Jiang Xiao never received that call, because Cheng Yuan never actually dialed out, so she had no idea about his long 'heartfelt confession.' She was also glad she hadn't heard it; otherwise, she couldn't guarantee she wouldn't have said something even more hurtful. Just as Zhou Jin had said, she wasn't genuinely getting back together with Cheng Yuan—she just wanted to toy with him. That was exactly what Jiang Xiao thought. In the years they were together, he had toyed with her, watched her cry and break down, and now it was finally his turn to bear it all. The thought alone was incredibly satisfying.
Shen Yue called early in the morning and asked if Jiang Xiao was free that evening, saying she wanted to introduce someone to her. At the time, Jiang Xiao was brushing her teeth in the bathroom. 'Who is it?' she asked. Shen Yue smirked. 'A man.' 'Why are you introducing a man to me?' 'So you can pick the best one,' Shen Yue said. 'You can play all you want, but you still need to consider your lifelong happiness. The one I'm introducing is top-notch.' 'How top-notch?' 'A big shot, handsome, great body, and clean.' 'Then why don't you keep him yourself?' 'I'm not his type. You are.' Jiang Xiao thought about her work schedule for the day. 'I'm not sure if I'll have time tonight. I have to meet President Zhang of Xingke.' Only then did Shen Yue remember Jiang Xiao had a business dinner. 'If tonight's no good, then another day. When you're free, set up a time to meet.' 'No problem,' Jiang Xiao said. 'You're fine, but what about Cheng Yuan? Is he okay with it?' 'What problem could he have?' Jiang Xiao said dismissively. 'We agreed: I can fool around, but he can't.' 'Do you really think Cheng Yuan can keep that up?' Everyone knew Cheng Yuan was the biggest player in the Jingbei circle. Shen Yue couldn't imagine those words coming from his mouth. 'Did he hit his head on a door? How else could he say something like that?' 'Maybe. Who knows,' Jiang Xiao said. 'Anyway, we signed an agreement. If he breaches it, the deal is off immediately, and he has to pay a huge penalty.' 'There's a penalty clause for that?' Shen Yue clicked her tongue. 'Looks like Cheng Yuan is dead set on you.' 'Him?' Jiang Xiao laughed lightly. 'Dream on.' 'What do you think? Would he go crazy if he saw you dating another man?' 'Not sure, but we can try.' 'You said it. I'll arrange it.'
Shen Yue indeed arranged it. She deliberately set the meeting place at the K Club, in a private room right next to the one Cheng Yuan and his friends frequented. They left the door ajar on purpose, just a crack. Anyone with eyes could see in. The first to catch the eye-popping scene was Xu Cong. He pushed open the door and exclaimed, 'Holy crap, guess who I just saw?' Zhou Jin and Lin Xu looked up together. 'Don't keep us in suspense. Who?' Xu Cong sat across from Cheng Yuan and asked him, 'A Yuan, don't you want to know who I just saw?' Cheng Yuan had been staring at his phone for three days now. Jiang Xiao hadn't contacted him in three days. He had called her, but she didn't answer. He went to her apartment, but she wasn't home. He waited downstairs for two consecutive nights without seeing her. She seemed to have vanished. Cheng Yuan was restless, glued to his phone, afraid of missing any important message. 'What?' he said without looking up. 'Not interested.' To him, no one but Jiang Xiao mattered. 'You'll definitely be interested in this,' Xu Cong said, taking Cheng Yuan's phone. 'It's about the person you care about.' Cheng Yuan looked up and frowned. 'Give me back my phone.' 'The phone isn't important. That person is,' Xu Cong said. 'Go see for yourself.' 'I'm not going.' Cheng Yuan was in no mood for games. 'I'm waiting for her call. Don't mess around.' Xu Cong rolled his eyes. 'You're waiting here like a lovesick fool, but she's off flirting with another man.' 'What other man?' Zhou Jin asked. 'Xu Cong, I don't get what you're saying.' 'If you don't get it, go see for yourselves,' Xu Cong said irritably. 'Next room.' Zhou Jin glanced at Lin Xu, put down his wine glass, and walked out of the room. A few minutes later, he returned and, mimicking Xu Cong, said, 'Holy crap. It really is her.' Lin Xu also looked and frowned. 'She's quite something.' Cheng Yuan didn't understand. 'What kind of nonsense are you talking?' Zhou Jin pulled Cheng Yuan up. 'Go see for yourself.' Reluctantly, Cheng Yuan walked out and stood at the door of the next private room. He swept his gaze inside and froze on the spot. Inside, a woman in a sexy black dress with delicate makeup and particularly red lips was smiling and talking to a man beside her. The man smiled calmly, his eyes fixed on the woman. He seemed very interested. The woman's earring fell. The man bent down, picked it up from the floor, and said something with a curl of his lips. The woman leaned in, brushed aside the hair on her shoulder, and turned her face to him. The man held the earring and slowly approached. The light in the room flickered, casting their faces alternately bright and dim. When it brightened, the woman's eyes seemed to hold an ocean, shining and seductive. Especially when she smiled, she was breathtakingly beautiful. Whether because of the lighting or the angle, Cheng Yuan saw Jiang Xiao blush—even her ears turned red. Her voice softened, almost like a whisper. The man's smile never faded; it was restrained yet laced with desire. This wasn't a schoolyard crush. Grown-ups preferred quick affairs. If they liked each other, they'd directly express their feelings. Cheng Yuan saw a spark in the man's eyes. He knew that man liked Jiang Xiao. No, Jiang Xiao was his. No one else could have her. The agreement was long forgotten. When the man leaned in again, Cheng Yuan couldn't hold back and pushed the door open to enter. Xu Cong tried to grab him but missed. He cursed and followed him in.
Seeing the uninvited guests, Jiang Xiao naturally wasn't polite. 'President Cheng, is there something?' Cheng Yuan stepped closer. 'Yes, there is.' 'But I'm busy. Talk later,' Jiang Xiao said. 'Please leave.' Cheng Yuan had no intention of leaving. He bent down and sat beside Jiang Xiao, casually putting his arm around her waist. 'Is this your friend?' he asked, referring to the man. With outsiders present, Jiang Xiao couldn't really do anything. She hummed in affirmation. 'Yes.' 'Since he's your friend, he's my friend too,' Cheng Yuan said, introducing himself. 'Hello, I'm Cheng Yuan.' The man replied calmly, 'Hello, Song Xuan.' The Song family from Nancheng—Cheng Yuan had heard of them. He said nonchalantly, 'President Song came to Jingbei for... a project?' 'No,' Song Xuan said. 'To see a friend.' It went without saying that the friend Song Xuan wanted to see was Jiang Xiao. Cheng Yuan suppressed his anger. 'Have you seen her?' 'Yes, I have,' Song Xuan said, glancing at Jiang Xiao. Jiang Xiao smiled and nodded. The massive confrontation was right in front of them. Xu Cong didn't know whether to sit or leave. He cleared his throat. 'Since we all know each other, why don't we have a meal together?' It was past the usual mealtime, but no one seemed opposed to Xu Cong's suggestion. So they went to the Sky Garden restaurant on the 20th floor. The seating arrangement was quite deliberate: Song Xuan sat first, Jiang Xiao next to him, and Cheng Yuan took the seat to Jiang Xiao's right, followed by Xu Cong, Lin Xu, and Zhou Jin. Shen Yue arrived last. Seeing the arrangement, she silently cheered. She sat beside Zhou Jin, but because of Cheng Yuan, she didn't give Zhou Jin a single kind look. Zhou Jin was a bit bewildered but had to endure it.
When ordering, the men all displayed gentlemanly manners, letting the ladies order first. Jiang Xiao wasn't hungry, so she casually ordered a few things. Shen Yue had been busy for a long time and was starving, so she ordered more. Song Xuan, as the guest, ordered third. Cheng Yuan, considering himself the host, ordered last. As for Zhou Jin, Lin Xu, and Xu Cong, they ordered the signature dishes to help Cheng Yuan save face. Before the food arrived, they chatted lightly. More precisely, Jiang Xiao, Song Xuan, and Shen Yue talked while the others were treated as air. Several times Zhou Jin tried to chime in, but Shen Yue cut him off, ultimately giving him countless dirty looks. They thought the atmosphere would improve once the food came, but it didn't. Cheng Yuan's face darkened repeatedly because Song Xuan kept being attentive. He was eaten up with jealousy but dared not explode, so he endured it. The result of holding it in was discomfort everywhere—chest pain, stomach pain. While everyone else ate heartily, he barely touched his chopsticks. 'A Yuan, are you okay?' Xu Cong deliberately called out loudly, hoping to draw Jiang Xiao's attention to Cheng Yuan. But Jiang Xiao's eyes seemed glued to Song Xuan; she saw no one else. Her care and concern were only for Song Xuan. This made Cheng Yuan even angrier. His lips trembled. He looked like a bullied wife—dared not show anger, dared not speak, and could only watch helplessly as she laughed and chatted with another man, watched her be nice to someone else. 'President Song, I apologize for the poor hospitality. Next time you come to Jingbei, I'll give you a grand welcome.' Song Xuan said, 'Miss Jiang, you're too kind. I had a great meal and a wonderful time. Nice to meet you. Here's my card. Next time you're in Nancheng, be sure to let me know.' Jiang Xiao took the card. 'Okay, I will.' 'I heard you're in design. Our company happens to have a need in that area. If possible, I'll have my assistant contact you later.' 'That would be great,' Jiang Xiao said politely. 'It's an honor to cooperate with a big company like Song Corporation.' 'Miss Jiang flatters me. I'm very happy to work with a beautiful lady like you.' Before leaving, Song Xuan glanced at Cheng Yuan and deliberately added, 'Oh, and the earrings are very pretty.' The scene of him putting on Jiang Xiao's earrings flashed in Cheng Yuan's mind. He was furious, but he couldn't act out, so he just glared and listened. This burning jealousy continued until everyone left. Jiang Xiao was about to get into her car when Cheng Yuan stopped her. 'Let's talk.' Jiang Xiao was tired and didn't want to talk. 'I'm sleepy. I want to go home and sleep.' 'Just ten minutes, or even five,' Cheng Yuan said. 'Xiao Xiao, we haven't seen each other for three days.' 'Five minutes, not a second more.' Jiang Xiao got into the car first, and then Cheng Yuan got in. Once the door was closed, he grabbed her wrist. 'What is your relationship with Song Xuan?' His grip was strong; Jiang Xiao winced in pain and glared at him. 'Cheng Yuan, I told you, I can associate with anyone I want. You have no right to interfere.' 'But you agreed to date me,' Cheng Yuan said softly. 'Can't you hold back a little for me?' For him? Hmph. 'No,' Jiang Xiao said sternly. 'If you can't accept it, we can stop the relationship.' 'No, I don't want that,' Cheng Yuan murmured. 'I just want you to care about me a little, even just a little.' 'Is that really too much?' 'I don't think you understand the situation,' Jiang Xiao said, pulling his hand away. 'You begged me to date you. You agreed with your own mouth. What right do you have to make demands of me? Do you deserve it?' '...' Cheng Yuan's Adam's apple bobbed slowly. 'Yes, I don't deserve it. But Xiao Xiao, seeing you smile at other men breaks my heart.' He took her hand, brought it to his lips, and kissed it gently. 'I really can't stand it.' Anyone who hadn't experienced that kind of pain wouldn't understand what it felt like—it was bone-eating, heart-wrenching, enough to make you want to die. 'If you can't stand it, then break up,' Jiang Xiao said indifferently. 'Whenever.' 'No,' Cheng Yuan kissed her palm. 'I don't want to break up. I don't.' Xu Cong said he had no spine, but he had lost the right to spine when he lost Jiang Xiao. 'Then if you don't break up, be obedient,' Jiang Xiao said. 'Get out. I want to go home.' 'I'll take you.' As long as he could see her a little longer, he would do anything. 'I'll only take you to your door. Don't worry, if you don't want me to come up, I definitely won't.' 'I like peace and quiet,' Jiang Xiao said. 'Can you be quiet?' 'Yes,' Cheng Yuan said. 'I won't talk.' On the way, he really didn't speak. He just gazed at Jiang Xiao longingly, staring at her face over and over, sometimes smiling, sometimes frowning. The desire to kiss her reached its peak. He tremblingly reached out and gently stroked her cheek. His lips moved closer and closer... 'Slap!' Just as they were about to touch, Jiang Xiao opened her eyes and slapped Cheng Yuan. 'Cheng Yuan, I only like obedient dogs.'
Author's note: Doggy, another heartbreaking day. Awoo.