Free Web NovelChapter 268: Chapter 268: Never Forget
As soon as he spoke, all the males present fell silent.
Are you kidding? Who in the Upper City District didn’t know Jiang Youchen?
That introduction, combined with the young man’s cold and imposing gaze, was a clear warning.
The male who had been the most aggressive in trying to get her to drink immediately shut up, forcing a laugh. "Who here doesn’t know you? Marshal, please don’t be angry. We were just congratulating Qingli—"
"Qingli?" Jiang Youchen repeated the intimate form of address, then looked at the girl by his side. "Are you two close?"
Jiang Qingli deliberately didn’t answer. She looked at the man who had been pushing drinks on her and tilted her head in confusion. "Are we close?"
None of them dared to make a sound.
Zheng Meng had never met Jiang Youchen, so he didn’t understand what everyone else was so scared of. He flashed a smile at Jiang Qingli. "We may not be close now, but if we see each other more often, we will be soon!"
Only after he finished speaking did he realize that the others had all turned to stare at him, their eyes wide with shock.
Before he could realize what he’d said, the leader of the group yanked on his arm and cautiously glanced at Jiang Youchen’s expression.
The Marshal raised an eyebrow. "Is that so? Mr. Zheng certainly is confident in himself."
His calm tone betrayed no hint of pleasure or anger, yet it sent a chill down one’s spine.
"No, no, no! The kid’s just joking!" Zheng Meng’s cousin was terrified. He smacked Zheng Meng on the back of the head and scolded him, "Show some respect! Who do you think you are, trying to get friendly with Miss Jiang? Are you even worthy?"
Just then, a server from the bar came over and quietly reminded them it was almost time for the performance. The group quickly and meekly excused themselves, dragging Zheng Meng away.
Zheng Meng was a little sullen that he hadn’t succeeded in hitting on Jiang Qingli.
He’d finally gotten a chance to talk to such a High-Level female, only to have it ruined. Who wouldn’t be pissed off?
Recalling the young man’s mother-hen-protecting-her-chick routine, Zheng Meng couldn’t help but complain, "What’s with the attitude he gave me? So what if he’s arrogant? In a little while, he’ll be kicked down to the Lower District anyway!"
Before he could finish, his cousin clamped a hand over his mouth. "If you don’t want scandals about you flying everywhere by tomorrow, then shut your mouth!"
Someone next to them said, "You just got to the First District, so you don’t know. That guy is fiercely protective. A few years ago, someone tried to hit on Jiang Qingli and he kicked the guy so hard he crippled him..."
Zheng Meng asked resentfully, "So do I still have a chance?"
"You have a chance, of course you have a chance!" a male patted his chest reassuringly. "He’s not her Beast Husband! What do you have to worry about?"
His cousin had been planning to use Zheng Meng to curry favor with Jiang Qingli in the first place. Now, he grew bold again and continued with his grand vision. "Look at you—that face, that body! And you just had a hit show. Winning over a pretty little lady should be a piece of cake for you!"
"Females these days only care about looks. In our old Zheng family, you’re the most handsome one. What female wouldn’t be smitten? Besides, you’ve got all of us building bridges for you. At the very least, you’ve made yourself known to her! You just need to put on a good show later..."
Zheng Meng walked to the first floor and glanced back at the second-floor booth.
Through the glass railing, the girl seemed to glance in his direction.
He immediately broke into a smile and headed backstage, feeling delighted with himself.
-
"What a sycophantic smile."
Back in the second-floor booth, Lin Xiyue retracted her gaze and commented.
She looked at Ai Li beside her. "You still like this piece of trash?"
Jiang Qingli picked up her drink and took a sip, but she looked at Ai Li with a somewhat nervous expression.
She knew Ai Li had been obsessed with the character he played recently. Who would have thought the actor himself would come after her?
Although Jiang Qingli was the passive and unknowing target of Zheng Meng’s advances, she was still afraid of having a conflict with her friend over a male.
Sitting across from Jiang Qingli, Ai Li took in the nervousness in her friend’s eyes.
Ai Li leaned back on the sofa speechlessly and gave a helpless laugh. "I was wondering why I couldn’t get ahold of him to ask him out. Turns out he was afraid of his real personality getting exposed!"
"I can’t believe it. A mere male dares to ignore me... Don’t you guys tell anyone I ever thought about going after him. I can’t afford the embarrassment."
As Ai Li spoke, she put her palms together and bowed to them in a pleading gesture.
"Sure," Lin Xiyue said. "But the hush money should at least be a meal, right?"
"I want hot pot," Jiang Qingli added her own demand.
"Wow, I’m already this miserable and you guys are still kicking me while I’m down!"
Ai Li cried out dramatically, flailing her arms in the air like a salted fish left out to dry. The move successfully made the others laugh.
Jiang Qingli was halfway through her laugh when she noticed a very obvious gaze fixed on her from the side.
After realizing this, her hearing went blank for a few seconds, but the blood started pumping faster through her veins.
Her fingers tightened around the glass. She held her breath, then turned to the young man, jutting her chin at him with a tense voice. "What are you looking at?"
"It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you laugh so happily, Miss," Jiang Youchen suddenly said.
Jiang Qingli, who had been ready for a confrontation, was stunned. ’Huh?’
Since she hadn’t processed it, the girl’s eyes widened slightly, her eyelashes fluttering. It made one want to reach out and stroke her hair and cheeks.
Jiang Youchen casually picked up a glass of wine, took a sip, and lifted his eyes to look at her. His deep, magnetic voice held a hint of a smile. "Didn’t you used to love saying that to me?"
Reminded by him, Jiang Qingli recalled that this was indeed true.
There was a period of time when she loved watching exaggerated idol dramas with Old Qin, with titles like The Domineering CEO and the Female Lead Who Fell For Me, a Humble and Innocent Girl. Every butler in those shows loved to say that exact line.
Among everyone Jiang Qingli knew, a certain someone gave off the strongest "domineering CEO" vibes.
He had a handsome face that was perpetually cold. Even wearing the same uniform as everyone else, he gave off the impression that he was making millions a minute. When he was displeased, a slight furrow of his brow was enough to make people worry that some corporation was about to go bankrupt.
He was always so serious, so whenever she saw him smile, Jiang Qingli would say that line, and then laugh until her stomach hurt at his slightly exasperated expression.
Recalling the past, much of Jiang Qingli’s nervousness dissipated.
Her eyes curved into crescents. "You still remember."
He paused for a few seconds, then leaned in slightly, closing the distance. "I won’t forget."
A psychedelic blue light fell across the young man’s eyes. His long arm rested on the back of the sofa behind her, as if encircling her entirely within his territory.
With him there, the other males who had been itching to make a move no longer dared to approach.
Jiang Qingli remembered he had been just like this the first time she went to a bar with them.
Back then, she didn’t think much of it, but now she felt as if someone were prodding her with an iron rod. She was completely on edge.
The tip of her ear, where his breath had passed over it, seemed to itch a little. Jiang Qingli rubbed her ear and changed the subject. "Right, I haven’t asked why you’re here."
He had always hated noisy places.
Jiang Youchen paused. "To meet someone."
His direct gaze made the tips of Jiang Qingli’s ears burn. She asked dryly, "Brother Zhizhou?"
"...No."
"Then who?"
Just as Jiang Qingli asked the question, the surrounding music suddenly stopped.
Ai Li said, "Hey, look at the stage..."
Jiang Qingli followed her finger and looked toward the first floor.
She saw Zheng Meng sitting in the middle of the stage with a guitar he must have found somewhere, adjusting the microphone.
The music started. Zheng Meng stared straight in their direction and said with deep affection, "This song is dedicated to a beautiful young lady."
