Chapter 20 Chapter 20 I Just Want You to Be My Girlfriend

Chen Yao'an sighed softly and ultimately said nothing.

Xi Xi cried for a while and then left.

She went to the bar to get a bottle of juice, but couldn't find the glass, so she went to look for it in the kitchen cabinet.

All the cups outside had been taken away, leaving only a few in the cabinet above her head. However, the cups were placed too far back, and she was too short to reach them even after several attempts to reach them while standing on tiptoe.

Just as she was trying to reach out on tiptoe again, a large hand suddenly covered hers. The hand was dry and warm, carrying a temperature that didn't belong to her, and it barged in, startling Chen Yao'an.

She quickly withdrew her hand and turned around.

It's Xu Jialan.

She immediately took a step back, creating distance between them.

Seeing her series of swift movements, Xu Jialan raised an eyebrow.

What do you need?

"cup."

So, Xu Jialan took a cup from the cupboard and handed it to her.

She took the cup and thanked him, and was about to turn and leave when his tall figure blocked her way, causing her to bump into the closet behind her.

Chen Yao'an panicked for a moment, looked up at him, and asked, "What are you doing?"

"Are you angry because they were joking?"

She frowned almost imperceptibly; she hated that Xu Jialan could see right through her.

But she said, "No."

Xu Jialan looked at her with a suspicious gaze.

She grew even more annoyed. "Can you let go of me first?"

Xu Jialan didn't move.

Chen Yaoan looked up at him.

He did indeed have a face that could easily make people lose their minds, but when she recalled how Xi Xi had cried in front of her earlier, she couldn't feel any liking for that face.

A prodigal son never gives his true feelings.

She raised her arm and pushed him away, but Xu Jialan did not resist at all.

She quickly poured the juice and went to the yard.

Xu Jialan followed behind her.

The party ended close to midnight. Chen Yaoan and Shi Xingyu returned to their residence together. Shi Xingyu insisted on going to the hot springs, and Chen Yaoan could not persuade her otherwise, so she had no choice but to go with her.

The two changed into their swimsuits and went to a nearby hot spring pool. The steam was so enticing that they couldn't help but sigh with pleasure as soon as they got into the pool.

However, before she had even stayed for ten minutes, Shi Xinyu began to feel the effects of the alcohol. "I can't take it anymore, I feel a little dizzy."

"I told you before, it's not advisable to soak in hot springs after drinking alcohol."

"I've sobered up now."

"Stop arguing, I'll go back with you."

Shi Xinyu acted as if nothing had happened, waving her hand and saying, "No need, I'm fine, you can continue soaking."

As she spoke, she walked out.

Chen Yaoan also stood up.

Hearing the noise behind her, Shi Xingyu was a little unhappy and pushed her back down. "Just do what I told you to do. Don't make me unhappy. Just relax here by yourself."

Chen Yao'an knew she meant well, "Can you manage on your own?"

"Of course!"

She left after saying that, and Chen Yaoan, seeing that her steps were still steady, did not chase after her.

Soaking in the hot spring was indeed very comfortable, and Chen Yao'an felt a little drowsy.

A long time passed in a daze, and she suddenly realized that there seemed to be a pair of eyes watching her from the side.

She suddenly opened her eyes and saw Xu Jialan smiling at her from across the room.

Startled, she sat bolt upright and demanded, "What are you doing here?"

“I saw you were all alone here and hadn’t made a sound for a long time, so I came to check on you.”

His words were full of good intentions, but Chen Yao'an was unsure if he had any ulterior motives, so she stood up and hurriedly left.

"I'm going back now."

She stood up abruptly, probably because she had been soaking for too long and had stood up too suddenly, and her vision went black for a moment, causing her to lose her balance.

Xu Jialan arrived at some point and caught her.

After a while with his help, Chen Yao'an gradually regained consciousness and pushed his hand away, saying, "I don't need your help."

Xu Jialan seemed determined to challenge her this time, directly supporting her legs and picking her up in one go, ignoring her words.

"Put me down!" she protested softly, afraid that others would hear.

Chen Yao'an struggled in his arms, but unfortunately, she couldn't do anything to him and eventually let him carry her ashore.

Xu Jialan took a bathrobe and wrapped it around her, smiling smugly at her with a victor's air, "Be careful not to catch a cold."

Chen Yao'an didn't want to get entangled with him, so she turned around and left.

Xu Jialan caught up with him, saying, "I'll take you home."

"No need." His tone was chillingly cold.

He didn't say anything more and continued to follow her closely.

Chen Yao'an turned around, "Could you please stop following me?"

"I didn't follow you."

She paused and looked at him.

Unexpectedly, Xu Jialan didn't back down at all. Instead, she took a few steps forward and leisurely walked to her side, saying something that was incredibly infuriating: "What if I insist on following you?"

"you……"

Chen Yaoan held back for a moment, then continued walking forward without giving him another glance.

When she arrived at her and Shi Xinyu's room, she used her room card to open the door, and without pausing, she closed the door behind her back after entering the room.

Xu Jialan reacted quickly, raising her hand and pressing it against the door.

After several unsuccessful attempts to close the door, Chen Yaoan turned to look at him and said unhappily, "What are you trying to do now?"

Xu Jialan was silent for a moment, and after a long while she said, "Are you avoiding me now?"

Chen Yao'an was silent for a moment, then said, "So what if it is?"

He chuckled. "Not very good."

"Is there anything else?"

"Why?"

"Because you're annoying." This was the first time Chen Yao'an had spoken so bluntly to someone.

Xu Jialan burst out laughing the next second, with an indifferent attitude.

Then, he quickly took a few steps forward and, before she could react, whispered in her ear, "Goodnight."

His light breath fell on her ear.

Xu Jialan didn't give her a chance to react. After speaking, she turned around and left, her figure disappearing quickly.

Chen Yao'an could only give up somewhat aggrievedly. After closing the door, she touched her slightly burning earlobe and couldn't help but frown.

*

The next morning, everyone set off back to the city.

Chen Yaoan didn't want to ride back in Xu Jialan's car, so she had arranged with Shi Xinyu beforehand to hitch a ride with someone else.

The two were not familiar with anyone else; the only person they had some connection with was Ma Qi.

Shi Xinyu spoke up: "Mr. Ma, could you please give us a ride back?"

Ma Qi was shocked to hear this; it was like being caught in a trap.

He glanced at Xu Jialan's face, then, as if it had been planned in advance, pulled Xi Xi over and said, "I promised Xi Xi yesterday that I would take her back to school today."

When did I say that?

Xi Xi was naturally unwilling and struggled a few times, but no matter what she did, she couldn't break free from Ma Qi's grip on her arm.

Ma Qi was no pushover either, and he didn't have much patience. He warned her, "That's enough. If you offend Xu Jialan because of this, I won't let you off the hook!"

She dared not utter a word because these were people she couldn't afford to offend.

Xi Xi's school is in Lin'nan, so it's not convenient to send them off now. Chen Yao'an then looked at the others.

Seeing this, everyone else went about their own business, naturally not wanting to get involved in any trouble.

At this point, Xu Jialan leisurely walked up to them and said to Chen Yaoan, "Alright, you can only ride in my car now."

Fortunately, Shi Xinyu was also in the car, so the journey was relatively peaceful.

Upon arriving in the county town, Xu Jialan first drove the car to the entrance of Yinye Bar, and Chen Yaoan also got out of the car.

Seeing this, Xu Jialan got out of the car and blocked Chen Yaoan's way, saying, "Where are you going? I'll give you a ride."

"No."

After these two days, Shi Xinyu realized that Xu Jialan was after Chen Yaoan.

She naturally didn't want him, a womanizer, to ruin her sisters' lives.

"What are you doing!" Shi Xinyu protectively shielded Chen Yao'an behind her.

Xu Jialan's gaze fell on Shi Xinyu, "Or I should tell Ma Qi to go to a different bar next time."

Shi Xinyu was suddenly caught in a dilemma.

mean!

Chen Yaoan silently cursed Xu Jialan in her heart.

"Never mind, you take me."

Xu Jialan smiled with satisfaction.

Shi Xinyu couldn't help but burst out cursing: "You think I care about your few coins!"

Xu Jialan was walking towards the car when she suddenly turned back and replied, "How rare."

Shi Xinyu: "..."

Xu Jialan considerately opened the car door for her and made an inviting gesture, so Chen Yaoan had no choice but to get in the car.

The car started moving, leaving Shi Xinyu behind. Xu Jialan asked her, "Going home, or back to the shop?"

"Go home." She hadn't come home all night yesterday, and she was worried about her, so she decided to go home and check on her first.

"Okay." Xu Jialan agreed readily and turned the steering wheel deftly.

On the way, Xu Jialan was quite well-behaved. The two exchanged a few words occasionally, but it was all normal conversation.

When they arrived at Xiaxin Street, Chen Yaoan unbuckled her seatbelt and was about to get out of the car when Xu Jialan asked her, "Are you going to the store today?"

Chen Yao'an was about to answer, but then paused and said, "I'm not going."

Xu Jialan nodded.

Chen Yao'an ignored him and hurried home.

Yan Shumei and Zhou Yao were both safe and sound, and Chen Yaoan went to the store in the afternoon.

After a busy afternoon, when I looked up again, the sun had already set, leaving only the last glimmer of light in the world.

She turned on the light and turned around to see Xu Jialan walking into the store. She was a little surprised. "What are you doing here?"

Xu Jialan leaned against the door with his arms crossed, looking as if he had everything under control. "What do you think?"

These past few days, Chen Yao'an has been avoiding him like the plague, and he's certain she won't tell him the truth.

Chen Yaoan could only nod, unable to do anything about it, and could only say, "I'm going home now."

Xu Jialan remained unmoved. Seeing that she was still busy with her hands, she leaned closer and said, "What do you need? I'll help you."

"Need not."

"How about we have dinner together tonight?"

"No thanks." She couldn't afford his meal; she was afraid the cost would be too high.

As soon as she finished speaking, the shop was plunged into darkness.

Chen Yao'an guessed it was probably a power outage.

Ignoring Xu Jialan, she turned and went to the workroom to check the power switch.

The circuit breaker was fine. She glanced out the window and saw that the streetlights were also off, meaning the whole street was probably without power.

Anyway, it's time to go home, I'll talk about it tomorrow.

She turned around, but unexpectedly bumped into a dark figure, and she screamed.

"Did I scare you?" It was Xu Jialan's voice.

When did he come in?

Chen Yao'an missed him as he walked out, but he nimbly moved aside and completely blocked her way.

The moon and stars were sparse outside the window, but a little light shone in, illuminating Xu Jialan's silhouette and creating an oppressive feeling that she couldn't ignore. She wanted to escape as soon as possible.

But Xu Jialan had no intention of letting her go.

He pressed closer and closer, and she retreated step by step until she bumped into the cutting table behind her.

Xu Jialan didn't speak, but under the moonlight, she raised her hand and tucked the stray hairs that had fallen across her cheek behind her ear.

Something different was moving in the surrounding air.

She didn't like it.

What do you want to do?

Her somewhat urgent voice broke the silence of the room.

Xu Jialan moved a little closer, leaving her nowhere to retreat, and he approached her ear.

His voice was very soft, as if he were speaking slowly, yet it also sounded seductive: "I don't intend to do anything, I just want you to be my girlfriend."

His breath brushed against her earlobe, and she blushed instantly.

He finally revealed his purpose, and Chen Yao finally felt relieved.

His expression wasn't very clear, but she could imagine that he was handling everything with ease and enjoyment.

"You like me?"

"Of course I like it."

She wondered, how much sincerity could a man like Xu Jialan possibly have?

No, there isn't!

His eyes shone, but she saw no love in them, only a man's desire for a woman.

She warned herself that she must not get involved with a man like that!

Chen Yao'an slowly said, "But I don't like you."

Xu Jialan chuckled lightly, seemingly unconcerned, "Give it a try and you might like it."

"You're dreaming!" she uttered coldly.

Then, she pushed him with all her might, and Xu Jialan took a few steps back.

Chen Yaoan took the opportunity to run out of the workshop.

She opened the door and looked at Xu Jialan who came out.

"You can go now."

Xu Jialan leaned against the reception desk, not annoyed by her refusal. "What if I don't leave?"

He always managed to easily provoke her temper. She frowned at him and said, "If you don't leave, I'll call the police and accuse you of sexual harassment."

Xu Jialan remained silent for a while, then obediently went out the door.

With a bang, the door behind him slammed shut cleanly and neatly.

A note from the author:

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My upcoming novel, "A Joyful Rain on an Autumn Night," is available for pre-order.

Marriage of convenience to love

Freedom and independence × Group tycoon

Qiu Yan was suffocating from the pressure from her family to get married, and Di Zheng was her fifth blind date.

She took a sip of coffee with an impatient look and said, "I have marriage syndrome."

Di Zheng: ?

What is marriage syndrome?

"Marriage syndrome is anxiety and irritability after marriage, and in severe cases, it may lead to violent tendencies towards one's partner."

Di Zheng pondered for a moment, then slowly said, "One million."

Qiu Yan: "Hmm?"

Di Zheng: "Add a house worth one million."

Qiu Yan: "Huh?"

Di Zheng: "Add another million."

Qiu Yan: "I think my marriage syndrome is cured."

-

The contractual marriage with Di Zheng was entirely a monetary transaction.

In public, the two are a loving couple; in private, they do not interfere with each other.

Di Zheng remained indifferent, and she remained perfunctory.

Until the day the contract expired, she couldn't find Qiu Yan anywhere, only to turn around and find her in Di Zheng's hands.

"What are you doing with my contract?" she reached out to grab it.

Di Zheng dodged away abruptly, locking her hands behind her back and saying, "I'll give them to you, but the marriage will continue."

Didn't we agree on a six-month period?

Continue what?!

Note: Marriage syndrome is not a formal medical or psychological diagnostic term.

Synopsis for "Li Li":

Zhou Luqi and Li Li are completely different kinds of people.

Zhou Luqi was cold and ruthless, and the women around him were like passersby, coming and going.

As an inheritor of intangible cultural heritage, Li Li is gentle, quiet, and conscientious.

No one would associate the two of them together.

Until one day, Li Li stood in front of Zhou Luqi and asked him, "Can I be your girlfriend?"

Looking at the unremarkable Li Li in front of him, Zhou Luqi sneered, "What makes you think you're worthy of being my girlfriend?"

Later, on the day they broke up, Zhou Luqi grabbed Li Li by the back of the neck with one hand, forcing her to look up at him, and asked her with the last bit of self-respect, "Do you love me or him?"

Li Li's voice choked with emotion, yet remained calm: "I'm sorry, I lost my mind."

Later, he saw a man standing next to her who looked somewhat like him.

He caught up with her, grabbed her arm, and whispered, "If you want to find a substitute, you can come to me. I look more like him than he did."

In the end, he lost in this relationship.

Warning: The male lead has a long romantic history, but both leads are virgins.