Falling into the Capital's Radiance - Chapter 31

Chapter 31

Zhao Zonglan was terrifying.

Shen Jingni was left flushed and feverish from his ministrations, her head spinning in a daze.

She could do nothing but plead for mercy over and over, her voice thick with tears.

He ground his lips against hers with a near-cruel intensity. His voice was husky, carrying a dominant force that commanded everything. “Call me.”

She was so breathless she could barely speak, her voice trembling as she managed, “Zhao… Zhao Zonglan.”

He bit her lip, his intensity only deepening. “Wrong.”

Shen Jingni cried even harder.

“That time at Wangjing Tower, what did you call me?”

He was holding back, his well-defined fingers gripping the bedsheets beside her. The veins on the back of his hands bulged, his abdominal muscles were taut, and the corners of his eyes were flushed red.

Shen Jingni had no capacity for thought left.

After several failed attempts, she finally murmured in her delirium, “Brother.”

Her voice shook on the final syllable.

A low chuckle escaped Zhao Zonglan’s throat, laced with an irrepressible wildness and desire as he pulled her completely into his embrace.

–

Shen Jingni didn’t wake up until noon the next day.

Her back ached, her waist was sore, and her throat felt uncomfortable.

She couldn’t even remember what time she had finally fallen asleep the night before.

All she knew was that she had been squeezed dry by that heartless capitalist Zhao Zonglan until there was nothing left of her. He had even forced her to call him “Brother” countless times.

Still, the older man really did have a great body, and the sound of his panting was incredibly seductive; everything about him hit her preferences perfectly.

Realizing something was wrong, Shen Jingni quickly slapped her own cheeks.

How could she be reminiscing about it?

Just then, her phone on the nightstand rang.

It was a message from Zhao Zonglan.

[I have something to attend to down the mountain. Be good and eat your meals.]

Shen Jingni pursed her lips. He really was a busy man.

Her young miss temper flared up, and she replied with a somewhat displeased “Oh” before getting up to freshen up.

Although Zhao Zonglan had shown some restraint last night, her body was still covered in ambiguous marks-on her waist, her legs, and her neck.

Fortunately, it was winter. Except for her neck, everything else was hidden under her clothes.

She barely managed to cover the marks on her neck with concealer before she felt confident enough to head out.

Chang An had thoughtfully brought over some food.

Mutton and radish porridge along with some light side dishes.

“The mutton was flown in from the Northwest by Young Master Song’s people. It’s very fresh. Please try some, Miss Shen.”

Shen Jingni was indeed hungry, so she picked up a spoon and began to eat. She then asked Chang An, “You didn’t go down the mountain with Zhao Zonglan?”

Chang An replied respectfully, “Sir asked me to stay at the villa to look after you.”

“What did he go to do?”

“I’m sorry, Miss Shen, but… I’m not sure.”

Shen Jingni fell silent.

She understood the rules of these prominent families. It wasn’t that Chang An didn’t know; it was that he couldn’t tell her without Zhao Zonglan’s permission.

Too many rules. It was quite dull.

Shen Jingni was full after only a few bites.

Coincidentally, Song Yu came to find her at that moment.

“Miaomiao, we’re going skiing this afternoon. Do you want to come?”

Shen Jingni was exhausted from the night before and lacked energy, but since she had nothing else to do, she agreed.

“But I don’t know how to ski.”

She had been frail since childhood, and her parents never allowed her to go skiing in the freezing cold for fear she would catch a cold or fall ill. So, despite her longing for the sport, she had always been a total novice.

Song Yu said, “It doesn’t matter. Sixth Miss Zhao brought in several ski instructors, and the gear is all ready. We just need to go and have fun.”

To the north of the villa, the ski resort was vast, featuring slopes of varying difficulty levels.

Several large snow-making machines ensured there was plenty of snow and perfect skiing conditions.

Zhao Yueling had brought a team of professional ski instructors. The instructors were all tall and sturdy. Although they were dressed in heavy ski suits, helmets, and goggles that obscured their faces, their movements were fluid and professional-very handsome.

When Shen Jingni arrived after changing, she saw Song Yu staring at the ski slope ahead, exclaiming, “Whoa, you can even do it like that?”

She followed Song Yu’s gaze.

An instructor in a blue ski suit was holding Zhao Yueling steadily in a bridal carry. His skis kicked up a wave of pure white snow as they sped down the slope. Snowflakes lightly dusted their ski suits, drawing a cry of excitement from the woman in his arms.

They were going fast, yet they were incredibly stable.

As expected of an instructor.

Zhao Yueling walked over, brushed the snow off her clothes, and looked at Shen Jingni with a smile. “Would Miss Shen like to try?”

She then winked enticingly. “It’s no fun stumbling around on your own. It’s much more thrilling to be carried by a handsome guy while skiing.”

Shen Jingni was a bit tempted.

Her heart was itching to try, but she was also afraid of falling. Even with an instructor, there was always a chance of an accident.

“Oh, my Fifth Brother is back.”

Zhao Yueling sighed with some regret and whispered in her ear, “I don’t dare tempt you anymore, or he’ll cut off all my cards.”

With that, she went back to playing.

Shen Jingni glanced sideways and saw Zhao Zonglan standing at the entrance.

He wasn’t in formal wear today. Over a black semi-turtleneck sweater that outlined his sharp neckline, he wore a gray overcoat. Below, he wore a pair of well-tailored trousers that fell straight over a pair of polished boots. He looked a bit more elegant and approachable than usual.
With him was Third Miss Rong.

Rong Zaiyi wore a white coat, looking gentle and dignified. She had her head tilted, saying something to Zhao Zonglan.

Zhao Zonglan had one hand shoved into his trouser pocket while the other held a cigarette, his posture relaxed and casual.

Standing together, they looked like a well-matched couple.

This was Shen Jingni’s honest thought.

Yet, for some reason, she found the sight an eyesore.

Her heart felt cluttered and restless.

So he had a beautiful lady to keep him company. No wonder he had been nowhere to be found for half the day.

He didn’t care whether she lived or died.

*Pah. Scumbag.*

Shen Jingni withdrew her gaze and walked toward the other side.

She was going to find a coach now and go skiing. She didn’t want to look at him.

Seeing her turn and walk away without a backward glance, Zhao Zonglan’s handsome brows knitted together. He instructed Chang An, who was behind him, to prepare a ski suit.

Song Yu and Chu You both knew how to ski, and with gentle, handsome coaches accompanying them, they were soon having a blast.

However, their skills were lacking. One after another, they wiped out with a thud and even rolled down the slope.

This…

Shen Jingni felt a bit intimidated.

The gentle and considerate male coach beside her spoke up to reassure her. “It’s okay, don’t be afraid. Just trust me.”

“Okay.”

The coach was very responsible. “How about I hold you and we go down once together? You can get a feel for it, and then I’ll teach you?”

Before Shen Jingni could answer, she was suddenly pulled into a different embrace.

With a dark expression, Zhao Zonglan wrapped his arms around her and hoisted her up. He shot a cold glare at the ski coach. “Get lost.”

Once the coach realized who it was, he immediately bowed in apology and fled as if for his life.

Shen Jingni instinctively wrapped her arms around Zhao Zonglan’s neck, her legs circling his waist.

Meeting the man’s deep, dark eyes, she questioned him crossly, “Zhao Zonglan, what are you doing?”

Zhao Zonglan’s voice was low and cold. “Taking you skiing, obviously.”

“Hold on tight.”

The ski slope was dyed a golden orange by the setting sun.

Zhao Zonglan wore a black-and-white ski suit, looking tall and sharp. His core strength was powerful and stable; even while holding someone, he could perfectly control his direction and speed.

Shen Jingni was completely enveloped by Zhao Zonglan’s broad chest. His hands were firm and strong, providing an absolute sense of security that chased away her fear.

The sound of the wind whistled past her ears.

She slowly opened her eyes and saw tiny snow crystals gilded by the sunset, shimmering brilliantly.

In the blink of an eye, they scattered with the wind.

Although the experience was quite good, Shen Jingni still had the temper of a young miss.

After leaving the ski resort, she barely spoke to Zhao Zonglan.

Zhao Zonglan simply assumed the girl was throwing a tantrum over what happened last night.

She was incredibly delicate and had been crying the whole time.

During dinner, Zhao Zonglan was invited by Song Yanting and the others to go for drinks.

Song Yu sat next to Shen Jingni and lowered her voice. “I wanted to tell you yesterday-that Third Miss Rong is something else.”

Shen Jingni propped her cheek up listlessly and raised an eyebrow. “What about her?”

“I heard the old lady of the Zhao Family has always thought highly of her and intends for the Zhao and Rong families to unite through marriage.”

“I even saw her go out with Mr. Zhao this morning. They said they were discussing some tourism project. She’ll probably be staying here for another couple of days.”

At this point, Song Yu changed her tone. “But then again, you and Mr. Zhao are just getting what you need from each other without involving feelings. You can just pretend you don’t know.”

“I’m just telling you what I know so you can judge for yourself. Don’t let yourself get the short end of the stick.”

Shen Jingni lowered her eyelashes and let out a very soft laugh. So he had gone out with Rong Zaiyi.

She just didn’t understand-if Zhao Zonglan had someone like Rong Zaiyi by his side, why did he come looking for her?

As expected, men were all fickle and untrustworthy.

She must have been out of her mind back then to believe that there were no women around Zhao Zonglan.

Shen Jingni completely lost her appetite.

Song Yu and Wen Shuyi invited her to go to the hot springs later, but Shen Jingni declined.

She dragged her exhausted body back to her room.

Chang An arrived on time, carrying the brewed Chinese medicine. “Miss Shen, Sir instructed that you must take your medicine on time.”

Shen Jingni felt like gagging just from the smell. Her temper flared up, and she said with a cold face, “I don’t want to drink it tonight. Please, just pour it out.”

This put Chang An in a difficult position.

It was his first time encountering such a thorny situation. After trying to persuade her a few times and finding her unmoved, he could only give up.

Miss Shen’s status was special, and he couldn’t force her, so he had to withdraw.

When Zhao Zonglan learned she wouldn’t take her medicine, he returned early.

At that moment, Shen Jingni was sitting on the sofa playing with her phone. She didn’t even look up when she heard the door open.

Sensing her cold attitude, Zhao Zonglan frowned in displeasure. A rare trace of anger flickered across his exceptionally handsome face.

He looked down at her, his voice low and cold. “Why aren’t you taking your medicine?”

Shen Jingni didn’t answer his question directly. She simply kept her eyes down and said flatly, “Zhao Zonglan, I want to go home.”