Volume One, Chapter Twenty: Waiting for You

Jiang Wan stood frozen in place. Even though she usually possessed a sharp, witty tongue, at this moment she was at a loss for words, unable to utter a single syllable.

Caught in the act. What could she possibly say? Should she confront Lu Wenzhou? With the disparity between their statuses, she would only be branded as the shameless woman who seduced him.

Unconsciously, Jiang Wan clenched her teeth. Her resentment toward Lu Wenzhou deepened yet again. Clearly, he was the one who had done wrong, but she was the one bearing all the pressure.

Jiang Wan fell silent; the atmosphere grew tense and subtle. Seeing her remain quiet for so long, Lin Zhi, who stood within her field of vision, suddenly switched to a relaxed smile.

“It seems you still refuse to accept my position,” Lin Zhi said, her tone shifting, sounding neither accusatory nor questioning, but instead carrying a hint of exasperation.

Jiang Wan frowned, uncertain what part Lin Zhi was playing.

Until—

Lin Zhi lifted her hand, swept her hair to one side, tucking it behind her ear. With the movement, Jiang Wan clearly saw the identical windmill earrings on her earlobes.

Jiang Wan was stunned.

Lin Zhi smiled, “If someone else saw us now, they’d think we were sisters deeply bonded. No blood relation, yet close enough to wear matching accessories.”

Jiang Wan remained speechless; her brows did not relax.

Lin Zhi continued, “Did Huai Xu give you those earrings? Do all men share the same taste, or is it that distant cousins have similarly bad judgment?”

“Wenzhou must have thought they were mine, so he brought them back to the room.”

With Lin Zhi’s explanation, Jiang Wan finally understood. The earrings were a gift from Lu Wenzhou.

She recalled seeing the WeChat message at the hospital earlier—so that was the gift he’d mentioned.

Her tightly knit brows finally eased.

Jiang Wan smiled faintly and took the earrings back from Lin Zhi.

“Mm,” she said, putting them away and bidding Lin Zhi farewell.

After Jiang Wan left, Lin Zhi stood in place, watching her receding figure. As Jiang Wan walked farther away, the smile on Lin Zhi’s face faded, replaced by a sharp gaze and a bitter bite of her lip.

*

Not long after Jiang Wan departed, Lin Zhi waited in the lobby for Lu Wenzhou.

“Mr. Lu!” As soon as she saw him descending the stairs, Lin Zhi hurried over with a bright smile. Her appearance caused Lu Wenzhou’s previously pleasant expression to instantly turn cold and forbidding.

“I was afraid you’d forget where my room was, so I decided to wait for you here,” Lin Zhi explained proactively.

Lu Wenzhou, terse as ever, responded with a dismissive “Mm” while handling paperwork at the front desk.

Even so, Lin Zhi remained unfazed. “My father’s already booked the restaurant. Tonight we’ll…”

Before she could finish, Lu Wenzhou took his card from the receptionist, turned to her, and said coldly, “I have things to do. I’m not available.”

Lin Zhi was startled into silence.

Seeing him walk away, she hurried after him. “Wait, didn’t you just agree? You said—”

“What did I say?” Lu Wenzhou stopped, interrupting her, his dark eyes sweeping over her icily.

“I said we’d have dinner together tonight?” His tone was so deep it was almost frightening, and the aura surrounding him was impatient and oppressive, making it impossible to respond.

Lin Zhi was cowed by his presence, unable to speak further. Bowing her head in silent acquiescence, she unwittingly exposed the earrings on her ears.

Lu Wenzhou’s black eyes narrowed dangerously.

He broke the silence. “Miss Lin, as a graduate student, you must know the story of ‘Dongshi imitating Xi Shi,’ don’t you?”

Lin Zhi froze, incredulously raising her head to meet Lu Wenzhou’s direct gaze, which was fixed disapprovingly on her earrings.

Understanding his meaning, anger surged in her chest, her face flushing hot. She forced herself to smile, replying to his mockery.

“You misunderstand, Mr. Lu,” Lin Zhi managed, her smile uglier than crying, every word squeezed through gritted teeth. “I thought I shared a taste with Jiang Wan, but after speaking with her, I realized it’s similar to Gu Huai Xu’s.”

Lu Wenzhou’s eyes grew even colder.

His face darkened, and he said nothing more. Expressionless, he strode toward the parking lot.

Lin Zhi remained where she was. Though she had struck back, Lu Wenzhou’s words left her feeling humiliated.

As Lu Wenzhou got into his car, she angrily tore off her earrings and threw them into the trash.

*

After leaving the golf course, Jiang Wan had no choice but to hail a cab alone. The course was remote, and though she opened the app and waited for ages, no driver accepted her request.

Frustrated, she decided to walk for a while. Her hair wasn’t dry yet, so the sunlight would help.

Jiang Wan walked alone along the roadside. There were scarcely any passing vehicles—only her solitary figure.

In the silent environment, any sound stood out starkly. Hearing a car approach from behind, Jiang Wan instinctively turned, thinking she might catch a ride.

But as she glanced sideways, the conspicuous silver Rolls-Royce with its abrupt Beijing plates appeared. Jiang Wan quickly turned away, pretending nothing had happened, and kept walking.

The Rolls-Royce sped past her, raising her hair as it went, and disappeared around the corner. Jiang Wan withdrew her gaze in distaste, checked her phone—still no response from the ride app.

She grew more irritated. Already exhausted from two hours of golf and drained by Lu Wenzhou’s ordeal, she had barely covered a kilometer, and her legs were trembling.

That culprit was probably already driving Lin Zhi back, preparing for their dinner together.

Anger unconsciously welled up in Jiang Wan’s chest. As she walked, she cursed Lu Wenzhou, as if that were the only thing keeping her going.

When she reached a fork in the road, the familiar Rolls-Royce appeared again. It was parked by the roadside, a tall figure leaning against the car door, smoking leisurely.

Noticing Jiang Wan’s attention, his gaze shifted to her. Before they could meet eyes, Jiang Wan looked away first. She didn’t walk toward Lu Wenzhou, choosing another direction at the fork.

She kept moving forward.

Soon, she heard the tires crunching against the road again. The car was slow, the distinctive silver gradually entering her peripheral vision.

The Rolls-Royce’s rear appeared first, then the back window rolled down, revealing Lu Wenzhou’s stern face.

The car reversed, matching her walking speed.

Jiang Wan ignored him.

Until Lu Wenzhou’s low voice sounded, “Get in.”

He left no room for argument, reminding her, “This road leads nowhere.”