#38: I Should Stay Away From Him

The traffic light at the intersection stayed red for a long time. Lin Xingzi saw Jiang Yan through the crowd. The driver said the car could still run, it just looked bad with the damaged front.

[Xingzi, I won’t hurt you.]

Amidst the surrounding noise, Ji Qiuchi’s voice echoed in Lin Xingzi’s ears again.

There was no way her uncle’s chosen driver would have issues. Ji Qiuchi always acted like she didn’t know Lin Xingzi in public, yet today she conspicuously crashed into her car, as if she knew beforehand that Lin Xingzi was going to sign a contract with Zhan Yan.

Lin Xingzi stared blankly at the car tire, her face looking troubled. Zhan Yan had said all the right things, giving her plenty of respect, but she showed no reaction.

“Xingzi?”

“Getting into an accident right after leaving the house, it seems today isn’t suitable for signing the contract,” Lin Xingzi said flatly. “Let’s reschedule.”

In Zhan Yan’s eyes, she was throwing another tantrum, neglecting everything when she was unhappy. “You’re not a child anymore, don’t always act on impulse. A business deal worth over a billion isn’t a joke.”

Jiang Yan pushed through the crowd and rushed to Lin Xingzi, still panting. He eagerly pulled her closer, examining her from head to toe. “Are you hurt?”

Lin Xingzi shook her head, putting on a pitiful expression and hiding in his embrace. “They both ganged up to bully me when you weren’t here. One crashed into my car, and the other scolded me for being ignorant.”

She never acted like this.

Jiang Yan quickly returned to his natural self, that fleeting moment seeming to have never existed. He embraced her, stroking her hair. “I’m here now.”

Others couldn’t hear what they were saying, but it looked incredibly beautiful. Ji Qiuchi watched from afar, and in a trance, it was as if she saw herself, but it was too distant, even the memory was blurred.

The traffic police dispersed the onlookers and began taking photos for evidence of the accident. The biting cold wind swept through the street. Jiang Yan took off his jacket and draped it over Lin Xingzi, telling her to get in the car first.

“Are you okay?”

Ji Qiuchi wrapped her arms around herself, smiling faintly. “Just a small injury, a Band-Aid will fix it in a few days. Thank you for your concern, Officer Jiang.”

The driver was checking the car condition in the front, and the vibration of her phone was muffled. Lin Xingzi glanced at the number on the screen and answered.

The sports car was brazenly parked across the intersection. Lin Xingzi looked out the window, her gaze meeting the person inside.

He said meaningfully, “When did you become so magnanimous?”

“So brazen even in front of you, what has she done behind your back, tsk...”

“The depraved see depravity,” Lin Xingzi switched hands to hold the phone, her long hair scattered, half her face in shadow. “They’re from the same hometown. If Jiang Yan turned a blind eye, he wouldn’t be the Jiang Yan I like. He’s open and honest. You’re instigating behind his back, truly lowly and shameful.”

“Zhan Yan, as soon as you arrived, you started showing off your wealth, while he’s concerned if I’m hurt, if I’m cold, if I’m hungry. That’s the difference between you and him.”

Zhan Yan gripped the steering wheel, infuriated, but forced a laugh. “Lin Xingzi, feel your conscience. Haven’t I been good enough to you?”

A few meters away, Jiang Yan was talking to the traffic police, his profile sharply defined. Lin Xingzi’s eyes softened with a smile. She moved her limbs and snuggled into his jacket, her tone no longer as unforgiving as before.

“I admit, I should be grateful to you for those years abroad, but Zhan Yan, I’m married.”

“So, you’re backing out of the contract to avoid suspicion, or is there another reason?”

“Hmm...” she drew out the sound, a hint of shyness in her voice. “Something like that. I’d willingly spend all my fortune for him.”

Lin Xingzi’s brazen and pampered demeanor, including her feigned coquetry with Jiang Yan, was intentional. It was to dispel Zhan Yan’s suspicion of Ji Qiuchi. If Ji Qiuchi was truly involved in something, she should stay away from Jiang Yan, not get closer to him.