She looked up and met Wen Yangzhi's gaze by the window, his eyes as intense as torches, dark and flickering.
Her heart trembled.
He had realized she was wearing the necklace.
What would he think about her wearing it now, that she was too eager, rushing...
After greeting Zhao Qin, Yun Yuwan followed Assistant Zheng upstairs with trepidation.
Upon entering the inner chamber, Jiang Jianqing looked at the girl he had only met briefly.
He silently mourned for her.
Such an important necklace, yet she had opened it on her own initiative.
And Wen Yangzhi revealed nothing, dressed in an English-style suit from the 20s that was just heavy enough to be both mature and alluring, with several buttons still undone at the collar, his Adam's apple prominent.
The calm outfit made him appear even more dignified and mature.
Yun Yuwan felt he was even more tempting than the day before.
Wen Yangzhi raised his eyes.
She was wearing that ostentatious necklace, the purest color of her white dress making her appear excessively flamboyant.
Especially with the necklace lending its harmful influence.
It made her seem like a dove taking flight in the verdant spring, carrying a green olive branch in its beak.
She was so strikingly beautiful that everyone saw her, and the necklace could no longer be given to anyone else.
Seeing Wen Yangzhi's gaze fall on the necklace, she felt nervous yet elated inside and tentatively asked, "Does it look good?"
Assistant Zheng found it somewhat laughable.
She had the nerve to ask?
Jiang Jianqing was already preparing for her downfall.
But, contrary to their expectations, Wen Yangzhi did not lose his temper but looked at her with an unwavering gaze, "You like the necklace that much?"
"Mhm," she responded timidly.
It felt as though he was asking if she liked him just as much.
Assistant Zheng thought that the boss was certainly going to get angry; after all, this was meant for an esteemed lady Wen fancied.
Wen Yangzhi's unfathomable gaze shifted away from her neck without scolding her:
"Don't come downstairs tonight; just stay here."
She was puzzled, "But Auntie said she wanted to introduce a new friend to me..."
"Stay," Wen Yangzhi's tone was curt and indifferent, brooking no refusal.
Assistant Zheng thought, as expected.
Fearing trouble, Jiang Jianqing gestured to Assistant Zheng, and they quietly left the room, closing the door behind them, choosing not to witness the impending storm.
Only the two of them remained in the room, the atmosphere murky; on the surface it was calm, but turbulence churned beneath.
Wen Yangzhi's eyes were somber, "Come sit over here."
Come sit over here...
She glanced around with her peripheral vision; there were only the two of them.
Yun Yuwan's face suddenly flared with heat as she looked toward Wen Yangzhi, who sat with his long legs slightly apart.
Feeling somewhat embarrassed, she walked over, moved next to him, gently bent her knees, and sat on his thigh clad in black suit pants.
The moment her weight settled on his leg, Wen Yangzhi lifted his eyelids, his gaze shifted slightly and settled deeply on Yun Yuwan's face.
Yun Yuwan felt somewhat unstable sitting only on one side, so she reached out and rested her hand on his chest, lightly grasping the lapel of his suit.
Wen Yangzhi remained silent, but Yun Yuwan's heartbeat quickened.
This was her first time sitting on Wen Yangzhi's lap.
Being this close to him, she could even see every single one of his eyelashes and the faint shadow of his beard, which retained a subtle shade even after a clean shave and could only be seen from a very close distance. He appeared fresh and masculine, with a neatness that stirred tender feelings.
He was also decisively cold in personality, acting swiftly and firmly at work.
But at this moment to her, he was a man.
Yun Yuwan felt both shy and timid, her grip on his collar unconsciously tightening a bit, as if by doing so she could hold onto Wen Yangzhi.
She fought the urge to look away and met his gaze head-on.
Wen Yangzhi extended his hand and pulled away her grip from his collar.
Yuwan's hand was completely enveloped by his broad, dry palm; the warmth of his palm and his slender fingers wrapped tightly around her with no gaps.
Her heart fluttered sweetly as they looked into each other's eyes, feeling that joy about to overflow her body like soft, fluffy feathers, pricking into every pore.
Wen Yangzhi held her hand and drew it away from his collar.
The moment he let go,
Yuwan unexpectedly made a bold yet shy move, opening her fingers to thread through the spaces between his, locking their hands together.
He must have wanted this.
If it was going to happen anyway, better for her to take initiative and let him feel her intentions.
Why would Wen Yangzhi think of intertwining fingers with her right now?
His hand was trapped by hers, in a full interlock.
Wen Yangzhi's eyes deepened, unreadable whether he was nearing the end of his patience with this inexplicable intimacy or trying to see through her.
She rubbed her hand against the dryness of his palm, clinging to it as if finding a large tree to lean on, pressing herself against him completely.
Yuwan suddenly understood.
Did he see that she couldn't sit steady, even taking her hand to help her balance?
Wen Yangzhi was truly kind.
To Yuwan's surprise, Wen Yangzhi didn't shake her off but didn't reciprocate the grip either, and looked at her indifferently, "Yuwan."
Hearing her name in his deep, sensual voice, so close it was as though he whispered in her ear.
Yuwan felt a shyness like a fox wanting to wag its tail to humans: "Hmm?"
"I asked you to sit closer, not on top of me," his voice was indifferent.
His gaze slightly lifted, voice cold and calm. His tranquil words betrayed no emotion, suggesting deep waters run still.
Caught in her own sweet illusion, Yuwan was brought back to reality.
The surrounding atmosphere suddenly went quiet.
Without a word, he just watched her, his austere features bearing a strong authoritative presence, yet also epitomizing controlled masculinity.
It pulled her back from her fanciful thoughts, just a touch.
The noise from downstairs drifted faintly in, like the bubbles in champagne—light and subtle, yet noticeably persistent upon closer attention.
Yuwan finally realized,
they were in someone else's villa, and although they were in a room with the door shut, it was still someone else's home. Wen Yangzhi, despite any urgency, was unlikely to ask her to sit on his lap.
And he was such a meticulous person.
So Wen Yangzhi's initial intent was actually to ask her to sit next to him?
Yuwan was shocked that she had misunderstood him.
What would Wen Yangzhi think—did he think she was too hasty?
Uncharacteristically, a blush flared in her ears, and she wanted to find a hole to crawl into: "So you were asking me to sit next to you."
She released Wen Yangzhi's hand: "I thought too much, then I'll get down—"
However, Wen Yangzhi interrupted her: "Is this how you behave in Europe?"
His lips, thinly set, were like a leaf-vein hook line pen's strokes, precise and alluring. When he spoke, the movement of his lips was minimal, but it conveyed a sense of detachment.
Yuwan hadn't caught on yet, pausing her movements, puzzled: "What do you mean?"
He uttered the words lightly: "Casually sitting on men's thighs?"
Yuwan's figure seemed to freeze.
She paused for a moment, then said in shock: "Of course not."
He slightly lowered his gaze toward their overlapping legs, then lifted his indifferent eyes to look at her: "Are you sure?"
Yuwan belatedly realized he had misunderstood something and hurriedly tried to get down.
But Wen Yangzhi, breaking from his usual demeanor, suddenly grasped her waist with a punitive intent to see her flustered over her own mistake:
"Stay seated."
The firm bones of his hand pressed against her tailbone, his thumb's pad against her soft abdomen, pushing her down, forcing her to stay put right there.