Jingxia Rose

Chapter 144: The Ring

Ji Xuan was dressed in a more mature style today, wearing a white V-neck shirt, a fitted pencil skirt made of suit fabric, and a pair of stiletto heels.

Her hair was tousled, her makeup was glamorous, and she wore a white rose necklace.

Simple yet sophisticated.

Seeing the tall figure leaning against the wall, she paused, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes, and quickly went over. "What are you doing here? When did you get here?"

As soon as I got closer to him, I smelled a faint scent of alcohol mixed with his natural woody fragrance.

It's intoxicating, but not cloying.

"Drinking?"

"Yes, I had two drinks." Wen Qi glanced at her, his eyes deep, and took the initiative to explain, "I had dinner with Yi Xu and a few others, and I arrived forty minutes ago."

"Then why don't you..."

Oh, he can't get in because he doesn't know the password.

Ji Xuan took a step closer to him. "The password is the date we got back together. Next time you come, if I'm not here, just go in. Don't stand outside waiting for me like an idiot."

"Ah."

Wen Qi responded softly, his eyes fixed on her beautiful face.

Ji Xuan stared at him for a moment, then turned to the side to enter the password.

Before her hand could even touch the electronic lock, a strong hand hooked her slender waist, and in the next instant, she lost her balance and stumbled backward several steps, pinned against the wall.

She looked up blankly, only to find Wen Qi had already lowered his head and kissed her lips.

Unlike the previous gentleness, this kiss was more forceful and passionate.

Ji Xian seemed to sense his urgency and gently patted his back to comfort him after several days of longing.

"Not here, let's go inside first."

He gripped her waist harder and harder, and Ji Xian, fearing he might lose his temper and do something outrageous outside, quickly said something.

But Wen Qi didn't let go of her, still kissing her deeply. A few minutes later, he finally pulled away from her lips, his heavy breathing almost drowning out his own.

"Why don't you reply?"

The two were close enough that Ji Xian could hear clearly. He took a deep breath and looked at her in surprise, "You messaged me? My phone ran out of battery at nine o'clock and shut down automatically."

"You spent so long having a meal with him?"

Ji Xian paused, and only after his muddled mind cleared somewhat did he realize who the 'he' he was referring to was.

She glanced at Wen Qi's lowered eyelids and couldn't help but laugh, "You're jealous?"

Wen Qi and she exchanged a glance, but remained silent.

Ji Xian wrapped her arms around his neck. "We finished eating at eight o'clock, and then Wanwan dragged me around for a while, so we only just got back now."

Wen Qi put his arm around her waist, buried his face deep in her neck, and inhaled her comforting, faint floral scent.

His eyes were lowered, his voice hoarse, carrying a strange hint of pleading and ingratiation, "Ji Xian, please come back?"

Ji Xian froze. Perhaps it was the smell of alcohol on him, but she felt a little dazed, as if she were the one who was drunk.

"I'm already back, aren't I?" She snapped out of her daze, her red lips pressed against his cheek, her voice soft, a hint of laughter in it. "Drunk?"

“On nights when you’re not by my side, I’m always afraid that when I wake up it will all be a dream. Stay by my side, don’t leave me.” He added in a low voice, seemingly ignoring the question.

Oh, so she's not the only one who feels insecure.

Wen Qi also felt insecure. Ji Xuan smiled, her red lips curving upwards, and replied firmly, "I will. Wen Qi, I will never leave you again."

Wen Qi found her lips again and kissed them gently and repeatedly. "I will never let go of your hand again. No one can take you away from me."

Intoxicated by alcohol, Wen Qi became less cold and indifferent than usual, and more sentimental.

She didn't know why Xiao Guxing would bring him such a sense of crisis, and belatedly realized that his somewhat humble plea probably meant for her to move back to Canglan Residence, or perhaps back to Linqi.

Only when he can see her, touch her, and hear her voice will he not feel so anxious and insecure.

As it turns out, Wen Qi is clingy.

Especially Wen Qi after drinking alcohol.

Once inside, Ji Xuan took out the couple's pajamas she had bought before, stuffed them into his arms, and pushed him into the bathroom, saying, "Come out after you've washed up."

As soon as she turned around, he grabbed her wrist and leaned in from behind, saying in a clingy voice, "Shall we go together?"

"..."

Ji Xuan was a little embarrassed and glared at him shyly, "No! I still need to remove my makeup, you wash first!"

After saying that, she shook off his hand, closed the bathroom door herself, and went to the dressing table to remove her makeup.

Ten minutes later, Wen Qi came out of the bathroom, and Ji Xuan went in. When he came out, Wen Qi was already asleep in the quilt.

She lay down, and he, as if guided by radar, instinctively pressed himself against her and embraced her.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Ji Xuan and Mr. Gerry's collaboration lasted less than five months and officially ended at the end of July.

She had some free time again, while Wen Qi remained busy. The only time the two of them could spend together was still during breakfast in the morning.

As the collaboration drew to a close, Ji Xuan was quite busy and had no time to make breakfast. It would be too much trouble for Wen Qi to bring it from Canglan Residence, so Wen Qi simply packed Ji Xuan up and took him back to Canglan Residence.

Seeing that rose diamond ring was an accident.

That day, after dinner, Ji Xian received a call from Moscow asking her to identify some documents, saying they had been sent to her email. Ji Xian then went to his study and logged onto his desktop computer.

I needed to grab a pen or notebook to jot something down, but I couldn't find it on the table. So I opened the drawers on both sides to look, but I couldn't find a notebook or pen. However, I did find a high-end pink and blue velvet square gift box in the second drawer on the right.

It's obviously a ring box.

She paused for a moment, then reached out and picked up the box. It was quite heavy. When she opened the lid, a delicate and dazzling rose-shaped diamond ring unexpectedly came into view.

In an instant, her eyes froze, and her heart felt as if it had been struck hard by something, causing her heart to skip a few beats.

The center of the ring features a large, perfectly cut diamond, while the band is set with many smaller diamonds. The inner rim is also engraved with the initials of her and Wen Qi's names.

Ji Xian was a little dazed and his breathing was a little rapid. He didn't even know when he had prepared this ring.

After a while, footsteps sounded outside the door, the study door was pushed open, and Wen Qi walked in.

She was also holding a plate of fruit.

Noticing the strange look in her eyes, Wen Qi asked softly, "What's wrong?"

Ji Xuan's gaze followed his movements, but she remained silent.

Wen Qi placed the fruit plate on the table and glanced up casually, noticing the ring box in her hand, where the diamond ring was still intact.

He paused, glanced at the still-open drawer, and smiled helplessly. "Do you like it?"

Seeing how natural his expression and tone were, Ji Xuan turned to face him and asked, "When did you prepare this ring?"

Wen Qi leaned back on the edge of the table, glancing at the diamond ring, and said slowly, "Prepared two years ago."