Chapter 13: The Dignity of the Main Consort

Dragging Li Jingche into Haiyan Heqing, Jian Qing called Yan Jin over. The three had barely settled in when the owner anxiously followed them in from the back.

A few minutes earlier, he’d received a message from Li Jingche—a request to stage an ambush. The two were to pretend not to know each other, but the owner couldn’t help glancing repeatedly at Li Jingche’s expression, still acting on instinct.

“Miss Jian, Miss Yan, um... should I bring out the usual set menu?” the owner asked.

Jian Qing nodded, leaning back on the sofa, and then reached for Li Jingche’s hand. “Just add two more girls for him,” she said.

The owner glanced tentatively at Li Jingche, but the latter’s expression didn’t change—he sat quietly, like a Buddha statue.

“This gentleman...?” the owner ventured, unable to gauge Li Jingche’s temperament. He then looked at Jian Qing, caught between two minds.

Li Jingche turned his hand over, trapping Jian Qing’s in his grasp. Without sparing the owner a look, he toyed with the gold ring on Jian Qing’s index finger. “No need. I’m only here to learn.”

In the blink of an eye, while Jian Qing was distracted, Li Jingche had already slipped the ring from her finger. “Did Xiao Yuncheng buy you this?”

“Why couldn’t I buy it for myself?” Jian Qing replied.

“You don’t have such poor taste.”

Yan Jin, listening to their exchange, couldn’t help the smile that tugged at her lips. This Number 33 model was unlike anyone else—quite remarkable. “Then your taste in people is spot on; it was indeed a gift from Xiao Yuncheng.”

Jian Qing took the ring back, Li Jingche’s eyes following the movement as she slipped it onto her finger again. The feeling in his chest was oddly complicated.

What now—coveting what’s in the pot while still eating from the bowl?

But Jian Qing didn’t bother to explain. Soon, two young male models entered the room, both seemingly just past twenty. Obediently, they filled everyone’s glasses. One, with a wolf-tail haircut, nestled beside Jian Qing, calling out sweetly, “Sister, I gave you my card last time. Why didn’t you contact me? I’ve been waiting for you.”

Jian Qing could hardly remember; when it came to unimportant people or events, her memory was even shorter than a goldfish’s. With a smile, she waved him off. “Order two extra drinks tonight, and count them toward your commission.”

Li Jingche sat beside her, his gaze icy.

A business card? He recalled that.

Draining a glass, Li Jingche gave the youth a sharp once-over, then asked bluntly, “She hardly contacts her own boyfriend; where would she find time for you?”

The words carried the authority of someone with a rightful claim.

At that, the room quieted noticeably. The wolf-tailed youth, who’d been fixated on Jian Qing’s alluring features, slowly pulled his gaze away. Meeting Li Jingche’s eyes, he defiantly loosened the top two buttons of his white shirt, exposing his chest, and deliberately let a drop or two of wine spill as he drank, his eyes full of challenge.

Unfortunately, Li Jingche was the last person to be intimidated by provocation.

Jian Qing’s gaze slid over the youth, then landed on Number 33. The latter’s fierce brow instantly wilted. He glanced aside, a trace of grievance in his look. His expression was subtle, but the sense of wounded pride was palpable.

“What is it?” Jian Qing asked. She remembered Number 33 had insisted on coming—he was hoping for a part-time job here. Why the sudden sulking?

She set down her glass and turned to him.

“Sister?” the young man behind her called, unwilling to give up.

But Jian Qing didn’t look back.

“Hey—” Li Jingche sighed, “Jian Qing, do you think the pay here is high? I don’t think I’m cut out for this. I can’t drink, I don’t know how to please women… Maybe only you would pity someone with my kind of background.”

Li Jingche was growing more adept at playing the part of a broken youth. His words left Jian Qing looking reluctant to let go.

Her slender, fair fingers clung tightly to his hand. Patting his leg in comfort, she said, “You’re with me now. Don’t hesitate to tell me if you need anything—your unreliable father, your sick mother, your little sister in school, your broken home… Leave it to me. I may have lost love, but at least I have money.”

“But if I keep relying on you, won’t I be a failure?”

“Of course not. Since we’ve agreed, if we live together from now on, you handle the home, I handle the world. Using my money is only right.”

Li Jingche pressed his lips together, a sly gleam briefly in his eyes. He turned to Jian Qing, biting his lip lightly, his white teeth grazing his reddened lips—under the ambiguous light, the gesture was full of suggestion.

He twirled the ring on her finger again and pulled her into his arms. “What if you change your mind?”

This was the first time she’d seen Number 33 so clingy.

Perhaps it was the charged atmosphere, or perhaps the ring reminded Li Jingche that Xiao Yuncheng still had a place in Jian Qing’s heart, but tonight he was determined to make her take off the ring.

Her lashes, soft as velvet, curved like a butterfly’s antennae. Jian Qing pouted, then took the ring off and slipped it into Li Jingche’s pocket. “Go ahead and sell it. Gold prices are high now—over six hundred per gram. That’s half a month’s worth of meals.”

“Sister—” the wolfish youth behind her protested, clinging to Jian Qing’s arm and pouting.

“Sister, I’ve known you much longer than he has. You’ve never given me any gifts,” he whined, hugging her arm and pressing close.

Jian Qing visibly tensed, withdrawing her arm and leaning toward Li Jingche for refuge. Li Jingche took the opportunity to pull her into his embrace, lowering his head to inhale the scent of her hair—

So fragrant.

This woman had a knack for bewitching people.

She had a beautiful face; even her scent was unique and intoxicating.

Under the Li family’s Global Commerce Company, every luxury perfume brand had a counter, but he’d never smelled anything as special as the fragrance on Jian Qing.

Everything about Jian Qing was exceptional.

Generous, beautiful, elegant, and clear-headed.

But there were too many men around her!

His grip on her arm tightened unconsciously.

Especially when he saw Jian Qing take out her wallet and hand the wolfish youth another thousand yuan. His hand tightened further.

That was how she showed affection.

If she liked someone, she gave them money.

Li Jingche knew this all too well.

His brows darkened and his voice turned sarcastic. “You really are generous.”

With that, he stood and left; Jian Qing, deprived of his support, fell straight into the soft sofa.

“Wait, you—” Jian Qing started to call his name, but didn’t know whether to say “Number 33” or “He Jiangyu.”

“Sister, don’t go,” the wolfish youth pleaded, grabbing her hand and cornering her on the sofa.

The room was noisy, but here, it felt like a quiet corner.

“Sister, I want a gift too. I don’t want your money.”

Jian Qing’s demeanor grew serious. With her striking features, even a single sharp glance from her deep eyes could make people uneasy. “Sorry, gifts are for people I like. You’re here to provide a service. I give you money because it’s your job. Don’t cross the line, Xiao Wei.”