After Divorce: Pursued by Cohabiting Boss

Chapter 69

"Li Zhen, answer me," Lu Yanming said slowly, his voice lingering. His eyes were still thick with passion from their earlier intimacy. Yet he insisted on stopping to ask a childish question.

Li Zhen's face flushed as she made a soft grunt.

"What did you say? I didn't hear clearly," Lu Yanming said lightly. He lowered his head to kiss her slender, white neck, stubbornly asking again, "Say it one more time, will you? Little Lu didn't hear clearly."

The term "Little Lu" made Li Zhen's heart flutter, as if he was just a humble, pleasure-seeking host club host waiting for praise from his patron.

Lu Yanming's breathing was hot against her skin as he placed fervent kisses down her neck.

Li Zhen's heart had already melted, and so had her body.

What was wrong with wanting affirmation from his bedmate? He was just a proud man, stubbornly seeking validation.

"Does Little Lu want the truth...or a lie?" Li Zhen's voice was fragmented as she decided to simply tell him what he wanted to hear.

Lu Yanming said, "You can lie to me, let me hear it."

Li Zhen squirmed impatiently, breathing rapidly.

Lu Yanming persisted with his questioning. "What's your lie?"

"The lie is...you're so lame, I can't stand you at all... Every time we..."

Li Zhen couldn't continue as her words were torn apart by a wild tempest.

Afterwards, Lu Yanming carried Li Zhen to the bedroom and gently laid her on the bed after washing her up.

Outside, rain was drizzling down.

Li Zhen nestled into the soft bedding, rubbing her head against the pillow.

Sleeping on the couch could wait until tomorrow - today she was too worn out from his attentions.

"Li Zhen," Lu Yanming called her name softly from behind as he held her, sounding especially hoarse and magnetic in the rainy night.

"Hm?" Li Zhen responded lazily.

"The day the photography studio lights fell - I was there too. Did you see me?" "I saw you," Li Zhen opened her eyes.

She knew Lu Yanming was quite satisfied with her as a convenient bedmate, and still had a strong sense of possession over her.

He must want to ask why she had chosen to save Yu Sheng instead that day.

But that wasn't what he asked at all.

"I watched you for a long time that day. You didn't seem happy, not like usual..." Lu Yanming said lightly.

Li Zhen was surprised and turned to face him. "Usual? Mr. Lu, have you seen me before?"

As soon as she rolled over, he had her wrapped tightly in his embrace.

Lu Yanming kissed the tip of her nose. "Of course I've seen you before. You shone as brightly as a star when you were in university - everyone from A University knew you."

"You went to A University too?" The coincidence delighted Li Zhen. So he had known about her for a long time already, even though they had only recently become intimately acquainted.

Her eyes lit up, instantly melting his heart.

Thick bitterness and sweetness intertwined, overwhelming him. In the past, he could only gaze at her from afar, watching as she looked at Yu Sheng with these eyes, full of joy.

Yet today, he could finally have her so close that her eyes met his.

Lu Yanming kissed her eyes.

He kissed her forehead.

He kissed her lips.

Li Zhen's breathing grew ragged from his kisses. "Mr. Lu..."

"I'm four years your senior, but I often went back to campus and saw you many times," Lu Yanming said after he had kissed his fill. "You used to say you wanted to become a big star, to win Best Actress. How did you end up as a hand model instead?"

Li Zhen was slightly stunned, her eyes suddenly stinging.

Superstar. Best Actress.

Such distant words.

So distant that she could no longer remember what expression the 19 year old girl had when she spoke those words.

That was an age of ignorance and arrogance, when she thought she could just stand on tiptoes and pluck the stars from the heavens.

"Youthful folly, just casual boasting," Li Zhen turned her back to Lu Yanming again, not daring to let him see her wet eyes.

"Do you still want that now?" Lu Yanming held her waist and gently embraced her.

"Now? I'm already 26. Mr. Lu, people might not even want me to play an elderly empress dowager," Li Zhen forced a light tone.

Lu Yanming chuckled softly. "Just 26. What a wonderful age."

"Our Li Zhen can punch her way to Best Actress and kick her way to superstardom, standing in the brightest spotlight."

"With all the world gazing up at you in admiration."

Li Zhen felt her blood boil for a moment.

Perhaps it was Lu Yanming suddenly calling her the intimate "Li Zhen".

Or him evoking the brilliant yet fleeting dreams of her 19 year old self.

Li Zhen didn't speak again.

She gazed far into the distance, looking through the floor-to-ceiling windows at the shimmering waters of Jinjiang River in the rainy night, and up at the glittering stars in the sky.

So beautiful.

Yet not meant for her.

Missed chances were missed.

In the conference room, Ren Zongshun stood at the front, leading the meeting and assigning tasks.

"The IF Mall opening event today is extremely important. Everyone must give it your all."

Zhang Xiya whispered to Li Zhen, "I heard the mall's mysterious owner is the daughter of the governor of Jinghai Province. Why's she leaving the coast to make waves here in our southwestern Jin City?"

"Avoiding the limelight. She probably can't spread her wings as much in Jinghai, so she wants to establish her power in other regions first." Li Zhen whispered back.

Zhang Xiya searched online for photos and clicked open one. "Oh, she looks quite elegant."

Li Zhen casually glanced over.

So this was the woman from last night's dinner, Du Baifeng.

After the meeting ended, the models all changed and boarded the company bus heading to IF Mall.

Zhang Xiya pulled at her dress in complaint. "The dresses for these events just get shorter and shorter."

"You can tell how important an event is by how short they make the dresses," Li Zhen said helplessly, eyeing her own hem. "At least I'm wearing a cheongsam instead of something obscenely short."

The marketing department really went all out.

For a major event like a mall opening, the goal was maximum impact - they wanted today's entire crowd and all media coverage focused on SCC Jewelry.

So almost all of SCC's models were being sent out today for a major showing.

Many other major brands had already sent staff to prepare the venue before SCC's bus even arrived.

Li Zhen followed the group inside.

SCC's booth had an excellent location, right by the entrance on the right.

At 10am, after the ribbon-cutting ceremony, the models began taking turns demonstrating at the booth.

Li Zhen had just stepped up to the booth in the 9cm death-heels the company required, wearing one of the new Starry Sky pieces, when someone bumped her with their elbow.

Teetering in the high heels, Li Zhen stumbled two steps before looking up to see Jiang Kening had taken the spot where she was just standing.

"Shouldn't a lowly model like you know where you belong?" Jiang Kening sneered arrogantly.

"Oh pardon me, for blocking the peacock's runway," Li Zhen retorted icily before moving to the other side.

She hadn't noticed she was standing in the coveted central spot. If she had realized earlier, she wouldn't have stood there.

Located in the prosperous south side of the city, IF Mall had attracted much attention even before opening. From the start of today's event, crowds were already swarming.

The constant clicking of cameras could be heard around the models at each brand's booth.

Li Zhen was wearing a cyan cheongsam, the silk clinging tightly to her curves.

A man livestreaming with his phone stopped in front of her.

"Family, we've come to the SCC Jewelry booth."

"This girl looks great!"

"Hahaha, Boss Yi asks if the girl can walk around a bit? Let me ask her."

"Miss, Boss Yi asks if you can walk around a few steps. He'll send you a rocket gift, I'll pass it on to you. What do you think, miss?"