No Man's Land Rose

The night deepened, and the light on the dressing table was soft. Ning Xi held the lipstick at her fingertips and carefully traced the peak of her lips. The woman in the mirror had a carefully drawn charm at the end of her eyes. How long had she not looked forward to a night like this? Even she almost forgot. The midnight blue silk dress was her treasured treasure at the bottom of her box. The fabric was close to her skin and as smooth as a second layer of skin. She turned around in front of the mirror, and the hem of her skirt rippled elegantly. In the air, the clear and warm "No Man's Land Rose" scent gradually spread. That was the smell that Huo Shiyuan once said he liked. A faint sweetness spread in her heart, as if tonight could really add a memorable footnote to their slightly dull marriage life. She could even feel her heartbeat faster than usual, like a little rabbit in her arms, with a little silliness, and some uncontrollable joy. Downstairs, the lights of a black Bentley cut through the night and stopped at the corner of the street on time. Ning Xi took a deep breath, suppressed the inappropriate tension, and the smile on her lips became more real. She walked forward quickly, her fingertips touched the cold door handle, and opened the car door with a soft expectation, ready to give him a surprise hug. The car door opened in response. The expected familiar embrace did not appear, but was replaced by a young and unfamiliar face. The girl's makeup was meticulously exquisite, and the perfume on her body was sweet and a little greasy, which was incompatible with the cold wood tone Ning Xi was familiar with in the car. She looked at Ning Xi, her smile was so standard that it seemed to have been deliberately practiced, and her voice was sweet: "Hello, I am Mr. Huo's new assistant, Shen Wan." "Mr. Huo... new assistant?" The smile on Ning Xi's face seemed to be wiped away a bit by an invisible hand, leaving only a stiff arc. In an instant, Ning Xi felt as if her heart was being tightly grasped by an invisible hand, and even her breathing was stinging. The carefully constructed joy and expectation disappeared without a trace, like a bubble that was punctured, leaving only the cold chill that spread rapidly from her limbs. She subconsciously tilted her head and looked at the man in the driver's seat. Huo Shiyuan was leaning against the back of the chair, holding the steering wheel with one hand and holding the phone to his ear with the other hand, frowning slightly, as if he was dealing with some difficult work. His low voice came through the receiver vaguely, all in a businesslike tone. He didn't even pay any attention to the sudden extra person in the passenger seat and her stiffness at the moment. Ning Xi's gaze stayed on his focused profile for two seconds, then slowly retracted, and turned to Shen Wanshi next to him. In those beautiful eyes, all the warmth had faded, leaving only a bottomless coldness. The air in the car seemed to freeze. Shen Wan seemed to want to say something else, maintaining that sweet professional smile, but a subtle sense of pride flashed across her eyes. Ning Xi didn't give her a chance to speak. She didn't even look at Shen Wan more, her eyes were still looking straight ahead, her voice was not loud, but as clear as ice beads falling on a jade plate: "Get out of the car." Two words, no ups and downs, no emotions, but with an irresistible pressure. The smile on Shen Wan's face was completely frozen, like a frozen mask. Shock and confusion then turned into grievances and unwillingness that she tried hard to hide, flashing alternately on her young face. She opened her mouth, as if she wanted to explain, or glanced at Huo Shiyuan who was still on the phone in the driver's seat for help. Ning Xi didn't urge it, nor did she speak again; she just waited quietly. The silent oppression was more important than any harsh words. A few seconds later, the reluctance in Shen Wan's eyes faded, replaced by a bit of timidity. She lowered her head and muttered softly, "Boss Huo asked me to sit here." Her voice was so low that it was almost inaudible, but she still reluctantly pushed open the car door, slowly moved out, walked around to the back seat, opened the car door and sat in. The sound of the door closing was a bit cautious. Ning Xi retracted her gaze until the back door closed gently, and bent down expressionlessly to sit in the passenger seat. She did not close the door immediately, but stretched out her slender fingers and pressed the seat adjustment button slowly. "Buzz--" The seat leaned back slightly and moved forward a few points. Then the height of the seat cushion and the support of the waist. Every subtle adjustment was extremely precise, as if with some unquestionable sense of ritual, restoring this position to her most familiar and accustomed settings bit by bit. In the air, the crisp fragrance of her "No Man's Land Rose" seemed to have regained its dominance in this action, quietly dispelling the sweetness just now. When she did all this, there was no expression on her face, and she didn't even blink her eyelashes. But the temperature in the car seemed to drop little by little with her movements. Finally, the seat was adjusted. Ning Xi then reached out and slammed the door, isolating the noise from the outside world and trapping the three people in the car in this low pressure. She fastened her seat belt, and every movement was clear and steady, as if she was using this silent way to re-carve her boundaries in this small space. Huo Shiyuan, who was in the driver's seat, seemed to have finally ended the call and took the phone from his ear. He habitually wanted to say something, but when he turned his head and touched Ning Xi's cold and calm profile, he paused slightly. There was a dead silence in the car.