Chapter 23: Everything They Discussed Was What He Did Not Want to Hear

Shen Suining was unaware of Lin Yinxi's resentment, and even if she had known, she would not have cared.

Carrying Jiang Yinuo out of the auction house, she followed his directions all the way to the parking lot. Jiang Ji was already sitting in the car, waiting for them.

Ye Pianpian had been by Shen Suining’s side the entire time, initially hoping to tease Jiang Yinuo and pry some information out of him. Unexpectedly, the little brat—whether out of sheer cleverness or something else—had acted like a little chatterbox the whole way, clinging to Shen Suining’s neck and talking incessantly, leaving Ye Pianpian no opportunity to interject.

This annoyed Ye Pianpian immensely. What made it worse was seeing Jiang Yinuo secretly making faces at her whenever Shen Suining wasn't looking. Ye Pianpian realized then that the little brat was doing it on purpose.

By the time they reached Jiang Ji’s car, Ye Pianpian hadn’t managed to say a single word. She felt like she was about to burst.

As the car door opened, Shen Suining looked at Ye Pianpian and asked, "Pianpian, are you coming with us?"

She and Ye Pianpian had arrived in a car provided by the Ye family driver. Ye Pianpian hadn't sent the driver away yet, and the Ye family car was parked just a short distance off. Ye Pianpian was about to nod; she was bursting with curiosity and wanted a closer look at Jiang Ji and Jiang Yinuo to decide whether she should truly push Shen Suining to abandon her current path and choose Jiang instead.

However, before Ye Pianpian could speak, she sensed a cold, oppressive gaze. Even though she didn't meet the owner's eyes, she clearly felt the threat and intimidation radiating from him. Ye Pianpian had a premonition: if she got into that car, she might very well end up being tossed into the river as they passed a bridge.

"No, Suisui, I think I'll go on my own," Ye Pianpian told her. "Let's catch up later!"

With that, she waved at Shen Suining and trotted toward her own car. Shen Suining watched her retreat, bewildered. She couldn't help but feel that Ye Pianpian had been frightened by something and was making a hasty escape.

Only after watching Ye Pianpian drive away did Shen Suining climb into the car with Jiang Yinuo. Before she was even settled, she felt an intense gaze fixed firmly upon her. Instantly, her skin felt as if it were burning. She pretended to be busy pulling at her seatbelt, but the more anxious she became, the more tangled it got.

Then, she heard Jiang Ji’s voice. He was speaking to Jiang Yinuo: "Yinuo, go sit in your safety seat."

Jiang Yinuo’s little mouth pouted instantly, enough to hang a soy sauce bottle from. Yet, having grown up under his father’s authority, he didn't dare to throw a tantrum. He obediently loosened his grip on Shen Suining’s neck, climbed down from her lap, and scurried to the front seat, sitting down quietly.

Once he confirmed that Jiang Yinuo had buckled his seatbelt, Jiang Ji raised the privacy partition. Before it closed completely, Jiang Yinuo grumbled, "Dad! You're so mean!"

The sound was completely cut off, leaving only Shen Suining and Jiang Ji in the cabin. Shen Suining finally pulled the seatbelt free, but she kept it clutched in her hand. She didn't want to turn to find the buckle, as that would force her to meet Jiang Ji’s eyes.

Jiang Ji, however, seemed to have lost his patience. He hooked an arm around Shen Suining’s waist and slid his other hand under her legs, lifting her up horizontally. Shen Suining landed on Jiang Ji’s lap, and the seatbelt she had been holding snapped back. She let out a soft exclamation and finally looked at him.

Meeting his ink-black eyes, her cheeks flushed with uncontrollable heat. Jiang Ji gave her bottom a firm pat and said with dissatisfaction, "You haven't looked at me once since getting in the car. Are you really that reluctant to see me, Suisui?"

Shen Suining bit her lip and mumbled, "I'm not." She truly didn't know how to face him, but she didn't want to admit to his accusation.

Jiang Ji patted her again. "If you aren't, then stop lying to me. Suisui, you’ll really hurt my feelings if you keep acting like this."

The two smacks left Shen Suining blushing with shame. She squirmed uncomfortably, trying to get off his lap. The friction between her soft body and his firm frame made the air in the car grow thick and scorching. When she finally realized the situation, Jiang Ji held her waist and shifted her position.

She had been sitting sideways on his lap, but now, she was straddling him, with one leg on either side of his own. As Jiang Ji pressed on the small of her back, the two were pulled into an intimate, seamless embrace. Shen Suining’s heart hammered against her ribs, racing as if it might leap out of her throat. She twisted more urgently, but Jiang Ji only pressed his hand more firmly against her lower back.

"Suisui," Jiang Ji said, "if you keep squirming, Yinuo will be left waiting for us in the car when we get home."

Shen Suining froze instantly, afraid to move. She looked at him with alarm, her voice trembling. "Mr. Jiang, please, let me sit back down. Let’s just talk."

Jiang Ji’s warm palm lingered on her lower back, rubbing it in an ambiguous, lingering way. "No," he replied. He knew without listening that whatever she wanted to discuss wasn't what he wanted to hear.

Shen Suining was only wearing a formal dress, having left her coat in the Ye family’s car. Through the thin fabric, she could clearly feel the heat of Jiang Ji’s palm. She could even feel his fingers tracing patterns on her waist, igniting a fire against her skin.

Jiang Ji pecked her cheek lightly and whispered, "Suisui, tell me you missed me."

Shen Suining was stunned, staring at him in shock. She couldn't fathom how he could say such things so easily. Amused by her expression, Jiang Ji rubbed his cheek against hers. "You don't want to say it? Then just listen to me."

She wanted to pull away, not out of resistance, but out of sheer helplessness. She wasn't prepared to hear the words that would make her heart lose its rhythm. But Jiang Ji seemed to see right through her; he was determined to make her hear his true feelings.

He cupped her face with one hand, his gaze burning, and spoke every word clearly: "Suisui, I have truly missed you these past five years."

"Yinuo has missed you too."

"Give us a chance, won't you?"

"Neither Yinuo nor I want to be separated from you ever again."

"Suisui, will you marry me?"