Volume One, Chapter 39: Trouble

The moment she caught a shadow from the corner of her eye, Jiang Wan reacted instinctively, shoving the man before her without a second thought.

“Stay away from me.”

She didn’t hesitate. Despite her body reeling backward, she was determined to put distance between them.

Fortunately, the railing was right beside her.

She reached out and grabbed it to steady herself.

When she stole another glance toward the corner, it was empty—nothing there at all.

Jiang Wan’s heart tightened.

She couldn’t be sure if it was just her imagination.

Or who it might have been.

Without another word, she composed herself and prepared to leave.

But the man’s broad figure loomed like a mountain, blocking half her way.

His cold, sharply defined face, half-lit under the corridor’s dim lights and the shroud of night, seemed mysterious and dangerous.

“How ungrateful.”

Lu Wenzhou pulled out a cigarette.

As he lit it, the flame flickered in his jet-black eyes.

Compared to Jiang Wan’s tension, he appeared utterly at ease.

As if he’d never done anything wrong, as if everything was just as it ought to be.

Jiang Wan felt a weight in her chest at his words, and found them almost laughable.

“Indeed,” she replied. “So, would you please keep your distance, little uncle? I don’t want any more trouble because of you.”

What happened at the banquet was not something she wanted to experience again.

With those words, Jiang Wan moved to leave.

But the man took a drag of his cigarette, exhaling as he shifted his body toward her, his step blocking her way.

His black eyes, full of an intimidating force, locked directly on her face.

Her usually bright and moving features now twisted into a less than pleasant expression.

As the smoke drifted, Lu Wenzhou’s eyebrows and eyes came sharply into focus.

His gaze bore down on her, lips curling in a cold sneer. “So I’m trouble?”

“What else?” Jiang Wan nearly blurted out, lifting her eyes to meet his.

Her gaze was unwavering, as if to affirm the sincerity of her words.

She remembered what she’d said that day—how she wished he would disappear—and her behavior toward him these past few days… all of it emphasized her intent.

She didn’t care about him, only wished he would vanish.

The cigarette in Lu Wenzhou’s hand snapped between his fingers.

After leaving that retort, Jiang Wan turned sideways and slipped past the narrow gap beside him.

Though the space was tight, she didn’t brush against him at all—not even a strand of hair.

Lu Wenzhou’s jaw tensed, his expression growing darker.

The cigarette dropped to the floor.

Irritated, he pulled out another.

But the lighter seemed intent on defying him. No matter how hard his thumb spun the wheel, the flame flashed only briefly—never enough to light the cigarette.

As Jiang Wan returned indoors, she heard, from a distance, something heavy thrown out.

She didn’t look back, simply steadied herself and kept going.

She took a deep breath and felt slightly better.

When she returned to the dining room, Yan Yan’s seat was already empty, her purse gone from the back of the chair.

Jiang Wan felt her chest tighten.

She wondered guiltily if the fleeting figure she’d glimpsed had been her.

“Jiang Wan, are you alright?” Ji Jiali, noticing her pale face, approached with concern. “Are you feeling unwell?”

“No,” she replied, glancing again at Yan Yan’s empty seat.

Before Jiang Wan could ask, Lin Zhi smiled gently at her. “Something urgent came up at the company, so Aunt Yan left early.”

She urged Jiang Wan to eat a little more and had the kitchen send up some fruit.

Everything was handled effortlessly.

Ji Jiali watched Lin Zhi’s capable manner, her gaze full of approval.

But seeing that Lu Wenzhou still hadn’t returned, she worried about being impolite.

“Lin Zhi, shouldn’t you go check on Wenzhou? He’s been gone quite a while.”

“He’s still smoking,” Lin Zhi replied, spearing a strawberry and offering it to Jiang Wan. “Want some, Jiang Wan?”

She smiled, her fox-like eyes curving into slits, making it impossible to read her expression.

Her tone was relaxed, as if she had everything under control, but Jiang Wan sensed another meaning beneath the words.

“I don’t care for strawberries,” she replied bluntly, picking up a fork to eat a piece of cantaloupe instead.

“That’s a shame. These strawberries were specially flown in at Wenzhou’s request,” Lin Zhi remarked.

Just as she finished speaking, Lu Wenzhou reappeared.

Seeing him return, Lin Zhi took the strawberry in her hand and walked over to him.

“Wenzhou, try one of the strawberries you had sent over.”

She lifted it to his lips.

The strawberry pressed against Lu Wenzhou’s mouth, but he didn’t open it. Instead, his gaze swept over Lin Zhi’s head and landed on Jiang Wan, who was eating cantaloupe at the table.

The moment Jiang Wan saw their intimate gesture, she looked away.

She deliberately avoided watching.

Like her, Ji Jiali averted her eyes and whispered in a mix of awe and dismay, “Lin Zhi really knows how to win a man’s heart. I used to underestimate her.”

Noticing Jiang Wan still eating melon, she couldn’t help but ask, “Since when do you dislike strawberries? You’re not just doing this to spite Lin Zhi, are you?”

She nudged Jiang Wan’s arm gently, reminding her in a low voice, “Are you not seeing the situation clearly? Lin Zhi’s status is not what it used to be. With Lu Wenzhou backing her, even your mother-in-law treats her with respect. How can you still give her the cold shoulder…”

Jiang Wan didn’t want to hear any more.

Citing the late hour, she prepared to leave the Lin family home.

“I’ll have the driver take you,” Ji Jiali offered, as always.

“No need, I’ll just hail a cab outside.”

She refused to use any of the Lin family’s resources.

Any acceptance, however slight, would only deepen her sense of betraying her father.

Ji Jiali knew how stubborn she was and didn’t insist.

“Just be careful, then.”

Lin Zhi accompanied her to the door, reminding her to stay safe.

Jiang Wan nodded and walked out of the villa alone.

The silver Rolls-Royce was still parked by the curb outside the front gate.

The driver sat in the same position, waiting in the driver’s seat.

He stared straight ahead, as motionless as a robot.

Jiang Wan only cast a glance his way, then looked away and headed toward the entrance of the villa complex.

She took the main road she’d used to arrive, but the latter half was unlit—probably under maintenance.

So she detoured along a row of villas, taking another route to her destination.

It wasn’t very late, but the neighborhood was utterly silent.

The houses were spaced far apart, and with front and back yards separating them, Jiang Wan heard nothing but her own footsteps and the rustling of the wind in the leaves.

The winter night was growing colder.

Her breath came out in clouds.

She pulled her coat tighter, arms crossed over her chest.

But as she walked, she gradually noticed—

Another set of footsteps had joined hers, blending with the sound of her own.

When she sped up, so did the other. When she slowed, the other matched her pace.

After testing this a few times, Jiang Wan realized something was wrong.

Without turning around, she broke into a run.

But the person behind was quicker, anticipating her move, and suddenly rushed up, grabbing her from behind.

“Hel—”

She’d barely called out when a rough, broad hand clamped over her mouth.

All she could smell was heavy alcohol and engine oil.