A Twisted Love Affair-Chapter 180: Ajing, I don’t want to deceive you_1

Meanwhile, in New York, night had fallen. An executive motorcade sped across the Brooklyn Bridge. The cell phone rang several times before Zhou Luchen finally opened his eyes.

The female secretary beside him reminded him, "President, would you like to turn off your phone?"

Zhou Luchen said dismissively, "You answer it."

Secretary Song smiled faintly, took the phone, and answered, "Hello, Miss Wenxin. The president is working; please call back later."

After a long silence, the caller hung up.

She’s probably annoyed, Secretary Song thought, humming softly to herself. She carefully placed the phone down and returned to working intently on her computer.

"Miss Wenxin must be quite angry," Secretary Song remarked.

Zhou Luchen glanced sideways. "What did the Old Chairman assign you to do?"

"He only assigned me to be your secretary." Secretary Song paused her work, a sudden smile playing on her lips. "That Miss Shen was also annoyed, wasn’t she? And here I thought the women around you, President, were so capable. She even threw the blanket I used to cover you into the trash can."

Zhou Luchen let out a short laugh.

"Mr. Gabriel has invited you to dinner later," Secretary Song informed him, seeking confirmation.

He replied coolly, "Decline it."

The phone rang again. As usual, Secretary Song answered it for him. After listening for a moment, she leaned towards him. "It’s Mr. Zhou Xiangqun, looking for you."

He took the call.

"What are you so busy with?" Zhou Xiangqun asked in a measured tone. "Flirting with your female secretary?"

Zhou Luchen sounded relaxed and amused. "You’re such a killjoy."

Zhou Xiangqun chuckled, stepping into his house. "I have something that’ll dampen your mood even more. Want to hear it?"

Zhou Xiangqun hadn’t kept Shen Jing’s situation from him; he had dialed three times before finally reaching the very busy Zhou Luchen.

"Take a look at this picture first. Do you recognize this thing?"

Zhou Luchen reached for a tablet, opened the link, and examined the image. "Whose is it?"

"If it is what I suspect, then it’s yours," Zhou Xiangqun stated.

...

After chatting with her grandfather, Shen Jing racked her brains but still couldn’t figure out how Wang Dafu had met his downfall. Fortunes could change overnight; empires could crumble in an instant, she thought. It’s no wonder so many people pursue power.

Shen Jing was soaking in the bathtub for her morning bath. Stark naked, she was binge-watching a drama and playing with bubbles.

When her phone, resting on a nearby shelf, rang, she tapped to answer.

"Hello?"

She paused for a moment, listening. On the other end, she could hear the faint roar of a sports car’s engine and an English GPS voice: "Approaching tunnel exit. Please be aware of the upcoming fork."

It’s him, she thought, her sixth sense kicking in strongly.

Shen Jing clutched her phone, gazing at the heavy snow falling outside the window, and whispered his name, "Zhou Luchen."

Zhou Luchen’s voice was slightly nasal. "Hmm."

Forcing herself to remain calm, Shen Jing idly splashed the bathwater. "What is it?"

Only the sound of the speeding sports car came through the line. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

A short while after exiting the tunnel, he braked and pulled over to the side of the road. His arm bent slowly, resting on the car window frame. His voice was husky and teasing, "You enjoy taking calls from men while you’re bathing that much?"

Shen Jing froze. His perception is so sharp, she thought, it’s as if I’m standing naked right in front of him.

"It’s none of your business." Her breathing quickened. "I’m washing my face. I suggest you mind your own."

Zhou Luchen’s lips curved into a smirk. "Turn on the video, let me see."

Her cheeks puffed out. "I’m not showing you!"

Zhou Luchen’s voice was cool. "Is there any part of you I haven’t seen?" It was raining in New York. He flicked the wiper switch with one hand, a roguish smirk playing on his lips. "I’ve kissed every inch."

He was a scoundrel, and an unrepentant one at that. Even the crudest remarks, he could deliver with an air of arrogant nobility—a deeply contradictory, yet disarmingly refined, charisma that left one defenseless.

"’You rake! The Zhou Luchen on the news yesterday, the CEO of United Bank, looked so noble and virtuous.’" Shen Jing lifted her foot and kicked over the incense burner on its stand.

"What are you angry about?" he asked, his voice raspy.

She pressed her lips together. "You know perfectly well why I’m angry. You don’t explain, you don’t comfort. You sleep in my bed at night, then let other women hang all over you during the day!"

The man, exuding an air of weary decadence, leaned back in his seat, closed his eyes, and gave a noncommittal smile. "Have I?"

"You’re not even bothering to lie anymore," she said.

Zhou Luchen replied perfunctorily, "I don’t want to lie to you."

"You don’t care if you hurt me."

She gets angry so easily, he thought.

"Shen Jing."

"Hmm?" She played with the foam in the tub. In a daze, she realized it had been a long time since he’d called her ’Shen Jing.’

Zhou Luchen’s voice softened slightly. "Go to the hospital."

Shen Jing instantly remembered leaving her purse in Zhou Xiangqun’s car. He’s a fast tattletale, she thought, glancing at the small box on the vanity.

"Don’t misunderstand," she began, "whether it is or isn’t, there’s no definite answer yet..."

After a pause, he uttered only a few cold words, "I don’t have time for your nonsense."

Before Shen Jing could say anything more, Zhou Luchen had already hung up.

He couldn’t even be bothered with her. Heartless man, she fumed internally.

The instruction to "go to the hospital" was indeed the surest way to verify things.

On the late-night streets of New York, Zhou Luchen leaned back in his seat, eyes closed in thought. The neon lights filtering through the car window failed to stir any emotion within him. He was at a loss. He understood what he had done to make her flee. Yet, he also understood that he simply couldn’t give her what she wanted.

He opened his tired eyes.

What was there to explain? Love is love, and not loving someone is just that. Why all the whys?

His mind adrift, he returned to the villa.

「That same day.」

After Shen Jing had freshened up and stepped out the door, she immediately saw Zhuang Ming.

Shen Jing let out a sigh and told Lao Liang to stay at the old residence. "He’s a friend, Lao Liang. Please don’t worry."

Zhuang Ming watched her get into the car, closed her door, then settled into the driver’s seat. "The Second Young Master instructed me to take you to the hospital."

Shen Jing acquiesced.

Zhuang Ming drove steadily, occasionally asking if the heating was adequate or if she felt cold. She remained silent, so Zhuang Ming didn’t press further.

The formidable matriarch of the Zhou Family had carved out a name for herself in Shanghai in her youth. Then came Zhou Zhengliang, who expanded into international trade. And now, with the Second Young Master’s achievements on the international stage, the family’s empire had grown ever larger. The Zhou Family needed a future matriarch who could stand shoulder to shoulder with the Second Young Master. They were a pure-blooded aristocratic family, entangled in too many vested interests; love and affection were not their priority. Many ladies from prominent families in Shanghai and Beijing had sought marriage alliances—some beautiful, others gentle and refined—but none were the Old Madam’s choice. The Old Madam wanted a granddaughter-in-law like her younger self: fiercely ambitious and capable of weathering any storm independently. More importantly, Wenxin had been personally groomed by the Second Young Master. She had always loved him deeply, they had been together, and he had genuinely invested effort into their relationship. For all these reasons, in the Old Madam’s eyes, Wenxin was the ideal candidate to be the mistress of the Zhou Family. Certainly not some headline-grabbing female celebrity or a delicate, coddled young woman. Even if this child truly existed, the Zhou Family would never grant its mother the title of Mrs. Zhou.

An appointment had been made with a gynecology professor at the district hospital.

Zhuang Ming remained outside the door, waiting quietly.

Shen Jing was on edge throughout the entire consultation.

After reviewing the test results, the gynecology professor typed notes into the computer. "Try to avoid such strenuous activity in the future. Your ligament strain hasn’t fully healed yet. Also, your constitution is quite weak, so pay close attention to your diet."

Shen Jing’s face burned, and she mumbled an affirmative.

The professor continued, "Have you been under a lot of stress lately? You need to manage your stress levels and maintain a regular sleep schedule."

Shen Jing asked softly, "So, what’s the result?"

"It’s negative," the professor advised. "But you still need to take good care of your body. I’ll send the report to Mr. Zhou shortly. Go home and focus on recuperating. Perhaps consider some traditional Chinese medicine; I can arrange for it to be sent to you."