C83 If You Refuse You Won't Have Another Chance
C83 If You Refuse You Won't Have Another Chance
"We became dormmates back at the university. We weren't actually supposed to be roommates then, but one of our supposed dormmates had already graduated and went abroad," Jian Yun murmured lowly. A slow smile crept to her face as she remembered the times they had together, but she still didn't remove her hands from her cheeks. 'Well, at least he didn't take advantage of the topic,' she thought in complacency, having a better impression of him than before.
He smiled, nodding. "It's rare to still be close friends with your university roommates. That's quite a hard faith to come by."
"It is," she admitted. Her fingers grabbed the hem of her shirt as her pale feet rubbed against her slippers. There was a moment of silence before she finally stammered out, "Wu Wenjing–she has an enormous mouth. Please don't mind her. She's just spouting some nonsense a few minutes ago."
"Which part?" Huo Liancheng raised his gaze from the carpeted floor, staring at her. His eyes were like a realm of darkness, one that she found herself being dragged into every time she stared up at him. She gripped the sides of the couch as she tried to steady herself.
Jian Yun had wanted to be clear that Wu Wenjing wasn't thinking straight with her wordings, that they weren't necessarily the truth, so what else was he trying to say?
"You told me the last time that everyone wanted to sleep with me, and you..." The smile on his face widened extensively, and there was a mischievous glimmer in the way that he had gazed at her. Although he may not tease her about the phone call, he could certainly poke fun of her on the night they've spent together. He chuckled at the sight of her stammering for words.
"I–I said that?" The corner of her eyes twitched before she hurriedly shook her head in denial. "That's impossible! I don't remember saying that to you!"
"You said it that night you forced a kiss on me. You even threw me down," he said half-truthfully, snickering. "You keep on saying how good-looking I am and how much you wanted to ravish me just by looking at me. You could be quite the seductress when you want to be, you know."
"Don't bother talking!" Jian Yun squeaked out as she buried her face deeper into her hands, speechless at his words. She might never touch a single glass of wine ever again, especially after that horrendous episode. As long as Huo Liancheng would never let her live this down, it seemed that this situation would haunt her entire life–just biting at the very chance of relaxation. Suppressing a groan, she glanced up at him. "I don't want to remember anything about that night, you got that?"
"And why not?" Putting his phone down, he stared at her in faux bitterness. His voice sounded like a child who hadn't been given a Christmas present. He crossed his arms over his chest with a pout. "You forced me, but you still refuse to take full responsibility for it. And now, you're even banning me from talking about it like–like it's a crime!"
"Can you not be so dramatic?"At the sight of his cross expression, she couldn't help but laugh. Her shoulders twitched as she tried to hold herself back, but the more he glared at her, the more she couldn't control herself. It was the first time she had ever seen such an indifferent man become so childish.
"And you're even laughing now," he accused. His face grew even more bitter, and he placed his large palm on top of his chest. "Do you know how much you've hurt me? How much you've wounded me?"
"Stop!" Not being able to control herself any longer, Jian Yun threw herself onto the sofa, giggling maniacally. She didn't even notice that Huo Liancheng had suddenly seated himself right next to her.
It was only when she had snapped out of her reverie did she find herself lying against the sofa with Huo Liancheng's hands stroking the sides of her cheeks. He stared down at her with so much intensity in his eyes that her heart raced in her chest at the mere sight. Her fingers shook, but she found herself unable to move. All she could do was stare up at him, mesmerized by the softness of his features.
"Silly girl," he teased lightly. "Are you really not going to consider dating me?"
The tips of her ears burned. "We're not suitable!"
"If you reject me again, I wouldn't be asking you in the future." His long fingers caressed her high cheekbones. Of course, this wouldn't stop him, but it would certainly give her a chance to actually think things through. "Won't you regret it?"
Jian Yun's eyes flashed, and a blanket of silence settled upon them. She didn't know why her heart started to tremble at his words, or why her stomach had uneasily stirred inside of her, but she steadied herself. 'It was probably because of the cold,' she told herself, looking away from his face. There was just something about Huo Liancheng that could set her entire senses up into flames.
Even then, she shook her head. "Trust me, I won't have any regrets."
He sighed softly. The bitterness had receded from his features, and it was soon replaced with pure, unresolvable sorrow. The tension inside the living room had thickened immeasurably, and the two could only stare at each other for the future that could've been rather than what would've been. Her breath hitched. 'Why do I feel so...sad?'
She had wanted to say something–anything that could perhaps provide closure on both ends, but before she could even speak, Huo Liancheng had already stood up and left. At this point, she was still at a loss for words.
The room that was once filled with laughter and playfulness had fallen silent.
Stroking the strands of her hair that had fallen to her face, Jian Yun excused herself uneasily, "I'll go check if my clothes are dry."
Without another word, she hurriedly stood up and raced out of the room as if she was fleeing a prison cell.
Huo Liancheng could only stare at her retreating figure, his eyes as dark as ink.
When she finally walked out of the laundry room, she was already dressed in her own clothes. Handing the black shirt to him, she hesitated. "About the shirt that you've borrowed me, I..."
"You can put it here."
"O–Oh..." Jian Yun had originally wanted to offer to take it to the dry cleaners. After all, his obsession with cleanliness and orderliness had left quite an impression on her. She had actually planned to put it in the washing machine, but knowing his preference for expensive high-maintenance clothing, there may be some fabrics that couldn't be manhandled by a machine alone. She shuffled uncomfortably.
However, since he removed her help, she didn't insist any further. "Well, I'll go first. Thank you for today."
Staring up at her for a long time, he only nodded when her face had turned completely red. "I'll drive you back."
"Oh, there's really no need. I can go there myself," she tried to stop him, but it was to no avail.
Huo Liancheng had already grabbed his jacket and pulled her right out of the doorstep. "Let's go," he said, allowing no room for refusals.
As she sat in his car, Jian Yun realized why he was so insistent in giving her a ride out of the residential complex. The security around the area was truly top-notch, given the number of important residents behind the gated community. As they left the complex, she noticed that every guard station required face recognition. Those who weren't residents and who couldn't provide their identification cards might be asked to leave the premises or be held for questioning. It was obvious that she wouldn't be able to go in and out of here alone.
"Will you be heading home?" He glanced at her as they finally left the complex.
"No." Hesitating, she gave him Wu Wenjing's address.
"Just put it in the navigation system," Huo Liancheng ordered. Since Jian Yun already had the key to her friend's house, she didn't need to call ahead of time. Instead, she leaned back against her seat and observe the flash of lights that came by every now and then. Unlike the ride going into the villa, this car ride was far more uncomfortable. He didn't say anything else along the way nor did he give any other reaction from what she had said back at the villa. Now, all she could hear was the slow beating of her heart. She shifted uncomfortably, feeling uneasy.
They had finally arrived an hour later. He stopped the car and turned to look at her. His eyes were indifferent, like the very first time they had met at the coffee shop. A shiver shot down her spine.
"Thank you," she whispered, gripping the straps of her bag.
"Hm." He nodded, not saying another word.
Jian Yun had wanted to say more, but after hesitating for a moment, she shook her head and stepped out of the car. Just as she was about to take two steps forward towards the entrance, she suddenly turned around. "About the necklace, you've given me," she said, pausing. "I could bring it back to you tomorrow."
Huo Liancheng was about to start the car and leave, but he suddenly slammed his foot on the brakes. Turning his head, he glared at her. "I've already said it before–if you don't like it, then you can just throw it away." He scowled. "I'm not the type of man who asks for the things I've already given you. You got that?"
He spoke to her as if they were complete strangers, and she couldn't help but tighten her grip on her bag. Was this really all what they were?
Without another word, he stepped on the accelerator, and the black Bentley soon disappeared into the night.
Jian Yun stared blankly at the vehicle, feeling empty. What was wrong with her? Shouldn't she be happy that things had reverted back to normal?
When Wu Wenjing spotted Jian Yun stepping foot into her house, her jaw dropped, but she quickly got over her surprise and jumped at her friend. She showered her with all types of questions, looking like a woman who's out for blood. "What happened? Did you sleep with him? Why are you in his house?" She had pestered her more and more, but Jian Yun still didn't offer any answers. "Wait, is something wrong? Did something happen?"
"Nothing–it's just...I'm so annoyed right now!" Jian Yun shook her head in frustration. Now that she had finally gotten what she wanted, why didn't she feel happy? Why did the feeling suddenly grow even worse than before?
Suddenly, a thought occurred to her. "I want to ask you a question. If you reject a man that had been so kind to you and has always said that he likes you, do you..." She paused, wanting to ask for Wu Wenjing's opinion.
"Who is this about? President Huo or Xu Haiyang?" She raised her eyebrow, nibbling on her apple.