She wanted another serving of that same exquisite little dessert.
The portions were small. They brought out three servings one after another before she was finally satisfied.
Zhou Luchen took out his wallet and handed over a card to pay. It was a completely gray card.
Shen Jing caught a glimpse of it.
United Bank. The Zhou Family, United Bank.
After dinner, Zhou Luchen called a car for her to return to the city center.
He picked up his suit jacket, draped it over his arm, and left just like that.
He didn't personally see her off. Who knows where he went next? He just left, expressionless from start to finish, as if he'd casually abandoned her in the restaurant. Even the cold wind couldn't keep up with his heartlessness. She had Chen Yao's contact information, but not Zhou Luchen's.
「The next day.」
Shen Jing returned to the alleyway.
As she reached the attic, she found Luo Yuanping sitting in the room, laughing and chatting with her grandmother.
How did he get up here?
When Luo Yuanping saw her, he actually smiled as if they were very familiar. "I was bored, so I came to see Granny."
"Get out!" Shen Jing yelled.
Luo Yuanping didn't move an inch.
The old lady, probably hard of hearing, said, "Nannan is here."
Shen Jing forced a smile, walked over, and helped her grandmother up. "Grandma, didn't I tell you not to let just anyone into the house?"
The old lady looked closely at Luo Yuanping, then at Shen Jing. "He said he's your friend."
Luo Yuanping was capable of any evil, but if he dressed decently, he could put on a deceptively respectable act. She really didn't blame her grandmother for this; her grandmother was kind-hearted and smiled at everyone.
Luo Yuanping put down his coffee. "I'll be waiting downstairs for my 500,000."
Seeing Luo Yuanping open the door and leave without spouting nonsense in front of her grandmother, Shen Jing felt slightly relieved.
She didn't hurry downstairs, instead reminding her grandmother over and over that that man wasn't allowed to visit.
Her grandmother lay in the rocking chair, nodding as if she only half understood.
Shen Jing leaned against the door panel. Reminders were useless; her grandmother would forget everything in a couple of days.
She turned and went downstairs.
The old man from the next building was just returning on his bicycle and called out, "Nannan's back again!"
Shen Jing nodded politely and walked over to Luo Yuanping, who was squatting on the ground.
"Speak," she said, leaning against the wall.
"Who were you with last night?" Yes, Luo Yuanping had seen Shen Jing leaving a hotel with a man the previous night.
That man... Luo Yuanping couldn't quite recognize who he was, but he had the air of a refined young master and didn't look like someone to be trifled with.
"Did you two spend the night at the hotel?" Luo Yuanping asked.
"It's 500,000, right? If I give you 500,000, you'll stop harassing me, won't you?" Of course, Shen Jing was unwilling to shoulder her stepfather's high-interest loan. But being constantly targeted by Luo Yuanping, she'd rather spend 500,000 to buy some peace, even though she didn't have enough money at the moment. She could earn it.
"I'm asking you, do you like that man?" Luo Yuanping wasn't concerned about the money. Shen Jing had always avoided any contact with him; even a touch of the hand was forbidden. Yet last night, she had casually let another man touch her so freely.
Shen Jing replied, "Yes, I like that man."
Zhou Luchen was debonair and unrestrained, but it was precisely because he was like that that she had managed to sleep with him.
"The 500,000, I'll pay you. After that, you're not allowed to come and bother my grandmother anymore."
"Fine. I'll give you a week. If you can come up with the money, then we'll talk. If you can't, then you leave that good-for-nothing!" Luo Yuanping stormed off.
Shen Jing almost wanted to laugh.
What kind of crazy talk was that? 'Leave that good-for-nothing'?
But then, Shen Jing glanced at the balance on her phone.
A week?
She dialed the number of a certain cosmetic and body contouring clinic. "Hello, this is Shen Jing. Regarding the endorsement your manager previously contacted me about, it's still open for discussion. Yes, that's right."
Her body was all-natural. She had once been invited to do a promotion for a beauty clinic that specifically wanted to feature her figure.
Shen Jing possessed genuine assets: an exquisitely curvaceous figure, ample where she should be, and perky where she should be. It could even be said that her skin was flawless. Promotion featuring a real person with genuine attributes was always more impactful.
The clinic confirmed with her and set a time.
Shen Jing hung up the phone and went upstairs.
The old lady was at the top of the stairs, her back hunched. "Has he left? Aren't you going to invite your friend to stay for a meal?"
Shen Jing was tired of explaining. She'd probably have to put a picture in her grandmother's room so she could recognize him. She started up the stairs, slowly helping her grandmother back to her room. "Let's cook, Grandma. I want to eat pork ribs."
The old lady frowned. "Who was that good-for-nothing he was talking about?"
Shen Jing lifted her face and smiled. "A bad man."
A very bad man. Unbearably so.