NOVEL NEXT Chapter 359-366
Chapter 359: This is My Answer (9)
——”Released all that pent up anger?”
——”That’s enough.”
In that instant, Ji Yi understood what He Jichen meant. It didn’t matter if this incident affected his business – it wasn’t important. What mattered to him was allowing her to release all her pent-up anger.
Ji Yi’s heart suddenly started to waver and she felt like she had an infinite number of things to say to him. Most of all, she wanted to say “thank you” to He Jichen. She also wanted to tell him that she was delighted he did that for her and that she hoped he would continue to be considerate towards her in the future. However, those words were stuck in her throat, and all of a sudden, she was left speechless.
I should probably start by thanking him…
Ji Yi remained quiet for some time before she finally decided to tell He Jichen what was on her mind. But suddenly, she heard a crisp, fragile voice nearby: “Jichen.”
In that instant, the words Ji Yi wanted to say stopped in her mouth. She hesitated for a second then slowly turned her head towards the source of the sound.
It was Chen Bai. He was escorting a young, beautiful girl to where she and He Jichen were sitting.
The woman’s skin was very fair and she had prominent facial features. Although she was dressed in business attire with her hair up, it couldn’t mask her feminine air. Not to mention her effect on guys, but with just one look, even Ji Yi’s breath was taken away by her beauty.
“Mr. He, Miss Xia…” Chen Bai walked over and eventually came to a stop in front of He Jichen. Before Chen Bai could finish his introduction, the woman greeted He Jichen, ran over to him and said with a bright smile, “Jichen, are you surprised by my sudden appearance?!”
Ji Yi wasn’t sure if He Jichen was pleasantly surprised by this “Miss Xia” who Chen Bai introduced, but he was silent for a few seconds. Then his lips moved: “Why are you here?”
The woman was in no rush to reply but instead, she rushed over to Chen Bai who was standing beside her and demanded, “Chen Bai, fetch me a glass of water first. I’m parched.”
There was quite some space between Ji Yi and He Jichen on the sofa – enough space for a person to take a seat. After the woman withdrew her gaze from Chen Bai, she looked over at the empty space next to He Jichen and replied to He Jichen, “It’s all your fault. You haven’t come back to Sucheng for so long, so I wanted to see you. Seeing as your party was at Shanghai Starlight, I wanted to give you a pleasant surprise, so I secretly came over…” She brazenly sat down, forcing Ji Yi and He Jichen to separate.
She gestured with her arms as she spoke. When she said that, the smell of her perfume drifted endlessly into Ji Yi’s nostrils.
“…Jichen, since tonight’s the end-of-production party, you’re free tomorrow, right? Why don’t you come with me to Shanghai for two days…”
Her voice sounded so nice, but for some reason, after listening to her for some time, Ji Yi started to get a headache. Even her perfume felt like it was piercing her nose.
“…I want to go on a night cruise on the Huangpu River. I also want to go to Disneyland, and I want to go shopping…”
Chen Bai returned and interrupted the woman’s words. “Miss Xia, your water.”
“Thank you.” The woman took it, turned her head and told He Jichen, “… Jichen, I still want to go to the Oriental Pearl Tower…”
Chapter 360: This is My Answer (10)
The woman said so much, yet He Jichen didn’t say a peep in reply. She was probably afraid of getting rejected by him, so she reached her hand out and pulled on his sleeve. She started to whine sweetly and sway her body like a child. “Jichen, promise me, won’t you? Please, pretty please…”
He Jichen seemed a bit impatient with her pestering, so he called out her name, “Xia Yuan…”
So her name’s Xia Yuan… Not only is she beautiful, but her name also sounds so good…
Ji Yi had never met such an exceptional woman in her life; never before had she paid this much attention to another woman’s looks, body, voice, and even her name.
What’s even more, Ji Yi didn’t notice just how much she took note of everything that this woman called “Xia Yuan” looked at or what she knew.
He Jichen, who had never really been a patient person, didn’t erupt in a fit of rage at Xia Yuan, but he just furrowed his brows slightly. Then he silently reached over with his other arm and gently plucked Xia Yuan off his sleeve. He looked over at Ji Yi and continued to speak to Xia Yuan, “…Let me introduce you for a moment. This is Ji Yi, the new artist signed to my company.”
As soon as she heard He Jichen mention her name, Ji Yi immediately tossed aside all her thoughts to the back of her mind and looked over at He Jichen.
Noticing her gaze, He Jichen spoke again, “And this is Xia Yuan, my professor’s daughter and my classmate from school.”
Oh, so she’s from a prestigious school; she’s totally an honor student… What’s more, she was probably raised in a rich family. Is she what people call a “debutante”?
Considering what He Jichen said, Ji Yi’s mind started to revolve around Xia Yuan several times.
Having heard He Jichen’s introduction, Xia Yuan, who had been sitting on the sofa for so long, finally noticed Ji Yi. She turned her head to look at Ji Yi with a dazzling smile, then she reached her slender, lily-white hands out. “Hello, Miss Ji. I’m Xia Yuan, delighted to meet you,” said Xia Yuan warmly to Ji Yi.
When Ji Yi heard Xia Yuan speak, she flashed her a smile and looked back at her. However, for some reason, after hearing Xia Yuan’s natural and outspoken introduction, the smile on her face turned stiff. She tried her best to raise the corners of her lips as the words from her mouth came out hoarse, “Hello, I’m Ji Yi.”
After the two of them politely shook hands, Xia Yuan and Ji Yi continued to share a few courteous words.
Every word Xia Yuan said didn’t stray far from the topic of He Jichen. If she didn’t talk about how remarkable he was in school, she’d talk about interesting things that happened to him in school…
Ji Yi wasn’t part of He Jichen’s old life at his university, so she couldn’t talk about it with Xia Yuan; all she could do was wear a slight smile and listen feebly.
When Xia Yuan started to talk about the time He Jichen received an award in university, she turned to look over at He Jichen and said with an unusually sweet voice, “Jichen, did you know? Two days ago, my dad brought up the time you received an award in conversations. He even called you the most outstanding student amongst all his students. When are you free? My dad really misses you. He always bugs me about you coming over to our house to play chess with him when you have some free time…”
Ji Yi wasn’t sure what was wrong with her, but when she heard this, her chest felt incredibly stifled for some reason.
She suddenly didn’t want to sit there like a fool, listening to them chat about things she had no idea about.
She didn’t wait for He Jichen to reply and beat him first to say, “Apologies Director He, Miss Xia. You two continue to chat, I’m just going to take a look over there.”
Chapter 361: A Thousand Bottles of Correction Fluid (1)
With that, Ji Yi immediately grabbed her handbag from the coffee table and got up.
From the corners of her eyes, she caught a faint glimpse of He Jichen’s lips moving when she turned around. Before she could make out what he said, she had already walked far away.
Only Ji Yi knew just how drained her entire body was, but she still forced herself to walk elegantly out of the hall and into the restroom.
She only walked ten short meters from He Jichen’s side to the bathroom, but it felt like she walked several kilometers. Both her legs felt weak and unsteady.
She was scared she was going to fall any second, so she found an empty cubicle and rushed in.
As soon as she shut the cubicle door, her whole body went limp as she took a seat on the toilet.
Ji Yi wasn’t sure just how long she sat there frozen nor how many people entered the restroom or what those people said. She only knew that her bag vibrated endlessly in her palms, and her hand was a little numb from the constant vibrations. She finally looked down, opened the zipper, and reached in to pull out her phone.
There were five missed calls from He Jichen.
She wasn’t going to call He Jichen back and was about to put her phone away when she got another call from him.
She stared at the name of the incoming call for some time before taking the call.
Just as she put the phone to her ear, she heard the flustered voice of He Jichen: “Where are you?”
“I’m…” When Ji Yi spoke, she felt her voice was a little hoarse, so she quickly paused to swallow then said, “…in the restroom.”
“Oh…” Over the phone, He Jichen’s voice sounded a lot more relaxed.
Ji Yi knew He Jichen was going to continue talking, so she clutched her phone silently.
But just when He Jichen said “Then,” she heard the sweet sound of Xia Yuan over the phone saying: “Jichen, are you finished talking on the phone?”
Ji Yi’s heart suddenly sank for a moment and it became hard to breathe again. She didn’t wait for He Jichen to finish as she quickly said, “Errr, it’s not convenient to talk right now so I’m hanging up.”
With that, Ji Yi removed the phone from her ear and hung up the call.
After about ten seconds, the phone in her palms vibrated again. It was a text from He Jichen: “After you’re out, remember to come find me.”
Ji Yi didn’t reply but put her phone away and stayed in the restroom for a while before she got up and headed back to the hall.
He Jichen and Xia Yuan were still sitting on the sofa by the window.
The empty coffee table now had a spread of all different types of desserts.
Xia Yuan scooped up some ice cream with her spoon. She would take a bite and turn her head every now and then and smile sweetly at He Jichen as she spoke.
Behind them was a night view of Huangpu River beyond the tall windows.
The two of them sitting together, a handsome guy and a beautiful woman, looked like a shockingly beautiful piece of art against the backdrop of a glistening night’s view.
Ji Yi watched on with a piercing pain in her eyes, yet she didn’t look away until an attendant passed and asked in a quiet voice if she needed anything. That was when she blinked and looked at the glass of wine in their hands.
Chapter 362: A Thousand Bottles of Correction Fluid (2)
She didn’t reply to the attendant nor did she care to find out what kind of alcohol he was carrying. She reached her hand out to grab a glass, put it to her lips, and downed it.
When she put down the glass, Ji Yi glanced back at where He Jichen and Xia Yuan were sitting.
Xia Yuan had finished the ice cream and was now eating the mango pomelo sago. Xia Yuan seemed to have spilled something on herself since He Jichen handed her a tissue. After she took the tissue, she looked up and smiled sweetly at He Jichen. Then she looked down and dabbed at her collar.
Ji Yi couldn’t help but clutch onto the glass in her hands more tightly. The next second, she withdrew her gaze and put down the empty glass onto the attendant’s tray. She picked up another glass and raised it to her mouth again.
Since the alcohol was a little strong and she downed two consecutive glasses, Ji Yi was feeling a little dizzy. She found a place nearby to take a seat, then she asked the attendant to leave two glasses for her before she dismissed him.
As quite a few people passed Ji Yi, they would say “hello” to her. She smiled back reflexively, but she didn’t really hear what they were saying to her – the corners of her eyes were glued to the two people in front of the tall windows.
Xia Yuan had finished eating, so she put down her spoon and picked up a napkin to wipe the corners of her mouth. Ji Yi couldn’t hear what He Jichen said, but then Xia Yuan elegantly got up and walked over to the restroom.
The second Xia Yuan left, He Jichen called Chen Bai over.
Since Ji Yi was too far away, she couldn’t hear them talking, but she saw Chen Bai pull out his phone after He Jichen finished speaking. After flipping through it for some time, Chen Bai then handed it to He Jichen as though he was waiting for some kind of confirmation. It wasn’t until He Jichen nodded that Chen Bai took his phone back and continued to tap the screen.
Over ten seconds later, Chen Bai put his phone away. Ji Yi could vaguely make out the words: “Mr. He, it’s done” from Chen Bai’s lips.
Ji Yi figured that He Jichen must’ve asked Chen Bai to do something for him just now. After Chen Bai completed the task, he gave proof of this through his phone.
He Jichen gave a slight nod when Xia Yuan came back. She first said a few words to Chen Bai with a bright smile, then walked over to He Jichen’s side. She didn’t sit down but went right over and whispered something into his ear.
The expression on He Jichen’s face didn’t change, but he furrowed his brows and after about five seconds later, he got up.
She didn’t know what he said to Chen Bai, but Chen Bai passed He Jichen a room key.
After He Jichen took it, he glanced over at Xia Yuan but didn’t say a word and walked over to the elevator.
Xia Yuan waved goodbye to Chen Bai and caught up to He Jichen.
The two of them stepped into the same elevator. After the red figures above the elevator started to jump, Ji Yi’s bewildered gaze fell to the wine glass in front of her.
He Jichen got a room key and took Xia Yuan upstairs? What’re they doing upstairs?
It felt like Ji Yi’s mind was going to explode; all kinds of questions started to fill her head.
She started to grow uneasy as she downed the two untouched glasses on the table without a second thought. She couldn’t let go of this sudden agitation that came out of nowhere.
She slammed the now-empty glass onto the table, and she didn’t bother with the attendant staring at her, alarmed by her sudden actions. Then she sluggishly got up.
Chapter 363: A Thousand Bottles of Correction Fluid (3)
Ji Yi didn’t know what to do; all she knew was that her thoughts were running wild, so she figured she’d get up and walk to calm her breathing a little.
She circled the hall aimlessly with no idea how many times she brushed past the elevator that He Jichen and Xia Yuan stepped into. Suddenly, before she could think things through, she was already inside the elevator.
Ji Yi’s room was right next to He Jichen’s room.
When Ji Yi reached her floor, she stepped out of the elevator and walked down the long corridor towards her own room.
When she walked past He Jichen’s room, Ji Yi saw that his door was actually half open.
The light from inside shone brightly, illuminating the ground in front of his door.
Out of curiosity, Ji Yi sneakily glimpsed into He Jichen’s room.
He Jichen sat on the sofa, signing a receipt.
An attendant was standing next to him, waiting with a smile on her face.
After He Jichen finished signing, the attendant handed the bag to He Jichen then politely took her leave.
Ji Yi was afraid that the people inside the room would catch her peeping, so she walked faster and brushed past He Jichen’s room. While doing so, she heard the faint sound of a feminine voice from inside He Jichen’s room: “Jichen, did you get the thing?”
Thing? What “thing”? Does she mean the black bag the attendant just handed to He Jichen?
Ji Yi wasn’t sure where this deep-rooted curiosity came from, but her feet couldn’t help but walk a bit slower.
It was a shame that before she could hear He Jichen’s reply, the attendant stepped out of his room and attentively shut the doors.
The attendant probably never imagined that there was someone in the corridor, considering that she was stunned for a second when she saw Ji Yi. She immediately smiled at Ji Yi and said, “Hello.”
Ji Yi pretended as though she was pulling out a key card as she nodded slightly at the attendant.
The attendant didn’t say anything and smiled politely back at her before brushing past her.
Having found her room key, Ji Yi wasn’t in a hurry to swipe the door. Instead, she waited for the attendant to disappear around the corner then she swiftly took a few steps back. She was back at He Jichen’s door with her ear pressed against it, trying to eavesdrop.
He Jichen was staying in a suite. Ji Yi was at the door for a while but still couldn’t manage to hear any movement, so she deduced that He Jichen and Xia Yuan were probably not in the living room.
With furrowed brows, she stepped back from the door. She made a rough guess at where He Jichen’s bedroom was then pressed her ear against the wall.
Aside from the blowing of the air conditioning unit, she still couldn’t hear any noise.
Could I have guessed wrong? Maybe this isn’t where the bedroom is and I need to shift down a little more?
Ji Yi took two steps in the direction where she thought He Jichen might be. Noticing that her own room wasn’t too far away, she couldn’t help but smack her own head. Isn’t my room right next to He Jichen’s bedroom? Why am I here wasting time…
With that very thought, Ji Yi grabbed her room key, swiped the door, and stepped into her room.
She first turned off the air conditioning to the entire room then jumped onto the bed and pressed her ear against the wall.
She still couldn’t hear any movement.
Ji Yi examined the room plan roughly and realized that the bathroom was closest to He Jichen’s room. She darted into the bathroom and leaped into the bathtub, pressing herself against the icy cold marble wall.
Chapter 364: A Thousand Bottles of Correction Fluid (4)
Ji Yi held her breath and concentrated her full attention on trying to listen harder. That was when she heard the faint sound of running water from the other side of the wall.
The sound of running water…
Ji Yi instinctively looked up at the shower above her head…
Is someone taking a shower?
Besides He Jichen, Xia Yuan was the only other person in the room next door. Why are they showering?
As that thought flashed across Ji Yi’s mind, an image of He Jichen and Xia Yuan intertwined and kissing popped in her head.
Ji Yi’s fingers quivered and she was left completely stunned in an instant.
She looked up in a daze and stared at the shower without blinking for a long time. It wasn’t until her neck started to hurt that she slowly withdrew her gaze and looked down.
They can’t be doing what I’m thinking, right? But a man and woman alone in a room, and showering too… So, when I passed He Jichen’s room earlier, could there have been condoms inside the black bag the attendant gave He Jichen?
Ji Yi’s heart started to feel a sharp pain as she slowly turned her head and looked over at the wall again. Yet, she didn’t have the courage to listen carefully for their movements again.
She didn’t understand why she was afraid, but she was afraid to hear He Jichen and Xia Yuan doing what she was thinking…
Ji Yi stood in the sleek bathtub in a daze for some time before she walked out of the bathroom.
She walked over to the side of the bed in a daze. Just as she took a seat, her gaze fell firmly on the wall behind the cabinet by the headboard.
On the other side of the wall was He Jichen’s big bed. He and Xia Yuan were just there…
The air in the room instantly became thin. No matter how hard Ji Yi tried to breathe, she just couldn’t do it.
She spent a lot of energy trying to eavesdrop, but she barely heard the sound of running water. Deep down inside, she knew that the rooms had excellent soundproofing. However, at that exact moment, she was scared she would hear the breathing sounds that could make a person’s face flush.
Ji Yi thought if she stayed in the room any longer, she would definitely go crazy. Without even picking up her room key, she grabbed her phone and suddenly bolted out the door and towards the elevator.
Returning to the bustling party, Ji Yi finally felt a little better. She picked up a glass of wine and found a random corner to sit.
But this feeling didn’t last long. She stayed like that for a minute then she started to sneak frequent glances at the elevator.
Why hasn’t He Jichen come downstairs yet? Are he and Xia Yuan still upstairs?
With that thought, Ji Yi picked up the glass and started to down the alcohol.
She wasn’t sure just how many glasses she drank, but she felt like she was troubling the attendant from demanding one glass after another, so she eventually asked the attendant to get her an entire bottle. Then she continued chugging away.
After a third into the bottle, she pulled out her phone to check the time.
Twenty minutes had passed since she came down from her room, yet He Jichen still hadn’t come downstairs…
Just how long is he going to be busy with her?
Ji Yi hiccuped while hugging the bottle. She put it to her lips again and drank so fiercely that she choked. She quickly put the wine down, bent over and started to cough violently…
–
He Jichen and Xia Yuan didn’t have a particularly close relationship. He just treated her more politely than other women in honor of his most respected teacher.
Chapter 365: A Thousand Bottles of Correction Fluid (5)
He knew full well how Xia Yuan felt about him.
Long ago, during their first year of university, Xia Yuan had spontaneously confessed her love for him. He already clearly explained that he could never be with her.
But Xia Yuan ignored his rejection; she stayed by his side and pestered him as she did before.
Later, he came to Beijing looking for Ji Yi. Not only did he not return to his prestigious school, but he rarely even went back to Sucheng. So, he rarely had the opportunity to see Xia Yuan. The opportunities were so few that he could count the number of times on just one hand.
However, Xia Yuan still managed to send him many messages every day. Sometimes he glanced at them, but sometimes he deleted them without so much as a glance.
He and Xia Yuan hadn’t kept in contact for over a year now, but after Xia Yuan learned of his whereabouts, she quietly bolted over to Shanghai.
After Ji Yi left, he suggested that Xia Yuan return to Sucheng that night.
Xia Yuan wasn’t willing and complained about being hungry. She even acted pitiful by saying that she didn’t get to eat because she rushed over there.
He knew she was using little tricks to stall for time, but he didn’t expose her. Instead, he ordered Chen Bai to get her some food. After she finished eating, he called Chen Bai over to order plane tickets to Sucheng for Xia Yuan.
Who knew that after she returned from the restroom, she would draw close to his ear and timidly tell him that she was on her period? She didn’t have any sanitary towels and messed up her clothes.
All he could do was ask Chen Bai for the room key then he brought her upstairs.
Since Xia Yuan brought her suitcase, she probably intended to stay in Shanghai for a few days.
So He Jichen didn’t need to prepare any clothes for her; he merely asked the attendant to buy a pack of sanitary towels.
Xia Yuan continued by saying she soiled her clothes, so she wasn’t feeling comfortable and wanted to use his shower.
It wasn’t a difficult request, so he let her go.
He wasn’t sure if all women took such long showers, but she was actually in there for over half an hour before she stepped out. He shut his eyes to get some rest and leaned back on the sofa, bored of waiting.
After a few minutes, he sensed a faint, sweet scent coming from behind him. Before he could even open his eyes, a pair of slender fair arms wrapped around him from behind. Then he heard Xia Yuan’s distinctive gentle voice in his ear: “Jichen…”
He was an adult. Even though he only had that one sexual encounter four years ago with Ji Yi, he knew very well what Xia Yuan meant by her actions.
Like a conditioned reflex, he practically pulled her arm away and got up. He turned around and saw that Xia Yuan was wearing a low-cut mini dress. That was when he instantly understood that she wasn’t on her period – it was just a cover-up to be alone with him.
The only reasons he never flipped out on Xia Yuan before was because one, out of respect for her father and two, she never did anything over-the-top. However, things were different today. She was actually like all the other girls, playing games. Deep down, he suddenly felt an unspeakable sense of disgust. Without even thinking it through, he bluntly said, “Go change into a normal outfit. I’ll help you call a car to take you to the airport.”
There was nothing more embarrassing for a woman than being rejected after throwing themselves into a man’s arms. Xia Yuan’s eyes turned red and she sounded like was pleading a little when she said: “Jichen, don’t y-you kick me out. I-I just like you too much…”
Chapter 366: A Thousand Bottles of Correction Fluid (6)
He Jichen wasn’t sure just how many times he heard words like those in his life. The expression on his face didn’t change in the slightest while he was faced with Xia Yuan’s pitiful look. All he did was say: “See you in the lobby in ten minutes.” Brushing off Xia Yuan crying out his name endlessly, he marched out of the room.
Xia Yuan had known him for many years, so she knew his personality very well. She could tell he was mad, so she didn’t dare act out. He headed downstairs and took a seat in the lounge. Before he could finish a single cigarette, he saw Xia Yuan emerge from the elevator with red eyes, dragging her suitcase behind her.
He Jichen waited until Xia Yuan came closer before he put out the cigarette and got up.
He didn’t say a word and headed for the car by the lobby entrance.
The valet at the entrance of Starlight politely greeted him, but He Jichen ignored him and walked right over to the front of the car and pulled the door open.
Xia Yuan trudged over unwillingly. Just as the driver was ready to take her suitcase and load it into the trunk, she suddenly clutched onto the handle. “Jichen, I-I promise that I’ll never do this again. D-don’t push me away, alright…”
It was like He Jichen hadn’t heard what she said as he flatly ordered the driver, “After you see her get on the plane, leave.”
“Yes, Mr. He,” replied the driver. Then he forcefully pried Xia Yuan’s fingers from the suitcase.
He Jichen watched the driver put Xia Yuan’s suitcase into the trunk. Not too long after, he walked around Xia Yuan and headed for the lobby.
“Jichen!” Xia Yuan turned around and called his name.
He Jichen didn’t stop in the slightest as he stepped into the revolving doors.
Through the glass in front of him, he watched the driver shove Xia Yuan into the car. He couldn’t hear Xia Yuan’s voice on the other side of the door, but he knew she was still calling his name. He didn’t give her a second thought as he pressed the button for the elevator and stepped in.
The moment the elevator doors closed, the car Xia Yuan was in slowly drove off.
After He Jichen stepped out onto the second floor, his first reaction was to scan the lobby for Ji Yi.
The room was filled with people, so he searched all around but couldn’t find Ji Yi. Instead, when he returned to the hall, he caught sight of Chen Bai.
“Mr. He…”
Chen Bai walked over to He Jichen. With just three words, He Jichen interrupted Chen Bai: “Where is she?”
After pausing for just a second, Chen Bai realized who He Jichen meant by “she.” Then he looked over to where Ji Yi sat after she first came out of the restroom earlier that evening. “She’s not…”
Chen Bai was going to say “there” when he suddenly stopped.
That’s strange. Miss Ji’s clearly sitting over there; how come she was nowhere to be seen until now?
Chen Bai swiftly swallowed back the word he was going to say and He Jichen, who was standing right next to him, started to walk over to the corner of the room.
Chen Bai caught up in a hurry.
After about ten meters, they found Ji Yi sitting in a corner, spread out on the table and bent over, coughing.
He Jichen’s footsteps were a lot quicker; all Chen Bai could do was try to keep up.
When Chen Bai was about two meters away from Ji Yi, He Jichen was already by her side. He reached his arm out and started to drag her paralyzed frame from the table.