Limited-Time Attachment - Chapter 47

“Fine.” Song Ming looked at Zhou Jibai and nodded, speaking indifferently:

“Since there is nothing left to say, then let’s say nothing at all.”

Zhou Jibai froze, pursing her lips, her gripped knuckles turning white.

The two stared at each other in silence, both wearing expressions of hidden pain, yet both were stubborn, neither willing to yield.

Song Ming gazed at Zhou Jibai for a moment, suppressed her anger with a fleeting smile, took two steps back, and turned to walk out of the Jiaxin CEO’s office.

Zhou Jibai tilted her chin slightly, standing elegantly in place, not even glancing at Song Ming.

It wasn’t until the crisp sound of Song Ming’s departing footsteps was cut off by the soundproof door that Zhou Jibai’s shoulders suddenly slumped. Her clenched hand loosened, bracing against the desk.

Her long, slender fingers trembled slightly, appearing excessively pale.

The secretary knocked on the door: “President Zhou, Song Ming seemed very angry when she left just now. Is everything alright…?”

Hearing the secretary open the door, Zhou Jibai turned her head away: “It’s nothing.”

The roar of racing engines vibrated through the air, the atmosphere at the open race track was feverish.

It was already late autumn, but the beautiful girls in the spectator stands still dressed lightly, revealing their graceful silhouettes under the autumn sun.

Scions of wealthy families who came for the excitement cheered with beer bottles in hand, placing oral bets on the spot.

In the VIP seats, a cold beauty sitting with Jing Lie was also watching the race, her eyes closely following a lone red racing car leading the pack on the track: “What made her think of playing at this?”

Jing Lie sat with his legs crossed, leisurely sipping a cocktail: “I told you long ago, if she starts playing for real, none of us in this circle are a match for her.”

“Is that so?” The cold beauty turned back with interest.

Jing Lie suddenly became alert, putting his legs down and sitting up straight: “Sister, a good woman doesn’t toy with the feelings of two people at once.”

The cold beauty laughed, tilting her head enchantingly, and said provocatively: “But I am a bad woman.”

Jing Lie: “…I advise you not to.”

The roar of the engines grew closer. On the final lap, a bright yellow car overtook two others at the bend, gradually closing in on the red car.

Song Ming glanced at the rearview mirror, then calmly pressed the accelerator down. The surrounding scenery blurred faster and faster, abstracting until only the track remained. Thoughts unrelated to the race were finally swept clean from her mind.

“They’re both accelerating,” the cold beauty watching the track whispered, her brow furrowing slightly.

Jing Lie also sat up straight: “No way, is this kid trying to challenge Song Ming?”

At the final corner, the red and yellow cars were only three or four car lengths apart. In an instant, they approached the turn together. The yellow car veered toward the outside lane and suddenly surged in speed.

The cold beauty gripped Jing Lie’s arm tightly.

Song Ming cut the corner immediately after, entering a second later than the yellow car. She drifted past the markers, straightened the steering wheel the moment she cleared the turn, and hit top speed. In the blink of an eye, she closed the gap gained by the yellow car and lunged across the finish line.

The stands erupted instantly, with cheers rising one after another.

As the car came to a steady halt, Song Ming opened the door and stepped out, reaching up to pull off her helmet.

The yellow car also crossed the line and slowly pulled up beside her.

The door opened, and a young socialite stepped out. Removing his helmet, he looked at Song Ming with a hint of helplessness: “Little President Song, you’re something else.”

Song Ming didn’t care. She ran a hand through her short hair, her grey-green eyes looking at the man without emotion: “Did I win or not?”

The guy gave Song Ming a thumbs up.

Song Ming hooked the corner of her mouth disinterestedly, carrying her helmet in one hand as she walked toward the VIP stands. She wore a white racing suit with red and black stripes, her long limbs filled out the suit, which cinched perfectly at her narrow waist. Her posture was upright, and as she walked with a cold face, she was so striking people couldn’t look away.

To return to the VIP section, she had to pass a small stretch of the spectator stands. A girl with beautiful long hair leaned over the railing, which was printed with car logos and sponsor names, her round eyes crinkling with a smile. She waved and called out coquettishly, “Song Ming!”

Song Ming blinked, startled, and looked up.

Seeing Song Ming look at her, the girl hopped twice in place, intending to climb over the railing.

A man beside the girl, who looked older, immediately pulled her back. He gave Song Ming a polite smile and waved his hand.

“Heh.” Song Ming chuckled, roughly understanding the situation, then retracted her gaze and continued toward the VIP seats.

Hearing the commotion from a distance, Jing Lie teased her with a wink: “Not bad, you. No matter where you go, there are pretty girls chasing you?”

“That’s our Little President Song for you,” a familiar heir joked with a smile.

“Shut up,” Song Ming said, placing her helmet aside with zero interest. “Don’t bring this up to me right now. Thinking about it just pisses me off.”

“Whoa…” Jing Lie chuckled, teasing, “Is it really that serious?”

Song Ming looked at the track ahead, unscrewed a bottle of water, and took a drink, her gaze cold.

Is it serious? How could it not be?

She had only just stepped off the track, and the thoughts she had worked so hard to shake off were already dominating her mind again… it was all Zhou Jibai!

That woman really knows how to get under someone’s skin!

She was still angry thinking about it now. What was she thinking back then, actually pursuing her? What’s so bad about being single?

If it weren’t for Zhou Jibai, she probably would have left long ago.

Then she wouldn’t have to deal with this anger.

“You know,” Jing Lie leaned toward Song Ming, whispering with a grin, “In the beginning, you were so competitive with her, going through all that trouble to investigate her. Yet the moment you found out she was having a hard time, you dropped everything to help her.”

Jing Lie looked behind him inconspicuously, his voice dropping even lower: “I’m just asking you—just for that one matter with the mining tycoon, how much did you concede?”

“Mind your business,” Song Ming’s eyes didn’t even flicker. “Those are two separate things.”

Jing Lie was stunned for a moment, unconsciously let out a curse, and looked at Song Ming in disbelief. Seeing that she wasn’t joking, Jing Lie fell silent. He gave her a serious thumbs up and said:

“I see it now. You really are the most ‘player’ among us, especially in the way you spend money without blinking to get the girl.”

Song Ming frowned and finally looked at Jing Lie: “Why are you talking so much crap today?”

Jing Lie sat up straight innocently and threw up his hands.

However, the cold beauty who had been following Jing Lie spoke up as if it were none of her business: “President Song, if you truly can’t let go, it’s better to pursue her properly.”

Song Ming’s expression froze, and her face darkened instantly.

“Hey, hey, hey,” Jing Lie saw she was displeased. Knowing Song Ming hated outsiders meddling in her affairs and fearing she would take it out on his date, he immediately explained for her, “She didn’t mean anything by it.”

Song Ming glanced at Jing Lie, forced herself to suppress her temper, and looked away.

Can’t let go…

Song Ming’s hands slowly clenched.

At this completely unrelated moment, the items belonging to Zhou Jibai scattered across Song Ming’s various houses suddenly surfaced in her mind.

Initially, Song Ming felt nothing seeing them.

But thinking of Zhou Jibai casually saying, ‘I know, you’ve never loved me with your heart,’ and then remembering those items, Song Ming felt that long-lost, suffocating pressure from when she and Zhou Jibai first exchanged harsh words.

“I’m leaving.”

Song Ming suddenly stood up, grabbed her helmet, and walked out of the VIP section.

Jing Lie froze, watching Song Ming leave without looking back. He glanced at his female companion and said somewhat helplessly, “What did you provoke her for?”

The cold beauty tilted her head slightly to watch the distant Song Ming and gave Jing Lie a knowing look: “I didn’t expect it. I thought President Song was a gentle person.”

Jing Lie smiled, placing his hand on his companion’s arm. His fingers slid from the smooth skin to the wrist, holding the beauty’s hand. He leaned back in his chair and said playfully: “Her temper is actually quite bad. She’s just saved that little bit of gentleness for one or two specific people.”

“As for everyone else, they’d better not be too reckless in front of her.”

The black Pagani sped down the highway. Its streamlined design, focused on aerodynamics and matched with a powerful engine, could push speed to the limit. However, the owner seemed preoccupied, the car wasn’t going very fast and eventually slowed to a stop by the roadside.

Song Ming rested one hand on the steering wheel, her brow furrowed deeply beneath her sunglasses.

After a moment of silence, Song Ming pulled out a cigarette. A silver lighter clicked sharply, and a flame lit the tobacco.

The cool scent of mint mixed with the smell of smoke drifted through the air. Song Ming suddenly remembered that throughout her time with Zhou Jibai, they had rarely spoken much truth to each other.

The first time she saw Zhou Jibai was at a Song family banquet.

At first glance, Zhou Jibai was soft and beautiful, wearing a cold silver gown that cinched her waist and covered her snow-white skin. The hem of the dress shimmered like a galaxy. She just stood there quietly and elegantly, every gesture possessing a heart-stirring charm, yet her eyes were always indifferent and distant.

By contrast, the men surrounding her were unremarkable, like vulgar stones, yet they tried to pluck the beauty without any self-awareness.

Amidst the sea of people, Zhou Jibai also looked at her from afar.

Across the guests, each with their own agendas and fake smiles, they shared a look in that vanity fair.

The banquet atmosphere was sweltering, but Zhou Jibai’s gaze was icy, coldly scrutinizing, with a hint of being high and mighty.

Song Ming knew that look; it was the gaze of someone assessing whether a potential opponent was worth their attention.

That look somehow struck a chord with Song Ming, who had arrived with ill intent.

So, she set her sights on Zhou Jibai.

Back in the present, Song Ming, who had already been entangled with and separated from Zhou Jibai, leaned back against the seat. She slowly inhaled the smoke and closed her eyes, recalling the sensation of Zhou Jibai’s arms tightening around her during an embrace.

…It seemed her motives were indeed impure at the start.

A notification sound from her phone interrupted Song Ming’s thoughts.

The caller was the subordinate who had been in contact with Chen Shengrong. Usually, this person wouldn’t call Song Ming unless there was something urgent.

Song Ming frowned and answered the phone.

“President Song,” the voice on the other end was calm. “Apologies for calling at this time, but something urgent requires your decision.”

“What is it?” Song Ming extinguished the cigarette, not sounding particularly concerned.

“The news of your disagreement with President Zhou seems to have spread among those following the matter. The Zhong family has also caught wind of it. Should we instruct Chen Shengrong to push further?”

“No.” Song Ming refused without hesitation.

The subordinate hesitated: “If we use this timing to have Chen Shengrong cooperate, it would invisibly pressure President Zhou. For the sake of the big picture, she would likely choose to compromise with you.”

Song Ming closed her eyes impatiently: “I said ‘no’. Chen Shengrong is not to be used against Zhou Jibai. Don’t act on your own.”

The subordinate was silent for a moment: “If that’s the case, there is another matter you need to know.”

“What is it?”

“Regarding the suggestion to pressure Zhong Zhengcheng right now, it was actually Chen Shengrong who reminded me. He said Zhong Hexuan just invited him to dinner to apologize, and during the meal, he guaranteed that President Zhou would definitely fulfill the engagement… He felt the Zhong family must have done something to dare say that, so he came to warn us.”

Song Ming froze, suddenly pulling the phone away from her ear to check the date.

“Is it today?!”

“Just now,” the subordinate replied.

“That old bastard Zhong Zhengcheng…”

Song Ming’s face looked incredibly grim. She hung up, tossed the phone aside, and slammed the gear stick: “He really is a scoundrel.”

The weeds by the road were flattened by the wind as the top-tier supercar roared to life, accelerating instantly and lunging forward.