Chapter 103: Jiang Lai is bidding a thorough farewell to the past

The driver placed Jiang Lai's two bags of clothes and shoes in the trunk, got into the driver's seat, and asked: "President Ke, shall we depart?"

Ke Zhongyu's face was cold: "Drive."

Jiang Lai politely said: "Please wait."

The two almost spoke at the same time.

The driver silently glanced at President Ke through the rearview mirror.

Whom should he listen to?

President Ke treats Miss Jiang Lai specially; if he doesn't listen to Miss Jiang Lai, President Ke will likely scold him afterward.

If he doesn't listen to President Ke, President Ke will also scold him.

Either way he'll be scolded, but listening to Miss Jiang Lai at least offers a chance to please President Ke.

Ke Zhongyu gave the driver a cold stare: "Still not leaving?"

The driver looked at Jiang Lai.

Jiang Lai nodded and thanked him, then patiently explained to Ke Zhongyu: "President Ke, I lived in that house for four years; perhaps you don't understand what a home means to an orphan, so you don't see why I need to clean it thoroughly before leaving."

The two words 'orphan' made Ke Zhongyu's pupils contract slightly, and his stern expression gradually softened.

"'Most children raised in the orphanage long for a home of their own, even if it's brief and accompanied by painful memories; but at least during that time, it sheltered my body and soothed my soul, so I should clean it thoroughly before leaving.' Jiang Lai's eyes were forever clear as a spring."

Ke Zhongyu was drawn into it.

But he still didn't relent.

He looked at the driver, signaling him to go up and clean.

The driver got out of the car again.

Jiang Lai: "You don't know the password."

The driver silently looked at President Ke, thinking: "President Ke, you'd better not argue with Miss Jiang Lai!"

"'Miss Jiang Lai wants to bid a complete farewell to the past,' the driver said calmly."

Jiang Lai nodded.

Ke Zhongyu remained silent for a moment, opened the car door, and got out first.

He stood by the car door, urging Jiang Lai: "Come down already."

Jiang Lai's eyes flickered, she immediately got out of the car, and Ke Zhongyu walked ahead of her.

She quickly caught up.

Jiang Lai, as she wished, wiped clean the sofa and shoe cabinet, swept all the trash on the floor clean, threw it into the trash can, tied the trash bag, and picked it up.

"President Ke, I'm done; let's go."

Ke Zhongyu gave a cold chuckle: "Not going to take one more look?"

Jiang Lai didn't detect the mockery in his words, shook her head and said: "Just cleaning is enough; there's nothing to see."

"'Hmm.' Ke Zhongyu looked at the trash bag in her hand, reached out to help, but Jiang Lai quickened her steps, walked ahead, and pressed the elevator button."

The elevator doors opened with a ding.

"'Almost had to wait for the next one,' Jiang Lai said softly."

Ke Zhongyu gazed at her speechlessly, deciding not to think about helping her carry the trash.

Jiang Lai also had no intention of letting him help carry the trash—having the renowned president of Ke Group carry her trash?

Just thinking about it feels disjointed.

Jiang Lai stared at the elevator floor numbers as they descended one by one, also signifying that she was growing ever farther from her former home.

The numbers became '1'.

Her eyes reddened slightly, yet the corner of her mouth bore a faint smile.

Ke Zhongyu's gaze had been on her from start to finish, catching her reddened eye corners and also glimpsing her faint smile.

He remained silent.

He did not disturb her.

Jiang Lai stood before the green trash can, throwing the black trash bags in one by one.

She took off the PVC gloves on her hands and tossed them in as well.

Her palms turned red, covered with a thin layer of sweat.

A handkerchief was extended toward her.

Jiang Lai turned her head to look.

It was the pocket square from Ke Zhongyu's suit.

"'A pocket square isn't for wiping sweat; it's a decoration.'"

"'You know quite a lot.' After saying that, Ke Zhongyu felt a bit regretful; without guessing, one knows Jiang Lai gained that experience from caring for Shen Xun."

Mentioning Shen Xun made him feel a surge of anger inside.

"'Hurry up and go.'"

Ke Zhongyu looked at her with a composed gaze.

Jiang Lai immediately stepped forward, sat back in the car, and Ke Zhongyu followed.

The car had just started.

Ke Zhongyu then fixed his gaze on her face and said: "You're this dirty."

The driver immediately handed back a wet wipe.

Ke Zhongyu expressionlessly pulled out a wet wipe, gripped Jiang Lai's chin with one hand to keep her head still, and gave her a vigorous wipe.

The man's strength is considerable.

Jiang Lai's small face furrowed as she tried to break free.

"Don't move." The man warned her with his eyes, continuing to wipe with a wet tissue, wiping until her face turned red.

Ke Zhongyu said, "Remember well, don't just take on any work."

He loosened his grip.

Jiang Lai's chin was a bit sore, but her face was fine, and she hadn't rubbed the skin raw.

She stared at him for a while with her eyes open, and Ke Zhongyu let her size him up.

After just a few seconds, Jiang Lai withdrew her gaze and started fiddling with her phone.

【Chongying, let's make a deal: from now on, don't call General Manager Ke for such trivial matters.】

From the moment General Manager Ke saw her, his brow had never relaxed.

Ke Zhongying was busy and had no time to reply to her message.

Cleaning up was a bit tiring; Jiang Lai felt drowsy in the car, her eyelids drooping slightly, then opening again the next second.

After a moment, her eyelids wanted to close again, but opened the next second.

Each time, her head would give a tiny nod along with it.

Ke Zhongyu raised his left hand, which was lightly clenched, to his lips, suppressing the faint smile at the corner of his mouth.

He turned his head sideways.

His peripheral vision still rested on Jiang Lai's face.

This time, Jiang Lai fell asleep.

Ke Zhongyu softly reminded the driver: "Drive slower, and turn the air conditioning up a bit."

The driver eased the speed and set the air conditioner to twenty-eight degrees.

As the car went over a speed bump, although it only jiggled slightly, Ke Zhongyu's sharp gaze immediately swept toward the driver.

The driver pretended not to notice.

Both of them instinctively looked at the sleeping person.

Jiang Lai was sleeping deeply.

She seemed utterly exhausted.

After a while, Ke Zhongyu suddenly felt his shoulder sink as a fluffy head leaned against him, soft hair falling over his body, the tips just touching his palm.

Ke Zhongyu's body tensed slightly.

He dared only to glance at Jiang Lai with his peripheral vision; on the other side, her hair covered half of her small face, and through the thin strands one could faintly see her straight nose bridge and lightly red lips.

Ke Zhongyu's fingers twitched, lightly touching the strands of her hair that had fallen into his palm, and his gaze suddenly grew deep.

The car stopped at the entrance of Nanshan Villa No. 9.

The driver, sensing the situation, got out, opened and closed the door gently, and left.

Only the two of them remained in the car.

Ke Zhongyu maintained the same posture the whole time.

The sun sank behind the western hills.

Jiang Lai slowly woke up, opened her eyes, and saw that the driver in front was gone.

She rolled her eyes, then realized her current posture and jerked her head up.

Bang.

Her forehead struck Ke Zhongyu's nose.

Jiang Lai: "!"

Ke Zhongyu pressed his lips, raised his hand to cover his nose, and gave Jiang Lai a faint look.

Jiang Lai said embarrassedly, "Sorry, General Manager Ke."

As soon as she finished speaking,

She saw blood seeping from between Ke Zhongyu's fingers, and her eyes widened instantly.

Ke Zhongyu also felt that he was having a nosebleed.

Jiang Lai immediately reached out to lift his chin, calmly instructing: "Tilt your head up, lift it, I'll call Doctor Chi."

While Ke Zhongyu wondered why she had Chi Ce's contact information, Jiang Lai had already finished speaking.

"Doctor Chi, General Manager Ke has a nosebleed, Nanshan Villa No. 9."

Holding his head back like that wasn't a solution; Jiang Lai was about to tear a tissue to plug his nose when she suddenly spotted a clump of small mugwort in the overgrown yard.

She recalled a folk remedy.

She walked over, plucked the mugwort leaves, placed them on a stone, chopped them up, pinched them into two small strips, and handed them to Ke Zhongyu.

Ke Zhongyu looked at the two worm-like things, his whole body written with rejection.

His hands were already covered in blood.

Jiang Lai didn't care about all that; she bent over, leaned close to him, and pulled down his hand.

The first attempt didn't succeed.

She pulled a second time, seeing the nosebleed still flowing out, and in her anxiety shouted his full name.

"Ke Zhongyu."

Her tone was slightly heavier.

But Ke Zhongyu's heart suddenly skipped a beat.