Chapter 103: Dominance

Page (1/3)

The next day, An Tong came into the living room with two dark circles under her eyes.
She had not suffered from insomnia, exactly—she just could not sleep. The moment she closed her eyes, the scene of Rong Zhen holding her and kissing her flashed before her.

In the center of the room, the man was already neatly dressed, sitting on the sofa with his head bent over his phone. As soon as he heard the sound, he looked up, and a smile curved at the corner of his lips.

Even though An Tong was very familiar with him, every time she saw him in that classic white shirt and suit trousers, her heartbeat quickened involuntarily.
He was handsome, elegant, charming, and disarmingly mature in his warmth.

She tucked an imaginary strand of hair behind her ear, and as she reached the sofa, a hoarse, magnetic voice came from across the room.
“You look so worn out. Did you sleep poorly last night?”
She glanced at him. “No. I slept quite well.”

Rong Zhen didn’t tease her. He only smiled more knowingly.
“Still have pottery class in the afternoon?”
After a moment, An Tong said, “Not necessarily. I might stay home.”

Pottery needed calm concentration, and after last night, at least for now, she could not quiet herself.
She might as well stay home, read a book, and steady her mood.

“Come on, eat first.”
He tucked his phone into his trouser pocket, stood up, and stretched out his hand to her.
“If you haven’t slept enough, take a nap after dinner. You can always attend a pottery lesson later. There’s no need to go every day.”

An Tong offered her hand and nodded. “I understand.”

Though they had kissed the night before, Rong Zhen had not pressed toward the next step.
He remained as poised and refined as ever, his every movement keeping a close yet respectful distance.

That propriety made An Tong feel respected and at ease, and it let her face whatever possibilities might come for them with greater calm.

……

By the time Friday arrived, An Tong had started preparing to return to Xiangjiang, but only after checking the calendar did she remember that Sunday was Christmas Eve.
Around noon, she sent Rong Zhen a message on WeChat saying she planned to return to Xiangjiang early.
She had meant to go back on Saturday, but then she could not spend Christmas Eve with him.
After all, it would be their first Christmas together.

She did not wait long. His reply arrived as expected.
Rong Jiu: Cheng Feng is on the way. When you get to Xiangjiang, give me a call.

Page (2/3)

An Tong raised her brows in surprise, then immediately called him.
She felt he would not be busy at that moment, and the speed with which he answered confirmed her guess.

“Have you packed everything you need to bring with you?”
Rong Zhen answered almost instantly, and concern and gentleness were easy to hear in his voice.
An Tong nodded, then glanced out the window.
“Have you already asked Cheng Feng to come back?”

“Yes. He happens to be returning to Xiangjiang on some business, so he can drop you off on the way.”
Although An Tong had her doubts, she did not refuse such a “drop-off.”

After spending time with Rong Zhen, she had learned some of the principles by which he handled himself.
Beneath his gentle and composed exterior, what seemed easy to speak with often hid a strength that admitted no contest.

After a few simple words, An Tong, not wanting to waste his time, hurriedly tried to end the call.
But before she hung up, he tossed out one more question.
“Since you’re going back to Xiangjiang early, when do you plan to come back?”

An Tong parted her lips, ready to tell the truth, then at the last moment gave a deliberately vague answer.
“I don’t know yet. I’ll tell you as soon as I can.”
Rong Zhen paused, then his tone sank slightly.
“All right. Once you’ve set a date, tell me.”

“Okay, I’ll hang up now. You should get back to work.”
She cut the call before he could say more, her mouth lifting into a smile.

A thought to surprise him flickered through her mind, and she could not help but act on it.
Christmas Eve—she must spend it with the one she loved.

……
Half an hour later, Cheng Feng arrived exactly on time in a business car at Yuefu Villa.
He took the small travel bag from An Tong’s hand.
“Little An, why do you suddenly want to go back to Xiangjiang?”

She followed him to the car and answered quietly. “I made plans with Suji.”

“Was that the loud-voiced girl?”
An Tong only said, “…”

Cheng Feng, quick of mouth, seemed to realize he had misspoken and awkwardly filled in the gap with a grin.
“You mean the one on Cloud Sea Road with the big voice?”
“Yes,” she said.

He did not press further. Once the two were settled, he drove out of the villa district.

Page (3/3)

Far away in Xiangjiang, Suji had gone to a print shop and printed out all the materials she had found, waiting for An Tong to return so she could read everything carefully and see for herself what a moral charlatan truly is.

By the time they reached Xiangjiang, it was just past three in the afternoon.
An Tong had Cheng Feng take her straight back to Cloud Sea Road. Standing before that old house, she was suddenly filled with a storm of mixed feelings.

“Little An, Xiangjiang is colder than Zhanzhou. If you’re going out in the daytime, should I send a car up from Cloud Peak for you to use?”
An Tong thought for a moment and smiled as she declined.
“No need. I’ll go over there myself tomorrow.”

“All right. I’ll stay put for a few days. If you need a car, call me. Tell me your return date in advance too, and we’ll go back together.”
An Tong nodded, took the baggage from Cheng Feng, and moved forward to unlock the old wooden door.

……
Toward evening, An Tong appeared at Suji’s door carrying boxes of local specialties.
Before she could knock, the security door was opened from inside. Suji stood there with a stiff face, hands folded across her chest against the frame, one eyebrow lifting in a half-amused expression.
“Well, my little cabbage still remembers how to come home?”

An Tong pressed her lips shut and silently handed over the gift.

Suji made a small snort, took the box, and jerked her chin toward the living room.
“Come in. Auntie is still waiting to hear your explanation.”

Inside, the emptiness of a long-unoccupied home met her at once.
Even though it had just been cleaned, there was no trace of daily life in the room.

An Tong knew Suji had come back home only for her; otherwise at this hour she should have been at the hospital on duty.
Thinking of that, she decided not to pretend any longer and spoke in a soft voice to the sight of Suji’s back.
“How is Auntie’s condition now?”

Suji started, set the gift box on the tea table, and let out a faint, regretful sigh.
“When did you find out?”

“Long ago.”
An Tong stepped to her side and held her gaze on Suji’s cheek.
“One time I had an allergy; I saw you taking food to her at the hospital…”

Suji lifted her brows and gave a small smile. “Then why didn’t you ask me then?”

“If you wanted me to know, you would have told me yourself.”
Her words hung in the air; immediately Suji’s fingers closed around An Tong’s cheeks.
“Darling, who are you aiming those subtle digs at? If I don’t ask, does that mean you’re not going to tell me you moved to Zhanzhou with some ‘saintly’ man?”

An Tong frowned, her cheeks puffing slightly.
“I didn’t want to distract you. And he is not a saintly hypocrite.”

End of Chapter.