The Guide to Rising to Power: The Ultimate Schemes of a Green Tea Beauty

Zhou Jingyan walked with a leisurely pace and slightly larger strides.

Shen Yao followed behind him, her steps unsteady and faltering, seemingly due to physical discomfort.

After walking a few steps, she was slightly out of breath, her voice trembling and weak, as she softly called out, "Mr. Zhou, could you please slow down? I'm having trouble keeping up..."

Zhou Jingyan stopped when he heard the sound and turned around to check on her.

Just as he turned around, Shen Yao seemed to lose her footing, and with him suddenly stopping, she let out a soft "Ouch!" and fell forward unexpectedly, bumping into his arms.

Zhou Jingyan instinctively reached out and supported her.

Almost simultaneously, a suppressed groan tinged with pain escaped from Shen Yao's lips.

The groan was soft and gentle, with a seductive tremor at the end, making it exceptionally clear and ambiguous in the empty, quiet corridor.

The meaning contained in that voice went far beyond the realm of simple pain; it was more like an unconscious provocation with a certain hint.

Any normal adult man, in such a private space with only the two of them, would inevitably be tempted and have wild fantasies upon hearing such a beautiful girl in his arms make such sounds.

Zhou Jingyan's body stiffened instantly.

He considered himself to be of excellent character and not a lustful person.

But at this moment, the girl's soft body was pressed tightly against his, and the alluring moan seemed to still linger in his ears, along with the faint fragrance emanating from her body...

He found himself uncontrollably thinking in the wrong direction.

Zhou Jingyan, you're really getting worse as you get older.

He silently berated himself in his heart.

"One who stays near vermilion gets stained red, and one who stays near ink gets stained black." Spending too much time with those scoundrels like Qin Fang has even weakened my willpower.

Shen Yao seemed to immediately realize the "inappropriateness" of the groan, and two blushes instantly appeared on her face.

She hurriedly and embarrassedly broke free from his embrace, taking two steps back, lowering her head, and speaking in a barely audible voice, full of apology:

"I'm sorry, Mr. Zhou. I didn't mean to, I... I just lost my balance..."

Her flustered yet innocent appearance perfectly explained the easily misunderstood groan she had just made.

Zhou Jingyan quickly composed himself, suppressing the fleeting, romantic thoughts that had crossed his mind. His face returned to its usual gentle and calm expression, and his tone was filled with concern:

"It's okay, I just turned around too quickly. Did you bump into something? Does it hurt?"

He tried his best to make his voice sound natural and free of any distractions.

Shen Yao raised her watery eyes to look at him, then quickly lowered her head, softly humming in agreement, her hand unconsciously resting on her side.

"My lower back hurts a bit, I think I bumped it hard in the elevator. I couldn't help it."

Zhou Jingyan's gaze unconsciously followed her words and fell on her slender waist.

The white dress is made of soft fabric, outlining her graceful curves.

With such a slender waist, it's normal for it to hurt when Xiao Weilin pushes it like that.

"It was my oversight," Zhou Jingyan's tone softened. "Then let's walk slowly, no rush. If you're really feeling unwell, I should still have the doctor come and take a look?"

"No need, no need. I just need to rest for a bit, thank you Mr. Zhou." Shen Yao quickly waved her hand, her face full of gratitude.

Zhou Jingyan escorted Shen Yao to the entrance of the teahouse, where a black sedan was already quietly waiting.

The driver respectfully opened the car door.

"Ms. Shen, please get in the car. The driver will take you safely back to school."

Zhou Jingyan stood outside the car door, ready to end this unexpected encounter.

Shen Yao got into the car as instructed, the soft leather seats were cool to the touch.

Just as Zhou Jingyan nodded slightly to her and turned to leave—

"Mr. Zhou."

A desperate, tearful cry rang out from behind him.

Immediately afterwards, he felt his wrist being tightly gripped by a cool, delicate, yet trembling hand.

Zhou Jingyan paused, turning back in surprise.

Shen Yao seemed to realize that her action of grabbing his wrist was too abrupt, and she let go abruptly as if she had been burned, and then hurriedly grabbed the corner of his shirt cuff.

She looked up, and tears welled up without warning, swirling in her eyes and sliding down her cheeks.

"Mr. Zhou, I...I'm so scared!"

Her voice trembled violently and she spoke incoherently, as if the fear she had suppressed for so long had finally burst forth.

"Will they come looking for me again? Mr. Qin, and Mr. Xiao, they look so scary... What if, what if they won't let me go? I'm all alone..."

She was sitting inside the car, and he was standing outside.

The girl's frail body leaned forward slightly, almost leaning out of the car, her slender fingers clutching his clothes tightly, as if grasping at the only straw.

Through her teary eyes, her delicate little face was filled with helplessness and panic.

Zhou Jingyan frowned slightly as he looked at the scene before him.

He gestured for the driver, who was already somewhat at a loss, to step back a few steps.

Then, he leaned down slightly, trying to align his gaze with Shen Yao's inside the car, and spoke in a very slow and gentle voice, attempting to soothe her emotions:

"Don't be afraid, Miss Shen, tell me slowly, what's wrong?"

His calmness seemed to give Shen Yao a bit of courage.

Seeing that he didn't immediately shake off her hand, but instead patiently asked her questions, she felt a faint sense of security.

Instead of loosening her grip on his clothes, she moved even closer to him, almost leaning half her body out of the car door, her forehead almost touching his waist and abdomen.

Her faint, sweet fragrance lingered around Zhou Jingyan's nose.

"I'm afraid of them."

She sobbed, her voice broken, "Mr. Qin doesn't seem like he'll let this go easily, and Mr. Xiao... he looked at me so fiercely. Mr. Zhou, what should I do if they come looking for me again after you leave?"

Her words were filled with fear of Qin Fang's harassment and Xiao Weilin's revenge.

Looking at her completely dependent and vulnerable appearance, Zhou Jingyan sighed inwardly.

He could indeed warn Qin Fang and Xiao Weilin to stay away from her; given his influence, those two would likely restrain themselves on the surface.

but……

His gaze swept over Shen Yao's tear-streaked face, a beauty so flamboyant it could ignite a man's intense possessiveness and destructive urges.

The girl seemed completely unaware of how intensely stimulating and tempting her tearful, pleading posture, clinging tightly to the man's clothes, was to him.

Qin Fang, that lecherous bastard, and Xiao Weilin, that eccentric...

For the first time, Zhou Jingyan felt a little uncertain.

Leaving such a helpless and strikingly beautiful little girl alone in Shanghai, facing those two troublemakers, would indeed have unimaginable consequences.

Seeing Zhou Jingyan remain silent with his brows furrowed, Shen Yao seemed to have used up her last bit of courage.

She suddenly closed her eyes, as if she had made up her mind, loosened her grip on his clothes, and instead opened her arms wide to hug his waist tightly.

"Please, Mr. Zhou. You're such a kind person, please help me, I'm so scared..."

She cried in his arms, her whole body trembling, her voice muffled.

All of this exceeded Zhou Jingyan's usual safe distance.

He should push her away immediately.

but……

Feeling the fear and dependence of the body in his arms, and thinking about the trouble she might face, Zhou Jingyan's hand, which he had raised to push her away, ultimately just gently landed on her shoulder, gently pulling her away from his embrace by a little distance.

He looked down at the girl in front of him, whose eyes were red and swollen from crying, and whose nose was red, making her even more pitiful and touching.

If he hadn't called Qin Fang and Xiao Weilin here, perhaps she wouldn't have suffered this unexpected disaster.

The man took out a plain business card from the inside pocket of his suit jacket. It only had his name and a personal mobile phone number on it.

He gently placed the business card into Shen Yao's cold hand, his voice steady and reassuring:

"Here's what we'll do, Ms. Shen Yao, this is my private phone number. If you really encounter any problems you can't solve, or if they harass you again, you can call me here. Okay?"

Shen Yao held the business card, which still carried his warmth, as if it were a talisman. Her tears flowed even more fiercely, but this time they were filled with a sense of relief and gratitude.

She nodded vigorously, her voice choked with emotion, and said, "Thank you, Mr. Zhou."

Seeing that she had finally calmed down a bit, Zhou Jingyan comforted her for a few more minutes before helping her close the car door and signaling the driver to start the car.

The black sedan slowly drove away and merged into the traffic.

Zhou Jingyan stood there, looking in the direction the car had disappeared, and rubbed his temples.

Hopefully, this business card will truly protect her.

Inside the car, Shen Yao leaned back in her seat, tears still wet on her face, her fingertips gently stroking the finely crafted business card.