"Why would I joke about something so important? I'm really married, Senior. He Lei is my husband's aide."
Her words were like needles piercing into his ears; sharp, burrowing into his heart with a raw, throbbing pain.
The girl he liked was married. And the most hilarious part was that he had still been waiting for her to realize his feelings, like a naive fool. He almost laughed out loud. If she wasn't joking, then it must have been the heavens toying with his feelings.
"Are you okay, Senior?" Tang Qiu asked, confused at his sudden brittleness of his smile.
"I'm fine." Ning Mufan tried unsuccessfully to smooth over his expression. "I… I have something on. I'll leave first."
He looked so ill that Tang Qiu worried he might be sick, but before she could open her mouth, he had already gone.
He Lei was astute enough to tell from Ning Mufan's face that he liked Tang Qiu. The news of her marriage must have been a blow to him. "Young Mistress, the young master is waiting for you." Tang Qiu was still gazing after the young man's figure in the distance. If she kept this up, he thought, the young master would implode from fury back in the car.
And when the young master was enraged, neither of them would want to be around him.
Tang Qiu retracted her gaze. "Okay, I'm coming. Let's go."
When they climbed into the car, Tang Qiu flashed a cheery smile at Jiang Shaocheng, before noticing the grave expression on his face.
"Are you feeling unwell today, dear?"
The image of that man with his arms around Tang Qiu was still swimming in Jiang Shaocheng's mind. He stared at He Lei, eyes narrowed in cold venom. He had ordered He Lei to take that man's hands off his wife, but his aide had failed to do so.
He Lei could feel ice burning into the back of his neck. He didn't need to look back to know how terrifying his young master's gaze was. He hadn't meant to disobey his young master–but that man that Tang Qiu had called 'Senior' hadn't meant to take advantage of her, and he hadn't made a fuss about the news of her marriage either; on the contrary, he had acted sensibly and left. It was normal for Tang Qiu to have friends in school, and he didn't want to cause trouble for the young mistress. But his young master wouldn't listen, and so he could only continue driving and await his inevitable punishment.
"Dear?"
Jiang Shaocheng didn't respond. His face was still as grim and dark as thunder. Worried, Tang Qiu extended a hand and felt his forehead; it didn't feel any hotter than usual.
"What's wrong? Which part of you is unwell?"
"I'm fine…" Jiang Shaocheng heaved with several painful-sounding coughs. He grasped her hand and embraced her, insisting once more that he was alright.
Goosebumps broke out over He Lei's skin as he watched his young master don his display of fragility again, to deceive his little wife.
"You don't sound fine. You keep coughing. If you're unwell, we should go to the doctor. Your health is still poor; you need medicine."
"No medicine can compare to you." His arms tightened around her. No one was taking his wife from him!
Sensing that he was concealing his sickness to avoid having to see a doctor, Tang Qiu said angrily, "Dear, if you're sick, you must get it treated. How can I be a substitute for medicine? This is no joking matter."
"If you don't believe me, give me a kiss and try it," he said with a straight face.
"I'm serious," Tang Qiu insisted, filled with questions and concern all at once. "Stop it. Let's go to the doctor."
"Why? Are you thinking of kissing that man instead?"
He left her no time to respond to his cold, scathing words. His hand snaked around her neck and pulled her in close as he forced his lips on hers, suffocating her. Breathless and weak in the knees, Tang Qiu could only bat uselessly at his firm chest. Just as she was beginning to feel smothered by the kiss, he broke away and released her.
He exhaled a warm breath, belying the ice in his voice. "Remember, Tang Qiu: I am your husband. You're not allowed to kiss anyone but me. And only I am allowed to kiss you!"
Gasping, Tang Qiu took a moment to calm her nerves and regain her senses. His warning left her stunned. "What's the matter with you, dear?" She didn't understand how her husband, who had always been gentle and considerate towards her, had suddenly transformed into someone completely different.
He Lei watched them. The young master was finally going to let his mask fall away and reveal his true colors; the icy, brooding paranoia simmering beneath the surface. If Tang Qiu couldn't bear it and the two of them clashed, it would only lead to disaster–screaming, ruinous disaster.
Jiang Shaocheng forced down his emotions, like the sheathing of a cold, sharp blade. "I missed you," he said, pinching her cheek.
A smile broke out over Tang Qiu's face. She cupped his cheek. "I missed you too, dear."
At her soft voice, the ferocity in him melted away. But still his tone was harsh when he asked, "Then why won't you kiss me?"