After a Disabled Alpha Marked a Yandere Female Lead - Chapter 27
Chapter 27: VIP
Under everyone’s gaze, Jiang Yun acts as if they are alone and says something so ambiguous to Zhu Qingluo. Zhu Qingluo is surprised. She can’t see Xie Ke’s expression from where she is, and Xie Ke’s view is also obstructed by Jiang Yun’s body. The chatter at the table is loud, so Jiang Yun’s words are only audible to Zhu Qingluo.
Still, Zhu Qingluo feels that there are too many people around. She gently pushes the glass back. “I’m not used to this kind of wine,” she whispers.
Jiang Yun’s smile freezes for a moment. Her gaze is fixed on Zhu Qingluo’s face. Then, she slowly tightens her grip on the glass, says nothing, and takes a sip herself. She wets her red lips and looks at Zhu Qingluo through the shimmering glass. Zhu Qingluo pretends that nothing happened.
In public, Jiang Yun is a little more reserved, as Zhu Qingluo’s behavior reflects on her. Zhu Qingluo feels no pressure to be on her best behavior. She takes Jiang Yun’s hint and stops drinking, instead trying some small desserts.
“As far as I know, Director Liang of the research center is negotiating contracts with several companies. If one project becomes a successful industrial chain, the demand will be huge, and the future is limitless.” Li Wusi says with flushed cheeks, her words full of hidden meaning.
“This is a hot commodity,” someone chimes in. “I heard that Mr. Qi, who’s been making a name for himself this year, is also trying to get a piece of the pie!”
Li Wusi doesn’t even look at him. “Yes, everyone is fighting for their livelihood,” she says wistfully, as if she’s above it all. She leans forward and looks at Jiang Yun. “Miss Jiang, if you’re interested, you’ll be one of us. No need for other CEOs to be involved.”
The table becomes quiet for a moment. Jiang Yun thinks for a while. “Of course, if it’s effective,” she says. Her words sound like a riddle to others, but the few people at the table understand. Jiang Yun is interested in investing in this new industry, and she is satisfied with the first batch of nutrient agents. She has basically decided to form a partnership.
A flicker of darkness crosses Li Wusi’s eyes, but her expression quickly returns to normal.
“A-Yun, I trust Wusi. Her team is top-notch in the industry,” Xie Ke says, seizing the opportunity. Li Wusi adjusts her posture, seemingly pleased with the compliment.
Jiang Yun glances at her, a hint of a cold smile on her lips. “Your team must have taken on many large projects. I have a question. Is the CH-1647 file among them?”
Li Wusi’s face changes. “What do you mean?” she asks, her eyes on Jiang Yun.
“Just asking,” Jiang Yun replies.
Zhu Qingluo notices the change in Li Wusi’s expression. She seems to be wary of that file. She vaguely remembers that there was an accident during the CH-1647 experiment, and the test subject escaped. The person in charge was severely punished. It turns out that it was handled by Li Wusi.
The air around them becomes cold. No one speaks for a while. The flowers and wine on the table seem to lose their charm, replaced by a feeling of corruption.
“It’s just idle talk after dinner, no need to take it seriously,” Xie Ke says, trying to ease the tension. Her gentle and friendly demeanor wins everyone’s favor, and the atmosphere calms down.
Xie Ke turns to Jiang Yun, her expression a mix of disapproval and tolerance. She knows Jiang Yun is sharp and not afraid to offend people. She wonders what would happen if Jiang Yun didn’t have her status. A strange greed wells up in her. She quickly hides the look in her eyes.
After dealing with Li Wusi, Xie Ke sees that Jiang Yun’s glass is empty and goes to pour her a drink. Suddenly, she sees Zhu Qingluo leaning close to Jiang Yun, whispering in her ear, as if trying to win her favor. Xie Ke is surprised.
Zhu Qingluo’s body is stiff. A minute ago, Jiang Yun told her to come closer but didn’t say anything else. Looking at Jiang Yun’s side profile, Zhu Qingluo realizes she’s been “tricked.”
Xie Ke’s look of disdain says it all. Zhu Qingluo looks back at her without any shame. She then says to Jiang Yun, “I’ll do it later.” Jiang Yun smiles and nods.
Xie Ke is surprised again.
Zhu Qingluo slowly moves back to her seat, deciding not to entertain any more of Jiang Yun’s “requests.” But Jiang Yun starts talking again.
“A-Yun, let me pour you some wine,” Xie Ke says, her expression calm and gentle.
“Okay,” Jiang Yun says nonchalantly. At this moment, her mood is clear, and her aura has softened. She finds everyone around her more pleasing. Xie Ke’s hand, holding the bottle, pauses before she pours the wine.
“Speaking of which, the news of your marriage was so sudden. I never would have thought it would be the Zhu family… But now that I’ve met her, I see she’s different from what the rumors say.” A woman in front of Zhu Qingluo, who has had a few drinks, starts a conversation.
“How is she different?” Jiang Yun asks, her fingers playing with the wine glass.
“Haha…” The woman is caught off guard. She looks around and smiles. “I just heard a rumor that Miss Zhu didn’t marry you willingly.”
“That’s not true,” Zhu Qingluo says, looking at the woman with a calm expression. “We have a very good relationship.”
The woman’s eyes linger on them before she forces a smile. “Of course, it’s not true!”
“Yes, only you and I know whether it’s good or not,” Jiang Yun says, turning her head and smiling ambiguously.
Zhu Qingluo glances around and sees everyone else has looked away. She’s surprised and sits up straighter. She wonders if Jiang Yun is just playing a game of public affection.
A few seconds later, Jiang Yun looks away, her posture still relaxed. Li Wusi starts talking to her, and the atmosphere returns to normal. Zhu Qingluo eats the desserts on the table. She’s drinking a beverage, enjoying the peaceful moment.
Suddenly, she feels something strange under the table. She is wearing gray pants, and the light under the table is dim. She sees a fair, smooth hand on her thigh. The nails are round and a pale, clean pink. Zhu Qingluo’s eyes slowly move up and see the hem of the woman’s black skirt, which is resting on her wheelchair. Since she has no feeling in her legs, she didn’t notice the movement.
When did this start? She remembers Jiang Yun’s last words, and a playful look crosses her face.
Jiang Yun’s hand lifts slightly, her fingertips tracing Zhu Qingluo’s thigh. Even though she has no feeling, Zhu Qingluo feels a shiver run through her. She thinks it’s a hallucination.
When she’s looking under the table, she hears the conversation stop and a soft voice from above. “Don’t look.”
Zhu Qingluo looks up, her face calm. If she keeps looking, the people around them will notice the strange situation under the table.
“What are you doing?” she asks, her brows furrowed.
On the surface, Jiang Yun is still maintaining a normal conversational distance, but she lowers her voice and asks, “Do you think if I massage it for a long time, the feeling will return?”
Zhu Qingluo immediately understands. Jiang Yun knows she’s doing physical therapy, but this kind of massage is not at all proper.
“No,” she says coldly.
Jiang Yun rests her chin on her hand, watches her for a while, and gives a small laugh. “Really?”
She doesn’t wait for a reply and takes a sip from her glass.
Zhu Qingluo’s body is tense. She can see from the corner of her eye that Jiang Yun hasn’t “stopped.” She can’t believe Jiang Yun is so bold in a public place. Jiang Yun seems to view the entire situation as a form of entertainment, and Zhu Qingluo’s nervousness only adds to her stimulation.
It’s ridiculous. Zhu Qingluo’s mood is completely different from when she arrived. Even though she can’t see, she can picture the hand, the playful fingers teasing and plucking at a tight string in her heart. The more she thinks about it, the more she feels a phantom “itch.” How is this any different from teasing?
Zhu Qingluo has no choice but to shift her attention to her surroundings. She hears Jiang Yun talking to Xie Ke. “I’ve read the files from the research center. There are two areas that are a bit vague.”
Xie Ke is completely unaware. She touches her chin and thinks for a moment. “Which ones?”
“I’ve sent my assistant to you. He should be there tonight.”
“Okay,” Xie Ke says, her expression serious.
At that moment, Zhu Qingluo feels her waist sink slightly. Her face tightens as she realizes that Jiang Yun’s hand has moved up. The fair, perfect fingertips hook the hem of her shirt. Jiang Yun’s cool fingers press against her warm skin, and Zhu Qingluo shivers violently.
It’s cold.
She can’t take it anymore and precisely grabs Jiang Yun’s hand. With a dull thud, her elbow accidentally hits the side of the table, making a sound loud enough for the people around to notice.
Everyone’s eyes turn to them. Zhu Qingluo’s neck stiffens, and the words on her lips get stuck in her throat. Jiang Yun’s smile remains unchanged, and she watches her with a calm expression.
Under the dim light of the table, Zhu Qingluo is holding Jiang Yun’s hand tightly. Jiang Yun doesn’t try to pull away. She stays still, her hand resting against Zhu Qingluo’s. In her panic, Zhu Qingluo wasn’t careful, and now her fingers are intertwined with Jiang Yun’s, a bit crooked and awkward. When their hands touch, a gentle and intimate feeling fills the air. Neither of them lets go. A moment later, Zhu Qingluo’s heart skips a beat.
Jiang Yun’s fingertips gently scratch her palm.