Seducing Him - Chapter 27
Morning.
When Ci Yiyang half-squinted her sore eyes, Lu Jin was already gone from the room.
She lay in bed dazed, recalling how he had forced her to drink yesterday, a trace of anger flashing in her eyes.
She had let him kiss and touch her for nothing, and in the end, she hadn’t even managed to record anything.
All for nothing.
Her phone suddenly rang, breaking her thoughts.
Picking it up, she saw it was a call from Jing Zuoyuan.
Suppressing the discomfort between her legs, she sat up. As soon as she opened her mouth to speak after answering, her lips pulled painfully, making her cover them with her hand. “Hiss—”
“What happened?” Jing Zuoyuan’s voice came from the other side.
Tear-eyed, Ci Yiyang covered her lips, speaking vaguely: “Nothing, I just woke up and my lips are a little dry.”
Jing Zuoyuan chuckled, softening his tone: “Did I disturb you?”
His naturally warm voice, lowered even further, became all the more soothing, as if it was kissing her ear through the phone. Ci Yiyang shuddered all over, her sleepiness vanishing completely.
She held the phone slightly away and replied slowly: “No, it’s just that I went to bed a bit late yesterday.”
“Why did you sleep late? Did something happen?” he asked warmly.
Ci Yiyang couldn’t mention what had happened last night, so she brushed over it. “Nothing much. Why did you suddenly call me?”
It was Saturday, and Jing Zuoyuan should have been busy abroad with his team, handling cases his law firm had taken for practice.
“Actually, I wrapped things up and came back to Jing City yesterday. Today, I wanted to ask if you were free. A friend gave me two tickets to Acheng’s exhibition. I remembered you like art shows, so I thought to invite you,” he explained.
Then, as if worried she might refuse, he added: “Didn’t you say you wanted to thank me before? Let’s just consider this as evening it out.”
Since he had put it that way, Ci Yiyang couldn’t refuse and agreed: “Alright, send me the address, I’ll come over later.”
Jing Zuoyuan smiled: “No need, I’ll come pick you up.”
“Okay.”
After chatting a bit more, they hung up.
Because of the appointment, Ci Yiyang went back to her room to freshen up. Looking at the hickeys scattered over her neck, she cursed Lu Jin in her heart, calling him a dog. She chose a turtleneck dress that covered her neck, paired with a long trench coat, and finally left.
Going downstairs, she happened to run into Lu Jin making coffee.
The boy leaned against the marble island counter in a loose gray sweater, holding a cup of coffee, his gaze lingering slowly on her face. “Sister, are you heading out now?”
“Mm.” Ci Yiyang nodded, bending down at the entrance to change her shoes. With the motion, her waist cinched with fine pearls appeared all the slimmer, her long skirt draping onto the carpet like a saintess from ancient Rome.
He came over and leaned against the wall beside her. “I’ll drive you.”
Putting on her shoes, she straightened and shook her head. “No need, my friend is coming to get me.”
His beautiful brows lifted slightly, but his expression remained calm as he looked at her.
Ci Yiyang pretended not to see his gaze and went straight out the door.
Jing Zuoyuan was already there.
From afar, she saw the clean-cut young man standing under a large banyan tree, sending a message. The moment he read her text saying she’d spotted him, he instinctively turned his head.
The girl walking toward him was like a snow-white daffodil, giving off a crystal-clear purity.
She jogged up and said with guilt as he opened the car door: “Sorry, I’m late.”
He glanced at his watch, his gentle brows arching into a helpless smile: “I arrived ten minutes early. If I didn’t know you, I’d have thought I was the one late.”
She smiled lightly and got into the backseat beside him.
Seeing the flush on her fair cheeks, Jing Zuoyuan instructed the driver, “Uncle Li, to Huangcheng.”
“Yes, sir.”
Then, turning to her, he said considerately: “The weather in Jing City changes a lot. There’s an extra coat here if you need.”
“Thanks.” He was always so attentive, and she was used to it. After thanking him, she accepted the coat.
The car’s temperature was perfect, the music soft.
They chatted along the way and soon arrived at the exhibition.
Huangcheng was Jing City’s largest venue. Most exhibitions weren’t for profit but to showcase patrons’ artistic taste. Today’s exhibition promised a feast for the eyes.
The halls were spread across multiple levels, neatly arranged. A giant fountain stood at the center, accompanied by live violin music. Their guide explained each painting’s background and artist in detail.
Meanwhile, Chen Yao’an had been dragged here by her brother, though she had little interest. Bored, she clung to his arm as eye candy, until she spotted Ci Yiyang entering with Jing Zuoyuan. Instantly, her boredom vanished.
She saw Ci Yiyang together with him.
Tugging at her brother Chen Changjin, who was busy with investors, she whispered: “Brother!”
Annoyed by her persistence, he finally lowered his head lazily. “What is it?”
“I just saw a friend. I want to go greet her,” she said quietly.
“What friend?” he asked, following her gaze.
Not far away, a girl in a white dress stood with gentle side profile, listening as the young man beside her explained something. From an outsider’s view, the two looked like a perfect pair, their atmosphere harmonious.
But… the girl looked familiar.
Chen Changjin studied her for a moment before realizing—the boy beside her was none other than the grandson of the old Jing family patriarch, a law student at Jing University.
An old acquaintance.
“You want to go to her?” he asked.
Chen Yao’an nodded eagerly. “Can I?”
Checking his phone, amusement flashed in his eyes as he lazily agreed: “Sure.”
She was surprised—it usually took endless pestering before he let her go off. Today he agreed so easily.
Happily, she let go of his arm. “Thanks, brother!”
He raised a brow, watching the pair in the distance, thinking it wasn’t him she should be thanking.
Patting her head, he told her to go ahead before returning to his talks.
“Yangyang!”
Hearing the familiar voice, Ci Yiyang turned, surprised. “An’an.”
Chen Yao’an came over and linked arms with her, giving Jing Zuoyuan a quick once-over.
He greeted her openly: “What a coincidence.”
Glancing at him, then at Ci Yiyang, Chen Yao’an asked, “What brings you here?”
“Came with my brother,” she replied, jerking her chin toward a group of men in suits. Among them, one matched Ming Ying’s description—handsome, his very posture radiating power.
Ci Yiyang glanced, then looked away. “We were just going to find a place to sit.”
“Great.” Chen Yao’an agreed.
Just as the three sat down, Jing Zuoyuan spotted acquaintances and excused himself. “You two chat, I’ll be back.”
Watching him naturally blend with the elite crowd, Chen Yao’an sighed: “As expected of a Jing family member. Even here, people flock to him.”
Then she turned back, “But honestly, I didn’t think you’d come to an exhibition.”
“I saw the notice yesterday and came on a whim. Heard there’d be many masterpieces,” Ci Yiyang replied.
“There are. Upstairs holds originals, while downstairs is mostly modern works. The exhibition’s partly for promotion—my brother signed several artists, so this is for exposure.”
“No wonder.” Ci Yiyang glanced at the photographers roaming the hall.
Her phone buzzed—it was Lu Jin, asking when she’d return. She replied, then shut the phone without checking further.
They chatted a while before Chen Yao’an received a call. Pouting, she said: “Ugh, he let me go earlier, but now he’s calling me back. I really don’t want to mingle with those people.”
“Just stay for a bit, then excuse yourself. He won’t mind,” Ci Yiyang comforted.
“Fine. I promised anyway. I’ll head over.”
After half an hour, both she and Jing Zuoyuan were gone, leaving Ci Yiyang bored, sipping juice in the lounge—unaware that from the third-floor balcony, someone’s dark eyes had been fixed on her all along.
Lu Jin leaned lazily against the platinum railing, arm draped, veins faintly visible beneath pale skin under the overhead light.
“So that’s the one meant to be your sister,” Chen Changjin approached, chuckling. “No wonder you suddenly came back to China.”
Lu Jin didn’t even blink.
“You never told me she’s friends with my sister,” Chen mused, eyes mocking. “She’s pretty, no doubt. My sister once offered to introduce a friend—guess she meant your sister?”
At that, Lu Jin finally shifted his gaze from below, his dark eyes sliding to Chen, lips curling. “You want to be my brother-in-law?”
A chill ran down Chen’s spine. He raised his hands innocently. “Don’t frame me. I wouldn’t dare. Being your brother-in-law might just land me in an early grave.”
Lu Jin lowered his eyes, silent, scrolling on his phone.
From above, he saw Ci Yiyang check her phone but not reply.
“Chen Changjin.” His voice was calm.
“You need my help?” Chen asked, raising a brow.
“No hurry. Just leave in half an hour.”
“Half an hour?” Chen smirked, glancing at Lu Jin’s line of sight, lowering his voice. “Alright.”
Straightening, Lu Jin headed downstairs.
Watching him, Chen glanced at the girl leaving the lounge. Stroking his chin, he concluded:
A pretty girl indeed. But if she really fell into Lu Jin’s hands, she’d never escape.
He had known Lu Jin for years—this man was no good.
Meanwhile, Ci Yiyang, tired of waiting, had gone to the restroom.
On her way back, she spotted someone sitting where she had been. Head bowed, long fingers idly spinning a phone, he looked like he’d been waiting.
Startled, she walked over. “Why are you here?”
Lu Jin slowly lifted his face, unsurprised, as if expecting her. His lips curved faintly, raising his phone.
Glancing down, she saw his unread message from ten minutes ago, along with earlier ones she hadn’t answered.
“Since Sister didn’t reply, I came to find you,” he said evenly, his dark eyes locked on her.
Behind him, a massive glass aquarium shimmered, colorful fish swimming past, warping his smile into something distorted.
“Are you going back now?” he asked.
She shook her head. “No, my friends are still here. Later.”
“Alright,” he answered, as if it were nothing.
Yet he made no move to leave, lounging against the aquarium with a languid air. His throat bobbed beneath pale skin, cold and alluring, almost inviting desecration.
Jing Zuoyuan still hadn’t returned.
Just as she was about to speak, her phone buzzed—his message.
He couldn’t get away anytime soon, so he told her to head back first.
She replied okay, then looked up at Lu Jin, her gentle eyes reflecting calm water.
“Lu Jin.”
He half-lifted his lids, casual yet exuding distance.
“My friend can’t leave, so I’ll go back with you.”
“Good.” Rising, he said, “Then let’s go now.”
“You don’t want to look around?” she asked.
“No need. A friend of mine sponsored this exhibition. I’ve already seen it.”
“Your friend?” Surprised, she recalled Chen Yao’an had said her brother organized it.
So Lu Jin’s friend was her brother? What a coincidence.
He nodded calmly. “Just a sponsor.”
Since sponsors weren’t always main patrons, she let the matter drop.
In the parking garage, as soon as she sat in the passenger seat, his hand reached over. Instinctively, she slapped it away.
His fingers only held her seatbelt, his gaze turning to her.
Seeing the redness on his hand, she explained quickly: “Sorry, I didn’t mean to hit so hard. Did it hurt?”
Her eyes brimmed with guilt, as though it truly had been an accident.
Fastening her seatbelt, he murmured: “It’s fine. After all, Sister surely didn’t mean to open her hand wide and deliberately strike me while lowering it.”
His tone matched hers—gentle, emotionless.
She stayed silent.
The drive back to Beicheng Manor was quiet.
Until the car spun suddenly into the garage, sending her lurching forward—only to be caught by his palm.
Before she could lift her head, his voice rang cold and sharp:
“Last night, you said you liked me. So how can you be out with another man at an art show today?”
“I…” He lifted her face, and she saw the expression on his.
A flicker of realization passed her heart.
He was jealous.
She blinked. “He helped me before, so today I was just returning the favor with this exhibition.”
“Mm?” He arched a brow, cupping her face, lips curling faintly. “And what exactly did he help you with?”
Though gentle, his voice pressed heavy upon her.
Frowning, she explained patiently: “Someone posted false things about me online. He helped me find the culprit and clarify.”
“So it was that man from a few days ago—the one who called himself your boyfriend, accusing you of abandoning him?”
She nodded. “Yes.”
It had only been resolved so quickly thanks to Jing Zuoyuan’s help. She had even planned to treat him to dinner after the exhibition.
“I see.” Lu Jin’s lips stretched into a smile, sharp canine teeth showing. “So last night wasn’t a reward for me after all.”
“What reward?” she asked, confused.
His gaze sank into her eyes, and he suddenly bit her lip.
The bite was harsh, forcing a gasp from her. He muttered against her mouth:
“Why should Sister give the credit of my help to someone else, when clearly it was me?”
With a predator’s relentlessness, he pinned her against the seat, lips crashing down in a consuming kiss.
“Mmph.” Her eyes brimmed with tears as she tried opening the door, but it was locked.
Left with no choice, she tugged his hair, yanking hard until he relented slightly.
Panting, she looked at him—smiling with no trace of joy, a smear of red across his lips, eyes glinting with a hunter’s cruelty.
“Lu Jin, are you angry? I really didn’t know it was you who helped me.”
“No.”
“You are angry.”
“Mm, I was. But then I remembered—you said you liked me last night. That was the truth, wasn’t it? So now, I don’t feel angry at all.” He smiled, pressing her seatbelt button, pausing suddenly with a raised brow.
“Oh, I haven’t asked yet. Was it true—when you said you liked me last night?”
Caught off guard, she stammered, then nodded. “Mm. I like you very much.”
“Mm…” He drew out the sound, lips curving. “So now, does Sister want to call this… dating?”
Dating?
She frowned, ready to refute—but then caught the look in his eyes. That same expression from when he and Lu Lan had entered the hall together.
She disliked it, hated how it reminded her of their first meeting, when he’d called her Sister in that very tone.
Her chest tightened, and she gripped the leather beneath her seat, saying nothing.
He waited patiently.
Then she suddenly cupped his face and kissed him. “Lu Jin, when you saw me with another man at the exhibition, was your only reaction to ask if I truly liked you? Nothing else?”
Her soft voice carried a taunt, teeth sinking into his lip as if to provoke pain.
But silence followed.
He didn’t move, enduring her bite without response.
She thought she’d stunned him and let go. “You—”
He turned, kissing her deeply, tongue prying past her lips to sweep her mouth, probing mercilessly.
“Mm, Lu Jin!” she gasped, pushing hard against him, but he didn’t budge—only seized her hand, trapping it against his chest while drowning her in the kiss.
The pressure, the pulling, the devouring—it seeped into her pores, leaving her limp and breathless.
Even his tongue pressed deeper, invading her throat.
She let out a muffled cry, unexpectedly soft, like sugar melting—a sound that made even her fluster.
The boy’s chest rumbled with a groan, body heating, pressing against her, grinding involuntarily.
Again…
The weight against her skirt reminded her of last night.
Like a tomcat in heat, unashamed of his reaction, he kissed her even harder.
There was nowhere to escape in the cramped car, so she gave up resisting, though suffocated. At last, she bit down on his tongue, desperate.
He grunted, but instead of pulling back, he pressed on, making her heart tremble.
Only when she nearly blacked out did he finally release her.
In the dim light, she saw saliva string between their lips, broken when he licked it back with his tongue.
The sight jolted her spine, a wave of heat flooding her chest as his next words struck like lightning:
“Sister, are you satisfied with this reaction? Or maybe…” he whispered with a soft, smiling sigh, “…I should lock you in the car and do it right here.”