Mr. Right Or Mr. Wrong

Jean Jian walked out of A City International Airport in a pair of 10 cm stilettos.

The shining heels she had on were combined with a white chiffon shirt and a pair of black high waist pants, and they gave her the appearance of one particularly snappy business woman.

This style fully complimented her tall figure. Her jaw-length hair revealed her slender white neck, and her delicate face was covered by a big pair of sunglasses. Most movie stars would have found this woman's style and elegance worth a king's ransom.

She was inviting the admiring gazes of everyone around her.

Stopping at the gate of the airport, she narrowed her eyes and looked up at the clear blue sky.

Her last steps in this city had been taken three years ago. The familiar but now evolved sights invoked a complex feeling in Jean's heart.

At that time, her phone chimed to alert her of a message from her friend, Sabina Shangguan.

'Come straight to Nature Bar as soon as you arrive. Otherwise, you can forget about seeing me ever again!'

Jean pursed her lips into a soft smile. Sabina's personality hadn't changed at all.

She hailed a taxi and followed the woman's orders.

The bustling traffic took half an hour of her time before she finally arrived at Nature Bar

Then she went in directly.

The colorful glaring lights and the deafening music from the bar sent a frown on her face. She looked around but was unable to find the person she was looking for.

She brought out her phone and messaged Sabina, 'Where are you?'

The reply was quick. 'Room 9, just come in!'

Jean put away her phone and proceeded towards Room 9.

Inside Room 6, a handsome man was sitting on the sofa. He was wearing a black shirt with the top two buttons casually unbuttoned. His strong chest was faintly visible.

His gaze was fixed at the gently swaying liquid in the glass he was holding. His presence and the air around him were such that it prevented people from getting close. Somehow, he could strike fear into their hearts just by existing.

"Stark, since we are out for fun, can you change that long face of yours? Don't be such a killjoy!"

Stark Lu merely smiled at the dissatisfaction in Joe Guan's face. "You didn't have to call me out."

"Do you think I wanted to? The only reason I am here with you right now is because I heard that you hadn't left your office in two months. I was afraid you would die from boredom, so I invited you for a drink."

Stark glanced at him and rolled his eyes. "Mind your own business. Don't behave like a meddling granny!"

Ignored and disrespected like this, Joe was furious. He shouted angrily, "You're right! It's my fault. I'm the meddling granny. You know what? I should have left you alone and let you die of overwork!"

Seeing that Stark still looked indifferent despite his outburst, Joe was driven near insane. He picked up the glass in front of him and emptied it in one go, slamming it down afterwards with the heaviest possible thud. Stark didn't even look up.

With his anger still not vented, Joe pulled a barmaid and threw her onto Stark.

'He hates women getting close to him more than anything, doesn't he? I will make him suffer today.' Joe thought inwardly.

"You!" he barked at the maid. "Keep him company and please him."

Stark's face instantly darkened and began to exude an oppressive aura. Just as he was about to throw the woman away, the door of the room was pushed open.

Seeing the face of this uninvited person, Stark's dark pupils shrank slightly. This was impossible.

"Alright Sabina. I'm here. Can you stop acting like you always do? Stop threatening me, and just try to be nice for once! You could have just..."

Jean paused as she felt like something was wrong. She hadn't met Sabina for three years. The woman should be on her and hugging her with enough force to break the ice right now.

She raised her head and met a man's deep eyes.

The face brought a gasp from her as she felt like she had been dropped into an ice cellar.

Stark Lu!

Why did it have to be him, of all people?

Why had she run into him as soon as she had come back?

The next moment, her eyes fell on the woman in Stark's arms and a mocking smile appeared on her lips. She lowered her eyes and restrained all her emotions.

Clearing her throat, she apologized in a light and impassive tone, "I'm sorry. I have the wrong room." She closed the door and left.

Behind her, the atmosphere in the room became incredibly cold.

Joe looked at the gloomy expressions on Stark's face and asked in a faint voice, "If I'm not mistaken, that was Jean. When did she come back?"

Without offering an answer, Stark threw the woman in his arms aside and chased behind Jean.

Outside, Jean closed the door and chuckled wryly. She should have visited a fortune teller before coming here. The first person she had encountered in the city was the last one she ever wanted to meet.

Only after closing the door fully did she realize that she had misread the room number and entered Room 6 instead of 9. It infuriated her to think that she had been so careless.

As she was walking towards Room 9, her slender wrist was suddenly gripped from behind and before she could react, her body was pressed against the wall of the corridor.

A familiar but strange gust of breath came at her.

Jean was stunned.

Her delicate chin was then pinched and raised hard, forcing her to look into the dark eyes of Stark.

Something inexplicable was playing around in his eyes as he raised the corner of his lips.

However, there was no hint of a smile on his face.

"We haven't seen each other in three years. Don't you want to say goodbye before you leave again? Jean!"

He stressed her name rather peculiarly, as if he had squeezed it from between his teeth.

Jean raised her eyebrows and replied with a smile, "If it really has been three years, then it is my honor that Mr. Lu remembers me. I wouldn't have expected that."

Her address of "Mr. Lu" irritated him further, and he pinched her chin harder.

He was staring at her as if he wanted to eat her alive, but she was smiling calmly.

"Why did you come back?" he asked.

"Jean! Why? Are you back here for..."

Before he could finish his words, someone rushed towards them and hurriedly pushed him away. Sabina had come out of the room to greet her friend and she now pulled Jean behind her like a hen protecting its chick.

"Stark! What do you want? I warn you, if you dare bully her like you did three years ago, I am not going to let you go!"

Stark's face had gone as dark as black ink now, and he was staring at Sabina with immense hatred in his eyes.

"Fuck off!" he roared.

Startled, Sabina shivered and swallowed.

Noticing her fear, Jean moved forward, held her hand, and then stood in front of her.

She could see the worried look on her friend's face and she shook her head to assure Sabina that she was fine.

Then she turned towards Stark. "Mr. Lu, I don't think our relationship is so close anymore. I believe it would be best that we ignore each other the next time we cross paths. Now I have something else to do so I take your leave."

Stark merely stood there with a freezing breath revolving around him. Jean had left without as much as a glance back. Eventually, Joe dragged him back in the room.

Inside, Stark growled at the barmaid, "Get out". Joe winked at her, indicating that she could leave.

Stark began to gulp down the wine silently, but Joe didn't notice his right hand trembling.

Outside, Sabina pulled Jean into Room 9.

Seeing them enter with such long faces, Ashley Fang asked in confusion, "What's going on?"

"Nothing serious. I just met Stark."

"What the...? Jean, are you..."

Jean interrupted Ashley with a gentle smile.

"It's okay. I'm not the same girl I was three years ago."

It was true. She was no longer the girl who had loved Stark so much that she'd lost herself.

Her love was long gone, and a strong, powerful woman had been born.

A few seconds of tense silence later, Sabina and Ashley glanced at each other, and as if by mutual consent, changed the topic.

"Let's leave. I'm tired of all the drinking and singing. Let's go to that spicy hot pot restaurant we often visit! I believe Jean misses the food there very much," Sabina said.

Jean's eyebrows rose in surprised appreciation. "Well, that's a good idea! You called me here the moment I got off the plane and now I'm almost starving to death!"

"Then why are we still wasting time? Let's get out of here right now!"

Sabina, a quick mover and a go-getter in her own right, pulled Ashley and Jean by the hand and out they went.

They made their way to the restaurant and after a wholesome feast that took them hours to finish, Jean waved goodbye to Sabina and Ashley. It was late at night and she felt a chill zip through her veins as she waited for her brother, Andy Jian, at the street corner.

Jean looked around at the people bustling around her on the street and was soon lost in thought.

The first thing that came to her mind was Stark's blazing eyes, which looked so furious. The very notion was ridiculous!

Why would he be angry? He should be pleased that she had gone abroad. Instead, he was behaving like she had abandoned him. That didn't make sense at all!

She closed her eyes, trying to figure it all out.

The man's cold voice from the night of the engagement party sounded in her ears again.

"I would rather marry a barmaid of a nightclub than you, Jean!"

Her lower lip trembled, but before she could break down, the sudden honk of a car startled her back into the present.

She looked in the direction of the noise and found a black car parked on the roadside, its windows rolled down.

Andy was waving at her from within it.

Jean smiled and made her way to the car. Once she had got in and settled down, Andy eased the car into the traffic and drove slowly away from that street.

"You shouldn't have gone out and gotten crazy the moment you got off the plane. Mom and Dad are fortunately still on a business trip. You'd have been scolded if they had known!" Andy said, mildly berating his sister.

"I know they aren't at home, or I wouldn't have met my friends. If they were, I would have gone and confessed to them right away," Jean retorted.

Andy looked at Jean affectionately and shook his head.

"What's your plan after coming back this time?"

"Let's not talk about this now," she said and changed the subject. "You tell me, brother. How are you doing? Are you still in good health?"

Andy's smile froze for a second, but he soon switched back to normal as he said gently, "Don't worry about me. I'm fine."

"That's good," Jean replied, her eyes lowered so that Andy wouldn't see the pain in them.

Andy suffered from a congenital heart disease and had had an operation when he was young. His health remained delicate and about a month ago, had even caused him to faint at work.

Her parents had told her the news over the phone a week ago.

That was one of the reasons why she had returned.

Early morning, in the Lu family's old house...

Stark entered the room, the smell of alcohol strong on his breath, only to find his father, William Lu, sitting on the sofa. Stark's face darkened. He was in no mood to talk to his father right now. So he strode past William and made to go upstairs.

"Stop! Don't you want to greet your father when you come home?" William's tough voice sounded from behind him.

Stark stopped in his tracks, but didn't turn around. A disdainful snort escaped him at William's question.

"I don't see my father here. Only a murderer," he said, his jaw clenched.

William's face darkened with rage and he thumped the tea table loudly as he shouted, "Stark! How dare you? I'm your father!"

"How dare I? You're just irritated because I'm telling the truth!" Stark retorted, his words slurring a little.

"You..."

William pointed a finger at him, trembling with anger.

"I don't want to quarrel with you right now. Your grandmother is in poor health and I'm here just to tell you that you must attend the birthday party of the young lady from the WH Group tomorrow evening."

Stark turned around abruptly to fix his father with a cold stare. His sharp eyes seemed to be able to see through his father's heart.

"William Lu, I'm warning you, you'd better mind your own business!"

Stark knew that his father wanted him to be with Faye Lin, the said young lady of the WH Group.

He would never trade his marriage and happiness just for some benefits in business!

"You're such an asshole!" William yelled. He knew he couldn't persuade his son and turned and walked out, his anger evident in his strides.

Stark made his way to the window, gazing out angrily, his brows bunched as he consumed one cigarette after another.

A while later, something seemed to occur to him and he stubbed out the cigarette in the ashtray with his slender fingers.

He dialed a number on his phone.

"It's me... Check something for me. I want to know how long has Jean been back. And..." Stark paused for a second, before continuing, his eyes twinkling, "Did she come back alone?"

The secretary at the other end reminded Stark of the schedule, and later, asked him if she should pencil in Faye's birthday on it. He wanted to say no, but then he changed his mind and agreed to go.

At Faye's birthday party held in Glorious Hotel.

Stark stood stoically, a glass of wine in hand, as he surveyed the room. Jonney Xu winked at him, an evil smile playing on his lips.

"Oh, I hadn't expected you to be here, Stark! Is the rumor true that the Lu Group wants to unite with the WH Group through marriage?" Jonney asked faux-innocently.

Stark looked coldly at Jonney, conveying his wrath in that one look. Jonney quickly took two steps backwards and said, "I was just kidding. Don't take it too seriously!"

He backed away and once he had regained his wits, asked Joe, "What's wrong with Stark? He's plain frightening today! I wonder who made him unhappy this time! Faye Lin?"

Joe studied Stark for a few seconds before he answered Jonney's question with an obscure smile. "Faye isn't that important to him. He's annoyed because Jean has returned. We met her in Nature Bar last night.

After that, Stark began to down alcohol as if it was water."

"Jean has come back?" Jonney said, astonished.

The smile in Joe's eyes deepened as he raised his chin, pointing, and said, "Speak of the devil. Look, here is the girl."

Joe had barely finished talking before Stark's eyes fell on Jean, who was now standing in the entrance.

She was wearing a black sleeveless dress that left her delicate collarbone bare. The design flattered her figure, highlighting her waistline.

The dress was slit up to her thigh and as she walked, her long, white legs played hide-and-seek, a game that was rather eye-catching to anyone who was watching her.

Jean entered the venue and almost immediately spotted Stark standing aside from the crowd, looking like he had swallowed something bitter. She frowned.

It turned out they were destined to meet over and over again.

Noticing that his sister had stopped in her tracks and that she was gazing into the crowd, Andy followed her line of sight. A similar frown as Jean's creased his eyebrows as his eyes found Stark.

"Why is Stark here? Is he really going to marry the daughter of the WH Group's chairman?"

Andy exclaimed. But he soon lowered his head and said to Jean, "Do you want to go back? I'll explain to Mom and Dad later if you do."

"No, that's okay. I figured this had to happen sooner or later ever since I decided to come back and work here. I can't avoid him every single time, can I?"

Jean tore her gaze away from Stark and began mingling with the guests, greeting acquaintances as if nothing had happened.

Jonney clicked his tongue and said, "Is this really that Jean? She isn't rushing to Stark at first sight and isn't even casting a second glance at him!"

Joe chuckled at Jonney's astonished tone. He wasn't surprised today because he had seen the change in Jean last night.

"Who is this woman? I've never seen her before. Is that Andy's girlfriend? Ooh, such a slender waist and such long legs! They are really... Hmmm!"

A man squinted at Jean, his eyes glinting with an ugly lust.

He had barely finished speaking when his head lurched forward as a glass shattered against it. He clutched his head, howling and grimacing in pain. When he had recovered enough to muster his strength, he began to curse and turned around to investigate. "Who? Who the hell ...?"

Behind him stood Stark, slowly retracting his hand that had obviously thrown the glass.

"Sorry, my hand slipped," Stark said, every part of him seething in fury.

The man's face turned red with anger. Anyone with a discerning eye knew that Stark had done it on purpose.

However, he knew that he couldn't afford to offend Stark. And before he could do any damage, his companion pulled him away and they quickly left, clearly dejected.

Jonney and Joe looked at each other, knowing smiles on their lips.

Stark didn't care about the whispers erupting beside him. He watched Jean communicate with the others in the crowd and then, pursing his lips, walked angrily towards her.

Stark was walking halfway to Jean when the lights suddenly dimmed.

Before long, a spotlight projected a bright beam, directly hitting the front of the venue.

"Greetings, everyone. I would like to thank you all for coming to my daughter Faye's 23rd birthday celebration. Thank you for gracing us with your presence today."

All the guests subconsciously directed their attention toward the speaker who had stepped up at the stage, including Jean.

Gazing at Faye, who looked very feminine on her elegant full-length gown that clung to her every curve, she smiled and sipped her glass of red wine.

"On this special day, we are all gathered here as friends and relatives. None of us are strangers, so don't sit by yourself in a corner. I won't beat around the bush anymore. I hope everyone will have a blast! Without further ado, I'm thrilled to announce the official start of this party."

After Chairman Lin concluded his opening message, Faye stole a shy glance at Stark, who was standing not too far from her position.

Even with a fleeting glimpse, Chairman Lin understood what his daughter was thinking at that instant.

"It is a privilege to have Mr. Lu join us here today. Join me in honoring him as he takes the floor for the opening dance."

The lights grew faint at once, and a slow tempo song played in the background.

Everyone was watching Stark's every move. If he and Faye shared the first dance today, it would truly confirm the rumor about their marriage.

Jean narrowed her eyes at Stark, who was standing in the middle of the hall. She seemed calm on the surface.

Meanwhile, Stark noted how entirely dispassionate she was about him, and the seething anger in his heart rose even greater.

Under Faye's expectant gaze, Stark advanced toward Jean in several strides and tugged her onto the dance floor, to the surprise of everyone who was not expecting it.

When Jean came to her senses and decided against his impudence, it was already late. With her body pressed against his, she was bound to follow his every dance step.

She tried hard to break away from his grasp.

However, a significant difference in physical strength between the man and the woman was natural, and it was useless to exert all of her strength.

"Let go of me!" she cried through gritted teeth.

Stark whirled, and his arms encircling her slender waist slightly tightened. Their bodies ended up even closer together.

"Let's see if you can get out of my clutch. Try all you want."

His tone hinted that it was impossible for him to let her go easily.

Enraged, Jean's face darkened.

'Does he honestly think that there is nothing I could do to get rid of him?'

With a loud grunt, she mustered all her strength and stepped hard on his fancy and handcrafted black shoe.

Just as she thought, he wailed because of intense discomfort arising from his foot.

Stark's face turned blue after experiencing sharp pain. Still, he forced himself to continue dancing as if nothing happened.

As he stared down at her prominent collarbone, the nasty words that man had said echoed in his mind at that moment, and he was instantly consumed with rage.

"Jean, do you have such a strong desire for men? Are you deliberately dressing like this so you can woo any guy you want?"

Jean's body stiffened after hearing his snide remarks. She bit her bottom lip and felt that a needle had pierced through her heart.

But soon afterward, she was smirking as she replied, "You can say whatever you want. Anyhow, the man I'm hooking up with won't be you, Mr. Lu."

"Come on, Jean! Why are you acting like this?"

"We are both consenting adults. The urge to satisfy our physiological needs is normal. Men like you who are always girded by the opposite sex should know better about this."

Jean retorted at the man who wanted to pounce on her and smother her. But deep inside, she was scoffing at him.

'Stark, where did you get the spunk for you to accuse me of seducing men? Who gave you the right to do that? Besides, even if I did, it has nothing to do with you!'

As she turned on her heels, Jean saw the color drained from Faye's face.

She jeered, "Mr. Lu, I advise you to let go of me. Don't let your fiancee misunderstand that I'm having an affair with you. If you don't give a shit, then don't drag me down with you. I don't want to go around and be accused of a fabricated allegation."

"She is not my fiancee, okay?! I don't have a fiancee!"

"Mr. Lu, it's not imperative for you to notify me whether or not you have a fiancee. I'm not concerned with your interests."

After she spoke, the song also ended, and their awkward dance came to a halt.

Jean grabbed the chance to flee. She firmly shoved Stark away, swung around, and made a break for it.

Taken by surprise, Stark lost his balance and stumbled. To stabilize himself, he took several steps backward.

When he bounced back, he likewise headed out to go after Jean.

Faye stomped her feet in anger after witnessing the incident. She tugged on her father's sleeves, her eyes already red and swollen.

Jean restrained the emotions arising in her chest and set her heart to stay away from that man.

Before she could make any further steps away from the venue, the man had already caught up behind her. He then applied the same trick from earlier as he rammed her body against the hallway's wall.

"Stark! Let me go! If you don't stop, I'll shout for help!"

"I'm not covering your mouth. Feel free to scream out loud."

Jean was so full of aggression that her chest heaved violently. "What the hell do you want from me?"

"Why did you come back? Why did you suddenly decide to come home? Answer me!"

Jean stopped struggling, and the resentment on her face slowly faded. She lifted her head and stared into his deep-set eyes.

"Why did I come back?! Don't you have a clue?

It's... because of you...

I can't bring myself to forget you! I loved you so much. I have loved you for four years in college. Now you're asking me why I'm back? Can't you feel it in your heart?"

Jean's eyes welled up as she held back the tears. She forced herself not to cry, causing Stark to feel dismayed.

"Jean, I..."

His tight grip on her wrist relaxed, and he frowned. For a moment, he didn't know what to say or do.

He wanted to hold Jean in a warm embrace and say a few comforting words, but he couldn't get himself to do it.

When he finally moved his body away, Jean could breathe freely and talk with a weak smile on her face.

"Did my answer convince you, Mr. Lu? If you're not satisfied, I can repeat it."

Stark's face turned pale. "What do you mean, Jean?"

With brows raised, Jean said haltingly, "Mr. Lu, you've repeatedly asked me the reason for my return. I'm sure you only wanted to verify if I still love you and to validate your ego, right?

If you're still not satisfied with my reply, I can act a little sweeter when I recite these lines. I could even do it with teary eyes for effect. As long as I can please your ego, I'll willingly do it. Just promise you won't come to bother me again."

Stark's face froze. As he looked at her lips open and close, only one thought crossed his mind. He wanted to cover her mouth to shut her up. He didn't want to hear her say another word.

Instinctively, he followed his heart.

Dropping his head to level hers, he practically bit Jean's lips like a hungry beast.

The sound of a crisp slap rang through the air.

Stark's face tipped to one side, and the skin on the right side of his face was red with several clear blood marks on it.

"Stark! I'm no longer the same girl from three years ago! I don't feel giddy and happy simply because you look at me on an impulse!"

The stinging pain on one side of his perfectly chiseled face cleared Stark's head. He stared at Jean dully.

His body trembled, and he was in denial when he saw pure hate in Jean's eyes.

The kind of hatred that was gawking at him with deadly eyes.

How could Jean reject him?

After a long while, Stark returned to his senses and realized that Jean was nowhere in sight. He pursed his pallid lips, spun around, and left in stride.

The hallway was once again quiet.

Meantime, a man came out of the nearby stairwell, and he threw a white cigarette butt on the tiled floor. Raising his foot, he crushed it out.

The man squinted his narrow, dark eyes, and his direct gaze fell towards the direction where Jean left.

"Jean? Ha-ha! This woman appears to be quite interesting..."