Chapter 23: Origins
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Qu Bonan did not move.
Unwilling to give up, Chen Su leaned forward of her own accord and began kissing her way down, inch by inch, along his abdominal muscles.
Her soft lips brushed his skin like deadly poppies.
He tensed his lower abdomen, caught her chin, and gently lifted her face.
“The company has a meeting today.”
He rose from the bed and ruffled her hair as though soothing a kitten. “Get some proper rest. I’ll have someone bring you dinner and a change of clothes later.”
He bent to pick up the bath towel beside him, wrapped it around his waist, and walked straight into the bathroom.
Before long, he had left without a trace.
Sitting alone on the bed, Chen Su breathed in the lingering languor in the air and suddenly felt that there could hardly be another kept lover in this world as cheap as she was.
She climbed out of bed barefoot and went into the bathroom. After changing, she had just come out when Wen Zhi called.
“Su-su, are you free today?”
“I am.”
“You mentioned before that you wanted to sell one of your paintings, didn’t you? I’ve managed to get in touch with a buyer. He says he’s available now.”
Only then did Chen Su remember that she had paid merely the deposit for her house; the remaining balance was still outstanding.
The other party had agreed to let her move in before paying the rest only because of Wen Zhi’s recommendation.
She gave a quiet hum. “Send me the address. I’ll go there now.”
After leaving the residential compound, Qu Bonan got into his car and messaged Li Ye, telling him to deliver clothes and dinner to the Xiyuan residential complex.
Li Ye did not dare ask questions. He delivered everything as quickly as possible, but when he knocked on the door, he found no one inside.
After asking the security guard, he learned that she had already left.
Without stopping, he immediately reported the matter to Qu Bonan.
By then, Qu Bonan had already arrived at the company. Shen Zhiwei was sitting in his office chair, holding a photograph from the desk—one of Chen Su, Qu Bonan, and Qu Bonan’s parents together.
He frowned in displeasure. “Who let you in?”
Shen Zhiwei had not expected Qu Bonan to return so soon. Feeling guilty, she instinctively rose and tried to put the photograph back.
“I told them who I was. The receptionist brought me up.”
Whether deliberately or because she had failed to hold it properly, the photograph fell straight to the floor.
In an instant, cracks burst across it.
Qu Bonan strode forward with a cold expression, shoved Shen Zhiwei aside, and bent to pick up the photograph.
His face had turned livid. “Get out!”
Shen Zhiwei had not expected such a violent reaction. She bit her lip. “Bonan, I’m sorry. I didn’t break it on purpose. I really didn’t have a firm grip on it.”
“I said get out!”
Qu Bonan’s voice was low and restrained, his eyes beneath his lenses dark with an approaching storm.
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It was a side of him Shen Zhiwei had never seen before.
She clenched her fists tightly at her sides, then left unwillingly.
Qu Bonan stared at the cracks in the photograph. There were neither more nor fewer than necessary—they ran exactly between him and Chen Su, as though separating them into two different worlds.
Irritated, he tugged at his tie and called for his secretary. “Have the photograph restored immediately.”
The secretary accepted it with trembling hands and hurriedly sent it for restoration.
That was when Li Ye called.
Qu Bonan settled into his office chair and leaned his head against the backrest, lightly massaging the space between his brows. “What is it?”
“Mr. Qu, when I went to deliver the clothes just now, I found that the Second Young Lady wasn’t at the house.” Hearing the poor tone of Qu Bonan’s voice, Li Ye spoke with equal trepidation. “I’ve already sent people to look for her.”
Qu Bonan suddenly opened his eyes, his expression going still.
When Chen Su arrived at the restaurant at the agreed time and place, she saw the silhouette of a gentleman waiting in the distance.
She approached him. “Hello. Are you Mr. Jiang?”
At the sound of her voice, the man turned around.
The man who had come to buy Chen Su’s painting was in his thirties. Judging by his features, he appeared to be of mixed heritage: deeply set eyes, a high and straight nose, and black hair. His appearance clearly reflected his two nationalities.
The moment he saw Chen Su, he visibly froze.
Chen Su was puzzled. “Mr. Jiang?”
“That’s me.” Jiang Wensen quickly recovered and stood to pull out the chair opposite him. “Please, sit down.”
Chen Su nodded and took her seat.
Jiang Wensen snapped his fingers and asked the waiter for a menu, then handed it to her.
Chen Su did not take it. “You choose. I’m not picky.”
After a pause, she added, “As long as there are no peanuts. I’m allergic to them.”
“You’re allergic to peanuts too?” Jiang Wensen was extremely surprised, though he did not voice the question immediately. “Is it a primary allergy, or did it develop later?”
Chen Su was unaccustomed to such concern from a man she was meeting for the first time.
She smiled. “Mr. Jiang, could we talk only about the painting?”
“I’m sorry. That was presumptuous of me.”
Jiang Wensen touched his forehead, ordered several dishes from the waiter, and then looked toward Chen Su. “I like your painting very much. It reminds me of my mother’s style, so I’d like to purchase it for my collection. Miss Wen said we should discuss the price in person.”
Hearing that he truly intended to buy the painting, Chen Su’s taut nerves relaxed slightly.
“Which painting caught your eye?”
“The Wicked Daughter.”
Chen Su’s expression stilled. “You like that one?”
Jiang Wensen nodded. “Compared with your other works, I think that painting reveals the soul of the person who created it more clearly.”
Of all Chen Su’s paintings, there were only two she was truly satisfied with.
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The first had been purchased many years ago.
The second was The Wicked Daughter.
She lifted the water glass from the table, inexplicably troubled. Qu Bonan’s mother had once seen the painting as well.
Unfortunately, all Chen Su had received from her was criticism.
Chen Su smiled. “Mr. Jiang, I’m honored that you appreciate my work, so I’m sure we can discuss the price.”
Jiang Wensen laughed heartily. “Miss Chen, a good painting deserves a price to match. You should name one.”
Chen Su considered for a moment. “Two hundred thousand?”
With a soft laugh, Jiang Wensen took out a check, filled in five hundred thousand, and pushed it across the table to her.
“Miss Chen, your mentor is a renowned master of oil painting in this country. Even if his student’s skill were lacking, your work would still be worth more than two hundred thousand.”
Chen Su stared at the check, unable to name the emotion that rose within her.
She accepted it. “Then I’ll accept your generosity.”
The atmosphere in the restaurant was quiet. While eating, Chen Su and Jiang Wensen discussed several questions concerning her work. Afterwards, they exchanged contact information.
A little after eight, Jiang Wensen considerately escorted Chen Su to the restaurant entrance.
He opened the door of a taxi. “Miss Chen, take care on your way home. Until next time.”
He raised a hand to signal the vehicle to leave, then turned and waved.
A bodyguard dressed in black emerged from the darkness. “Mr. Jiang.”
Jiang Wensen gave a quiet hum. “Investigate Chen Su’s background and send everything to me as soon as possible. The sooner, the better.”
“Yes, sir.”
…
At nine that evening, Chen Su returned to the Xiyuan residential complex.
The moment she opened the door, she caught the cold, thin scent of tobacco—a smell that did not belong in this place.
She froze for half a second, then switched on the light.
Qu Bonan sat on the sofa in a loose white shirt and trousers. He held a phone in one hand and a cigarette in the other, his figure shrouded in smoke and carrying an air of remote, inhuman detachment.
For some inexplicable reason, Chen Su’s heart began to beat faster. She felt like someone who had been caught doing something wrong.
She lightly bit her lip. “Are you finished with work?”
Qu Bonan lifted his gaze from his phone and cast her a sidelong glance before patting the seat beside him.
“Come here.”
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