Chapter 148 - Awakening of Consciousness (5) (2/2)

At 10 am the next day, Lu Jia’er arrived at the airport.

Ian stepped out with his luggage. When he saw Lu Jia’er, he stepped toward her with a brilliant smile. “This is such a big surprise!”

Lu Jia’er forced a smile but at the same time, she was inspecting the man in front of her, re-evaluating him.

“What are you looking at?” Ian asked, laughing, with Lu Jia’er staring at him.

“Nothing!” Lu Jia’er said with a lukewarm attitude.

“You seem to be out of spirits. Didn’t you sleep well last night?” Ian wondered.

“I am fine. Let’s go. I want to talk with you!” Said Lu Jia’er.

“It has been several days. Are you missing me too much?” Ian teased her with a smile.

Though Ian’s smile appeared to be natural, the micro-expressions could not lie. From them, Lu Jia’er picked up some clues. When Ian saw her, at first he was pleasantly surprised but then, he turned a bit scared.

Scared? What was he scared of?

Lu Jia’er was not shy when she was teased, not like what she used to be like. She just gave a trepid response. “I just stayed up late last night. Come on!”

On hearing this, Ian was still wearing that smile but inside, he was in fear and trembling.

He was right to feel this. When Lu Jia’er accompanied him back to his place, she sat down on his couch in the living room and took out a dozen pictures from her bag.

She fanned out the pictures and looked at Ian calmly. “Ian, can you tell me what is happening here?”

Before Ian came back, Michael gave him some instructions. Ian had been prepared mentally but still found those instructions hard to accept. Even so, he had to obey.

On the plane, he hardly had any rest. He had been contemplating this matter. Due to some private feelings, he violated the original Phantom Plan. He did want to make amends but at the same time, he was struggling inside. Nothing was happening the way he desired it to be.

Nothing could have been worse than dealing with the reality as soon as he came back. His entire mind was occupied by worry and panic.

Ian tried to hide his dismay. He reached out to the pictures and checked them. “Are those Photoshopped?”

“Photoshopped? That is your explanation?” Lu Jia’er stared at him.

“What kind of explanation are you expecting from me?” Ian looked right back at Lu Jia’er.

“I am not expecting anything. The point is what you said!” Lu Jia’er corrected Ian’s choice of words.

This Lu Jia’er here was not familiar. She looked at him as if he were a stranger. Ian found it depressing. “What if I don’t want to say?”

“Ian, I hope that you can give me a reasonable explanation. What has happened exactly?” Lu Jia’er was taking a tough stance.

Ian cast his sight at Lu Jia’er’s face and asked. “What have you discovered so far?”

“I didn’t find out about anything. I am waiting for you to give me an answer!” Lu Jia’er reiterated.

“Is it Jin Xiangdong that sent you to me for answers?” Ian questioned.

“Yes!” Lu Jia’er did not deny it.

Ian smiled at this answer. “This is just what he does to harass you. Do you really believe him?”

“Ian, you are smiling but there is bitterness in your smile. It implies that you are hiding something shady!” Lu Jia’er retorted.

“Bitterness!” Ian mumbled the word.

“Am I really your girlfriend?” Lu Jia’er asked, glaring at him.

This question deepened the bitterness in Ian’s expressions. He kept silent for a few seconds before he nodded with certainty. “Yes, you were my girlfriend!”

Ian did not feign the bitterness. His looks and tone were equally firm. He was not lying, which made Lu Jia’er all the more puzzled.