In the simply yet full of sense-of-design suite living room, the bright lights shone on the four people, except for Wen Xian, the other three were all standing, Shen Lingge’s complexion already so bad it could not be looked at.
Assistant Xiao Song somewhat nervously explained: “Miss Wen, when sir and I just entered the door, this woman was already here, we…”
Wen Xian lifted her eyelids, slowly and lazily swept a glance at Xiao Song, interrupted: “Called in advance?”
Shen Lingge: “……?”
He furrowed brows: “Xian Xian, I…”
Wen Xian did not give him the slightest glance, she only said expressionlessly: “I temporarily don’t want to hear you speak.”
Shen Lingge: “……”
Wen Xian then turned and swept her eyes up and down over this woman, facial features delicate, red lips and big waves, figure graceful, clothing taste also not bad, such less-fabric clothes worn on her body did not appear gaudy, instead added a few threads of sexy and playful.
Wen Xian softly praised: “Not bad taste.”
Shen Lingge: “……”
Assistant Xiao Song carefully raised his eyes to glance at Shen Lingge whose face had turned black, he hurriedly gave that woman a look. Things developing to this point, the woman probably also understood the situation.
She originally thought tonight she could climb up to a rich man, did not expect it was someone already taken, if she had known earlier, why bother accepting this job.
Thinking of this, the woman hooked her lips: “Little sister, you came just in time, I hadn’t yet had time to do anything. Besides, this gentleman, as soon as he saw me, coldly told me to go out.”
Wen Xian glanced at her: “Then it seems I disturbed you two.”
Wen Xian had been on the plane the whole day and was already tired, right now her mind only thought about going to bed to sleep for a while. After all, looking at the current situation, Shen Lingge was living quite comfortably.
Fine wine, beautiful women surrounding, nowhere was there the appearance of the exhaustion she had imagined.
She lowered her eyes, said in a low voice: “I’m a little tired, want to go sleep for a while.”
After speaking she got up wanting to leave, but how could Shen Lingge let her go, he coldly glanced at Xiao Song, Xiao Song received the look and hurriedly dragged the woman out, speed comparable to escaping for life.
After going out, Xiao Song sighed worriedly, he looked at the woman and regretfully shook his head: “This month probably was busy for nothing.”
The woman paused, not understanding what he was saying.
But immediately she understood this man’s meaning, he solemnly said: “Miss, please pass along to the person who sent you, this project Shen Group will re-select a cooperation partner.”
Originally tonight had confirmed contract details, after finishing discussing details tomorrow, Shen Lingge would personally go sign the contract, but unexpectedly such an accident happened tonight, and it happened to be bumped into by Wen Xian.
Upon hearing, the woman was somewhat flustered, she had not thought things would become so serious.
Xiao Song lightly sighed, this matter probably even the hotel would suffer, to actually have let someone in.
…
Inside the suite.
Shen Lingge frowned pulling Wen Xian’s wrist, she hung her head not speaking, only one appearance of wanting to leave. He looked at the tiredness on her face with heartache, asked in a low voice: “Why didn’t you tell me in advance? Are you tired? Have you eaten?”
Wen Xian understood in her heart that Shen Lingge could not really have anything with that woman, but she just didn’t want the first thing she saw upon coming here to be this kind of scene, sexy hot girl hugging the man she had missed for a whole month.
She really had no way to pretend she hadn’t seen.
Wen Xian did not answer his words, only stubbornly said: “I want to go back to the room to sleep.”
Shen Lingge stepped closer to her, pinched up her chin to look twice, saw that she had not cried then continued to ask: “Staying in which room? I’ll have someone bring your luggage up.”
Wen Xian lifted her eyes, sleepily looked at him: “Can you let me go back to sleep?”
Shen Lingge’s words halted, her voice as light and soft as usual, but her tone was so indifferent, as if ice shards slowly scraped across his heart, both hurting and unbearable.
Shen Lingge could not possibly just watch her leave. He slightly bent over and directly picked her up, carried her into the room.
At this moment Wen Xian was tired and did not want to argue with him, nor had the strength to make trouble with him. As soon as she touched the bed she lay down, turned to the side with her back facing him. She softly said: “You go out, I’m going to sleep.”
The words Shen Lingge had not yet said stuck in his throat, after quite a while he finally spoke with a dry tone: “I’ll just be outside.”
What responded to him was a room full of silence.
Ten minutes later.
Shen Lingge sat in the living room listening to Xiao Song reporting in a low voice: “Sir, I already sent someone to notify the cooperation partner’s side, within two days it can be handled. Also… I asked the butler in Licheng and Duoduo, Miss came by plane this morning, the driver dropped Miss off then left. Miss didn’t eat dinner, after putting down her luggage she came to find you, I placed the luggage at the door.”
“Sir, regarding the hotel…”
Shen Lingge rubbed his brow: “Two days later give the project team a three-day break, don’t change the hotel tonight for now, contact the lawyer tomorrow to handle it, I don’t want to see this kind of thing happen again.”
Xiao Song bent his waist and answered: “Yes, sir.”
Shen Lingge had quit smoking for exactly five years already, only during the two hardest years for Shen Group had he learned to smoke to relieve pressure. But tonight he lit up a cigarette again, yet the restlessness in his heart not only did not get better, instead had the momentum of a prairie fire.
2:00 a.m.
Shen Lingge went to the bathroom to take a shower before daring to go into the room to see her. The room was dark, there was a faint beam of light on the ground, her breathing very light, still maintaining the same posture as when he had left.
Shen Lingge walked to her side, reached out to probe her forehead’s temperature. Seeing the temperature as usual, he again carefully used his fingertip to touch the corner of her eye, warm and dry, had not cried.
The heart he had been holding up slightly lowered a little.
Shen Lingge accompanied her sitting in the room for an hour before silently closing the door and leaving just like when he came.
…
3:30 a.m., inside the car.
Xiao Song sat stiffly beside Shen Lingge, he had just gone to contact the person Shen Lingge asked him to find. They were now on the way. Clearly he had not slept tonight, yet it felt like being inside a dream.
He never imagined even in dreams that Shen Lingge would do such a thing, his twenty-plus years of worldview seemed to be shattered and then reshaped.
The expensive car stopped in front of an inconspicuous shop.
A middle-aged man with stubble and messy appearance had a pair of eyes as deep as lake water, but at this moment his eyes were narrowed somewhat unhappily. He swept a glance up and down at Shen Lingge, spoke in a deep voice: “Come in.”
Having been disturbed from a sweet dream, his mood at this moment was very bad.
Shen Lingge directly handed him the drawn design.
After seeing the design, the man let out a low laugh. He lifted his eyes to look at this man full of noble air: “You’re sure?”
Shen Lingge did not speak.
Xiao Song glanced at the tools to the side and the exaggerated and strange pictures on the wall, he only felt like even his bones started to ache, while Shen Lingge already, with an unchanged face, started taking off his clothes.
5:00 a.m.
Shen Lingge leaned against the back seat with his eyes closed, faint morning light shining on the side of his neck. Xiao Song in the front seat was drowsy and falling asleep, the driver circled around this quiet night and sent them back to the hotel again.
—
Wen Xian slept for a full twelve hours. When she woke up, she was still somewhat dazed, but the scent on the pillow was one she was familiar with. She subconsciously leaned against the side of the pillow and rubbed lightly.
Only after a long time did she fully wake up, and the scenes from last night flashed back in her mind.
She puffed up her cheeks, lifted the blanket, got out of bed, preparing to go find Shen Lingge to settle the score. Last night she had no energy and no mood to argue with him, but now that she had recovered, she only wanted to grab his ear and scold him a few sentences.
Wen Xian sat on the edge of the bed and looked down, she couldn’t find her slippers.
Last night Shen Lingge had carried her onto the bed. Wen Xian thought about it and decided to take a shower first. The bathroom in the room was spacious and tidy. After showering, Wen Xian only found Shen Lingge’s shirt in the room; her clothes were all in the suitcase.
The oversized shirt on her body almost covered her entire thighs. Wen Xian buttoned it up and secretly walked towards the door. She first poked her head out to check the situation outside, but with just one glance she saw her own suitcase.
It was placed next to the sofa, and there seemed to be no one in the living room.
Wen Xian hardened her heart, ran out barefoot, but she had only run halfway when someone grabbed her around the waist and lifted her up. A strong, warm arm wrapped around her waist. She immediately pulled at her own shirt hem.
Shen Lingge only realized something was off when he touched her. He lowered his head and took a glance at the person in his arms. She was nervously tugging at the shirt on her body, her slender collarbone faintly visible, from her milky-white calves down to her feet was all bare.
His breathing paused slightly, black eyes stopping on her faintly flushed face: “Xian Xian, you…”
Wen Xian immediately reached out to cover his mouth, angrily said: “You’re not allowed to speak, let me go.”
But she didn’t dare struggle hard, afraid that with one move her clothes would come loose. She was both embarrassed and anxious, almost not daring to lift her eyes to meet Shen Lingge’s gaze.
Shen Lingge only paused for a moment before carrying her back into the room. As soon as she touched the bed, the little girl immediately hid under the blanket. She fiercely said: “You bring my suitcase in.”
Shen Lingge looked at her for a moment then walked toward the door. Wen Xian had not even finished exhaling before stopping, because Shen Lingge did not go out to get her suitcase, but instead closed the door.
Wen Xian: “…….”
Wen Xian wrapped the small blanket tightly around herself, watching Shen Lingge getting closer and closer. His black eyes were dark, his footsteps neither fast nor slow, but the distance between them was getting smaller and smaller.
Wen Xian shrank back a little.
Shen Lingge did not intend to bully her. Seeing her almost shrinking to the edge of the bed, he said helplessly: “Come here, I won’t touch you. I have something to say to you. After I say it, I’ll get your suitcase.”
Wen Xian hesitated for a moment, a pair of deer-like eyes staring at him for a long while before slowly moving back to his side.
Shen Lingge sat down at the edge of the bed. He did not mention last night’s matter, only reached out to rub her black hair, saying in a low voice: “Xian Xian, do you remember what you said to me the day we met?”
Wen Xian pursed her lips, answered softly: “I remember.”
The warmth in Shen Lingge’s black eyes grew stronger. He stared at her for a long time, his voice low and gentle, word by word he said:
“I’m answering you now.”
“I will always be by your side.”
“I will accompany you to see Mom and Dad.”
“I will love you well, I won’t like anyone else.”
“I can always love Xian Xian. I will love her forever.”
Wen Xian couldn’t help but clutch the blanket in her hands tightly. She wanted to look at him but didn’t dare lift her eyes. She bit her lip, the sound squeezed out from her throat was so light it was almost inaudible: “You’re lying.”
Shen Lingge suddenly approached her, he reached out and grabbed her hand, pulling it towards his own collar, lowly coaxing: “Xian Xian, unbutton two buttons.”
Wen Xian wanted to pull her hand back but was trapped in his palm by his strength. Shen Lingge, extremely patient, guided her to slowly unbutton the first button of his shirt, then the second.
Shen Lingge let out a low laugh, he yanked open the collar with one pull, the collarbone beneath his neck clearly visible.
Wen Xian suddenly froze. She couldn’t help but reach out and touch below his collarbone. Below the left side of the man’s collarbone, there was a faint redness and swelling, and in the middle of it was clearly tattooed a small snowflake.
Wen Xian couldn’t be more familiar with it. This was the snowflake she would leave every time she drew with a brush.
He had branded her mark onto his own body.
Scorching-hot breath swept past her ear, like withered grass on the wild plains beginning to burn, the man’s hoarse voice carried a satisfied sigh: “Xian Xian, I am yours.”