Chapter 40: Narrow-Mindedness

Today, Qiao Jiu was in a good mood, which led her to drink a bit more than usual—not enough to feel dizzy, but eventually her stomach couldn’t handle it. There was a bathroom in the private room, but with Liang Xiucheng there, she felt too embarrassed to use it. So, after a while, she slipped out of the room and ambled toward the public restroom.

She hadn’t taken more than a few steps when someone suddenly wrapped an arm around her shoulders from behind, hustling her forward at a brisk pace. The sensation was so familiar that Qiao Jiu called out before even seeing who it was, “Lu Fengzhou, what are you doing?”

Lu Fengzhou didn’t answer. Ahead, an unused private room appeared; he steered her inside, still holding her by the shoulders. He shut the door behind them, spun around, and pressed Qiao Jiu against the door, bending his knee to nudge her legs apart so their bodies fit closely together.

He gripped her chin, tilting her face up. “What did I tell you before? Forgotten already?”

Qiao Jiu feigned innocence. “You said if I didn’t open the door in a minute, you’d tear it down.”

She scoffed. “I waited all night, and the door was perfectly intact.”

Lu Fengzhou’s hand tightened. “I told you to stay away from Liang Xiucheng.”

His thumb pressed hard against her lips, rubbing back and forth. “Did he just kiss you?”

Qiao Jiu blinked. Earlier, she and Liang Xiucheng had been close enough that anyone watching might have thought they were kissing. “Yes, so what?”

Lu Fengzhou’s voice suddenly rose. “Qiao Jiu.”

She looked amused. “What’s with this attitude? Are you jealous?”

Lu Fengzhou paused as if he’d heard the most ridiculous joke. “Jealous? Of you?”

Qiao Jiu replied, “If you’re not jealous, why do you care who’s with me or who kisses me?”

He snorted coldly. “I can have any woman I want. Why you? What about you is worth liking?”

“Which part, huh?” Qiao Jiu actually pretended to ponder. “My body?”

She laughed, her tone irreverent. “But maybe others like it too.”

Her hand rested on Lu Fengzhou’s chest, and as she finished speaking, she could feel his chest heaving much harder. He was usually inscrutable, but tonight something had clearly rattled him.

Qiao Jiu smiled slyly. The thought that had surfaced earlier, only to be quickly suppressed, now returned, inching its way into her heart. Human nature is greedy, human nature is narrow. Greed belonged to him; narrowness belonged to her. Two years couldn’t warm his heart, and she had only managed to make herself a mess. No matter how much she loved him, her resentment now outweighed it.

The two of them remained locked in stalemate when suddenly Liang Xiucheng’s voice called her name from outside. He must have noticed she’d been gone too long and come looking for her. Qiao Jiu pushed Lu Fengzhou. “He’s coming. I have to go.”

Lu Fengzhou neither moved nor spoke. As Liang Xiucheng’s voice drew closer, Lu Fengzhou suddenly grabbed her waist, dragging her toward the sofa at the far end of the room, and with a forceful motion, pressed her onto it.

Outside, a waiter seemed to be passing by, and Liang Xiucheng was asking him something. Lu Fengzhou pinned her hands, freeing one hand to tug at her clothes. “After drinking, were you planning to go somewhere with him?”

Qiao Jiu stared straight at the man above her. “What do you think?”

Lu Fengzhou sneered. “That desperate for a man?”

Qiao Jiu retorted, “Desperate for money.”

Her poverty was no secret. Lu Fengzhou said nothing, apparently unsure how to respond. Before he schemed against her, she’d never lacked money; her current predicament was entirely his doing.

Lu Fengzhou moved quickly, and before long, most of their clothes were off. Outside, Liang Xiucheng called again—it sounded like he’d searched everywhere and returned, circling back. The waiter seemed to be following along, saying something outside the door. Soon after, Qiao Jiu heard the door begin to open, and the waiter said, “Maybe she drank too much and went into the wrong room.”