"Xiao Xiao, listen to me. You can't let Cheng Yuan find you. Run!" Shen Yue urged frantically. "He turned down a hundred billion project to find you, fell out with Zhang Rong, and even beat someone up. I think he's determined this time—he will take you away no matter what."
"He's been ruthless lately, showing no mercy. If he really finds you, he'll definitely hide you away and never let you leave again."
"Listen to me, run, or it'll be too late..."
Jiang Xiao turned to run, but a gentle call came from a few steps away—"Xiao Xiao—"
It was a familiar female voice, her roommate.
"How did you know I was back? Did you come to pick me up specially?"
"Xiao Xiao, you're so sweet."
As her soft voice rang out, Jiang Xiao saw the man who had been lowering his head to light a cigarette suddenly lift his head and glance sideways.
Through the crowd, their eyes met.
Locking gazes, she saw the gleam in Cheng Yuan's eyes—the expression he reserved for prey.
It was filled with excitement and determination.
He casually tossed his cigarette into a nearby trash can and strode forward.
Jiang Xiao grabbed her roommate's wrist, and before Cheng Yuan could catch up, they stepped into the elevator together. As the elevator ascended, the roommate asked, "What's wrong? You look terrible."
Jiang Xiao's roommate was also an overseas student, sweet-looking. They hadn't known each other long enough to share secrets.
Jiang Xiao glossed over it. "I just saw a family member."
"A family member? Who?"
"My brother," Jiang Xiao said.
"Did he come looking for you?"
"Yeah." Jiang Xiao took her hand. "Can you keep this a secret? If anyone asks, just say you don't know me. I don't want to go back home with my brother."
Some things didn't need to be explained fully. A little hesitation worked better. The roommate let her imagination run wild, conjuring up an unhappy family background, and nodded. "Okay, I won't mention you to anyone."
After reassuring her roommate, Jiang Xiao left first. She took the stairs, then the elevator, and finally went up to the rooftop terrace.
This was her secret base. Whenever she was in a bad mood, she came here to drink a couple of glasses.
There was a rocking chair on the terrace. She sat down, picked up a bottle of wine nearby, and sipped it slowly. The cold wind mixed with the fragrance of wine rushed into her nostrils, miraculously calming her racing heart.
This wasn't Jingbei. Cheng Yuan couldn't take her away.
Shen Yue called again. "Xiao Xiao, how is it? Did you see Cheng Yuan?"
"Yeah, I saw him." Jiang Xiao put the phone on speaker, her right hand holding the wine glass as she took a small sip. "He's right downstairs."
"What? He actually went there!" Shen Yue asked, "What are you going to do?"
"Our security here is good. At most, he can only get to the ground floor. He can't come up," Jiang Xiao reassured. "Don't worry, he won't threaten me."
"It's hard to say," Shen Yue warned. "Cheng Yuan has changed a lot in the past six months. His temper is fierce. He fires employees for no reason and has angered many in the industry. Before, he might have shown weakness, but now he doesn't at all. Last month, during a project competition, he beat someone so badly they ended up in the hospital."
Shen Yue clicked her tongue. "He's like a fierce tiger now, ready to bite anyone. Don't let him catch you."
A fierce tiger...
He really did look like one.
"Do you think this is because of you?" Shen Yue asked uncertainly.
"Me?" Jiang Xiao didn't think she had that much influence. "How could it be? Maybe he's always been like this, just pretending before. Now he doesn't want to pretend anymore, so his true colors are showing."
"Whatever the case, he's too dangerous. You have to stay away," Shen Yue said, still shaken.
"Yeah, I won't provoke him." Until she could protect herself, Jiang Xiao wouldn't meet Cheng Yuan.
"What if he doesn't leave?"
"Don't worry, he will." If he didn't leave on his own, she would create a situation to force him to.
After hanging up, Jiang Xiao sent Zhang Rong a WeChat message with just one line:
[Get Cheng Yuan back to Jingbei.]
Zhang Rong didn't reply, but soon Jiang Xiao learned some news from Shen Yue. A distant relative of Cheng Yuan went to the company and threatened to commit suicide, vowing to die in front of the Cheng Group building if he didn't see Cheng Yuan, so everyone could see what kind of person Cheng Yuan was.
Cheng Yuan got the news but still acted indifferent. He replied, "If you want to die so much, why talk so much? Go ahead and die."
That relative actually did it—slit his wrists, blood spilling everywhere.
The commotion was too big, attracting the media and then the government. Cheng Yuan had to return to Jingbei to handle it.
Before leaving, he instructed Jiang Yu, "Find her. If you don't, don't bother coming back to the company."
Jiang Yu didn't dare slack off. He promised, "President Cheng, rest assured, I will definitely find Madam."
Jiang Xiao didn't know Jiang Yu was lurking in the shadows waiting for her. She thought everything was fine since Cheng Yuan had left. She went to the supermarket with her roommate and vaguely sensed someone following her.
Fortunately, she reacted quickly and slipped away while using the restroom.
She couldn't stay at the apartment anymore. She grabbed her documents and checked into a hotel.
She stayed in the hotel for five days before daring to go out.