Chapter 280: Unless You Say You Don't Want Me

"Not Reporter Shen, I'm Shen Xin!"

To most people, this might not sound like much, but Zhou Ming immediately noticed the difference. "Reporter Shen" was a formal title, making "Shen Xin" sound much more personal by comparison.

Zhou Ming wasn't completely oblivious to Shen Xin's feelings for him, and truth be told, he had some thoughts about her too. Although he was surrounded by women like Lin Muqing, a noble and elegant businesswoman; Su Han, a delicate woman who needed protection; and Tang Ran, a young girl, Shen Xin, with her knowledge and sharp wit, was also someone any man would admire.

In fact, ever since their unexpected intimate encounter in Hong Kong, Zhou Ming had developed a bit of ambiguous feelings toward her.

Of course, these feelings never went beyond thoughts. Zhou Ming wasn't so self-indulgent as to think that he had some sort of charm that made all the women around him desperately want to be with him.

His later interactions with Shen Xin never crossed the boundaries of ordinary friendship, so Zhou Ming gradually let go of the whole thing. But now, seeing Shen Xin act like this, he realized something was different.

Zhou Ming looked at Shen Xin, noticing her whole body was tense. Her small fists were clenched tightly, and she bit her lip. Her beautiful eyes were full of grievance, with tears threatening to spill over.

Seeing Shen Xin in such a sad and pitiful state made Zhou Ming feel incredibly uncomfortable. He instinctively wanted to reach out and hug her, but before he could raise his hand, he remembered that the girl in front of him wasn't Lin Muqing or Su Han, so he hesitated. However, Shen Xin was clearly dissatisfied with Zhou Ming's hesitation. Just as he was about to lower his hand, she quickly stepped forward, grabbed his hand, and hugged him tightly. Zhou Ming was momentarily stunned by her boldness, but then he understood, recalling what had just happened.

Looking down at Shen Xin, who was like an injured kitten leaning against his chest, Zhou Ming felt a pang of tenderness. He wanted to stroke her head, but because their relationship was unclear, his hand hovered in mid-air, uncertain.

Once again, it was Shen Xin who took the initiative, pulling Zhou Ming's hand to her head, enjoying his gentle caress.

According to the usual romantic script, after hugging and caressing, isn't a kiss the next step?

Zhou Ming thought about this as he gazed at Shen Xin's rosy lips, feeling tempted to kiss her. But reason held him back, telling him that doing so would essentially make him a scoundrel.

Shen Xin seemed to sense Zhou Ming's hesitation. Before he could make up his mind, she wrapped her arms around his neck, stood on her tiptoes, and kissed him again.

This time, the kiss was different from the aggressive one earlier when she first entered. Although Shen Xin was just as passionate, Zhou Ming could feel her lips were a bit cold, and tears were finally slipping from her eyes.

Zhou Ming cupped her cheeks. "Shen... Shen Xin..."

Seeing that Zhou Ming had finally changed the way he addressed her, Shen Xin immediately pushed her advantage. "Call me Xinxin."

Xinxin? Sounds like "monkey" (Xingxing)?

There wasn't time to dwell on that homophone, nor was it the right moment to care about such things. Zhou Ming asked, "Xinxin, what's wrong?"

Upon hearing his question, Shen Xin began crying even harder. "What's wrong with me? Mr. Zhou, that's a good question. I don't even know what's wrong with me today. Maybe I've gone crazy, become possessed, or it could be drunken madness. Maybe I'm just not in my right mind today! But... I know it's all because of you, Zhou Ming!"

Zhou Ming's heart skipped a beat, realizing that what he had been most worried about, or perhaps what he had secretly hoped for, was happening...

"Zhou Ming, you don't know how I've been feeling these past few days, both happy and jealous," Shen Xin said. "At Governor Xiong's meeting, when you deliberately let me speak and allowed a little woman like me to leave those bigwigs speechless, I was incredibly happy. But later, when I saw you defending Lin Muqing in Shenglian Village, even going so far as to harshly reprimand a county magistrate in front of so many people and making him apologize, I felt even happier."

Then Shen Xin's tone shifted. "But I was also jealous—jealous of why it was Muqing who could hide behind you, who had you to shield her from the wind and rain, and not me. I was jealous of your gentleness towards Muqing, of your promises to Su Han. I was jealous of why I couldn't enjoy even a little bit of your tenderness. Even today at the guesthouse entrance, when I wanted you to take a moment to help me with my article, you wouldn't. Do I really matter that little to you?"

"It's not like that, Xinxin, I didn't mean that at all," Zhou Ming hurriedly explained. "In fact, I do care about you. You're an exceptional woman. Don't you remember how I told you before that Governor Xiong and Secretary Chen both admire you greatly..."

Before he could finish, Shen Xin rudely interrupted, "I don't care about their admiration! I don't care how the world sees me; I only care about what you think, Zhou Ming!"

"Of course, I like you too." Zhou Ming blurted out, "Xinxin, it may sound ridiculous, but from the moment I first saw you, I liked you. I'm not a fickle person, but I can't control my feelings. I didn't know what you thought, so I forced myself not to think about it, to stay away from you, and I buried those feelings deep inside."

Zhou Ming looked at Shen Xin. "Because I was afraid that if I confessed, you'd run away, and I wouldn't even have the chance to watch you from afar."

As Zhou Ming said this, he found himself despising his own behavior. Ever since his rebirth, he realized he had become worse. Not to mention, he could now effortlessly say such sappy words to women. If it were in his previous life, he would never have been able to utter such things. Zhou Ming couldn't help but feel he was becoming more like a despicable rogue.

However, while Zhou Ming thought his words were corny, they melted Shen Xin's heart. She excitedly asked, "Is that true?"

"Of course," Zhou Ming said. "Xinxin, you have no idea how charming you are. The way you handled yourself at the meeting was enough to conquer any man, including me."

"But... I'm not as beautiful as Muqing, nor do I have Su Han's femininity..."

Shen Xin was anxiously trying to say something, but Zhou Ming gently shook his head and said, "Xinxin, don't think that way. How could you not be beautiful or feminine? On the contrary, you're incredibly beautiful and feminine. Do you remember the poster of you that sold out in Hong Kong? If everyone wasn't crazy about you, why would that happen?"

"And besides," Zhou Ming continued, "You don't need to compare yourself to Muqing or Su Han. You're unique and special."

Hearing Zhou Ming's compliments, Shen Xin felt so overwhelmed with happiness that she was nearly fainting. She clasped her small fists, gazing at Zhou Ming with a lovestruck expression. If Xiong Qingping and Chen Da were present, they wouldn't believe that she was the same wise reporter who had cornered them with her sharp questions at the meeting.

Striking while the iron was hot, Zhou Ming stepped forward, cupped her delicate face, and kissed her passionately.

As their lips met, Shen Xin's body melted into Zhou Ming's embrace. He then carried her back to her room, laying her on her bed.

"You should rest for now. Don't overthink things."

As Zhou Ming said this, he was about to leave, but Shen Xin grabbed his hand. He turned around in confusion, only to see Shen Xin shyly looking at him. "Zhou Ming, don't go. Stay with me, okay?"

Shen Xin's voice was soft, and though she was looking at Zhou Ming, her gaze was also somewhat coy and evasive. Clearly, her request for Zhou Ming to stay wasn't a simple one—she was ready for anything.

Zhou Ming looked her up and down and suddenly noticed that she had dressed up for the occasion. She was wearing a tight-fitting blouse that accentuated her full chest, the top buttons undone to reveal a generous expanse of fair skin and a deep cleavage. Her slim waist was encased in a short, narrow skirt, and her long, shapely legs were wrapped in black stockings, making her look incredibly alluring.

Zhou Ming swallowed hard but still said to Shen Xin, "Xinxin, I really do have something to do, and Muqing and the others will be back soon. I'll ask them to keep you company, okay?"

Shen Xin shook her head gently. "Shenglian Village's land needs to be planned, so Muqing and Su Han have to prepare a document to send back to Hong Kong. She'll be staying with Su Han tonight. Muqing told me to let you know."

Hearing this, Zhou Ming suddenly understood everything. No wonder Shen Xin had dared to confess to him today, to impersonate Lin Muqing, trick him into coming over, and even forcefully kiss him. It turned out she had been planning this all along!

Shen Xin fixed her gaze on Zhou Ming, clearly aware of his realization. She deliberately unbuttoned another button on her blouse, revealing more of her white lace lingerie, and with her large, watery eyes fixed on him, she coquettishly said, "I came here today to seduce you and get a result."

"You're playing with fire, and there won't be any outcome between us," Zhou Ming warned her.

"I know, and I'm willing," Shen Xin replied. "I know you will become a great figure known worldwide in the future. I don't expect to tie you down for a lifetime. I only want to have you today, and to know that you once cared for me and loved me—that's enough."

At last, Shen Xin bit her lip and delivered the most devastating line: "Unless you say you don't want me."