Chapter 13 His Brand

Jiang Ni was stunned.

In her confusion, the hand that had been embracing her waist lifted from her side, carelessly brushing past her fingertips as it removed the necklace she had been clutching tightly.

When the icy diamond touched her skin, Jiang Ni shivered and instinctively tried to back away.

A chuckle spilled from above her.

Only then did Jiang Ni realize that her action just now had seemed almost like throwing herself into his arms.

The two were pressed close together, her back against his shoulder, and when they stilled, she could feel his strong heartbeat.

His scorching breath was near her ear, grazing her neck as he bent down, carrying a hint of danger.

By the time she thought to pull away, it was already too late.

The man's hand circled around from behind her, clamping down on her neck, "Didn't you ask for my help? Where are you running off to now?"

"..."

"Nothing, I just wanted to do my hair."

She argued, trying to convince him, and with her head down, she turned her back to him, gathering her hair to the front, revealing the snowy nape of her neck.

This move didn't seem to facilitate wearing a necklace, but rather seemed more convenient for the man to bend down and claim.

Jiang Ni hadn't thought that far, simply coming up with a random excuse.

Unaware of what was happening behind her, she couldn't see the unfathomable depth and quietly swirling desire in Qin Jijing's eyes.

Without a word, he fastened the necklace for her, and bowing his head, he picked up the velvet box from the table and removed the pair of earrings.

Jiang Ni had pierced ears, but in her rush to return to the country this time, she hadn't worn any jewelry, and her ears had been empty for quite some time.

Qin Jijing toyed with the earrings in his hand, his gaze lingering on her earlobe.

A necklace was simpler to wear than earrings, and it was obvious he was unfamiliar with this kind of thing and did not know where to start.

Realizing he was pondering, Jiang Ni turned around, took one from his hand to demonstrate, "You just thread it through the ear hole like this, and then fasten it this way."

Then she placed that one back in his hand, quite content to command him, "Why don't you give it a try?"

"Hmm." At first, Qin Jijing was afraid of injuring her and unconsciously slowed his movements. By the second earring, he had already mastered the essence, and in the blink of an eye, he had helped her put it on.

Jiang Ni blinked her eyes, unable to see for herself, so she turned her head to show him, asking how it looked.

Expecting a satisfactory compliment, she was surprised when Qin Jijing gave her a serious look, his gaze roaming over her neck, before finally making an assessment, "It's missing something."

"Is it?" Jiang Ni frowned, touching her neck. Her dress for the day had an off-the-shoulder design, with a rather large neckline, which indeed looked somewhat bare.

But the diamond necklace was eye-catching enough.

"It's not necessary, I think. This necklace is already quite bold, no need for anything else to complement it, right?"

Not getting a response, Jiang Ni began to doubt herself.

Forget it, might as well take a photo with my phone to check.

A man's aesthetics truly is a mystery.

Jiang Ni made a move to stand up.

Before she could leave his legs, she was gripped by the neck, halting her attempt to flee.

She turned around to explain, "I'm going to grab my phone..."

Before she could finish speaking, Qin Jijing suddenly lowered his head, his face nearing her collarbone.

Her breath halted, and she froze in place.

His thin lips paused a hair's breadth from her skin, his warm breath spraying on her neck.

Jiang Ni's heart fluttered, thinking he was just in the mood to tease her.

Before she could release her breath, the man kissed her deeply.

"!"

Jiang Ni's heart went numb, her eyes wide with surprise, completely unprepared for his feint.

Too late did she realize that he wasn't just playing around. That brief moment before had been her chance to make a choice.

Unfortunately, her brain deprived of oxygen, she hadn't considered fleeing.

The pressure on her neck grew steadily, it couldn't be called a kiss, but rather a suck.

Only now did she realize that it was too late for her to escape. Her entire body was controlled, sitting astride his legs, her back enveloped in his embrace and tightly pressed against his chest, with no space between them, meticulously seated together.

The action of looking up at him just now also facilitated his devious move.

Qin Jijing held her close, one hand securing her neck from the front while the other restrained her waist.

She couldn't help but whimper from the pain, attempting to push him away. Unfortunately, it didn't sway him in the least, turning his gentle probing into a fierce gnashing of teeth.

That moment before seemed like the last shred of mercy given to her before reason completely fled.

Only when tears overflowed from her eyes did he finally let her go.

Looking up, his deep gaze swept past the corner of her eye, his fingertips wiping away the precarious crystal droplet, his tone full of pity,

"Why cry? Wasn't I helping you?"

"..." Jiang Ni was furious, and when she looked down, she couldn't see any "evidence" of his crime.

"Who helps like that? Besides, I didn't agree."

He was the one who had done something wrong, yet he remained calm and composed. Meanwhile, her voice still trembled, sounding incredibly aggrieved.

Qin Jijing eyed the red mark beside the necklace, like a flourishing red plum blossom on a snowy night.

Admiring his own handiwork, he made excuses for his behavior, "I gave you a chance just now. I thought your silence meant consent."

"... You never asked me."

"I thought you would understand."

What kind of robber's logic is this!

"But, I didn't even have time to react, only a few seconds. Even if I didn't speak, you should have given me enough time to think."

"Indeed," he agreed.

Jiang Ni thought he was admitting his mistake, considering that his recent behavior was indeed too sudden. She hesitated, wanting to persuade him not to blame himself.

Little did she know, his next words were, "If I gave you enough time to think, would you still be here obediently?"

"!" What does he mean?

He did it on purpose!

Jiang Ni's pupils shuddered; she thought that when he paused, it was a gentlemanly gesture, asking her opinion, giving her time to refuse.

It was all an illusion!

From the beginning, he never intended to let her go.

"You did that on purpose?!"

"Mmm." She was so angry she forgot to use formal language, but he didn't care in the slightest.

He stared at her neck for quite a while, finally showing a satisfied expression, "There, now you're lacking nothing."

His palm brushed through her long hair, and she heard him compliment her beauty from behind.

With flushed cheeks, Jiang Ni stood up indignantly, "You don't decide that, I have to look in the mirror!"

This time, Qin Jijing did not stop her.

Only when her figure disappeared at the elevator entrance did he withdraw his gaze.

He beckoned for the butler, Xu, who was hiding in the distance, to come over.

---

On the third floor bedroom.

Jiang Ni hid in the bathroom, using the bright lights of the makeup mirror to move the necklace aside and examine the kiss mark on her neck.

The diamond necklace only covered half of the mark; looking at it as a whole... it was more provocative half-hidden, subtly drawing more attention.

Jiang Ni's face turned red, her fingertips brushing against it, making the mark even deeper.

She took a deep breath, looking at the spot as if she could still feel the warmth of the man's lips from just before.

His kiss was heavy, a persistent one deliberately leaving a mark.

A brand that belonged to him.

In this moment, she felt as if she had been stamped with his label, officially becoming his possession.