C33 She Accompany Him to the Party
C33 She Accompany Him to the Party
However, she also thought that when he'd see her swollen face, he would change his mind. A small smile crawled into her lips as she clasped her hands together. Maybe there was still hope after all.
Not wanting to delay any longer, she entered her mother's room first. There, she saw Auntie Qin tending to her mother's temper as she talked about all the gossip she had picked up around the town. Mrs. Jian, on the other hand, was propped onto the bed. Her legs were covered under the duvet covers, and her hands were still clenched. She stared right ahead, pretending not to have seen her arrival.
"Mom, the company has an emergency," Jian Yun said, inching towards the edge of the bed. "I have to head back first."
"So fast! Didn't you just come back?" Auntie Qin was the first one to intercept, shaking her head disapprovingly. "I swear, those corporations these days find newer ways to overwork their employees! Couldn't they allow their people to rest on the weekends?"
"It's urgent." Even then, the corners of her mouth twitched. In reality, she couldn't help but feel a little resentful towards Huo Liancheng. It wasn't easy for her to come back to Boshan given her hectic schedule, and now that she was finally able to spend more time with her mother, he came looking for her assistance once again?
Was he really paying her back for calling him an asshole? Was there a need to stare at her every time they met?
"Mom, I won't mention any of those things again. Just–please take good care of your body. You shouldn't worry about the expenses, I can find another way." Seeing that her mother was still ignoring her, Jian Yun couldn't help but feel upset. Her heart stirred at the sight, and the pain in her cheek had only grown sharper. When she saw Auntie Qin motioning for her to stop, she conceded, "Mom, you should go to sleep first, okay? I'll go pack my stuff."
Without another word, she walked out of the room with her aunt following right behind her.
"Yun, please don't keep your mother's words to heart. Your father hurt her so much, that when she heard you a few minutes ago, she thought you were speaking up to defend him." Auntie Qin sighed, running a hand down her graying hair. Every time the past came back to haunt her, Mrs. Jian would always lash out, but it seemed that this time around, she had also affected her daughter. With an aching heart, she brought her hand up to stroke the swollen side of Jian Yun's face. "She told me that this was the first time she had ever laid a hand on you, and she regrets it so much. She's hurting right now, just like you."
"I know, Auntie. It's been hard on you as well." Jian Yun sighed, blinking back the tears. "I'm sorry you had to witness that."
"Be careful on the road, okay, and you should take good care of yourself! Don't exhaust yourself too much. I don't care what that company says!" Auntie Qin instructed a few more times before leaving her alone to pack things up.
Not having anything to pack, she decided to take this time to place a cold towel over her face to reduce the swelling. She sat for a while, basking in the silence. It had been a long time since she had actually rested like this, where there wasn't much going on in her life, yet as she sat there, she still couldn't help but feel the exhaustion clutching over her shoulders. With a sigh, Jian Yun shook her head and glanced back at the mirror. Although the marks were still there, the redness had been reduced. She took her bag and was about to say her final goodbyes, but Auntie Qin made a silent gesture that her mother had fallen asleep. Glancing at the two women one last time, she turned around and left.
What Jian Yun told Huo Liancheng wasn't exactly their exact address, so she still had to walk a few blocks ahead. Given the state of their home, she didn't want others to know the actual situation she was in, disliking the piteous looks they'd throw at her if they knew.
She used this time to call her grandfather to tell him that she still had other matters to attend to for the night. Just as she was about to send a text message to Zhou Shaolong, she heard someone honking in front of her.
Jian Yun looked up to see the familiar Bentley parked in front of her. Huo Liancheng was sitting in the driver's seat, gazing at her with narrowed eyes.
Pressing the send button, she hurried into the passenger seat.
Huo Liancheng started the car before glancing at her face. "What happened?"
"I fell," she lied.
"I didn't know that the floor has hands," he commented casually.
"I'm sorry?" Jian Yun blinked, furrowing her eyebrows.
"Otherwise, why would there be a handprint on your face?" Although Liancheng wasn't looking at her, she could hear the sardonic tone behind his words. She suppressed the urge to wince and brought a hand up to her cheek.
Speechless, Jian Yun didn't say another word, pursing her lips in silence. After all, this wasn't any of his business.
Huo Liancheng must have read her thoughts because he didn't pursue this matter any longer. Despite the calming silence, Jian Yun's mind was still in total chaos as she wondered how to bring up the banquet they were heading to.
Just then, her phone rang. Peering at the screen, she saw that it was Zhou Shaolong. She stole a glance at Huo Liancheng, who seemed to be far too focused on driving. She hesitated as her thumb hovered over the answer button as she wondered whether she should pick it up or leave it alone.
"Why aren't you answering your phone?" The rings echoed across the car. Seeing as she was still holding her phone to her chest in a complete daze, he turned towards her.
"Ah." Jian Yun snapped out of her thoughts, shaking her head. She was obviously overthinking things again. Besides, the phone call had nothing to do with Liancheng. They were only acquaintances, and he probably wouldn't mind if she answered it here. Even if he did mind, why would she care? He was just her boss, nothing more.
"Mr. Zhou," she greeted, answering the call.
"You don't have to be so formal." He laughed from the other end of the line. "I'm already calling you Jian Yun, so you might as well call me Shao Long, or Zhou Shaolong."
"All right then." Jian Yun allowed herself to smile. "Mr. Zhou Shaolong, do you mind if I ask why you called?"
"No reason. I was just wondering if you have time tomorrow."
He didn't even ask her why she backed out from her promise. The small disregard heightened her impression of him even more, and the smile on her face brightened. Somehow, the pain in her cheek had vanished for a while as she thought about his question.
"I have time during the day, but I might have other plans at night." Jian Yun was about to say that she was free, but then remembered that tomorrow was Sunday. Although she didn't have any work-related projects going on, she still had to give piano lessons to her student.
"Then I'll call you back tomorrow?" He offered.
"All right!" Jian Yun wanted to make her mother happy, so she didn't reject Zhou Shaolong's offer. Besides, he seemed to be a good man.
After hanging up the phone, Jian Yun felt the atmosphere between them tense up. The once comforting silence became overwhelming, and when she finally found the courage to glance at the driver's seat, she saw that Liancheng had already worn sunglasses, hiding his sharp gaze. She could only make out the thin line of his lips right under his high nose. Despite this, she still felt uneasy.
"President Huo," she uttered, mustering up the courage to ask. "My face is swollen. I think it would be inconvenient for me to accompany you to the banquet–"
"It's fine!" Huo Liancheng snapped.
She wanted to persuade him otherwise, but upon seeing his face darken at her words, she decided to swallow her words and turn away. Forget it. Besides, she was already in his car anyway. Backing out from the party was already far too late.
The car sped across the highway as the afternoon sunlight shone through the windowpane. Its warm light highlighted her dark hair and added more color to her pale face. With a sigh, she peered out of the window, noticing the lack of other cars on the road.
Huo Liancheng didn't say anything else after that. Not knowing how to talk to him, Jian Yun could only prop up her chin near the door and stare blankly at the bright sceneries ahead of them. The high mountain tops and bright blue skies greeted her sights, and her eyes glimmered. However, the sense of peace lasted for only a short time before a sense of skepticism rushed through her.
Now, Jian Yun was even more confused as to what Huo Liancheng was thinking. She didn't think he liked her. Except for the kiss back in the elevator, he still treated her with the same usual indifference and made no other moves to pursue her. Yet, it seemed that they keep running into each other every now and then. Right now, she still didn't know if his appearance in Boshan was coincidental or deliberate on his part. She licked her lips apprehensively, feeling her hairs stand at the back of her neck.
Furthermore, she couldn't help but remember Xia Bingbing and her unborn child. At the thought, her blood boiled. He may be rich and handsome, but he was still a jerk for not wanting to be responsible for her pregnancy. Even if he was interested in her, she wouldn't be moved by him.
The two-hour ride passed by very quickly. Along the way, Jian Yun had already dozed off. She could vaguely hear Liancheng speaking on the phone before a buzz of silence shadowed over her. When the car had finally stopped, she glanced at her watch to see that it was already three-thirty.
She turned around and found that the car was parked by the side of an unknown road. In a few seconds, they were met with a suited man, holding a small item in his hand. Before Jian Yun could ask where they were, Liancheng got off the car and chatted with the man walking towards them. The man seemed to have passed him the vial and was about to walk towards the car as if to get a better look at the passenger.
However, he didn't get the chance. Huo Liancheng quickly blocked his direction and stepped back into the car. Not bothering to say his farewells, he slammed onto the gas and sped away. Jian Yun could hear the man cursing from afar. "After everything I've done for you, Huo Liancheng! You're so mean!"
"Here." He handed her a small porcelain bottle as if nothing had happened.
"What's this?" She pulled the cork from the bottle, and a refresh fragrance entered her nostrils. "is it food?"
Huo Liancheng looked at her with a deadpanned expression, as if trying to suppress his annoyance. "It's for your face."
Her face flushed dark red in embarrassment, and she turned away. Taking the makeup kit from her bag, she picked up the light green ointment and applied it to her cheek. Although the redness had been reduced because of the cold towel, it was still a bit swollen. As the ointment grazed her skin, a cool and comfortable feeling slid down her face.