Chapter 113: The Human Heart is the Most Difficult to Fathom
At the guest house, Su Zhaozhao’s gaze was ice-cold as she looked at Xu Jiaming. "I don’t care how you found out my information, but I trust Xie Huaizheng."
"Zhaozhao, the human heart is the most unpredictable thing, and love is even more fleeting. How long have you two known each other? Do you really think your feelings can withstand the truth?"
Xu Jiaming probably knew Su Zhaozhao was wary of him, so he simply leaned against the railing, staring at her with a smile.
On his cheek, the red handprint from her slap was exceptionally clear against his pale face.
But he seemed to feel nothing at all, not even bothering to cover it with his hand.
Su Zhaozhao bit her lip and looked at him. "What truth?"
’Is this Xu Jiaming trying to bluff me? What truth could he possibly know?’
Su Zhaozhao wracked her brain, but she came up with nothing!
’It can’t be that the original owner of this body did something bad during that memory gap, can it?’
’That shouldn’t be necessary. An NPC in a novel only shows up when the main character needs her.’
’The rest of the time, when her actions aren’t being described, she couldn’t have just gained consciousness and started doing bad things on her own, right?’
’If that had really happened, my mind wouldn’t be a complete blank.’
"Zhaozhao, why don’t we make a bet? Let’s bet on whether your fiancé’s feelings for you will change after he finds out everything," Xu Jiaming said, suddenly straightening up and walking toward Su Zhaozhao.
Before Su Zhaozhao could react, he reached out and stroked her hair.
It felt just as good as he had imagined.
"I imagine your fiancé will be here looking for you soon. When he decides he doesn’t want you, don’t be too sad. I’ll be waiting."
Su Zhaozhao rolled her eyes at him. "Then you’re probably getting your hopes up for nothing. Xu Jiaming, you should go see a therapist."
She knew his type: a combination of attachment disorder and controlling personality traits, accompanied by emotional manipulation and a tendency to violate boundaries.
’Someone like him should be institutionalized, to keep him from harming other people.’
But the next moment, Xu Jiaming leaned in again, grabbing Su Zhaozhao’s hand and placing it on the cheek she had slapped.
He was much taller than her, and to close the distance, he bent down, bringing his face right in front of hers.
They were so close now, it seemed they were only an inch from kissing.
Su Zhaozhao struggled with all her might, but to her surprise, Xu Jiaming was incredibly strong. He gripped her hand in a vice, making it impossible for her to move.
’So when I managed to push him away earlier, it wasn’t because he was weak, but because he was letting me?’
This realization made Su Zhaozhao’s blood run cold.
Xu Jiaming watched Su Zhaozhao struggle and smiled.
’He might not be able to hold his own against someone like Xie Huaizheng, but Su Zhaozhao was just a girl.’
’How much strength could she possibly have?’
’He had just been humoring her earlier.’
At this moment, he was almost pressed against Su Zhaozhao’s face.
From such a close distance, he could see his own reflection in her pupils.
’So beautiful.’
Every one of her features was exquisite, a beauty so stunning it took his breath away.
And she smelled wonderful, too. The scent of jasmine wafted around his nose, making him want to bury his face in the crook of her neck and inhale deeply.
He had traveled to many places and seen all kinds of beautiful women, but he had never seen anyone like Su Zhaozhao.
That day at the school gate, one glance was all it took; it was as if his very soul had been frozen solid.
Her clothes were so plain back then, yet she herself seemed to glow.
With the two of them so close, Xu Jiaming felt his blood begin to race, an insistent thought urging him on.
’Capture her, lock her away, and she would be his forever.’
Xu Jiaming’s cloying, snake-like gaze made Su Zhaozhao’s skin crawl.
"Let go of me!" Su Zhaozhao shouted. Her hand went to her bracelet as she thought about pulling something from her dimensional space to kill this damn psycho.
Xu Jiaming watched her struggle, amused.
’Like a cute little kitten struggling.’
However, when his peripheral vision caught sight of her wrist, red from the struggle, his gaze darkened and he felt a pang of pain.
’He was a perfectionist, and he didn’t want Su Zhaozhao to be hurt in the slightest.’
So he let her go.
Su Zhaozhao immediately stumbled back two steps, hiding the scissors she’d just pulled from her dimensional space behind her back.
’If he takes one more step, I’ll stab him to death.’
But to her surprise, Xu Jiaming spoke. "See a therapist? Can I see you, then? Doctor Su, I hear you’re quite well-versed in psychology."
He even knew about that!
Su Zhaozhao was stunned. ’Just how much does he know?’
"How much would you charge to treat me? Ten a session? Fifty? Or a hundred? Name your price," Xu Jiaming continued.
Su Zhaozhao’s eyes widened. ’He figured out I want to make money, and now he’s using it to tempt me!’
’This man is terrifying.’
’I might be a little short on cash, but I’m not so desperate that I’d take just any dirty money!’
"I don’t need it. Are you leaving or not? Do I need to report you to the police?"
"I’m not leaving. I’ll wait for you to break up with that fiancé of yours. You know how it is—men can’t stand a woman with a questionable reputation. Especially with his... particular line of work. Zhaozhao, you’ll come to accept your fate."
’Psycho.’
Su Zhaozhao turned and walked downstairs.
She didn’t know where Xu Jiaming had dug up so much information, but he knew about her past in Jiang City and her present situation here. It meant he hadn’t just been bluffing.
’Xie Huaizheng is going to come look for me.’
’I can’t let him see me with Xu Jiaming. It’ll be impossible to explain.’
Xu Jiaming watched her back as she left. Today, she was wearing a lavender knit top with black, wide-leg pants.
It was a simple outfit, but on her, it looked incredibly youthful and lovely.
Her waist was so slim, her legs so long.
’So beautiful.’
’A true, natural beauty, untouched by artifice.’
Xu Jiaming’s gaze burned as he stared after her, not looking away until she had completely disappeared.
Then, he reached up and caressed his own cheek.
’Su Zhaozhao hadn’t used much force. It didn’t hurt anymore.’
But the thought of her anger just now—her eyes wide, her mouth slightly agape—made her seem so much more vivid than before.
He couldn’t help but smile.
’Su Zhaozhao is still just a girl. She hasn’t experienced anything. Believing in a man’s love?’
’It’s the most worthless thing in the world.’
’She refuses to believe it now, but she’ll be utterly dejected when she comes back.’
He would stay here and wait for her to come back, lost and heartbroken, so he could comfort her properly.
Su Zhaozhao had just walked out of the guest house when she saw Xie Huaizheng not far away.
He stood in the shade of a tree, his expression frighteningly grim. There was no telling what he was thinking.
The sight filled her with a sense of dread, as if watching dark clouds gather to crush a city.
Su Zhaozhao recalled what Xu Jiaming had just said, and for some reason, she suddenly felt a pang of insecurity.
’If the original owner of this body really did something that made everything unsalvageable, what was she supposed to do?’