Chapter 414
Shi Yao pondered Jaylene’s reaction, attempting to fish for more: “Aren’t you worried about Alaricka?”
Jaylene’s face stayed calm: “Worrying won’t help. She’ll have to face this sooner or later.”
Shi Yao frowned: “What do you mean?”
Suddenly, Jaylene looked at him and laughed—a meaningful laugh. “Young man, could you be any more obvious about your intentions?”
Over the years, Alaricka had grown taller.
Shi Yao froze for a moment. “What?”
Jaylene snorted, shooting Nie Guanyu a meaningful look. “You’re being way too obvious. Even I can tell—are you chasing after Alaricka?”
Shi Yao furrowed his brows, ears slowly reddening. He lowered his voice. “You all noticed?”
Jaylene kept signaling Nie Guanyu. “You’re practically shouting it. Anyone who misses it must be blind.”
After a brief silence, Shi Yao mumbled, “Everyone else noticed. Only she didn’t.”
“Who didn’t notice?” Jaylene frowned, impatience sharp in her tone—directed not at Shi Yao, but at Nie Guanyu. The guy was hopeless. She’d flashed him countless hints, yet he just blinked back cluelessly, face blank with innocence.
“Never mind,” Shi Yao turned, gaze fixed where Alaricka had disappeared.
Jaylene gritted her teeth, shooting Nie Guanyu a glare sharp enough to cut stone.
Nie Guanyu scratched his head, stammering, “D–Do your eyes hurt?”
Jaylene nearly groaned. Whirling back, she seized Shi Yao’s arms. As he stiffened in surprise, she snapped at Nie Guanyu, “Still don’t get it? Didn’t you hear what Alaricka just said? Grab him now! Don’t let him follow her!”
Utterly exasperated, she’d been signaling Nie Guanyu to catch Shi Yao off guard—pin him down before he could bolt. She’d assumed their years of friendship meant he’d read her cues. Instead, he’d been denser than a brick wall.
Nie Guanyu blinked. “Huh?”
Shi Yao protested, “I wasn’t—”
Nie Guanyu snapped to attention, striding forward. “R–Right! On it!”
Shi Yao’s eyes darkened, muscles tensing.
Though simple-minded, Nie Guanyu was strong. He clamped down instantly, wrenching Shi Yao’s arms behind his back with firm efficiency. “Stay still,” he warned, though his voice lacked conviction—flattened by years under Shi Yao’s aura of academic excellence. It sounded robotic.
Shi Yao:
Satisfied with Nie Guanyu’s restraint, Jaylene released her grip. “Professor Shi, better stay put. If Alaricka doesn’t want you following, don’t. She’ll get angry, and you’ll end up begging on your knees again.”
Shi Yao sighed. “I never said I’d go.”
“Don’t pretend,” Jaylene retorted, unmoved.
Too weary to keep up the act, Shi Yao admitted, “Honestly, I won’t. You already guessed—I upset her days ago and still haven’t made it up to her. Why would I push it now?”
Jaylene smiled sweetly. “Nie Guanyu, keep holding him.”
“Okay,” Nie Guanyu nodded.
Head bowed, Shi Yao gave a wry smile. “I mean it. No tricks. I wasn’t planning to follow. Just… asking.”
No one answered. Nie Guanyu looked at the ground, then at the sky, before cautiously eyeing Jaylene’s expression—like an honest kid cornered into desperate action.
Shi Yao closed his eyes helplessly. “How about letting me go first? Many of your employees are around. If they see this, they might already be discussing it on Social Media Group. That’s terrible for morale.”
Jaylene lifted her chin. “Take him inside. Lock him in the conference room. We don’t need your help now anyway. Stay put until Alaricka returns.”
Surprisingly cooperative, Shi Yao agreed, “Fine. Lock me up as long as Alaricka wants.”
Jaylene snorted. “You think I’d believe that? Nie Guanyu, take him away.”
Nie Guanyu stole a glance at Shi Yao’s face and nodded subtly.
Back when Kieran demanded Alaricka personally negotiate the game rights, Secretary Liu had already relayed the message. Yet the exact timing remained unsettled until this morning, when Kieran’s assistant finally sent details.
Chapter 415