A Twisted Love Affair
Chapter 38: Will you come back with me, Shen Jing_1?

Chapter 38: Will you come back with me, Shen Jing_1?

The night in Hong Kong’s Nathan Road was imbued with a cinematic atmosphere.

Shen Jing got off the bus and casually liked Chen Yao’s social media post. People were coming and going.

Leaning against the railing, she looked up at the white road signs taller than herself: HK, Nathan Road.

Shen Jing raised her phone to take a picture. Just as she pressed the shutter button, a familiar number lit up her screen, the digits seeming to flash, lingering before her eyes.

Her fingers stiffened, as if the call would disconnect at any moment if she didn’t answer.

After a long struggle, she finally brought the phone to her ear. "Hello."

There was silence on the other end for a few seconds before a throaty, light "Mhm" sounded, deep and extremely weary.

Shen Jing’s heart clenched tightly, and she softly murmured his name.

"Zhou Luchen."

His voice was always laced with a lazy quality. "Coming back?"

"Not yet. I’ve already taken the money, and the work isn’t finished." Shen Jing kept her gaze on Nathan Road’s street sign. "I’ll make my own way back."

"Mhm." His reply was plain and indifferent.

She thought he probably didn’t even raise an eyebrow when he replied.

He had brought her out, and his question was nothing more than the perfunctory courtesy of an aristocratic family’s son.

Shen Jing clutched her phone, looking down and idly poking at the floor with her toe. "So, what will you do after you go back?"

It was as if she was searching for idle conversation to prolong the call.

The black business sedan was parked at the private helipad. A distinguished-looking man was there personally to see off this ’great Buddha.’ Fear of him was palpable; once he truly took charge, no one knew how many old subordinates he would have to eliminate just to make an example of them.

Controlling capital resources wasn’t just talk when it came to him; he was truly capable of doing it.

The private jet to Shanghai carried only Zhou Luchen and Chen Yao.

Because he was on the phone, even the flight attendant guiding him to the private jet dared not speak. She tried her best to soften her footsteps, making the environment unnaturally quiet and solemn.

The flight attendant prepared lemon ice water for him, sneaking a peek at the Second Young Master seated on the sofa before setting it down.

He was dressed in an expensive, high-quality black suit. The style was understated, the fabric clinging tightly to his tall, erect figure. On the young nobleman, even his tie exuded a subversive allure, making him radiantly mesmerizing.

He sat there with his long legs crossed, expressionless, lighting a cigarette.

The flight attendant didn’t know which Jiaojiao Second Young Master Zhou was talking to; his voice grew exceptionally low and husky as he replied into the phone, "Going home."

"Zhou Luchen."

Shen Jing called his name again, her tone gentle and smooth.

Zhou Luchen’s long fingers, holding the cigarette, casually tugged at his tie. "Hmm?" he said lazily. "You love to call my name?"

So close to her ear, his voice resonated with a magnetic charm. It was so beautiful it almost brought tears to her eyes.

He always liked to tease her this way.

She did kind of love to call his name.

Shen Jing’s throat tightened. "Have you forgotten how you neglected me for seventeen days?"

Zhou Luchen’s indifference was unruffled. "Did I?" he asked, his voice pausing for a moment, both deep and hoarse.

Shen Jing was full of grievances. Just seventeen days prior, he could make love to her anytime, anywhere—in hotels, on yachts, in meeting rooms, or in luxury cars. But after those seventeen days, he could also completely cut off contact.

"You definitely did," the beauty grumbled, her voice incredibly charming, with a hint of a coquettish whine.

Zhou Luchen’s gaze lowered slightly, fixating on the half-burnt cigarette in his hand, a hint of a smile leaking from his eyes. His low, resonant voice held an ambiguous tease. "Then tell me, how should I make it up to you?"

Shen Jing truly feared she might accidentally fall back into this shallow, illusory tenderness.

"Did you throw away the things in my walk-in closet?"

He thought for a moment. "I haven’t stayed there in a long time."

After Shen Jing left, Zhou Luchen hadn’t stayed at their usual hotel. For work convenience, he had moved into a sea-view apartment near the branch office.

Shen Jing teased, "If you’ve thrown them away, you owe me compensation."

"Mm." Zhou Luchen’s lips curved slightly as he drew out his tone. "You suggest."

The neon lights of the street flickered. It was so cold Shen Jing hugged her arms. "I want to watch a fire-breathing puppet show."

"I’ll take you when I have time." He agreed, neither warmly nor coolly.

A single phone call had effortlessly unsettled her emotions, and she found herself softening again.

"There are so many girls in Shanghai. Don’t just deceive me."

Zhou Luchen laughed helplessly, pinching a cigarette between two fingers and taking a slow drag from his thin lips, his movements deliberately unhurried.

The silence on his end of the call was filled only with the sound of his breath, which seemed especially lingering and poignant.

He was clearly laughing, yet it always projected a sense of aloofness that seemed untouchable.

For a moment, Shen Jing really wanted to say it.

Why don’t you, just this once, humble yourself enough to come pick me up personally? If you do, I’ll come back.

She asked, "Can you come pick me up? If you come, I’ll go back."

Zhou Luchen looked out the airport window. "Stop being unreasonable."

Shen Jing fell silent.

Did she really think the experienced Master Zhou didn’t understand a woman’s subtle intentions? He was better at manipulating hearts than anyone.

It wasn’t that he didn’t understand; it was that he would decide if it was worth his effort based on his mood.

Both allowed the quiet to spread through the silence. After a while, he stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray. "Is there anything else?"

"Nothing else," Shen Jing said earnestly. "Have a safe landing, Zhou Luchen."

He didn’t answer.

Finally, Chen Yao’s voice came through from the other end of the call. "You need to be careful! Why don’t you come back with us? Whatever performance fee the Cao Family is paying you, the Second Young Master will double it."

Shen Jing said goodbye and hung up.

This time, even the streetlights seemed desolate.

She went to meet Liang Yingning.

Liang Yingning had insisted on coming to visit, arriving with just a suitcase on short notice.

Shen Jing had no choice but to take her to the Red Pavilion to watch Let’s Get Wet.

Liang Yingning was so excited she nearly lost her voice, absolutely thrilled and assuming Shen Jing had come to Hong Kong specifically to hang out with her.

No matter how thrilled Liang Yingning was for Lin Feng, Shen Jing was never in the right mood.

"Why didn’t you go back with them? Those guys disappeared for days after returning to Shanghai. They’re probably hiding somewhere, kneeling at the family shrine," Liang Yingning asked.

Shen Jing admitted frankly, "He didn’t come to pick me up."

"You should have asked him," Liang Yingning said, clinging to Shen Jing’s arm. "He would surely send someone."

Even Liang Yingning blurted out the words ’send someone,’ revealing a deeply ingrained understanding of Zhou Luchen’s disposition. Zhou Luchen was just like that.

He would definitely indulge her whimsically, spoil her even, but he would do it by sending someone.

Shen Jing had her own particular girlish pride. Given this, she felt it was better not to go back with them than to seem to compromise.

Wasn’t HK fun? It was quite nice.

The work wasn’t exhausting, and Mrs. Cao was easy to talk to.

Shen Jing played with her phone, letting Liang Yingning entertain herself.

Liang Yingning liked sticking close to Shen Jing. Shen Jing was fragrant, soft, and gentle.

It was understandable why Master Zhou liked her.

Even she, a girl, couldn’t help but adore her.

That day, Shen Jing went on a revenge shopping spree, swiping another card funded by Zhou Luchen.

"These are together." When paying, she bought Liang Yingning’s items too.

As she turned back, she noticed Liang Yingning rooted to the spot, fingers flying across her phone screen as she scrolled through her social media. "Song Tingting is back in Shanghai! Oh my god, what a way to carry on! Has Chen Yao developed an addiction to kneeling at the ancestral shrine or something?"

Shen Jing took the nicely packaged gift bag from the sales assistant and handed it to Liang Yingning. "Didn’t you say you wished Chen Yao were even more of a mess so your father wouldn’t approve of him? This should be exactly what you want. Why the fuss?"

Saying this, Shen Jing teased, "Jealous?"

Liang Yingning frowned. "Not really. Why should Chen Yao look down on me? I’m the one who looks down on him."

Shen Jing

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