Chapter 327: Probing
Her feet were a sensitive area for her. Zhao Dong's gentle touch made her breathing quicken and her heart race. Her face burned hot!
However, she didn't move away.
Zhao Dong's hand climbed up to her ankle, then slowly moved higher.
Wang Jing took the opportunity to lean over him, pressing her soft bosom against his chest.
Just then, Zhao Dong stopped. A glint flashed in his eyes as he squinted and asked deliberately, "Do you offer any... special services here?"
Hearing his words, the light in Wang Jing's eyes dimmed.
She slowly sat up and said indifferently, "We offer any service you can imagine.
"But I never perform those services, so my shifts are few and far between. It must be fate that we ran into each other today."
So she isn't that kind of woman... Zhao Dong breathed a sigh of relief. He smiled slightly without saying anything.
But Wang Jing bit her lip, her face reddening as she said, "Zhao Dong, do you want that kind of service?"
Zhao Dong shook his head with a smile. "No, I was just curious. Just asking."
"Oh..." Wang Jing lowered her gaze, her cheeks flushing an even deeper red. Her voice was as faint as a mosquito's buzz as she added, "I thought you were one of those men, too."
Zhao Dong shook his head. Looking at Wang Jing, he said gently, word by word, "I'm not. I was just afraid you might have become that kind of woman..."
"Of course not!" Wang Jing asserted firmly. "Even if I starve to death, there are lines I will never cross."
"Good. I believe you." Zhao Dong nodded slightly, then said earnestly, "You shouldn't work here anymore. I can help you with your current situation."
Wang Jing was moved by his words, but she ultimately smiled and shook her head.
Then, she leaned against his chest again, and his body jolted. A happy smile spread across her face.
"You probably don't know this, but girls think about a lot more than boys do during our teenage years," she said. "I fantasized more than once about what it would feel like to lie in your arms. I just never imagined that when the day finally came, this would be our situation."
With that, Wang Jing rose to her feet. Wiping a tear from the corner of her eye, she forced a smile.
"Since you're the client and I'm the masseuse now, let's not talk about feelings.
"Weren't you just asking about those services? I wouldn't do them for others, but for you... I can...
"Because... I used to like you..."
As she spoke, she began unbuttoning her blouse. She let her jacket slip off, revealing a low-cut camisole that offered a glimpse of her full bosom.
Zhao Dong was stunned. He swallowed hard and said hurriedly, "I was being serious when I offered to help. I didn't say it to get you to do this."
Hearing this, Wang Jing stopped, her eyes turning red.
The next moment, tears streamed silently down her face. She let out a self-deprecating laugh through her tears. "Zhao Dong, you're a good man. It's a shame I, Wang Jing, am not fortunate enough to have you..."
Wang Jing wiped away her tears and straightened her clothes. Her dim eyes were filled with pain and reluctance.
"There's still half an hour left. Let me finish your massage," Wang Jing said, placing her hands on him again.
"Okay," Zhao Dong replied, his voice heavy.
「Half an hour later.」
Wang Jing stood up, put on her shoes, and looked at Zhao Dong, saying quietly, "Zhao Dong, I'm really happy I ran into you today."
"Me too," Zhao Dong returned her smile. "Hey, let's exchange numbers."
"Okay," Wang Jing agreed. She took Zhao Dong's phone and called her own number.
After she was done, Wang Jing walked toward the door, her reluctance palpable.
Finally, just as she reached the doorway, she stopped.
She took a deep breath, mustered her courage, and turned to smile at Zhao Dong. "If you're free tonight, how about I treat you to a late-night snack after I get off work?"
"No," Zhao Dong said after a moment's thought, shaking his head.
Disappointment immediately flashed across Wang Jing's eyes, and she shook her head with a self-deprecating smile.
That smile... It reminds me of myself at sixteen. It felt like a knife twisting in Zhao Dong's heart.
Zhao Dong stood up and walked over to her. After a few seconds of silence, he smiled. "How can I let a lady pay? My treat tonight."
Wang Jing's tears turned to laughter. "It's a date!"
Watching Wang Jing leave, Zhao Dong lit a cigarette and sat by the window. He was silent, a hundred emotions churning within him.
「Half an hour later.」
Ling Feng's call came in.
Ling Feng sounded flustered. "Zhao Dong, things are a little complicated. You might have to stay at the hotel for a few more days."
"What about Qingyun? I called her, but she didn't pick up. She's not in danger, is she?" Zhao Dong demanded, alarmed by Ling Feng's tone.
"Don't worry, Qingyun is safe," Ling Feng replied wryly. "She just can't answer her phone right now."
Zhao Dong pressed, "Then at least give me a general idea of what's going on."
"Ling Feng! What are you doing out there? Get back here!" At that moment, an urgent voice came through Ling Feng's phone.
"Okay, I'll be right there," Ling Feng yelled back, then said hurriedly into the phone, "I'm busy now, I can't talk. Let's chat tomorrow."
"Alright, go handle your business."
Zhao Dong wanted to press for more details, but Ling Feng was clearly in a rush and had no time to explain before hanging up.
Zhao Dong frowned deeply. Ling Feng's frantic state made him feel that the situation was more complicated than he had thought.
「At the hotel entrance.」
Wang Jing walked out, now changed into a black trench coat, her face glowing with joy.
Seeing Zhao Dong waiting at the entrance, she quickly ran over to him.
"You haven't changed at all. Still so early when you're waiting for someone," Wang Jing said with a soft smile.
Zhao Dong rubbed his nose. "That's because of you. I remember waking up late once, which made you late too. In the end, the teacher punished us both by making us clean the toilets."
"Wow! You still remember that?" Wang Jing asked, surprised.
Zhao Dong laughed. "Of course. After that, I swore I'd never be late again. That's why I always arrive early whenever I'm waiting for someone important."
Someone important? A warmth spread through Wang Jing's heart. Blushing, she fiddled with the hem of her clothes and murmured, her voice barely a whisper, "So... am I someone important?"
"What was that?" Zhao Dong asked, not having heard her clearly.
"N-nothing..." Wang Jing waved her hands quickly and pointed toward the nearby night market. "There's a great barbecue place in there. Let's go!"
"Alright, eat whatever you want. My wallet's got you covered!" Zhao Dong joked, pulling her toward the night market.
Wang Jing had said she fantasized about lying in his arms. But had he not also fantasized about treating her to food, drinks, and fun? Holding her hand as they walked into the brightly lit night market felt almost unreal to Zhao Dong.
Behind him, Wang Jing gazed at his back, feeling equally dazed.
「Inside the barbecue restaurant.」
Wang Jing's beautiful eyes were fixed on Zhao Dong, unwilling to look away for even a moment.
"Zhao Dong, can you believe this? We're actually seeing each other again," she said. "When I left East Sea back then, I truly never thought we'd meet again. The world... it's so small..."
Several rounds of drinks and many dishes later, a rosy flush had appeared on both their faces.
"Hahaha... you mean ol' Four-Eyes? That guy was the worst. He knew I was too scared to talk, so he'd always call on me in class just to embarrass me."
She giggled. "Tell me about it! Good thing I started standing up on my own whenever he called on you. Otherwise, you never would have had it so easy, right?"
"Hey, you make it sound like you were the only one helping. What about that time you forgot your textbook? I gave you mine and got chewed out by Four-Eyes for the entire period."
"Whoa, whoa, I never asked you to do that! You were the one who said your skin was thick enough that you weren't afraid of being humiliated."
"Hahahahaha... you've got a point there! If I didn't learn anything else in three years of high school, I definitely learned how to take a scolding. My skin is thicker than a castle wall!"
"By the way, you probably don't know this, but you were considered pretty handsome back in our class. A lot of the girls actually liked you. They were just afraid people would gossip about them for liking an 'outcast,' so they never talked to you."
"Hey, now that you mention it, I've got something to say. As the class belle, you had tons of guys chasing you. A bunch of them asked me to pass you love letters, and I got beat up more than once for refusing."
"Hah! You think I didn't know? I'd ask how you got hurt, and you'd lie and say you fell. You were a terrible liar, you know?"
"No way! So, when they stopped asking me to pass letters... was that because you went and gave them trouble?"
"Of course! You think they would have left a dummy like you alone otherwise?"
The alcohol went to their heads, and they lost themselves in memories of the past. When old friends reunite, the conversation is always endless.
Just then...
BANG!
The door of the restaurant burst open as a group of men barged in. They were dressed like cheap thugs and were clearly up to no good. They swaggered over to the largest table and started barking orders at the owner for food and drinks.
Zhao Dong instinctively started to turn, but Wang Jing quickly pulled him back.
"Don't look at them!"
Zhao Dong was surprised. He saw that Wang Jing's face was pale and she was trembling uncontrollably. She kept glancing at the leader of the thugs, unable to hide the disgust in her eyes.
Zhao Dong's expression changed. Did these guys bully her before?
"What's the matter? Do you know them?" Zhao Dong frowned.
Wang Jing's expression grew even more terrified. Before she could speak, a sinister laugh rang out from nearby.
"Well, well, if it isn't my masseuse ex-wife. What, are you moonlighting now? Taking your boy toy out for barbecue right in the open?"
The jarring voice came from right behind him. Zhao Dong's brow furrowed instantly as he shot a cold glare over his shoulder.