A Twisted Love Affair-Chapter 167: Emotionally and materially, he could only provide the latter_1
Zhou Luchen probably wasn’t watching the movie.
Outside, heavy rain poured, accompanied by thunder and lightning.
The four-meter-high, panoramic, floor-to-ceiling windows made the outside world crystal clear.
This seemed to excite the young masters in the private room even more.
The billiard babe bent over, carefully admiring Zhou Luchen’s face. He rested with his eyes closed, an added languor to his presence.
Her gaze drifted downward, landing on the man’s waist and hips. It was bulging. Quite impressive.
Her ear tips flushed crimson, and the billiard babe trembled as she asked softly, "Did your girlfriend leave?"
"She left."
The billiard babe’s massaging touch softened. "Did you have a fight?"
He pursed his lips. "No fight."
The billiard babe said comfortingly, "Girls need to be coaxed, you know. If you coax them well, they won’t leave. If you make a girl sad and she never comes back to you, what will you do then?"
Zhou Luchen suddenly smiled and asked, "What’s your name?"
The billiard babe fell silent; she had just told him her name ten minutes ago.
Just as expected of Second Master Zhou, a man who navigated a sea of flowers.
The billiard babe knew her place and further realized Zhou Luchen was inherently a heartless man, so she didn’t repeat her name. "If Second Master only wishes for a fleeting encounter, then I won’t say my name if you don’t wish to know."
Zhou Luchen glanced at his watch, then stood up to leave, showing no attachment to the place whatsoever.
「Daylight broke.」
「8:00 AM.」
At the same time, Shen Jing was entering the airport.
She dared not look back.
Never mind anyone else; in her world, behind her lay a city, a hotbed for one-night stands.
The house in Yunding was in her name, but she hadn’t sold it. Where else would the little kitty live? Zhou Luchen would definitely throw the little kitty out.
"Attention, valued passengers: Shanghai Airlines flight 3U6117 is now boarding. Please proceed to Gate 32."
"Let me know you’ve landed safely."
The airport broadcast nearly drowned out Sun Qiyan’s words; he’d already said it almost four times.
Shen Jing still didn’t look back. "I know."
Sun Qiyan waved and turned away with a smile. She’s so out of it, he thought, I’m worried she’ll carelessly lose her ID card.
Security check, then boarding.
She had bought a first-class ticket. She couldn’t be bothered to return the money Zhou Luchen had given her. It wasn’t that she didn’t care about money; rather, even though she hadn’t slept all night, she figured she might as well enjoy the comfort for the few hours the flight would last.
Perhaps the plane is too fast, she thought, suddenly feeling a lingering attachment to the southern city. I wish it would go slower, just a little slower.
It must be snowing in Beijing by now. As this thought crossed her mind, she looked out the window. Will Zhou Luchen come after me? Deep down, she already knew the answer. He won’t. He definitely won’t.
「9:00 AM.」
Zhou Luchen arrived at the CBD Building on time. Li Heng was left in the president’s office.
Operating Mr. Xiaozhou’s account, Li Heng transferred several hundred million to Shen Jing’s account in installments, marked as an unconditional gift.
"Mr. Zhou, this amount is quite large. How should I report this to the finance department? What’s the reason for the expenditure?"
Zhou Luchen, head down looking at a contract, said in a hoarse voice, "My girlfriend’s severance payment."
Between feelings and material possessions, he could only give her the latter. This way, their acquaintance wouldn’t have been for nothing.
Li Heng’s fingers froze. He stared at the amount, then at Second Master Zhou. They broke up? But wasn’t everything fine? Second Master has been in a good mood lately. Why the sudden breakup?
「9:30 AM.」
Zhuang Ming stood guard outside the four-meter-high armored gate when his phone alarm rang again.
He set this alarm every day to take Shen Jing to work in Su City by helicopter, which allowed her to sleep for an extra hour. She must be heartbroken to leave Shanghai.
Zhuang Ming switched off the alarm and sighed deeply. He mused, a note of regret in his voice, "That Miss Shen, always so lively and fond of being pampered—for her to say such words and then never appear again... she must have felt terribly wronged."
Indeed, was she sad, or did she have no regrets about their encounter in Shanghai?
As Zhuang Ming emerged, Li Heng patted his shoulder. "We’re all adults; everyone wants a dignified end."
Not far off, Second Master Zhou stood with one hand in his pocket, his expression impassive. He remained entirely calm and detached, showing no hint of lingering affection.
He didn’t say a word, just walked past them indifferently.
Li Heng immediately pursed his lips and cautiously followed Zhou Luchen to the conference room for a meeting.
Throughout the hour-long meeting, he was his usual self—decisive and resolute, without a shred of hesitation.
All day long, Zhou Luchen immersed himself in his work. Seated at the president’s desk, he reviewed documents with a pen in hand and typed on his computer.
When he finished, Zhou Luchen took his suit jacket in hand and headed to the parking lot.
Zhuang Ming opened the car door for him. Once Zhou Luchen was inside, Zhuang Ming closed the door and got into the driver’s seat. "Where would you like to go, sir?"
There was no reply. Zhuang Ming glanced in the rearview mirror. Second Master watched movies all night; he must be tired. His eyes indeed held a faint, weary laziness.
Starting the car, Zhuang Ming, knowing Second Master Zhou’s habits, figured he’d want to go to a hotel to rest.
Zhou Luchen tapped a cigarette from its case and placed it in his mouth. He flipped open the armrest console to look for a lighter, but his eyes landed on a woman’s pink hair tie and some small snacks.
He found his own lighter, tilted his head to light the cigarette, and took a drag. Then, without a change in expression, he said, "Get rid of this stuff. And we’ll get a new car."
Zhuang Ming hesitated for a few seconds before replying, "Understood. I’ll take care of it."
