A Twisted Love Affair-Chapter 184: Running over here acting delicate and getting bullied_1
She broke into a jog.
Shen Jing didn’t look back, even though she didn’t recognize the path.
She understood that Zhou Luchen had merely chanced upon her and lent a hand out of convenience. He was always quite generous with the women who had been with him.
She didn’t feign aloofness. If Zhou Luchen was willing to offer a hand, she would take it to steady herself. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶
If he had pretended not to see her, then her past affection for him would have been for nothing.
Meeting again, they still couldn’t manage a proper conversation.
Embracing each other with falsehood, no love, yet unable to control their desires.
Zhou Luchen drove behind her. She couldn’t outrun his car.
She simply stopped running.
The rich young master, however, seemed to have all the time in the world, slowing his car to match her pace.
As Shen Jing walked, she glanced at the man in the car. The blueish interior lights cast ripples across the contours of his profile, making him look profound and passionate.
Shen Jing inwardly mocked her own daze. Ever since discovering the pregnancy was false, why does Second Master Zhou seem rather pleased?
"Aren’t you happy?" he retorted.
"Of course, I’m happy," Shen Jing replied with a coquettish smile. "Not having it is better than having it taken away and killed by someone else. My heart feels more at ease this way."
She could choose not to have it, but she wouldn’t allow others to dictate the fate of something that belonged to her, even if they all shared the surname Zhou.
Zhou Luchen chuckled, a playful glint in his eyes. "And here I thought you were pregnant. I’d even picked out a house for you."
Was he planning to keep her privately at the Taihe Middle Court?
A smile touched Shen Jing’s lips. "Even if I were, I wouldn’t give birth to it."
Whether she was speaking out of anger or stating a fact, Zhou Luchen couldn’t be bothered to guess.
She walked slowly, and the car slowed to match her pace.
The streetlights cast their glow generously, illuminating her solitary figure.
Zhou Luchen rested his long arm on the car window, steering with one hand. "I helped you find your cat, and you can’t even say thank you?"
Shen Jing rubbed her nose with the back of her finger, murmuring, "Can we not talk about this? I haven’t forgiven you."
Looking at his profile, she saw a subtle smile play on his lips. "So, breaking up and changing phone numbers makes us enemies? Who taught you that?"
Shen Jing looked up at the streetlight; its glare stung her eyes, making her nose tingle. "My heart isn’t as cold as yours. I can’t just turn my feelings on and off for anyone or anything."
Zhou Luchen glanced out the car window at her. "Have I treated you that badly?"
"Not really," Shen Jing admitted frankly. "But whether I changed my number or not, you wouldn’t have proactively contacted me, right?"
Indeed, Zhou Luchen wouldn’t have. She was the one who chose to leave, and Zhou Luchen had no history of proactively chasing anyone back.
He didn’t say this.
Instead, he asked, "How much alcohol have you had recently?"
"One glass after another," Shen Jing said with a sorrowful smile, her eyes devoid of light. "And it’s baijiu, so bitter it makes me want to puke. Even after I drink, they still won’t look at my proposal. Plus, I have to guard against their wandering hands trying to touch my thighs."
As she passed beyond the reach of the streetlight, her slender figure was enveloped in shadow.
Zhou Luchen managed a faint smile. "You do sound rather pitiful."
"How could I compare to Second Master Zhou, born without a care in the world, free to pursue power and beauties?" Shen Jing remained polite. "But regarding what just happened, thank you."
It seemed that ’thank you’ was all she could say.
Zhou Luchen drove slowly. He swore to himself this was absolutely the slowest he had ever driven in his life.
"You run around here, all delicate and getting bullied. You used to be with me, don’t I lose face?"
Shen Jing forced a smile. "I’m not with you anymore. I promise I won’t embarrass you in the future."
The man snorted coldly.
Diving headfirst into the world of capital, crying at the slightest touch, shattering with the smallest pressure, just looking at her made one want to destroy her. How much was her promise worth?
He said, "You squatted outside the hotel for nearly five hours. Is it really necessary to go to such lengths for one collaboration?"
Shen Jing didn’t understand why he was so aware of her every embarrassment.
"You bear the surname Zhou; you wouldn’t understand," she said slowly, enunciating each word. "Grandpa is getting old. Big Sister is marrying into the Xie Family and can’t manage so many company affairs. My brothers and sisters at home each excel in their respective fields. Grandpa wants to assess my capabilities before deciding if I’m fit to take over. Am I supposed to just drift along and wait for death? A single pair of shoes costs tens of thousands. How long do you think the few hundred million you gave me can last...?"
"Fourth Miss, why are you out here for a walk?"
A commercial van stopped behind Shen Jing.
Turning around, she saw it was the CEO and his wife, whom her eldest sister had introduced to her at the banquet.
Shen Jing greeted them politely, "Uncle He, Auntie He."
Old He, with his pepper-and-salt hair, poked his head out, inviting, "It’s cold outside. Get in the car and come back with us. I happen to be on my way to Xihe Bay."
Shen Jing, not one for affectation, was about to get in.
Just then, the black sedan with the Beijing A license plate floored the accelerator and sped off, quickly stirring up a cloud of dust.
Shen Jing instinctively raised a hand to shield her face. Through the gaps between her fingers, she clearly saw the license plate—it was a string of iconic numbers, the kind that couldn’t be bought.
And it was Second Master Zhou’s favorite inconspicuous sedan.
Shen Jing averted her gaze, got into the van, and spent the entire ride discussing her proposal with the CEO.
"Bring your proposal to Xinyue Company tomorrow, and we can discuss the details further," Old He said.
Old He had frequently done business with Shen Ci in the past. Since Shen Ci had taken the initiative to recommend Shen Jing, he was willing to give her a chance.
How bad could it be? If the proposal was lacking, professionals could tweak it.
「The next day.」
Shen Jing brought the proposal to Xinyue Company on time.
She entered the CEO’s office and handed over the proposal.
Old He put on his glasses. He had initially intended to just skim through Shen Jing’s proposal out of courtesy, given Shen Ci’s introduction. However, by the time he reached the third page, he began to nod.
Old He nodded. "No one else saw merit in this proposal of yours? I’m actually quite pleasantly surprised. I very much like your proposed focus on diversified investment."
Shen Jing pointed to the document. "To be honest, sir, not a single CEO or chairman was willing to even open this report."
Old He removed his glasses, his eyes narrowing to slits. "No wonder. I truly can’t believe anyone would turn down such an excellent operational strategy. The women of the Shen Family are indeed exceptionally talented. Give me half an hour. I’ll call an emergency meeting to discuss this with the other directors, and we’ll see if we can begin implementation by next week."
The collaboration went smoothly—it was her first successful deal in Beijing.
Having understood the situation, CEO He personally invited her to a meal. "To our successful collaboration! I truly admire you, Fourth Miss. The fact that others rejected you simply means they failed to recognize your capabilities."
