chapter 9
Arisu slowly called for Jian as soon as he closed the door. When Jian finally came to her senses,she realized that she just encountered one of the most highly feared men. Quickly, she turned around and hugged Arisu. Her tear tank once again opened freely her knowing, without her knowing.
"I don't know, Arisu, how does he know so much... so much about me? I swear I didn't take anything from him. Then why me? Oh, Good golly God," she said, asking him as if he knows all the answers."
"Shh, Jiji is alright. He's probably here for someone else and not you," she said, trying to console her.
"Then how did he know my name and so many details? Even where I stay, Ari," she cried.
"What the fuck? He knows your name?" Arisu asked, not believing what she just said.
"Yeah, and he was calling me 'love'!" she complained.
"I know—I heard that. He's just trying to flirt with you. Stay away from him," Arisu suggested.
"I didn't ask him to come and talk to me. I didn't even want to meet him! So what the fuck are you accusing me for?" she asked angrily.
"Jiji,it isn't your fault ... I told you to get a taxi. I told you to get a taxi and you refused.Why didn't you listen to me?" he asked.
"Are you crazy? I am not interested in walking alone at night, do you understand? The cab driver asked for a hundred verdant instead of the normal twenty. If only I had known, I would have taken the cab."
"I thought you understood me!" she cried.
His anger melted like snow in summer,in a jiffy,it wasn't her fault after all.
"I am sorry, Jiji. I just got mad. Please just make sure you don't meet him again," he begged.
"I am not interested in meeting him again, Ari, but he said he will pick me up from the hotel after my shift tomorrow. What should I do?"
"What the fuck!" he shouted.
"Yeah, I don't fucking know why, but it feels awkward," she said.
"He is indeed quite strange. I think he's up to something fishy—something big. Now I get why he knows so much about you," he said, and was silent for a while, trying to gather his facts.
Jian was getting restless, expecting him to speak.
"Well,can you share the reason with me?" she asked.
"I have a bunch of reasons for this weird meeting you had. But one thing for sure: he's not here because he is interested in you. I mean he is, but not romantically. He needs you for some criminal shit,because he sees you as fragile and innocent, so no one will suspect you of anything bad. When he's done with you, he will easily discard you without any remorse. He's befriending you for that so you will gradually fall into his trap. Now I get why he's called the predator.
"Ari, please don't say anything about this Jinman thing to Omma and Papa, and even Jax, okay?" she asked, turning to Arisu.
"I hear you, miss," he said.He really admire her effort to keep her family away from danger."
"Now get lost. It's late
"I am staying here tonight,there's no way am leaving you here today."
"Oh, hello! I am twenty-two, a fully grown woman, okay!" she said.
"Yeah okay , madam! I am definitely waiting for the day you would sleep alone, in the dark," he joked.
"That's something different," she said blushingly.
They kept talking till they reached her room. Arisu took a blanket and a pillow from the bed and placed them on the floor. They never slept on the bed together during their sleepovers; Jian slept on the bed, and Arisu slept on the floor.
"Ari, what should I do tomorrow?" she asked.
"I was thinking about it too," he replied. "I think we should ignore the possibility," he continued.
"But how are we supposed to do that?"
"We will leave an hour earlier so he doesn't catch up with us to pick you up!" he said, and smiled.
She reached out from the bed edge and smiled proudly at him.
"I knew you were a genius. Why didn't I come up with that"?she said
"That's because you are dumb," he joked. "I share the same IQ as Elon Musk."
"Hey, watch your mouth! I am not dumb,you know how I tackled him today" she defended herself.
"Yeah,the defense which ended up with a kiss on your cheek as a prize," he sighed.
"Shit,embarrassing," she complained.
"Now shut your beak and sleep. I have to leave early tomorrow. Night, night," he mumbled.
"Alright,night, night," she replied, knowing no one else would be sleeping there was no way she's going to sleep tonight. She was still scared, especially Jinman's face, and the memory of the way he held her remained vivid in her head. She wished the whole thing was a nightmare, just a bad dream, but she knew not all wishes come true. She was one hundred percent sure she would dream about him: his pitch-black eyes, messy hair, his tall and masculine body, his beautiful lips, his strong jaw, and his cute Adam's apple. The way he kissed her, played along with her, his smirk and laugh—everything about him.
She squeezed her eyes shut. "He is a goddamn criminal, Jiji. Stop thinking about that bastard. He's probably here to end your life, and yet you are appreciating his looks,"she reassured herself.