Chapter 10: I Don't Love Her

Julian remained silent, striding forward with a cold face.

"Wrong way! It's over here!" Arthur pulled him into a private booth.

The booth was located in the center of the second floor, featuring one-way glass on all sides. People outside couldn't see in, but those inside could see everything clearly.

Julian sat on the leather sofa with his legs spread, swirling a glass of whiskey.

The lighting in the booth was dim, hiding his expression in the shadows, but the chilling aura radiating from him was impossible to ignore.

"Who’s down there? You’ve been staring." Arthur asked.

Julian withdrew his gaze and didn't speak, simply tilting his head to down a mouthful of liquor.

Arthur had known him for over twenty years, but this was the first time he had seen such an eerie expression on his face. He kicked Julian’s foot and asked, "Brother, what’s actually wrong? If something’s up, just say it."

"I'm married," Julian spoke abruptly.

"Pfft—" Arthur followed in Leo’s footsteps, spraying a mouthful of wine.

Regrettably, Julian didn't have Clara’s reaction speed—or perhaps his attention was entirely on the woman downstairs—and he was sprayed squarely by the liquid.

"Ar-thur." Julian spoke syllable by syllable, his eyes like knives.

Arthur apologized repeatedly, picking up a wet towel to wipe Julian’s face. "Sorry! But you're partly to blame. Who told you to drop a bombshell like that?"

Julian pushed his hand away in disgust and went to the restroom to wash his face.

He looked up at himself in the mirror.

In twenty-eight years of life, Julian realized clearly for the first time that his emotions were out of control—because of that woman downstairs.

Arthur leaned lazily against the doorframe. "You're unhappy because of the little sister-in-law?"

Julian didn't answer, but Arthur knew the answer from his expression. His interest spiked immediately, and he hooked his arm around Julian’s shoulder to lead him out. "Brother, tell me about it. I’ll give you some advice."

"You?" Julian’s tone was filled with disdain. "You've had a crush on Felicity for so many years and haven't even held her hand."

"You!" Arthur was suddenly stabbed in the heart, so angry his breathing became uneven.

But he was truly curious, so he endured it and tried to save face. "There’s a saying: 'The spectator sees more clearly than the player.' Maybe I can see your problem better than you can."

Julian’s brow twitched.

Seeing an opening, Arthur pulled him down to sit and poured him a drink. "Go on, speak. I'm listening."

Julian drank an entire glass and, bolstered by the alcohol, described the strange feelings he’d had lately.

After listening, Arthur was silent for a long while before squeezing out one sentence: "You're jealous."

Julian was stunned, then immediately denied it: "I am not."

"Let me ask you, why did you suddenly marry her?"

"My parents kept nagging me."

"Then why didn't you pick someone else?" Arthur asked the soul-piercing question.

Julian was silent for two seconds before saying, "Because she was easy on the eyes. And, I required that no love occur during the marriage, and she agreed."

"...You're something else." Arthur couldn't help but roll his eyes. "The way I see it, you’ve been triggered by her childhood friend. Your possessiveness is acting up. You're jealous!"

Julian frowned and said, "But I don't love her."

Arthur looked at him with a half-smile. "Did I say you loved her?"

Julian’s heart skipped a beat. He argued in a deep voice, "My point is that I don't love her, so I won't be jealous."

He had known her for barely a week; how could he be jealous?

"Then why are you angry?" Arthur countered.

This time, Julian was silent for even longer before finding a logical reason. "She is my wife. As a normal man, seeing her acting intimately with another man makes it reasonable for me to be angry."

"Fine, whatever you say."

Stubborn as a mule.

"What’s with that tone?" Julian narrowed his eyes.

"..." Arthur tried his best to smile. "Yes, you're right."

Julian stopped talking, drinking in silence while his gaze uncontrollably drifted out the window.

Arthur craned his neck to look down where Julian was staring and immediately saw the girl in the yellow dress in the central booth.

She was very beautiful—the kind of beauty that stood out in a crowd, so beautiful she seemed to be on a different layer from the people around her. No wonder his brother was in such a hurry to marry her after one meeting.

The girl seemed to have had too much to drink and was wobbling as she stood up by the table.

"Brother, it looks like she’s drunk. Aren't you going to check on her?" He turned around, but Julian had already stood up and was striding out.

Downstairs, Clara stood up wobbly while leaning on the table. "I have to go home. If it’s too late, I’ll disturb his rest."

Leo was also drunk. He rubbed his forehead and asked, "Who are you talking about?"

"Do you have the memory of a goldfish?" Clara glared at him in dissatisfaction. "I told you half an hour ago."

"Oh, I forgot you were married." Leo tried to recall. "What was your husband’s name again?"

"Ju-lian."

"Oh, right, I remember. The current head of the Vanes, CEO of Mid-Sovereign Group, the 'perfect child' my parents always talk about—" Leo said resentfully, "Clara, you certainly have good taste in men."

Clara tilted her head proudly. "You bet!"

Her movement was a bit too wide. Her head spun, and she couldn't stop herself from falling backward, but she was caught firmly by a pair of large hands, landing in the warm embrace of the man behind her.

Leo was shocked into partial sobriety. He stood up shakily. "Man, thanks. Hand her to me."

He reached out to pull Clara, but she didn't move. He widened his eyes. "Hey? Let go!"

The man not only didn't let go but picked her up in his arms.

"Wait, who are you? Let go of her right now!" Leo scrambled to grab her back.

The man opened his lips and said coldly, "Julian."

Leo was now completely sober. He patted Clara’s cheek and, under Julian’s oppressive gaze, shouted loudly, "Baby, wake up! Clara Jiang, open your eyes and see if this man is your husband!"

Clara forced her eyelids open, glanced at the face of the man above her, and nodded.

Leo let out a sigh of relief. "Fine, then take her home. She gets quite clingy when she's drunk, so take good care of her. Make her some honey water to help her sober up, otherwise she'll have a headache tomorrow. Also—"

Under Julian’s increasingly sharp gaze, he silently shut his mouth.

Julian gave him a cold look and left carrying the person in his arms.

Only once he was far away did Leo pat his chest and whisper a complaint, "What a terrifyingly mean guy!"

Julian carried Clara into the car and instructed the driver, "Raise the partition. Back to Xiyuan."

He placed her on the seat beside him, unbuttoned a button with one hand, and exhaled a heavy breath of frustration.

As the car made a turn, Clara lost her balance, and her head thudded against the car window.

She groaned with her eyes closed, "It hurts..."

Julian, with a cold face, pulled her over and settled her on his lap.

Clara instinctively curled up against his chest, even rubbing her head to find the most comfortable position.

Julian lowered his eyelids, dark emotions swirling in his black eyes.

Only one thought circled in his mind—had she been held in Leo’s arms like this before?