He's turning dark again

Zhou Chijun said, "Who cares who took it? As long as you have this photo, that woman won't have the nerve to keep clinging to you."

He had been Lu Heng's college roommate and close friend. Over the years, he had watched helplessly as Lu Heng suffered one grievance after another and was forced to marry a woman he didn't love at all. Now, an opportunity had finally come.

Zhou Chijun was genuinely happy for Lu Heng.

The fury in Lu Heng's eyes could almost have burned the phone to ashes.

Xia Zhi.

You really have outdone yourself.

"Jiang Cheng, has the Fu family been busy with that plot of land in Heyuan Village lately?"

The Fu family?

Jiang Cheng quickly searched his mind for everything related to the Fu family. "Yes."

Lu Heng sat in the back seat, his expression unusually cold. "When's the bidding?"

"In a few days."

Lu Heng gave a cold order. "The Lu Group will enter the bidding."

Jiang Cheng was startled. "President Lu, I'm afraid we won't have enough time to prepare if we enter now."

Lu Heng's voice was icy. "I don't want to hear anything about not having enough time."

Jiang Cheng was frightened by the icy aura radiating from Lu Heng.

"Yes, President Lu. I'll arrange it right away."

Strange. The Lu Group has always been on good terms with the Fu Group. Why are we suddenly competing for their business?

The next day, Lu Heng was taking a nighttime flight home.

Before boarding, he told Jiang Cheng to call Xia Zhi and have her pick him up.

Xia Zhi was actually rather surprised to receive Jiang Cheng's call. She hadn't expected the villain to ask her to pick him up. It seemed her slow-and-steady approach over the past few days had worked.

Cruel words chilled even the warmth of spring; a kind word warmed even the depths of winter.

It seemed her sweet talk had found its way into the villain's heart. If she just kept at it a little longer, she would eventually melt that ice.

"No problem. What time do you arrive?"

Jiang Cheng hesitated, seemingly finding it difficult to say.

Xia Zhi said, "It's fine. Go ahead. I'm free anytime."

Jiang Cheng said, "Around one in the morning."

Xia Zhi didn't hesitate. "It really would be hard to get a taxi at that hour. I'll pick you up."

It was noon back home. After lunch, Xia Zhi went to the supermarket and bought a pile of meat, vegetables, and fruit. She also told Aunt Liu that Lu Heng would be home late that night and asked her to prepare an extra meal.

That evening, Xia Zhi went to bed especially early and set an alarm for eleven.

But as it turned out, someone accustomed to staying up late couldn't force herself to fall asleep early. Xia Zhi tossed and turned until after nine without falling asleep, so she had no choice but to find an English book to read.

That trick still worked. She fell asleep after just ten minutes of reading.

After only a little over an hour of sleep, Xia Zhi was terribly groggy, but she had to drag herself out of bed. She quickly washed up and headed out.

Only after driving some distance did Xia Zhi realize she was still driving Lu Kuo's car.

She had driven it every day for the past couple of days and had already gotten used to it.

Xia Zhi couldn't be bothered to go home and switch cars. It was the middle of the night, anyway. Surely the male lead wouldn't need his car right now.

It took an hour to reach the airport. Seeing that it was still early, Xia Zhi set an alarm and went back to sleep.

Until her phone rang.

It wasn't the alarm, but a call.

She yawned, glanced at the caller ID on the screen, and listlessly answered. "Hello, honey."

Her voice was soft and drowsy.

Lu Heng could almost picture her lounging in bed.

"Are you at the airport?"

Xia Zhi quickly roused herself. "Yes. Have you landed? I parked outside entrance XX. Can you find it? I'll come get you."

Lu Heng's tone was cold. "Don't wander off. We'll come to you."

About five minutes later, Xia Zhi spotted two tall men approaching from a distance. Wasn't the one in front the villain himself?

Xia Zhi quickly got out and ran happily toward him. "Aheng, let me help with your luggage."

Lu Heng raised a hand to stop Xia Zhi from approaching, his gaze colder than she had ever seen it.

"No need."

He turned to Jiang Cheng. "You drive."

Jiang Cheng said, "Yes, President Lu."

He helped Lu Heng put the suitcases in the trunk, then opened the rear door for him.

The chill radiating from the villain made Xia Zhi's heart tremble. Why did she feel that Lu Heng's attitude toward her had gotten even worse?

What was going on?

Xia Zhi tried to recall their interactions over the past few days. Of course, most of those interactions had been one-sided, but he hadn't blocked her the way he used to block the body's original owner.

That meant he wasn't particularly angry about her "pestering."

So what was with that poker face?

Xia Zhi guessed that the overseas project negotiations must have gone badly, and he was taking it out on her.

Sigh.

Looks like I'll just have to put up with more.

What choice do I have when this jerk is my mission?

Hearing Xia Zhi call him a "jerk" in her mind, Lu Heng's expression darkened further.

The villain was in a temper, and Xia Zhi certainly didn't want to walk into the line of fire. She hurriedly took the front passenger seat.

How could Jiang Cheng not understand his boss's mindset? "I need to put some things in the front seat. Please sit in the back, Mrs. Lu."

Xia Zhi never liked causing trouble for others. Hearing this, she obediently scurried into the back seat. "Aheng, Assistant Jiang, you haven't had dinner yet, have you? I asked Aunt Liu to have some food ready."

Jiang Cheng replied politely, "Thank you for your thoughtfulness, Mrs. Lu. I ate on the plane."

"But President Lu barely ate anything. He should be hungry."

Xia Zhi quickly smiled and asked Lu Heng, "Aheng, what would you like to eat? I'll call Aunt Liu right now."

Lu Heng's voice was icy. "You'd really trouble someone at this hour?"

Xia Zhi said, "..."

Then how could he have the nerve to trouble me?

In terms of closeness, Aunt Liu is clearly closer to him. That can only mean he's deliberately treating me like a slave...

Outrageous.

"One more thing."

The man's voice struck Xia Zhi's face like beads of ice.

"Why do you have Lu Kuo's car?"

Xia Zhi hurriedly explained what had happened, saying that Lu Kuo was leaving it with her temporarily and would come back for it.

"I was away on business for just a week, and you've already started using someone else's car. If I were gone for a month, would you start using someone else's man, too?"

*??*

What did the villain mean by that?

Did he mean what I think he meant?

That's his older brother!

A pervert's way of thinking really is different from a normal person's.

The icy aura around Lu Heng suddenly grew colder. She was calling him a pervert again. It seemed this woman needed to be punished.

[Ding! Target's darkening value +10. Current darkening value: 90.]

*!!*

Why had the villain turned darker again?

And it was already at 90!!

If it went up again, would that mean I'm done for?

Little Sponge was frightened too. [Host, what did you d-d-do this time?]

Xia Zhi replied innocently, [I didn't do anything.]

All I did was borrow the male lead's car, wasn't it?

Was that really worth the villain turning darker over?

"A-Aheng, if you don't want me using your older brother's car, I won't use it again."

Xia Zhi's voice trembled. The thought of the last punishment still left her shaken, and she had no idea what awaited her this time.

Nothing was more frightening than the unknown.