Never Too Far Novel

Chapter 1041-1050

Although it was snowy outside, the temperature inside the room was warm, and at that moment, there were sounds of footsteps coming from the second floor. Ruka lifted her head and saw Ren’s figure. He had just taken a shower too. He was dressed in a black sweater paired with a pair of trainers. His dark hair was not slicked-up like how it was in the daytime but was currently tousled loosely on his forehead. He looked five years younger than his actual age.

Ruka’s heart thudded frantically, and she couldn’t help recalling that kiss as her face flushed bright red.

Ren had a jacket draped on his wrist. As he stood in front of her, he handed it over to her. “Put this on if you feel cold.”

Ruka reached out to take the jacket, and she put it on subsequently. Ren then went to pour a glass of warm water to hand it to her.

“Thank you.” Ruka was sincerely grateful for his kind concern.

“Do you really like him that much?” Ren sat by the couch on the side and picked up a book casually before flipping through it.

Ruka held the mug as she recalled how she had sobbed in a drunken state and had even spouted nonsense to him in the car. Now that she had come back to her senses, she felt quite awkward and was so tempted to bury her head in the ground.

“I’ve caused a disturbance toward you tonight.” Ruka pursed her lips and sneaked a furtive look at his expression.

“In the future, no matter the trouble you encounter, you should never touch alcohol again.” The man lifted his head, and there was a commanding aura in his eyes.

At that moment, a shudder ran through her and she quickly nodded earnestly. “Sure, I promise you that I won’t ever drink alcohol at random again.”

“You’re worth someone much better.” There was a complicated look in Ren’s eyes as he looked at her.

Ruka was at her least confident moment tonight and her unrequited love had ended up on a sad note, so evidently, she didn’t think that she was worthy of being loved. She puffed her cheeks and spoke with a self-defeated tone, “It’s fine even if no one loves me. I can provide myself with sufficient self-love and that’s enough for me.”

“Who told you that no one loves you?” He narrowed his eyes.

Ruka lifted her head and asked him a question, “Who is it that loves me?”

“I love you very much.” His voice was slightly hoarse and there was a rarely seen tender expression on his cold face.

At that moment, Ruka’s mind turned blank. Did Mr. Ren misunderstand something? I mean romantic love between opposite genders, not the type of love from an elder! For a moment there, Ruka was in a slight dilemma, and she wondered if she needed to explain things to him.

However, Ruka was completely oblivious to the fact that the love he meant had nothing to do with the love of an elder. He meant romantic love between a man and a woman.

“Thanks for loving me.” Ruka smiled politely.

“Do you love me?” He asked her in return. Evidently, he wanted an answer from her regarding this topic of love.

Ruka responded practically instantly without any hesitation, “Of course I do! Everyone loves you! Do you know that there are many girls out there infatuated with you to the point of extreme! They would

give anything at all to marry you!” Ruka said this with an expression full of admiration.

“Do you wish to marry me too?” He focused on her final sentence and questioned her once again.

“I would of course wish to…” Before she could finish her words, she placed a hand over her mouth hastily. Her pretty eyes widened and she shook her head hard before removing her hand over her mouth as she apologized, “I’m sorry, Mr. Ren. I nearly said the wrong thing. I definitely would not be able to marry you.”

At that point, Ren’s thin lips were tightly pursed and his brows were tightly furrowed. He suddenly increased his force as he turned the page of the book, and he nearly ripped the paper from the book.

Ruka was startled and looked at the book in his hand as she wondered why he suddenly used so much force to flip the page.

“Go and get some rest.” He kept his eyes on the book while voicing out, “Take the third bedroom on the left of the second floor.”

Meanwhile, Ruka felt slightly lost. Did I say something wrong? It feels like he’s unhappy.

Ruka got up and headed upstairs, but she realized that he had put down his book and got up too.

Out of courtesy, she stopped by the staircase and waited for him. He lifted his head to see that she was still standing by the staircase, so he gradually made his way, step by step, to her side before speaking up in a slightly hoarse voice, “Go to your room.”

Ruka could perceptively sense that he seemed to be suppressing something. Did my sudden presence disrupt his life?

“Mr. Ren, are your bodyguards on standby 24/7? Could you please get them to send me back to Husson Residence?” Ruka asked bravely as she realized that she would feel much more at ease back

home.

Ren seemed quite affable and easy to get along with at Husson Residence, and she had seen him in the garden when he was working. He had a superior attitude and exuded a prestigious aura. However, after interacting with him personally in private, she felt that he seemed pretty schemeful and hard to predict. Besides, he made one feel quite pressured.

“Do you wish to go home?” He had just taken a few steps up the stairs when he suddenly turned around to look at her.

“I feel like I might have been disruptive,” Ruka expressed herself quite frankly.

“They’ve gone off work, so they can’t send you home.” Ren turned around after saying that.

Ruka quickly went after him. “I thought they were supposed to be on standby 24/7? They would definitely send me home if you gave them the word.”

They had just arrived at the foyer when Ruka ran over in haste while he stood still and turned around to look at her. At that moment, they collided slightly with each other.

“Ah…” Ruka leaned backward out of fright, and it was the staircase behind her, so it would be quite a nasty fall for her if she actually toppled down the stairs.

Ruka reached out to grasp at something out of desperation, and Ren’s eyes suddenly widened as he quickly reached out to grab her wrist. Subsequently, he pulled her back toward him, and shortly after that, he held her tightly in his arms. During that spur of the moment of worry, he grabbed the back of her head with his large hands, and after rescuing her, he gave her a tight hug.

Ruka hugged him tightly around the waist as well, out of fright, and her heart thudded hard. She felt as if she had just barely escaped death, so she was quite pleasantly shocked, and yet the fear lingered on

too.

“Why did you run after me in such a rush at a staircase?” There was an anxious, chiding voice that rang out above her head.

Ruka lifted her head in fright and finally noticed that he was in such close proximity to her with his head lowered. They were so close to each other that she could feel his short breaths hitting her forehead. At that moment, she couldn’t help but breathe irregularly.

She was currently quite flustered as she tried to say something, but she couldn’t seem to come up with a full sentence in her mind due to the messy thoughts she had. Furthermore, their current hugging position felt quite intimate.

In Ren’s arms, Ruka opened and shut her red lips repeatedly as she tried to come up with the words to say. As soon as Ren saw that, he couldn’t quite suppress his urge.

He felt his throat tighten and the look in his eyes darkened significantly.

At that moment, Ruka was quite anxious too. Why is he hugging me so tightly? Just then, Ruka was about to lift her head when her eyes were met with a pair of dangerous-looking eyes. That didn’t seem like the look an elder would reveal to a younger member of his family. It was the primal look of a man studying a woman.

Ruka stopped breathing at that point, and something went off in her mind. “Uncle…”

However, he refused to let her finish her sentence as he quite domineeringly planted a kiss on her red lips, and subsequently, he managed to muffle her words.

Ren hated that form of address because he didn’t want to hear that from her lips at all.

At that point, Ruka stiffened, and her mind was a mess. She could no longer figure things out in her mind properly. She felt his soft touch on her lips, and perhaps he didn’t want to frighten her, so he didn’t kiss her too intensely. It felt as if he was savoring the sweetness of her lips.

Ruka hadn’t yet come to her senses as to how the kiss happened, but he had already released her from his arms. He whispered in her ears, “Ruka, I love you. I love you romantically, the way a man loves a woman.”

At that point, Ruka’s heart skipped a beat, and she shoved him aside. She turned around and ran off toward the third bedroom on the left before pushing open the door and burrowing into the room. She hyperventilated as if she had just completed a marathon. No. No. No. That can’t be possible. This is not possible at all! How could he possibly be in love with me?!

Ruka felt as if she were about to pass out. This man, whom she had regarded as an elder since she was young, had suddenly confessed his love to her. He was such an impressive man too, so she couldn’t quite accept the fact.

Ruka’s mind was scrambled at that moment and she remained in a dazed state for quite some time. In her mind, she could only hear the words that Ren had whispered in her ears, “Ruka, I love you. I love you romantically, the way a man loves a woman.”

She covered her face with her hands and blushed to the tips of her ears. This must be the most inconceivable thing that had happened in her life. What should I do? Currently, she was frantic, and she panicked quite badly.

She was the one who was supposed to confess her love for Jethro tonight, but now she was the recipient of another guy’s love confession. Besides, the guy was not just any other man; he was an elderly figure whom she respected and was in awe of. She felt quite lost at the moment, and she felt as if she had barged into Ren’s territory accidentally. She wasn’t quite sure of what to do.

Just then, there was a knock on Ruka’s door, and her pretty eyes instantly widened in fear. She glanced at the door and was fearful of opening it, but she didn’t dare not to either. She had no choice but to open a tiny crack of the door from the inside and reveal a pair of shy-looking eyes to stare at the man outside.

“U-Mr. Ren… Do you have anything else to say?” Ruka realized that she could no longer address him as naturally as before.

The man outside the door had one hand holding onto the door frame as he looked at the girl, who only dared to reveal half of her face. At that point, he felt resigned and slightly worried, so he asked hoarsely, “Did I startle you?”

“No.” Ruka shook her head and lowered it shyly.

“I’m sorry. I take back my words from earlier, so don’t take them seriously.” Ren’s voice sounded hoarser than ever, and he seemed to be muttering a remorseful reply.

Ruka, who had her head lowered, suddenly lifted it abruptly. “No! I’m happy that you’ve got feelings toward me, but I… I didn’t expect that at all.” Ruka lowered her head further, quite shyly.

“You should get some rest.” Ren turned around and left after talking it out with her.

Ruka shut the door behind her subsequently, and she felt that her mind was quite fuzzy at the moment. She attributed that to the fact that perhaps she was still under the influence of alcohol. The incident from before felt like a dream to her.

She fell back onto the bed and shut her eyes instantly. In her dazed state, she caught a whiff of male scent, and she instantly opened her eyes wide as she lifted her arms. At that moment, she realized that Ren’s distinct scent remained on the shirt. She blushed at that realization, and she thought, I’m still

wearing his shirt! Gosh! It seems that everything that has happened has exceeded our previous relationship and it has now gone out of control.

Ruka enjoyed a good night’s sleep, and even the scene in her dreams was perfect, so as soon as she opened her eyes, she was under the impression that she was back in her room at Husson Residence. However, as she was stretching her body, she noticed the ceiling of the room and instantly sat upright. She realized then that she wasn’t at home and that this was Ren’s home. Where’s my cell phone and what’s the time? I’ve got to work today! I can’t possibly arrive late on just the second day of my internship!

At that moment, she was in a frenzied state. She pulled open the door to the room and ran downstairs to search for her cell phone with her long hair billowing freely in a messy state.

She thought, It should be on the couch.

However, she had just arrived downstairs when she noticed that Ren was currently all suited up and standing in front of the doorway as he spoke with a young man.

At that moment, Ruka was significantly startled. She was currently dressed in Ren’s shirt, and the wide lapels of the shirt emphasized her slender and slim figure. Her flowing, dark luscious hair was loose at the back of her head and her rosy cheeks made her look quite adorable. She had ruby-red lips, and there was a slightly dazed look in her eyes. It was quite early in the morning, but the scene was kind of seductive and yet innocent at the same time.

Ren’s eyes widened, and he was shocked by the scene in front of him. He instantly shot a sharp look at his personal assistant, Elijah. Initially, Elijah had his eyes intently on Ruka, but as soon as Elijah noticed Ren’s sharp look, he instantly retracted his gaze and kept his eyes to himself. He stopped staring at what he was not supposed to look at.

Meanwhile, Elijah thought to himself, It’s no wonder Mr. Husson looked sleep-deprived today. It’s because someone else filled up his sleep time. This is the first time ever that I’ve seen a girl in Mr. Husson’s house. Does this mean that he’s no longer the most sought-after bachelor in town?

However, at that moment, the girl addressed Ren, and Elijah was instantly dumbfounded.

“Mr. Ren, did you see my bag?” She asked in a clear voice, but there was an evident note of anxiety in her voice.

Ren pointed at the couch. “It’s over there.”

Ruka ran over to grab her bag, and she quickly took a glance at her cell phone. Subsequently, she exclaimed loudly, “Ah! It’s nine o’clock! I’m late for work!”

Elijah swiftly came to his senses at that point. Hold on! Is she Miss Singed, who usually stays at Husson Residence?! I’m quite honored to have met her for the first time. She’s cute.

Ruka grabbed her bag and the jacket she left on the couch last night. Her hair was unkempt, she hadn’t even freshened up, and the shirt she had on clearly belonged to a male. She turned to Ren and said, “Mr. Ren, could you get your bodyguards to send me to the Translation Department? I’m late for work.”

“I’ll apply for time off on your behalf,” Ren suggested in a low voice.

Instinctively, Ruka stopped him, and she hastily put on her jacket. “No. I don’t want to ask for time off.”

Besides, if he were the one to make the request on her behalf, she would never be able to shake off being labeled as gaining her job through connections. Moreover, Victoria was very infatuated with Ren, and if Victoria found out about their relationship, Ruka would have a tough time in the Translation Department.

“How can you possibly go to work in this attire?” Ren frowned as he looked at her.

Ruka instantly pulled her loose hair into a ponytail quite adeptly, and then she unbuttoned the first two buttons on the loose male shirt she had on before tying a knot around the waist. She managed to transform her outfit into quite a casual style. NôvelDrama.Org owns this.

After Ruka did all that, she turned to look at Ren smugly. “Look, I’m all set to go to work now.”

There was a flash of a smile and a doting look in Ren’s eyes as he turned to say to Elijah, “Send her to the Translation Department.”

“Sure, Miss Singed, this way please.” Elijah instantly responded to Ren’s instruction.

Ruka waved at Ren slightly shyly. “Bye, I’ll be on my way then.”

Ren stopped her by voicing out in a low voice, “Hold on.”

Before Ruka could react, he had made his way toward her, and his slender fingers quite naturally went to her neck. He then tucked her upturned collar neatly for her. There was a jolt to Ruka’s heart, and she trembled slightly. She could distinctly feel the warmth of his fingers on her neck, and she couldn’t help lifting her head to look at him.

He was currently standing against the sunlight, and in close proximity, he had an intent and focused expression on his handsome face until he sensed her eyes on him. At that point, he turned his eyes on her and gazed soulfully at her.

Ruka felt a hitch in her breathing and her heart skipped a beat too. The look in his eyes seemed to engulf her like the dark night skies.

Just then, it felt as if time had come to a standstill and Ruka could only see his deep, soulful gaze as he glanced at her slightly tenderly and full of affection.

In that short moment, they seemed to have experienced a heartfelt exchange.

She came to her senses and instantly blushed bright red as she frantically turned around and rushed in the direction of Elijah’s car.

She got into Elijah’s car, but she didn’t even have the courage to look out the window and take a look at Ren. She behaved furtively like a thief who had just stolen something and was in a haste to leave the crime scene.

Perhaps the item that she had stolen was the lofty Mr. Vice-president’s heart.

Along the way, while Elijah was focused on the road, he tried to lighten the atmosphere.

“Miss Singed, are you working at the Translation Department?”

“Yes, I just started my internship yesterday.” Ruka couldn’t contain her smile as she spoke, “But I’m late on my second day of work.”

“It’s fine. You’re just an intern. You’re not involved in any important task, so they won’t blame you for being late,” Elijah comforted her.

Ruka hoped so too, but she knew that she deserved to be criticized for her bad behavior.

“Oh, by the way, Miss Singed, your birthday’s coming up soon. Is there anything particular that you want?” Elijah suddenly asked.

Surprised, Ruka asked, “How did you know that my birthday was coming up?”

Elijah responded with a smile. “I was the one who sent off those presents from Mr. Husson in the past by courier.” Elijah had just finished speaking when Ruka’s eyes widened in surprise. She suddenly realized that quite a while ago, she would always receive a mysterious gift every year on her birthday. There was no sender information—name and address—on the present, and it was merely labeled ‘Happy Birthday’.

Could those mysterious gifts be from Ren?

“Did you select that necklace as my birthday present last year?” Ruka probed him by asking.

“Oh! I wasn’t the one who selected the present. Mr. Husson did that personally. He usually selects the present for you every year, and I’m just the one to courier it to you.” Elijah didn’t realize that Ruka was probing for information, so he revealed everything to her frankly.

Meanwhile, Ruka, who was seated in the backseat, was quite stunned and in shock. So it’s true that all the mysterious presents in the past years came from him!

For a moment there, she felt flustered, and yet she couldn’t contain her joy. It felt wonderful to be cared for without even realizing it.

She couldn’t help recalling the kiss from last night, making her blush shyly at the thought of that moment. Inside the quiet car, she could practically hear the frantic thuds of her heartbeat.

The car arrived at the Translation Department, and Ruka immediately rushed into her office. However, she realized that the office was empty and that there was not a single staff member to be seen. One of the cleaners currently cleaning the corridor reminded her kindly, “They’re in a meeting.”

“Okay, thanks.” Ruka hastily ran off in the direction of the meeting room, and she knocked before pushing open the door.

At that moment, Victoria was seated in the main seat while the other permanent staff and interns were seated to the sides.

“I’m sorry for arriving late.” Ruka immediately found a spot and took a seat.

Victoria shot a displeased look in Ruka’s direction, and before Ruka had the chance to speak, Victoria snorted, “This is just the second day of work and yet you’re late! Who do you think you are?!”

Ruka pursed her lips and remained silent.

“You’re currently wearing a man’s shirt, huh? Don’t tell me you wore your dad’s shirt out?! Hah!” Inara was quite sharp-eyed. She noticed that Ruka had a man’s white shirt underneath her jacket and couldn’t help but mock Ruka.

As such, everyone’s eyes landed on Ruka’s white shirt underneath her jacket. Her sleeves were too long, so part of her shirt sleeve was hanging out of her jacket sleeve. Instantly, Ruka blushed. This isn’t my dad’s shirt!

Nonetheless, Victoria was quite sharp-eyed too, and she couldn’t contain her surprise as her eyes widened. The white shirt Ruka had on evidently wasn’t an ordinary shirt, and it didn’t come from any ordinary men’s clothing store. It looked custom-made and quite exclusive. Furthermore, the style of the shirt and the intricate art on the sleeves were quite familiar to her.

Victoria had only seen the sapphire gemstone cufflinks on one person before, and it was usually on a shirt that Ren usually wore.

At that moment, Victoria felt her chest heave heavily. Could it be that she spent the night at Ren’s house?! What sort of extreme acts did they get into for him to rip her clothes to pieces and leave her no choice but to wear his clothes?!

Instantly, an illicit scene popped up in Victoria’s mind and she couldn’t help feeling jealous and quite shocked.

Victoria stood up abruptly and turned to Ruka, “Ruka, come with me for a moment.”

Ruka stood up from her spot and followed Victoria to the corridor outside. Ruka thought that Victoria wanted to say something to her outside but Victoria pushed open the doors to a vacant meeting room next door and entered the room. Once Victoria entered the room, she kept her eyes intently on the

male shirt Ruka had on and narrowed her eyes. “Did you spend the night at the vice-president’s house last night?”

Ruka didn’t expect Victoria to be able to tell that she had spent the night at Ren’s by just a single look. Ruka was significantly startled.

Before Ruka could react, Victoria continued to question Ruka, “Did you guys spend the night with each other?”

Ruka was still quite innocent and couldn’t stand where this topic was heading, so she quickly waved Victoria off and shook her head. “No! That’s not it, Miss Parfait. Don’t jump to the wrong conclusion. There is nothing going on between the two of us. Nothing happened at all.”

Victoria watched as Ruka explained herself, and Victoria trusted Ruka’s words because Ruka clearly didn’t look like one who was adept at lying.

At that moment, Victoria heaved a silent sigh of relief. “Your relationship with the vice-president seems to be much closer than I expected. Do you have feelings for him?”

Ruka glanced at Victoria with a stunned expression, and for a moment there, Ruka didn’t quite know whether to nod or shake her head.

However, before Ruka could say anything, Victoria had spoken up solemnly, “I have feelings for him though, and I’ve been pursuing him for the past five years. Over these five years, I’ve been deeply infatuated with him to an extreme state. Ruka, are you planning to vie for the attention of the same man too?”

Victoria had a threatening look in her eyes, and Ruka felt immense pressure. Ruka’s mind was a mess at the moment, and she didn’t know how to register Ren’s confession from the previous night.

“Ruka, I hope we don’t end up as rivals in love. You’re quite young, and Ren’s age is not suitable for you. You can find someone around your age to get together with. For me though, I’ve waited for him for five years, so I will never give up.” Victoria said that without any intention of listening to Ruka’s explanation at all. Victoria merely patted Ruka on the shoulders. “Make sure to turn up to work on time from now on.”

After Victoria said that, she opened the door and left the room.

Ruka stood in front of the meeting room, and her mind was a mess. Last night she had just found out that Ren was in love with her, and she hadn’t even come to her senses from that shocking discovery, but today, Victoria had delivered this warning so swiftly.

Ruka was in a confused state at the moment when her cell phone suddenly went off. She reached out and lifted it to take a look. It was Scarlet on the line, so Ruka hurriedly answered the call.

“Hi, Aunt Scarlet!”

“Ruka, Uncle Walter and I have suddenly received a short-notice invitation overseas, so we’ll be away for about one month. I think you should stay at Ren’s place for the coming month.”

“Huh? Aunt Scarlet, I-I can’t stay with Mr. Ren. I would be a disruption to his life.” Ruka instantly rejected the suggestion without giving it any consideration at all.

“That’s not true. Ren was the one who suggested that you stay with him. I had intended to send you over to stay with your aunt, but I considered that the commute time from there to the Translation Department would take more than an hour each day, so I was worried that it would be a hindrance to your work.” Scarlet had already planned everything for Ruka.

At that moment, Ruka’s eyes widened in surprise. Mr. Ren actually suggested that I stay with him?! That would be such an inconvenience! We’re the opposite gender, after all, so we should keep a

distance!

“Aunt Scarlet, I think it would be better for me to stay with my aunt. I can wake up earlier each day and head home later. I wouldn’t want to disrupt Mr. Ren’s life,” Ruka insisted.

“What’s going on? Don’t tell me that you’re afraid of staying under the same roof as him?!” Scarlet couldn’t help cracking a joke.

However, this was not a joke to Ruka as it was a fact. She was indeed quite afraid of Ren.

“Don’t worry, he doesn’t bite. Besides, he’s so busy with work every day. You’ll basically just be sleeping in that house, and you guys won’t encounter each other too much. I’ve spoken to your parents about this, and they’re quite pleased with this arrangement.”

At that point, Ruka was rendered speechless.

“Oh! By the way, once we get back, I’ll introduce you to Richard and his wife.” Scarlet hung up the phone after saying that.

Meanwhile, Ruka was left staring at her cell phone, and she was quite dumbfounded. Do I really have to move into Ren’s house for the time being? Help! I really don’t want to!

Ruka pushed open the doors to the meeting room and entered the room. She walked in to find that the meeting had ended and everyone was gone, so she went back to the office. She had just walked in when Inara started to mock her mercilessly, “Ruka, does that shirt you have on belong to your father?”

Ruka was unperturbed, and she didn’t even plan to respond to that at all.

“Don’t tell me that it belongs to your boyfriend?!” Inara continued to pursue the topic.

At that moment, Ruka blushed. Evidently, if it didn’t belong to her father, then it would belong to her boyfriend because there wouldn’t be any other possibility of it belonging to another man.

Ruka went back to her seat and flicked through the notebook that she had finished translating last night. She then started working on translating the document in her hands. Just then, her cell phone went off once again, and she took a look at it. On the caller ID, the name ‘Ren’ appeared.

Startled, she stood up abruptly and rushed outside to a secluded spot devoid of people in the garden before answering the call, “Hi, Mr. Ren!”

“Do you have an issue with staying at my place?” On the other end, a low male voice rang out, and he was persistent in getting an answer.

Ruka’s expression froze at that point. Gosh! Seriously?! Did Aunt Scarlet give him a call after talking to me?

“Well… I really don’t want to disrupt your life. I can stay at my friend’s place, and it’s close to town too.” Ruka bravely rejected him.

“I wouldn’t feel at ease with that,” he instantly responded.

At that point, Ruka realized that she hadn’t specified that she would be staying with a girl friend, so she added, “Don’t worry. She’s a girl, and you met her the other day. She’s my best friend. I honestly don’t want to disrupt your life.”

Ruka clearly indicated her opinion from the way she spoke, and she was quite reluctant to stay with him.

On the other end, he remained silent for a few seconds before responding, “Alright. It’s up to you then.” Subsequently, he hung up the phone.

Ruka felt her heart skip a beat. He hung up the phone so quickly! Is he mad at me?

She was at a loss for what to do at that moment so she turned around and instantly dialed Rita’s number.

“You brat! Why didn’t you tell me in advance that the vice president would be the one to fetch you last night? This is such an important matter and yet you didn’t even bother to inform me!”

“Did you get a fright?” Ruka asked sympathetically.

“What do you think?! I was frightened out of my wits. If something bad had happened to you, would he have skinned me alive?”

“That’s enough. I’ll have to stay at your place for the time being for the next month or so. Am I welcome to stay with you?”

“Why?”

“Aunt Scarlet will be going overseas and she won’t be back until next month, so I’ve got nowhere to stay. It’s been ages since anyone tidied up my house. Besides, I’m afraid to stay by myself, so I plan to crash at your place.”

“Sure, just come over then. Is the vice president your biological uncle?”

“No, he’s Aunt Scarlet’s brother and that’s why I have to address him as Mr. Ren. I’ve only met him less than ten times in my life since I was a child,” Ruka explained.

“But he took you into his arms and carried you into the car. Did you touch him inappropriately in the car?” Rita’s teasing voice clearly indicated that she wanted to listen to Ruka make a fool of herself.

“You’re so annoying! What’s exactly going on in your mind?” Ruka chided Rita with a roll of her eyes.

“Gosh, it’s so silly of you to let this opportunity go to waste. If I were in your position, I would have hugged him tightly in my drunken state.”

Ruka’s pretty face burned as she hastily replied, “That’s enough. Stop talking about this. I need to get back to work.”

“Go ahead then. Bring me along next time if you have the chance to meet him. I want to catch another glimpse of him.”

“Sure. I’ll let you know once I get the chance.” Ruka was unable to promise Rita anything. After all, not everyone was able to meet Ren just like that.

Ruka went back to the office, and as she walked past the corridor, Mia purposely stuck out her feet to trip Ruka. Ruka stumbled to the front and somehow landed on Caspian. Caspian reached out to steady Ruka. “Are you alright?”

Ruka shook her head. “I’m fine.” After Ruka said that, she turned around and stood in front of Mia while staring at the latter with an angry expression. “Why did you do that?”

Mia faced Ruka fearlessly. “What did I do? I was just stretching my legs and hips, that’s all. I didn’t expect you to trip over me. My leg hurts now because of you! Aren’t you going to apologize to me?”

“You…” Ruka’s pretty face turned red out of anger.

“Mia, we’re all colleagues here. This is too much!” Caspian came over and stood up for Ruka.

“Gosh, Caspian. Don’t tell me that you’ve really fallen for her. We’re not just ordinary colleagues. Each of us are rivals too. You need to watch out. She might be the one to eliminate you.” Mia sneered coldly and got up before turning to Michelle, “Do you need a toilet break?”

Michelle instantly got up and went out with Mia. Ruka went back to her spot and massaged in between her brows. She could still feel the lingering headache due to the after-effects of too much alcohol.

She clicked into her email and saw that there was an urgent assignment meant to test the interns’ skills, and the ten-thousand-word Chinese assignment had to be handed in before eight in the morning the next day. Ruka was dumbfounded by that, and upon scanning the details of the assignment, she realized that the assignment was about a topic that she wasn’t familiar with.

At that moment, Caspian came over and asked her, “Ruka, have you seen the email?”

“Yes, I’ve seen it. It’s quite a complicated assignment,” Ruka responded.

“Don’t worry. There is an old book depository in the Translation Department, and there is plenty of information on this topic there. I’ve just come back from the book depository. You should go over to search for the answers too,” Caspian gave her some pointers.

“Thank you.” Ruka nodded with an expression full of gratitude.

“You can go over there any time after work too. It’s a public information site, so it’s always open.”

Ruka smiled. “Sure thing.”

Ruka was still busy composing her assignment even when it was time to clock off. After making multiple corrections to her draft, she finally made up her mind and ended up paying a visit to the book depository. She registered on the internal operating system and entered the place. Just as she walked in, Mia’s figure suddenly appeared from behind.

Mia saw Ruka walk inside, and Mia took another look at the iron gates before sneering coldly. Ruka, you’ll just have to spend the night inside!

Inside the room, Ruka managed to find a book that would be quite useful for her topic, so she took a seat in front of the french windows and started perusing the book. As the lights started to get dimmer, she took a look at her wristwatch and noticed that it was now seven o’clock at night.

She got up and walked to the entrance, but she saw that the door—which was open when she walked in—was now shut. She reached out to twist the doorknob, but the door appeared to be locked from the outside.

“Is there anyone outside? I need some help please.” Ruka voiced out toward the door, but she didn’t receive any response at all.

She realized that this was an old book depository and that there were no offices along the entire corridor. Everyone would have hit off from work by now, so there wouldn’t be anyone available to help her.

The sky started to darken outside, and she reached out to flick the switch to switch on the lights. However, the lights were non-functional and despite her multiple tries, there was no power at all. She started to panic by then. What’s going on here? The door’s locked and now even the lights are non- functional?

The door was locked because Mia had placed a lock outside the door and the lights were non- functional because the switches to the room were on the other end of the corridor so Mia had conveniently flicked the switch off the main power board.

Therefore, the entire corridor to the book depository turned into a pitch-black area.

Ruka hollered loudly for quite some time, but no one turned up. She started to develop fear by then because the entire book depository had descended into complete darkness. She would have to spend the night here if no one turned up.

At that moment, Ruka took out her cell phone and was about to call for help, but she wondered, Who can I seek help from?

Access to the Translation Department was monitored strictly and only authorized personnel were allowed entry, so there was only one person that popped into Ruka’s mind whom she could seek help from. Ren was the only person she could think of. All he had to do was make a call to the Translation Department office, and surely he would be able to send someone to rescue her.

Ruka felt embarrassed when she recalled how Ren had hung up on her today. It feels so embarrassing to ask him for help while refusing to live at his place. Still, she had no intention of spending the night here. Taking out her cell phone, she found his phone number and called him, nervously waiting for the phone call to be answered.

Ren’s deep and husky voice sounded especially charming in the quiet and spacious study. “Hello.”

“Hey, Mr. Ren, are you busy? I have a favor to ask of you,” Ruka asked with an ingratiating note in her voice.

“Mm-hmm. Shoot!” The man’s voice sounded emotionless.

She pleaded, “I’m now locked inside the translation department’s library. Could you please call the department’s office to send someone to get me out of here?” She felt mortified for having to bother the vice president with such a trifling matter.

His voice instantly took on a hint of urgency. “How did you get locked in there?”

“I lost track of time while reading just now. Perhaps the person who locked the door didn’t realize that I was still inside. Also, the lights here aren’t working. It’s so dark. I’m scared,” she said as she aired her grievances.

“Don’t panic, okay? I’ll be there right away,” he said, comforting her in a deep voice.

“Huh? You’re coming? Why such trouble? All you need to do is make a phone call—”

Ren interrupted her, saying, “I’m nearby.”

Even though Ruka wanted the man to save her, she didn’t want him to come in person. “But you don’t have to make a special effort to come here just for this. Just make a phone call instead. Surely there are still people in the translation department.”

Ren was obviously unwilling to make the phone call, though. He replied firmly, “Don’t worry. Just be patient and wait for me. I’ll be there in a minute.” With that, he hung up.

As a result, now Ruka was even more stressed out. Oh, no! How embarrassing! Not only am I trapped here, but the vice president is now taking the trouble to come personally to save me. Nevertheless, she stopped shouting for help.

However, it was really dark outside. Thanks to the thick branches outside the window, it was pitch-dark inside the room.

“Come on, it’s nothing scary,” Ruka whispered to herself, patting her chest while trying hard to keep calm by thinking about things that would give her courage—the incident last night where Ren had kissed her, for instance. As she recalled the incident, her cheeks flushed scarlet amid the darkness. Why do I have to think about this, of all things? Still, I couldn’t get the kiss last night out of my mind. And besides, that was my first kiss, okay? Wait, I gave him my first kiss in the car before that, so it’s considered my second kiss when he kissed me last night.

At this moment, several employees were clocking out and chatting at the translation department’s entrance. Suddenly, a black sedan came to a screeching halt in front of them, after which a respectable figure with a steady presence stepped out of the car.

At once, the employees were stunned for a few seconds. They couldn’t believe they were seeing the vice president at this very moment. Is he here for something important? It’s got to be something really important that requires him to come in person at such a time!

Elijah was more familiar with the place than the others were, so he swiftly led Ren in the direction of the library. “Mr. Husson, the old library is relocated here. It’s a place to store documents, so nobody usually comes here.”

Walking at a rapid pace, Ren was clearly worried about the girl who was trapped inside. He and Elijah were the only ones walking along the corridor since nobody else was coming.

Having gotten tired of standing, Ruka sat in the chair next to the door, waiting. When she suddenly heard the sound of footsteps, she was inwardly delighted. Has Mr. Ren arrived? Or has he sent somebody here?

“Miss Singed, are you inside?” Elijah asked.

“Yes, I am,” Ruka answered.

“Mr. Husson, please stay with Miss Singed for a moment. I have to get someone to unlock the door,” Elijah added before striding off.

There was only a steel door between Ruka and the man outside. Even though it was dark, she could sense Ren’s fervent gaze upon her. “Sorry for bothering you again,” she apologized consciously.

“I like it when you bother me,” the man replied in a deep and husky voice.

A flush rose to Ruka’s cheeks, and she was speechless. “I didn’t want to trouble you, but I really have no one else to turn to,” she explained hastily.

The man let out a grumpy snort. “Are you so desperate to have nothing to do with me?”

Ruka was just about to say something in reply when she sensed something slippery moving past her shoes. “Aaaah!” she cried and jumped with fright.

“What happened?” the man outside asked hurriedly.

“Something just moved past my feet. I don’t know if it’s a snake or a rat!” Ruka’s voice was trembling. She felt that it was a snake. There were branches outside, so it wasn’t impossible for a snake to crawl inside through the window. “Hiss…” She suddenly cried out in pain. As it turned out, she bumped her head against something while backing away.

Just then, the voice of the man outside the door hardened. “Stand aside.”

Before Ruka could realize what was happening, she saw the man outside kicking at the door. She hurriedly stepped aside. All she could hear was the sound of several swift, steady kicks. Soon after that, the old steel door loosened before falling off the wall with a loud bang.

Before she could recover from the shock, she was clasped to a warm chest in faint light by a sturdy arm. When the refreshing and sweet smell of male hormones assailed her nostrils, her mind went completely blank; all she could hear was the sound of her panting slightly and her heartbeat.

She felt the man’s large hand caress the back of her head in the darkness affectionately, which gave her a sense of security. Thanks to the darkness, she enjoyed his embrace even more naturally, though she was still a little frightened with her tiny hand clutching his suit jacket. It wasn’t just because of the door that he had kicked down, but also because of the feeling of being clasped in his arms in the darkness at this very moment. It felt like embracing a hidden romance that broke the taboo and couldn’t be made public.

She looked up in the darkness, only to bump her nose against his coincidentally. The instant their breath mingled, she went stiff all over. Just then, she sensed his breath approaching… He was

grabbing the back of her head tenderly and yet domineeringly, as if to give her strong support or to stop her from avoiding what he was going to do.

Ruka’s brain stopped functioning until the pair of slightly cold, thin lips met hers in the darkness. She felt as though some fireworks had exploded in her head, blowing her reason away so that only her senses were working as she was enveloped by the enchanting smell of hormones. Perhaps because she enjoyed it or because this was too much for her, she let out a kittenish moan, upon which the man let out a chuckle in the darkness.

Just then, Elijah’s voice sounded outside. “Mr. Husson… Mr. Husson, are you alright?!” As it turned out, he heard the sound of the door falling down from afar while looking for someone to unlock it. Therefore, he hurriedly turned back without borrowing the key, fearing that anything dangerous might have happened to Ren.

When Ruka heard his voice, she instantly stopped clutching the front of Ren’s shirt and pushed him instead.

Only then did the man let go of her. His breathing was heavy in the darkness, and his warm breath brought color to her cheeks as it brushed against her face. If the lights were on, it’d be obvious that she blushed scarlet.

Elijah quickly rushed in, only to be dumbfounded when he saw what was going on inside by the faint light. Not only was Ren alright, but he had a young lady’s slim figure hidden in his arms.

No amount of darkness could stop Ren from looking daggers at Elijah. In an instant, Elijah felt a chill run down his spine as if he’d be assassinated in the next second. “Mr. Husson, I’ll get someone to come over and… repair the door.” He made up an excuse, wanting to leave as soon as possible.

“Don’t bother. Let’s go back!” Ren said before taking the lady beside him out of the library.

Ruka lowered her head in a seemingly obedient manner. However, when the couple entered the brightly lit corridor, she quickly pulled her hand out of the man’s grasp, saying to him, “I gotta go first.” She dared not even address him, fearing that the others might hear it.

Burying one hand in his pocket, the tall and handsome man walked gracefully like a lion king at leisure. He looked at the lady who was fleeing back to the office with a hint of possessiveness in his deep, fathomless eyes.

Elijah suggested, “Sir, should we get into the car and wait for Miss Singed first?” After all, it was improper to be seen getting too close to Ruka on such an occasion.

Ren nodded slightly while walking toward the car. At the same time, he ordered, “Go find out who locked the door to the library.”

Elijah was involuntarily startled. “Sir, do you think the door to the library was locked on purpose?”

Ren nodded. Not only had the door been locked, but the person who locked the door even turned off the power supply. Obviously, the person had done so to scare Ruka. Ren wouldn’t allow such a vicious person to exist around her, so he had to get rid of them.

Elijah immediately nodded. “Okay, I’ll look into it right away.”

When Ren reached his car, his bodyguard had opened the car door for him. However, instead of leaving, his motorcade stayed outside the entrance to wait for Ruka.

Ruka returned to her office while biting her red lips gently as her beautiful eyes misted over. Like a frightened little fawn, she was at a loss for what to do. At the same time, though, her cheeks were red as though she had applied blush to them. Am I crazy? How could I kiss him like that in the library? Is this reasonable or even legal? She closed her eyes while covering her face with both hands. She felt like crying. She couldn’t help feeling that it was reasonable for her to kiss any other man but not Ren.

At this moment, it was as though she could still sense the man’s domineering breath, his tight embrace, and his strength as he tenderly stroked the back of her head with his large hand. The warmth of his fingertips and his intoxicating breath were still lingering in her mind, making her mouth feel dry. She picked up a glass of water and hurriedly drank a few gulps from it. To her embarrassment, however, she found that just the thought of these things alone sent a tingling sensation throughout her body.

This is enough! How can I have feelings for him? I’ve loved Jethro secretly for three years, but that’s no match for the two days I spent with Ren and the two kisses he gave me? What is going on? This feels like disrespect for the three years I spent loving someone in secret! How could I be so unfaithful as to fall for another man as soon as I get disappointed in love? Wake up, Ruka! In any case, I can’t have anything like that to do with Ren. Our identities alone won’t allow us to do that. I grew up by Scarlet’s side. She’s like an adoptive mother to me, so how could I get romantically entangled with her younger brother?

After patting her head, she picked up her bag and decided to go home. She strode out of the entrance and was just about to call Rita when she saw a black sedan parked beside the entrance.

She had a vague feeling that the car seemed to be Ren’s. Just as she was guessing, the back seat car window rolled down slightly. The passenger’s face couldn’t be seen clearly in the dim light, but Ruka could sense his silent and yet powerful presence. It was Ren indeed.

Just then, the bodyguard came forward and said to her, “Miss Singed, Mr. Husson would like you to get into the car.”

Ruka waved her hands. “Thanks, but it’s not necessary. I’ll hail a cab home myself.”

The bodyguard seemed to be in a tight spot. “In that case, Miss Singed, please get into the car and tell Mr. Husson about it.”

Ruka hurriedly directed her gaze toward the figure inside the car. Having no other choice, she took a deep breath and went over to the car window.

The man looked up; his face looked breathtakingly and stunningly handsome as the light shone on him. “Get in the car,” he said in a deep voice.

Not daring to look him in the eye, Ruka lowered her head and replied, “I’m staying at my friend’s place.”

The man frowned. “Your belongings have been sent to my place.”

Ruka looked up at him in surprise. “Huh? Why would my stuff be sent to your place?!”

Ren squinted at her. “Is it bad to stay at my place? Do you really have to trouble your friend?”

Obviously, it was even better to trouble the man than to trouble her friend. However, in her opinion, she’d rather sleep on the streets than trouble him. “My friend and I are really close. She’d welcome me to stay at her place,” she replied while pursing her lips.

“The matter’s decided. You’ll be staying at my place from now on,” the man said. With that, he opened the car door, stepped out of the car, and personally signaled her to get into the car with an inviting gesture.

Startled, Ruka looked at him while feeling extremely flattered. He’s oozing gentleness from every pore, but why do I still sense a dominating aura?