Zhao Hanchen thought Cheng Weiyue looked very cute, staring at him in a dazed manner. He slightly raised his thick eyebrows, smiled with pleasure, and lightly pressed his fingertip against the girl's lips, pinching them gently.
His voice was magnetic, sending shivers down one's spine, "Is the lemon juice tasty?"
Cheng Weiyue's face turned completely red, she nodded, her voice like that of a kitten, "Tasty..."
Zhao Hanchen knew she was thin-skinned, so he stopped teasing her. However, his hand that had been on her waist couldn't help but squeeze from time to time.
A Patek Philippe watch was on his wrist; its strap was quite wide, which was somewhat painful against her.
Cheng Weiyue didn't make a sound, enduring it silently.
"Yueyue, you are about to graduate, aren't you?" Li Zhao asked casually.
Cheng Weiyue heard Zhao Hanchen hmm in agreement, his magnetic and sexy voice sounded like he was always seducing someone, "The school term starts, and it will be senior year, time to look for internships."
Li Zhao was amused, "Hanchen, with the Zhao Family's vast business, keeping an intern would be a piece of cake, right?"
Zhao Hanchen's phoenix eyes held a deep meaning as he looked at Cheng Weiyue, "Ningning, would you like to work by my side?"
Ningning was her nickname.
Cheng Weiyue's fingertips clung to the cup, she bowed her head for a long while, then said softly, "No... I'll look for a job myself."
Li Zhao's cold sweat had already started to form. He knew Zhao Hanchen's personality all too well, who doesn't take no for an answer.
As expected, the latter let out a cold laugh, his tone growing colder, "Ningning, I like girls who are obedient."
Li Zhao thought Cheng Weiyue usually seemed soft and non-aggressive. Now that Zhao Hanchen had made such a heavy statement, she would likely give in.
But unexpectedly, Cheng Weiyue put down her cup, her voice even lighter and calmer, "I am dating you, not being kept by you, Zhao Hanchen, I really like you, but we are equals."
Zhao Hanchen felt Cheng Weiyue was being ungrateful with this attitude, and it was a huge turnoff.
Zhao Family's young master didn't have a good temper to begin with. He was used to people pandering to him, and there were very few in Jingcheng who could make him lose face this way.
He barely managed to contain his temper, pressing his fingertips against his temple and gently massaging it, his gaze landing faintly on Cheng Weiyue's face, enunciating each word with a chilly edge, "You don't want to?"
Cheng Weiyue shook her head and looked down at the lemon juice in her cup without speaking.
Zhao Hanchen let out a cold laugh, drank a sip of strong alcohol silently, and the next moment, grabbed Cheng Weiyue's chin and leaned down to kiss her under her panicked gaze.
He knew she was allergic to alcohol and was deliberately taunting her, his actions aggressive, the oppression almost suffocating.
Cheng Weiyue could taste the strong scent of alcohol on his lips, her scalp tingled, and she pushed him away with all her might.
All those present were shocked.
By the time everyone reacted, the door was slammed shut, and Cheng Weiyue had already left.
The young lady sure had a temper, not giving any face at all.
Li Zhao, looking at Zhao Hanchen's unpredictable, dark expression, coughed, saying, "Hanchen, why lower yourself to argue with a young girl, don't be upset..."
His momentum was very weak towards the end.
And Zhao Hanchen, seemingly deep in thought, his devilish face now frosted over, kicked the low table in front of him, causing bottles of alcohol on top to topple and break, creating a loud clatter...
Cheng Weiyue felt she must be drunk.
Her vision was starting to blur, using what was nearly her last bit of consciousness, she hailed a cab at the door.
The rain was falling quite heavily, her clothes and shoes completely soaked through.
Guests at Yuxian were all polished and proper, and seeing Cheng Weiyue in such a bedraggled state was starkly out of place.
After much difficulty, she flagged down a car, but the driver, fearing she would dirty his vehicle, did not stop.
Zhou Jingwei drove his car, seeing from afar a girl standing by the roadside, getting drenched in the rain as she tried to hail a cab.
He had always possessed excellent composure, easily slipping away from the revelry of banquets untouched by a drop of liquor.
Yet now, his typically calm and cold gaze fell upon Cheng Weiyue, slightly dimming.
Cheng Weiyue saw a Cullinan SUV stop in front of her, a Black Badge, with a license plate consisting of consecutive number 7s.
In Jingcheng, it was customary to regard seven as the most auspicious number—above any eights.
The passenger-side window rolled down.
It was the first time Cheng Weiyue laid eyes on Zhou Jingwei.
He was wearing a black turtleneck sweater, resting one hand on the steering wheel; his slender fingers, each firmly but gently gripping the wheel, were like jade - cold, white, beautiful.
Through the patter of the incessant rain, Cheng Weiyue caught sight of his features.
He had a refined and cultured face, with eyes that were alluring behind his gold-rimmed glasses, an indifferent look in them, mixed with a subtle smile that hadn't quite reached his eyes.
He seemed like a person from above the hustle and bustle of the secular world, exuding a strong sense of asceticism.
He spoke, his voice clear and containing a hint of old-fashioned propriety, tinged with a lazy, casual tone, "In such heavy rain, if you can't get a cab, get in the car, I'll take you."
Cheng Weiyue's mind was already a little fuzzy; she only vaguely heard the words "get in the car" and obediently followed the instruction.
The night air of September already bore a hint of chill, and Zhou Jingwei, looking at Cheng Weiyue's drenched appearance, turned on the heater.
The little girl, warmed by the heat, stared straight ahead with a vacant look, appearing slightly dazed.
At a red light, Zhou Jingwei stopped the car and turned slightly to ask her, "Where do you live?"
Cheng Weiyue didn't make a sound; suddenly, she raised two index fingers, placing them atop her head.
Her cheeks were flushed with the warmth of alcohol, her provokingly charming, dewy almond eyes carrying an additional touch of youthful cuteness.
Zhou Jingwei was indeed amused by her adorable behavior, and he asked her, "What are you doing?"
"The signal... in the rain... the signal's bad, I'm trying to catch the signal..." Her cheeks were very red, and she slurred her words, obviously drunk.
The amusement in Zhou Jingwei's eyes intensified until a honking from behind prompted him to start the car again.
"The car started moving...." her voice was very small.
Zhou Jingwei heard her and answered in all seriousness, "I'm taking you somewhere with a good signal."
Cheng Weiyue obediently lowered her hands, nodding her head bit by bit.
For the rest of the ride, neither of them spoke.
During that time, Zhou Jingwei's phone rang, which he answered via Bluetooth, his voice deep, "Hello."
It was business, and his expression grew colder.
As he spoke, his deeply creased double eyelids drooped slightly, half-heartedly responding, the essence of his posture refined and graceful.
It was the first time Cheng Weiyue saw someone turn the act of answering a call into something so exquisite and profound.
She couldn't help but gaze a little longer.
After hanging up, Zhou Jingwei caught Cheng Weiyue's unabashed stare.
Zhou Jingwei had been a popular figure since his youth, with good looks and a fine family background—able to perfect anything he did. Perhaps for this reason, it was hard for him to feel satisfied with the envying gazes of others.
At 28, he was past the age of being easily moved by such things. Yet, on this autumn night, nearing the end of rain-streaked September, for the first time in his life, he felt a swell of emotion in his chest.
The little girl was already so drunk; initially, he intended to take her to a hotel. But in that moment, as if possessed, he asked her, "My house has many rooms, and the signal is good, too. Would you like to stay over?"