Jiang Zongyan cupped her face in both hands, the scorching touch of his fingertips brushing against her cheeks.
Zhou Suisui’s entire body went rigid.
She instinctively tried to shrink back, but he held her firmly in place.
“Zhou Suisui…”
The man leaned forward slightly, forcing her to tilt her head up and look at him.
His eyes were startlingly bright, like a wolf that had lain in wait for a long time, staring at prey caught in its trap.
His searing gaze, brimming with undisguised possessiveness, swept inch by inch over her brows and eyes before finally settling on her full, dewy lips, lingering there as though savoring the sight.
“…”
Zhou Suisui’s heartbeat leapt straight into her throat.
She stood frozen, her mind utterly blank. She had even forgotten how to breathe.
Gulp.
Jiang Zongyan’s sexy Adam’s apple bobbed. His voice was so low and hoarse it was almost unbearable, filled with intense restraint and seduction.
“Suisui, may I?”
Zhou Suisui was flustered and at a loss. Her toes instinctively curled, and even her palms had broken out in a cold sweat.
May he?
Why was he asking her now?!
It was true that she had deliberately teased him and acted up in front of him quite often lately.
Back then, she had known perfectly well that he would never take things too far with her.
But now…
She was so panicked that she didn’t know what to do.
Jiang Zongyan’s gaze was burning, yet he remained astonishingly patient.
He simply held her face and quietly waited for her answer.
As if the moment she nodded, he would pounce on her without the slightest hesitation.
Oh, God!
Just when Zhou Suisui felt she was about to suffocate beneath the force of her own breathing, her phone suddenly rang in her pocket.
The melodious ringtone shattered the tension that had been stretched to the breaking point.
It was as though someone had suddenly released the pressure points on her body. Zhou Suisui shoved Jiang Zongyan away and fumbled frantically for her phone.
It was her brother calling.
A bad feeling flashed through her heart. She took a deep breath and answered.
“Brother…”
Before she could finish, he cut her off.
“Are you coming down yourself, or should I come up there right now?”
Zhou Sui’an’s voice was low and carried the force of an unmistakable command.
“I’m coming down. I’m coming down right now!”
Her tone was urgent, as though she was afraid her brother might actually charge upstairs.
If the two of them met at a time like this, they would definitely end up fighting.
She quickly hung up, snatched up the car keys lying on the floor, and, without even daring to look at Jiang Zongyan’s expression, hurried toward the door as though a hungry wolf were chasing her.
“Wait.”
Jiang Zongyan had been standing close enough to hear the voice on the phone.
It was Zhou Sui’an.
Seeing that Zhou Suisui was about to leave, he swiftly reached out and caught her by the arm.
For some reason…
He felt that he couldn’t just let her go.
If he did, he would definitely regret it.
“?”
Zhou Suisui stopped and turned back at him in confusion.
For some inexplicable reason, her eyes fell on his thin lips and lingered there for an extra second.
His lips were a delicate cherry-pink, their slender shape achingly sexy. They looked so soft.
When she realized what she had been staring at, she blushed and said guiltily, “I have to go. My brother is waiting for me downstairs.”
With that, she shook off Jiang Zongyan’s hand and ran away without looking back.
Jiang Zongyan stared blankly at her fleeing figure.
Only after a long while did he raise a hand and pinch the bridge of his nose, letting out a helpless sigh.
—
Zhou Suisui hurried into the elevator.
Leaning against the wall, she covered her face with both hands and finally dared to let out a long breath.
Her reflection in the smooth mirror opposite showed a face flushed red, like a ripe peach.
The heat in her palms was astonishing.
Just now…
Had Jiang Zongyan been trying to kiss her?
The moment that thought surfaced, her heartbeat spiraled out of control, pounding loudly in her chest.
Why had he wanted to kiss her?
Wasn’t that something only couples did?
What exactly was their relationship now?
He had given her a diamond and joked that he was proposing to her. He had also given her a handmade porcelain doll. Assistant Lin had said that their CEO had molded it himself, modeling it after her…
Why was he treating her so well?
Hadn’t her brother said that Jiang Zongyan was indifferent to women?
Because of the psychological trauma he had suffered in the past, he couldn’t form deeply intimate relationships with women.
But the look in his eyes just now had been nothing like that…
Desire had churned in his eyes, as though he wanted to devour her inch by inch.
She shook her head hard, trying to drive away the absurd thought.
Zhou Suisui, get a grip!
You finally managed to cure your brother of his lovesick obsession. Don’t go and become lovesick yourself!
He was her brother’s sworn enemy!
Although she often used him as a shield just to annoy her brother, if the two of them really started dating, her brother would be furious.
To her, her brother was the most important person in the world—the only family she had by blood.
Without him, she wouldn’t be who she was today.
If her brother didn’t approve, then no matter how much she liked someone, she would never abandon everything to go with him.
The elevator doors opened.
Zhou Suisui took a deep breath, did her best to calm herself, and walked out with a composed expression.
Sure enough, the moment she stepped out of the hotel, she found herself facing Zhou Sui’an’s cold, handsome face.
His tall frame was leaning lazily against a Ferrari, both hands tucked into his pockets.
Yet his sharp eyes were fixed intently on her, as though he could see straight through her mind.
“Brother.”
Zhou Suisui’s heart jolted. She obediently walked over.
Zhou Sui’an said nothing. He merely gave her a long, profound look before opening the car door.
“Get in.”
“I drove here…”
“Have the twins drive your car back.”
He seemed to be restraining himself to the limit, but he urged her again, “Get in!”
“Sigh.”
Zhou Suisui let out a sigh and climbed into the car.
She had originally wanted to explain, but her brother looked as though he wouldn’t give her the chance to say a word.
The siblings remained silent throughout the entire drive.
The car was deathly quiet.
Zhou Sui’an said nothing, his expression so dark it seemed capable of dripping water.
Zhou Suisui didn’t dare speak either. She could only sneak glances out the window, her heart in turmoil.
When they returned to the villa, Zhou Sui’an got out of the car first without waiting for her.
Zhou Suisui immediately hurried after him and began explaining, “Brother, I’m not dating him. I just saw that he was in a bad mood, so I went to check on him—”
She hadn’t even finished the word “out” when Zhou Sui’an suddenly stopped and turned to look at her.
“!”
Zhou Suisui was startled and nearly walked straight into him.
After hearing what his sister had said, Zhou Sui’an felt his heart sink to the bottom.
Did she really not understand?
The moment a woman started feeling sorry for a man, it was already the beginning of her falling for him.
“Brother, why are you looking at me like that? You’re scaring me.”
Zhou Suisui cautiously reached out and tugged at his sleeve.
Suddenly, Zhou Sui’an seemed to deflate.
Instead of exploding in fury as he had expected, he wore a weary, defeated expression.
He reached out and gently ruffled Zhou Suisui’s hair, his voice exhausted.
“Little sister, the company is a complete mess right now, and you’re the only person by my side whom I can trust.”
“Wait a few more years. Once the company is stable, I won’t interfere no matter what kind of man you want to date. But for now… wait a little longer for your brother, all right?”
