Seeing her return, Jiang Chao had no choice but to hand the phone back. Janelle glanced at it before putting it to her ear.
"Hello."
Her voice was still cool and detached.
"..."
Erik felt like he might explode. "Who are you with?" He struggled to control the impulse to unleash his anger.
Janelle frowned. Was he overstepping?
"Erik, who I'm with is my business. Do you need something? If not, I'm hanging up."
"..."
Erik felt internally wounded. "Where are you? I'll come find you." He wanted to see who this man was.
"I'm busy. Don't come." Janelle hung up. She disliked Erik's interrogative tone. They were just fuck buddies; he didn't need to manage her life. She muted the phone and tossed it aside.
"Who was that? Boyfriend?" Jiang Chao probed.
"Senior Brother, weren't you hungry? Eat. And don't touch my phone again. I don't like it." She valued her privacy highly.
Jiang Chao shrugged. "Alright, got it. Won't touch it again. Don't be mad." Knowing she had stomach issues, he'd ordered a split pot (one side spicy, one side mild). He dished her a bowl of rice before serving himself.
Hospital
Erik was seething. Seeing his state, Bryan grew worried. "Erik, what's wrong? Something happened?"
"Nothing."
"Is it Janelle? What happened to her?" Erik was usually indifferent. Only Janelle could provoke this level of fury.
"Don't worry about it. I'm heading out. Stay put in the hospital." He left immediately.
He wanted to track her down, but Janelle's number was specially encrypted, impossible to locate. He drove straight to Blue Whale Co., Ltd. to wait for her.
After Lunch
The meal lasted over an hour. Afterwards, Janelle drove Jiang Chao to the hotel she'd booked earlier.
"Little Junior Sister, I'm on your turf, and you make me stay at a hotel?"
"Should I buy you a house instead? Senior Brother, you know I'm poor. Can't afford it."
"Fine. Hotel it is." They checked into the hotel together.
Lillie's Scheme
Lillie, who had been tailing them, snapped photos of them entering the hotel. She would ruin Janelle. Having gotten her evidence, she dared not follow further. The current Janelle was truly dangerous and unpredictable. She didn't want to risk it.
She went to Blue Whale Co., Ltd. to find Amber and spotted Erik waiting outside. Despite knowing he was formidable, she couldn't resist approaching.
"Looking for Janelle?" Lillie tapped on the car window to get his attention. The man inside was smoking, looking devastatingly attractive. A man like Erik, even if poor, was irresistible.
Erik glanced up. "Fuck off." He was in a foul mood; she should disappear.
"I know I shouldn't say this, but seeing you wait here... she might not come back!" Erik ignored her performance. Undeterred, Lillie continued, "I know you won't believe me, but I have proof." She thrust the photos of Janelle and the man entering the hotel towards Erik. No man could tolerate his girlfriend checking into a hotel with another man! "The photos are real. If you don't believe it, check the hotel security footage; that can't be faked. You followed her all the way from the border, and she repays you by sneaking off to a hotel with someone else?"
Erik snatched the phone from her hand and smashed it violently against her face. "If you can't speak properly, shut up. Otherwise, I'll make sure you never speak again." Lillie cried out in pain. She hadn't expected him to actually hit her. "What's your problem? I'm trying to help you! Can't you even care about being cheated on? Are you even a man?" Terrified by her own boldness, she fled immediately.
Erik punched the steering wheel. Who was that man? Their closeness was infuriating. He refused to believe she'd cheat, but even seeing them at a hotel together was intolerable. And she had coldly hung up on him.
Confrontation
It wasn't until 3 PM that Janelle reappeared. Seeing her with the man, Erik got out of his car and strode towards them. Sensing his aggressive aura, Jiang Chao stepped protectively in front of Janelle.
"What do you want? Looking for a fight?" Jiang Chao guessed this was the man from the phone call.
Instead of fighting, Erik grabbed Janelle's hand. If he fought, it would be away from her. He didn't want her to fear him. "I've been waiting here for two hours," Erik said, adopting a vulnerable tone. He completely ignored Jiang Chao's provocation.
Seeing him look so pitiful, Janelle found it hard to stay angry. She wasn't one for explanations. Jiang Chao was her guest; she wouldn't let anyone hurt him. She'd braced for Erik's attack, but his soft words disarmed her.
"No one asked you to wait, Erik. Whatever you do is your own choice."
Erik? The Mr. Lorenz from the border? How did Little Junior Sister get involved with a man like that? What happened?
"I was just worried about you. Have dinner with me tonight?" With Janelle, you couldn't force things.
"We'll see. I have work. Go back." Janelle dismissed him and led Jiang Chao away.
Jiang Chao looked back at Erik. Rumors at the border said Erik was assassinated, fate unknown. To find him here... And in the spot Janelle couldn't see, Erik's gaze towards him was lethal – the look of a man viewing a corpse. It was chilling. Definitely that man. Their eyes locked in the air, crackling with unspoken hostility.
Back at Blue Whale Co., Ltd.
Only after they disappeared did Erik get back in his car.
Janelle took Jiang Chao to their project workspace. She had Linda gather the team. "This is Jiang Chao, my senior brother. I've brought him in as our data analyst. From now on, he'll be responsible for all project data."
"Jiang Chao? The Jiang Chao I've heard of?" Kevin couldn't believe it. It had to be a coincidence, right?