When Su Ding woke up, sunlight was streaming onto her face, and the surroundings were incredibly noisy.
"Still a celebrity? Tsk tsk tsk, she is indeed good-looking."
"Must have been used up and discarded, so shameful. People would do anything for fame these days."
"So shameless."
...
She rubbed her aching head, her limbs felt heavy, and a strong sense of dizziness made it difficult to even sit up.
The accusations continued.
Su Ding used the wall to help herself up, picked up her phone from the ground. The time was seven-ten in the morning.
There were three missed calls.
Two from Jin Ye, one from Jiang Jiayi.
Judging by the time, it should have been when the family banquet ended, but she had slept in an alley, how could no one have looked for her?
Su Ding’s head was pounding, but she felt a surge of anger.
Under the peculiar gazes of the onlookers, she quickly left. Her clothes were dirty, her arms and legs were scraped, and she looked utterly disheveled.
Su Ding reached the road and was about to hail a taxi to go back when her gaze fell upon the parking lot.
Jin Ye’s car!
Had he not left yet?
She pulled out her phone and called Jin Ye, but the call went unanswered for a long time...
"The number you have dialed is currently unavailable. Please try again later."
Su Ding put away her phone, thought for a moment, and walked up the steps into the hotel lobby.
She went straight to the front desk. "Hello, Mr. Jin Ye stayed here last night?"
"I'm sorry, we are obliged to protect our guests' information," the receptionist replied formally, but her eyes held a hint of disdain.
She had seen plenty of women who tried to curry favor with the Jin family to get ahead.
She had never seen a woman so disheveled, unkempt, and rushing straight to the point, asking for Mr. Jin's whereabouts.
Su Ding felt a bit impatient but knew the receptionist was following protocol.
Just as she was about to turn back, she saw a figure emerge from around the corner elevator. It was Jiang Jiayi!
Jiang Jiayi clearly saw her too, but her eyes seemed to dart away.
Su Ding was confused. Jiang Jiayi didn't look as radiant and captivating as usual; she even appeared somewhat disheveled and weak, as if she had endured some hardship or torment.
"Dingding," Jiang Jiayi called her softly, her voice tinged with a sob.
"What's wrong?" Su Ding stepped forward to support her, noticing her wrinkled clothes and the makeup that hadn't been removed, all smudged by tears.
"Nothing, it's nothing," Jiang Jiayi shook her head, as if enduring immense grievance.
Su Ding had never seen her like this. Jiang Jiayi used to be cheerful, enthusiastic, and carefree. Now, she looked clearly like someone who had been bullied.
She couldn't help but worry, "What happened? Jiayi?"
Jiang Jiayi wiped her tears and choked out, "Nothing, it's really nothing." She forced a smile, "Alright, don't worry about me, I'm going home now."
With that, she pushed Su Ding away and left the hotel.
Before Su Ding could chase after her, she was interrupted by a voice.
"Miss Su, are you looking for Mr. Jin?" a waiter greeted her.
Su Ding turned to see the waiter who had served food at the Jin family's banquet.
Hearing this, she immediately asked, "Is Mr. Jin still here?"
The waiter nodded.
"Can you tell me which room number?" Su Ding frowned, suppressing the confusion in her heart.
"Of course, Mr. Jin is in room 2411," the waiter said.
Su Ding thanked him and immediately headed for the elevator.
Ding
The elevator reached the 24th floor. This floor was dedicated to high-end luxury suites, with few guests.
Finding room 2411, Su Ding went up and knocked on the door. She knocked for a long time without anyone opening it. She almost thought the waiter had given her the wrong room number when the door creaked open.
Jin Ye was wrapped in a bath towel from the waist down, his hair and body still wet, clearly having just showered.
Su Ding stood at the doorway, looking at him with a complex expression.
Her heart was filled with unspoken questions, overwhelming vulnerability, and a gnawing irritation. The moment she saw Jin Ye's handsome, expressionless face, she was silenced.
She had been attacked, escaping death by a narrow margin.
She had been abandoned in a dark alley, unconscious and in grave danger.
But him?
Lying in a hotel, sleeping?
He had only made two calls all night? He couldn't find her, and that was it?
Was this what his love, Jin Ye's love, was?
Su Ding clenched her fists, gritted her teeth, and forced herself to calm down.
"Where were you last night?" Jin Ye reached out to pull her inside.
"Do you even care where I was?"
Su Ding was holding back, but Jin Ye's seemingly ordinary question became the last straw that broke her composure.
Her eyes blazed with grievance and anger, her tone fiercer than ever before.
Jin Ye didn't expect such a reaction; his brow furrowed in surprise.
"What happened? Come in and tell me."
The moment he touched her wrist, she violently shook him off.
Su Ding turned and left.
Disregarding the bath towel wrapped around him, Jin Ye took two steps forward, grabbed her wrist, and forcefully pulled her back.
Su Ding was not weak either, and when she struggled fiercely, Jin Ye couldn't overpower her.
"Stop messing around!"
Jin Ye suddenly shouted, his voice cold and stern, leaving no room for doubt.
It felt as if Su Ding's heart had been stabbed, blood gushing out, the pain suffocating her.
Then, Jin Ye dragged her back into the room.
The door slammed shut with a bang!