Chapter 132: Kiss Me
Confused, Jared eyed the pendant until a memory from his childhood flashed in his mind.
The little jade statue belonged to that little girl. She was wearing a pink princess dress when she came to their house. He was nine years old, while the little girl was five.
Their families were close back then, so Jared often saw her. Her name was Juju, and she was very clingy to him. Jared never liked getting along with girls, so he avoided the little girl whenever she was in their house.
The little girl never gave up despite his cold treatment and continued pestering him.
One day, they went to a race course with their parents. The little girl remained by his side, talking to him happily and not minding whether Jared ignored her.
When it was Jared’s turn to get on the horse, it neighed suddenly for some reason. Given his tiny physique, Jared got thrown off and landed on the grass.
The little girl worriedly ran to his side, hugged his leg, and blew on his bruise. “I’ll heal you… You won’t be hurt anymore!” said the little girl.
Seeing how funny she looked at that moment, Jared slowly opened up and gradually enjoyed her company.
The two became closer, and the little girl grew confident around him. She would crawl on top of Jared when she arrived at their house for a visit.
At first, Jared resisted, but later op enjoyed the girl’s cuteness. He didn’t mind carrying her around after that day.
Their parents took them out on a little family date when Valentine’s Day arrived. They spent the day happily while the two kids played.
As usual, the little girl climbed onto Jared and took off her necklace with a little jade statue pendant.
She hung it around Jared’s neck with a wide smile. “What is this for?” Jared asked while holding the pendant.
“This is very special to me. I’m giving it to you as a gift for Valentine’s Day.” The little girl grinned. “When we grow up, I will be your wife. So don’t ever forget me, okay?” she added.
Jared was speechless after hearing the little girl’s statement. Everyone laughed, and the parents even discussed their marriage.
The next day, the little girl’s family left, and he never saw her again. Later, he learned from his father about the unfortunate incident in the little girl’s family.
A fire broke out in the middle of the night and swallowed the entire villa, leaving no trace of anything. Hearing the news distressed Jared. The innocent face of the little girl, smiling in front of him, immediately appeared in his mind.
The more Jared thought about it, the more uncomfortable he felt. It was as if someone had snatched his most cherished treasure away.
ΠΤΙ
Jared had no idea what kind of feelings he had for her. But he always felt regretful and nostalgic whenever he remembered the little girl.
After reminiscing, he stared at the pendant in Julia’s hand. ‘Why was she looking for that?‘ Jared wondered. Julia was intently staring at the little jade statue. Like a rare treasure she desperately sought, her pupils trembled, and her heart was filled with mixed emotions.
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1/2
Julia recalled the first fime she saw the photo of the little jade statue for her task. She felt a sense of familiarity just by looking at it. But now that it was in her palm, the feeling grew stronger, as if it had opened a part of her that she had long forgotten. It was so strong that it seemed to break through some shackles in the memory.
Just like a film, vague fragments of memories flashed in her mind. Julia tried to figure it out, but the harder she tried, the more helpless she felt.
“You want that?” Jared asked, interrupting Julia’s thoughts.
Julia parted her lips to speak. If she said she wanted the little jade statue, would Jared give it to her? After all, Jared said she could’take whatever she liked.
“Well, I like it. I-”
“No. You can take anything you want but this,” Jared firmly said, taking the necklace from Julia. She was anxious, but she also didn’t want to force him. “Is this something important to you?” Julia asked. Jared frowned and nodded. He wore the necklace and kept it close to his chest. When he looked up, he saw Julia staring directly at his chest.
Her reaction made Jared curious. “Do you know this thing?” Jared asked.
Julia shook her head. “I don’t. How could I know that?” Raising a brow, she quickly retorted. “I just think it looks pretty.”
Jared’s eyes narrowed as he carefully observed Julia.
After a short period of silence, Jared, spoke first. “I can’t give this necklace. Pick the rest as you like,” he repeated.
Julia glanced at the other items in defeat, but no matter their value, she found nothing interesting. The only thing she wanted was the one hanging around Jared’s neck.
“No need; I am not a greedy person. I just appreciate it.” Julia closed the safe and handed the key to Jared. “Keep it,” Jared said without looking at the key.
“It’s useless if I want that,” Julia responded. She was thinking about how to get it from Jared’s neck. What’s the use of the key if Jared already took what she wanted?
Jared observed Julia’s movements with scrutinizing eyes for a few seconds before holding the pendant. By then, he saw Julia’s eyes brighten.
Although he couldn’t figure out why Julia wanted the little jade statue, he was sure about one thing. As long as the jade statue was on him, Julia would stick around him all day.
“Do you really like it?”
When Julia heard Jared’s question, she thought he had changed his mind. “I do! I like it! Can I maybe get it in exchange for something?” Julia couldn’t let the opportunity go to waste. If she didn’t seal a deal with Jared now, it would be difficult to get a chance in the future.
“Okay, but there is one condition,” Jared touched the pendant before looking at Julia. “What condition?”
Jared snaked his arms around Julia’s waist tight and lifted her off the ground. Her chest was pressed against Jared as he stared deep into Julia’s eyes.
“Kiss me,” Jared uttered.
Julia’s eyes landed on Jared’s lips as she hesitated inwardly.
To kiss or not to kiss?
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2/3
If she chose to kiss him, would that make her easy to get?
Also, she would fail in her task if she chose not to kiss him.
After a brief silence, Julia finally made up her mind. She took a.deep breath and pursed her lips. ‘It’s not like I haven’t kissed him before,‘ she thought.
She wrapped her arms around Jared’s neck and leaned closer. She thought it would be fine to give him a peck, but Jared unexpectedly moved his face away.
When Julia was about to do the same, Jared moved closer to her ear and whispered, “You don’t want anything else?”
11:23
