Chapter Eighteen: The First Kiss Incident

Boyfriend? Tong Zhenzhen looked up in astonishment at Jun Lengche. His face was serious, and his words sincere.

No way? Could he really have fallen for her? Tong Zhenzhen felt a surge of joy—was fate finally on her side?

Meanwhile, Long Tianyu was also observing the two of them. His phoenix-like eyes darkened as he noticed Jun Lengche wearing the same clothes from the karaoke bar last night. He could guess what had transpired.

Jun Lengche lowered his head, gazing gently at Tong Zhenzhen. “Little girl, don’t be upset over this. Let’s go get some rest.”

Such tenderness in Jun Lengche’s eyes? Tong Zhenzhen swallowed hard, hardly daring to believe it. But with him as a shield, retreating from Long Tianyu didn’t seem so bad.

Thinking this, Tong Zhenzhen smiled sweetly, linking her arm with Jun Lengche’s, leaning close to him, then turning back to Long Tianyu. “Bastard, see that? I’ve got a new boyfriend now—he’s a hundred, no, ten thousand times better than you. So stop scheming against me!”

“Zhen’er…” Long Tianyu watched their closeness, his eyes stormy, then sighed deeply. “I won’t give up. As long as you haven’t married, I still have a chance.”

“Are you kidding? If you want an affair, I’m not interested! Watch out—your wife knows!” Tong Zhenzhen scowled, tugged Jun Lengche, and turned to leave.

Once inside the elevator, Tong Zhenzhen let go of Jun Lengche’s arm, trying to shrink away.

Unexpectedly, Jun Lengche stretched out a long arm and pulled her tightly into his embrace. “Little girl, done using me and just letting it go?”

Tong Zhenzhen stiffened her neck. “Using? You said it first; I was just going with the flow, helping you out.”

“Be my girlfriend,” Jun Lengche whispered near her ear, ignoring her protests. As he had noticed, her ears were very sensitive; they flushed red instantly, looking utterly adorable.

The tingling warmth in her ear made Tong Zhenzhen shrink her neck, but her mind raced.

Jun Lengche was not a casual man—his words were almost certainly serious. Should she agree? Tong Zhenzhen hesitated, recalling her grandmother’s words about coming here for revenge.

No! She couldn’t agree so easily! Moreover, she had to make it clear to him that she was tied to the Jun family to prevent future trouble. Jun Lengche was shrewd and not easily fooled. After careful thought, she decided to retreat strategically.

“No! I hate you all!” Tong Zhenzhen covered her ears to avoid his teasing.

“Is it for your mother?” Jun Lengche’s tone grew serious. “That’s the previous generation’s matter. Why let it affect you?”

The previous generation’s matter? That sounded so easy. Tong Zhenzhen arched an eyebrow, shooting him a glance as two blushes of anger rose on her cheeks.

“Jun Lengche, do you know the pain of a broken family? Do you know the torment of seeing my mother weep endlessly? Do you know the shock and heartache of bloodshed among loved ones? Do you know the helplessness and despair of death’s final parting?” As she spoke, tears began to fall.

These painful memories had long been locked deep within her heart, too fearful to recall lightly. Now, thinking of them twisted her soul. She had never fainted at the sight of blood before, but after saving her mother from a wrist-cutting, the warm blood and metallic scent traumatized her. Since then, she couldn’t bear to see blood.

Jun Lengche steadied her shoulders and, seeing her tear-streaked face, felt an unexpected pang of pain.

Since Tong Zhenzhen left the Jun family estate, Grandmother Jun had been calling to warn him not to be fooled by her, insisting she harbored ill intentions.

Revenge? Was the straightforward girl capable of that?

It was he who had wanted to get close to her all along.

Jun Lengche did not agree with Grandmother Jun’s view, but his desire to be with her grew clearer. He wanted to understand her, so he investigated her life abroad.

He learned that after her parents divorced, her mother developed depression. To ease her mind, they went overseas. But abroad, her mother was deceived and lost a large sum of money. For some unknown reason, her grandfather refused to help. For years, she and her mother survived by running a small shop.

No matter how hard things were, Tong Zhenzhen faced them bravely and completed her studies.

If her mother hadn’t jumped into the sea a month ago, she might never have returned home.

Learning about her hardships only strengthened Jun Lengche’s resolve to protect her, even if a chasm divided them.

“Little girl, I can’t change what you’ve been through, but I promise to make your future peaceful,” Jun Lengche said, raising his hand to gently wipe her tears.

“Why?” Tong Zhenzhen brushed his hand away, hastily wiping her face, staring straight into his eyes. “Why do you like me?!”

The prey falling so quickly into the trap caught Tong Zhenzhen off guard. She couldn’t understand why Jun Lengche was so fixated on her. Was it desire? She wasn’t a standout beauty, and her temper was bad. What was the reason?

“Because I met you early on, because you’re my first kiss,” Jun Lengche said solemnly.

What? Tong Zhenzhen hadn’t expected that answer. Had he met her early on, meaning at the court? She remembered seeing him standing behind the despicable mistress during the verdict. But first kiss? What was that about?

“What first kiss? What are you talking about? I met you at the court!” Tong Zhenzhen was confused.

Jun Lengche looked a bit disappointed that she had no memory of what he treasured. He rubbed his forehead. “We’ve met several times. We can talk about it back at the house.”

Talk back at the house? Was there a secret? Tong Zhenzhen blinked, feeling a faint unease. Was there something about Jun Lengche she didn’t know?

The elevator arrived at Tong Zhenzhen’s floor. As the door opened, she tried to pull him back home.

But then, Jun Lengche’s phone rang.

After answering, he looked apologetic. “Little girl, there’s an emergency at the hospital. I have to go.”

“No! You haven’t explained everything yet,” Tong Zhenzhen held his hand. She didn’t want to guess wildly.

“Sweetheart, it’s a life-or-death surgery. Once it’s done, I’ll come to find you,” Jun Lengche said softly, patting her cheek like coaxing a child.

A life at stake? Hearing that, Tong Zhenzhen reluctantly let go. She wasn’t selfish enough to ignore others’ needs.

The next day was hard for Tong Zhenzhen. What was the story behind Jun Lengche’s claim of having met her many times and the first kiss? Why did she have no memory?

But Jun Lengche was gone for two days.

Tong Zhenzhen held back and didn’t call him.

Two days later, after work, Tong Zhenzhen returned to the lobby and saw Jun Lengche’s somber face.