Chapter 17

Jiang Jie had never shared a bed with a woman without anything happening, without anything occurring—this...

He looked down at Bai Bai Ziling's face, still bearing traces of tears; she appeared pure and fresh, utterly like an angel. No wonder his cousin had "fallen." If this continued, he feared he too would lose his guard. Bai Bai Ziling, oh Bai Bai Ziling, could it be he couldn't let her go?

After some effort, Bai Bai Ziling finally obtained Di Di Zhiwei's phone number. When she contacted him, he was overjoyed. Before she could state her purpose, he invited her out for a meal. Since she had something to say, Bai Bai Ziling readily agreed.

"Bai Bai Ziling, you absolutely cannot guess how surprised and happy I was when I received your call!" Di Di Zhiwei winked at her.

"Di Di Zhiwei, why did you harm me?" Bai Bai Ziling accused him.

"Harm you?" He was utterly baffled.

"Why did you tell Jiang Jie you wanted to pursue me?"

"I do want to pursue you!" Di Di Zhiwei denied nothing.

"This is incest; I am your 'cousin-in-law'."

"Come off it." He laughed loudly. "In another forty-odd days, you won't be. Moreover, I dare bet you one hundred million... you have not slept with my cousin; your relationship is very simple."

"So what?"

"Then why can't I pursue you?" Di Di Zhiwei declared with righteous indignation.

"Di Di Zhiwei, actually you are joking; you just want to anger your cousin, right? You're just saying it for fun?" Bai Bai Ziling asked cautiously.

"Previously, that was indeed my mindset, but I didn't know he would care about you, nor did I know that once spoken, these words seemed to truly become fact. I like you very much; this is beyond doubt." Di Di Zhiwei was rarely this sincere toward a woman.

"Please!" She wore an expression of pain.

"Bai Bai Ziling, am I that bad?"

"Di Di Zhiwei, you are not bad, but you are very boring." Bai Bai Ziling lectured him. "Do you know Jiang Jie now sees the two of us as 'adulterous lovers'? Please, stop adding trouble for me; let me smoothly obtain the remaining balance, okay?"

"Bai Bai Ziling, although I am not as wealthy as my cousin, my family background is not poor either. If you were with me..."

"With?!" Bai Bai Ziling caught his slip of the tongue. "I am not that kind of girl who sells herself just because a man has money. Jiang Jie's three million—since I only need to spend three months and do not have to give myself to him—is why I agreed. Di Di Zhiwei, do not treat me as a money-grubbing or gold-digging girl; I am not!"

"I didn't mean that; I am sincere." Di Di Zhiwei immediately emphasized. "If you are talking about marriage..."

"Do not mention the word 'marriage' again."

"I mean that once you regain your freedom, I can launch my offensive against you." Di Di Zhiwei did not sound as if he were teasing her.

"You will have no hope!" she stated frankly.

"Don't be so absolute."

"You are interesting, but..."

"Have you fallen in love with my cousin?"

"I have not!" she denied loudly. "What nonsense are you talking?"

"Then why not give me a chance?"

"Impossible!"

"Nothing is impossible in this world." Di Di Zhiwei smiled arrogantly.

Bai Bai Ziling knew it was impossible; in her entire life, there was no way she would have any entanglement with Jiang Jie's cousin. She... she would never forget the sense of safety and fulfillment she felt sleeping in Jiang Jie's arms that night, even though when she woke the next morning, she was alone in her bed and Jiang Jie had already gone to work.

"Di Di Zhiwei, I beg you, do not interfere. We can be good friends, even good buddies, that's fine, but lovers or husband and wife..." Bai Bai Ziling shook her head resolutely. "In the next life!"

"I am a person who does not believe in curses."

"Stop harming me," she muttered.

"You have said such words twice already, Bai Bai Ziling. I do not want to harm you at all; I want to give you..."

Bai Bai Ziling would not let him finish. "If you intend to make it so we cannot even be friends, then today is our last meeting."

"You cannot do this!" he was somewhat angry.

"I can."

"You must respect my rights; I have the right to pursue you."

"I am your 'cousin-in-law'!" she brought out this big title. "Do you want to make all your relatives and friends laugh their heads off? Yes! You can pursue me; as long as I nod and agree to marry you, will you then be able to get your grandfather's five hundred million, and then we divorce?"

"Bai Bai Ziling, I am not my cousin; I do not lack a bid deposit, nor do I care about my grandfather's money." Di Di Zhiwei said coldly: "I am not trying to use you; understand that clearly."

Bai Bai Ziling sighed, unable to reply.

"Fine! I will wait. I promise I will pursue you only after you divorce my cousin." He readily made this promise to her.

"Di Di Zhiwei..."

"My cousin cannot give you happiness, but I can."

At this moment, Bai Bai Ziling felt somewhat bewildered; she truly had no idea what to think.

Jiang Jie thought his warning should have some effect, yet he saw the scene of Di Di Zhiwei and Bai Bai Ziling walking out of the restaurant together. Originally intending to go to the World Trade Center to preside over a meeting, he decided to follow them to see what further actions they would take.

It turned out Di Di Zhiwei simply drove Bai Bai Ziling back to her residence; he did not even get out of the car to open the door for her. Perhaps she opposed it; one must always keep up appearances.

After parking the car in the garage, knowing full well he was not catching anyone in the act of adultery, Jiang Jie was furious. Although this anger had no real basis, he did not want to control himself; he just wanted to vent it properly.

After entering the door, Bai Bai Ziling first changed into a set of light, comfortable clothes, then turned on the air conditioning and took out a fashion magazine she had bought earlier to flip through.

Upon hearing the sound of a key entering the lock, Bai Bai Ziling immediately jumped up. Today was not the cleaning lady's day; in broad daylight, who would have a key? Just as Bai Bai Ziling picked up a strange stone collected by Jiang Jie to defend herself, she saw Jiang Jie.

"It's you?!" She blamed herself for overreacting and put down the stone.

"Who did you think it was?" Jiang Jie's tone was so calm it was frightening. As soon as he entered, he began ripping off his tie, taking off his suit jacket, and rolling up his shirt sleeves.

"You have never come back during the day!" she voiced her thoughts.

"So I cannot come back during the day?"

"Of course you can; it is your freedom." Bai Bai Ziling sensed something ominous, so she wanted to retreat to her room; as long as she locked the door, she feared nothing.

But Jiang Jie certainly would not let her slip back into her room; he stood at her bedroom door, looking at her with an expression as if judging a vicious, extreme criminal.

"Were you just with Di Zhiwei?" Their gazes met; he spoke coldly.

"How did you know?!" she was greatly surprised.

"Having a meal?" he asked with a smile that didn't reach his eyes.

"We... just need to clear up a few things," she said with a dry throat. "It's not a date, and there's nothing improper going on."

"Bai Bai Ziling, did I say you were on a date or doing something improper?" Jiang Jie's voice wasn't harsh, yet it made one's skin crawl.

"You didn't say it, but..."

"He even walked you back. Why not invite him up for a seat?"

"You... saw everything!" Bai Bai Ziling felt a sensation she couldn't quite name.

"Precisely because I saw everything, I know you didn't cross any lines..." He looked at her, suddenly reaching out to twirl a strand of hair falling by her ear, his gaze carrying an unpredictable danger.

"Isn't that good?" She exhaled the breath she'd been holding in her chest.

"You think that's good?" Releasing her hair, his fingers moved to her cheek. "Bai Bai Ziling, I want you to 'hold back' and endure until after our divorce."

"We didn't do anything!" She brushed his hand away.

"I don't like it." His fingers returned to her face.

"You're so strange!" she chided. "You hate me anyway, so why do you care if I'm having dinner with your cousin or anyone else?"