Lin Xinyan’s pupils constricted and in her eyes were the reflection of the sharp knife. It was as if she could imagine the pain when the sharp knife enters her body—
The knife was already so close to her, but she could not react from shock.
Just as she was about to be stabbed, a dark figure flew towards her and pulled her by her arm. She turned and dizzily crashed into a warm and solid chest.
She heard an angry voice. “Damn!” Then she saw Shen Xiuqing’s body flying across the room and crashing onto the corner of a table. The drinks on the table fell off and shattered on the floor.
Zong Jinghao’s gaze was sharp. “How did she come in here?”
Qin Ya hurriedly explained. “She was hired yesterday as a cleaner.”
She was shocked too. She had not thought that a cleaner had just tried to kill Lin Xinyan.
Lin Xinyan returned to her senses and moved away from Zong Jinghao’s arms to calmly arrange for the security to bring Shen Xiuqing away. She would investigate her appearance here later.
“Ya, get someone to clean up the floor.”
“Okay.”
“I’m really sorry. There had been an accident just now, I apologize for the shock you just experienced.” She told the crowd. After arranging the clean up, she pulled Zong Jinghao towards the staff room.
He Ruilin stood on the outside as she watched with indifferent eyes.
It was a pity that Lin Xinyan had not died from that attack.
However…
It was as if her gaze was coated with poison.
Zong Jinghao followed her into the staff room.
“Let me see your arm.” Lin Xinyan pulled his arm to look at it. She had seen that his arm was scratched by the knife in Shen Xiuqing’s hand when he had kicked her away.
It seemed like he was not actually scratched. He must have dodged it.
How fortunate. How lucky.
He had not been hurt.
“Are you worrying about me?” His gaze wavered.
“I don’t want you to get hurt because of me.” Lin Xinyan lowered her eyes.
She thought she would not have survived today.
She had not expected Zong Jinghao to appear at the last minute and protected her.
It would be a lie to say that she had felt nothing.
She felt grateful and touched.
It was all for this man.
“If you’re not hurt, I’ll go outside to take a look and see if anyone’s affected—”
“Don’t you have something to say to me?” Zong Jinghao cut her off and narrowed his eyes.
“What?” Lin Xinyan looked up at him.
Soon, she realized what he meant.
“We’ve met a while back. She said to invite her when my shop opens.”
“So, you invited her?” There was an inexplicable terrorizing tone in his voice. “Do you know who she is?”
Lin Xinyan held her breath and her hands clenched into fists. “I do.”
“You still contact her when you do?” This time, he did not conceal his dissatisfaction, his unhappiness, his disappointment.
“She’s not someone bad—”
“How long have you known her?” Zong Jinghao sneered, “What did she bribe you with?”
His gaze landed on her wrist. He had never seen her wear accessories save for an occasional watch. Where did this jade bangle come from?
“She gave this to you?”
Lin Xinyan hid her hands behind her back but Zong Jinghao pulled her back out. He stared at the jade bangle and asked, “You like these kinds of things?”
Lin Xinyan shook her head. “No.”
“Then why did you take it?”
“I couldn’t reject her.”
There was a fire in his eyes, and it kept burning hotter and hotter.
“Did she look pitiful?” That was why she could not reject her.
“No.” She could not reject her with that atmosphere and when she saw her eyes.
“Perhaps she had some difficulties at that time.” Lin Xinyan tried to explain for Yuxiu.
Zong Jinghao scoffed. “How long have you known her? How dare you try to excuse her behaviors with me?”
“Officially? Twice. It’s not been long, but I don’t think she’s someone bad.”
The fire in Zong Jinghao seemed as if it wanted to spread outwards to burn the woman in front of him. How could she be making excuses for Yuxiu?
His tone was as cold as the wintry wind forcing itself into her bones. “Return this to her. I’ll buy you the things you like.”
“Okay.” Lin Xinyan answered easily. She had not planned to keep this anyway; it was too expensive for her to receive this. She had only accepted it because she could not bring herself to reject her at that time.
Lin Xinyan’s quick response cooled him a little. “Don’t meet with her next time.”
“Okay.” Lin Xinyan answered this easily too.
She did not think that Yuxiu was bad. In fact, she felt that Yuxiu was a good person. However, she was in a relationship with Zong Jinghao and she did not plan to be in frequent contact with Yuxiu.
At the very least, she would not be the one initiating contact with her.
The fire in Zong Jinghao had been put out by her words. He pulled her into his arms. As if his arms were iron pliers, he held her tightly in his embrace. It was so tight that Lin Xinyan felt like she was suffocating.
She pushed him. “You want to strangle me to death?”
“Yes, it’ll be good. All you do is make me angry.” Although that was what he said, he had loosened his grip.
Her breath returned to her and Lin Xinyan said, “Why was Shen Xiuqing here?”
She knew that something was going on here.
“Would Lin Guoan be involved?” That she was only here because of Lin Guoan.
“No.” Zong Jinghao gave a half-hearted smirk. Lin Guoan was a heartless man. Shen Xiuqing was just a useless chess piece to him. He had given her up back then.
Lin Guoan would not take her back in.
There would be no more cooperation between the two.
Lin Xinyan thought back to the moment in the past that was similar to today. She frowned. “Wasn’t she in prison? When did she come out?”
Zong Jinghao raised his hand. He had a light scar on his hands from the wound back then. He still remembered the look on Lin Xinyan’s face when she jumped towards him trying to stop Shen Xiuqing’s attempted murder.
It was a crazy act that made him remember her.
“I’ll check it out.” His gaze turned sharp.
He had pulled some strings to charge Shen Xiuqing a life sentence for her attempted murder. She would not be able to come out unless someone had pulled some strings too.
It was obvious that the incident today was just the prologue and she was just a side character.
“Don’t go out alone for these few days.”
“Okay.”
Knock knock.
There was a series of knocks from the door. The voice of Qin Ya came after that. “Ms. Lin, the catwalk has started. It’s time for you to go on stage.”
She was not going to walk on the stage. She was going to give a speech as the owner of the shop.
“Alright.” She turned to look at Zong Jinghao. “I have to go now. I don’t think you like these kinds of occasions. If you’re busy, you can go first. If not, you can rest here.”
Zong Jinghao quietly hummed in response.
Just as Lin Xinyan was about to walk off, he called out to her.
“Hold on.”
“Yes?”
Lin Xinyan turned to look at him again.
Zong Jinghao reached out to tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ears. Instead of lifting his hand away, he slid his hands downwards and stopped at her earlobe. His eyes were half-lidded as his warm fingers touched her neck. He said softly, “You look pretty.”
Lin Xinyan looked away from him and slightly lowered her head, hiding her reddened face. “I should go now.”
She rushed away.
As if Zong Jinghao would do something to her if she was any slower.
It seemed like she had been shy just now.
There was a faint smile on Zong Jinghao’s face.
“Yo, what have you been doing here? You look so happy.” Su Zhan and Shen Peichuan walked in. It felt inappropriate for them to come in when Lin Xinyan was here earlier, but now that she had left, they were here.
“Are you injured? It looked dangerous.” Shen Peichuan asked in concern.
“I’m fine.” He kept his smile away and changed into a serious expression. “Make a check for me on how the woman just now had come in here.”
“Okay.” Shen Peichuan sat down. “I’ve already sent someone to investigate. Give me a day to come out with the results.”
Su Zhan smacked his lips and sat on the couch, bored. His arms laid across Shen Peichuan’s shoulder. “Why don’t we go to Night tonight?”
“Missing the company of women?” Shen Peichuan dissed him.
“I miss you.”
“I can’t take you on.”
Su Zhan reached out to touch Shen Peichuan’s chest as he pretended to be frivolous. “You’ve never tried it; how would you know you can’t take me on?”
“Get lost.” Shen Peichuan pushed him away and shivered in disgust. He could feel the goosebumps on his arms.
Su Zhan laid on his back after Shen Peichuan’s push. Shen Peichuan was strong.
He sat back up and glared at Shen Peichuan. “Tsk, how boring. Let’s go out to look at the beauties on the catwalk.”
“Other than women, what else is in your head?” Shen Peichuan looked at him. “Look at your useless look.”
“Thinking of women doesn’t mean that I’m useless. This is a man’s instinct, get it?” Su Zhan did not want to bother with explaining further. “The nerves in your brain never worked. I’m not going to keep this up with you. Wow, look, it’s our sister-in-law.”
It was Lin Xinyan’s turn on stage.
The three of them stood on the outermost side. They looked at Lin Xinyan across the many heads in front of them.
Under the light, the pink of her dress was beautiful. Her strapless dress showed off her delicate collarbones. It looked simplistic, and she looked soft in her dress.
She was outstanding amongst the crowd.
There was tenderness and pride in Zong Jinghao’s eyes.
This woman now belonged to him.
“Hello, I’m Lin Xinyan, the person-in-charge of LEO. I’m joyous to be able to open a branch here in B City and I’m grateful for your attendance today. I look forward to our future meetings.” Lin Xinyan smiled. It arched into a perfect angle, and she looked elegant and confident.
He Ruilin sat on a chair as she looked at Lin Xinyan coldly. The corner of her mouth turned upwards.
She hid her cunningness under the smile.
She had learned to hold back her impulsiveness after that incident.
She took out a phone and sent a photo of Lin Xinyan walking out of MOEN hotel’s room 608 from six years ago. Along with the photo, she sent a message: Do you want to know who that man was from six years ago?
