## Chapter 4: I Prefer Others to Beg Me
Silence filled the room, broken only by the sound of leather shoes tapping against the wooden floor—unhurried and steady, like a metronome striking each person's heart.
Everyone held their breath as they turned toward the sound.
Soon, a tall, slender figure appeared in the doorway.
The man came against the light, wearing a custom-tailored suit that perfectly accentuated his broad shoulders, narrow waist, and long legs. His physique was impeccable, not to mention that face that could make anyone lose focus.
Even Jane's gaze lingered for a moment on the man's waist before she looked away.
"Mr. Payne."
"Good evening, Mr. Payne."
Scattered greetings rose from the crowd.
Payne's gaze swept over everyone before settling firmly on Jane. He let out a meaningful chuckle.
Everyone else tensed, feeling the cold pressure that instantly filled the backstage area, even from a distance.
Only Jane understood the hidden message in his laugh.
Four words: You're on your own.
He wouldn't help her.
Not that she had expected him to, Jane thought.
This silent undercurrent between them remained hidden beneath their composed exteriors. No one would ever guess that just days ago, they had shared that passionate, reckless night together.
Jane maintained her composure, turning away first, pretending not to know him.
The director of Lee Garden had entered alongside Payne.
Seeing the situation, the director nearly fell backward in anger, scolding, "What's all this commotion about? Get back to work immediately! Don't you know we're about to start the show?"
Everyone quickly dispersed, pretending to be busy.
Summer approached Jane and whispered just loud enough for them to hear, "Mr. Payne is here. He's on my side, do you believe that?"
Yes.
How could she not?
Everyone at Lee Garden knew that Summer's backing came from Payne himself.
Jane lowered her eyes, listening as Summer complained coquettishly.
"Mr. Payne, I was supposed to perform tonight! What right does this usurper, this mere ornament, have to stand here? Please send her away, won't you?"
Payne remained unmoved.
Or rather, he showed no intention of lingering, maintaining an air of casual indifference.
Only when he heard the word "ornament" did he raise his eyelids to give Jane a lazy glance, as if assessing the accuracy of the term.
Whether he saw something of value or not, the corner of his mouth twitched slightly before he finally spoke with casual dismissiveness, "I don't interfere with Lee Garden's affairs."
Lee Garden was merely the most inconspicuous of the Parker family's properties—hardly even worth calling a business, just a place of entertainment.
Payne visited often but almost never involved himself in Lee Garden's management, leaving everything to the director.
Moreover, although he had agreed to Jane's condition to let her perform at Lee Garden, whether she could establish herself here or be suppressed by others depended entirely on her own abilities.
Not getting the answer she wanted, Summer bit her lip, somewhat dissatisfied.
The director, pushed to make a decision, had a headache.
Observing Payne's expression and following his usual pattern of supporting Summer, the director cleared his throat and announced, "Tonight's performance will still feature Summer!"
Summer was triumphant. She pushed Jane aside and sat down at the makeup mirror, then summoned others to fuss over her makeup.
Jane was shoved to the side.
Then she heard a deep laugh behind her, that magnetic voice drilling into her ear word by word.
"If you were to beg me, I might reconsider."
Payne's presence nearly enveloped Jane.
The intimate whisper, like that between lovers, instantly brought back memories of that stormy night—of even closer contact than now.
Cheek to cheek.
Those uncontrolled, burning, surging images.
Payne's gaze fell on Jane's slender, snow-white nape. The young woman's skin was like jade or porcelain, almost reddening at the slightest touch.
Even now, a mark remained there.
His kiss mark.
Payne's eyes darkened.
But Jane seemed to sense something. Just as Payne's finger was about to touch her, she quickly moved away.
Fortunately, no one was looking in their direction.
"Mr. Payne, I don't like begging people."
Jane smiled lightly, responding with equally lofty tone, "I prefer... others to beg me."
As soon as she finished speaking, a crowd of people entered carrying flower baskets of all sizes.
Some baskets were taller than a person, quickly occupying all available space, filling the air with rich floral fragrance.
Not just backstage—the entire courtyard was filled!
Each flower basket bore Jane's name!
This was an extra rule set by Lee Garden's director: when someone ordered flowers for the entire venue, the performer they designated would be required to take the stage!
Of course, the flowers could only be purchased from Lee Garden at an exorbitant price, so while many sent flowers, few bought out the entire venue.
And the designated performer was Jane!
Such a grand gesture hadn't been seen at Lee Garden for a long time!
The spectacle drew everyone's attention!
"My goodness, so many flowers!"
"These flowers cost thousands per bouquet! With this many, it must be at least a six-figure sum!"
"They're requesting Jane to perform! Look at the name—who's the patron? It's... it's the Johnson family's third young master!"
Spending money lavishly was exactly something Young Master Johnson would do.
"Congratulations on getting what you wanted."
Payne withdrew his hand, his expression neutral, though to Jane's ears, his words sounded... somewhat sarcastic.
Jane looked at him in surprise, but Payne had already turned to leave.
Meanwhile, Summer, whose makeup was only half done, grew red-eyed with jealousy!
She clenched her fists and sneered, "See that? Our new girl isn't so simple. Just one performance and she's already got Young Master Johnson completely infatuated!"
"Jane," Summer called out loudly enough for everyone to hear, "It was Young Master Johnson who took you home last night, wasn't it? How many times did you sleep with him?"
With those words, many people around began looking at Jane differently.
Even Payne's footsteps faltered slightly, a cold mockery flashing in his eyes.
The man didn't linger. His tall, straight figure disappeared into the night, with only the faint outline of his cold lips visible.
Jane, at the center of the storm, withdrew her gaze.
She maintained her smile, still appearing gentle and soft, but every word she spoke carried a knife-like sharpness:
"You can eat carelessly, but you can't speak carelessly. You're slandering me, and you'd better apologize—sincerely."
"Otherwise, I can report you for attempted murder for pushing me into the water last night!"
The incident of Jane falling into the water hadn't spread widely, but Lee Garden was a big place with many gossiping mouths, and some people knew about it.
Summer's face changed as she protested, "You—you're lying! When did I ever push you into the water?"
Jane shook her head, looking at her as if she were an idiot. "You don't seriously think security cameras are just for show, do you? Fool."
The last two words were whispered, audible only to the two of them.
Summer was furious!
But none of her colleagues came to her defense!
Having a bad temper and getting into arguments was one thing, but being arrogant enough to attempt murder was something else entirely!
Summer gritted her teeth, worried that the security cameras had indeed captured her pushing Jane.
This could be either a minor or major issue. If Jane refused to let it go, wouldn't she be left with a permanent stain on her record?
In her uncertainty, Summer finally took a step back. "I—I didn't mean to, it was just an accident. I'm sorry... is that enough?"
Jane shook her head. "Not quite. I can't sense your sincerity."
"I! Am! Sorry!"
Summer shouted, "I shouldn't have made things up or slandered you. Is that sincere enough?"
"Barely acceptable, I suppose," Jane shrugged helplessly. "What can I say? I'm just too nice."
"..."
Summer nearly coughed up blood from anger!
"You'll see!"
She glared at Jane, pushed aside the flower baskets that were crowding the space, and stormed off.
After this scene, no one felt like chatting anymore. Everyone busied themselves with their tasks until the show began.
Jane's performance was steady, completely unaffected by external distractions. Once on stage, her operatic voice, combined with her stunningly beautiful appearance, captivated the audience!
Young Master Johnson watched from below, completely entranced.
He knew nothing about opera, only that the person singing on stage captured his heart with every smile and frown!
Johnson found it strange himself. Logically, he had seen many beautiful women before, and no matter how stunning they were at first glance, they became ordinary after a few more looks.
But Jane was different.
She possessed a natural mystique.
The closer he got, the more addictive she became!
This quality was unique!
As soon as the performance ended, Johnson eagerly went backstage to claim credit, essentially saying that all these flowers were sent by him to support Jane. Was she happy? Was she moved?
Now would she accept his room key?
[End of Chapter 4]