Chapter 179 I’m Not Refusing You

In the afternoon, Chu Yuxuan reluctantly left Phoenix Mountain Villa and drove to the Red Mansion.

He had scheduled a meeting with Situ Jingyao earlier that morning at the office. Perhaps because Situ Jingyao had made prior arrangements, the security at the entrance did not follow the usual procedure of checking Chu Yuxuan's membership card and instead showed him great respect.

Upon arriving at the reserved private room, Situ Jingyao had been waiting for him for some time.

Today, she was not wearing a qipao but a seductive and alluring red dress. Her long, wavy hair cascaded down her back, her skin was as smooth as cream, and her lips were fiery red, full of charm and grace.

When Chu Yuxuan entered, Situ Jingyao immediately stood up, greeting him with a sweet smile: "Yuxuan Gege!"

Seeing this sudden change in her demeanor, Chu Yuxuan's eyes lit up. Such a reaction was probably a standard response from men.

Situ Jingyao giggled and asked, "Do I look good?"

Chu Yuxuan casually replied, though with deliberate intent, "Not as good as my wife."

Situ Jingyao shot him a look and retorted, "You have no appreciation… Has your wife asked you about the bite mark on your lip? Haha… I forgot, since you're just pretending, she doesn't have the right to question."

Chu Yuxuan didn't want to delve into such trivial matters and got straight to the point: "I want to ask you something."

Situ Jingyao picked up the teapot, walked around the table to Chu Yuxuan's side, and poured the tea herself: "I knew you wouldn't come without a reason. So, what is it?"

"Have you heard of the Tianji Society?"

As soon as the question was asked, Situ Jingyao's delicate hand holding the teapot trembled slightly, her expression suddenly alarmed, but she quickly regained her composure. Chu Yuxuan raised an eyebrow: "It seems you know about it."

Situ Jingyao didn't answer immediately. She filled Chu Yuxuan's cup and sat beside him, asking, "Is it related to your mother's case?"

Chu Yuxuan didn't hide anything and nodded, "Yes, I'm now sure and certain that it's related to them."

Situ Jingyao took a deep breath and murmured, "If it's them, seeking revenge won't be easy… Chu Yuxuan thought for a moment and asked solemnly, "Does the Tianji Society have any connection with your Red Mansion?"

Situ Jingyao shook her head, "I've only heard of them, but I don't know much about them. However, I can tell you that the Tianji Society is very mysterious and powerful. Its members come from significant backgrounds, including politics and business."

Chu Yuxuan smirked, "So the owner of your Red Mansion is probably a member of the Tianji Society?"

Situ Jingyao was momentarily speechless and pouted, "Why do you always assume I'm your opponent? How annoying… I swear, the Red Mansion has no ties to the Tianji Society. In other words, our waters don't mix."

"I'm really curious about your Red Mansion's owner…"

"Stop! Chu Yuxuan, I've warned you before—asking this question is dangerous! Don't think that your father or even your grandfather can protect you!"

"Why are you so agitated?" Chu Yuxuan chuckled, "If you don't want to answer, fine, I won't ask anymore. Hehe… Alright, alright, don't be angry, it's my fault." As he spoke, Chu Yuxuan gently held Situ Jingyao's hand.

"Hmm?" Situ Jingyao raised an eyebrow, "Is the sun rising from the west today? Has someone learned how to flatter a girl?"

Chu Yuxuan smiled but said nothing. He gently caressed Situ Jingyao's smooth arm, letting his hand naturally rest on her shoulder. Then, he slid his fingers under the straps of her dress, pulling them aside to reveal a glimpse of her skin, his eyes full of seduction.

Situ Jingyao was somewhat incredulous. Why was Chu Yuxuan suddenly… undressing her?

After a moment of stunned silence, her pretty face turned crimson. She lifted her hands to wrap around Chu Yuxuan's neck, her voice soft and shy: "Do you… want it?"

Chu Yuxuan still smiled without speaking, and his actions didn't stop. No matter how intelligent a woman is, she can become foolish in the face of affection.

At that moment, Situ Jingyao's mind was filled with Chu Yuxuan—the young man who had once embraced her warmly on the despairing rooftop, the brilliant light that had made her persevere through dark times.

She didn't have time to think about this strange situation; her hands naturally slid to Chu Yuxuan's collar, unfastening the buttons one by one. Her breath was warm and enticing as she said, "Look at how eager you are. It's not like I'm refusing you…"

As she spoke, her fiery red lips slowly pressed against his.

However, Chu Yuxuan suddenly raised a hand to block her face, using the other hand to pull at her dress and underwear, exposing her pale skin. After a quick glance and finding no special tattoo of the Tianji Society, he pushed Situ Jingyao away, his brow slightly furrowed. He observed her reaction while glancing deliberately at her chest.

Situ Jingyao was pushed back against the chair, momentarily confused, and gave Chu Yuxuan a questioning look: "What's wrong? Do you just want to see my… hmm?"

It seemed she didn't understand why Chu Yuxuan was undressing her or why he was looking at her chest.

This meant she was completely unaware that members of the Tianji Society had special tattoos on their chests.

In other words, she hadn't lied earlier.

"Could it be that you suddenly thought of your fake wife? Haha." Situ Jingyao didn't adjust her clothes but lifted her jade foot, lightly rubbing against Chu Yuxuan's calf and sliding upwards.

Faced with such seduction, Chu Yuxuan moved his chair back, took out a cigarette, put it in his mouth, and turned his gaze away: "Put your clothes back on."

The cool tone snapped Situ Jingyao back to reality. She quickly realized that Chu Yuxuan's motive for undressing her was something else.

"What are you trying to find on me?"

Chu Yuxuan sighed, "I'm sorry. I'm not giving any explanations."

Situ Jingyao pondered for a moment, her eyes suddenly filled with disappointment and anger: "Usually, organizations like the Tianji Society have their own unique symbols, and some even require their members to tattoo them on their bodies. So… Tianji Society members all have special tattoos, right? You wanted to confirm whether I'm a member, didn't you?"

The truth is always hurtful. Chu Yuxuan didn't expect Situ Jingyao to be so perceptive. He silently smoked his cigarette and said nothing.

The reason he came to the Red Mansion was that its mysterious owner made him think of the enigmatic Tianji Society. Furthermore, Situ Jingyao's initial reaction to the mention of the Tianji Society had only strengthened his suspicions.

Being the general manager of the Red Mansion, Situ Jingyao must have a close relationship with the owner. If the Red Mansion's owner was indeed a member of the Tianji Society, then Situ Jingyao would definitely be one as well.

However…

Although he couldn't confirm the connection between the Red Mansion's owner and the Tianji Society for now, it was clear that Situ Jingyao only had a superficial understanding of the Tianji Society.