Chapter 41: A Taste of Rosie Blackwood

Damn, Meilin thought, her heart racing. This man knows exactly how to push my buttons. She felt a flutter in her chest, like a giddy schoolgirl with her first crush. She schooled her expressions, she was done playing coy. "Fine, Let's do this." she conceded, sliding into the passenger seat. "But you follow my lead. One misstep and you'll be watching my taillights fade into the distance before you can even think to apologize."

Zhao Jingshen's lips curved into a roguish grin as he settled behind the wheel. "Wouldn't dream of crossing you, my enigmatic enchantress. So, where shall we wreak havoc tonight?"

Meilin's response was a dazzling smile...

As they drove through the quiet streets of Xia City, Meilin kept her destination a secret, enjoying the way Zhao Jingshen's curiosity seemed to grow with each turn.

"You know," he said after a while, "when you said you were going out to commit a crime, I half expected you to be robbing a bank or something."

Meilin snorted. "Please. I have more finesse than that. Besides, Why settle for mere money when you can steal something far more valuable...someone's peace of mind?"

Zhao Jingshen's eyebrow arched with intrigue. "Sounds ominous. Care to elaborate on your master plan?"

"Patience, my curious CEO," Meilin teased, her fingers lightly brushing his arm. "All will be revealed in due time. The best surprises are worth waiting for, wouldn't you agree?"

As they neared their destination, Meilin's phone buzzed again. Another message from Seven: "All clear, Boss. Target is alone and fast asleep."

"Take the next right," Meilin instructed Jingshen. "And park two blocks down."

He complied, smoothly maneuvering the car into a shadowy spot between two streetlights. As the engine died, Jiang Meilin could see recognition dawning on Zhao Jingshen's face.

"Wait a minute," he said, his brow furrowing. "This is my auntie's neighborhood. What are we doing here?"

Jiang Meilin unbuckled her seatbelt, treating him to her signature smirk. "Surprised, darling?"

"That's putting it mildly," Zhao Jingshen replied, a mix of confusion and concern coloring his voice. "Please tell me we're not here to cause trouble for my aunt." Zhao Jingshen might be cold and unfeeling towards his extended family, but this aunty of his, was one of the few he cared about.

She laughed, the sound low and dangerous. "Relax, pretty boy. Your aunty isn't on my radar tonight... unless she decides to interfere, of course."

Before Zhao Jingshen could respond, Meilin was out of the car, moving with feline grace towards a high stone wall surrounding one of the mansions. She paused, waiting for the go signal from her Shadow Guards.

"Show time," she murmured when she received the signal.

With a running start, Meilin launched herself at the wall. Her hands found purchase on the rough stone, and she pulled herself up with ease, balancing on the narrow top before dropping silently to the other side. "Still got it" she mused

Zhao Jingshen stood by the car, mouth agape. "Holy shit," he whispered.

Jiang Meilin's head popped back over the wall. "Well?" she called softly. "Are you coming, or are you just going to stand there looking pretty?"

That seemed to snap him out of his daze. With a determined set to his jaw, Zhao Jingshen approached the wall. His climb was just as graceful as Meilin's, and he managed to impress her further.

"Not bad," Meilin appraised as he landed beside her. "Now, follow my lead and stay quiet."

They moved through the landscaped grounds like shadows, Meilin leading the way with practiced ease. As they approached the main house, Zhao Jingshen finally recognized their true destination.

"Jun Hao's wing," he whispered. "Meilin, what are you planning?"

She turned to him, her eyes glinting in the moonlight. "Justice, Jingshen. Pure and simple."

With that, she scaled the side of the building, using decorative stonework and window ledges as handholds. Zhao Jingshen followed, his movements more cautious but no less determined. He didn't really care about whatever Jiang Meilin decided to do to his cousin, he was just here to keep his girl company.

They slipped through an open window on the second floor, finding themselves in a lavishly decorated bedroom. In the center, sprawled across silk sheets, laid Jun Hao 'Young Master Jun' snoring softly.

Meilin moved with practiced ease, producing a small vial from her coat. She uncorked it, waving it under Jun Hao's nose. His eyes snapped open, wide with fear as he registered the intruders in his room. Before he could cry out, Meilin's hand clamped over his mouth.

"Hello, Jun Hao," she smiled, her voice dripping with venom. "Remember Lin Yue?" She didn't wait for him to respond before she continued "well, I'm here in her behalf. You see while I was in the hospital, I met this pretty damsel called Lin Yue, her situation had turned her into a sobbing mess, and it turned out a certain young master Jun had touched her in places pigs are not allowed to touch humans, now tell me Jun Hao, are you a pig?"

Zhao Jingshen was amused at Jiang Meilin's antics, he could probably watch her all night without caring that the person being tortured was his cousin.

Jun Hao's eyes, if possible, grew even wider than saucers, Meilin removed her hand, allowing him to speak.

"Who... who are you?" he stammered. "What do you want?"

Meilin's laugh was cold and mirthless. "I'm the consequences of your actions, Jun Hao. The embodiment of karma. And what I want?" She leaned in close, her breath hot against his ear. "I want you to suffer."

What unfolded next was a remarkable display of psychological warfare, a testament to the Blackwoods' expertise in breaking spirits without breaking bones. Rosie, ever the skilled tactician, orchestrated a symphony of mental anguish that would leave Jun Hao forever changed.

She never once raised a hand against him, understanding that physical violence was a crude and often ineffective tool. Instead, she wielded words like precision instruments, each phrase carefully chosen to cut deep into Jun Hao's psyche. Subtly weaving in hypnotic techniques, she created a web of influence that ensnared his mind.

Even Zhao Jingshen, observing from a distance, found himself astounded. Despite his own considerable mental fortitude and the fact that Rosie's efforts were not directed at him, he could feel the lethality of her words, a testament to her incredible skill. Her presence alone became an oppressive force, filling the room with an almost tangible tension that seemed to suck the air from their lungs.