Chapter 237: Desire and Perseverance
April 27, Monday.
City C, District G, a high-end office building, Axtes Import and Export Trading Company.
“Xiaoguo, please send this fax. Xiaolian, notify the legal department to review all the contracts. Also, coordinate with the Myanmar side on customs clearance procedures; make sure there are no mistakes!”
The door of the general manager’s office opened, and Zhong Jing leaned out, giving instructions to a few people at their desks.
Hearing the familiar voice, Jiang Yao slightly turned her head but didn’t face him directly. A few seconds later, she lowered her head and continued pretending to organize her documents.
“Um, Xiaoyao, come to my office for a moment…”
Watching Jiang Yao’s back, Zhong Jing hesitated for a few seconds but couldn’t help but softly call out.
Jiang Yao’s body trembled slightly as she slowly turned around, looking at the busy Xiaoguo and Xiaolian, then forced a smile and reluctantly stood up.
“Hey, why is Assistant Jiang wearing such shabby sportswear to work today? Looking like a messy high school student?”
“Hehe, maybe it’s Zhong’s preference? If she adds a pair of student glasses and holds a cup of discounted milk tea, she’ll totally look like an innocent high school girl…”
Speaking of milk tea, I suddenly remembered. This morning, Assistant Jiang was drinking the beverage she brought to her desk; it looked like pomegranate juice and had a strange taste…
Not far away, a few female employees were whispering, making Xiaoguo and Xiaolian frown secretly—there’s nothing to be done; with the May Day holiday approaching, almost everyone’s mind is elsewhere.
In the general manager’s office, Jiang Yao was lazily leaning on the sofa, her eyes slightly closed, looking a bit tired.
“You haven’t been answering my calls for the past two days. Are you feeling unwell… or did you argue with Jiang Yan again? Why not leave work early today?”
Zhong Jing walked over with a cup of hot fruit juice, smiling at the listless girl.
“Stop guessing… I overexerted myself a bit over the weekend. Wanjie wants me to practice more to improve my physical and mental stability.”
Jiang Yao glanced at the hot fruit juice in his hand, lazily arched her back, and plopped back down on the sofa, appearing to want to fall asleep again.
“Heshan Seika is going back to Japan for the holiday soon. Why don’t I go over to your place…”
“Don’t come to my house!”
Jiang Yao suddenly sat up, as if realizing her reaction was too extreme. She quickly lowered her head and spoke in a hushed tone, “What would you want to come to my house for? Don’t think I don’t know, shameless scum…”
The girl in front of him, half shy and half annoyed, made Zhong Jing unable to help but swallow back his saliva.
Pretending to feel hot, Zhong Jing loosened his tie, wearing a flattering expression: “It’s been a week since I last went to your house to play games with you, and you’re really not upset?”
“Aren’t you always thinking I’m crazy? Treating me like a flood monster, and now you’re throwing yourself into the net? No, my period just came, I’m not interested…”
Jiang Yao took the hot fruit juice, took a small sip, her sarcastic words quietly avoiding Zhong Jing’s glare.
Zhong Jing was stunned for a few seconds, then smiled awkwardly, rubbed his nose, and tactfully returned to his desk to focus on work.
Not long after, his phone alarm went off; it was time for him to end his half-day of work and leave.
In his office, Zhong Jing couldn’t remember much, feeling an intense heat in his heart that made him restless.
Looking at his spacious office and the mostly empty work area outside where staff were out for lunch, Zhong Jing sighed softly.
This was a new cycle of mental and physical fluctuations that formed after he experienced a wild night with Jiang Yao.
“Once a man tastes sweetness, he will always want more. How did I survive before… I’m not a scumbag, right?”
Pulling open the drawer, he took out a small medicine bottle, shaking the half-transparent capsules inside. A bitter smile appeared on Zhong Jing’s face.
“Should I stop taking this medicine for a while to see what happens?”
A minute later, he couldn’t resist a certain impulse and took out a pill, popping it into his mouth.
The warmth spread through his body, energizing him, sweeping away all fatigue, but like adding fuel to the fire, it intensified certain impulses he found hard to resist.
…
…
Before night fell, Zhong Jing returned to his parents’ home.
For the past week, Zhong Jing’s life was surprisingly regular—working during the day, returning home for dinner at night, rarely sleeping outside.
His transformation made his mother, Zhou Ma, think it was all thanks to Heshan Seika. It seemed that her soon-to-be-engaged son, motivated by both career and love, had learned how to be a responsible man.
“Has the European EVN Group been settled? I noticed Heshan Seika was busy with that for a while.”
During after-dinner relaxation, Zhong Hai put down his newspaper and looked seriously at his son, who was sitting diagonally across from him.
“Yes, she is familiar with the European side… Related corporate registration work is mostly done, the first fund is already in place, and production line start-up is scheduled for the third quarter. We’re still negotiating land use and policy benefits with the Z City government.”
“I’ve also clearly replied to Vice President Han of Huayao Group that we will not engage in external financing operations for now. We’ll consider it once the business is fully established. However, it’s hard to get these drugs into the national health insurance directory; the costs are just too high.”
Zhong Jing leaned on the sofa, playing on his phone, raising his head a bit in response to his father’s inquiry.
His son’s rapid advancement in the management and operation levels of relevant pharmaceutical companies made Zhong Hai nod repeatedly.
“I heard you’re still the general manager at a foreign trade company. Are you able to handle it?”
Seemingly recalling something, Zhong Hai moved to the opposite sofa, sitting beside his son, lowering his voice: “I checked; the legal person is from abroad—could it be related to the Wang family…”
Actually, for a while, Zhong Hai felt uneasy because the Wang family had severed most external contacts, entering a peculiar silence period.
No matter the state of the game he was playing, Zhong Jing turned off his phone screen, chuckling and shaking his head: “Maybe, a friend introduced it. It’s not busy; it’s basically just being a casual glove for the behind-the-scenes big boss, and the pay is pretty good.”
Zhong Hai nodded slightly, knowing his son was cleverer than himself and not one to suffer losses, so he refrained from further probing.
“…Not bad, this dress’s style and color fit your temperament well. It’s custom from a purely handmade shop by Aunt Su, and she said it was a gift for you!”
By the way, I heard your grandfather has migraines. I bought some century-old ginseng and gastrodia to take back for him to make into soup.
From the second floor direction, the voices of Zhou Ma and Heshan Seika were heard. Both Zhong Hai and Zhong Jing looked over to see Zhou Ma holding Heshan Seika’s hand, just coming out of her room, seemingly to let Zhong Jing take a look.
Standing by the second-floor corridor, Heshan Seika’s face was slightly flushed, feeling a bit shy as she nervously fiddled with the hem of her skirt and occasionally glanced down at Zhong Jing.
“Son, Qingqing is going back to school for exams tomorrow, and she has to return to Japan the day after. Come up and help her pack luggage!”
Descending the spiral staircase, Zhou Ma loudly instructed her son.
Japan has a so-called five-day holiday made up of a series of back-to-back holidays lasting over a week; this year it’s as long as ten days. Heshan Seika won’t be back anytime soon.
Looking at the wall clock, it was already past nine o’clock. Zhong Jing thought for a moment and waved to Heshan Seika, heading upstairs.
In Heshan Seika’s room.
A set of white long-sleeved dress with green patterns, fresh and elegant. Even though Heshan Seika wasn’t tall, paired with white high heels, she showcased a slim and elongated figure.
“This is good. Compared to your previous classical dresses, it looks more like the attire of a Chinese woman.”
Zhong Jing crossed his arms and, like an experienced critic, circled around Heshan Seika while softly praising her.
“Does Jing-kun think it’s nice?”
Heshan Seika’s cheeks flushed slightly; holding the skirt’s hem, she walked up to Zhong Jing and twirled around, a bit shy.
Zhong Jing smiled faintly, saying nothing further; his gaze traveled around her face, chest, and waist, carrying a hint of a slightly different glint than before.
In fact, if you set aside her real age, Heshan Seika’s appearance, figure, and temperament were quite nice—serious yet shy and naive in character… Even if her breasts were a bit small, they were harmonious.
Zhong Jing’s gaze lingered on Heshan Seika’s slightly reddened face, a ripple of emotion rose within him, mingling with certain impulses that had been brewing within him these past few days, creating a peculiar mental and physical reaction.
An invisible wall rose in Zhong Jing’s mind; every time he unconsciously thought of a certain fair-haired girl’s body, he would swiftly barrier her off, pushing her to the opposite side of the wall, never to meet again.
“Jing-kun, are you still not satisfied…?”
Heshan Seika’s nose twitched slightly, her shyness growing more intense. Perhaps remembering something, she slightly bowed towards Zhong Jing and walked toward the balcony.
A few minutes later, Heshan Seika returned to the room, blushing again, standing in front of Zhong Jing:
“I told them not to keep watch on the rooftop today… Jing-kun, I want some fruit juice.”
Zhong Jing came back to his senses, smiled casually, and walked to the semi-open tea corner of the bedroom.
“Jing-kun, I want it cold!”
Just as Zhong Jing habitually prepared to get some hot water, he heard Heshan Seika’s voice from behind.
Zhong Jing froze, slowly turned to look back, and a few seconds later thoughtfully filled a cup with ice water.
After drinking the ice fruit juice Zhong Jing handed her, Heshan Seika seemed to be in a good mood tonight, sitting down next to the piano to play a melody for Zhong Jing.
“Why a lullaby? Really choosing the right moment…”
Listening to the familiar piano tune, Zhong Jing couldn’t help but smile a bit.
“Wait, I’ll go downstairs to make a cup of coffee and come back up.”
After finishing the piece, Zhong Jing glanced at the wall clock; it was thirty minutes past nine, so he made an excuse to leave Heshan Seika’s room.
In the large Zhong family villa, whether on the first or second floor, many lights had been turned off. Zhong Hai and Zhou Ma’s daily routine was quite regular; generally, by ten o’clock, if Zhong Hai didn’t have special work, they would usually go to bed, like today.
With a cup of hot coffee, Zhong Jing returned to Heshan Seika’s room. He found that in his absence, she had changed into a semi-transparent nightgown, revealing her body curve slightly, the hem barely reaching her knees, sitting at the edge of the bed playing on her phone.
“Jing-kun, help me clear this level; I’ve been stuck. I’m going to take a shower first.”
Seeing Zhong Jing return to her room, Heshan Seika immediately smiled, her brows arched, her cheeks flushed as she handed the phone to Zhong Jing, then turned back to the bathroom with lingering looks.
After the hot coffee, Zhong Jing felt more awake, and his body was also getting hotter. He gazed fixedly at Heshan Seika’s back as she entered the bathroom, and strange thoughts began to emerge in his mind.
Jing-kun hadn’t visited Jiang Yao’s house for a week; his current mood was high as he stayed in my room. I sensed his feelings; he needs me… Standing under the shower, Heshan Seika spread the body wash, feeling a thrill of anticipation.
About ten minutes later.
“Jing-kun… hold me tighter,” Heshan Seika’s body, covered lightly by her nightgown, pressed against Zhong Jing, her eyes shimmering, red lips slightly parted.
Fingers glided over Heshan Seika’s thigh, silky and tender, causing Zhong Jing’s sensory nerves to tingle.
Now, Zhong Jing, inexplicably shirtless, leaned against Heshan Seika’s bed, his hands tightly holding her, his eyes burning with desire.
From the moment Zhong Jing entered Heshan Seika’s room tonight, both had been indirectly tearing down the thin veil between them, testing one another, breaking through barriers, waiting for the right moment to act.
Now, it seemed everything was in place; both understood each other’s feelings, just a final step was needed.
“How about turning off the light?” Zhong Jing swallowed again, smiling as he moved his hand from Heshan Seika’s chest to the bedside table.
“Qingqing…”
Heshan Seika, like a kitten, curled up in Zhong Jing’s embrace, murmuring, her eyes fixed on his face.
The last bit of dim light in the bedroom was extinguished, and Zhong Jing seemed to transform, tearing Heshan Seika’s thin dress apart like a frenzied beast, pinning her body down firmly beneath him.
“Jing-kun, I really like you. Let’s have two kids in the future, okay…?”
As Heshan Seika met Zhong Jing’s heavy breaths, she wrapped her arms around his neck, whispering sweetly in his ear.
Right next to his ear was Heshan Seika’s honeyed murmur. But in that crucial moment, a flash of lightning suddenly struck Zhong Jing’s mind!
Have children… Jiang Yao only wants to complete an unavoidable arrangement through me, to escape her fate as a queen. And I merely provided her with a less grotesque alternative compared to artificial insemination. But is it really so?
However, neither she nor I had ever considered whether that future child would be willing to accept being born under such identities and reasons?
A child… a child… Xiaoyao’s attitude towards me has changed so much these days; could it be…
Zhong Jing felt the temperature inside and outside his body rapidly drop, and that rampant, arrogant desire that had surged in his mind was instantly expelled by a deep sense of guilt.
“Jing-kun, what’s wrong…?”
Heshan Seika was already in a final stage of readiness, tightly closing her eyes and stiffening her body. Yet after several seconds, Zhong Jing unexpectedly ceased all movements, holding her and staring blankly into space.
“It’s about the Engel family’s medication… I’m controlled by the side effects of the drug, making me more like a slave to desire rather than your lover… That’s not fair to you; we have plenty of opportunities to get to know each other more deeply.”
“I’m sorry, Seika, I can’t do this with you driven by such thoughts. You know, it’s just the side effects of the drug; everything is false.”
Zhong Jing sighed, letting go of Heshan Seika, but he didn’t choose to get off the bed; instead, he lay down next to her, one hand pulling her slightly trembling bare body closer.
“Is that so… Jing-kun, do you plan to reshape your mental state? But what about Miss Jiang Yao? Isn’t it also influenced by external factors?”
Heshan Seika’s voice was hoarse and weak, feeling like a finely crafted fabric ripped apart, going from exquisite to worthless in the blink of an eye.
“Seika, I don’t know if continuing just now would ensure a better outcome than my past… But I absolutely know that whatever I do will only be worse than before… I don’t want to be a person comparing myself to my own failures.”
“I’m sorry, just sleep.”
In the dim bedroom, the blanket was pulled over to cover their bare bodies. Zhong Jing held Heshan Seika, gently running his fingers through her hair, suddenly feeling his mind clear up.
“Jing-kun, why are you so gentle yet unfeeling…”
Curling up in Zhong Jing’s arms, Heshan Seika returned to her soft murmurs, tears dampening his chest.
Zhong Jing said nothing, just stared blankly at the ceiling, taking deep breaths, gradually calming his heart rate.
It wasn’t clear how long it took, but they both began to feel sleepy.
The plush cat, Tofu, lounging in the corner of the bedroom, yawned widely out of boredom and fell asleep.
…
…
Another morning arrived. When Zhou Ma saw her son emerge from Heshan Seika’s room, sporting a messy hairdo and looking sleep-deprived, her eyes practically sparkled with excitement.
As for Heshan Seika, she took longer to come out, her face flushed with shyness as she finally stepped out, during breakfast not daring to look up at the elders of the Zhong family.
“Hubby, how about we ask the property management to keep an eye out in this neighborhood for suitable houses? The kids are growing up; they should learn to live independently!”
Watching her son and Heshan Seika across the dining table, Zhou Ma was practically beaming, only missing pulling out the names she had already thought of for her future grandchildren.
In Zhou Ma’s eyes, her son and Heshan Seika’s relationship was already set in stone.
Zhong Jing smiled, offering no explanations.
Zhong Hai, however, maintained a curious expression, gazing at Zhong Jing as if trying to see the truest emotions within his son’s eyes.
