For a moment, Jiang Ruolan felt as if she were drifting by the water, longing for all the good things but also fearing the hidden dangers. She never thought she and Xian Zihao would be like this for the rest of her life. A marriage without love…
But Jiang Ruolan was also just a woman. She needed to be doted on and cared for … Even though she had once said that she didn't need those things, Xian Zihao was like the softest tentacle that drilled into her heart bit by bit.
Jiang Ruolan didn't know what was going on.
It was a strange feeling of happiness, but also a terrifying one.
Perhaps it was the best way for them to get married. She could not see through Xian Zihao's heart and did not know that his feelings for her had become more useful, but the most frightening thing was that she actually fell in love with him in just one night, as if it was love at first sight.
Jiang Ruolan, who didn't have any strong feelings for Xian Zihao, was actually driven by his meridians' warmth, almost to the point of completely eliminating all her rationality.
****
It was 7 in the evening, and Jiang Ruolan was really hungry. Although the food in this hotel tasted good, she wanted to eat something else, such as the snacks on the street.
Furthermore, the northern city of G City sells a lot of authentic snacks. It was not easy for her to return to G City. Even if she didn't have any good memories here, eating snacks were still quite attractive to her.
Xian Zihao still hadn't come back during this time. In the morning, when she hadn't woken up, in order not to disturb her sleep, he had asked Secretary Du to pass on the massage, which probably meant that he was really busy right now.
Jiang Ruolan felt too embarrassed to call him. She changed into her new coat and put on some makeup before going out looking for food.
With great difficulty, she found a hallway filled with food stalls.
She bought many kinds of snacks and sat in a beef noodle shop to eat. Regardless of whether the snacks were clean or not, regardless of whether she had diarrhea tomorrow, her rationally will also be temporarily thrown to the back of her mind when she saw this delicious snack.
After eating, Jiang Ruolan went shopping by herself. Although she didn't buy anything, she was in a good mood and wanted to return to the hotel on foot.
This street was about half an hour away from the hotel. She was in a good mood, and because she ate too much, Jiang Ruolan decided to take a walk first. If the weather got cold, she would take a taxi back.
After walking for a few hundred meters, her line of sight caught a glimpse of a high-end hotel not too far away. She suddenly stopped her steps and looked towards the direction, only to see a black car parked in front of the hotel. She could vaguely see two people getting out of the car.
That was, Xian Zihao and…Shi Zheng
Jiang Ruolan looked at Xian Zihao, who had just gotten out of the car, and Shi Zheng, who had taken the initiative to pull him along with her to the hotel's entrance.
Jiang Ruolan stopped on her track and looked at the two of them who had entered the hotel, without expression.
The car that had escorted them to the hotel slowly drove away.
Jiang Ruolan just stood there and didn't leave. She looked at the hotel's front door and knew very well that Xian Zihao was only with Shi Zheng because of a business deal. Perhaps it was out of politeness that he sent her to the hotel, so Jiang Ruolan wanted to wait for him and go back with him.
Since Xian Zihao had given her trust, she would naturally give him the same amount of trust.
Trust was mutual; she wasn't paranoid enough to care too much about other women, so she was clear that Xian Zihao would not disappoint her.
Amidst the biting cold, she raised her head to the night sky and boringly counted nearly a hundred stars. After so long, she still hadn't seen Xian Zihao.
Jiang Ruolan looked at the lights on every hotel floor for a long time, until her feet felt numb until the cold wind had thoroughly penetrated her thick coat. She couldn't help but shivered.
Jiang Ruolan rubbed her hands together, raised them to her mouth, huff, and then stood on the spot, stamping her feet gently to warm her hands.
Time passed slowly. She lowered her head and looked at the time.
11: 05 PM.
Two and a half hours. Jiang Ruolan had been standing there like a fool for two and a half hours.
She had long since been pierced by the cold wind, and a bone-piercing chill seemed to spread to her heart. She moved her feet, which had already been frozen, and looking up at the occasional person walking in and out of the hotel, but she couldn't tell what kind of feeling she had right now.
A man and a woman alone in a hotel room for two and a half hours had not come out. Her trust had instantly turned into a joke.
Was she too serious? Or did she not understand Xian Zihao at all?
Jiang Ruolan should have left. Why wait here? After living for twenty-four years, she actually believed in emotions over and over again. She was too foolish.
Even though she couldn't help but shiver in the cold wind, she still raised her head to look at the hotel's door.
She should have trusted Xian Zihao.
Xian Zihao deserved her trust. Perhaps there was something that had delayed him. Perhaps they were just chatting inside…
Half an hour later, Jiang Ruolan still hasn't seen his figure.
Three hours without moving, with the northwest wind of G City blowing towards her.
She should be calm.
Jiang Ruolan dawdled in front of the entrance for a long time. She waited for another half an hour until the midnight bell rang in the middle of the city. When a taxi saw that she had frozen in the wind, it kindly stopped in front of her.
"Miss, where are you going? Should I take you to your destination?"
Jiang Ruolan stared blankly at the taxi in front of her, then looked at the female driver.
That's enough Jiang Ruolan.
Don't be like a fool anymore.
She moved her stiff legs to the side of the taxi and opened the door to get in.
Seeing how cold she was, the female driver's face turned pale. She turned up the heat and asked, "Where are you going?"
"Marriott Hotel."
Heaven blessed her, she could actually say such a clear word.
As the woman drove, she looked into the rearview mirror. She looked at Jiang Ruolan's dull eyes and said with a smile, "Why did you stand outside that hotel for so long? I just passed by here when I took the guests to the X District and saw you standing there. Then I passed by here a moment later and still saw you still standing there. If my calculations aren't wrong, it should have been more than three hours, right? You've been standing there for three hours in such cold weather in G City. Please don't get sick from the cold. Do you want me to send you to the hospital first?"
"No need." Jiang Ruolan's voice was a little hoarse. She looked at the neon light that was passing by and said, "Just take me back to the Marriott Hotel."
The female driver sighed and didn't say anything more. She quickly drove to the hotel.
Jiang Ruolan felt dizzy the moment she stepped out of the car. Her vision turned black, but she held back. Under the concerned gaze of the female driver, she walked in stiffly.
After returning to her room, she endured the pain in her head and quickly sent the information she had prepared during the day to the assistant she had worked with at the meeting yesterday.
Due to the meeting's report being released in the morning, Jiang Ruolan didn't have any important things right now.
Not to mention that the meeting had ended. Secretary Du had also said that there's nothing for her to do anymore, so she booked a plane ticket for tomorrow morning on the internet.
Jiang Ruolan turned her head to look out the window at the neon lights of the night. Under the city's dark sky, she suddenly felt that the city had always been so unfamiliar to her.
To Xian Zihao, perhaps he just liked her for a moment. Whether his feeling for her was deep or shallow, temporary or permanent, Jiang Ruolan didn't want to think about it.
She had been tempted by it once, and it wasn't like she had never experienced a betrayal. This time, at least, she wasn't completely caught up in it. She could at least tell herself to retreat as soon as possible.
