The Lost Lamb's Trap - Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Stars

Duan Jiayang returned to her office holding two bags: one for desserts and another from a luxury brand.

She had received a message from Lan Yao after her nap, saying she was passing by and had a glass of sweetened plum juice for her, asking her to come down and get it. The two of them had chatted for a while downstairs.

Yang Ruiqi tilted her head, watching. “I saw you talking to a woman just now. Who was that?”

“No one,” Duan Jiayang replied.

Yang Ruiqi glanced at her again. Duan Jiayang opened the other box, revealing a ring. A quick look at the design showed it was from a famous luxury brand. Duan Jiayang immediately put it on. She held it up to the light, turning the ring on her finger a couple of times, then rubbing the head of the silver leopard with her fingertip. She was in a great mood.

When someone gives you a ring, it usually means your relationship is getting more serious.

Yang Ruiqi wanted to gossip, but Duan Jiayang wasn’t talking.

She had wanted to warn her that Lin Ke seemed angry today, but after thinking it over, she decided that since Duan Jiayang was so familiar with Lin Ke, her saying something might just stir up trouble. It was best to keep her mouth shut in the workplace.

Li Yuanchen, the intern, didn’t seem to feel the same way. He was sitting across from her, craning his neck, wanting to give Duan Jiayang a heads-up. But Duan Jiayang didn’t notice. She was completely taken with the ring, adjusting her hair and touching her face. She later took her Gucci bag and went to the dressing room next door to touch up her makeup.

The entire office knew the group’s heiress had bought a leopard ring.

When she returned, she seemed to outshine the flowers in the office vase. With her looks, she should have been in the company’s advertising department; she would have been a huge hit as a model.

Duan Jiayang ate a couple of bites of her dessert, her appetite still poor. She shared some with her colleagues. There was also a box of ice cream cake. Duan Jiayang tilted her head and looked toward the director’s office before pushing the ice cream cake box towards it.

The box was frosted, cold to the touch.

Duan Jiayang wiped her fingers with a tissue, then rubbed the leopard’s head.

As the evening heat faded, Duan Jiayang didn’t feel like going home for dinner. Seeing her father would kill her appetite. She wanted to invite someone out. She scrolled through her phone and saw several messages, realizing she had a lot of invitations lately.

Lan Yao had asked her out, and He Xiao said Gu Siyu also wanted to treat her.

She popped a chocolate into her mouth, feeling a little smug, and was trying to decide who to meet when the director, who had seemed so off earlier, came out of her office. Lin Ke smiled and said, “Let’s all have dinner together tonight. My treat. Who wants to come?”

Duan Jiayang held her phone, her finger on her ring. She slowly turned it and said quietly, “I already have plans with someone.”

“With who?” Lin Ke asked.

Duan Jiayang frowned and didn’t answer. The others also looked at her, sensing the boundary she had crossed with her words.

Lin Ke went back to her office. Duan Jiayang sat at her desk, anxious and uneasy, feeling that what she had just said was tactless and disrespectful to the new director. She felt like everyone was watching her, but when she looked up, they were all just working.

At quitting time, Lin Ke came out of her office and announced that she had already booked a restaurant, sending the location to the work group. Several colleagues were excited, saying that Director Lin was very generous.

Everyone packed up to leave. The male colleagues nearby huddled together, and one asked, “Director Lin is so thoughtful. Do you think she has a partner?”

“We’ll ask her at dinner later.”

Men were always curious about the same few things: how old a beautiful woman was and if she was taken.

Lin Ke overheard their whispers but didn’t interrupt. She looked at Duan Jiayang and asked, “Should I call a car to take you home?”

Lin Ke had heard their conversation.

“Hmm?” Lin Ke looked at her.

Duan Jiayang knew she was waiting for an answer. She wanted to test her, to say “yes” and see if Lin Ke would really get a car for her. She was so lost in thought that her eyes formed a straight line, one end pointing at herself and the other at “her.”

This line became a kind of thread.

Duan Jiayang never liked it when a third person observed their entanglement. Every time they were exposed in the open, in public, it felt like they were being watched naked.

“Duan Jiayang?”

Duan Jiayang’s mouth moved slightly. “Okay.”

…

The design department was huge, but their small office had only a few people. This was because of Duan Jiayang. The higher-ups had specifically selected a group of elite individuals to form a team and mentor her, but unfortunately, Duan Jiayang was too incompetent to be properly mentored. However, after being split up, the overall work efficiency was good, and everyone was motivated, so the company was too lazy to break the team up again.

Their previous director had been stingy, and the department rarely had gatherings. This time, everyone came, showing their respect for the new director.

As they took their seats, colleagues marveled at Director Lin’s connections. This restaurant required a private membership and reservations made several days in advance.

Yang Ruiqi held her phone to order, and something dawned on her. This restaurant was right next to that popular dessert shop, but this one seemed even more high-end and difficult to book. With a woman’s intuition, she sensed a hint of competition, but it was strange for Director Lin to be competing over this…

Duan Jiayang sat beside her. Lin Ke was wiping her chopsticks with a napkin. They didn’t interact much.

“Xiao Yang, let’s have some drinks. Duan Jiayang just said the Japanese sake is quite good.”

“Sure.”

Duan Jiayang sat next to Yang Ruiqi, far away from Lin Ke. However, the male colleague on her left wanted to drink with Yang Ruiqi, leaving Duan Jiayang awkwardly sitting in the middle. The sake was only 17 or 18 percent proof, so she had a little with them.

As she was drinking, she noticed that Lin Ke had taken the seat next to her.

“That’s a nice ring,” Lin Ke said.

Duan Jiayang saw her staring and worried she would buy the same one. She put her hand in her pocket and said, “It’s someone else’s.”

She stuffed the ring into her pocket, and when she took her hand out, her index finger was bare. But a faint, light mark on her finger showed that she had been wearing a ring, and it was someone else’s.

“I’m thirsty,” Lin Ke said.

A colleague handed her a cup. She sniffed the scent of alcohol and turned her head. “Give me the juice instead. I don’t like the taste of this alcohol.”

The colleague handed her a glass of fresh-squeezed juice. Lin Ke took a sip. Duan Jiayang took a piece of lettuce and wrapped a slice of meat in it. She put it in her mouth. Lin Ke’s gaze shifted to her from the corner of her eye, a cold, sharp look that showed she still cared…

At the department dinner, their boss was paying, so everyone ate and drank to their heart’s content. They chatted and laughed, and soon it was 9:30 p.m.

When it was time to leave, Lin Ke reminded the female colleagues to be careful in the dark and watch out for predators.

The male colleagues grumbled playfully. “Watch out for predators? We should watch out for them! They’re like wolves and tigers! They can take on ten men by themselves!”

“That just means you men aren’t strong enough!”

Everyone laughed and finished another bottle of sake. Duan Jiayang had been drinking, too, and felt that by being part of the department’s lighthearted chatter, she wasn’t so useless after all.

As they left the restaurant, the male colleagues, who had been drinking a lot, were still trying to get information. The moment the wind hit them at the entrance, the alcohol went to their heads, and one of them asked in a hoarse voice, “Director, do you have a partner?”

Several female colleagues with flushed cheeks were ready to share a taxi home. Duan Jiayang had driven her own car and was standing at the door. The wind blew, and she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, her eyes sparkling. She muttered softly, “Crazy.”

Lin Ke ignored the men. She pressed her car key twice, as if she were about to drive. Duan Jiayang frowned. “You’re drinking and driving?”

“I didn’t drink. I had juice,” Lin Ke said. “How are you getting back?”

“I’ll call a designated driver.”

“In the middle of the night? Aren’t you afraid of being robbed?”

Duan Jiayang’s appearance was flawless from her hair to her toes. Her diamond hair clip, black pearl earrings, and diamond bracelet were all worth hundreds of thousands, even millions.

Lin Ke’s car pulled up. She opened the passenger door, then looked back. “Can someone help open the back door? Have her sit in the back. I’ll drive her home.”

A female colleague helped open the door. “That’s a good idea, Jiayang. Let Director Lin take you. With all your jewelry, you might attract some bad people.”

Duan Jiayang reached into her pocket, took out the ring, and put it on. “This one’s cheap. Only 300,000.”

The female colleague said helplessly, “That’s not cheap, sister!”

Duan Jiayang was pushed into the car. She didn’t think she was drunk, just sleepy. She pressed on her temples and told Lin Ke, “Don’t you dare take me to a hotel.”

She also muttered, “The price went up.”

The neon lights of the bustling city were reflected on the car window. As soon as she got in, Duan Jiayang leaned over and untied her high heels. The white high heels dangled on her toes. She kicked them forward, and they made a soft thud as they landed in the car. Soon after, she started fiddling with her wrist, thinking her bracelet was too heavy. She took it off, looked at it, and then put it in the pouch on the back of Lin Ke’s seat. She kept fidgeting.

Lin Ke heard every single sound she made.

The wind was getting annoying. The strands of hair kept brushing against her cheek. Duan Jiayang tried to tie up her hair, but the ring got tangled in it. She pulled it off and hung it on her chest, then tied her hair back. She then leaned over to look for the ring again, but it had slipped inside her shirt.

“Xiao Yang?”

“Are you drunk?”

“Nope.”

Lin Ke’s lips curled into a smile. Duan Jiayang was still searching for the ring. It had rolled into her bra. She was wearing a romantic blue dress with thin straps. The fabric was soft. She pulled down the elastic neckline, and her white bra cup dropped, revealing her fair skin and the deep cleavage below. Her fingers traced her skin, creating a patch of pink on her pale body.

Lin Ke’s lips parted. Duan Jiayang finally pulled out the ring. She yawned as she tried to put it back on her finger. Lin Ke’s lips pressed together, and she drove a little faster.

The car stopped. Duan Jiayang didn’t get out. She frowned, looking at the surroundings. “Why did you bring me to your place? I want to go home.”

“I’m out of gas,” Lin Ke said. “You can wait upstairs for a bit. I’m going to get some.”

“No, I want to go home! Don’t lie to me.” Duan Jiayang was very wary. She reached for the door handle. “I’m not going with you. Don’t even think about it. Lying won’t work.”

Lin Ke’s hands gripped the steering wheel tightly. Duan Jiayang patted the door firmly. Lin Ke drove a little further inside and stopped again.

Drunken Duan Jiayang’s mind was clearer, and she wasn’t as dumb as she had been before. She watched Lin Ke get out and held the door tightly.

Lin Ke walked around the car. Duan Jiayang’s hands were getting weak. Lin Ke came around to the other side, and before she could stop her, Lin Ke opened the door.

Lin Ke got in and closed the door, sitting beside her.

The alcohol caused a hot flush to spread through Duan Jiayang’s body, and Lin Ke’s closeness made it even hotter. The car felt small and claustrophobic. Lin Ke took her hand and said, “What could I possibly do in the car? I’ve already called a designated driver. Someone will be here to drive soon. I’m just going to rest in the back. I’m very tired.” She then asked, “Or do you want to go to my place?”

Duan Jiayang pushed on the door with all her strength, wanting to get out and get some air, or at least wait for the designated driver to arrive before getting back in the car. Lin Ke’s thumb rubbed Duan Jiayang’s finger. She pressed down, holding the head of the swift, arrogant leopard that stared at her with its piercing gaze.

Then, she took Duan Jiayang’s wrist.

A few slivers of streetlight entered through the door’s gap, landing on Duan Jiayang’s eyes. Her long, curled eyelashes fluttered, and her small, delicate lips parted slightly. She was breathing rapidly. The fabric she had rumpled couldn’t hide the rise and fall of her chest.

Lin Ke’s other hand reached out and pulled the fabric together, her thumb seemingly unconsciously sliding over the curve of her chest. “I’m not going to do anything. I just want to look at your ring.”

Duan Jiayang grunted. It was too dark. She struggled, kicking her high heel off towards the front passenger seat. The car door opened a little due to her movements.

Lin Ke held her hand, examining it carefully.

Now, Duan Jiayang understood why she had been so uncomfortable in the office.

It was because her feelings for Lin Ke were deeply ingrained. Their relationship was meant to be sneaky and hidden. They argued and tore each other apart. Lin Ke hugged and deceived her. Every interaction between them was meant to be kept in the dark.

And now, they were in the dark.

Lin Ke’s tongue curled, hooking the leopard’s head. Duan Jiayang tried to pull back. Lin Ke took the whole finger into her mouth, her tongue wrapping around the ring, teasing it.

“What are you doing?”

“Spit it out, it’s dirty.”

She took the finger deeper into her mouth, and her nimble tongue pulled the ring back to the first joint. Duan Jiayang let out a soft “oof,” not daring to move, afraid of dropping the ring into Lin Ke’s throat.

Finally, Lin Ke bit the ring off. The silver leopard was held in her lips, its head facing Duan Jiayang, its blue eyes filled with blatant contempt. A thin line of saliva trailed down her chin.

Lin Ke put the ring on her own index finger.

“Yes, I’m very dirty.”

The very dirty woman then took Duan Jiayang’s entire finger into her mouth again. She bit down hard on the ring mark, her teeth leaving an imprint that covered all other traces.

She ignored Duan Jiayang’s breathless struggles and placed her fingertips on the corner of Duan Jiayang’s lips, gently rubbing them.

Duan Jiayang’s finger was slick, and so were Lin Ke’s.

Lin Ke’s fingers forcefully slipped between Duan Jiayang’s, gripping her wrist. Their hands were wet and sticky as they held each other.