Jingwei, seemingly oblivious to the bomb he just dropped on his watchful audience, stood up straight.
Every eye in the room was drawn to his imposing stature and handsome face. Under the bright lights, he seemingly had the aura of a crown prince ready to inherit a kingdom.
It was so different, so unlike, from his usual playboy persona that reporters dared not look away, fearing that it was a mirage that would vanish if they simply blinked their eyes.
When did Sun Jingwei become someone dependable?
The women (and more than a few men) felt their hearts flutter just a bit when his kind eyes roved over all of them, as though they were the only ones that mattered to him at that very moment.
(Meanwhile, Shengli caught Yi Ting's confused eyes. She was clearly wondering what happened to her boss in those few days. Was he replaced by a pod-person, or body-jacked by an alien? Did he have another person's soul stuck in his body?
Shengli could only give a miniscule shake of his head. He'll explain it to her later.)
"I would love to stay and answer more questions, but as you can see, we've reached the end of our allocated time together." Jingwei said grandly. "I would not like to take up any more of your precious time than necessary."
"For any more enquiries, feel free to approach the media branch of Sun Enterprises, we'll be glad to address your questions."
The reporters clearly felt differently, refusing to leave their seats until they got more details. They had to know if Jingwei was planning on cleaning trash, visiting orphans or building pet shelters for abandoned animals, so they would know when to send a film crew his way.
But Jingwei had done what he was out to do, and he refused to entertain them for any longer. He gave a politely firm smile and turned around.
Camera lights flashed repeatedly, and reporters continued to yell his name.
"Mr Sun Jingwei! What do you mean by community service?"
"Mr Sun, will your community service be sentenced by the court?"
"Mr Sun, when is your wedding?"
However he ignored all of their comments, striding confidently away. It made the reporters more desperate to get a scoop, and they left their seats to chase after him with their microphones.
Oh, this was bad.
"Sun Jingwei!" A voice called out for him from the doors. He could have recognized it in his sleep.
A delighted smile bloomed on his face as he watched Xue Ning's figure coming closer.
Jingwei had to do a double-take when he saw her. He had only seen Xue Ning wear a variety of casual wear and work outfits, so seeing her all dolled up like this was something incredible!
Even from a distance, she looked fantastic in her new outfit. The crystals reflected the bright lights of the room, making her glow, as though she was an angel that descended from Heaven to bless them lesser beings with her presence.
She had to be from heaven, because her figure was sculpted by the Gods. He felt like every teen male lead when they saw their lovers descend from a staircase at prom, captivated by the beauty his eyes have been privileged to behold.
His eyes wandered up and down, trying to take all of her in, suddenly feeling the urge to show her off, and gouge out the eyes of anyone that looked at her wrongly.
Sun Jingwei had immediately stopped trying to escape! The reporters cheered inwardly. Now they can continue to shove their microphones and cameras to his face to get their scoop.
A few wiser ones chose to direct their attention to the woman that held Sun Jingwei's attention.
"Is this your fiancee, Mr Sun?" One reporter asked, and before Jingwei could even reply, they made their own conjectures.
Mr Sun had mentioned a woman he was so in love with that he was willing to risk possibly dying to eat dinner with her.
The lovesick smile and look of awe on his face as he saw her stormed into the room certainly fit their description.
Immediately the horde of reporters shifted their focus, turning their cameras and microphones to her.
Xue Ning blinked, temporarily blinded by the camera flashes. If she had known it'll be something like this, she would have bought a pair of sunglasses first!
"Excuse me! Are you Sun Jingwei's fiancee?" A reporter demanded.
"How long have you been engaged?" That reporter never got a straight answer from Jingwei, and hence decided to try his luck with her instead.
"What do you think about his reckless behaviour?" Another one asked.
She should have gotten earplugs too. God, these reporters were loud. They had microphones right in front of them, so why were they raising their voices?
Xue Ning ignored all of their questions, stomping on as many toes as possible to ensure they didn't block her way. They still didn't get the hint. Over the crowd of heads, she tiptoed to catch Jingwei's eye, shooting him a pleading look.
Help me out of this mess! I'm going to cut a bitch if you don't! Jingwei let out a rich laugh that attracted their attention, but his eyes were locked onto Xue Ning's own.
He walked closer, every inch the prince from a fairytale. Xue Ning felt her heart skip a beat, and not because he was here to save her from the mob of reporters.
Viewers from home could only swoon and sigh, wishing they were in the shoes of that mysterious woman.
The reporters parted to give him a clear look at her, sensing that they would be able to get a better scoop of their loving relationship if they actually managed to see each other.
"Kindly let my fiancee through, as you can see, she's not that tall." Jingwei said glibly, avoiding the death glare Xue Ning shot him.
The reporters waited with baited breath for their meeting. Judging by the displeased look on the woman's face, they could be seeing a couple arguing!
They watched as she easily stormed towards him, with multiple cameras pointed in her direction so they didn't miss a single moment.
"Hey," Jingwei said, smiling breathlessly as he stared at Xue Ning.
Xue Ning had always been lovely to him, but right now, he could drown in her beautiful eyes, highlighted in dark kohl and silver shimmer. He was no poet, but even he could be inspired to pen a sonnet or fifty at the sight of her bright red lips, looking so luscious and tempting he wanted to lean down to get a taste.
Instead he leaned to whisper in her ear.
"You made it."
"How could I miss it?" Xue Ning replied sweetly, but Jingwei caught the amusement in her eyes. Her hand reached out for his, and she cocked her head coyly at the door. To anyone else, it would have looked like she was acting cute, but Jingwei caught her signal.
Jingwei smiled.
Reporters and paparazzi were beside themselves with glee. Internet viewers were losing their minds. They were holding hands now! Maybe they would kiss next!
They leaned in closer, their bodies nearly touching. Their hands were still tightly linked, fingers laced with one another. Everyone held their breath. Any moment now, they would see them overcome with love and passion!
Jingwei winked. Xue Ning smirked.
As one, they both turned and ran straight for the door, with their linked hands swinging madly between them!
This 𝓬ontent is taken from f(r)eeweb(n)ovel.𝒄𝒐𝙢