Chapter 39: Getting Along

Zhao Chengyu secretly guessed that Li Yaqin hadn't eaten her fill, given her appetite.

So, he gestured for a waiter who was standing by.

Zhao Chengyu pointed to the dishes on the table and instructed the waiter to pack up another identical meal.

After Li Yaqin finished her dinner, she got up to leave. Zhao Chengyu handed her the packed lunchbox.

"Take this, eat it on the way," he said calmly, but with an undeniable air of authority.

Outside the restaurant, night had fallen, and the streetlights cast a dim, yellow glow.

Zhao Chengyu dismissed He Chengyang, who was still hoping to watch the commotion.

"You take Li Qiang home," he said, pointing to Li Yaqin's brother, who had remained silent, his tone leaving no room for argument.

"I'll take her," Zhao Chengyu said, looking at Li Yaqin with a deep and resolute gaze.

Li Yaqin quickly calculated. Her work and accommodation issues were resolved, and hitchhiking seemed convenient, avoiding unnecessary trouble.

More importantly, she needed time to calmly analyze Zhao Chengyu's true intentions.

Perhaps she could subtly probe his true intentions in the car, so she nodded slightly.

She didn't refuse, simply nodding slightly.

Inside the car, the cramped space was filled with a faint smell of tobacco, mixed with the sharp scent of cologne emanating from Zhao Chengyu.

Li Yaqin subtly moved closer to the car door, trying to create distance between herself and Zhao Chengyu.

Zhao Chengyu's gaze was tangible, falling on her like an invisible net.

Every inch of her skin felt oppressed, as if he wanted to dissect her completely, inside and out.

This blatant scrutiny made her feel like she was sitting on pins and needles; her spine involuntarily tensed, and a chill ran up her spine.

Zhao Chengyu exuded an invisible pressure, like a mountain pressing down on her.

It made her breath catch in her throat, as if a boulder was blocking her chest.

This was an extremely dangerous man, like a dragon lurking in the abyss.

He was calm and collected, yet possessed the power to devour everything.

If you can't afford to offend him, avoid him!

Li Yaqin sounded the alarm in her mind, warning herself to be extremely careful and never get entangled with him.

A suffocating silence spread through the cramped car, as if time had frozen.

Just as Li Yaqin was about to succumb to the oppressive atmosphere, Zhao Chengyu's deep voice, like a thunderclap in the night, suddenly exploded, making her eardrums buzz.

"Afraid of me?"

Zhao Chengyu suddenly spoke, breaking the silence in the car, his deep voice echoing in the small space.

He turned his head slightly, his deep gaze landing on Li Yaqin.

This young girl looked quite young, at least seven or eight years younger than him.

If word got out, wouldn't his cronies laugh at him for being an old cow eating young grass?

Zhao Chengyu imagined their exaggerated expressions and teasing remarks, a self-deprecating smile curving his lips.

But, young grass tastes good, doesn't it? A playful glint flashed in his eyes.

"Hmm, a little," Li Yaqin said, trying her best to control her voice.

Each word seemed to be squeezed out of her throat, striving to maintain a calm exterior.

Not letting a single tremor betray her true emotions.

She quickly lowered her eyes, her long eyelashes fluttering like butterfly wings, concealing the panic in her eyes, like a startled bird.

Li Yaqin's mind raced, hastily concocting a seemingly plausible excuse.

Her lips twitched slightly, forcing a somewhat stiff smile.

"You're such a big guy, and with that stern face, I'm afraid you'll beat me up."

Hmph, it wasn't his aura that intimidated her!

Absolutely not!

If she admitted it, wouldn't she look like a coward?

She, Li Yaqin, had seen it all; how could she be intimidated by a stinky man?

"Hehe."

Zhao Chengyu's deep laughter escaped his throat, tinged with pleasure.

This little girl, she's got guts, daring to banter with him.

Zhao Chengyu raised an eyebrow with interest, seemingly amused by her clumsy excuse, a playful smile playing on his lips.

"Oh? Is that so? And now, still afraid?"

Before he finished speaking, he suddenly struck, swift as a cheetah pouncing on its prey, grabbing Li Yaqin's wrist.

His large, well-defined hand, burning hot, instantly clamped down on her slender wrist with a forceful, domineering strength that brooked no resistance.

Li Yaqin's heart skipped a beat, a strong sense of crisis instantly washing over her, every hair on her body standing on end.

Shouldn't he have backed down? What was he trying to do!

This man was utterly unreasonable!

Instinctively, she wanted to pull her hand away, to escape this dangerous situation.

"Let go! You bastard!" Li Yaqin's voice shrill with barely suppressed rage, burning with fury.

She struggled desperately, twisting her wrists like pretzels, trying to break free from Zhao Chengyu's grip.

However, Zhao Chengyu's hand seemed welded to her wrist, unmoving, as hard as iron.

No matter how much she struggled, it was like an ant trying to shake a tree—utterly futile.

"I won't let go." A wicked smile curled at the corner of Zhao Chengyu's lips, a dangerous glint in his eyes.

"Your hands are cold; only I can warm them." He not only didn't loosen his grip but tightened it even more.

His tone was domineering and authoritative, as if he wanted to crush her wrist, carrying an unquestionable air of command.

A scalding heat emanated from his rough palms, burning through Li Yaqin's thin skin and searing her nerves.

The heat felt almost invasive, sending a chill down her spine.

It was as if she were being coiled by a cold, venomous snake, a feeling of indescribable disgust and resistance washing over her.

Li Yaqin could hardly believe her ears.

Her mind went blank, as if struck by a bolt of lightning, utterly stunned.

She stared wide-eyed in disbelief. Was the man before her still the same Zhao Chengyu, so composed and aloof from just moments before?

Now, he bore no trace of his former elite status; he looked like a street thug!

This stark contrast left her completely bewildered, her previous understanding utterly overturned, as if she were looking at a complete stranger.

Her wrist was firmly gripped, and Li Yaqin, consumed by rage, clenched her other fist and rained blows at Zhao Chengyu's shoulder.

Her small fists landed on the man's strong back and shoulders, like cotton hitting steel—utterly ineffective.

Her futile struggles only fueled the fire, igniting the man's even stronger desire.

In the struggle, their bodies inevitably pressed together.

Soft body against hard muscle, the air thick with an atmosphere of ambiguity and danger.

"Don't move," Zhao Chengyu's voice suddenly became low and husky, like a fine vintage wine.

It carried a subtle gritty quality, sexy and dangerous, sending a shiver down her spine.

His hot breath brushed against Li Yaqin's small earlobe, intimate and burning, carrying a strong suggestive meaning.

Li Yaqin froze, her mind blank, her blood seemingly frozen, ceasing to flow.

Only then did she realize she had been half-forced into Zhao Chengyu's arms.

She was firmly trapped between his hard chest and the car door, unable to move.

The cramped space, the man's burning body heat seeping through her thin clothing, made her skin tingle.

Even more terrifying, a hot and hard object was pressed tightly against her private parts through the fabric, a suffocating pressure.

Li Yaqin's face flushed crimson, like a ripe tomato.

She instantly understood the meaning of that hard object, and shame overwhelmed her like a tidal wave.

She wished she could disappear into the ground.

This beast! This hypocrite! This scoundrel!

Li Yaqin cursed Zhao Chengyu and his ancestors for eighteen generations in her heart.

She was filled with shame and indignation, wishing she could bite this shameless scoundrel to death!

This shameless bastard!