Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Waiting for her?

He had landed in Jinghai an hour ago, and now he was at the bar's entrance... waiting for her?

Wen Yinong's mind went blank for several seconds before she barely managed to find her voice, stuttering with a hint of disbelief: "You're back so late, you should have gone home to rest... Are you waiting for me specifically? Is there something you need to discuss with me?"

On the other end of the line, Mo Shaoshang's voice came through the phone, still devoid of emotion, yet the reason he gave left her speechless: "Didn't you mention before that you wanted to discuss Ari's progress with me?"

Wen Yinong: "..."

She was momentarily at a loss for words.

Alright, she had indeed said that.

As a rehabilitation therapist, timely communication with parents about the child's intervention progress is very important... but there was no need to rush to this extent, was there? The very moment this employer landed in Jinghai, without even going home, he came straight to the bar to corner her. Was he afraid she would slack off in his absence?

This new suspicion felt like a tiny thorn, stirring a sense of grievance in Wen Yinong at being misunderstood.

Her voice unconsciously dropped: "Mr. Mo, during your absence, Ari has been very attentive in class... and I've been very diligent as well."

The tone resembled that of a child trying to prove their innocence after being wrongly accused—serious yet tinged with stubborn indignation. It carried through the receiver, inexplicably endearing.

There was a brief silence on the other end, followed by a soft chuckle. His voice unconsciously softened as well: "I didn't mean to question your work ethic, Teacher Wen."

Mo Shaoshang paused, then added, "It's late now. It's unsafe for a woman to be out alone. Picking you up is my way of ensuring your safety."

Wen Yinong was taken aback. She murmured a reflexive rebuttal: "But the butler arranged a car for me."

With a private chauffeur, what safety concerns could there be?

Mo Shaoshang seemed reluctant to argue with her on this matter and simply repeated his question: "Are you done now?"

Hearing this, Wen Yinong turned her head and glanced at Su Wanxin, Xu Fei, and Jiang Shu.

She thought: Since the employer himself had personally come to the bar entrance to wait, could she really leave him cooling his heels while she continued enjoying the nightlife?

Resigned, Wen Yinong said softly, "Almost." Then, after a brief pause, as if to make up for any suspicion of negligence, she added reassuringly: "I'll just say goodbye to my friends and come out. Please wait a moment."

"Alright."

The call ended.

Inside the bar, the lights were dim and the atmosphere was lively.

Su Wanxin was playing drinking games with her boyfriend Xu Fei, laughing and joking noisily. Wen Yinong leaned in and gently squeezed her friend's arm.

Su Wanxin turned around, a trace of tipsy redness on her face, puzzled: "What's wrong?"

Wen Yinong gave an apologetic smile and said softly, "It's getting late. I think I'll head out first."

"Huh?" Su Wanxin immediately frowned, a disappointed pout forming on her face. "It's only just past eleven! The nightlife is just beginning, isn't it? Stay a little longer!"

"No," Wen Yinong smiled. "You all enjoy yourselves."

Su Wanxin leaned in, lowering her voice: "Why are you in such a rush to go home? Isn't the wine good enough, or the handsome guys not attractive enough to keep you here?"

Seeing that her friend was determined to get to the bottom of it, Wen Yinong had no choice but to tell the truth: "I recently took on a job in the southern suburbs, helping a child with rehabilitation training. I'm staying at their home as a live-in teacher. It wouldn't be appropriate to come back too late. Understand?"

"I see." Su Wanxin nodded, though still a bit regretful. She didn't insist further. "Alright then. You go ahead. Be careful on your way."

"Mm, got it."

After saying goodbye, Wen Yinong picked up her bag and prepared to leave.

Su Wanxin's eyes flickered; she was about to hint for Jiang Shu to step up, but he had already stood up, speaking gently: "I'll see you out."

Wen Yinong waved her hand: "No need. There's a car waiting for me at the entrance."

Jiang Shu: "Then I'll walk you out."

"Really, you don't have to..."

Jiang Shu smiled and added, "I've been inside for a while and I'm feeling a bit stuffy. I wanted to get some fresh air anyway. Let's go, Teacher Wen."

Since he put it that way, Wen Yinong couldn't refuse any further. She nodded and let Jiang Shu accompany her as they walked toward the bar's entrance.

*

The city center was still bustling at this hour, neon lights flickering, crowds flowing.

As they stepped out of the Queen Bee Bar, the night wind carried the chill of autumn, hitting them head-on. Wen Yinong was only wearing a thin knit sweater, and she instinctively rubbed her arms to ward off the cold.

Seeing this, Jiang Shu immediately moved to take off his jacket: "It's a bit cold tonight. Would you like to borrow this?"

"Thank you for your kindness," Wen Yinong declined. "I'll be getting into the car soon."

Jiang Shu's lips parted as if to say something more, but then his peripheral vision caught sight of a black Aston Martin slowly pulling up, stopping right in front of him and Wen Yinong.

He instinctively looked at the car.

Sleek lines, understated yet aggressive in design. The windows were heavily tinted, making it impossible to see inside, adding an air of mystery.

Just as confusion began to set in, the rear window rolled down slightly.

A cold, sharply defined side profile came into view.

The man had a high nose bridge and a chiseled jawline. The thin chain of his gold-rimmed glasses caught the dim light, reflecting a cold gleam. His gaze bypassed Jiang Shu and fixed directly on the young woman beside him.

"Teacher Wen."

Just those two words, and the young woman responded like a student called on by a teacher, obediently murmuring an acknowledgment before hurriedly saying goodbye to him with a "See you," then pulling open the black car door and slipping into the back seat.

The next second, the window rolled up, sealing perfectly, shutting off all external prying eyes.

The Aston Martin sped away, disappearing into the traffic within the blink of an eye.

Jiang Shu stood alone, staring at the direction where the black car had vanished, his brow unconsciously furrowed.

The night breeze brushed through his thin clothes, bringing a sting of cold.

The man in the car exuded an overwhelming, sharp aura—extraordinary in presence. He hadn't spared even a glance in Jiang Shu's direction from start to finish. Yet that air of arrogance seemed so innate, so natural, that even feeling angry about it felt like a futile luxury.

Who was this man?

And what was his relationship with Wen Yinong?

Jiang Shu's frown deepened.

*

The night was dense as ink. The car that had taken Wen Yinong away had long since disappeared into the darkness.

The Aston Martin glided silently through the city's bustling main roads, the neon lights on both sides thinning as the car turned toward the southern outskirts, eventually merging into the tranquility of the winding mountain road and the dense shadows of trees.

Inside the car, the air felt frozen.

Wen Yinong and Mo Shaoshang sat side by side in the back seat, keeping a moderate distance between them.

The car's interior lights were off, leaving only the faint blue glow from the dashboard and center console to dimly light their faces.

Mo Shaoshang remained silent, his expression calm as he stared straight ahead, his expression unreadable.

In this tense atmosphere, Wen Yinong felt restless and uneasy.

After a long moment, she finally cleared her throat cautiously, trying to break the stifling silence, and said apologetically, "Mr. Mo, I'm really sorry for making you wait for me..."

"It's no trouble at all," Mo Shaoshang replied.

Wen Yinong: "...I still want to thank you."

"You're welcome."

A few exchanges ended, leaving another brief silence.

Wen Yinong searched for topics, her gaze catching a row of trees whizzing past the window, which suddenly reminded her of the main matter. She ventured, "Um... regarding Ari's recovery over the past few days, do you want to talk now, or wait until it's convenient for you tomorrow?"

"It's too late today," Mo Shaoshang said in a detached tone. "I'll come find you tomorrow morning."

She nodded. "Okay."

After that, the rest of the journey passed in silence.

The car pulled smoothly into the estate and stopped in front of the main house.

Wen Yinong could barely wait to open the door and step out, quickly walking up the steps. Mo Shaoshang followed unhurriedly behind her.

Thank God she finally made it to the third floor.

She stopped in front of her bedroom door, her nerves relaxing slightly. Turning her head, she forced a smile. "Mr. Mo, thank you again for picking me up. I'm sorry for the trouble."

Having said that, she was about to go back to her room to rest.

But just as her hand grasped the doorknob, the man's cool, crisp voice sounded again, this time in the form of a question. "Was that guy your friend?"

The sudden question caught Wen Yinong off guard.

She thought for a moment, and only after a few seconds did she realize who he was referring to.

Wen Yinong: "Are you talking about the guy who walked me out of the bar?"

Mo Shaoshang didn't speak, just looked at her calmly.

Wen Yinong understood and answered honestly, "He's a friend of my best friend's boyfriend. Tonight was our first meeting. I guess... you could barely call him a new acquaintance." She paused there, as if feeling the definition wasn't quite accurate, and added, "Not very familiar."

Hearing this, Mo Shaoshang raised an eyebrow slightly but didn't press further.

He said, "Good night. Get some rest early."

"You too, good night," Wen Yinong replied with a smile, feeling relieved inside. She quickly twisted the doorknob and slipped into the room.

Click.

The door closed softly, and her light-colored figure disappeared.

The corridor light was dim. Mo Shaoshang stood still for a moment, then returned to his own bedroom. Once inside, he casually tossed his suit jacket aside, yanked off his tie, and walked straight to the small bar, fixing himself a glass of ice water.

He tilted his head back and downed most of it.

The cold liquid slid down his throat.

But the inexplicable restlessness inside him didn't subside; instead, it burned even more intensely.

His deep blue-black eyes were unreadable.

He recalled the scene he'd witnessed outside Queen Bee Bar: the girl walking side by side with the stranger, the man seemingly saying something, and she tilting her head slightly to listen, her expression focused. Caught by something he said, she looked up at him, her eyes curving and her lips lifting into a clear, radiant smile.

That smile, in Mo Shaoshang's eyes, was indescribably jarring.

Lin Ke had originally scheduled him for a full six-day itinerary in Hong Kong.

But ever since receiving that text from the young rehab therapist, he had started intentionally compressing his schedule and speeding up his handling of affairs.

In the evening, the business jet landed at Jinghai Airport. Uncle Heng, as usual, reported to him on Ari's daily activities. The conversation was brief, until at the very end, Uncle Heng casually mentioned, "Teacher Wen went out with friends tonight, at Queen Bee Bar in the city center. We've already arranged a car to pick her up."

And so, on a whim, he directed the driver to change course.

Mo Shaoshang had always prided himself on being extremely calm and rational, with all his actions following logic and the principle of maximizing benefits.

Yet tonight's actions were completely irrational, even incomprehensible.

His head was starting to ache.

Mo Shaoshang closed his eyes, raised his hand, and pinched the bridge of his nose hard.

He couldn't quite articulate the reason, but he hated seeing her standing with other men.

He couldn't quite articulate the reason, but he hated seeing her smile at other men.

He couldn't quite articulate the reason, but he wanted to see her more often.

He had even pushed the so-called "discussion" to tomorrow just to have one more legitimate excuse to be alone with her.

Outside the large window, the night wind suddenly turned fierce, howling as it swept past, rattling the tall trees in the estate, leaves wildly swaying, almost bending the branches.

Mo Shaoshang suddenly opened his eyes.

His blue-black eyes, in the darkness, seemed like turbulent undercurrents, a deep sea on the verge of a storm.

In the dream, amidst the withered flower field, the girl's skirt fluttered as she smiled and asked him what he wanted.

What did he want?

The answer seemed almost ready to surface.