Seducing Him - Chapter 39

After leaving, Ci Yiyang walked past a mirror and caught a glimpse of her reflection.

Her flushed eyes and reddened cheeks were manageable and could be explained away. The real issue was her lips, which were terribly swollen, as if she’d had an allergic reaction to chili peppers.

Walking out looking like this, she would definitely be asked about it.

No wonder Lu Jin had asked her that question earlier.

Ci Yiyang looked at herself in the mirror, dabbed her lips with cold water, and then went outside.

When she got there, she happened to see Jing Zuoyuan coming to find her.

“Why were you gone for so long?” Jing Zuoyuan’s worried expression faded when he saw she was alright. He handed her his phone. “Jiayi went to look for you just now and couldn’t find you. She found your phone inside. I was worried something had happened to you, so I was just about to come find you.”

Ci Yiyang took her phone, apologizing, “Sorry, I lost my phone just now. I ran into an acquaintance while I was looking for it and chatted for a bit. I came back without finding it.”

She then turned to Yun Jiayi. “Thank you, Jiayi.”

Yun Jiayi was drinking her beverage, her lips red from the spiciness. She obediently shook her head. “It’s nothing, Sister Yiyang. Hey, Sister Yiyang, what’s wrong with your mouth?”

She stared at Ci Yiyang’s lips, surprised. She remembered they were fine when she left.

Jing Zuoyuan also turned his gaze toward her at Jiayi’s sudden exclamation.

Ci Yiyang’s lips were very red, and there was a bite mark on them.

As both of them looked at her, Ci Yiyang’s fingers tightened slightly. She calmly tugged at her skirt. “I accidentally fell and hit my lips.”

Her snow-white dress had some unwashed stains on the hem, along with marks that looked like she had accidentally sat down on the ground and gotten it dirty.

Neither of them thought much of it.

Jing Zuoyuan picked up his coat from a nearby chair and handed it to her. “Wear this first.”

Ci Yiyang hadn’t intended to take it, but she considered that Lu Jin might be around. After thanking him, she put it on.

It was a misty black trench coat, a perfect fit for Jing Zuoyuan, but on her, it was not only wide but also had sleeves so long she had to roll them up several times at her wrists to make them fit.

Jing Zuoyuan watched Ci Yiyang as she lowered her head to adjust the sleeves.

The light from above fell on her clean, white profile, illuminating the fine, soft hairs on her skin. With her eyes downcast, a quiet, gentle glow surrounded her.

Jing Zuoyuan’s heart made two subtle leaps.

Sensing the flutter of a crush, he couldn’t help but smile, asking softly, “Are you still hungry?”

Ci Yiyang shook her head. “I’m full.”

“Okay, wait for me for a moment,” Jing Zuoyuan stood up and walked inside.

Ci Yiyang thought he was going to the restroom. It wasn’t until he returned that she realized he had gone to pay the bill.

“Didn’t I say this meal was on me?”

“It’s not much,” he said with a smile, handing her a bouquet of flowers. “The front desk gave them to me when I was paying. There were exactly two, and you and Jiayi both like flowers.”

With that, he handed her the lilies.

“Oh, I have one too?” Yun Jiayi blinked as she took her flower.

“The front desk gave them to me,” he said, handing the flower to Yun Jiayi without changing his expression.

Jing Zuoyuan only gave one flower to each of them. Ci Yiyang didn’t suspect anything and truly believed they were from the front desk.

Only Yun Jiayi knew that he had specifically bought just one or two flowers so he could give one to Ci Yiyang, and he gave her one just to make it less obvious.

“Thank you, bro,” she said with a teasing smirk.

She had to hand it to him; he was so utterly shy about his crush that he didn’t even dare to give her flowers openly. It was unbelievable.

The group left the hot pot restaurant. It was getting late.

Jing Zuoyuan didn’t live in the dorms, but Ci Yiyang did, and it wasn’t safe for two girls to go back alone. He offered to drive them.

After what happened in the hot pot restaurant, Ci Yiyang was also a bit nervous, so she didn’t refuse.

Jing Zuoyuan’s car was parked outside.

It hadn’t felt cold inside the restaurant with the hot pot’s warmth, but as they stepped out, the wind swept in, a chilly draft finding its way up their collars. Ci Yiyang shivered, then realized the young man beside her was still wearing a short-sleeved shirt. She was about to return his coat.

Jing Zuoyuan saw her pitifully red nose and placed his hand on her shoulder, stopping her from taking off the coat. “It’s still a ways to the car. Don’t catch a cold.”

“Aren’t you cold?” Ci Yiyang asked, looking at him.

“I’ve been working out, so I’m in good health. I don’t feel cold,” Jing Zuoyuan added softly. “If you don’t wear it, I’ll just have it draped over my arm. You might as well wear it.”

Since he put it that way, Ci Yiyang didn’t insist. She pulled the coat tighter around her and thanked him, her long eyelashes lowered.

Jing Zuoyuan chuckled, lowering his hand from her shoulder. He looked down and asked, “I saw your post yesterday. How was the press conference?”

Ci Yiyang said, “It was okay. Just more tiring than our practical classes at school.”

“Yeah, school is a formatted kind of learning. It’s not the same as being on-site. The more times you go, the more familiar you’ll get with the process,” he reassured her.

“Mhm.”

The three of them walked side-by-side on the road lit by dim streetlights. The atmosphere became subtly tinted with a warm, amber intimacy. No one noticed the black car following them slowly behind.

The gloomy sky was like an ink painting. The streetlights on the pedestrian path shone through the tree branches, casting light and shadow onto the clear, elegant jawline of the young man inside the unlit car. The light seemed to crawl like a gecko on a cool, white porcelain, giving him a inexplicably detached look, as if he belonged in the shadows.

The car followed all the way until it reached the parking lot and then stopped.

The person inside the car watched as the young girl suddenly threw herself into Ci Yiyang’s arms, the force of the hug pushing her backward. The boy standing next to her smiled helplessly and naturally reached out, steadying her as she stumbled.

Then, the group got into the car.

“Sister Yiyang,” Yun Jiayi said happily, squeezing into the back seat while hugging her arm.

Jing Zuoyuan drove, glancing at them in the rearview mirror, and joked, “You’re treating me like your personal driver.”

Yun Jiayi blinked and drew out her words. “You only have one passenger seat. If we don’t sit together in the back, wouldn’t it be hard for you to decide?”

She then turned her head and winked at Ci Yiyang. “Isn’t that right, Sister Yiyang?”

Ci Yiyang smiled. “Mhm.”

“See? See?” She immediately felt like she’d found an ally and hugged her arm, nodding sweetly.

Jing Zuoyuan was always helpless with this sweetie.

Whenever she was around, conversations were always lively and cheerful.

The night lights of Jingcheng twinkled. Since the tree branches of spring were so lush, sanitation workers were still sweeping at this hour to keep the city clean and beautiful.

As they stopped at a red light, Jing Zuoyuan couldn’t help but look at the people in the back through the rearview mirror.

The lush tree branches were lit by bright streetlights, occasionally casting a few rays of light on her fair face. It was still a bit pink from the hot pot, and her lips looked like they had been kissed swollen.

Passing a pharmacy, Jing Zuoyuan stopped the car and said, “Wait here for a moment, I’m going to buy something.”

Ci Yiyang nodded.

She thought he was going to buy stomach medicine because he couldn’t handle spicy food, but when he came back with a tube of ointment in his hand, she realized it was for her.

He explained gently and thoughtfully, “You must have hurt your lips when you fell. If you put some on, it’ll be better tomorrow.”

“Thank you. How much is it? I’ll send you the money,” Ci Yiyang said, lowering her head to look for his contact on her phone.

Actually, Jing Zuoyuan didn’t want to take her money. After a moment’s pause, he turned his head to focus on driving, his tone still gentle. “Twenty-five.”

After she sent the money, Ci Yiyang felt at ease and leaned her head against the car window.

It was more than an hour’s drive from here to Jingcheng University. Amidst Yun Jiayi’s continuous chattering, he quickly dropped the two girls off at the dormitories.

The road ahead was under construction, so the car couldn’t go in further. He could only take them this far.

Yun Jiayi and Ci Yiyang didn’t live in the same dorm building, but they were in the same general direction, so they walked together into the dorm area after getting out of the car.

After a few steps, Yun Jiayi turned her head as if by chance and looked at Ci Yiyang. She blinked in surprise and asked, “Hey, Sister Yiyang, are you still wearing my brother’s jacket? Haven’t you returned it yet?”

Ci Yiyang looked down at the jacket on her and remembered she hadn’t given it back to Jing Zuoyuan yet.

He hadn’t reminded her and had just left.

Ci Yiyang took off the jacket, intending to have Yun Jiayi return it for her.

Yun Jiayi immediately shook her head. “I’ve been so busy these past few days that I’ve been staying at the dorm. Sister Yiyang, you should find time to return it to him yourself.”

This was her brother’s chance, and she had even lied about staying in the dorm tonight to help him pursue Ci Yiyang. She wouldn’t dare to take it from her.

Seeing the girl refuse so adamantly, Ci Yiyang didn’t want to force her.

Yun Jiayi lived in a new dorm. She could have walked with Ci Yiyang for a bit longer, but she suddenly got a phone call, turned to her with watery eyes, and shoved the flowers in her arms.

“Sister Yiyang, I have something to do and can’t walk with you. It’s inconvenient for me to carry this bouquet, so you can have it.”

Ci Yiyang, holding two bouquets, blinked at the girl in confusion. As soon as she finished speaking, Jiayi ran off, her white plush bag with bunny ears bouncing, her long chestnut ponytail swaying in a cheerful arc.

The flowers were Ci Yiyang’s favorite. Since Yun Jiayi didn’t want them, she accepted them and took them back to her dorm.

The moment she parted with Ci Yiyang, Yun Jiayi took out her phone and called someone.

The person on the other end answered quickly.

“Bro, I gave all the flowers to Sister Yiyang just like you said. Don’t forget, you promised me that entire collaboration set!” Yun Jiayi reminded him worriedly.

The man in the car nodded gently. “Mhm, I know.”

After getting his confirmation, Yun Jiayi felt relieved. “Alright, I’ll hang up now. You be careful on the road.”

With that, she happily hung up the phone.

A few flowers in exchange for a limited edition collaboration set—it was totally worth it!

Because she came back late and her face and lips were a bit red and swollen, Ci Yiyang was immediately cornered by Ming Ying on the bottom bunk.

“Be honest, why did you come back so late?” Ming Ying stared at the wound on her lips, squinting. “Who bit you?”

That was the mark of a canine tooth. Her lips were red and swollen, which meant the kiss must have been intense.

She suspected Ci Yiyang was in a relationship.

Ci Yiyang pushed her away with a laugh. “No, I just went out to dinner with Jing Zuoyuan and his cousin and accidentally fell.”

Hearing this, Ming Ying’s face was full of disbelief. She noticed the men’s trench coat Ci Yiyang was wearing, a dark black, exquisite in both its craftsmanship and the sheen of its fabric.

Ming Ying then saw the flowers on the desk behind her and asked, “Are you and Jing Zuoyuan together?!”

“No,” Ci Yiyang said helplessly. “My dress got dirty, so he lent me his coat.”

Going out for dinner, having her lips swollen, and getting flowers and a coat—it was hard for anyone to believe her explanation.

No matter how Ci Yiyang explained, Ming Ying just gave her a look that said ‘I don’t believe you.’ After a pause, Ci Yiyang asked, “Did you talk to Lian Rong on the phone today?”

Ming Ying slapped her forehead. “I almost forgot! It’s almost time.” With that, she sat on her chair and began to touch up her makeup in the mirror.

Ci Yiyang leaned beside her, looking at the happiness in her eyes, and suddenly asked, “I’ve never asked you, how are things with you and Lian Rong?”

For some reason, she always felt that Lian Rong was strange. He didn’t seem to like Ming Ying that much, but he would always talk to her on the phone until late at night. And after all this time, they still hadn’t gotten together. Instead, Ming Ying seemed to be falling deeper and deeper.

Ming Ying didn’t notice her concern and applied lipstick while looking in the mirror. “We’re doing great. We even made plans to go skiing in Beicheng during the winter break.”

Seeing the joy in her eyes, Ci Yiyang thought she must have been overthinking things.

After finishing her makeup, Ming Ying glanced at the time. There were still three minutes left.

As she waited for her phone to ring, Ming Ying suddenly thought, why does Lian Rong only call her at a specific time?

And every time, she’s the one who starts the video call; he never does. For the rest of the time, he never calls her, he only replies to her messages.

Just as she was deep in thought, Lian Rong’s name popped up on her phone screen. Ming Ying shook the thoughts out of her head and picked up the call.