Jingxia Rose

Chapter 68, Page 069: Wen Qi's Attack
When Ji Xuan woke up, the sky was just beginning to lighten, and the heavy curtains kept out all the light.

The room was still dark, and she couldn't see the layout of the room, but she could smell a faint, familiar woody scent.

But before the brain could fully wake up, it was overwhelmed by the stinging and drowsy feeling of a hangover.

She raised her hand to rub her temples; her throat was very dry. She wanted to check the time, but couldn't find her phone by feeling around on either side of the pillow. Instinctively, she reached for the lamp.

However, the distance to the bedside table and the position of the lamp were different from what she remembered. As soon as her feet touched the ground, she felt a soft cashmere blanket. Then, the motion-sensor light on the edge of the bed turned on, making her frown and close her eyes for more than ten seconds.

When she opened her eyes again, the layout that greeted her was still familiar, yet it felt strange to her.

After a few seconds of stunned silence, my brain realized that this was the bedroom of Wen Qi Hotel Suite.

Her body stiffened slightly as she recalled the night before when she had been drinking and receiving gifts, and then...

It was just a blank page.

She quickly turned on the desk lamp and immediately noticed her almost naked body; her mind went completely blank.

But she was alone in the large room. She trusted Wen Qi's character and knew he would never take advantage of her vulnerability. However, because of past experiences, she was a little unsure of her own character.

After the initial panic subsided, she forced herself to calm down and searched her clothes for anything.

Finally, it was discovered that the beige sweater was folded neatly and placed on the single sofa, while the down jacket was hung neatly on a hanger.

She pursed her lips, put on her clothes, casually tied her disheveled hair into a low ponytail, took a deep breath, opened the door, and went out.

The living room curtains weren't fully drawn, and light from outside shone through the gaps.

Ji Xian had only taken a couple of steps when he noticed a figure rising up on the sofa.

She paused for a few seconds, her heart skipping a beat.

Wen Qi was covered with a cashmere blanket. Perhaps the sofa wasn't long enough, so he was lying on his side with his long legs curled up, fast asleep.

Ji Xian stood at the end of the sofa, looking down at his sleeping face.

Wen Qi had poor sleep quality and was a light sleeper. When he felt that burning gaze, his long, curved eyelashes fluttered gently, and he opened his eyes. As soon as he lifted his eyelids, he saw the beautiful figure hidden in the dim light.

To be honest, it's quite scary when someone suddenly stands next to you while you're sleeping.

But that fleeting figure was all too familiar to him.

He propped himself up and sat up, casually rubbing his hair. His voice, husky and sexy after waking up, asked, "Why are you awake so early?"

"I woke up thirsty."

Upon hearing her voice, Wen Qi regained consciousness, threw off the cashmere blanket, slipped on his slippers, turned on the living room floor lamp, and went straight to the kitchen to pour her a glass of warm water.

She asked softly, "Does your head hurt?"

Ji Xuan was busy drinking water, finishing the whole glass in one gulp.

Wen Qi asked, "Want some more?"

"I'll go get it myself..."

"You sit down, I'll pour it." With that, she took the cup and went to the kitchen.

After she finished drinking two glasses of water, her complexion seemed to have become a little rosier, and her eyes were filled with gentleness. She asked again, "Does your head hurt?"

Ji Xian pursed her lips and replied tactfully and reservedly, "It's alright," and then added, "I'm sorry for causing you trouble last night, and for making you sleep on the sofa."

"It's nothing." Wen Qi felt that these two words were too pale and weak. After thinking for a moment, he felt that Ji Xian should also be waiting for an explanation, so he continued, "You drank too much last night. I was afraid that you would catch a cold up there. They didn't seem to be leaving, so I carried you down."

Ji Xian was speechless, unsure whether to be generous and let it go or to hold a grudge.

Given their relationship alone, Wen Qi's action was presumptuous, yet he appeared righteous and offered a timely explanation, citing her concern as the reason.

She really couldn't bring herself to say anything to blame her.

She didn't want to be so dramatic. Besides, she took up his bed for one night and made him sleep on the sofa for the rest of the night; logically and emotionally, he was the one who suffered a loss.

"Thank you." Ji Xuan then remembered to ask, "Where's Polina?"

"When I carried you down, she was still drinking with several secretaries. I told Assistant Yang to ask the front desk to book another room for Polina."

Ji Xuan nodded thoughtfully.

If you can give Polina an extra room, why not give her a room all to herself?

It has to be...

Thinking of this, she looked at him deeply, and a slight, strange feeling welled up in her heart again.

"Have you washed up?" Wen Qi asked. "I asked the waiter last night to prepare an extra set of disposable toiletries, which I put in the bathroom."

Ji Xian's first reaction was to refuse, but she couldn't bring herself to leave the house without washing her face or brushing her teeth. She threw her coat on the sofa and went to the bathroom.

He glanced at her retreating figure, a slight smile playing on his lips, and gently pinched the bridge of her nose with his long, slender fingers.

He actually drank quite a bit last night, but unlike Ji Xian, he didn't mix drinks, and his alcohol tolerance was better than hers.

When Ji Xian came out of the bathroom, she was much more energetic, her mind was no longer muddled, and her vision was clear. She walked to Wen Qi's side, thanked him again, and when she saw that he was just staring at her without saying a word, she took her leave.

"You must not have slept well last night since Mr. Lao Wen took care of you. Go and catch up on your sleep now. I'm leaving now."

Wen Qi didn't ask her to stay, but simply reminded her to take the scarf.

Ji Xian didn't bring her bag when she came over yesterday; she was staring at the LV scarf on the sofa armrest.

She had received the gift while slightly tipsy yesterday, but now that she was sober, she pursed her lips and politely declined, "I appreciate Mr. Wen's kindness, but this gift is too much, I..."

“It’s not heavy, it’s just a scarf.” Wen Qi interrupted her and continued to persuade her, “Besides, you’ve been working with us for over a month, consider this a thank you gift for your hard work.”

Ji Xuan was also surprised to find that he was so good with words.

During the year or so she spent at Chengkong, it was common for clients to give her gifts after she finished a translation assignment.

That's how those wines came about.

But because of our special relationship, receiving a gift from him would definitely feel very different from receiving gifts from other customers.

She would feel awkward, complicated, and at a loss.

Her lips moved again and again, "I understand what Mr. Wen means, but this scarf..."

Giving a scarf as a gift is actually a bit ambiguous.

But she didn't know that this was Wen Qi's second step in his attack. Yesterday's apple was the first step, which is why he was testing the waters step by step.

"Secretary Ye also said this scarf looks good."

This statement is ambiguous. It doesn't say that Ye Xueyan chose the gift, but Ji Xian thinks that Ye Xueyan did.

If her gift hadn't been so different from everyone else's, she almost would have believed it.

In the end, she accepted it anyway.

When I came out of the hotel, it was already getting bright.

In the afternoon, Polina accompanied Wen Qi and his group as their translator, while Ji Xuan went directly to Cheng Kong instead.

When it was time to leave work, she went straight home. After a quick dinner, a friend request notification suddenly popped up on WeChat.

That name, that profile picture—it felt so familiar.

Almost immediately, she murmured his name, "Wen Qi?"

Waiting for Mr. Wen's third step, a direct statement of his intentions.
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(End of this chapter)