A Twisted Love Affair-Chapter 70: Blind date caught by Director Zhou_1

The words were barely out of Shen Jing’s mouth before regret washed over her. It would have been better to say nothing at all.

Miss Liang had vanished without a trace.

When disaster struck, everyone fled for themselves.

Zhou Luchen looked up, his dark eyes holding a calm, indifferent gaze, as still as a stagnant pond; even a stone tossed in wouldn’t cause the slightest ripple.

He gazed at her in silence, as if giving her a chance to rephrase.

Shen Jing’s heart hammered against her ribs, nearly bursting from her chest. She could still pretend, still lie. "I got the location wrong."

Her voice was so low it was almost inaudible. She wasn’t a good liar; she’d panic, and people would see right through her.

Such petty tricks were beneath the notice of the lofty Zhou Luchen.

She understood Zhou Luchen’s possessiveness. That one night, she’d merely replied to his older brother’s message while in bed. He’d then gone to the wine cellar and returned with a bottle of red wine. What transpired for the rest of the night as they stayed up together was self-explanatory.

After a moment, a slight smile touched Zhou Luchen’s lips. "You’re dressed quite beautifully."

Her heart still pounded. President Zhou had seen her acting so flirtatiously just now; what on earth did he think of her?

Shen Jing didn’t dare hide the truth any longer. "My grandmother asked me to come for a blind date. I just came to take a look. If it’s not suitable, I’ll go home. Besides," she added petulantly, "you never take me out."

The latter part of her words was spoken in a fit of pique, which Zhou Luchen easily discerned. Her stubborn little display, like a helpless kitten’s futile rage, had no effect on him whatsoever.

Zhou Luchen reached out, slowly caressing her cheek. A light, unreadable smile touched his eyes. "Congratulations."

With that, he turned and left without a backward glance. The men in suits following him acted as if they hadn’t seen her at all, trailing after him.

Shen Jing watched the man’s back disappear among the throng of entrepreneurs, her heart still unsettled.

She could never figure him out. Was he angry, or simply disinclined to intervene? Yet, she always harbored a small hope that his anger would mean he cared about her. She’d never actually seen him jealous. That single word, "Congratulations," only added another layer of mystery to his attitude.

Shen Jing pressed her hand to her forehead, a profound sense of loss spreading through her chest.

Why did I choose this place? Then again, the food at this hotel really is delicious, and the service is excellent. Her date was supposedly busy with work nearby, so this hotel had seemed like a perfect choice.

Shen Jing couldn’t resist grabbing her water glass and taking a few sips to calm her nerves.

If only I’d picked a more remote place, this wouldn’t have happened.

She glanced down at her phone; it was exactly 5:00 PM.

"Hello."

A gentle, mellow voice came from behind her. Shen Jing immediately sat up straight. The man walked past her and leisurely took the seat opposite.

He handed his suit jacket to the waiter. Given the current temperature in Shanghai, he was appropriately dressed in a high-collared sweater and casual beige trousers.

"I’m Sun Qiyan."

She’d heard he was an honest man, but he didn’t look particularly meek or deferential, especially not after emerging from Zhou Luchen’s VIP room. His name, though, sounded vaguely familiar.

Shen Jing muttered under her breath, "It’s all over."

Liang Yingning’s voice was still crackling through the earpiece. "He has good taste. His complexion suggests he’s a regular at the gym. There’s a delicate beauty mark on the bridge of his nose—quite striking! His manners are impeccable. I’d guess he’s around thirty. He’s an entrepreneur from a prominent local family, a Shanghai native with a clean family background. Seems a bit shy, probably inexperienced in relationships. Anyway, I’m taking off! If trouble arises anywhere on this planet, you’ll need divine intervention!"

"..."

Shen Jing removed her earpiece and replied politely, "Hello, I’m Shen Jing."

Sun Qiyan sat ramrod straight and gestured for her to order. "Sorry, I was tied up with some business. Hope I didn’t keep you waiting long."

The clever tactics Liang Yingning had coached her on vanished from her mind the moment Young Master Zhou appeared. Her thoughts went completely blank, and she reverted to her usual polite nature. "It’s fine, I just got here myself."

"Are you cold?" Sun Qiyan beckoned a waiter over and asked her, "Shall I get my jacket for you to put on?"

Shen Jing maintained her composure, shaking her head. "No, I’m not cold."

It *was* cold, though. The air conditioning was a bit too strong, and her shoulders felt chilled.

Sun Qiyan noticed her discomfort and had already asked the waiter to bring his jacket back. But then he reconsidered, worrying that offering it so suddenly might startle the young woman.

Sun Qiyan sighed, a small smile playing on his lips, and draped the jacket over the back of his own chair instead.

Besides, having a blind date in a private room, just the two of them, didn’t feel quite appropriate either.

So, Sun Qiyan called the waiter over again. "Could you please find a shawl for this lady?"

"Certainly, just a moment."

When the waiter brought the shawl, Shen Jing quickly wrapped it around her shoulders to ward off the chill.

Sun Qiyan merely glanced at her briefly before looking away. He lowered his head with a smile, his fist resting against his chin. "Please, you order. I can eat anything except cilantro and chili peppers."

Shen Jing randomly ordered two dishes and handed the tablet back to the waiter.

The wait for the food felt interminable.

Sun Qiyan couldn’t help but ask, "Do you know President Zhou of United?"

Shen Jing quickly waved her hands. "No, I don’t know him."

Sun Qiyan had definitely seen Zhou Luchen stop by their table; her claim of not knowing him was rather improbable. Zhou Luchen wasn’t the type to strike up a conversation with a stranger for no reason.

Since she wasn’t talking, Sun Qiyan didn’t press further.

Shen Jing decided to be direct. "Our grandparents are really worried about us getting married, so I felt compelled to come. I’m very sorry, but I already have a boyfriend. So... I hope you can tell Grandpa Sun that you just weren’t interested in me."

Sun Qiyan seemed to see right through her, replying calmly, "And what if I did take a liking to you?"

She knew exactly what he meant.

Shen Jing gave a dry laugh. "Love at first sight isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. I’ve been carrying a torch for someone for years and still haven’t managed to win him over."

Sun Qiyan picked up his water glass, took a sip, and gently set it down. "Is that so."

The dishes finally arrived.

The meal proceeded in silence, with both of them merely picking at their food.

Shen Jing maintained a polite demeanor, treating this as a social courtesy. After all, Grandpa Sun always kept her grandmother company when she herself wasn’t in Shanghai.

Shen Jing picked up her phone. "I have another engagement, I’m really sorry. This one’s on me."

Sun Qiyan noticed her haste.

He didn’t try to stop her, respecting her decision.

Sun Qiyan slowly moved his chopsticks, watching her, his voice even. "Ajing, when you were little, you loved it when I gave you rides on my bicycle to the bookstore on Finn Road. And you loved Mentos candy."

When she was little, he was the one who’d cycle her to and from school. She was always transferring, shuttling between schools in two different places. Perhaps she didn’t remember.

Shen Jing paused, then suddenly turned back. "Brother Qiyan."

How could she forget? After she and her mother left Beijing, her mother and Feng Jian argued frequently. In a fit of pique, her mother would drag her off to her grandmother’s house, always hoping Feng Jian would come and coax them back. He usually only did so when he needed money, at which point he’d act utterly subservient. Sometimes they would stay at her grandmother’s for extended periods. The older boy from next door... She only remembered his name, "Qiyan, Qiyan." As a little girl, she’d always called him ’Big Brother.’ Qiyan, a good head taller than her, would climb up to pick loquats for her. Since the loquats were always sour, Qiyan would carry a packet of sugar with him. The two of them would sit under the tree, dipping the fruit in sugar as they ate. In all those years, the loquats from that tree were never sweet. The old woman next door always said they’d planted the wrong variety.

Sun Qiyan gently dabbed the corner of his mouth with a napkin. "I’ve already paid. Let’s go."

Following Sun Qiyan’s lead, Shen Jing didn’t hurry back to Jinwu.

The two of them strolled nearby for a while, one walking slightly ahead of the other.