Volume One, Chapter 59: Difficulties

As Jiang Wan fell silent, Lin Zhi also noticed the approaching vehicle. Her eyes instantly lit up with delight, and she couldn't hide her joy. Without bothering to see her guest out, she walked toward the entrance.

The Rolls-Royce drove directly into the front courtyard, gliding to a halt before the villa. When the car came to a complete stop, Qi Mo was the first to get out, opening the rear left door. An elderly man with graying hair stepped out.

As soon as she saw him, Lin Zhi greeted him warmly, "Dr. Zhai."

At the sound of her greeting, Jiang Wan, who was heading toward the door, involuntarily paused. She lowered her eyes in surprise. At the foot of the steps, Lu Wenzhou was getting out of the car, while on the other side, Zhai Honghui, dressed in a traditional tunic suit, stood before Qi Mo, welcomed by Lin Zhi.

"I’m not feeling unwell, really, you didn’t have to trouble yourself to come all this way, Dr. Zhai," Lin Zhi said politely, causing Zhai Honghui to furrow his brows in mild confusion.

Before he could reply, the atmosphere shifted abruptly, drawing his gaze upward. He looked up the steps.

Jiang Wan stood at the villa’s entrance, her gaze meeting Lu Wenzhou’s. His calm, dark eyes narrowed sharply when he saw her, and his hand, resting on the door, stiffened imperceptibly. The surprise was plain on his face, along with a fleeting trace of displeasure.

The air between them grew heavy and strained.

At last, Lin Zhi broke the silence.

"Jiang Wan came to visit me today. I was actually planning to have her stay for dinner, but now that you and Dr. Zhai are here, I suppose it’s not the best time," she said to Lu Wenzhou, then turned to Qi Mo, "Qi Mo, why don’t you give Jiang Wan a ride home?"

Qi Mo, who was just pulling the medical kit from the passenger seat, paused for a second and glanced at Lu Wenzhou. From where they stood, Lu Wenzhou’s face was hidden, but he simply stared at Jiang Wan atop the steps, saying nothing.

Lin Zhi continued, "After what happened with Jiang Wan at the Lin house last time, I’d feel uneasy letting her go back alone. She’s always reluctant to accept the Lin family’s help, so..."

"No need."

"Get in the car."

The two voices overlapped, both firm but carrying entirely different undertones.

The atmosphere shifted once again.

Seeing this, Zhai Honghui took the initiative, accepting the medical kit from Qi Mo. "I won’t be quick with my checkup. Xiao Qi, you go ahead and drive her."

Then he looked to Lin Zhi, "Xiao Lin, let’s go inside and see how things are."

"Alright," Lin Zhi replied, leading Zhai Honghui up the steps. As she passed Jiang Wan, she slowed and murmured, "Jiang Wan, just take Wenzhou’s car. If anything happens to you on the road, you’ll blame me again."

With that pointed remark, she and Zhai Honghui entered the villa.

Left standing there, Jiang Wan gave a wry smile at Lin Zhi’s “kindness.” She dropped her gaze and ignored it, stepping down the stairs, moving away from Lu Wenzhou.

But she had barely started when Lu Wenzhou took a long stride and seized her hand.

Feeling his touch, Jiang Wan’s eyes flew wide open. Did he realize where they were? How could he dare touch her here?

Before she could react, he pulled her firmly to him and all but pushed her into the open back seat of his car.

"You—"

As Jiang Wan tried to protest, Lu Wenzhou had already let go. Bracing his hands on the doorframe, his imposing figure leaned down, casting a shadow that blocked out the light.

Staring down at her, his gaze was intense and commanding.

"From now on, stay away from the Lin house unless necessary," he said, each word brooking no argument.

He left her no room for refusal. Without waiting for her reply, he withdrew, and as soon as the sunlight returned to her face, he slammed the door shut.

At the same time, Qi Mo, already back in the driver’s seat, locked the car with a click and pulled away.

Jiang Wan felt like a caged bird as the Rolls-Royce drove off, Lu Wenzhou’s figure shrinking from view. When he appeared again, it was only in the rearview mirror, growing smaller and smaller.

He drew out a cigarette, lighting it as his gaze followed the car with a fathomless look.

Jiang Wan couldn’t see his expression, but his parting warning echoed in her mind, making her want to laugh.

First, he told her to stay away from Lin Zhi. Then, he told her to stay away from the Lin family altogether.

What was this supposed to mean?

Did he think she posed a threat to Lin Zhi, that she would harm her unborn child?

A wave of anger flared in Jiang Wan’s chest. Her expression darkened.

Once the car had left the villa grounds, Jiang Wan struggled to control her feelings. "Just drop me here. I’ll get a cab myself."

Qi Mo didn’t stop. He glanced at her in the rearview mirror. "Miss Jiang, please don’t put me in a difficult position," he said sincerely. "I have to follow Master Lu’s instructions."

He gave her an apologetic look before turning his attention back to the road.

Jiang Wan clenched her teeth in frustration. She longed to vent her anger but knew Qi Mo was innocent.

The car sped down the road, putting more and more distance between them and the villa.

After a while, Jiang Wan cooled down and broke the silence. "Qi Mo, did Dr. Zhai come to see Lin Zhi for a medical reason?"

Just in case, she wanted to confirm. Sitting in the back seat, she kept her gaze fixed on the driver. Though she couldn’t see his face clearly, his upright features betrayed a flicker of hesitation at her question.

He seemed to waver, even avoid her eyes.

Jiang Wan already knew the answer. Before Qi Mo could respond, she said, "Never mind. Forget I asked. I don’t want to make things hard for you."

For the rest of the drive, neither of them spoke.

As they approached an intersection, Jiang Wan reminded him, "Don’t go straight. Turn right here—I’m going to the office."

Qi Mo hesitated for a second but ultimately followed her instructions, changing the route from Yujing Bay to Jiang Design Studio.

The car finally stopped at the base of the office building. Being a Sunday, there were barely any people around, so Jiang Wan felt comfortable arriving in Lu Wenzhou’s car.

But what she didn’t expect was to find someone else already there. She had thought she’d be alone for overtime, but at the workstations of Design Department Four, Xia Nuan was hunched over her computer, poring through reference materials.

"Xia Nuan?" Jiang Wan approached. "Why are you here? Didn’t you go to the hospital to be with your father this weekend?"

"I just came from the hospital," Xia Nuan replied. "I didn’t have anything else to do, so I thought I’d come to the office and work overtime."

"How is your father?"

"He just had surgery the day before yesterday. The doctor said he needs to be observed for a while," Xia Nuan answered, then quickly changed the subject. "By the way, President Jiang, did you study in the UK before?"

"Hmm? Yes, I did. Why do you ask all of a sudden?"

"That’s perfect," Xia Nuan said, pulling out a stack of design references she’d compiled. "Can you help me look over these? I want to know which of my case studies don’t fit the Victorian style."

She explained, "I used to think all English styles were more or less the same, until Master Lu said he wanted his wedding house done in the Victorian style, with a fireplace and everything."

At the mention of this, Jiang Wan’s hand, reaching for the materials, froze. Instantly, an image flashed through her mind: that villa, burned to nothing but a hollow shell.