Hedonist Prodigy

Chapter 62: A Lingering Presence

Ji Yan searched the entire campus but couldn’t find Jiang Feng. She called his phone several times, but it remained turned off. Exhausted, she sat on a bench by the roadside, clutching a few books, her thoughts growing increasingly tangled.  

She had always prided herself on her self-respect. During her two-year relationship with Chang Shan, the furthest they had gone was holding hands—never crossing any boundaries. She had wanted to save the most important moment of her womanhood for her wedding night, unwilling to leave any room for regret.  

Yet, the one time she got drunk in her life had led to her boyfriend’s complete betrayal—not only betraying her but even trying to hand her over to another man.  

Strangely, despite the betrayal, Ji Yan didn’t feel particularly heartbroken. Two years was a long time, but if those two years had revealed a man’s true nature and saved her from a ruined future, she considered herself fortunate rather than sorrowful.  

What she hadn’t expected, however, was that her fragmented memories of that drunken night involved Jiang Feng.  

If it had only been Jiang Feng, it wouldn’t have been a big deal. Even if he didn’t like her, he was still her student. Helping her get a room to sleep off her drunkenness wasn’t anything extraordinary—at most, it was embarrassing that he had seen her in such a state.  

But the situation also involved the Lijing Hotel incident. Ji Yan had never believed that what happened there was a coincidence. Someone had likely saved her, preventing her from being violated by that Young Master Li.  

If her suspicions were correct, then Jiang Feng had not only rescued her but also gotten into a violent confrontation with Young Master Li and Chang Shan, even sending them to the hospital. If that were the case, the matter had escalated far beyond what she imagined—Jiang Feng could be facing criminal charges.  

Though Ji Yan didn’t understand why Jiang Feng remained unscathed after beating them, she decided to keep the matter hidden. Regardless of whether Jiang Feng was the one who injured them, he had done it to save her. She absolutely couldn’t let him suffer consequences because of her.  

Now, she realized that it must have been Jiang Feng who gave her water that night, who let her vomit on him. He had saved her and taken care of her so attentively, yet she had repeatedly lashed out at him. The guilt weighed heavily on her.  

But why didn’t Jiang Feng tell me earlier when we just ran into each other? Ji Yan muttered to herself before her expression suddenly shifted. She remembered something else—the incident involving Liu Hong.  

The reason Jiang Feng had stopped attending class was because of Liu Hong, and the direct trigger had been Ji Yan scolding him in the office.  

But now, Ji Yan began to wonder if she had truly misunderstood him. If Jiang Feng hadn’t taken advantage of her when she was drunk, why would he get entangled with someone like Liu Hong?  

Besides, Jiang Feng had even compared her to Liu Hong, saying that pursuing her would be more tasteful. Though the words had infuriated her at the time, they at least proved he had no interest in Liu Hong.  

Was that really the case? Ji Yan felt she needed to investigate again. If it were true, she not only owed Jiang Feng a thank-you but also an apology.  

***** 

Jiang Feng had no idea Ji Yan was looking for him. At the moment, he was in a taxi on his way back to his rented house.  

He had never planned to explain that night’s events to Ji Yan. Some things were better left unsaid—knowing too much might only harm her.  

If she ever remembered what happened, great. If not, he didn’t mind being misunderstood forever.  

As the taxi passed a cake shop, a figure flashed through Jiang Feng’s mind. “Pull over for a moment, please,” he said. “I need to buy something.”  

The car stopped, and Jiang Feng stepped inside. Living under the same roof as Zhao Wuxia these past few days, he had been silently touched by her meticulous care. He had noticed she liked matcha-flavored cakes, so he decided to buy some for her.  

“Hey, Ruoxi! Look, it’s Young Master Jiang!” A chubby girl suddenly tugged at Pei Ruoxi’s arm, whispering excitedly.  

“What does some Young Master Jiang have to do with me?” Pei Ruoxi said dismissively. “Didn’t you say you were hungry? Hurry up and buy something. I have to meet Grandpa later—no time to waste.”  

“You don’t even know who Young Master Jiang is?” The girl pouted. “He’s from the Jiang family—one of the seven major families in Beijing!”  

“So what? Do I know him?” Pei Ruoxi had no interest in rich young men. In her experience, they were all the same—lecherous and unbearable.  

Her grandfather had warned her to stay away from such people. Even if this Jiang heir was wealthy and powerful, what did that have to do with her?  

The chubby girl sighed. “I don’t get you. You ignore all the guys at school, and now you don’t care about this one either. Who are you planning to marry?”  

“Why should I marry anyone?” Pei Ruoxi scoffed. “I’m perfectly happy alone. Why would I shackle myself to someone, lose my freedom, and let someone control my spending? I’m not stupid.”  

The girl pouted. “Women have to marry eventually. You’ll regret it when you’re old and alone.”  

“Please. Even when I’m old, I’ll be a noblewoman—graceful and captivating. You wouldn’t understand my standards.”  

“Yeah, yeah. I’ll believe it when I see you fall for a man one day.”  

“Ha! Men will be the ones groveling for me. Me, falling for them? Never.” Pei Ruoxi rolled her eyes and grabbed a few cakes, heading to the checkout.  

Jiang Feng picked up two matcha cakes and turned toward the counter when someone suddenly crashed into him. Instinctively, he pushed back—harder than intended—and the person tumbled to the ground.  

He reached out to help, but the figure scrambled up, ignoring the dropped cakes, and latched onto his arm.  

“It’s—it’s really you! I’m not dreaming, am I? Haha, I finally found you! You’re not getting away this time!”  

Jiang Feng was speechless. Of all the places to run into Pei Ruoxi, it had to be here. This woman is like a haunting ghost.  

“Let go,” he said coldly.  

“No!”  

“Let go.”  

“No!” Pei Ruoxi clung tighter, wrapping her arms and legs around him like an octopus.  

“Pei Ruoxi, have you lost your mind?” Jiang Feng snapped.  

“I’m perfectly sane. If I let go, you’ll just run away again. This time, you have to come with me to see my grandpa!”  

Since their last encounter at the hospital, Pei Ruoxi had been searching for Jiang Feng. Not knowing his name made it nearly impossible, and she had almost given up—until now.  

Fate brought him right to me! There was no way she was letting him slip away.  

The chubby girl stared in disbelief. Just moments ago, Pei Ruoxi had sworn off men—now she was clinging to one like her life depended on it.  

“Ruoxi, what are you doing?” she asked, aghast.  

“Xiao Hong, stop gawking and help me grab him! I’ll treat you to dinner—five, no, ten meals!”  

Xiao Hong hesitated. “This is practically kidnapping!”  

“Just help me!”  

Lured by the promise of food, Xiao Hong finally grabbed Jiang Feng from the other side. The two girls sandwiched him like a filling in a cake, leaving the other customers in the shop sweating in secondhand embarrassment.