Chapter 4: The Bite Mark on His Collarbone â A Trace of Romantic Ambiguity
The moment she heard it, Chi Yang almost hung up.
But then another thought crossed her mind. If Xie Youci was there with everyone else, who knew what nonsense he might be saying about her?
So she hesitated.
“What are you guys doing?” she asked cautiously. “And… has Xie Youci said anything?”
“Said what?”
Jiang Li blinked in confusion.
“We’re just drinking and chatting. Though Fengting is digging into Xie Youci’s gossip right now.”
Chi Yang’s already-fragile heart immediately leapt into her throat.
“What gossip?”
“The bite mark on his collarbone!”
Jiang Li sounded delighted.
“Did you know? Someone actually bit Xie Youci! And on his collarbone of all places. I’m telling you, he’s definitely been secretly dating someone!”
Chi Yang: “…”
The guilty culprit unconsciously ran her tongue over her little canine tooth.
“Did he say who bit him?”
“Not yet. But Fengting’s asking. And you know how persistent he is. I bet he’ll squeeze an answer out of him before tonight’s over.”
Chi Yang: ÎŁ(ăŁÂ°Đ°)ăŁ!!!
How could she possibly let that happen?
If they really found out, how was she supposed to face anyone afterward?
No.
She couldn’t keep hiding like an ostrich.
For the sake of her own reputation, she had to go keep an eye on Xie Youci herselfâbefore he started talking nonsense.
“Where are you?”
“At Fengting’s new bar on Shili Street. It’s called Tonight, She’ll Be Here.”
“Got it.”
Chi Yang threw off the covers and hurried toward the bathroom.
“Keep an eye on him for me. If Xie Youci says anything juicy, tell me immediately. I’ll be there soon!”
The instant the words left her mouth, she hung up.
Decisively.
Jiang Li stared at her phone, listening to the disconnected tone with a puzzled blink.
Why did that feel so weird?
She claimed to be curious about the gossip, but somehow…
It felt more like she was nervous about where this interrogation might lead.
The party was still in full swing when Chi Yang arrived.
The private room was packed with familiar faces, but her gaze landed on Xie Youci immediately.
He was lounging on an expensive leather sofa, long legs stretched lazily before him. The collar of his shirt hung open carelessly, fully exposing the suggestive bite mark on his collarbone.
His posture wasn’t elegant in the slightest.
He looked boneless, half-sunken into the sofa, radiating a reckless sort of lazy charm.
And yet…
His presence was impossible to ignore.
The impeccably tailored black shirt lent him an air of refinement, softening the wild edge of his arrogance with an almost aristocratic elegance.
Neither entirely wicked nor entirely proper.
It was hard to tell whether he was the untouchable prince of the financial world or simply the playboy heir of the Xie family.
Sure enough, Ji Fengting was sitting beside him, nearly clawing his own hair out from curiosity.
Faced with the hottest gossip topic of the night, he was trying every possible angle.
“Come on, who was it? Who bit you?”
“Looking at that mark, she’s got some bite. Can’t be some sheltered socialite, right? An outsider? That flight attendant from Jing Airlines who asked for your WeChat? Or that Hollywood actress who was trying to hit on you a few days ago?”
Xie Youci still hadn’t noticed Chi Yang’s arrival.
His eyelids drooped lazily as he lit a cigarette. Being questioned nonstop had clearly worn out his patience.
“Stop attaching random women to me.”
He took a drag.
“I already told you. A puppy bit me.”
The moment Chi Yang stepped into the room, that was the first thing she heard.
She’d been worried that this arrogant show-off would run around ruining her reputation.
Instead, she’d somehow become a puppy in his version of events.
The young miss was instantly furious.
Unfortunately, she couldn’t exactly rush over and expose the truth herself.
So, out of spite, she raised her hand and tossed her designer handbag onto the sofa.
The bag seemed remarkably good at reading situations.
It landed squarely on Xie Youci’s thigh.
Xie Youci: “…”
The cigarette between his teeth paused.
Lowering his gaze, he looked at the exquisitely crafted handbag.
Then one eyebrow lifted.
Ah.
The little puppy surnamed Chi who had bitten him was here.
Dressed in a dark emerald silk slip dress, Chi Yang crossed her arms and raised her chin arrogantly.
“A puppy, huh?”
Her eyes narrowed.
“Was this puppy pretty?”
Everyone looked up.
But Xie Youci was the last to do so.
He seemed entirely unhurried, casually blowing out a thin ring of smoke before leaning forward to stub out the half-finished cigarette.
Tap. Tap.
His knuckles knocked lightly against the nearby table.
He didn’t say a word, but the gesture carried an unmistakable message.
Xue Rang froze for a moment.
Then, spotting Chi Yang, he hurriedly extinguished his cigarette and waved frantically for everyone else to do the same.
The atmosphere in the room shifted instantly.
Everyone knew the young miss hated the smell of smoke.
The scramble to put out cigarettes looked like a surprise police raid.
“Chi Yang?”
Ji Fengting’s attention was immediately diverted.
“Hey! You’re harder to invite than a goddess. We practically needed Brother Ci to carry you here in a sedan chair. You finally decided to show up tonight.”
Jiang Li jumped up excitedly and threw her arms around Chi Yang’s neck.
“Baby! You’re finally back!”
Chi Yang immediately hugged her back.
The arrogance she’d displayed moments ago melted away completely.
With her best friend, she softened at once, clinging affectionately to her.
“Waaah… Sweet Pear, I missed you so much!”
“I missed you too, babe!”
The room quickly regained its lively atmosphere.
No one paid much attention to Chi Yang’s earlier comment anymore.
At most, Ji Fengting asked curiously,
“You two haven’t seen each other in years. Why do you start fighting the second you meet?”
Chi Yang ignored the men’s conversation.
Jiang Li dragged her off to sample cake while demanding stories about studying in Italy.
Meanwhile, Xie Youci casually picked up the handbag Chi Yang had thrown and set it aside for her.
“Fighting?” he echoed.
“That wasn’t fighting?”
Ji Fengting looked bewildered.
“She was practically dripping with sarcasm when she mocked the bite mark on your collarbone.”
A strange chuckle escaped Xie Youci.
Turning his head toward Chi Yang, he said,
“She wasn’t mocking the bite mark.”
His gaze lingered.
“She was mocking the nickname.”
Ji Fengting: ?
“I knew it!”
He slapped his thigh.
“No way a puppy did that. It had to be a woman. You two are just into roleplay and you call her Puppy!”
The private room suddenly fell silent again.
Everyone turned to look.
Across the room, Chi Yang nearly choked on the cake she’d just stuffed into her mouth.
“I’m serious,” Xue Rang said, confused. “What’s there to hide? If you’re dating someone, you’re dating someone. Is she really an outsider? Or is it someone we all know, so you’re embarrassed to say it?”
“What would be embarrassing about that?”
Ji Fengting disagreed.
“Unless it’s Chi Yang.”
“Pfftâcough cough coughâ!”
The cake she’d barely swallowed almost came back up.
Her face turned bright red as Jiang Li hurriedly patted her back.
Xie Youci lifted his eyes toward her.
Slowly, he straightened and pushed a bowl of tea across the table.
“No need to get so worked up.”
Chi Yang instinctively reached for it.
But as she did, her fingertips accidentally brushed against his.
The fleeting touch was scorching.
Her heartbeat skipped.
She looked up.
And found herself staring straight into Xie Youci’s dark eyes.
His expression remained lazy and relaxed.
Looking down at her from beneath lowered lashes, he wore a faint smile that wasn’t quite a smile.
Something about it felt dangerously teasing.
The room buzzed with noise and conversation.
Yet amidst the chaos, only the two of them were secretly looking at each other.
A strange sense of forbidden intimacy swept over Chi Yang.
As if they were having an affair right under everyone’s noses.
Embarrassment flooded her.
She hurriedly tightened her grip on the teacup, withdrew her hand, and tore her gaze away.
Then she turned and glared fiercely at Ji Fengting.
“Me and Xie Youci? Are you insane?”
“Then why are you so worked up?”
Ji Fengting looked genuinely confused.
“And it’s not like I made it up. Didn’t the media start those rumors a few days ago? Saying the two of you were alone in a hotel, sparks flying, spending a passionate night together?”
“Coughâ!”
A mouthful of tea immediately went down the wrong pipe.
Once again, Chi Yang nearly choked to death.
