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Ming Zhao was enthusiastically discussing with Zhou Qian, their conversation ranging from culinary tutorials to the philosophy of life, when she suddenly felt a gaze fixed upon her.
It was like a sharp, cold wind blowing unexpectedly. Even though she was bathed in the warm sunlight, a layer of goosebumps instantly formed on the back of her neck.
She felt a moment of unease and turned her head with a hint of confusion. She saw the man with deep-set eyes standing under the eaves not far away. His gaze was light, his face as cold as jade, revealing no emotion.
Grandpa Zhou had already left. Ming Zhao noticed the cigarette in his hand, and her thoughts scattered, the confusion vanishing without a trace.
She stood up angrily.
“Zhou Tingyun!”
Ming Zhao’s voice was clear and resonant. Like a balloon suddenly deflating, she ‘whooshed’ to Zhou Tingyun’s side, snatching the cigarette from his hand.
“You broke your promise again!”
“Again?” A faint smile flickered in the man’s eyes. “I didn’t light it.”
Ming Zhao ignored him, lunging at him to rummage through his suit pocket, trying to find the cigarette pack.
Zhou Tingyun was forced to take a few steps back, but his hand remained protectively on Ming Zhao’s back.
“There isn’t any left. That was the last one,” his voice was steady and calm, yet with an almost imperceptible gentleness.
Ming Zhao frowned, her anger building in her chest, unwilling to speak.
After a while, she coldly said, “Smoke then. Just smoke until you die. I can just find a new brother… Ugh—!”
Before she could finish, Zhou Tingyun pinched her cheek.
“Are you cursing me?”
“Who’s cursing you? That’s the truth!”
“Is that so? Who would you replace me with?”
“Whoever lives longer,” Ming Zhao retorted defiantly.
Hearing the underlying concern in her prickly words, Zhou Tingyun chuckled. “I really didn’t smoke. When have I ever lied to you?”
“You better not have.”
Ming Zhao, still sulking, grabbed his hand and forcefully pulled it away.
As they walked side-by-side, a sudden thought flashed through her mind.
A mischievous glint appeared in her eyes, and her lips involuntarily curved upwards.
“Oh, right,” Ming Zhao said slowly.
“I heard… that kissing can effectively alleviate nicotine cravings and achieve perfect smoking cessation.”
She spoke with a serious expression.
Hearing ths, Zhou Tingyun glanced at her. “Stop reading nonsense.”
Nonsense?
If he knew she also watched movies, he would probably be furious.
“This is scientifically supported, okay?” Ming Zhao said seriously, launching into an explanation. “From a psychological perspective, smoking is mostly to relieve stress, possibly related to an unsatisfied sucking motive from the oral stage.”
“Kissing can, to a certain extent, make up for the shortcomings of the oral stage.”
Zhou Tingyun: “So?”
Ming Zhao cleared her throat. “So, you can try this method to quit smoking.”
Zhou Tingyun didn’t know what was going on in her head. “Do you think this is an appropriate topic for us to discuss?”
“Why not? I’m only doing this for your own good,” Ming Zhao skillfully employed the ‘it’s for your own good’ moral high ground.
Then, she suddenly leaned closer, seemingly curious.
“Brother, have you ever kissed anyone else?”
“…”
Sucking, kissing, kissing.
These words were spoken to him without any hesitation.
The girl’s lower lip was a plump pomegranate seed, vibrant and delicate, trembling slightly as she spoke—tempting one to bite into it and hold it between their lips.
He saw it.
“Ming Zhao, this is also not a question you should be asking a grown man.”
A dimple appeared on her cheek. “But I’m not asking anyone else.”
Zhou Tingyun said flatly, “Me neither.”
“Why?” She pursued an answer, determined not to give up until she got it. “Who did you kiss? Wow, Zhou Tingyun, you’re going too far, sneaking around behind my back—”
A sharp pain on her forehead silenced her.
Annoying!
Ming Zhao returned to the living room with a frown and found Zhou Siyu, who had been procrastinating for days, had finally shown up.
Her fingers were twisted together, and she stammered.
Ming Zhao looked at her, waiting quietly.
Finally, she took a deep breath and spoke haltingly.
“Ming… tomorrow, when I ask if you can accompany me to the banquet, can you… refuse me?”
…
The next day, Ming Zhao readily agreed in front of Zhou Yiyuan. She couldn’t avoid it forever; she had disliked Xiao Shaoxun for a long time, and with her current bad mood, she decided to teach him a lesson.
The Bugatti Chiron Noire stopped at the entrance of the club. She was flamboyant and stunning, elegantly pulling Zhou Siyu out of the car.
“Whoa? Isn’t that Miss Ming? Why is she here?”
“Xiao is amazing! How did he manage to invite her? He must have really worked hard, right?” someone quipped.
“Wait, could it be that Miss Ming has secretly admired our Xiao for years…”
At this point, laughter and teasing filled the room.
Time truly is a great healer. Just four short years were enough for these young masters to forget Ming Zhao’s former domineering and arrogant nature.
A lavish pool party, champagne spraying, a bacchanalian scene of decadent indulgence.
Ming Zhao coldly watched as a flamboyant young man approached her.
Xiao Shaoxun did indeed possess handsome features, with charming eyes, but the dark circles under his pale skin from excessive indulgence made him resemble a decaying rafflesia, exuding a foul stench of decadence.
“Miss Ming,” he smirked, his hand just releasing the waist of a bikini-clad woman. “What brings you here today?”
Ming Zhao didn’t have the patience for his games. What new tricks could this kind of person have? Nothing but getting people drunk or drugging them.
Filthy and disgusting. He dared to play such games with her?
*Slap! A crisp, clear sound suddenly rang out.
Ming Zhao slapped him directly across the face.
“…”
In that instant, Zhou Siyu felt her mind go blank.
Her eyes widened in shock. This… was what a real woman’s direct confrontation looked like?
The bikini-clad women by the pool were also stunned. Where did this little cannonball come from?
His friends were even more shocked, their jaws dropping.
“I… what the…”
“What… what just happened?”
Some of the lesser-known celebrities didn’t recognize Ming Zhao, assuming she was just one of Xiao Shaoxun’s romantic entanglements, and watched the drama with schadenfreude.
Xiao Shaoxun, the second young master, was known for his womanizing without any consequences.
This woman was indeed beautiful, but daring to interfere with Young Master Xiao like this… she was clearly spoiled rotten and didn’t know her place.
Xiao Shaoxun pressed his hands to his face, unable to believe it.
“You—” Before he could finish—
*Slap!
Another crisp and decisive slap.
A wave of gasps rippled through the crowd.
Xiao Shaoxun was furious, his face flushed red, but he dared not do anything to Ming Zhao!
Initially, he thought that Zhou Yiyuan dared to use Ming Zhao as a bargaining chip because Zhou Tingyun no longer cared about this ‘fake.’
He actually wanted to pursue Zhou Siyu now, but the image of Ming Zhao’s beautiful face flashed through his mind, making his teeth itch. He thought it would be fun to toy with her.
He never expected her to still be so arrogant!
Xiao Shaoxun was a master at judging the situation and adapting his approach. Ming Zhao’s fearless attitude clearly indicated that she had something up her sleeve.
He swallowed his anger, his eyes flashing with malice.
He forced a smile, humbly apologizing and offering her a glass of wine.
“Miss Ming, what have I done to offend you? Please calm down. Does your hand hurt?”
He was adept at appeasing women. “Let me offer you a toast?”
—