?Zhang Wei shook his head in frustration, his dark eyes filled with disappointnt. "There's a cigarette stuck in the lock and a lighter. Can you please light it for ?" he asked, his voice tinged with irritation.
Chen Yulan's heart sank as guilt gnawed at her conscience.
"Mm.."
Without a word, she reluctantly obeyed his request. As she carefully took the cigarette and placed it between his lips, their faces grew dangerously close.
With trembling fingers, she ignited the lighter, casting a flickering fla that illuminated the intense, electrifying tension between them.
In that fleeting mont, her heart raced, unsure of what was to co.
After finishing the task, she returned to her seat and slumped against it, unable to hide the crimson blush creeping across her cheeks.
Feeling a mix of embarrassnt and curiosity, she whispered, "Do... Do I need to do it all over again?"
Her voice quivered with uncertainty as she avoided his gaze.
Suddenly, Zhang Wei hit the brakes abruptly, causing her to jolt forward. "No way!" he exclaid, his voice filled with both relief and admiration.
Perplexed, Chen Yulan questioned, "Eh, why?"
"Didn't I ss it up—"
Before she could finish her sentence, Zhang Wei glanced at her, grinning broadly as he gave her a thumbs up. "No, it was more than acceptable.... Our agreent is complete! Just don't faint on again."
"Ah... Okay..." Chen Yulan's cheeks burned with embarrassnt as she retreated back, sinking into the plush car seat.
Although she couldn't help but wonder why, amidst the whirlwind of emotions, a sudden, inexplicable emptiness consud her.
_________
The Chen family residence, enveloped in the hues of dusk, brimd with undeniable tension as the clock neared 7:30 pm.
Amidst the shadowy gardens, Chen Dong's figure paced in a restless loop, his movents betraying a deep unease.
He repeatedly tried to call Zhang Wei and Chen Yulan, only to rember with a jolt of frustration that they had left their phones behind in a hasty, unannounced departure.
"Damn! Why haven't they co yet?" Chen Dong muttered, a mix of worry and frustration lacing his voice. The fear of another attack on her gnawed at him, an unspoken terror that seed to grow with each passing minute.
anwhile, Xie irong, who had tried to assure Chen Dong there was nothing to worry about, stood just outside the villa's boundaries. Next to her was Lin Ruoxi, shivering despite the scarf wrapped tightly around her neck. The cold seed to seep into her bones, leaving her trembling.
"Hm? Weren't you supposed to survey this area for the tourism project? Why are you out here with ?" Xie irong finally broke the silence, her words carrying a hint of curiosity as she smiled faintly at Lin Ruoxi.
Rubbing her hands together for warmth, Lin Ruoxi exhaled a misty breath into the chilly air. "I was supposed to... But I can't miss receiving the master again. It wouldn't be right," she admitted, her voice tinged with a mix of duty and fear, her cheeks flushed red from the cold.
"Heh?" Xie irong, taken aback by Lin Ruoxi's words, which contrasted sharply with her shivering form, shook her head in mild disbelief. Lin Ruoxi quickly retorted, "But why are you here? Even if you don't feel cold, it's not like you to waste ti standing outside, is it?"
Xie irong's eyes twinkled with a sly amusent, her voice laced with a playful resignation. "If I miss the reception, my fate would be as good as yours," she remarked with a knowing smile.
There was a mont of silence before Lin Ruoxi burst into a soft chuckle, realizing they were both caught in similarly odd circumstances, each bound by their own reasons.
Whoosh!
The air shivered with a sudden whoosh, slicing through the tense silence. Xie irong and Lin Ruoxi's eyes snapped towards the sound, a synchronized ballet of bewildernt and surprise.
"Why are you two here now?" Xie irong's voice, laced with annoyance, broke the stillness. She stood there, her posture rigid with surprise.
Before them stood Yu Lei, her white padded jacket hugging her figure like a second skin, contrasting starkly against the dull background. Nearby, Feng Xinyue casually sipped juice from a paper can, her nonchalance almost theatrical.
Flicking a stray hair from her face with a practiced air, Yu Lei flourished her phone like a magician revealing a trick. "Husband will be here in exactly one minute," she announced with a warm smile, her tone a blend of mystery and certainty.
Xie irong and Lin Ruoxi exchanged a glance, their confusion unspoken yet palpable. 'What is she talking about?' the thought echoed in their minds. Zhang Wei wasn't known for his punctuality, and he certainly wasn't the type to send advanced notices.
As their confusion swirled, the distant growl of an engine sliced through the air. An SUV was approaching, its presence commanding. Instantly, their heads swiveled towards Yu Lei, eyes wide with curiosity and a hint of suspicion.
"How... Did she?" Lin Ruoxi's voice trailed off into the thick air, a mix of awe and confusion.
Yu Lei t her gaze, her eyes glinting with a secret. "GPS," she revealed, her voice flat, yet loaded with implications. "I placed them in all the cars on my first day here." The casualness of her confession, bordering on criminal act, made Xie irong and Lin Ruoxi's faces twitch in disbelief.
"..."
Simultaneously, they shook their heads, a silent agreent passing between them.
Anticipating Zhang Wei's imminent arrival, they adjusted their deanors, ready to switch roles and put on a warr and kinder appearance to welco him.
______
As the SUV rolled to a halt, a hush fell over the group. Dust swirled in little tornadoes around the tires, settling slowly as the engine cut off with a final purr.
Chen Dong, his movents rushed, rushed out of villa, his eyes scanning the scene with an urgency that belied his usually composed deanor.
But his focus quickly shifted to the SUV's interior. In the co-
pilot seat, Chen Yulan lay, her breathing even and peaceful, a stark contrast to the chaos outside. She was the picture of serenity, lost in slumber, oblivious to the whirlwind of chaos around her.
Behind the wheel, Zhang Wei sat motionless, his hands still resting on the steering wheel.
Chen Dong rushed to the vehicle, his voice a mix of concern and frustration. "What happened? Why is Yulan asleep?"
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