Translator: Dj22031
Editor: Dj22031
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The tense atmosphere was completely dispelled by the piano music.
The piece, only three minutes long, was rhythmically distinct and lightly paced; while not a masterpiece, it was still a rare gem.
After Si Huang finished playing, her hands remained on the black and white keys. The piano keys accentuated the slender, white fingers, her pale pink nails glistening— they looked incredibly beautiful.
If Lei Qie hadn’t seen it with his own eyes, he would have found it hard to imagine that these seemingly delicate hands could be so ruthless and powerful, whether wielding a gun or striking someone.
After the piano music ended, the room fell silent.
About a minute later, Si Huang turned to look at Ivan Jasper, her slightly raised chin exuding natural arrogance, but she said nothing.
Ivan Jasper stared at her for four or five seconds, then slowly smiled, a smile so precise it was flawless, revealing the most approachable gentleness and respect. “Miss, you played wonderfully.”
His voice was dry and hoarse, coming from deep in his throat, creating an eerie contrast with his perfect expression.
Si Huang hummed softly, then said, “I’m thirsty.”
“Miss, please sit and wait a moment.” Ivan Jasper bowed.
His gaze fell on Si Huang’s bare feet, but instead of pouring tea, he turned and headed towards the fitting room. His tall figure entered the fitting room and disappeared from Si Huang and Lei Qie’s sight. Lei Qie’s mind was full of questions, but when he finally had the chance to ask, he found he had no idea where to begin.
“Aren’t you going to run away?” Lei Qie’s voice was weak and hoarse as soon as he spoke.
Si Huang didn’t speak.
Lei Qie couldn’t quite grasp her thoughts. “If you’re not going to run, come and bandage my wound,” he said with a forced smile. “I have no strength left.”
Si Huang remained silent. Ivan Jasper had already emerged from the fitting room, carrying a pair of women’s high heels.
Approaching Si Huang, he knelt on one knee, reaching out to lift her feet, speaking gently and respectfully in a flat tone, “Miss, going barefoot will make you sick.”
The reason she had come out barefoot was because there hadn’t been enough time to change.
Although Si Huang had told Lei Qie to hold off Ivan Jasper for three minutes, she was actually putting pressure on him; two minutes would have been enough. Who knew he’d only managed a little over a minute? She didn’t know if Lei Qie was inexperienced, or if Ivan Jasper was simply too difficult to fool. Or perhaps both.
At this moment, facing Ivan Jasper’s advances, Si Huang raised her foot and kicked away his gently approaching hands.
Ivan Jasper looked up at her, puzzled.
“Who told you to touch me?” Si Huang arrogantly looked down at the mature man who had threatened their lives just minutes before, and mocked, “Ivan, have you forgotten your place?”
Not far away, the injured Lei Qie was so agitated by Si Huang’s fearless act that his heart pounded, and his wounds bled even faster.
Ivan Jasper, however, wasn’t angry. He lowered his head. “I’m sorry, it was my mistake.”
With that, he pulled a pair of white gloves from his pocket and slipped them on.
This time, he reached out again, and Si Huang neither resisted nor cooperated.
Ivan Jasper then pulled a handkerchief from his jacket pocket, cupping Si Huang’s heels in one hand while gently and skillfully wiping her soles with the handkerchief in the other.
From Lei Qie’s perspective, the interaction between the two was clearly visible; even Ivan Jasper’s steady, unwavering fingertips were clearly discernible.
His kneeling posture and the way he served Si Huang were so formal and elegant that Lei Qie was dumbfounded. He thought to himself that even the head butler he had seen in the Pierce family couldn’t compare to Ivan Jasper in terms of etiquette.
But that wasn’t the point. The most important thing was what Ivan Jasper was doing!? Although Lei Qie had heard that Ivan Jasper had always treated princesses with utmost care, he had never actually witnessed him serve them to this extent. Was this normal? No! What was he thinking? Ivan Jasper himself was abnormal, so how could his behavior be normal!
While Lei Qie was lost in thought, Si Huang had already put on her shoes with Ivan Jasper’s professional assistance.
She stood up and walked towards Lei Qie.
Lei Qie unconsciously tensed up, his heart beating a little faster for some reason.
Ivan Jasper followed closely beside her step by step.
Si Huang sat down on the sofa chair opposite Lei Qie, slightly turning her head, her peripheral vision catching sight of the exquisite tea set on the small round table.
Standing beside her, Ivan Jasper seemed to notice, so he walked over, picked up the tea tray, and softly asked Si Huang, “How would you like your tea this time, Miss?”
“Milk, and honey, two spoonfuls,” Si Huang replied without even glancing at him.
“Okay.” Ivan Jasper’s deep blue eyes gazed intently at her, one hand holding the tray, the other pressed against his chest as he bowed to her, not caring whether she saw him or not.
There were tea-making tools in the room, and Ivan Jasper walked to the bar, about five or six meters away, to brew black tea for his young lady.
Although he seemed oblivious to Si Huang and Lei Qie’s actions, Lei Qie still felt pressured, feigning composure as he smiled and said, “Would you mind if I had a cup too?”
He didn’t want to attract Ivan Jasper’s attention, but merely wanted to remind Si Huang of his presence, as he couldn’t quite figure out what Si Huang meant.
Fortunately, Ivan Jasper seemed to have completely forgotten his existence, showing no reaction to his voice.
Si Huang finally spoke to him, “How much longer can you hold on?”
These were definitely not kind words, and Lei Qie felt a deep malice. He gritted his teeth in frustration and said, “I don’t know, but if you’re willing to help me, I think I can hold on for several more decades.”
“Why should I help you?” Si Huang said.
Lei Qie opened his mouth, his gaze subtly sweeping over Ivan Jasper. Did he really think he could handle Ivan Jasper alone?
“Tell me, what value do you have that you can offer me?” Si Huang’s attitude was like giving charity.
Lei Qie was astonished, even doubting whether this person was really Si Huang. How could someone change so easily? This was completely different from the Si Huang he knew!
Suddenly, an image of Si Huang playing the priest Mithius in “The Fang of Time” flashed through Lei Qie’s mind, and then it dawned on him: perhaps others couldn’t do it, but Si Huang’s acting skills could!
But what did he mean by what he was saying now? Was this acting? Or was he serious? Lei Qie carefully observed Si Huang’s expression, but couldn’t discern the true meaning behind the mask.
“I have a high tolerance for impatience,” Si Huang said.
Lei Qie inexplicably felt that this was the opposite of what she meant; her tone was clearly full of impatience and disdain.
“You can think about it slowly,” Si Huang continued, “It doesn’t matter if you bleed to death.”
“My value isn’t for me to decide,” Lei Qie retorted, passing the buck back to Si Huang. “What do you think I can do?”
Si Huang rested her chin on her hand, her gaze sweeping over Lei Qie’s entire body. Her undisguised look made Lei Qie’s nerves pound.
They had been companions on the run, but now she had transformed into someone who held his life in her hands. Fate was truly playing a cruel joke!
“Be my servant, and obey my orders,” Si Huang said.
“What?” Lei Qie was astonished.
Si Huang maintained her nonchalant yet ramrod-straight posture. “I saved your life, so you’ll obediently obey me. It’s fair.”
“…” Lei Qie opened his mouth, almost choking on his breath.
After a three or four-second silence, he asked, “Are you serious?”
Si Huang tacitly agreed.
“Okay, I promise you,” Lei Qie said earnestly.
“…”
After a minute of silence, Lei Qie’s serious expression crumbled. “I already agreed, shouldn’t you stop the bleeding?”
Si Huang’s gaze sharpened like an ice blade, piercing Lei Qie’s eyes. Then the girl opposite him stood up, taking a few steps to stand in front of him, her slender fingers tightly gripping the edge of his gunshot wound.
“Hiss!” Lei Qie gasped, the pain making him dizzy. He shouted, “What are you doing!?”
Si Huang chuckled lightly, “Making your blood flow faster.” She sniffed the air, “How does it feel to smell your own blood and watch your life slip away?”
“You’re insane!” Lei Qie cursed, then gritted his teeth, enduring the even greater pressure as he screamed in agony.
“This is your punishment for deceiving me.” Si Huang grabbed his hair, forcing Lei Qie to tilt his head back. “I’ll ask you one last time, will you listen to me?”
Looking directly up at him, Lei Qie finally saw Si Huang’s cold, sharp green eyes behind the openwork mask, conveying the same meaning as her words. This was the last question, the last chance. If he answered no, she truly wouldn’t care whether he lived or died.
So damn ruthless!
He hadn’t been wrong from the start; this guy was a bloodthirsty ruthless person.
Although they had no other relationship besides being actors in the same production…
Under Si Huang’s gaze, Lei Qie felt he couldn’t lie. More importantly, if he dared to lie again and Si Huang discovered it, he would truly lose his last chance; there was an 80% chance she would let him die.
What should he choose?
Lei Qie’s eyes moved, seeing Ivan Jasper carrying a tray towards them. At this moment, he showed no signs of madness, wearing a polite smile, walking steadily, his eyes fixed straight ahead.
If he fell into his hands, he wouldn’t even have a choice, because Ivan Jasper didn’t care about his existence.
Lei Qie smiled bitterly to himself. So, he should thank Si Huang? What a fu**ing idiot! Just as the thought crossed his mind, his hair was loosened, and Lei Qie saw another scene that made his eyes twitch—
Si Huang reached out her hand to Ivan Jasper.
The latter had just put down his tea and took out a wet wipe from the table, wiping Si Huang’s hand that had just grabbed Lei Qie’s hair and arm.
What kind of unspoken understanding was this?! Did they really not know each other before?
Lei Qie’s eyes twitched, and his head throbbed; he was about to faint.
“Should I ask him to leave?” Ivan Jasper asked.
Si Huang sat back in her armchair, silent, seemingly considering his suggestion.
Ivan Jasper threw the used wet wipe into the trash can and turned around to see the girl in the chair looking up at him.
“Young Miss?”
“You’ve become slow-witted, Ivan.”
“I’m sorry.” Ivan Jasper’s tone was filled with genuine self-reproach.
He stepped forward, then reached out to untie the clasp of the haughty young lady’s mask. The moment he went to remove the mask, his movements were fluid, though his fingers gripped the edge tightly.
A flawless face was now exposed to the air. Her expression was cold, her eyes revealing a deep-seated domineering nature, yet she was still developing, possessing a more spirited and assertive air than the average young woman.
But when she glanced sideways at the dazed Ivan Jasper, a hint of willful arrogance flickered in her eyes. “Ivan, you’ve made a mistake again!”
Ivan Jasper placed the mask on the table, handed the prepared black tea to Si Huang, his demeanor so natural that it seemed his earlier lapse in concentration had never happened. “I’m sorry, Miss.”
“I don’t need an apology,” Si Huang took the teacup, coldly scoffing, “I’ll give you one last chance.”
“Thank you for your generosity.” Ivan Jasper smiled.
He looked at Si Huang; as the girl lowered her eyelids to drink her tea, the domineering intensity in her eyes vanished, replaced by a gentle, harmless expression, pure like a carefree princess from a fairy tale.
“Miss, how does it taste?” he asked softly.
Si Huang’s thoughtful gaze was hidden in the shadows and the rising steam of the black tea, her tone indifferent as she replied, “Not bad.”
Ivan Jasper’s smile grew even more gentle and charming.
This scene unfolded before Lei Qie’s eyes. Seeing Si Huang’s face behind the mask, a face that hadn’t seemed feminine before, now, even with its undeniably strong demeanor, didn’t feel awkward. If he hadn’t met Si Huang before and confirmed his identity as a man, he would never have doubted that the person before him was male.
This finally led him to make his decision.
“I agree to your request.”
His voice made Si Huang look up, setting down her delicate teacup. “Ivan, go fetch the doctor.”
Ivan Jasper sent a message on his phone, and then there was a knock on the door. Four people entered.
It was a doctor, a doctor’s assistant, and two nurses, carrying professional emergency equipment. At Ivan Jasper’s signal, they immediately began treating Lei Qie.
Their arrival was incredibly fast; it was as if they had been waiting at the door for a summons.
Ivan Jasper explained gently to Si Huang, “I thought Miss was interested in him, so I had them wait outside.”
Si Huang said calmly, “What if he hadn’t agreed?”
Ivan Jasper smiled and said, “They will help him endure it longer, slowly savoring the taste of death. This is the punishment he deserves for refusing Miss.”
Si Huang stopped talking, further increasing the danger level of Ivan Jasper.
He was capable, calm, fearless, and intelligent.
Fortunately, he had a fatal weakness.
And fortunately, she remembered the origin of her memories of the name Ivan Jasper.
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