Mo Xiuchen was so close to Wen Ran that his warm breath brushed against her ear as he spoke. The heat of it sent a slight tremor through her body, and under the gentle stroke of his long fingers, her heartbeat suddenly lost its rhythm.
A faint blush crept onto her fair cheeks.
She turned her head, and when her eyes met Mo Xiuchen's deep, unfathomable gaze, it felt as if an invisible hand had plucked at her heartstrings. Instinctively, she shook her head.
"No, I wasn't planning to leave. I came back, didn't I?"
Mo Xiuchen let out a soft "Mm," the corners of his thin lips curving slightly, seemingly satisfied with her response. He placed his hand back on the chair's backrest and added nonchalantly, "After dinner, drive me back to the office. I have something to tell you."
"Alright."
Wen Ran nodded lightly. She noticed that across from them, Cheng Jia had her head lowered, biting her chopsticks, lost in thought. She understood—Mo Xiuchen was likely doing all this on purpose for Cheng Jia to see.
After dinner, Mo Xiuchen instructed Gu Kai to take Cheng Jia back to the Nanqin Hotel. He himself sat in the luxurious Aston Martin's passenger seat, waiting for Wen Ran to settle into the driver's seat and fasten his seatbelt for him.
As the faint fragrance of her scent reached him, a glimmer of light flashed in his deep eyes. Just as she finished fastening his seatbelt and was about to withdraw, he suddenly clasped her wrist.
"…"
Wen Ran was caught off guard. His sudden grip nearly sent her falling into his arms, causing her heart to jolt. Her eyes widened in surprise.
"You wanted to know what my relationship with Cheng Jia is, didn't you?"
Mo Xiuchen's handsome face was just inches from hers, his dark, intense gaze locked onto hers.
Wen Ran stared at him in confusion. When had she ever said she wanted to know about his relationship with Cheng Jia?
"You don't want to know?"
Seeing her remain silent, Mo Xiuchen's gaze darkened slightly, his voice tinged with displeasure. His grip on her wrist tightened just a bit, closing the distance between them even further, their breaths intertwining.
Wen Ran wasn't sure if she was dizzy from his question or if his proximity had completely thrown her off balance.
The car's confined space felt overwhelmingly small, and their current posture was undeniably intimate. Her mind became an utter mess.
"Wen Ran, remember this—I am your husband."
Mo Xiuchen released her wrist, his deep voice resonating through the car. After speaking, he turned away, no longer looking at her.
Wen Ran frowned. Studying his slightly rigid profile, she couldn't understand what she had done to upset him.
After a moment's thought, she hesitantly asked, "Isn't Cheng Jia your lifesaver? Besides that, do you two have any other relationship?"
Mo Xiuchen turned back to face her, his deep eyes locking onto hers. Instead of answering directly, he said, "No matter who I'm with, you don't need to avoid me."
It took Wen Ran a long moment to understand what he was actually upset about.
A strange emotion stirred in her heart. She blinked guiltily before admitting honestly, "I wasn't avoiding you because you were with another woman. It's just that Cheng Jia is your savior, yet I don't like her at all. So, I thought it would be better if I just left."
Confirming that she wasn't lying, the sharpness in Mo Xiuchen's expression softened slightly. In a calm tone, he said, "It's normal that you don't like her. Although she saved me when we were children, I don't like her either."
Wen Ran thought she had misheard him.
What did he mean? He actually said… he didn't like his own savior?
"Why?"
Just as she asked, Mo Xiuchen suddenly chuckled. His smile was alluring and captivating. He stared at her for a few seconds before parting his thin lips and replying in a low, magnetic voice—
"If I were to like someone, it would only be you. Never anyone else."