The truth of Li Jimin's words hit Jiang Meilin like a tidal wave, threatening to drown her in the reality she had been desperately trying to outrun. She sank back into her chair, her usually vibrant presence diminishing before Li Jimin's eyes. The weight of her world seemed to settle on her slender shoulders, making her appear small and fragile in the dim light of her apartment.
"I told him my real name tonight," she confessed, her voice barely a whisper. The words hung in the air between them, heavy with implications. "Just before he left. I... I don't know how he'll react. I don't even know if he knows about the Blackwood family or if he will relate it to my name."
Li Jimin's expression softened, his heart constricting at the sight of Jiang Meilin's distress. He moved swiftly, kneeling beside her chair and taking her trembling hands in his. His touch was warm, familiar – a reminder of the bond they shared, forged through years of secrets and shared burdens.
"Just be careful, Rosie," he pleaded, his eyes searching hers. "Remember why we're here. Remember the promise you made." His voice took on an urgent tone, laced with concern. "You promised your family that you won't be away for too long... Remember your responsibilities."
Jiang Meilin's fingers tightened around Li Jimin's, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. The weight of her family's legacy pressed down upon her, threatening to suffocate the newfound joy she had discovered.
"I haven't forgotten," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion. "But Jimin, for the first time in years, I feel... alive." She paused, struggling to find the words to express the tumult of emotions within her. "It's like I'm more than just the Blackwood legacy. I feel like I'm living a normal life – the kind of life I've never even dreamed about." After she lost her father, her mother had taken charge of the family, but she took it upon herself to be her mother's biggest support, so that Reggie could live life as he wanted.
Li Jimin's gaze softened, a mixture of sympathy and resignation washing over his features. "But you're not normal, Rosie, and the Rosie I know, loves danger and craves it like it's second nature to her." he said gently, the words tasting bitter on his tongue. " I'm sure you don't want to put him in danger." He hesitated, then added softly, "You love him, don't you?"
The question hung in the air between them, unanswered but understood. Jiang Meilin's silence spoke volumes, and Li Jimin felt his heart ache for her and for himself.
As the hours wore on, painting the sky in hues of darkness punctuated by the glittering lights of the city, Jiang Meilin found herself drawn to the window. She stood there, watching the city come to life, a stark contrast to the turmoil within her. Li Jimin joined her, their shoulders barely touching – a silent gesture of support and solidarity.
"Whatever happens," he said softly, his voice barely audible above the distant hum of the city, "I've got your back, Rosie. Always have, always will."
Jiang Meilin turned to him, a genuine smile lighting up her face. She knew that Li Jimin would follow her anywhere. "I know, Jimin. I know."
As Li Jimin took his leave, Jiang Meilin remained at the window, her reflection ghostly in the glass. She knew that with the rising sun, a new chapter was beginning – one filled with uncertainty, danger, and the intoxicating promise of love, and she would never let Zhao Jingshen go.
...
The moment Zhao Jingshen entered his car, his mind was a whirlwind of questions and suspicions. Without hesitation, he called his assistant Chen Li, his voice tight with urgency. "Get me everything there is to know about Li Jimin."
Chen Li, jarred from sleep by his boss's call, struggled to make sense of the request. "Ehm! Sir, do you mean Li Jimin, our company's spokesperson for the new sports car?"
"Spokesperson?" Zhao Jingshen's voice sharpened. "Just get me everything about him." He ended the call abruptly, leaving Chen Li bewildered on the other end.
As he drove through the night-shrouded streets, Zhao Jingshen's mind raced. If Li Jimin was indeed the company's spokesperson, that meant he was an established actor. But how could he know Meilin? And from what he had observed, they seemed unusually close. He couldn't shake the memory of Li Jimin's slip – calling her by another name, which means he knew the real her.
The name she had given him – Rosie Blackwood – tugged at the edges of his memory. He prayed it wasn't what he feared, for Rosie Blackwood was a name whispered in fear throughout the underworld, known only to a select few. He knew of it only because his mother had once spoken of the powerful families in Continent F when he was younger. The Blackwood family stood at the pinnacle, their heiress – Rosie Blackwood – the most feared on this generation. He had been following up on news about Continent F, so he was privileged to know more than others.
But surely, it couldn't be. Jiang Meilin, with her dark hair and warm brown eyes, bore no resemblance to the red-haired, green-eyed specter that was Rosie Blackwood. It wasn't possible. It couldn't be. Although he had never seen or met her, but he had heard her tales.
Zhao Jingshen was so lost in his thoughts that he scarcely noticed his arrival home. Little did he know that his desperate denial was a futile attempt to ignore the truth staring him in the face – the Rosie Blackwood he feared was indeed the woman he had come to love.
Two days passed in a haze of anxiety and anticipation for Jiang Meilin. The walls of her apartment seemed to close in around her as she waited for any word from Zhao Jingshen. Her pride wouldn't allow her to make the first move – if he was already spooked by her name, then perhaps their relationship wasn't meant to be. The stifling atmosphere left her unable to paint, her usual outlet for emotion rendered useless in the face of her turmoil.
Desperate for release, she decided to visit the boxing center at her gym. Tonight, she had business to attend to – a certain Young Master Jun, the man who had dared to assault Lin Yue, was about to learn a new definition of fear. The timing felt almost providential, offering her a chance to clear her mind and channel her pent-up emotions.
As she opened her door, prepared to face another day of uncertainty, her heart nearly stopped. There he stood – Zhao Jingshen, the man who had occupied her every waking thought for the past forty-eight hours. He wore a grey hoodie and black joggers, an outfit that eerily mirrored her own black hoodie and grey joggers. For a moment, she wondered how long he had been waiting, and why her shadow guards hadn't alerted her to his presence.
Even in casual wear, he was breathtakingly handsome. His chiseled features, usually set in a mask of cool confidence, were now marred with evident worry. His dark eyes, normally sparkling with warmth when they looked at her, now held a storm of emotions she couldn't quite decipher.
Before she could gather her thoughts, he spoke, his voice low and filled with a gravity that made her heart race. "We need to talk."