Chapter 72 I Just Guard My Reputation


    Jean and John walked out of the restaurant and were about to say goodbye to each other, when John


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    suddenly thought of something. He stroked the back of his head as he spoke, "It nearly slipped my


    mind. I''ve forgotten to tell you about something else."


    "Hmm? What?" Jean asked while rubbing her belly. The food had been so great that she had eaten just


    a little too much.


    "The Lei Group will hold an exhibition tomorrow night and need a photographer. Ethan requested that


    you attend that party. Later tonight, I will send some rted material to you, so that you can make


    some preparations."


    "Lei Group?" Jean was baffled and blinked rapidly. "Requested me?"


    "Hmm, any problem?"


    "Well, can you send anyone else to that party?" Jean swallowed. She didn''t want to go to any events


    held by the Lei Group. She didn''t want to meet Ethan either.


    John was a bit shocked. Otherpany personnel would have made every effort to seize such a good


    chance. But contrary to his expectation, Jean declined.


    Last time, she refused to go to the Qi Group. Later, John had realized why. And so that was


    understandable. However, why was she reluctant to attend the Lei Group''s events?


    After thinking it over, he finally remembered that as per the Weibo tweet, Jean had a rtionship with


    Ethan at some point in the past. His eyes widened in understanding as he spoke, "Why do you always


    decline for private reasons?"


    Hearing this, Jean felt very embarrassed. How was it that her simple answers were insightful enough


    for John to figure out exactly what she was thinking? Without any idea as to how to answer this


    question, she mumbled an excuse. "Last time, I went to Qi Group only to learn something from our


    boss. But this time, I am required to take the pictures by myself. I am afraid that I won''t be able to. As


    you know, I am a neer without much experience."


    "But the photos you took at Kim Vige are very good." He raised his eyebrows and lifted the corners of


    his mouth a bit. John couldn''t help smile as Jean looked very sweet when she blushed.


    Tongue-tied, Jean didn''t know how to exin.


    "Lei Group has been partnering with ourpany for a while now. Moreover, you are selected by them.


    Ourpany will suffer if you decline their request." John''s expressions turned serious again. He was


    as grave as their boss even though he was much younger.


    "Alright." Jean sighed in defeat. She knew that she couldn''t exin her way out of this assignment. She


    just hoped the event would go smoothly and that there wouldn''t be any embarrassing moments.


    As she arrived at the gate of themunity, Jean was surprised to find a ck car parked across the


    road. It looked very familiar. Instead of climbing the stairs, Jean turned and studied the car. She was


    startled as she recognized the car. She wanted to rush toward it, but found herself glued to the spot.


    Zed watched Jean from inside the car. His intense gaze made her heart beat faster. It seemed that she


    always had an inexplicable reaction every time she met Zed. This was a new emotion for Jean; one


    that had developed ever since their confessions at Kim Vige.


    While a part of Jean was ted to see Zed, another reminded her of how he had behaved when Eva


    was humiliating her at the Qi Group.


    At the thought, Jean wanted to turn and run up the stairs. However, her heart forbade her from doing


    so. Awkward and unsure of what to do, Jean shuffled her feet. When she saw the car door swing open,


    she lowered her gaze to the ground.


    Zed walked toward her slowly. He was dressed in ck and looked rather gloomy. Jean felt that he had


    grown thinner since theirst encounter.


    Finally they were face to face, but neither spoke. Zed could only re at the top of Jean''s head as she


    insisted on looking at the ground. He watched as she focused all her energy into awkwardly ying


    with her fingers instead of talking to him. Unsure of what to say, he watched her for a while longer.


    "You have been welltely." His voice sounded extremely cold.


    Since it waste at night, very few people and vehicles were around. It was extremely quiet. The street


    lights shone upon him, forming a nt slender shadow on the floor. A gust of wind gently ruffled his


    hair.


    "Hmm, I have been well." Jean lowered her head till her chin was touching her chest.


    Zed looked at her coldly and threateningly. No one knew what he was thinking about. Hearing that she


    had been well, he became gloomier. How was it that he was suffering but she wasn''t?


    "Did you enjoy your dinner?"


    "Dinner?" Jean was a little baffled. She looked up and stared at him in shock. "How did you know?"


    She scratched the back of her head as she thought about her dinner with John. She hadn''t noticed Zed


    anywhere near the restaurant. So how did he know?


    "Are you confused about how I know you dined with another man?" Zed red at Jean with piercing


    coldness. His voice seemed usatory, as though he was hinting at something. Jean had no idea


    what.


    In the absence of his exnation, Jean assumed that Zed had installed a GPS tracker in her cell


    phone. That way he could always locate her.


    Thinking of this, she had no idea what to say. She remained tongue-tied in front of him although her


    heart was filled with unspoken words. As the silence hung between them, time seemed to have slowed.


    She couldn''t tolerate such awkwardness, so she finally broke the silence and said, "Thanks for


    handling the Weibo incident."


    Zed was not surprised. He figured she would eventually learn that hiswyer had sent the Wen family a


    legal notice. When the Wen family acknowledged their mistakes and proved her innocence, he had


    understood that they had done so at Jean''s insistence.


    "I was just preserving my reputation. It had nothing to do with you." He spoke sternly. Jean felt


    saddened by his tone. After all that had transpired between them, good and bad, could he not afford


    her a little more than a stern tone?


    A gust of cold wind tousled her hair. Conscious, she tried settling her hair, but left a stray lock on her


    cheek. Under the soft glow of the street light, Jean looked beautiful with her messy hair and red tinged


    cheeks.


    Just as expected! Jean pursed her lips in a smile as everything was just the same as she thought.


    That night at Kim Vige, she had drunk too much and had overreacted as she hadn''t been treated so


    affectionately in a long time.


    Perhaps her affection for Zed was just a whim too. As sheforted herself, Jean''s morose expression


    cleared.


    It seemed that everything between them had returned to the starting point. She took a deep breath and


    lifted her head. "Well, now that all misunderstandings have been cleared and the reputation of the Qi


    Group remains unaffected, when will you return my Residence Booklet? And about the divorce......"


    She gazed at him scrupulously. At this moment, her misty eyes became bright, as she felt that she was


    going to start a new life. If nothing else, this was something she could look forward to.


    What Zed hated the most was that Jean was obsessed with thoughts of the divorce. Why did she


    always have to bring it up? How many times did he have to tell her, that he didn''t intend on divorcing


    her? Thinking of this, Zed became more furious. "To divorce or not is up to me. You will just have to


    keep your nose clean before our divorce! Qi Group has just gotten back to normal. I don''t want it to be


    affected by our personal affairs."


    It seemed that he intentionally exhorted her to keep her nose clean. The warning was also a reminder


    to Zed. He was unable to stop picturing the photographs he had seen of Ethan Lei and Jean at Kim


    Vige. Thinking about that, Zed felt his heart break all over again.


    He turned around and walked away from Jean.


    She stood frozen in her spot as Zed drove away. All thoughts about her new life and starting over


    disappeared. Her excitement turned to disappointment as well.


    The exhibition held by the Lei Group was certainly a grand affair. Jean had no choice but to participate.


    And so, she chose to stay with the party staff. She dressed simply infortable and casual clothes.


    Jean hung the camera around her neck as she wandered around to pass the time. She had to wait for


    the handover with the Lei Group''s staff.