Treasure Hunt: Tycoon's Priceless Runaway Wife

Chapter 367: Pounced, Justice on the Spot! (Part 1)

His hoarse, deep voice penetrated her eardrums, "It’s not the cigarettes, it’s not the alcohol, it’s you I can’t quit! Le Tong!"Le Tong trembled slightly. If, last time, she didn’t believe a word of his confession, this time, damn it, she believed him just a little!

Ji Rui clearly felt the woman beneath him shake slightly. He tried to gently ease her hand, and then, to his surprise, he found that even with her hands free, she didn’t urgently push him away as she had before.

Ji Rui tried to extend his hand to her back, gently embracing her.

Her body stiffened noticeably in his arms, but Ji Rui didn’t retreat; he buried his face directly in the crook of her neck, gently rubbing it a few times, then whispered in her ear.

"Le Tong, let me hold you... just once... is that okay?"

Le Tong froze, her newly freed hand hovering in the air, hesitated for a moment, then silently fell onto the sofa, letting the man gently hug her.

She didn’t know, having been so furious just moments ago, why she suddenly softened.

Clearly, he was so wicked and hateful just earlier, yet at this moment, she found him quite pitiable...

This man holding her, with immense wealth, power enough to ruin countless lives with a snap, always standing at a height others could only look up to but never reach.

But now, this formidable man appeared to her like a child, dejected because he couldn’t get a lollipop...

Some things she didn’t wish to probe, or had always chosen to ignore, were laid bare before her by him.

These things, in theory, such a man wouldn’t want others to see, but he displayed them to her without reservation.

These things are called vulnerability.

Those who knew Ji Rui would link him only with words like "assertive, domineering, incisive," never associating "vulnerability" with him.

Yet Le Tong, on this quiet night, in the arms of this slightly tipsy man, truly felt his vulnerability.

Le Tong watched helplessly as a small corner of the thick ice wall outside her heart chipped away with a "crack," but she was powerless!

The man holding her was truly just holding her, without any further transgressions. His large hands lightly rested on her back, the scorching heat seeming to burn a hole into her, yet the hands that could extend to more affectionate & sexual actions only gently, carefully stuck to her without moving an inch.

His face buried in her neck, after rubbing a few times, made no other unnecessary movements, as if now, holding her, he truly just wanted to find a bit of dependence in her, or merely to seek a small amount of emotional comfort.

"Did something happen?"

Clearly, Le Tong repeatedly told herself that apart from Baobao, she shouldn’t care about Ji Rui’s affairs.

Yet now, she couldn’t help but ask, or perhaps she asked without thinking.

"Nothing..." Ji Rui’s muffled voice emerged from her neck, "Just... a little tired..."

Le Tong paused for a moment, then silently sighed.

In truth, she wasn’t quite sure whether the tiredness he spoke of referred to the exhaustion of more than twenty years.

Or merely the fatigue born from the consequences of CoCo’s recent meddling.

Her gaze passed over the bowl of noodles on the table, now only emitting faint warmth, "The noodles are getting cold, eat them and sleep early."

Saying this, she lifted the hand resting on the sofa instinctively and gently patted his strong back.

The hard and uncomfortable feel of his back made her recall a saying, "The harder the thing, the easier it is to break."

Does this saying apply to people like him?

Because of excessive rigidity, never knowing how to leave oneself room to maneuver when dealing with matters, leading to deeper wounds and pain when facing setbacks.

Seeing Ji Rui not making a sound, just silently holding her, Le Tong’s hand resting on his back involuntarily swept gently, tenderly soothing as if comforting a restless Baobao.

"Did you drink too much and your stomach feels uncomfortable, so you don’t want to eat?"

Le Tong’s voice was soft as if it could drip water.

Ji Rui remained silent, his body’s reaction on the verge of eruption, miraculously subsided due to her gentle comfort.

Initially, he dared not offend her, knowing that with her temperament, if he forcefully offended her while sober, it would only scare her so much she’d retreat to a place he couldn’t reach.

But now, those sordid thoughts were entirely absent; he simply felt unprecedentedly at ease and warmth holding her, with his head resting on her shoulder.

This kind of safety akin to slumbering in a mother’s arms as an infant, both strange and familiar.

Perhaps all humans or animals have this instinct to seek warmth. And she provided him the most comforting warmth, which let him easily shed all defense and armor, just wanting to close his eyes for a good rest in this cozy embrace...

Le Tong, seeing no reaction from Ji Rui, softly called out, "Mr. Ji?"

No response!

"Ji Rui?"

The head buried on her shoulder moved slightly, "Hmm?!"

This time, the man finally showed some reaction.

"Do you still want to eat the noodles? If not, just go to bed."

Le Tong didn’t mind in the slightest that her labor was being treated coldly.

Ji Rui’s head moved again, finally lifting his face.

"No, I’m hungry!"

Speaking these words, the thirty-one-year-old man’s stubborn expression was just like that of a five-year-old baobao.

Le Tong felt both amused and annoyed, secretly scolding in her heart, if you’re hungry, you should obediently play the role of a foodie, there’s no need to transform into a wolf, even if you want to pounce, you don’t have the strength, right?

This time, Le Tong attributed Ji Rui’s restraint to him being too dizzy and hungry.

Fortunately, these complaints were only circling in her mind; otherwise, if President Ji heard them, he would surely pounce on her and enact justice on the spot!

"Then hurry up and eat, it’s all cold now."

Le Tong patted his back, gesturing with a lift of her chin that currently, what he needed was the bowl of noodles to fill his stomach, not her.

Ji Rui’s face was extremely close, his usually deep eyes, now after resting, appeared even more profound and inscrutable, holding those rich and complex lights that made Le Tong, forcibly meeting his gaze, feel a rush of shyness in her heart.

Previously, she deliberately played dumb, so always unwilling to explore what the deep meanings in his eyes represented; now, if she claimed not to understand, it would be somewhat unreasonable.