Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
The man was on the phone.
The air conditioner in the car was turned on. Other than the sound of cold air being blown out, there was only the occasional deep male voice.
Song Qingcheng sat on the right side of the backseat and could roughly see the driver’s seat. Her gaze swept past the Bluetooth earpiece positioned beside the man’s ear, and it wandered to the collar of his shirt. From the side, she could vaguely see the man’s sexy Adam’s apple moving up and down as he spoke.
“…it’s best if these two funds are transferred out before work ends today. One will be handled by James, the return copies will be given to Xu Dong, and the other will be handled by Su Ying. It’s raining outside so tell them to be careful on the way.”
Even though she did not understand what he was talking about, the boldness he displayed was unique to those who were used to holding high positions.
He sounded harsh… but not unreasonable.
Song Qingcheng looked at his back view, and her mind automatically recalled the information she had gathered about this man—Yu Tingchuan, thirty-four years old, male, divorced, the current boss of Hengyuan Group. According to the irresponsible and gossipy accounts on Weibo, he might have a son who had not been subject to exposure.
Yu Jing explained in a quiet voice, “My grandfather went out to see an old friend and took the car. My second uncle happened to be at home so he’s sending me to school instead.”
The seventeen-year-old Yu Jing had a lively personality and was pretty. She was no different from other rich kids. Her wealthy family allowed her to live a carefree life.
“Hey, your hair is a little wet.” Seeing that her uncle had finished his call, Yu Jing immediately leaned over and said, “Second Uncle, please pass me the tissue box.”
The man opened the storage compartment and threw the Bluetooth earphones in. Then, he picked up the tissue box on the dashboard and handed it to her.
“Thank you, Second Uncle,” Yu Jing said sweetly.
As Yu Tingchuan turned to pass the box over, perhaps he had sensed the pair of eyes on him. He looked up casually and silently swept his gaze over his niece.
The man in his thirties had a deep gaze that seemed to be able to see through all worldly matters.
When their gazes met—even though they were prepared, they were unable to react in time.
The twenty-two-year-old Song Qingcheng, whether in terms of thinking or experience, was still too immature to a thirty-four-year-old man who had much experience in life.
“Hello, Mr. Yu.” Even though she was feeling uneasy, she managed a faint smile.
Yu Tingchuan did not say anything but nodded as a greeting.
After that, the sedan’s engine revved.
Yu Jing took out two pieces of tissue paper and stuffed them into Song Qingcheng’s hands. “Wipe yourself down. Don’t forget your clothes. If you get a cold, you’ll suffer.”
Song Qingcheng smiled gratefully at her.
As Song Qingcheng wiped the wet hair plastered to the side of her face with a tissue, she couldn’t help but look towards the front again. The rain was brushing against the windshield. Yu Tingchuan’s left wrist, bearing a watch, turned the steering wheel half a circle. The black Jaguar drove away from its original position. He drove very steadily. Even when he stepped on the brakes, he didn’t make anyone feel dizzy.
“When we pass by Xinhua Bookstore later, I plan to go in and buy a few reference books.” Yu Jing suddenly held Qingcheng’s arm and put her head on her friend’s shoulder again. She said ingratiatingly, “Help me choose; otherwise, I’m sure to be misspending.”
“Are you buying mathematics or geography reference books?” Song Qingcheng asked.
Yu Jing was in a dilemma. She leaned on the driver’s seat again. “Second Uncle, which subject do you think I should buy reference books for?”
Yu Tingchuan did not answer. He only asked, “Don’t you know what to buy when you’re the one studying?”
“…” Yu Jing was a little nervous after hearing this. She was afraid that Second Uncle would follow on with questions about her studies so she quickly changed the topic with a laugh. She hugged Song Qingcheng beside her again, but her gaze was fixed on the girl’s left hand. She asked belatedly, “Why is your hand wrapped in gauze? Are you injured? Is it serious?”
“Don’t worry, I’ll be fine in a few days,” Song Qingcheng said dismissively.
She did not mention Imperial Court; neither did she mention the Border Collie.
…
Ten minutes later, the Jaguar parked in front of the bookstore.
The rain had begun to lighten.
Once they got out of the car, Yu Jing pulled Song Qingcheng into the bookstore and went straight to the second floor, to the reference books section for high school students.
While Song Qingcheng was looking for reference books for Yu Jing, the latter was stuck in the novels section. By the time Qingcheng was done picking out three reference books, Yu Jing was still in the novels section, unable to extricate herself.
“Give me five more minutes,” Yu Jing said with a pitiful expression.
If the driver of the Yu family had been the one sending her to school today or if she had not left her schoolbag in the car, she would definitely have bought a few novels.
Song Qingcheng felt a tad exasperated but couldn’t say anything. “I’ll wait for you downstairs then.”
Yu Jing nodded repeatedly.
Downstairs, Song Qingcheng looked at the hefty books in her hand and was about to find a place to sit when she was attracted by the scene outside the French window.
Under the eaves of the bookstore, Yu Tingchuan stood with his back facing her. He wore black trousers and a white shirt with sleeves rolled up casually. He was about 183 centimeters tall and had long legs. He didn’t look weak at all. His shoulders were broad and straight, and he was probably what others would call a clothes rack. Between his two fingers, he held a half-lit cigarette. The raindrops fell by his leather shoes, conjuring an aura of leisureliness and coziness about him.
A figure suddenly flashed in front of her—
Song Qingcheng felt a numbing pain in her shoulder as the books in her hand were knocked to the ground.
The quiet atmosphere in the bookstore was instantly broken.
The person who collided with Song Qingcheng was a middle-aged man. He shot her a look and said, “Why are you standing in the middle of the path? Don’t you have eyes?” He spoke quickly, but when he noticed the bandage on Qingcheng’s hand, he quickly walked away as though afraid of getting into trouble.
Song Qingcheng did not stop him. She bent down to pick up the two books by her feet and was reaching out for the geography reference book when a pair of men’s leather shoes and straight trouser legs appeared in her field of vision. She looked up and saw that he had also knelt down on one knee to pick up the book for her.