He Lost Control with Jealousy — What Happened to Being Untouchable? - Chapter 4

The call was answered quickly, and Su Mo’s lively voice came through.

“Hey! My superstar Sang Wan, how’s the battle going? Have you reeled in that iceberg Lu Tingzhou yet?”

Listening to her best friend’s lighthearted teasing, Sang Wan’s tense nerves relaxed slightly, though her voice was thick with exhaustion and hoarseness.

“Don’t even mention it. It was a disaster. Not only did I fail to reel him in, but I also ended up fuming.”

“What happened?”

Su Mo immediately sensed her distress.

Sang Wan closed her eyes and briefly recounted her grandfather’s disappearance and the heated argument she had with Xu Shiming when she returned home.

“He’s not your father, he’s your sworn enemy! He’s so addicted to playing stepdad to others that he’s now scheming to sell off his own daughter!”

Su Mo was so furious on the other end of the line that she started cursing.

“Wanwan, don’t panic. Your grandfather is blessed, he’ll be fine. Xu Shiming wouldn’t dare to actually harm the old man. He’s just trying to manipulate you.”

“I know,” Sang Wan replied, her voice muffled. “I just can’t swallow this anger.”

“What are you planning to do?”

Su Mo was worried about Sang Wan and heartbroken over her situation.

“A man like Lu Tingzhou has seen every kind of woman, yet there isn’t even a female animal around him. Maybe he’s just not normal. Why don’t you… set your sights on someone else?”

“Who?” Sang Wan asked weakly.

“I think my boss has a thing for you,” Su Mo suggested mischievously. “He specifically asked for you to be the brand ambassador, and he even let you name your own endorsement fee.”

“The Shen family might not be as powerful as the Lu family, but they’re still solidly wealthy. Plus, Shen Yubai is way easier to get along with than Lu Tingzhou. At least he’s better than those lecherous old men your heartless father keeps pushing on you, what’s-his-name, Mr. Wang or Mr. Li.”

“Shen Yubai?”

Sang Wan’s mind conjured up his handsome face, tinged with a hint of mockery.

“He’s a playboy. Haven’t you heard about his legendary exploits?”

Su Mo worked in the executive office of Shen Yubai’s company. In Shencheng’s elite circles, no gossip escaped those women, especially when it involved their boss.

“At the very least, none of the women he’s broken up with have badmouthed him afterward. Rumor has it he’s very generous with his breakup settlements. Since you just want leverage to escape your current situation, Shen Yubai isn’t a bad choice, he’s not malicious.”

Sang Wan curved her lips. “Lu Tingzhou is my first choice. Not only can he help me out of this mess and save the Sang family, but he’d also infuriate that mother-daughter duo. And besides…”

Besides, the first time she saw him, she felt an inexplicable familiarity. His looks, his demeanor, everything about him was exactly her type.

Most importantly, she could also rely on his influence to investigate the company’s affairs.

What exactly happened back then that made her grandfather collapse in anger?

In Sang Wan’s memory, her grandfather had never been one to lose his temper easily.

Before her mother died, she had also seemed to be digging into the company’s accounts.

Of course, Sang Wan didn’t share these thoughts with Su Mo, not wanting to worry her.

Su Mo paused for a moment after hearing this, then exclaimed excitedly, “If you really manage to win over Lu Tingzhou, that little bitch Xu Mingyue would have to call you ‘Auntie’, you and her mother would be in-laws!”

“Holy crap, that dynamic is intense!”

Listening to Su Mo’s excitement, Sang Wan couldn’t help but smile faintly.

After a moment, she mused thoughtfully, “Momo, you might not believe this… but I feel like I have this indescribable sense of familiarity with Lu Tingzhou.”

“Familiarity?”

Su Mo’s voice rose with curiosity. “Have you met him before, or was it just a fleeting glimpse in some magazine that left you pining?”

“It was just a brief encounter at the airport. I thought he was incredibly handsome at the time. As for the rest…” Sang Wan frowned, trying hard to recall. “I don’t think we’ve met before. It’s just… a strange feeling. The way he looked at me, for a moment, it felt like… he knew me…”

Especially in the lounge, the way Lu Tingzhou had looked at her restrained yet complicated.

Thinking back on it now, Sang Wan realized it wasn’t quite normal.

“Oh-ho-ho!” Su Mo immediately caught the scent of gossip and teased her. “Sang Wan, don’t tell me you’ve fallen for him at first sight and now you’re imagining he feels the same?”

“Impossible!” Sang Wan denied instantly, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. “What are you even thinking? I just think his status is suitable, he could help me out of my current predicament.”

She paused, her voice carrying a hint of bewilderment and certainty she hadn’t even noticed herself.

“I’ve lived twenty-five years without ever knowing what it feels like to have my heart flutter. So, in this lifetime, I probably never will.”

Su Mo scoffed on the other end of the line. “Don’t speak too soon.”

She knew Sang Wan had once had a boyfriend and had even promised to introduce him when the time was right.

If not for what happened later, she would have met him.

All these years, Sang Wan never brought it up, and Su Mo never asked. Prying open a friend’s scars was no different from stabbing them.

After a few seconds of silence, Sang Wan’s voice regained some of its determination. “Momo, help me dig up Lu Tingzhou’s schedule, the more detailed, the better.”

Hanging up, Sang Wan tossed her phone aside and stared up at the ceiling.

The apartment was silent, save for the occasional sound of traffic outside the window.

Unbidden, Lu Tingzhou’s coldly elegant face surfaced in her mind, along with those deep, fathomless eyes.

That inexplicable sense of familiarity…

Unconsciously, her brows furrowed slightly.

Love at first sight?

Impossible.

But she had to latch onto Lu Tingzhou, this tree was her only way out of her current predicament.

Yet how does one reel in an ice block? She had no experience, and no one to teach her.

Sang Wan shook her head as exhaustion slowly crept over her, wrapping around her like an invisible shroud.

Her thoughts grew hazy, and she drifted into a deep sleep on the sofa.

…

The dream came again.

Long, and recurring.

This time, it seemed clearer than ever before.

Amid a dazzling halo of light, a tall figure approached against the glare, the brightness forcing her to squint. She could barely make out the man’s imposing silhouette.

He reached out, his fingertips cool as they gently cradled her face.

His voice was tender, laced with deep affection: “Wanwan, if you ever can’t find me in the future, don’t run around. Just stand in the brightest spot.”

“That way, I’ll see you at a glance.”

His face remained blurred in the light, no matter how hard she tried to see it clearly.

Only those deep eyes were vivid, so vivid she could see her own reflection in them.

When those eyes fixed on her, they were filled with tenderness and focus, radiating a warmth that made her feel safe.

Just as she strained once more to see the man before her, the scene abruptly shifted.

A familiar school gate, plane tree leaves shimmering under the sunlight. Beams of light filtered through the gaps, casting dappled shadows.

Her mother stood not far away, smiling and waving at her, the sunlight caressing her gentle features, a picture of tranquil happiness.

“Wanwan, Mom’s here!”

She ran joyfully toward her mother’s location.

The warm breeze brushed past her ears, accompanied by the faint chirping of cicadas.

“Bang!”

A deafening crash tore through the tranquil afternoon.

An out-of-control black SUV, like a wild horse freed from its reins, slammed violently into her mother!

Blood instantly pooled beneath her mother’s body, staining her pristine white dress crimson and dyeing Sang Wan’s entire world red.

The blinding scarlet was like a searing brand, scorching itself deep into her memory.

“Mom!”

Sang Wan jolted upright from the nightmare, her forehead dotted with fine beads of cold sweat, her chest heaving violently as if still trapped in that boundless despair.

Outside the window, the night was thick and heavy.

Gasping for breath, it took her a long while to recover from the lingering terror of the nightmare.

Her sleep had been decent lately, she hadn’t suffered from insomnia in a while, nor had she dreamed of that scene again.

Sang Wan took a deep breath, got up, and walked to the wine cabinet, pouring herself a glass of red wine.

Then, holding the glass, she stepped onto the balcony. The stemware swayed gently between her fingers as the cool night breeze dispelled some of the stifling heat.

…

At 1 a.m., the clamor of the city had faded.

In its place were the hazy moonlight and the neon glow of the urban landscape.

Across the street, a few scattered lights remained on in the buildings.

Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of a man leaning against the railing on the opposite balcony, smoking. The ember of his cigarette flickered like a crimson beacon in the dark.

The lighting was too dim to make out his face.

But she could distinctly feel his gaze fixed on her: tangible, laced with a hint of scrutiny.

Sang Wan instantly grew wary.

As a public figure, every move she made could be magnified endlessly.

If paparazzi caught her drinking alone late at night, who knew what kind of sensational headlines they’d spin?

She took a composed sip of her wine, then turned and walked back inside, decisively drawing the heavy curtains to shut out that prying gaze.

The next afternoon, Sang Wan was in a foul mood over the birthday banquet she had to attend that evening for Wang Sheng.

By all accounts, she was a rising star. Just because she didn’t have 300 million now didn’t mean she wouldn’t in the future.

For Xu Shiming to demand she marry someone like Wang Sheng for that sum was nothing short of shortsighted.

But given how shrewd he was with calculations, how could he not recognize her commercial value?

Sang Wan couldn’t make sense of it!

Just as she was stewing in frustration, Su Mo’s call came through.

She answered weakly, “Momo!”

“West Suburb Equestrian Club. The person you want to reel in is there.”

The previously languid woman instantly perked up. “Lu Tingzhou?”

“Who else are you trying to hook?” Su Mo shot back.

Sang Wan pressed her lips together and hurriedly replied, “No one, no one, just him.”

After exchanging a few playful jabs with Su Mo, she quickly changed her clothes, touched up her makeup, and headed out, a confident smile curling at the corners of her lips.

…

By 4 p.m., Sang Wan arrived punctually at the West Suburb Equestrian Club.

After changing, she emerged in a dashing white riding outfit that accentuated her slender waist and shapely hips. Her long hair was tied into a high ponytail, adding a touch of spirited charm.

Yet the moment she stepped into the club, her delicate face betrayed obvious curiosity as she scanned her surroundings.

In the distance, she spotted Lu Tingzhou and Shen Yubai walking side by side from the stables.

Lu Tingzhou had changed into a black riding suit, broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and long legs, his impeccable physique on full display.

Sang Wan froze for a moment. The strikingly handsome man was more attractive than any male celebrity she had ever worked with.

His chiseled features, paired with an icy, unapproachable aura, made him impossible to ignore.

Absolutely the kind you admire from afar but never dare to touch.

Shen Yubai was animatedly saying something to him, but Lu Tingzhou slightly furrowed his brows and even lazily rolled his eyes in response.

As the two men approached, Sang Wan snapped out of her thoughts. She took a deep breath and stepped forward gracefully.

“President Lu, President Shen, what a coincidence!”

Her voice was light and cheerful, carrying just the right amount of pleasant surprise.