“I would like to show you something, President Jiang.” Zong Yanxi fished out her mobile phone and played the footage on it for him.
Jiang Mohan’s gaze was lowered and glued onto the phone screen. His eyebrows furrowed. He seemed to have heard Lin Ruixi saying that she wanted to pursue him and was shocked to find that he was delighted by that information.
“Are all of the Hengkang Group’s employees so overbearing? I’ve received a warning from one of them for no apparent reason. I think I’ll need an explanation from you, President Jiang. Else, there’ll be a need to put aside our collaboration matters for a while.”
Jiang Mohan nonchalantly rested one of his arms on the desk. “I don’t think this should affect our collaboration.”
“I wouldn’t be too sure about that if I were you, President Jiang. I represent Rui Mei. Our companies are business partners, but one of Rui Mei’s employees has been bullied by your company’s employees. Don’t you think that I deserve an explanation?” She leaned forward and closed in the distance between them. “This woman seems to be very fond of you, President Jiang. Does she send out warnings like this to every single woman who interacts with you? Or perhaps, you actually enjoy being adored and admired? Is that why you are closing one eye on this matter? If that is the case, then I’ll have nothing to say. I’ll just take it that I’ve had a bad day.”
Zong Yanxi pulled herself up from her seat upon finishing her speech. She grabbed her phone from the desk. “I’ve seen the attitude of Hengkang’s employees. It seems like I wouldn’t be able to interact with you any longer, President Jiang. Else, there’ll sure be someone chasing after me to send out warnings. I’ll contact my company today. It seems like we’ll need to delay our collaboration.”
She turned on her heel to leave.
“Wait.”
Jiang Mohan stopped her. “Ms. Lin, please wait a moment.”
He walked out from behind his desk. “I never said that I wouldn’t do you justice, Ms. Lin. Why the temper?”
Zong Yanxi whipped her head around.
“How are you planning to settle this, President Jiang?” Zong Yanxi tilted her chin up, emitting an aggressive aura.
This personality…
Jiang Mohan withdrew all his expressions but remained on his path toward her. He pulled in the distance between them, and Zong Yanxi took a step back instinctively. Jiang Mohan didn’t seem like he was ready to let her off just yet, and he continued in his paces toward her. Zong Yanxi had to back away from him as a last resort as he slowly got closer and closer to her.
Jiang Mohan grabbed her wrist and dragged her toward him in one swift movement. Zong Yanxi hastily took a step toward him but shot out her hand and placed it against his chest. She forcefully calmed down her racing heart and chided him coldly. “What are you trying to do?”
“I’ll give you a satisfactory explanation for all the injustice that you’ve faced, Ms. Lin. But before that, I’ll need an explanation from you.” His gaze lowered toward her soft and delicate hands. Zong Yanxi could feel his heart beating against her fingers. His chest felt as solid as it had been before. She curled her fingers, pulling back her hand, and averted his gaze. “What explanation do you need from me, President Jiang?”
Jiang Mohan’s voice deepened. “Were you being serious when you said that you wanted to pursue me, Ms. Lin?”
Zong Yanxi was speechless.
She only wanted to get on the nerves of Ling Wei. Pursue him?
Hmph! He’ll have to wait a thousand years for that to happen!
She lifted her gaze to him and played dumb. “When did I say that?”
“How bad is your memory, Ms. Lin?” Jiang Mohan pressed his body closer toward her. “Do you need me to help you regain your memories, Ms. Lin?”
Zong Yanxi felt his hot breath against her cheeks. The familiarity in that feeling made her nervous, but it was only in the slightest. She was no longer intimidated by him. Her heart was no longer uncontrollably palpitating because of him. Her heart would no longer beat wildly from just receiving a light kiss from him.
She was suddenly reminded of their first kiss. It was a rainy day. That day, he sent her all the way back home and kissed her by the door.
She was so excited that she barely slept the whole night.
It was her who first fell in love. He thought that he was the one that had caused her to fall in love with him, but he was wrong. He thought that it was all according to his plans, but he didn’t know that she had really given him everything.
If I hadn’t been in love with him, how would I have allowed him to easily win over my heart? How would I have trusted him so much? It was because of love. It was because I really loved him, that’s why I was willing to gather all my courage and offer him my whole heart. That’s why I was willing to give him everything and stand next to him through it all.
“I dislike being threatened. That’s why I said those words. You can treat it as a joke, President Jiang.” Zong Yanxi’s expression was calm and collected. From the moment he told her that he had never loved her, she dug out all her love for him and threw it away. The only thing they had left between them was hate.
“Are you telling me that you were lying, Ms. Lin?” He took a step back and kept his voice as cold as ice.
Zong Yanxi glared back at him. “What was I supposed to say? Do you expect me to agree with her words? Apologize to her? Promise her that’ll I’ll never interact with you again? We have a business contract, President Jiang. There will be too many occasions for us to interact with each other in the future. Do you expect me to break our contract just because of that warning she issued out to me?”
Jiang Mohan frowned. Damn this woman. Why is she so good at arguing?
“Could you please let go of me, President Jiang? I wouldn’t want that admirer of yours to catch this scene. She’ll probably skin me alive.”
Jiang Mohan gradually let her go. He didn’t know why he felt so empty and disappointed.
“How do you want this to be settled then, Ms. Lin?” He shifted back into his seat behind the desk.
“I want an apology. I want her to apologize to me in public,” Zong Yanxi said.
“I’ll pay for a new mobile phone to replace the one that’s been damaged, Ms. Lin. As for the apology…”
“I demand an apology!” Zong Yanxi remained firm in her attitude. “I’m here to work. I’m not here to get threatened by people.”
Jiang Mohan stared at her for a few seconds. “You’ve lied to me as well, Ms. Lin. Don’t you think you’ll have to apologize to me too?”
“What have I lied to you about?”
“About how you want to pursue me and about how you seem to like me.”
Zong Yanxi was speechless.
She frowned. “I’ve already explained the situation…”
“No matter what reason it was for, it doesn’t change the fact that you’ve lied.” Jiang Mohan’s expression was solemn. He seemed displeased.
Seeing his expression, Zong Yanxi clenched her fists. Is this because he couldn’t bear for Ling Wei to be humiliated?
Is he… in love with Ling Wei?
“I understand now. I wasn’t aware of how much you liked her, President Jiang. Since you’re so infatuated with her, why haven’t you married her? Must you publicly display your affection for her in this manner? Fine. I’ll take it that I’ve had bad luck today. As for the new mobile phone, I have the money to buy one myself. I don’t need you to pay for it, President Jiang.”
She turned on her heel to leave the moment she finished her speech.
“Ms. Lin, if you continue being so stubborn, no one will want to love you.” Jiang Mohan sounded out.
Zong Yanxi snapped her head around. “Well, I’m sorry to disappoint you, President Jiang. I do have admirers. Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, after all. President Jiang may not like me, but there are people out there who are fond of me.”
She was once the target of many pursuers, but alas, she chose someone who didn’t hold real feelings for her.
Jiang Mohan didn’t know why these words sounded so sharp to his ears. His voice came out cold as he spoke. “Ms. Lin, I thought you’ve just fallen out of love?”
“I’ve fallen out of love, but I haven’t given up on it. I’ve dumped that trash of a man, but I’ll find myself a better one.” Zong Yanxi stared right into the eyes of Jiang Mohan. “Since you have the intention to cover up and refuse to ask that lady to apologize to me, then I have nothing left to say. Once again, I’ll take it that I’ve had a bad day. President Jiang, if you have anything else you need to tell me, please make it quick. I’ve got things to attend to and haven’t got the time to play games with you here.”
Jiang Mohan stared at her solemnly for a few seconds. Her personality was just like hers.
She used to be like this too, unwilling to let herself suffer at a disadvantage.
She wouldn’t go around finding trouble, but she’ll also never let herself get bullied.
I had once thought that she was a stubborn mule and that she had been pampered and sheltered by her family while she grew up. Now that I think about it, she was being realistic. In front of me, she had never hidden a shred of herself. She had presented herself sincerely. She had given me everything.
Why is it that every time I look at Lin Ruixi, I’ll think of her?
He massaged his temples and lowered his voice. “Hold on a second.”
He pressed his intercom button on his phone which was connected with the secretary’s desk. “Inform Ms. Ling to come over to my office.”
