Chapter 9

“Finn Townsend, you really brought Ada with you after all. Truly a good brother.” Zijun stepped forward quickly to greet him, his tone laced with humor. “Hey, who gave you permission to call me Ada?” Ada, however, didn’t buy it at all and retorted with a frown.

Zi Jun put on a shameless act and said jokingly, “No one gave permission, but at the same time, no one actually forbade it either. Besides, I’ve already called them by that name. There’s no way I’m going to change my mind now.”

Ida grew more and more dissatisfied with his behavior. In a huff, she said, “Then think now! Anyone can call me Ida, but not you.”

Zi Jun stepped forward in a mischievous manner, his gaze burning as he looked at her. “Why? Hehe, it seems I hold a special place in your heart after all…”

“What’s the matter… It’s me who told you not to call me that, okay?” Ada’s cheeks turned slightly red as she looked embarrassed and cute at the same time. Zi Jun smiled even more at her. Not wanting to tease her any further, he stepped back and said, “Okay, okay. My little princess, I won’t call you Ada anymore. Is that fine?” As he spoke, he raised his hands in a surrendering gesture, looking quite comical.

Ida put her hands on her hips, acting in a slightly domineering manner. “That’s better! Hey, who’s yours?”

“You know…” Zi Jun’s tone suddenly became serious, his eyes filled with deep affection. “I’m serious. I like you. Please be my girlfriend.”

“What? Say that again.” Ada was stunned, a hint of annoyance appearing on her face.

Zi Jun didn’t notice her displeasure. He shouted to the sky, “Aida Russell, I love you! You’re my woman!” Aida looked helpless and didn’t know how to respond.

Audrey, who was standing nearby, quickly tried to persuade her, “Aida, you two seem like a great match. There’s nothing wrong with being together. Besides, he’s confessed his feelings so sincerely. If it were me, I’d accept right away. Be careful, someone else might steal him away from you.”

Zi Jun was overjoyed to hear this, but Finn Townsend’s expression darkened. He firmly grabbed Audrey’s hand and said decisively, “I won’t allow you to agree to anyone else’s proposal.”

“Why?” Audrey’s heart was filled with anticipation, hoping he would say, “Because I love you.” But Finn Townsend simply kept his head down, leading her inside in silence. She willingly let him guide her, though disappointment was evident in her eyes. Ada noticed this subtle expression and decided to help bridge the gap between the two of them.

Ida took it to heart and teased Finn Townsend, “Brother, are you being jealous?” When Finn Townsend remained silent, she continued, “If you don’t say anything, I’ll assume you agree then.” Finn Townsend smiled helplessly, pinched her nose, thereby agreeing.

Seeing this, Zi Jun felt extremely jealous. He stepped forward and said, “Aida, I won’t allow you to smile at other boys, talk to them, or get too close to them! And you, Finn Townsend, you need to stop acting so affectionate!”

“Enough! Why do you have to meddle in other people’s affairs? He’s my brother. Who do you think you are?” Aida found Zi Jun completely unreasonable, her tone filled with dissatisfaction.

“Because I love you.” Zi Jun’s tone remained firm, his eyes filled with determination.

“Love me? You think just because you love me, you can control me? Is your ‘love’ really that great?” Ada grew angrier by the moment. “Never mind the fact that you’re not my boyfriend right now. Even if you were, with your controlling behavior, our relationship would be over in three days at most.” Zi Jun looked at the angry Ada, his face filled with hurt, not knowing how to respond.

Seeing this, Audrey quickly grabbed Ada by the hand and pleaded softly, “Ada, please stop making a scene. Today is Zijun’s birthday. At least give him some face. Can you please be patient?” For some reason, Ada listened to Audrey. With a cold snort, she said nothing more and pulled Audrey into the party.

Finn Townsend watched the two of them go, feeling relieved. Then he stepped closer to Zijun and whispered, “Bro, Ada isn’t like other girls. If you really love her, don’t force her or try to control her. Otherwise, it’ll only make things worse. You either have to endure it or give up… unless…”

Zi Jun hurriedly asked, “Unless what?”

“Unless she truly falls in love with you and is willing to consider your feelings,” said Finn Townsend seriously. A glimmer of determination appeared in Zi Jun’s eyes as he said confidently, “Yes, I’ll try my best.” Finn Townsend looked at him, feeling pleased for his sister.

The birthday party officially began. Celebrities and wealthy people from all walks of life toasted Zijun one after another. But Zijun’s thoughts were entirely with Ada. He hoped she would come and toast him too. Yet, she never appeared. He grew increasingly impatient. When he went to find Finn Townsend and Audrey, he found that they weren’t with Ada either. By the end of the party, Ada was still nowhere to be seen.

The three of them panicked immediately. After discussing the situation, they decided not to tell anyone else and to go look for her themselves. Audrey was especially worried. She knew how strong Ada was. Anyone who could take her away without anyone noticing couldn’t possibly be an ordinary person.

Audrey forced herself to calm down and said in a steady voice, “Now, only one person can save Ada.”

“Who?” Finn Townsend and Zijun asked in unison.

Audrey said calmly, “Take me to one place first.” Soon, the three of them arrived at Regency Square. Audrey told them not to follow her and entered the dark space alone. Everyone there knew she was one of Aida’s people, so they treated her with great respect. She easily found the cheetah. The cheetah had just finished its tasks and was about to rest when it heard Audrey was coming. Without hesitation, it rushed over despite being tired.

“Miss Audrey, did you call for me? What can I do for you?” The cheetah was equally respectful toward Audrey.

Audrey frowned anxiously and said, “It’s about Ada. She’s missing.”

The cheetah immediately became nervous and rushed to ask, “Missing? How long has it been? Are there any clues?”

“It’s been a few hours now, and we still have no clues at all,” Audrey said, her voice filled with guilt and worry.

Although the cheetah was worried about Ada’s safety, it first tried to comfort Audrey: “Miss Audrey, don’t worry. Ada is very capable. Few people can hurt her. With her intelligence, she’ll surely be able to turn danger into safety.”

“Uncle, please stop trying to comfort me. I can tell that she’s in serious trouble right now.” Audrey looked serious. “I’ve seen what Ada is capable of. Anyone who dares to hurt her must be someone very important.”

Upon hearing Audrey’s words, the cheetah frowned deeply and said thoughtfully, “Miss Audrey, I think I know where Ada might be.”