Chapter 183 - The Approaching Storm

Rebirth of a Fashionista: This Life Is Soo Last Season

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"How’s that the same thing? I've already explained that portrait to you, but now you’ve taken it without telling me. How is that any different from stealing?!"

Sheng Jiaoyang was furious and didn’t restrain herself, so her tone was a little harsh.

"Your painting is currently in my study. If you want to retrieve it, come get it yourself.” Then, Shen Zhining hung up the phone.

Sheng Jiaoyang gritted her teeth as she stared at her phone. She grabbed a coat and angrily went downstairs.

"Where are you going?" Grandfather Yang asked as he saw her walking towards the door.

"I’m going to retrieve something."

Sheng Jiaoyang put on her coat and marched to the villa next door.

It was cold outside, but luckily, it didn’t take long for Felix to open the door.

"Miss Xu, Boss…"

"You don’t need to tell me. I don't want to know where he is, I'm just here to retrieve my painting."

Sheng Jiaoyang had come here before, so she was already familiar with this place. She directly proceeded to the study.

When she opened the door, she saw Shen Zhining sitting behind his desk. She didn’t look one bit surprised and simply started searching the study. Afterwards, she walked over and propped her hands on the desk as she stared him in the eye and asked, "Where’s my painting?"

Shen Zhining expressionlessly raised his hand and threw a stack of photos in front of her.

What are these? Sheng Jiaoyang looked down, her expression changing the moment her eyes landed on the photos.

In the first photo, Lin Yan was standing behind her in an intimate posture, holding her hands as they played the piano.

In the second photo, she was staring intently at Lin Yan as he played the piano.

The third, the fourth, etc…

Every photo looked ambiguous.

"I…" Seeing these photos, Sheng Jiaoyang had no excuse.

However, she wasn’t willing to back down and immediately asked, "Did you have someone following me?"

"I answered that question long ago," Shen Zhining replied.

Sheng Jiaoyang frowned. Shen Zhining’s words suddenly flashed across her mind. He had mentioned this issue to her before. A few days ago, he’d said that an anonymous person had sent him photos by post.

Alright, with that question answered, she asked another question instead.

"You took my painting away because of these photos?"

Shen Zhining stood up and unhurriedly walked towards her. "Isn't that a justifiable reason to do so?"

He stood in front of her, his expression cold as he stated, "You met him today, and the first thing you thought of upon returning home was the painting of him. Looks like you have deep feelings for him. You must’ve forgotten, but you have a boyfriend."

He suddenly laughed. "What, you want to have a foot in both camps?"

Sheng Jiaoyang stared into his eyes and exasperatedly retorted, "Is there a need to resort to that? If I want to be with him, the only thing I have to do is break up with you!"

"You want to break up with me?"

"I…" Sheng Jiaoyang hesitated for a moment before lifting her chin, looking him straight in the eye as she replied, "That's right!"

"I’m tired of you being so sceptical of me all the time. In that case, we might as well break up as soon as possible so that you can feel at ease and I can also take it easy. Humph!"

Sheng Jiaoyang turned around and said on her way out, "You can do whatever you want with that painting, I don't want it anymore!"

She was still angry and mumbled, "I can just draw a new one every day. I can draw ten, a hundred, a thousand, ten thousand, and I can draw an entire lifetime!"

To infuriate you to death!

Her anger hadn’t completely dissipated yet when her arm was grabbed and she was tossed over Shen Zhining’s shoulder without warning. Her coat and glasses dropped to the ground.

"Ah!" Sheng Jiaoyang turned pale with fright as she was abruptly suspended in mid-air. "What are you doing?"

"Doing, you!"

Sheng Jiaoyang's eyes widened. Her stomach was in an uncomfortable position, but at this time, she couldn’t care less about this. She only knew that she was extremely terrified.

"Put me down!"

"I'm telling you, this is against the law!"

"Forced intimacy is sexual harassment!"

"Ahhhhhhh! Shen Zhining, are you crazy?"

Sheng Jiaoyang hammered her fists against his back like a madwoman.

"Don't be like this. If you have something to say, we can talk about it."

"Shen Zhining, you bastard! Put me down!"

"If you touch me, I won’t co-exist with…ah!"

Shen Zhining threw her on his large bed and suppressed her body under his, shutting her up with a kiss.

"Mm-hmm%&#¥…"

Sheng Jiaoyang was able to resist in the beginning, but later, she was kissed until she was out of breath. Her senses were confused, and she could only think of catching her breath.

At last, Shen Zhining let go of her red and swollen lips to kiss her cheek, all the way down her long neck, and stopping at her beautiful collarbone. He then nibbled and licked her collarbone as one of his hands moved under her shirt, caressing her slender waist.

As soon as his warm palm touched her skin, Sheng Jiaoyang instantly regained her senses. Her hands were clasped above her head, and she immediately started struggling to free them.

He bit her collarbone a little harder.

She groaned, feeling half-surprised and half-angry as she cried, "Let me go! I warn you, if you dare touch me, I’ll never let you off!"

Shen Zhining looked up at her and gradually smiled. There was a slightly evil and wanton expression on his face. "Okay, then just don't let me off," as he said that, he rubbed his hand against her waist.

"You bastard!" All the swear words she knew of had seemingly disappeared without a trace.

His hand felt like fire as it travelled all the way from her waist to her back.

Then, her bra was unhooked!

In that instant, Sheng Jiaoyang felt her heart collapse.

"Shen Zhining, don't be like this…" She bit her lip, her voice trembling with anxiety.

Shen Zhining looked at her. As if by reflex, the hand that had unhooked her bra caressed her skin as he unhurriedly asked, "Do I have to stop just because you don’t want to?"

This sentence carried a double meaning.

His fingertips had already made contact with her soft curves.

"Shen Zhining, no, Zhining, I…was wrong…" Sheng Jiaoyang’s tone softened.

She looked at him with teary eyes. Her expression carried a hint of hesitation and grievance as she murmured, "Zhining, I was wrong."

Shen Zhining’s expression remained indifferent, but his movements stopped. He calmly asked, "What did you do wrong?"

"I-I…" She swallowed her saliva. Feeling that his hand was about to move again, she hurriedly said, "I shouldn't have mentioned breaking up with you."

"What else?" The tip of his brow arched slightly.

W-what else? Sheng Jiaoyang’s eyes widened. When she saw his expression darken, she quickly answered, "I shouldn't have asked you to return the painting."

She inwardly thought: The worst thing she’d done was forget this bastard’s true face.

"Only that?"

She stared at him with a determined look and hastily stammered, "Nonono, there's more… Zhining, listen to me, I admit that I was attracted by Lin Yan's appearance, but ever since I met you, I decided to turn over a new leaf." Hmm, the expression ‘turn over a new leaf’ sounds a bit weird, but oh well, she couldn’t care less about whether her words were proper or not. The main point was to stabilise Demon King Shen’s mood.

"I’m telling you the truth, you have to believe me! Mei Niu…I mean Lina, can testify for me!"

Shen Zhining stared at her with a faint smile and let her continue.

"Zhining, I’m absolutely serious about you,” Sheng Jiaoyang added, bracing herself.

"Who was the one that mentioned breaking up earlier?" Shen Zhining remained indifferent.

She pouted with an aggrieved expression and explained, "I…I just said that in a moment of anger! There’s really nothing between me and Lin Yan. He just helped me correct my playing. Afterwards, I invited him to dinner to express my thanks before sending him to the airport."

"The photos,” Shen Zhining uttered two words.

As Sheng Jiaoyang recalled the various photos of her hugging Lin Yan and her staring at him at the airport, she licked her lips and mumbled, "I was just sending a friend off with a friendly hug, nothing else."

"If I asked you to not meet up with him again, would you be willing?" Shen Zhining slightly narrowed his eyes.

Sheng Jiaoyang only hesitated for a second, but Shen Zhining's hand had already started misbehaving. She was scared out of her wits and hurriedly squeaked, "Yes!"

"You hesitated," Shen Zhining said.

"Nonono, I’m very resolute about this. I promise that I’ll never take the initiative to meet him in the future!"

"Take the initiative?" He caught the loophole in her words.

"I-I can only guarantee my behaviour, I can't control his. If he comes to find me, you can't put the blame on me."

"Oh~" Shen Zhining lowered his head and stared at her from a close distance. As if he were saying sentimental words of love, he whispered, "How can this not be your fault? You’re the person he likes, not someone else."

He’s deliberately making trouble out of nothing! Sheng Jiaoyang almost blew her top. The heat from his palm hand was practically driving her insane.

"If I know that he’s coming, I'll avoid him, alright?"

Shen Zhining slightly shook his head. "That’s not enough."

What else does he want? "Then, even if he were to show up in front of me, I'll avoid him, alright?"

Shen Zhining didn’t speak and simply stared at her as if to verify the authenticity of her words.

After a while, he finally stated, "Remember your words."

"Mhmm." She hurriedly nodded in agreement before cautiously asking, "Grandfather is still waiting for me to have dinner, can you get up now?"

Shen Zhining let go of her and got up. He stood by the bed and stared at her messy appearance.

"You can take the painting with you."

Thinking that he was testing her, Sheng Jiaoyang quickly refused. "No, I drew it for Lina anyway. I'll give you an address later, and you can send it to her on my behalf."

Brother, did you think that I’d be stupid enough to fall into the same trap twice?

Sheng Jiaoyang hurriedly got up and prepared to leave.

"Wait."

Sheng Jiaoyang froze. She glanced at the bedroom door, hesitating over whether she should rush out or stay. But, if she made a run for it, she might not be able to make it out of the villa.

A heavy coat was draped over her shoulders.

"Put it on, don't catch a cold."

Sheng Jiaoyang glanced at Shen Zhining. He was acting like a furious storm just a moment ago, and now he seemed like a rainbow after the rain. She took a deep breath and replied, "Okay, I'm leaving."

With that said, she quickly walked away.

Shen Zhining stared at the door and watched as she disappeared from his sight. Afterwards, he lifted the hand that had touched her earlier and rubbed it against his belly, savouring the aftertaste.

That little fox grew up a little.