CHAPTER 26: CHAPTER 26: DESIRE FOR CONTROL

"Lindie."

Su Lingzhi looked at the person greeting him and shook his hand, "James."

Zhuang Xiaoxi’s eyes sparkled as she looked at him and said in English, "Are you the supermodel James?"

"Yeah~" James extended his hand to her.

Zhuang Xiaoxi shook it excitedly, "I’m a fan of yours, I didn’t expect to meet you here."

Saying so, she turned to Su Lingzhi, "How do you know each other?"

"We met through Rika."

Zhuang Xiaoxi sighed, "This is just too lucky, it makes me want to work at Lyrae too."

At this time, James said to Su Lingzhi, "May I have a word with you?"

Before Su Lingzhi could speak, Zhuang Xiaoxi interrupted, "Zhizhi, I’ll take my mom to pick out some clothes, so we won’t delay your work."

With that, she was already leaving with Mrs. Zhuang.

Su Lingzhi helplessly watched them leave.

James smiled, "Your friend is very cute."

"She’s an interesting girl."

"Our brand is opening a flagship store in Beijing soon. I would like to invite you to be our brand ambassador."

"I’m currently working at Lyrae, so that’s probably not appropriate."

"There is still some time before the opening. By then, you might have finished your internship."

Su Lingzhi didn’t understand why he wanted her as his ambassador, but she didn’t really like doing endorsement work.

After hesitating for a while, Su Lingzhi replied, "Thank you for your trust. I’m afraid I can’t handle the ambassador role, but if you’re looking for someone, I have a more suitable candidate to recommend to you."

"Who?"

"She is today’s model. I’ll take you to the studio, and you can see if she fits."

With that, Su Lingzhi led her backstage.

At this moment, a media lens captured a shot of the two of them.

In the image, the man was dressed in a formal suit with well-styled hair, standing tall and proud. The woman had her long, slightly wavy hair down, wearing a silver gown that elegantly highlighted her slender figure. Under the runway lights, the scene of them standing side by side was dazzling.

At that moment, the backstage photographer was shooting fashion photos of Chu Qingxuan.

Su Lingzhi introduced, "She’s also from Hua Country, named Chu Qingxuan. I think her temperament matches well with your jewelry brand. I’m not sure if she’s the person you’re looking for."

"Honestly, compared to you, she’s a bit lacking, but her image fits within my expectations." James turned to Su Lingzhi, once again trying to persuade, "Are you sure you won’t consider being my ambassador? I think you’re the most suitable choice for our brand."

Su Lingzhi shook her head, "Sorry, I’m not fit for this path. I still want to focus low-key on fashion design for now."

James spread his hands helplessly, "Alright, then this model will be my backup choice."

After the shoot, Su Lingzhi waved Chu Qingxuan over to introduce her to the person in front of them...

At quitting time, Su Lingzhi removed her makeup and changed out of her evening gown.

Just at the entrance, she saw a familiar car.

Immediately, the driver’s side window rolled down, revealing a man with a noble, composed face and deep, captivating eyes.

Seeing the person who had suddenly appeared, Su Lingzhi’s face lit up, and she ran over to him, "Did you come to pick me up from work?"

"Get in the car first."

Su Lingzhi quickly rounded the car and sat in the passenger seat.

The Rolls-Royce moved past the art gallery entrance and merged into the traffic.

Inside the car, Su Lingzhi’s gaze slid over his profile, landing on his hands gripping the steering wheel.

"What happened to your hand?"

Fu Yinli replied casually, "It’s nothing."

His knuckles were red and swollen, with visible blood residue on the backs of both hands, clearly not nothing.

Su Lingzhi frowned but swallowed back her questions until they reached his home.

She crouched in front of him, used a cotton swab dipped in iodine, blowing gently on his wound while applying the medicine with precision, as gently as if repairing a precious artifact.

After bandaging his hands with gauze, Su Lingzhi looked up and met his gaze, asking, "Did you get into a fight?"

Fu Yinli didn’t speak, his eyes quietly watching her, emotions complex and unreadable.

"Hmm?" Su Lingzhi tilted her head, her amber eyes scanning him with concern.

For someone as steady and gentlemanly as him, the chances of him getting into a physical altercation should be slim.

In the next moment, his shadow loomed over her.

Out of instinct, Su Lingzhi leaned back slightly, only for him to catch her nape with one hand.

Her chin was effortlessly lifted by his thumb, and before she could react, he kissed her.

The sudden kiss felt like a storm, ready to engulf and crush her, so forceful it paid no mind to her feelings.

Su Lingzhi’s breath became rapid, her thoughts were a chaotic mess, forced to endure his onslaught.

In the brief pause for breath, Fu Yinli lifted her, his arm tightening at her waist.

Su Lingzhi, unbalanced, supported herself on his shoulder with one hand and the couch with the other, her lips firmly kissed by him.

The position looked like she was the one overstepping boundaries with him.

And this scene did not go unnoticed by the passing butler, who discreetly hid behind the wall, pretending nothing was happening.

The air’s temperature slowly rose, a light pink spreading on Su Lingzhi’s fair cheeks.

Frowning, Su Lingzhi bit him, finally ending the suffocating kiss.

She couldn’t understand why he suddenly kissed her like this, with such a strong sense of control.

Clearly, Su Lingzhi was startled by him; she tried to calm her breathing, gritted her teeth, and asked, "Did I just provoke you?"

Fu Yinli’s gaze froze, his grip gradually loosening, "I’m sorry."

"Tell me what happened today, and I’ll forgive you."

As soon as she finished speaking, Su Lingzhi waited, but his answer didn’t come, and a trace of disappointment crossed her eyes. She stepped away from him, grabbed her phone, and turned to leave.

"Lingzhi."

The cold voice echoed through the living room, carrying a strong pressure, causing Su Lingzhi’s heart to tremble. She stopped and turned to look at him.

"Since knowing you, I haven’t gotten to know you at all. I thought we could take things slowly, but you never give me the chance to understand you."

The night outside seemed to pull a huge rift between the two.

Su Lingzhi took a deep breath and calmly said, "It’s okay, I can wait, but tonight I’m a bit upset."

"Lingzhi."

Su Lingzhi no longer paid attention to his call, walking directly out.

The butler watched from a distance, not understanding why they were arguing so suddenly, before stepping forward and calling out, "Sir."

Fu Yinli spoke in a low voice, "Follow her."