Chapter 154: Volume 1 Chapter 154 The Movie Emperor Who Turned Into a Cat (21)

After Pan Jing's older sister and the assistants left, Jiang Zhi sat alone on the sofa, head bowed, motionless, like an empty shell that had lost its spirit, listless and devoid of energy.

Using her consciousness to talk with 777: "Is he watching?"

777 replied: "Yes, Host."

Since moving here, Jiang Zhi knew cameras were installed everywhere in the house; not only that, listening devices were also installed, directly connected to Xie Xingyuan's computer main screen.

Jiang Zhi was very clear about Xie Xingyuan's character; his scheming was extremely deep, and his thoughts were hidden even deeper.

Even if the Love Points reached 100, he would not easily say he liked her; with his closed-off, solitary nature, he would only proceed step by step, letting the prey fall into the trap he wove.

So, she used this point of his, making it easy to rack up Hatred Value.

The phone chimed, and Jiang Zhi then moved, opening the phone screen to see a text message from Chen Shuo.

(Are you free? I have something to tell you.)

Jiang Zhi thought for a moment, replied "okay," and got up to leave.

As soon as she opened the door, several assistants standing nearby saw her come out and stepped forward to block her.

"Miss Jiang, there's still work this afternoon; you can't leave."

Jiang Zhi frowned and questioned: "Are you trying to restrict my freedom?"

The assistants looked at each other, embarrassed, and replied: "Really sorry, Miss Jiang, Pan Jing's older sister said you absolutely cannot leave today."

Jiang Zhi took out her phone and dialed Pan Jing's number, but no one ever answered.

She smoothed her bangs, then immediately tied them up with a hair elastic and pulled them back.

"Then let's see if you can stop me."

These few assistants were no match for her; Jiang Zhi easily broke free, glanced at the bodyguards guarding the elevator, gritted her teeth, and headed for the stairs.

She put on a mask, lowered the brim of her hat, hailed a taxi, and rushed to the agreed meeting place with Chen Shuo.

Still the Central Drama Academy, but this time she didn't enter through the main gate; she climbed over the wall.

"Today is a holiday, the main gate is locked, so we can only climb over the wall." Chen Shuo apologized sheepishly.

Jiang Zhi shook her head to indicate it was fine, then went all the way to the old spot, the wetlands park, and upon entering asked: "What do you want to tell me?"

Chen Shuo took a stack of documents from his bag and handed them to her: "Last time you asked me to look into something, I found it—take a look."

After receiving the file folder, Jiang Zhi thanked him and pulled out the papers inside.

"How did you know Xie Xingyuan is the CEO of Jingxing Company?" Chen Shuo exclaimed in surprise upon seeing these documents.

If he hadn't used his connections from the Chen Clan Group, he might not have been able to uncover this level.

A faint smile curled the corner of Jiang Zhi's mouth beneath her mask as she gripped the papers tightly, her fingertips trembling slightly.

"Xiao Zhi, are you alright?" Chen Shuo saw her silence and assumed she was afraid.

Jiang Zhi lifted her gaze, her expression slightly angry: "I need to go back for a while. Thank you, senior."

Chen Shuo knew what she intended to do, plucked a snow plum blossom and placed it in her palm, then whispered: "Everything will get better; you don't need to be afraid, I'll help you."

Jiang Zhi inhaled the fresh scent of the snow plum, hummed in acknowledgment, and left.

After climbing over the academy's wall, she saw Pan Jing standing by the roadside.

"Get in the car, Miss Jiang." She seemed to have been waiting here for a while.

Jiang Zhi gripped her phone tightly and asked: "Are you following me?"

Pan Jing gave a faint smile and said nothing.

Jiang Zhi stopped asking further questions, got into the car beside her, and closed her eyes to rest.

Until the car stopped in front of the residence, she asked: "Where is Xie Xingyuan?"

Pan Jing didn't say another word; after dropping her off, she left directly.

Jiang Zhi strode into the elevator, waited until she exited, then stopped in front of the neighboring door.

The door was half-closed just like last New Year's Eve; she pushed it open, the interior light was dim, the temperature lower than outside, exuding a faint chill.

The balcony was wide open; the cold night wind blew the heavy curtains, and before the floor-to-ceiling window, the outside night scene's neon lights were reflected.

"Tap."

The main light switched on, bright illumination dispelling all darkness in the room.

The man wore a black round-neck sweater that covered his thin, pale neck; black hair, black eyes, thin lips devoid of color, looking like a midnight vampire—sexy and inscrutable.

Jiang Zhi clenched the documents in her hand, lips pressed tight, and asked calmly: "What exactly do you want to do?"

Xie Xingyuan lowered his gaze, swirling the red wine cup in his hand, the wine color deep as fresh blood.

"Drink this glass of wine, and I'll tell you."

Jiang Zhi strode forward, quickly took the wine glass from his hand, drained it in one gulp; the red wine that barely spilled stained her lips a vivid, lush red.

The two were close; Xie Xingyuan caught a faint hint of the fresh red plum scent on her body, which evoked a memory.

That day when she returned holding that cat, she carried the same scent, even stronger.

"Speak, why?" she said, unable to withstand the alcohol; her cheeks quickly flushed with a red glow from the drink, her clear black-and-white eyes shining bright like torches.

Xie Xingyuan's tall frame leaned slightly forward, his mouth near her ear, his voice low and hoarse.

"Because I love you."

Jiang Zhi's pupils contracted, she stared ahead in disbelief, her clenched fingers unconsciously loosening, and the documents scattered with a "shla" sound onto the floor.

After a moment, once she reacted, she stepped back, increasing the distance between them.

"So you made me sign a contract with your company, move next door, and even manipulate me into becoming your puppet?"

Xie Xingyuan half‑knelt, picked up the scattered documents from the floor, stacked them sheet by sheet, his gaze sweeping over the information; his eyes, dark as an abyss, were filled with menace.

His voice devoid of emotion: "Who gave you these? Chen Shuo?"

Jiang Zhi looked at him with unfamiliar eyes and whispered: "Why have you become like this?"

Xie Xingyuan hearing these words, took two steps to stand before her, gripping her chin tightly, forcing her to lift her eyes to meet his, the corner of his mouth icy, "I became like this, isn't it because of you?"

Jiang Zhi's eyes were blurred with drunkenness as she gazed at the handsome face before her, within arm's reach; deep in those pupils lurked a sickly love that made one's flesh creep.

"I don't love you." She spoke as if stating something she didn't care much about.

【Villain Xie Xingyuan Hatred Value 68 points】

Jiang Zhi tilted her head to dodge his fingers, eased her short breath, and said seriously, "Senior Xie, I want to terminate my contract with your company; I hope you let me go."

Xie Xingyuan's pallid fingertips hovered in midair, he lowered his brow, a faint shadow lay beneath his eyes, concealing all emotion.

"Heh."

He let out a low snort.

The girl leaning against the sofa swayed, on the verge of falling, and slowly slumped onto the wooden floor.

The odd feeling in her body made Jiang Zhi frown; it was hardly a reaction to drunkenness, more like she'd been drugged.

She leaned against the sofa's leg, her fingers limp and hanging on her thigh, a faint light spreading across the bottom of her slightly lifted eyes, the man's silhouette blurred.

"What... did you... do?"

Xie Xingyuan slowly undid his collar button, the lines of his clavicle sharp with a faint sheen; the flawless mask of his pretense cracked like a madman's neurosis, he leisurely bent down, his fingers lightly brushing her cheek, speaking in an unhurried tone:

"From the moment you signed with Jinghang, this has been a trap; soon the outside world will announce the news of your retirement from the industry and marriage to me."

"Zhizhi, I've schemed for so long; you should understand, you can't escape."

Like a demon's whisper, the voice fell upon her ears—those were the last words she heard before losing consciousness.

【Villain Xie Xingyuan Hatred Value 78】