CHAPTER 35: CHAPTER 35: THE ONE WHO SHOULD KNOW THEIR PLACE IS YOU

The first light of dawn appeared as Su Lingzhi slowly woke up.

Noticing that she was being embraced naked, her back against the man’s chest, Su Lingzhi’s entire body stiffened, and her body temperature rose with her agitated heartbeat.

When did he take off his clothes?

"Awake?" the man’s deep voice sounded.

"Mm." Su Lingzhi remained with her back to him, not daring to turn around and look.

"It’s still early, go back to sleep," Fu Yinli said from behind her, his breath tickling her neck a little.

Su Lingzhi shrunk back, saying, "It’s a bit hot."

"Bear with it."

...

Afterwards, she was held like that for over half an hour, staying rigid without moving.

In the end, she couldn’t take it anymore and wanted to move the arm binding her waist, but to no avail.

Su Lingzhi turned over, looking at him feigning sleep.

At a certain moment while she was observing, Fu Yinli opened his eyes and kissed her lips before she could react.

Su Lingzhi was somewhat moved by his kiss, her amber eyes looking misty and dim.

When she met his deep eyes, Su Lingzhi hid in his embrace, unwilling to look at him.

His body was scorching hot, making Su Lingzhi feel suffocated.

"Zhizhi, you can’t have no feelings for me at all," a hoarse voice sounded.

Fu Yinli grasped her hand, guiding it towards his chest, sliding down his skin all the way.

Su Lingzhi hastily withdrew her hand, yet unable to, "You said you wouldn’t touch me."

"I’m not touching you, you’re touching me."

Played by his word games, Su Lingzhi was both angry and ashamed, pinching his firm abs, "Is this how you seduced others before?"

"Seduced?" Fu Yinli chuckled softly, seemingly not expecting her to use the word "seduced."

"Isn’t it?"

Fu Yinli gazed at her blushing cheek, suddenly leaning in to kiss her.

"I’ve only ever seduced you."

Su Lingzhi felt like she was drowning in this enchanting moment, stopping his wandering hands, and muttered, "Enough..."

Fu Yinli halted, his lips leaving her ear.

Su Lingzhi avoided his gaze, "No protection."

Fu Yinli looked a bit surprised, then made a deal with her: "Next time?"

Seeing her nod, a hint of color flashed through Fu Yinli’s eyes, and he kissed her lips before getting out of bed to freshen up.

Su Lingzhi hid under the covers, feeling suffocated.

A thought suddenly flashed in her mind: Once a taboo is broken, it becomes uncontrollably spiraling.

...

Seeing him putting on a dark gray shirt, his noble and superior aura was evident, a stark contrast to when he was tormenting her earlier, almost like two different people.

The term "a wolf in sheep’s clothing" was vividly demonstrated on him.

Su Lingzhi slowly got out of bed, then locked herself in the bathroom.

After washing up and changing clothes, she came out to see him busy with work.

Su Lingzhi asked from afar, "It’s Saturday today, are you going to work?"

Fu Yinli replied, "I have a meeting at ten in the morning."

Su Lingzhi looked at the time, "There’s still time. I’ll go downstairs to buy breakfast."

"It’s time to go."

From afar, she saw him closing the files.

With a series of maneuvers, he shut down the computer, leaving no trace.

Clearly, there were things he didn’t want her to see, and she understood, "I’ll see you off."

A farewell kiss downstairs.

Su Lingzhi watched the shadow of the Rolls-Royce leaving, feeling an inexplicable emptiness inside.

Throughout the morning, she watched the unfinished movie from last night while embroidering, sewing her name onto the clothes he brought last night.

By noon, she stretched on the balcony.

At this time, it was eight in the evening back home.

Su Lingzhi took a deep breath and made a call home, but her mother didn’t answer.

Feeling a bit complicated, she tidied up and went out to find a nearby restaurant for lunch,

choosing a seat by the window. Just as she sat down, the phone rang.

Seeing it was her mother’s call, Su Lingzhi hesitated for a moment, took a deep breath, and answered, "Mom."

"Zhizhi, have you eaten yet? I just went for a bath and missed your call."

Su Lingzhi replied, "Waiting for lunch outside."

After some small talk, Su Lingzhi got to the point, "Mom, last night, someone named Jiang told me our family has an arranged marriage with theirs. Is that true?"

"Chenglin went to see you?"

Hearing the surprise in her mother’s voice, Su Lingzhi’s heart sank to its lowest point, "So what he said is true?"

"It’s true that there was such an arranged marriage. Your grandfather arranged it when you were little. All these years you’ve been busy with your studies, so your dad and I didn’t bring it up to you."

"It’s that Chenglin. His family used to visit ours when he was younger. You used to call him Brother Chenglin, remember?"

"He came to our house last week from Yan City. I think this kid is pretty good, more composed than before, his style somewhat resembling his dad. I didn’t expect him to come looking for you."

Listening to her mother affectionately mention Chenglin repeatedly, Su Lingzhi couldn’t get a word in, her brows tightly furrowed.

"Mom, I already have a boyfriend." Su Lingzhi calmly said.

Upon hearing she had a boyfriend, there was a long pause, followed by, "When did you start dating? Why didn’t you tell me? Where is he from? What’s his family background?"

"None of that matters. I don’t like that Jiang Chenglin."

"Did he bully you?"

Being forced into breaking up through an arranged marriage, how could that not count as bullying?

Su Lingzhi nodded, "Mom, he has violent tendencies, he was even fierce last night..."

Suddenly cutting off her words, Su Lingzhi looked pale at the figure that suddenly appeared before her.

She swallowed all the words she wanted to say, meeting the man’s gaze without backing down, "Mom, anyway, I only like my boyfriend, I’m not interested in anyone else."

"The Jiang Family did us a favor back then, and our families have a good relationship. Your grandfather made this arrangement for you in good faith. You’re far away abroad now, if you don’t like Chenglin, at least come back home first, explain it to the elders face to face, then we can personally explain to the Jiang Family."

"But..." Su Lingzhi bit her lip, feeling a swell of anger at the sight of the man, yet was powerless.

Her mother was right; some things just can’t be clarified over the phone.

Su Lingzhi reluctantly said, "Okay, I’ll talk about it when I come back."

"Alright."

After hanging up, Su Lingzhi tightly gripped her phone.

Being near her apartment, his presence here was probably not a coincidence.

Su Lingzhi met his gaze head-on, unwilling to show weakness, bypassing him before ordering food and leaving.

Unexpectedly, the man followed her, grabbing her hand once they were outside the restaurant.

Su Lingzhi struggled in vain, meeting the man’s gaze angrily, "What do you want?"

Jiang Chenglin’s eyes fixed tightly on her, "Is this how you talk about me to your family? What do you think of me as?"