Volume One, Chapter 12: Answering the Call
When Jiang Jinglan returned home, it was already night. His gaze swept across the room before settling on the oak dining table.
The tabletop was empty except for a vase and a set of rose-patterned Western porcelain tea ware.
Behind his gold-rimmed glasses, his eyes flickered with a complex expression.
In the past, Bai Ruoxi would always prepare meals at home waiting for him, even though he never ate her cooking; she would still wait.
Jiang Jinglan furrowed his brows slightly, took off his custom black suit, and handed it to Qiu Yue casually.
“Where is Bai Ruoxi?”
Qiu Yue replied, “Madam is at Jin Zhi.”
“Jin Zhi Café?”
Bai Ruoxi, a full-time housewife, found her only pleasure besides surfing the internet was to visit Jin Zhi for coffee.
Jiang Jinglan glanced at his watch and muttered, “It’s 8:30 PM; Jin Zhi should be closed by now.”
The more he thought about it, the more uneasy he felt.
He took out his phone, opened the contacts, and called the top-listed name, a call he rarely initiated.
“Sorry, the number you have dialed is switched off. Please try again later…”
The mechanical, cold voice echoed in his ear.
His grip on the phone tightened.
Usually, Bai Ruoxi would answer his calls in less than three seconds. Why was her phone off today?
Qiu Yue noticed Jiang Jinglan’s unease and quickly explained, “Madam’s phone is broken; she called using a friend’s phone.”
“Which friend?”
Jiang Jinglan’s brows knitted tighter, his tone tinged with irritation.
Since Bai Ruoxi had been in a coma last New Year’s Eve and was found by a “friend” in the storage room, he had become sensitive to that word.
Qiu Yue shook his head, but before he could speak, Jiang Jinglan interrupted.
“Give me that friend’s number.”
“Yes.”
Jiang Jinglan dialed the number Qiu Yue provided.
Soon, the call was answered by a calm male voice.
“Hello, I’m Lu Ming. How can I help you?”
Lu Ming? Who was he? Since when did Bai Ruoxi know him?
Jiang Jinglan pursed his lips and said in a low voice, “I’m Jiang Jinglan, Bai Ruoxi’s husband. Is my wife with you?”
There was a pause on the other end before the man spoke, “Mr. Jiang, are you interrogating me?”
Jiang Jinglan’s brow furrowed deeper as his long fingers lightly tapped the dining table. His tone was cool as ice, mixed with displeasure.
“If you think I am interrogating you, then so be it.”
It was unheard of for Bai Ruoxi to spend the night with an unknown man.
A flash of irritation crossed his dark eyes. His calm voice was laced with a chilling coldness and a hint of displeasure.
“Have Bai Ruoxi answer the phone.”
The man paused for a few minutes, then replied in a businesslike courteous tone, “Are you ordering your wife? I’m sorry, Miss Bai is drunk and unable to answer.”
“I’m a friend of Miss Bai and the manager of Jin Zhi Café. I will personally see her home later.”
Bai Ruoxi visited Jin Zhi café about three times a week; it wasn’t unusual for her to know the manager…
But there was a difference between men and women. As Mrs. Jiang, didn’t she know how to keep her distance?
Jiang Jinglan narrowed his eyes. “Drunk?”
“Yes.”
The man’s tone was calm. “Are you concerned about your wife? But when she needed you, why did you disappear?”
“I’m only a friend to Miss Bai, but sometimes I just can’t stand it.”
Needed him? Jiang Jinglan’s mind stirred with doubt.
“My concern for my wife doesn’t need anyone’s judgment.”
He glanced down at his watch; it was nearly ten o’clock at night.
In a low voice, he said, “I’m going to pick her up myself. No need to trouble anyone else.”
After hanging up, Jiang Jinglan rose, grabbed his suit jacket, and called his assistant, Sun Yu.
“I have something important to do tonight. You chair the international business department’s video conference. Send me the minutes by midnight.”
“Understood, Mr. Jiang.”
After ending the call, Jiang Jinglan exhaled quietly, grabbed his car keys, and left.
His black luxury car sped through the dazzling nightlife.
He drove almost as fast as possible toward Jiade Plaza.
In the Yueliang River Center, Jiang’s headquarters stood south by the riverbank, and Jiade Plaza lay to the north.
Since Jiade Plaza was built, Bai Ruoxi had taken up new hobbies, often running there every few days.
On the surface, Bai Ruoxi was obedient.
She didn’t spend much of his money; at most, she just drank coffee at Jiade Plaza.
In recent years, Jiang’s business had become busier than ever, and Jiang Jinglan was often overwhelmed.
During tough times, he would always ask his assistant to buy a caramel latte from Jin Zhi.
Five percent sugar was Bai Ruoxi’s favorite sweetness…
Though he disliked sweet drinks, he would still frown and finish the entire cup, wondering how that crazy woman liked such sugary things.
Strangely, after drinking the coffee, his irritation would fade noticeably.
He never expected that while letting Bai Ruoxi go to Jin Zhi every day, she had quietly made a male friend…
—
When he arrived at Jin Zhi, the door was closed.
Through the floor-to-ceiling windows, he saw lights on deep inside.
Jiang Jinglan frowned and was about to knock when a young woman in a deep blue suit opened the door.
Her hair was tied in a low ponytail, she wore thick round glasses, and looked honest and simple at first glance. The golden name badge on her chest read “Lu Linlin.”
“You must be Mr. Jiang?”
Lu Linlin pushed up her glasses, her eyes carrying a hint of hostility.
She smiled, “I’m Lu Linlin, assistant to Mr. Lu. Mrs. Jiang is inside, and I’ve been keeping her company since Mr. Lu has work and can’t attend to her.”
In fact, Lu Linlin was Lu Ming’s niece.
Thanks to Lu Ming, she had become one of Bai Ruoxi’s assistants shortly after graduating, helping manage several store affairs.
After receiving Jiang Jinglan’s call tonight, Lu Ming feared he would overthink, so he sent Lu Linlin to stay with Bai Ruoxi, to avoid any trouble later.
Jiang Jinglan nodded.
“Where is she?”
“Please follow me.”
Lu Linlin gestured politely and led Jiang Jinglan to the conference room.
Under the harsh white light, Bai Ruoxi lay on the conference table with flushed cheeks, several empty bottles scattered around her elbow.
She clutched a bottle in one hand and gripped a shattered phone tightly in the other, sleeping quietly.
Jiang Jinglan’s gaze fell on Bai Ruoxi’s wrist.
A thick layer of gauze wrapped around her pale wrist; his heart tightened as he asked in a low voice, “Is she injured?”
“Yes, badly.”
“How did she get hurt?”
Lu Linlin sneered.
“Perhaps it’s better if Mrs. Jiang tells you herself. It certainly wasn’t here at Jin Zhi.”
Jiang Jinglan said nothing. He stepped forward, carefully scooped Bai Ruoxi into his arms, and headed toward the exit.
The woman in his arms let out a low groan of pain. Jiang Jinglan’s body froze; only then did he notice the fine, dense scratches on her shoulder, neck, and face.
How could this be?
His gaze darkened.
Bai Ruoxi was always meticulous about her appearance; how could she have let her face be hurt so easily?
“Mmm… an… answer the phone…”
The small woman in his arms furrowed her brows, glistening tears clinging to her lashes, her battered body stirring a deep ache in his heart.
Jiang Jinglan exhaled gently, “We’ll talk at home.”