Magnate Tycoon: How Did Simply Enjoying Life Make Me a Male God?-Chapter 575 - 403: Confession Failed (2)

As he turned around, he heard a noise behind him. Shi Yang seemed to be struggling to restrain the impulse to turn around, only to tightly clench her fists.

Shi Yang's shoulders trembled violently. It was unknown how long it took before she slowly turned back, the empty room already devoid of Li Jing's presence, leaving only patches of water stains on the floor, silently recounting all that had just occurred.

She walked dazedly to the chair and collapsed onto it, as if all her strength had been drained at that moment.

Recalling everything that had just happened, Shi Yang suddenly went crazy, burying her hands into her damp hair, her nails almost digging into her scalp, her voice tinged with sobs:

"Shi Yang, you big fool! What are you doing? How could you confess to someone like him?

He's clearly a heartless jerk, how could you be so bewitched and fall for him?"

She incessantly berated herself, but Li Jing's figure seemed etched into her mind, refusing to fade.

That chiseled face, and the focused, serious look in his eyes during the underwater photoshoot, replayed over and over in her thoughts.

After a long time, Shi Yang finally struggled out of her emotions, taking deep breaths, her chest heaving heavily, trying to calm her surging feelings.

She picked up a towel, wiped the water stains from her body, and then changed back into her own clothes.

Out of the corner of her eye, she inadvertently glanced at the camera nearby and, as if driven by something, walked over and picked it up.

She instinctively opened the camera, starting to check the photos taken earlier. Her firm resolve to delete them and completely sever contact with Li Jing wavered at the sight of the images.

On the camera screen, Li Jing's perfect body lines flowed smoothly, his chiseled face made even more three-dimensional and profound by the interplay of light and shadow, paired with that uniquely styled outfit, like it was made for this shoot. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Every pose, every expression, perfectly aligned with the needs of the lens.

There's no denying that Li Jing is the most suitable model she has ever seen for this theme.

His professionalism in front of the camera doesn't resemble a rookie without experience at all.

The repetitive movements in the water, aligning with the shoot, vividly remain in her mind.

To know such a high-difficulty shoot often makes professional models frequently complain, yet Li Jing consistently cooperated seriously, without a hint of complaint, fully engrossed in helping her complete the work.

Clearly, he had every reason to refuse; he knew from the start she arranged the shoot with the intention of pranking him.

Shi Yang placed the camera on her legs, completely collapsing in the chair, staring ahead with unfocused eyes, mumbling to herself:

"Why does this guy try so hard to cooperate with the photoshoot?

It's of no benefit to him at all; he knew I was deliberately making things difficult for him from the start, yet he's still so serious..."

Thinking of this, Shi Yang's mind uncontrollably conjured the image of Li Jing's chiseled face again.

The seriousness during the underwater shoot, along with the memories of the past month, from the initial confrontations to the gradually familiar banter, playing like an old movie before her eyes.

Recalling the helpless yet indulgent smile when he was teased by her, she unknowingly curled her lips;

but then immediately remembered the cold eyes when he refused, and pouted in defiance, mumbling: "Jerk, scoundrel, big liar!"

Light and shadow flickered on her face until the empty room was completely dark before Shi Yang realized she had been staring at a corner, lost in thought.

A sudden sore sensation arose in her throat, she sniffed and rubbed her face randomly, but her fingertips touched tears that had unwittingly fallen.

"Going abroad in a few days..." She muttered, repeating Li Jing's last words, her nails digging deeply into her palm.

Clearly she was just angry at his firmness, yet at this moment she couldn't help but wonder, were those moments underwater holding her waist, the embrace in the private theater, really just a charade?

Her eyes became increasingly hot, she fiercely wiped her face, cursing with a nasal tone: "Bastard! Should have known from the start not to meet him!"

Knock knock knock.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door, startling her to get up hurriedly, knocking over the photography bag by her feet.

The metal tripod made a piercing scraping sound on the floor, and as Shi Yang clumsily picked up the equipment, a staff member poked their head in, catching her hiding her red eyes in panic.

"Miss Shi, did you finish shooting? I saw that the model left a long time ago..." The person's voice carried a cautious probe.

Shi Yang forced a smile, her throat feeling like it was choked with cotton soaked in saltwater: "Almost ready to pack up."

She lowered her head and haphazardly stuffed the camera into the waterproof case. Out of the corner of her eye, she glimpsed a photo of Li Jing still lingering in the viewfinder. His eyes, always focused through the lens, seemed to gaze at her through the screen with an indescribable emotion.

She slammed the lid shut, and the process of packing the equipment was long and torturous.

When the last piece of equipment was finally in place, the empty photography base was left only with the sound of her dragging footsteps.

As she pushed open the heavy iron door, a breeze filled with salty, moist air hit her face. She instinctively raised her hand to block the blinding sunset, only then realizing that it was already dusk and the parking lot lights were beginning to twinkle.

Water was still dripping from the ends of her hair, sliding down her neck and into her collar, the cold seeping from her spine to the nape of her neck.

Suddenly, as if remembering something, she rummaged through her bag and pulled out her phone to dial a number.

"Hello? Where are you all?"

Leaning against the cold car door, she insisted, "Same place as always, drinks on me. You all better hurry over!"

As soon as she hung up, she looked at the waning crescent moon on the horizon, suddenly yearning to drink herself into oblivion, to forget that man who made her feel both disgust and longing.

...

Behind the office buildings in Hai City's commercial district, a few blocks of old-style buildings had been transformed into a commercial street.

Among them, a tea room named "Yun Qi" stood out with its unique vintage charm.

The intricately carved dark brown wooden door was half ajar, with a gilded plaque hanging from the lintel. Worn palace lanterns stood on either side, their soft glow casting light through the hollowed-out lantern covers onto the bluestone slabs.

Inside the tea room, blue and white porcelain tea sets were arranged on shelves of natural wood color, ink wash landscape scrolls hung on the walls, and the floor was laid with dark gray square tiles.

The air was filled with the intertwined fragrance of sandalwood and white tea, and behind a bamboo screen in the corner, a small rockery with trickling water suggested a tranquil and elegant atmosphere.

Shi Yang parked the Porsche steadily in the tea room's parking lot and ascended the bluestone steps.

He pushed open the carved wooden door of the private room on the second floor, where rosewood tables and chairs, silk cushions, and the Shu embroidery screen on the wall complemented one another.

Shi Yang collapsed into the soft velvet cushions, his gaze empty as he stared at the gradually darkening sky outside.

Before long, he heard the faint sound of footsteps from the corridor.

Lin Wan entered, wearing a moon-white qipao embroidered with Suzhou embroidery, her hair elegantly coiffed with a pearl and gold hairpin.

She saw Shi Yang's dejected appearance and furrowed her brows slightly, "Yangyang, what's going on with you? Suddenly calling us here."

Shi Yang didn't even lift his eyelids, his voice hoarse, "Bring a few bottles of red wine, the one I like best."

"Wine?" Lin Wan's delicate makeup showed a hint of surprise, her fingertips unconsciously rubbing the qipao's button, "This is a tea room, not a bar. Isn't it a bit absurd to drink here?"

Shi Yang's tone carried a hint of impatience, "It's not like we haven't drunk here before. If you're worried about the cost of the wine, I'll cover it."

She stared at Lin Wan, furrowing her brows, "I just want to drink right now."

Lin Wan noticed the redness and swelling under Shi Yang's eyes, a flash of surprise crossing her face as she gently asked with concern, "What's happened? You look even grayer than the bluestone bricks of the tea room."

Before she finished speaking, the private room door was pushed open again.

Su Qing entered in a smoky gray silk suit, wearing ten-centimeter red-soled high heels, diamond earrings glinting at her earlobes.

She casually placed her Hermès Birkin bag on the table, her gaze sweeping over Shi Yang and Lin Wan.

Shi Yang's gaze stayed on them for a moment, "Now that everyone's here, let's drink a few glasses first. I've been feeling stifled lately, using wine to drown my sorrows."

Su Qing tapped the watch face with her fingertips, raising an eyebrow, "Seriously, Yangyang? You called us here at this hour just to drink?"

Lin Wan exchanged a glance with Su Qing and moved to Shi Yang's side, "What's going on? We've known each other for so many years. No matter how big the problem is, tell us, and we'll figure it out together. I'll arrange for the drinks now."

After sending a message to a staff member with her phone, she asked Shi Yang with concern.

"You two are my best friends..."

Shi Yang stared at the window in front of her, silent for a long time before she slowly spoke, "I want to ask you something..."