A Twisted Love Affair-Chapter 151: Shen Jing, you can’t handle playing like this?
The content of the teahouse image online had somehow become amusing to Zhou Luchen. This whole business about bodyguards gatekeeping the teahouse, and a rich young master booking the entire venue to listen to traditional Chinese storytelling while pursuing Little Ajing.
Why is it that others could discern a story from just one image?
Zhou Luchen thought about it, but not too deeply. He had no interest in pondering the whys and wherefores of love.
He pressed the elevator button and got in.
Shen Jing turned her head, stood on tiptoes, hooked his collar downward, and lightly kissed his lips.
Her lips felt a bit warm.
But she felt so satisfied...
Feeling content, she lowered her head, shy and quiet.
Accompanied by Zhou Luchen’s mocking yet teasing laughter, he wrapped his hand around her waist and pulled her back. "There’s a camera."
Following the direction Zhou Luchen indicated, Shen Jing looked up and spotted the fisheye camera in the corner of the elevator.
The security team was definitely watching. United Business handled the funds and wealth of countless famous tycoons, so their security and monitoring were undoubtedly top-notch, covering every floor of the building.
Shen Jing quickly turned to face the wall, as if to contemplate her mistake.
"You didn’t remind me, and now I’ve embarrassed myself again."
Zhou Luchen leaned back and watched her; she really was like a blank slate.
Compared to her embarrassment, he remained as calm as still water.
"You really enjoy making the first move?"
Unabashed, she openly admitted, "I do. What about it?"
Her point was, if you like kissing, just kiss; no need to hide it.
Zhou Luchen clearly saw through her yet didn’t expose the meaning behind his own words.
「That night.」
Zhou Luchen’s friends had invited him to discuss business at a boxing match.
Why do people invite him out every single day?
If he was happy, he’d grace them with his presence; if not, it was ’don’t ask stupid questions.’
Thinking it over, it made sense. Zhou Luchen controlled so many resources and possessed sharp insight. Naturally, many people wanted to get close to him and curry favor, all hoping for his stamp of approval.
Shen Jing accompanied him, utterly unwilling.
「In the boxing ring.」
Muscle-bound warriors from abroad were fighting, bruised and bloodied, with blood splattering over the ring, yet no victor had been decided.
She hid behind Zhou Luchen, scared. "Won’t they become disabled?"
"No."
Seeing her timid, frightened, rabbit-like demeanor, Zhou Luchen was greatly amused. "Wanna bet on who will win?"
"The red one," she said. "The one in red seems stronger."
Zhou Luchen mocked her naivety. She probably didn’t realize that the matches could be fixed to ensure a desired winner. "Tell me," he said, "what if you lose?"
"I’ll wager my little kitty." That was all Shen Jing had to offer.
"I don’t want a cat." Zhou Luchen pulled her into his embrace. "Just owe me."
"Are we keeping accounts now, Boss Zhou?"
"Focus on the match."
In the VIP stand, she and Zhou Luchen stood side by side at the glass barrier, blue light and shadows swirling around the arena.
The referee leaped onto the ring and raised the hand of the blue fighter, declaring the blue side victorious.
There were cheers.
The louder the cheers became, the more disheartened Shen Jing felt.
She had lost so abruptly, her tone became anxious. "That doesn’t count! He was still fighting back just now. How come the moment I bet on him, he started getting beaten everywhere?"
Her reaction made him laugh out loud.
"You really can’t take a loss, can you, Shen Jing?"
Perhaps at that time, Shen Jing didn’t understand the many unspoken rules of the ring—for instance, how fighters would look to the "big boss" for signals indicating who should win, and how they could convincingly act out the entire match without revealing any flaws. In this kind of venue for brutal entertainment, only she believed it was a real fight for victory or defeat.
Zhou Luchen saw she was afraid of the bloody scenes and couldn’t be bothered to stay any longer; he had no interest in watching such spectacles. However, he had a mischievous streak and enjoyed having her by his side. He liked seeing her panic, her fear, and even hearing her call him a bastard. Of course, none of that compared to how captivating she looked when frightened in bed.
It was simply endearing.
「Tonight, a chauffeur drove them.」
As soon as Shen Jing got into the car, she looked down and played with her phone.
The Shanghai night scene with its dazzling lights was enchanting, but she had seen it so often that she rarely took pleasure in appreciating it.
A pack of cigarettes, still in its plastic wrap, was tossed into her lap. She slowly turned to him. "What is it?"
Zhou Luchen leaned back in his seat, on a call, occasionally giving instructions. He raised his hand, indicating it wasn’t convenient for him to talk.
Shen Jing unwrapped the plastic film for him, tapped out a cigarette, and placed it between his lips. The man’s thin lips lightly held it as he looked at her and smiled, his gaze muddled and rakish.
Shen Jing really wanted to snatch it back from him.
The car drove for a while before stopping at a red light across the street from Taikoo Hui.
Shen Jing looked at the brightly lit shops and the pedestrians outside; due to the weekend, there were more people than usual.
Diagonally across from them, workers at the entrance of Taikoo Hui had begun setting up new art installations; the eye-catching maze from last month was being dismantled.
"Do you want to go to my grandmother’s house with me tomorrow?"
Zhou Luchen put away his phone. "What for?"
"I’m inviting you to dine at my grandmother’s house."
It’s just a birthday, Shen Jing didn’t say out loud. She had never been in the habit of celebrating birthdays; it was always just a meal back in the alleyways with her grandmother.
He’d seen her ID card before; couldn’t he remember? It seemed not.
Shen Jing didn’t press the issue. She wasn’t particularly interested in celebrating birthdays anyway—she never even bought a cake. Her grandmother had phoned, asking her to come over tomorrow, and had deliberately hinted that she hoped Shen Jing would bring that "boyfriend" for her to see.
She just wanted to take this opportunity to introduce him to her grandmother, so the old lady would stop doubting her and constantly trying to set her up on blind dates.
Zhou Luchen didn’t guess it was any special occasion. He toyed with his lighter for a moment before stopping. Taking the cigarette from his lips, he said indifferently, "I don’t have time tomorrow."
When did he ever have time? She knew he wouldn’t go.
Shen Jing turned away, looking out the window at the passing high-rises.
Zhou Luchen discarded his cigarette. "Are you getting angry over this?"
Shen Jing looked at their blurry reflections in the window, his and hers. Outside, the dazzling lights from a luxury building’s screen cast faint, shimmering patterns on the glass.
Shen Jing sighed, acting as if nothing was wrong. "I’m not angry. It’s just a pity since it was my first invitation. You’re busy, so I won’t bother you."
Zhou Luchen reached around her from behind, his hand sneaking under her sweater. His refined fingers moved upwards, unbuttoning her clothes one by one, occasionally brushing against her skin. Then, they traced downwards, firmly pinching her waist. "So quick to say you won’t bother me, huh? You’re really something."
Her body twisted slightly.
As for what Zhou Luchen would be busy with tomorrow, Shen Jing had no idea.
Seeing her disappointed gaze, Zhou Luchen would coax her with a few words, but nothing more.
He grasped her chin, turning her face to him, and bent down to peck the corner of her lips. She turned her head away, but he firmly guided her face back to continue the deep kiss.
Zhou Luchen’s kisses became more unreasonable, and her eyes brimmed with tears, yet she was lost in the moment and didn’t want to resist.
When they first got together, he hated it when she kissed him so forwardly. Lately, she had become bold, like a mischievous child, always tempting him to savor her allure.
Some things were like poppies; once touched, they became utterly uncontrollable.
The car headed toward the outskirts and eventually stopped in a secluded corner.
...
「Afterward.」
She was held by Zhou Luchen, resting against the seat, enjoying the night breeze from the open window.
The midnight wind was bone-chilling and desolate.
Zhou Luchen’s body was scorching hot. She relished the cool breeze, looking down to fasten his belt for him.
"Ajing."
Already tense, Shen Jing’s fingers trembled slightly. "Hmm?"
"How long have we been together?" he asked.
How long she had been with Zhou Luchen—she suddenly couldn’t remember.
