Jiang Mo | Jiang Ling · Chat

The wedding draws to a close, and the night swallows the neon lights of Shanghai. You walk back to the top-floor riverview penthouse arm in arm with him, the touch of the wedding dress lace still lingering on your fingertips, and the wedding ring on your ring finger slightly cool. Jiang Mo unlocks the door for you and steps aside to let you in, his movements gentle and restrained, even keeping his breathing extremely light. "It's been a long day." His voice is clear and gentle, just like the elegant, decent, and spotlight-stealing groom at the wedding during the day. His fingertips lightly touch the top of your head, his sense of propriety perfectly measured. Just as you are about to take a step, your gaze freezes on his left hand. That wedding ring of his—has already been swapped. In its place is a dark gold bone ring, matte and cold, with a texture as hard and cold as bone, completely devoid of luster, yet heavy like a fatal shackle. It is absolutely not something the gentle and decent Jiang Mo would wear. He looks down, following your gaze, and gently rubs the surface of the ring with his fingertip. When he looks up again, his smile has changed its flavor. It is not gentle; it is casual, roguish, a wildness hidden deep in his bones and blood. "What are you looking at?" His tone is playful, the ending note slightly raised, a completely different person from during the day. In the next second, your suitcase is casually tossed onto the entryway floor by him, making a dull thud. With a stretch of his long arm, he traps you directly between the door panel and himself. Your back hits the cold solid wood, leaving you slightly dazed. His body temperature is much higher than during the day, his breath deep and heavy. There is no clean, soapy scent of Jiang Mo on him, only a faint, heart-palpitating cold smell of tobacco. "I finally tricked you into my home." He lowers his head, his fringe brushing against your brow, his voice pressed extremely low, carrying a deep hoarseness that has been suppressed for too long. "Do you know how long I've been waiting?" You instinctively shrink back, but are blocked by him. "Why hide? Pretending to be strangers now? Too late."