A Twisted Love Affair
Chapter 45: The mark on the neck is visible_1

Chapter 45: The mark on the neck is visible_1

The streetlights were a blur as Shen Jing walked back to the hotel along the path. She felt dejected, having truly experienced what it meant that "there’s always someone better out there." She looked up. The plane from the airport must have just taken off; its red lights flickered intermittently in the hazy night sky. She was a little sad.

Her fingers had already dialed Zhou Luchen’s number unconsciously. This uncontrollable urge to reach out to him was overwhelming and passionate. After a long time with no answer, just as Shen Jing was about to hang up, the call finally connected. What was he doing at this hour? Where was he degenerating? The sound from the receiver was unusually quiet; the man’s slow, drawn-out breaths twined around her ear, especially languid. "What’s up?"

Shen Jing spoke softly, "Where are you?"

Zhou Luchen was at a dinner engagement. The moment his phone rang, everyone at the table instantly set down their glasses and sat in silence. He had a powerful presence, and his status was not one to be trifled with. All present were prominent business tycoons, but ultimately, they were just capitalists. A single bank loan could determine their survival, and everyone had heard about the downfall of a certain company in the Ao Area. Zhou Luchen made his decisions swiftly and decisively.

On her end, Shen Jing gripped her phone tightly. "I’m not in a good mood."

Zhou Luchen’s voice was indifferent. "Who upset you?"

She looked down at the bloodstain on her finger.

"My nails."

Zhou Luchen put down his glass. "Cried?"

After a long pause, she responded softly, "Mhm."

An image flashed through Zhou Luchen’s mind: her pitiful look, tears welling in her eyes, gazing at someone with an expression that was on the verge of tears—an allure that was instantly clear. If it were easily seen through, it would lose its flavor.

CLICK.

The turbine of his lighter rasped. He lightly placed a cigarette between his lips and lit it. Smoke slowly billowed as he took a drag, inhaling deeply, almost instantly suppressing that image.

"I’m not good at comforting people." Zhou Luchen’s voice was devoid of any ripple, his aloofness profound.

Zhou Luchen, who had never shown tender care for women, didn’t believe Shen Jing in the slightest at this moment. It was just a young woman’s petty trick. He’d seen too much of it and would find it tiresome. Of course, whether he believed her or not, he wouldn’t stoop to coaxing her.

He didn’t even bother with pretenses, stating bluntly, "If you’re going to refuse the house at Daoli Mansion, then don’t come bothering me."

His rejection was cruelly resolute.

Shen Jing remained silent for a few seconds before he coldly disconnected the call.

Had he even waited for her to speak? The ambiguity vanished. At the slightest sign of her unhappiness, he could cast her aside like a dispensable toy. That’s right. She hadn’t thought about it at first; she hadn’t agreed. He had absolutely no patience in his pursuit. Even if he planned to keep her in Jinwu, couldn’t he at least put some genuine effort into winning her over?

Equally angry, Shen Jing turned off her phone.

In the deep of the night, the only sound was the rustling of wind through leaves.

"Had a fight?" Old Lady Xu’s voice came from behind her.

Shen Jing pocketed her phone. "Yeah."

"Insisting on tasting bitterness when you can’t even stand it." Old Lady Xu’s words were clearly directed at Zhou Luchen.

Shen Jing didn’t let her emotions show, sticking out her tongue playfully. "He’s heartless. He doesn’t know how to treat girls well at all. He’s just spoiled because everyone else fawns over him."

Old Lady Xu looked at her, chuckled, and shook her head; her heart ultimately softened.

"It’s so dark out. Don’t go back. Come with me, and I’ll put some ointment on that finger."

Shen Jing nodded.

Old Lady Xu added, "When I was young, all five of my fingernails split because of this kind of thing. They don’t heal quickly. I’ll tidy up a room; you can stay with me."

Old Lady Xu had been lonely for twenty years. Now, with a young girl chattering by her side for the first time in ages, how could she not be moved by the companionship?

「Recently.」

Chen Yao had gotten a cat. Ever since the thought struck him, he had spent tens of thousands to buy a pure white Maine Coon from abroad. He even brought it along to his nighttime card games. He loved to hold it and wouldn’t let anyone else even touch it. He doted on that cat more than any of his previous girlfriends. While playing cards, Chen Yao would still be stroking its fur, no longer caring whether he won or lost this round.

"My little clingy darling! It climbed onto my bed last night, acted cute just twice, and damn it, I just melted."

Zhou Luchen glanced sideways, clearly uninterested.

Chen Yao, always enthusiastic about new things, added, "And let me tell you, it’s especially good for warming the bed in winter."

Zhou Luchen replied coolly, "Dirty."

Chen Yao frowned, withdrew his gaze, and caressed the kitten in his lap. How is it dirty? It gets bathed twice a day! Who did my cat offend?

As Chen Yao played his card, he straightened up and asked carefully, "I heard you and Shen Guaiguai broke up?"

It wasn’t just hearsay. Shen Jing’s social media feed had been particularly interesting last night: a screenshot from an elimination game, with not-so-subtle jabs about what a crappy game it was. She must have had a fight with Zhou Luchen, Chen Yao guessed.

Zhou Luchen’s expression was completely devoid of emotion. "We never dated."

A Casanova’s classic line, Chen Yao thought. That’s just shamelessly scummy. Why would sweet, innocent Miss Shen get involved with someone like Zhou Luchen? Could she even handle him? I was starting to think Shen Jing was the one most likely to break through the crowd of his admirers and become Zhou Luchen’s exception. But months of ambiguous flirting just amounted to this. In the end, she couldn’t win him over. That’s just Zhou Luchen for you. Who could he possibly love? Girls fall for him, and he doesn’t even look back.

Chen Yao felt it was a pity.

Chen Yao sent a comforting message to Shen Jing: "I should have warned you more back then not to fall in too deep."

Shen Jing replied: "Fuck him!"

Did she send that to the wrong person? Chen Yao’s fingers froze. It took him a moment to process, then he double-checked the profile picture and contact name for this WeChat ID. No mistake, this was Shen Jing’s account.

Chen Yao discreetly glanced at the distinguished man beside him. Zhou Luchen was leaning against the square card table, a simple black shirt accentuating his exceptional physique. With an air of nonchalance, his long, elegant fingers slowly tossed out the last black poker card.

He had won the round. The curve of a smile on his lips was barely perceptible. At the card table, he was always in his element, triumphant; winning was merely a question of whether he felt like it.

Chen Yao said, "Getting a cat is great. They have sweet tempers, get clingy, and if you coax them a little, they’re over the moon. Right, Wei Sulin?"

Wei Sulin, staring at his empty chip drawer, let out a puzzled "Huh?" then retorted flippantly in a local dialect, "You’re off your rocker again."

Zhou Luchen, a cigarette dangling from his lips, narrowed his eyes in a faint smile.

Chen Yao needed to use the restroom, so he placed the white cat in Zhou Luchen’s arms.

"Keep an eye on her for me. She gets a bit wild when I’m not around; you can keep her in check."

With that, Chen Yao set the cat down and hurried off. "Just for a few minutes. She’s really cute."

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