EFB Chapter 50: Not a promise, but a vow
Chapter 50: Not a promise, but a vow
Dawn is breaking.
In the early morning, Hong Kong is not filled with birdsong and fragrant flowers, nor is it a place of leisure and tranquility. Instead, it is bustling with traffic and crowds.
Hong Kong has always been a city with a fast-paced lifestyle, where the first thing people do when they wake up is to work hard, earn money, and support their families.
If you slow down your pace even a little, you'll very likely find yourself escaping the city.
Inside a suite at the Lee Gardens Hotel.
The velvet curtains were half-open, and the morning light slanted in, falling on a marble coffee table.
Beside them, two cups of coffee, still warm, had milk foam that was beginning to solidify.
Li Jiagang sat comfortably on the sofa, his suit jacket casually draped to the side, his tie slightly loosened, and his sleeves rolled up to his forearms, revealing the clear lines on his wrists.
He held an unlit cigar lightly between his fingers, his gaze fixed intently on the woman opposite him, Chen Wenyu.
She was still wearing the same elegant dress as last night, her hair slightly loose, with a few strands falling beside her cheeks. Far from looking disheveled, it added a touch of languid charm.
The two stared at each other in silence.
Last night's impulsiveness and the fact that there was mutual attraction between them were not the biggest reasons for the current situation; rather, the influence of alcohol on both of them was the primary factor.
Especially Chen Wenyu.
As the winner of the "Miss Hong Kong" pageant, last night's celebration banquet was practically her own event, with many people toasting her and trying to get closer to her.
So when she chatted with Li Jiagang in the past, she was already somewhat drunk. Her brain, stimulated by alcohol, often made her do things that she wouldn't normally dare to do, but that she wanted to do.
Through these interactions and a series of coincidences, an indescribable tenderness unfolded.
At this moment, Li Jiagang was also unsure how to handle the situation. According to the original owner's memories, in such matters, one should either take out a wad of cash or write a check for the other party, swagger out of the hotel, and the matter would be over.
But Li Jiagang was still hesitant.
He was afraid that doing so would hurt her.
But he had no experience, and the eerily quiet atmosphere made him want to break the deadlock, yet he didn't know where to begin.
"I'll give it my all..." Li Jiagang took out his checkbook from his suit, intending to try the original owner's approach, which was better than the current silence between the two sides.
But before he could even put pen to paper...
"So, this is compensation for a night of conversation," Chen Wenyu said, looking at the checkbook with disappointment in her eyes, "or is it a serious love affair?"
Am I really that worthless?
Chen Wenyu remained calm. Even though she understood Li Jiagang's intentions, she did not show anger or make a scene. Instead, she calmly asked him questions.
The air fell silent for a moment.
Li Jiagang didn't know how to answer.
At this moment, Chen Wenyu walked barefoot to the bedside, lifted the quilt, pointed to the sheet and said, "Some things, once lost, can never be made up for."
Li Jiagang looked at that plum blossom mark.
He immediately raised an eyebrow.
He hadn't actually noticed this. Now, recalling what happened last night, he finally understood why Li Wenyu was in so much pain and terrified.
What he didn't expect was that Li Wenyu had lived in the United States for so many years, in such an open place, yet it had remained intact.
He couldn't help but glance at Li Wenyu again.
The clever Li Wenyu understood his thoughts again.
"What? You think that because I approached you so casually, I'm not a decent person?" Even the usually calm Li Wenyu couldn't help but get teary-eyed at this moment.
Li Jiagang wasn't a ruthless person who would draw his gun; he just didn't know how to resolve the situation.
After careful consideration, he sighed and said, "I have no plans to get married for the time being."
He thought Li Wenyu would be furious after hearing this, and he was prepared to be splashed with a glass of water or kicked in the face with a high heel.
But Li Wenyu remained very calm.
"It's not that you don't have any thoughts about marriage for the time being," she approached step by step, her gaze piercing, "but that you have no intention of getting married at all, right, Mr. Li Jiagang?"
"Before you rose to prominence, you lived a life of nightly revelry and extravagance, a notorious playboy and spoiled brat in the industry."
"You think I don't know?"
"and you……?"
"Because I don't care." Chen Wenyu's answer was astonishing. "I'm not bound by any rigid ideas. I only know that if I see something I like, I'll pursue it. That's my way of life."
She paused, took a deep breath, as if making a solemn declaration: "Actually, I don't want to be bound by marriage. What I crave more is a passionate love affair. I don't even care if you have other women, as long as you always have me in your heart."
"I'm not a stupid woman, especially someone as outstanding as you. Even if I use marriage to bind you, if you change your mind, do you think I can keep you tied down and prevent you from having contact with any other woman?"
She looked him straight in the eye and said, word by word, "I can do without marriage, but I need your love and to be your woman."
Li Jiagang stared at her, utterly shocked by Chen Wenyu's astonishing words.
It even shattered his worldview.
He was still thinking to himself, "Is this the kind of thinking that only highly educated people from the new society and open regions would have?"
Otherwise, he would have difficulty explaining her thoughts.
But... whatever the case.
Li Wenyu has already said all this; if he still doesn't make any response, then he's not a man.
Moreover, isn't this the future life he wanted, a fantasy of having both power and beauty?
Li Jiagang slowly closed his checkbook, stood up, his suit jacket hem slipped down, but he ignored it and walked step by step toward Chen Wenyu.
"I don't know what the future holds. Hong Kong has always been a turbulent place, and I will have no shortage of enemies. So I won't make any promises to you, but if you're willing, let's walk hand in hand from now on."
Chen Wenyu's pupils trembled slightly, and his lips moved, but he ultimately did not utter a word.
Although Li Jiagang's words did not make any promises, and could even be said to have placed a burden on her.
But she was so pathetic. Just Li Jiagang's words, "But if you are willing, let's walk hand in hand from now on," filled her heart with a sense of satisfaction, anticipation, and happiness.
Before Chen Wenyu could respond.
Li Jiagang smiled faintly and continued, "As for other women?" He paused, "Actually, I'm not a promiscuous person. I can assure you that I won't bring any woman into the house without your permission."
Chen Wenyu finally smiled, her eyes glistening with tears, yet as bright as the rising sun.
Barefoot, she leaped and carried him to Lijiagang, feeling a sense of satisfaction she had never experienced before.
She enjoyed the feeling.
Even when faced with Li Jiagang's ruthless decision to draw his gun, she didn't shed a single tear, but now...
She couldn't hold back her tears any longer.
"Then you'd better not regret it," she said softly. "If you dare bring back any shady women without my permission, see how I deal with you." Chen Wenyu said, pounding his chest.
"Then I also want to make this clear to you: from this day forward, you will be the only one in my eyes. No matter what the future holds, whether it's storms or the troubles of daily life, I will never leave you. This isn't just a promise; it's my decision to be with you."
Upon hearing this, Li Jiagang immediately took her hand and gently kissed it.
As the morning sun gradually rose, it streamed into the room, filling it completely and elongating their shadows, which overlapped.
The morning light completely flooded through the window, spilling onto the plum blossom stain on the bed sheet. It was no longer a punishment for impulsiveness, but a mark of new life.
Last night was an encounter, this morning is a contract.