C8 Do You Know Me?

"You..." Jingxi's eyes flashed with anger.

"Why are you looking at me like that? Did I hit a nerve? Is he really not up to it anymore?" Jingxi smirked slyly.

"You're talking nonsense! Yize is nothing like that!" Zixin gritted her teeth. "Let me tell you, he's a beast in bed. We can go all night without stopping!"

"That impressive?" Jingxi feigned surprise, but before Zixin could bask in her pride, she asked directly, "Does he take something for that?"

Zixin was momentarily stunned, not catching on immediately.

By the time she realized, Jingxi had already left the kitchen with a cold smile.

With someone she disliked at the dinner table, Jingxi had little appetite. She quickly finished a bowl of rice and retreated to her room. But before nightfall, the sounds from next door started up.

Jingxi was speechless. How eager could they be?

She knew Zixin was doing it to annoy her, but it still hurt.

Saying she didn't care would be an exaggeration. After all, it was a relationship that lasted nearly two years.

The more beautiful the memories, the more painful the reality.

She hadn't expected that in the last six months, Yize had been deceiving her. It wasn't until Zixin came to her that she realized she'd been cheated on for half a year.

Turning away with grace didn't mean her heart wasn't aching.

She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.

Jingxi pulled out her headphones, put them on, and cranked up the volume to drown out the noise next door.

Morning came.

It was Sunday.

Not wanting to let the cheaters ruin her mood, Jingxi went for an early morning run. She deliberately stayed out for a long time, only strolling back home after eight.

But to her surprise, the two people she wanted to avoid were nowhere in sight. Instead, she found someone on her couch she never expected to see there!

That face... she'd recognize it anywhere, even if it turned to dust!

Jingxi's eyes widened instantly, her tone sharp, "What are you doing here?"

And who else could it be but Lu Tingyuv!

"This child, where are her manners?" Mr. Jiang grumbled, sensing something off in Jingxi's words. He glanced at the two of them, puzzled, and asked, "Do you two know each other?"

"No!" Jingxi lied almost immediately. Given the choice, she would never want to know this man!

But as she spoke, another voice chimed in.

"We do."

Lu Tingyuv looked up, composed and serious, meeting Jingxi's gaze.

Jingxi could clearly see a hint of challenge in his eyes. He was doing this on purpose!

She glared at him, fuming.

Mr. Jiang was a bit bewildered. One said they knew each other, the other said they didn't. So, which was it?

Having been a director for so many years, he had a keen eye for these things. Yet, he seemed oblivious as he introduced, "This is an old friend of your dad's, once a commanding officer in the military. Although he's no longer in the service, he was a colleague of mine. You should call him..."

Before Mr. Jiang could finish, Jingxi cut in, "Uncle Lu!"

Mr. Jiang choked.

Jingxi noticed Lu Tingyuv's mouth twitch, and she smiled even wider. "Uncle Lu, you must be around 40, right?"

"Jingxi, stop fooling around!" Mr. Jiang quickly reprimanded.

Jingxi pouted, but felt oddly satisfied. Yes, she was deliberately trying to annoy Lu Tingyuv. Just thinking about how he had locked her in that dark room made her upset!

She casually picked up an apple, glanced towards the kitchen where Ms. Liu was busy, and frowned slightly as she asked nonchalantly, "Where's Zixin?"

"There's something going on at Yize Company, so they both left early this morning," Mr. Jiang replied.

Once the annoying person left, Jiang Jingxi felt much better. She took a cheerful bite of her apple, her eyes landing on Lu Tingyuv. Their gazes locked.

Lu Tingyuv scrutinized her with an intense, teasing smirk, his presence almost overwhelming. His focused stare was so strong that it made Jiang Jingxi inexplicably anxious, as if he could read her every thought.

Unable to handle the tension, she turned away, but not before cheekily saying, "Goodbye, Uncle Lu!"

Lu Tingyuv frowned slightly, clearly not fond of the nickname. Jiang Jingxi, however, was delighted. His displeasure was exactly what she wanted.

With a smug smile, she turned on her heel and went back to her room. Once the door was closed, the air inside felt refreshingly crisp. But thinking about how she had retreated because of that man, she muttered to herself in frustration, "Seriously! Acting all cold, like he's some kind of air conditioner."

She glanced down at the apple in her hand, imagining Lu Tingyuv's face on it, and took a fierce bite. Take that!

Settling at her desk, she picked up a book and flipped through it, but her eyes kept darting to the door. The more she thought about it, the stranger it seemed. "I've never heard Dad mention any connections with military folks. Why did this guy suddenly show up?"

Jiang Jingxi knew her dad's routine well: home, the police station, and occasionally shopping with Ms. Liu. In her mind, he didn't have many friends, let alone ties to the military.

So, what was this man's purpose here? Jiang Jingxi narrowed her eyes, her mind racing with possibilities. Suddenly, she slapped the book onto the table with a loud thud.

A weasel wishing a chicken a Happy New Year! Clearly, this guy's up to no good!

"No way, I need to keep an eye on this. He might be planning something bad, and if he tricks Jiang, who's so naive, it could be a disaster!" Jingxi jumped up, ready to head out.

Just then, a sound came from the doorway. The next moment, the door swung open, and a tall man appeared. Before Jingxi could react, Tingyuv had already stepped inside, closing the door behind him. His gaze swept over her, a cold smirk playing on his lips.

That look made every hair on Jingxi's body stand on end. Instinctively, she took a step back, eyeing him warily. "You..."

Suddenly, the memory of yesterday's incident flashed through her mind, and she quickly raised a hand to cover her chest. But then she realized, what was she afraid of? This was her home!

Recognizing that he was the intruder, Jingxi's anger flared. She shielded her chest with one hand and pointed to the door with the other, her voice sharp, "Get out!"

In contrast to her fury, Tingyuv merely glanced at her nonchalantly and then strode further into the room, exuding an air of absolute authority. His eyes swept the room with disdain, and he frowned critically, "This place is a mess. How can you live like this?"

Seeing him dare to criticize, Jingxi's anger intensified. "Who said you could stay?"

She wanted to step forward and kick him out, but remembering his past behavior, Jingxi hesitated. Unexpectedly, the next moment, he began to approach her with a regal stride...