Chapter 15: You Cannot Decide Whether I Stay or Leave
Ji Songting hesitated for a few seconds before walking over to the computer. The moment his eyes landed on the screen, his usually detached and indifferent expression shifted abruptly, and his eyes turned a visceral, blood-red with rage.
The contents of the computer were not a speech manuscript at all. Instead, the screen was filled with semi-nude photosānot overly graphic, yet scandalous enough to make anyoneās face flush and ears burn!
And the person in those photos was none other than a drunken Jian An!
Just as he was about to yank the USB drive out, Jian An walked in carrying a cup of coffee. He looked momentarily bewildered, but then a flicker of joy surfaced in his eyes as he asked tentatively, “Songting, what are you doing?”
Seeing the man act as if nothing were wrong, Ji Songtingās temper flared instantly. Without a word, he grabbed Jian An by the wrist and shoved him toward the computer, questioning him through gritted teeth.
“Where did these photos come from? Did you volunteer to be photographed? Youāve been slept with, haven’t you? Do you have no shame?!”
Caught off guard by the shove, the scalding coffee in Jian Anās hand splashed out, and the cup shattered as it hit the floor.
A large patch on the back of his hand turned a searing red, but he had no time to tend to it. He was forced to stare at the display.
How could those disgraceful things be him…?!
Jian An froze completely. His ears rang with a deafening boom, as if a thunderclap had exploded inside his head.
It took a long time for him to recover even a shred of composure. He explained incoherently, “I don’t know… how these got here. I didn’t find someone to take them…”
A sickly, dark glint surged in the depths of Ji Songtingās eyes. He tightened his grip on the other man’s wrist and said, “You didn’t find someone to take them? Then why are the photos on your USB drive? Weren’t you just planning to use the speech as an excuse to let the whole school see how dissolute you are?”
“I don’t know where these photos came from, and I don’t know why I left the bar that night… How could anyone joke about their own innocence…?”
Jian An hung his head, not daring to look at the computer. His voice trembled with terror and dismay.
He had only intended to check his manuscript one last time before the speech and brew a cup of coffee as was his habit, but he never expected to see such an appalling version of himself.
Was he truly no longer clean?
Jian An suddenly felt the world spinning. Teetering on the edge of a breakdown, he stumbled a step back.
“You still have ‘innocence’ left? Come to the hospital with me!”
Ji Songting yanked the USB drive out of the computer and seized him mercilessly, dragging him toward the door.
Behind a large potted plant, Shen Chuyan watched the two leave the office area. His gaze lingered on the USB drive in Ji Songtingās hand, his dark eyes brimming with intense resentment and jealousy.
Why did Ji Songting suddenly abandon him to find that wretch? It was a shame that the meticulously prepared “surprise” hadn’t been made public.
He unconsciously clenched his fingers, glanced around the empty area, and walked into Jian Anās office.
A large mess of coffee and glass shards lay on the floor; Shen Chuyan frowned in disgust.
Just as he turned around, his gaze was caught by a cardboard box stored in the corner.
Removing the drawing board on top, he found the box filled with paintings created by Jian An.
Whether it was ink wash, classical oil, or modern sketching, the masterfully refined skill was breathtaking.
Even Shen Chuyan, a college professor specializing in art, found it hard to believe. A rare trace of admiration rose within him.
How was this possible?
Jian An was just a small-time high school art teacher. Why was his artistic talent so extraordinary!
Thinking of his own skills being surpassed by a nobody, that flicker of admiration instantly curdled into jealousy.
As he flipped further back, the style of the paintings became increasingly oppressive and gloomy, yet they did not lack elegance and mystery.
Shen Chuyan was mesmerized. A thought suddenly sprouted in his heart: he wanted to claim these paintings as his own.
Lu Huaishen slowly pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses, his features carrying a natural air of roguish charm. He slid his ballpoint pen across the lab report and tucked it back into the pocket of his white coat.
He cleared his throat, looked at Ji Songting, and said solemnly, “The lab results show no damage to the area, and there are no residual fluids from anyone else. Therefore, there is no possibility that Mr. Jian was violated.”
Ji Songtingās brow furrowed slightly, and the rage on his face dissipated a little. He said coldly, “Got it. Thanks.”
Coming from Lu Huaishen, a doctor and friend of many years, the conclusion carried weight.
Lu Huaishen glanced at Jian An, who was sitting silently on the bed with his legs tucked in. With a roguish smirk, he questioned the grim-faced man again. “So? What happened this time?”
Ji Songting ignored his probing gaze and tossed the lab report into the trash. “Nothing.”
But the other man didn’t seem intended to let him off. He clicked his tongue and persistently poked at the wound. “I knew it at a glance. Mr. Jian doesn’t look like the type to fool around no matter how you look at him. You must have taken him out, let him get drunk, and then ignored him…”
“Stop. Enough nonsense. Don’t ask about my business,” Ji Songting interrupted him sharply.
“Heh, fine. I won’t ask. My mouth was too big.”
Lu Huaishen shook his head speechlessly, feeling that this Young Master who “fell ill” daily was beyond saving.
He turned to the person on the bed and asked, “Mr. Jian, I see that your hand is badly burned. You should find a nurse to apply some medicine.”
“It’s fine. It doesn’t hurt.”
Jian An looked down indifferently at the back of his hand. Then, he leaned down to pick up the crumpled lab report from the trash, carefully smoothing out the creases.
Seeing the negative result, his anxious heart was finally released. He let out a long sigh of relief.
Fortunately, it wasn’t that bad.
Now, his goal was to participate in the art competition and work hard to win the one-million-yuan prize for his mother.
A person, after all, had to fight for themselves once.
Jian An stepped off the bed, put on his coat, and tucked all his messy emotions away. He said softly, “Songting, since everything is fine, Iāll head back to school. I still have a speech to give.”
Hearing that he was still thinking about the speech, the rage that had just begun to die down in Ji Songting flared up again. He grabbed Jian An’s arm and pulled him toward the door, his tone extremely impatient.
“Get home. Don’t even think about going back to give a speech. Iāll go to the school in a bit and resign from your teaching position for you.”
Jian An shook his head desperately. His eyes flickered away when looking at him, yet for the first time, he plucked up the courage to resist.
“No. Thatās a teaching position I worked so hard to earn. Songting, you cannot decide whether I stay or leave.”
But facing the manās overbearing dominance, the confidence in his voice still lacked strength.
“Are you disobeying me?”
Ji Songting suddenly shoved his hand away. His handsome face turned cold and angry, his entire body radiating a thick, dangerous aura. He threatened and warned, “Jian An, do you no longer care about your mother’s life? Or do you want me to find an iron cage to lock you up in?”
Jian An bit his thin lower lip, a trace of unconcealed misery on his dejected face.
Was he going to completely destroy everything he had?
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