C4 Phone

Xiao Jie was her boyfriend. In the past, she might have wanted to spend time with him, but now she felt utterly exhausted, with no energy to deal with him. But it wasn’t his fault...

Chu Xiaoli bit her lip hard, forcing a bright smile at her reflection in the clothing store window before answering the call.

“Xiaoli.” The man’s deep, husky voice came through, always with a hint of cool detachment. “I heard from my people that you took the day off. Are you feeling unwell? Do you need me to come see you?”

His tone seemed caring, yet there was always a touch of distance.

Chu Xiaoli pressed her lips together. “I woke up with a stomachache this morning. It’s nothing serious. Don’t let it disrupt your work.”

“How could I not?” Xiao Jie chuckled softly, then his voice turned serious. “I’ll make time tomorrow to take you out to a club. Consider it making up for not spending time with you lately.”

With that, Xiao Jie hung up, leaving no room for her to refuse, as assertive as ever.

Their relationship had always been like this. Despite being together for so long, Xiao Jie never showed any intention of introducing her to his family. His demeanor was always distant, yet so polished that Chu Xiaoli couldn’t find fault with him. She wasn’t even sure if she truly liked him.

She probably did.

The girl reflected in the window had a delicate face, her expression tinged with melancholy. Her doll-like beauty drew many admiring glances, but these only made her frown more deeply.

If Xiao Jie knew she had been assaulted, would he still treat her so calmly?

Elsewhere, Xiao Chen set down the file he was holding, looking at the man in front of him with a stern face. “Donation, do I really need to handle this personally? What am I paying you for?”

A trivial document had unexpectedly caused him to rush back to the office, leaving Xiaoli behind. At this moment, Xiao Chen was so furious he felt like he could kill someone.

Donation, clearly accustomed to such outbursts, remained calm and composed. Without haste, he placed a series of unprocessed documents on the desk in front of Xiao Chen, his tone steady and respectful: "Director Xiao, you have a lot of work, and not a moment to waste. I'm sure you're more aware of this than I am."

Xiao Chen gave a sly smile, propping one hand on the desk. "That's none of your business."

Donation paused for a moment. "Yes, Director Xiao."

Xiao Chen's lips curled into an enticing smile, but his words were cold and ruthless: "Get out."

Donation turned pale but still walked out.

In the vast office, Xiao Chen furrowed his brows, his fingers unconsciously tapping on the desk. Interesting...

Xiaoli had the audacity to pretend not to recognize him. What game was she trying to play now? Did she think that by acting like she didn't know him, she could erase what she did to him back then?

Fine, he'd play along with her little "I don't know you" game.

A sinister, enigmatic smile tugged at his lips, and a dangerous yet irresistibly alluring glint flickered in his dark eyes.

...

Meanwhile, Xiaoli had no idea she had already been marked by someone. She was busy adjusting her phone's ringtone, trying to calm her nerves, and reassuring herself that it was just like being bitten by a dog—no big deal. After all, these days, being a virgin wasn't worth much.

Now that things had come to this, no amount of lamenting could change it. She had to pull herself together.

Just as she finished comforting herself and put her phone back in her bag, it suddenly vibrated. She glanced at it, puzzled. It was an unfamiliar number.

After a moment's thought, she decided to answer.

"Xiaoli." A man's cool voice came through, the gentle tone making it hard to believe that the owner of the voice was the same person who had tormented her that night. "This is my number. In the future, I don't want to see you not picking up."