Savage Little Rose

After Wen Shuang finished her IV drip, Ji Shen offered to drive her home again. This time, she didn’t insist on refusing. Yet as she sat in the car, everything felt a bit unreal. Just a few days ago, she had thought the two of them would never meet again. Now, unexpectedly, she was seated in his passenger seat once more.

But after so many rejections, Wen Shuang had learned restraint; she didn’t bring up her father’s affairs during the drive. At a red light, Ji Shen rested his hand on the steering wheel, tapping it idly. The woman leaned against the window, half-asleep. Her pale lilac neckline slipped open a little further, revealing a delicate softness. That softness—he had once possessed it. He remembered how overwhelming it had been, impossible to hold all at once.

He licked his lips with a dangerous air. Wen Shuang’s looks truly were remarkable: her brows needed no pencil to appear dark, her lips were naturally red without color. The women Ji Shen usually encountered were heavy with makeup, but Wen Shuang suited both subtle and bold styles. With makeup, she was like a temptress; without, she exuded a pure allure. Either way, she made it impossible for a man to resist.

He suddenly regretted his previous words.

Ji Shen started the car again, and silence stretched between them until they neared her building. Only then did he finally say, "Wen Shuang, your father’s case..." His words were abruptly cut off.

A tall man stood beneath her apartment, waving at the woman as she rolled down the window. Ji Shen’s brows furrowed.

Wen Shuang realized and asked, "Officer Ji, what did you just say?" She had nearly fallen asleep in his car!

"Nothing," Ji Shen’s voice chilled. "You can get out now, Miss Wen. Your new lover is waiting downstairs."

Wen Shuang saw Lin Ansheng standing there, surprised—how did he know her address?

"Thank you, Officer Ji, for your trouble." Wen Shuang didn’t explain further. She figured after today, she and Ji Shen would have nothing more to do with each other; this encounter was just by chance, and there would be no next time. Besides, he now knew she was Qin You’s ex-girlfriend; someone of his status would surely lose interest in her.

Before she got out, the man spat out coldly, "Miss Wen, you’re truly remarkable. In such a short time, you’ve managed to attract a new man. I’m impressed."

Wen Shuang’s anger rose, ready with a retort.

But Ji Shen slammed the door and sped away!

How infuriating, to mock her like that! Wen Shuang stamped her foot, and turned to Lin Ansheng with a sudden lack of warmth. "How did you know I live here?"

"I saw it on the family information form you filled out for the dance team," Lin Ansheng replied, hands in pockets, obviously waiting for a while. "Who was that who just brought you home?"

Wen Shuang answered curtly, "Just a Didi driver."

After what Ji Shen said, he deserved nothing more than being called a ride-share driver.

Lin Ansheng looked relieved. "I thought it was a new suitor. Gave me quite a scare." Wen Shuang was beautiful; from childhood, countless boys had pursued her, slipped her secret notes. She was well aware of why Lin Ansheng waited here.

Though Lin Ansheng had helped her recently with harassment, Wen Shuang had no interest in forming unnecessary ties with her ex’s friend.

"What do you want from me?" she asked.

Lin Ansheng sensed her guardedness and explained, "I heard your family’s in trouble lately and you’re urgently seeking a lawyer. I happen to know a good one—can introduce you."

"Is he expensive?" Wen Shuang’s first instinct was to ask.

"For most, probably yes," Lin Ansheng smiled, "but for you, Wen Shuang, he’s free."

"I don’t need it for free, just give me a reasonable price I can accept."

Anything too easily obtained surely hid a trap.

"Alright, I’ll forward you his card later."

After all this, Wen Shuang asked, "Lin Ansheng, since you’re helping me, what do you want in return? Let me make it clear: if you want me to be with you, that’s absolutely impossible."

Lin Ansheng chuckled. "Wen Shuang, I just want to have a simple meal with you. Is that allowed?"

—

Ji Shen rarely returned to the old family home. The lady of the Ji family immediately started her usual urging.

"Ah Shen, the young ladies I sent you recently—why haven’t you added their WeChat? They’re all beautiful, educated abroad, you ought to meet them after work."

Ji Shen sat down. "Busy with work, no time for matchmaking."

Madam Ji wouldn’t let up. "Ah Shen, Mrs. Chen has asked me several times! Tomorrow, just do me this favor—go have dinner with her daughter, will you? Look at yourself, over thirty and not a soul to care for you!"

He toyed with his keys. In truth, he’d encountered a little rose at the hospital today, quite to his taste. But she attracted too many bees and butterflies for his liking.

"You’re not still thinking about that little fox, are you?" Madam Ji squinted at him. "If you’re waiting for her, let me tell you: give up now. I will never agree to let that woman in!"

Ji Shen’s brow darkened with irritation.

He rose. "I’m leaving."

Madam Ji complained, "Just got home and you’re leaving!"

"Going back to work." Ji Shen waved her off and strode away.

—

The lawyer Lin Ansheng recommended was reliable. After reviewing Wen Shuang’s case thoughtfully, he said he could help reduce her father’s sentence by five years. The price was very accessible; Wen Shuang knew it was thanks to Lin Ansheng’s connections.

She called to thank him. Lin Ansheng repeated, "So, can we have that meal now?"

"Of course. Your choice, my treat."

"I’m not picky. Whatever you choose, I’ll eat."

Wen Shuang considered and finally booked a renowned Western restaurant—dining there cost at least two or three thousand, a sincere gesture for a treat. Those ten-thousand-yuan places were far beyond her means.

Lin Ansheng was personable. Though things had been awkward before, conversation flowed easily once they started, and the atmosphere warmed.

Wen Shuang raised her wine glass. "Ansheng, thank you again. Without your family, no lawyer would have stepped in to help us."

Lin Ansheng clinked her glass. "It’s nothing, just a small favor. If I could just be your personal driver, I’d be satisfied."

Wen Shuang caught the implication, but only laughed lightly. "Young Master Lin is better suited to being a rich heir. Being my driver would be a waste of talent."

As they spoke, a couple entered from outside. The man was tall and upright—who else but Ji Shen? Beside him stood a girl in a white dress, delicate and scholarly. They didn’t seem particularly intimate, but it was clear the girl liked him.

Wen Shuang sat facing the door, catching his gaze directly. Ji Shen’s brow arched. His eyes lingered on Wen Shuang, full of pressure. The girl beside him saw and asked, "Brother Shen, do you know her?"

Ji Shen glanced indifferently at Wen Shuang. "No."

Then he went straight to the table beside hers and took a seat.