"You fox spirit, stay away from Senior!" A girl's shrill voice suddenly exploded within the silence of the library.
It caused those who had been engrossed in their books to turn their gazes toward the commotion.
Jing Meng subconsciously knitted her brows; her impression of this girl had dropped to rock bottom. She caught the Senior's eye out of the corner of her vision and smiled slightly. "Senior, is this your girlfriend?"
"No. Jing Meng, I'm sorry. I'll handle this."
The Senior returned a smile to her question, but when he turned to face the girl, his expression became impatient. "Stop making a scene. Come back with me."
Jing Meng's heart sank the moment he said that. The girl was already in a fit of rage, and his blatant favoritism would only make things worse.
Sure enough, seeing the Senior take Jing Meng's side, the fury in the girl's eyes intensified. "You're actually snapping at me for the sake of an outsider! You weren't like this before! I knew it it must be this bitch's fault! I'll beat you to death, you fox spirit!"
As she spoke, she swung a hand toward Jing Meng's face. Jing Meng was already on guard; she took a large step back the moment the girl lunged.
Not only did the girl's slap miss entirely, but she also lost her balance. If she hadn't caught herself on the edge of a table, she likely would have crashed to the floor. However, because she couldn't pull back her strength in time, her palm was pierced by a splinter on the table. Bright red blood immediately began to flow.
The Senior hadn't made any move to stop the attack, only stepping forward to help the girl up after she fell, his face full of even more annoyance. Jing Meng took in the change in his expression and couldn't help but sneer inwardly.
Fine, both of these people were now officially on her blacklist.
The noise eventually attracted the attention of the library staff. The staff member who arrived frowned deeply at the chaotic scene and spoke with a cold, professional tone. "You three,
noise is prohibited in the library. You are seriously affecting the others. If you have private matters to handle, please deal with them outside before coming back in, alright?"
"I'm sorry, I'll leave now." Jing Meng knew it was impossible to continue reading here. She picked up her things, gave an apologetic smile, and prepared to depart.
She had enough of her own problems to deal with and didn't want to get involved in the drama between the Senior and the girl. However, she had only taken a few steps before the girl blocked her path, looking arrogant and overbearing.
"You almost made me fall just now and you haven't even apologized! You think it's that easy to just leave?"
Jing Meng stopped in her tracks. She looked at her expressionlessly for a long moment before a mocking smile played on her lips. "By what right are you trying to control me? Are you Senior's girlfriend?"
Jing Meng had originally intended to save the girl some face and didn't want to blow things out of proportion. She hadn't expected that while she was willing to let it go, the other party would keep pushing. Since the girl was picking a fight at her doorstep, Jing Meng wasn't going to be polite.
The girl was choked by Jing Meng's words. She looked at the Senior with red eyes, but he remained completely indifferent. Looking back at Jing Meng's mocking gaze, the girl trembled with rage, pointed a finger at the two of them, and then ran out of the library.
"Jing Meng..." The Senior took a step forward, blocking Jing Meng's path as he smiled apologetically. "Listen to me..."
"Let's go outside first." Jing Meng glanced around the library and frowned slightly.
The Senior paused, appearing to realize only then that they were still inside the library. He nodded and followed Jing Meng to the shade of a tree outside. Only a few couples passed by occasionally; it was a good place to talk.
"About that girl just now..." The Senior began to explain nervously, seemingly afraid she would misunderstand.
Jing Meng cut him off cleanly. "Senior, I'm sorry, but it's getting late and I have things to do. We can chat again if we have the chance."
Both were adults and could hear the polite dismissal in her tone, but the Senior didn't give up. He looked at Jing Meng and smiled. "That's fine. However, it's not safe for a girl to head back alone. How about I give you a ride?"
Jing Meng checked her watch. It was indeed difficult to get a taxi at this hour, and she didn't want to return late and make Pei Shiyi worry, so she didn't refuse.
Once they were in the car, the Senior tried to start a conversation several times, but Jing Meng ended every topic with just a few words. The atmosphere in the car gradually became awkward.
"Two hundred meters ahead, you will arrive at your destination." The mechanical female voice of the GPS sounded in her ear. A glint of light flashed in Jing Meng's eyes, and she asked the Senior to pull over at the curb. Without a hint of lingering, she opened the car door and said politely, "Senior, thank you for driving me back. I've arrived home."
The Senior looked at Jing Meng's exquisite profile and smiled slightly. "You're welcome. Shall we go to the library together again next time?"
"Thanks, but I probably won't have time recently." After saying that, Jing Meng closed the car door, giving the Senior no further chance to speak.
The Senior watched Jing Meng's retreating back as she strode away, his eyes darkening slightly.
The moment Jing Meng stepped into the Pei Residence, she keenly sensed the tension thick with the smell of gunpowder in the air.
"You're back?" The deep male voice suddenly exploded by her ear, making Jing Meng's heart jump.
"Don't you make any sound when you walk? You scared me to death." Once she saw who it was, Jing Meng patted her chest to suppress her frantic heartbeat. She raised her eyes to look at Pei Shiyi and said dissatisfactorily, "You don't..."
Before the words could leave her mouth, Pei Shiyi grabbed her arm.
"Pei Shiyi, what are you doing grabbing me?" After she spoke, the strength in Pei Shiyi's grip intensified.
"What are you doing?" Jing Meng felt a sense of unease and began to struggle.
Suddenly, her movements froze. Pei Shiyi had leaned in close to the crook of her neck, and the scent that belonged solely to him instantly enveloped her, leaving her stunned.
Pei Shiyi's low, slightly wicked voice rang in her ear: "Don't move."
Jing Meng stood rooted to the spot, her body becoming as rigid as if a Body-Locking Talisman had been cast upon her.
Pei Shiyi's gaze was dark as he looked at the necklace around her neck. As he drew closer, the Snowdrop Earring in his pocket began to flash with light. Because it was separated by the fabric of his pocket, the glow was weak. Pei Shiyi saw the full appearance of the necklace; it was identical to the Snowdrop Earring in his possession.
Doubts surged in his heart once more. What exactly was the relationship between Jing Meng and the woman from that night?
Because of Pei Shiyi's actions, Jing Meng involuntarily held her breath. Her mind went blank, and she had long since lost the ability to think.
"Pei..."
Before she could ask anything, Pei Shiyi let go of her arm and stepped into the villa ahead of her.
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