********

CHAPTER 149

Even though he was silently warning her that he was still there, she just did not care. Even though he may be wealthier than her, he still had to respect her as she had great influence abroad as well and she was elderly, so she was not the least affected by his strong aura.

"Nevertheless, I still have a nephew. He is good looking too so you are not at a loss," she continued and that was when Ye Cheng decided to end it.

"Thank you. We would be on our way now," Ye Cheng bade her goodbye and left with Li Jing.

"Naughty fellow," Mrs Lin teased as she watched them leave to enjoy the night. "Gui Chao."

A young man standing behind her answered and took a step closer to her.

"Yes boss?"

"Keep an eye on that girl for me. She would make a nice bride for Lei Jungie."

"Understood ma."

Ye Cheng led Li Jing away from the naughty birthday celebrant before she could spoil Li Jing's ears with things that weren't true and wasn't going to happen, yet at least.

All these while Li Jing had been oblivious to the fact that Luo Jinhai and his friend was present in the party as well.

So, when Ye Cheng led her out of the big hall to the garden to catch her breath and get some nice fresh air, she was shocked to see him there as well.

It was not a very pleasant meeting as she recalled him asking her to go to an event with him but then she was already taken by Ye Cheng so she couldn't do anything much about it.

Turns out, this was the same event. Bloody hell!

"Li Jing," Luo Jinhai called out to her when he saw her taking with Ye Cheng.

Hearing that familiar voice, she turned around only for her eyes to lock with Luo Jinhai's. "Jinhai senpai."

"Li Jing." He called out again then narrowed his eyes and looked at her side to see the person he wished he wouldn't be seeing. "Ye Cheng."

His face contorted into a grimace as the memory of their previous encounter came to play in his mind.

Ye Cheng on the other hand did not have time for something of before to happen. Left for him he just wanted to take Li Jing away from there as quickly as possible.

"Got a problem?" Ye Cheng asked him. His own face mirroring his disinterest in the latter.

"I should be saying the same thing," Luo Jinhai fired back. Li Jing Who was left in the midst of the whole thing felt her head began to spin just thinking of how much of a mess this party would become because of these two if they started getting at each other's neck.

Ye Cheng on one hand would not bother exchanging words with him but the last things she wanted was him kissing her to silence the latter and Luo Jinhai himself would not stand for it either way.

At the end of the day, it boiled down to her to stop it.

"Why are you always with her?" Luo Jinhai asked out of the blue.

"This world is free, try and be with her yourself if you can," Ye Cheng said and paused looking up in a thoughtful manner before returning his gaze to Luo Jinhai. "Oh, I forgot, you can't. I believe it is her choice who she wants to be with."

"Why you…"

"Luo Jinhai, Ye Cheng, you two stop behaving like high school kids."

"Li Jing are you taking his side, now?" Luo Jinhai felt hurt by her words. She just met him, so why then would she side with him? He on the other hand he had been with her for a very long time and should be the one by her side and not Ye Cheng.

Li Jing could not believe the absurdity of the accusation. What kind of… "What is with you and sides? How did I take anyone's side in all these?"

She needed to ask him this so that if he was not thinking well before, he would begin to think well from now onwards.

"Last I recall I only told you both to stop."

"But it did not change the fact that you came to the event with him and not me."

"Like I said before, it is dependent on her. She just doesn't like you," Ye Cheng chipped in.

Li Jing could not understand either of them, it was not like she was a trophy to be won by anyone or that she belonged to anyone that she cannot chose whom to go out with.

"I chose to go to the event with him because he asked first, way before you ever did. Besides, I never even knew it was the same event we would be going to."

"So you are saying if I ask first next time, then you would go out with me?" His question took her aback. She definitely wasn't expecting this.

It wasn't what she meant and at the same time, it was what she meant.

She let out a deep sigh and closed her eyes then brought her slim fingers to rub at the space between her brows before opening her eyes.

"Yes." In as much as she did nit want to say it, she could deny the fact that was the truth and what her words had implied.

Ye Cheng's eyes widened while Luo Jinhai smiled to himself. He was liking what she was saying but her expression did not look pleased.

Whether she had misspoken or not, that was not his problem. All he knew was that she had said it and there was no going back on her words.

Ye Cheng narrowed his eyes at Li Jing and studied her expression. He knew that wasn't what she had intended to say but she said it anyway and being the person she was, she would not go back on her word.

He did not know whether to feel sorry for her or…

He did what Luo Jinhai did not expect next by pulling her closer to him and looking her deep in her eyes. He could read her and he was doing so now, silently communicating with her, telling her she did not to comply with it if she did not want to.

But Li Jing shook her head at him. She needed to do it and he knew it as well. It wasn't right to go back on your word just like that.

Luo Jinhai who was watching the silent communication between the two started to panic. He was getting scared Ye Cheng would do the forbidden thing again in his presence, especially with the way their faces were close together.

There was np guaranteeing what that naughty CEO was going to do. He did it before and he could do it again. It wasn't going to be a hard fit for him and Luo Jinhai understood that.

"Hey, why ate you holding her so closer like that?" Luo Jinhai's voice broke them from their silent communication and both of them ignored him.

It was as though Ye Cheng had tied her down, holding her in his intense gaze that nothing else even mattered anymore and that ended up pissing him.

Getting angry, he took a step closer to them and held onto Li Jing's hand and pulled her but Ye Cheng's hand on her waist held on firmly but not too tight to cause her any form of discomfort.

"Let her go." Both men said together.

"You let her go." Luo Jinhai quickly countered.

"Make me."

"Ye Cheng! You better not kiss her again."

"Or what?"

If Luo Jinhai could see himself now, he would notice the vein bulging out at the side of his face. "Ye Cheng!"

Ye Cheng did not let go either way and stared Luo Jinhai down. Having the height advantage, he looked like a domineering predator staring down at his prey, intimidating Luo Jinhai.

'Damn it!' Luo Jinhai cursed inwardly and then a thought occurred to him. He would let Ye Cheng win this round but he would win the next and so he devised his plan.

"Li Jing, since you said it, I am only going to ask. Have dinner with me tomorrow night."

"Luo…"

"She is going to be busy." Ye Cheng cut in sharply, leaving Li Jing stunned. He spoke first and answered her.

Even though she was busy but not till night time that she won't be able ti have dinenr.

"Okay, next tumorrow night or lunch."

"She would still e extremely busy," Ye Cheng replied for Li Jing.

"Wednesday dinner."

"Busy. She has work."

"Work ends at 4pm , Ye Cheng, don't be such an ass."

"An ass. Okay watch how being an ass is." Both Li Jing scrunched their brows at him. What did he mean by that? "Li Jing is busy and would nit be free on any of the calender days to go on a date with you. We have so many projects to handle and she would be working her butt off."

"Hey!"