Chapter 37

Jin Chuwan originally just wanted to find a restaurant to sit down and rest, but Yin Zhihua dragged her along for two more streets.

Finally, the two stopped in front of a courtyard. Jin Chuwan saw Yin Zhihua slowly take out his key and then realized what was going on.

"You live here?"

The boy smiled upon hearing this.

"How is it? My mom gave it to me, isn't it pretty good?"

Jin Chuwan glanced around. The building was on the outskirts of the residential area. Although it was near the road, it wasn't a main road. Apart from some parked private cars, there was nothing else to disturb it.

If there's any downside, it's that the roadside greenery is all sycamore trees, which might be a bit uncomfortable for those living nearby in April or May.

Yin Zhihua had already opened the courtyard gate. The wooden fence made a slight creaking sound as it was pushed open. As soon as the puppy saw the house, it jumped down from Yin Zhihua's arms and then circled back and forth in front of the door.

Jin Chuwan looked at the empty courtyard with some confusion.

Why wasn't this area decorated?

Yin Zhihua turned around and looked at her. "I haven't thought of anything yet. Do you have any ideas?"

Jin Chuwan thought for a moment, then pointed to the puppy lying at her feet.

"...Shouldn't we prepare a nest for it?"

Yin Zhihua turned to look at Jin Chuwan, then smiled meaningfully.

"So... what kind do you like?"

He was met with a cold glare from Jin Chuwan.

As soon as the door opened, the puppy jumped onto the sofa. Jin Chuwan looked at the simple two-bedroom apartment and had a strange feeling. Both Jiang Chen and Li Xing'en had their villas and servants prepared well in advance, and even Ran Xian, who had been punished by Ran Min, had no shortage of servants. In comparison, Yin Zhihua's place seemed much more austere.

However, he seemed quite used to this kind of life.

"What would you like to eat? I have pasta and steak, as well as eggs, potatoes, and hairy crabs..."

Jin Chuwan stood in front of the refrigerator, glanced at it, and then pointed to the hairy crabs.

Is it fresh?

Yin Zhihua narrowed his eyes upon hearing this, "I've noticed you're becoming increasingly worldly, especially towards me..."

Jin Chuwan glanced at Yin Zhihua with amusement.

"If it's left out for too long, it won't be edible."

Yin Zhihua picked out the six blue crabs one by one, and then said with a forced smile.

"I picked them out at the market at six in the morning, tell me how fresh they are..."

Jin Chuwan was somewhat surprised to hear this, "I didn't expect you to go to the market by yourself..."

Yin Zhihua glanced at Jin Chuwan, then rolled up his sleeves and went into the kitchen.

In the living room, the puppy ran back and forth, biting the cushion. Jin Chuwan sat on the sofa, teasing it intermittently. When the puppy got angry, it bared its teeth, but when Jin Chuwan petted it slightly, the little guy wagged its tail again.

After Yin Zhihua opened the steamer, he glanced at the condiments on the table. He was about to ask Jin Chuwan what dipping sauce she wanted when he peeked out and found that both the person and the dog were lying on the sofa.

"Huh?"

Yin Zhihua walked to the sofa and shook her arm. Jin Chuwan seemed to be asleep, while the puppy was lying at her feet.

"Who exactly is your master?"

The boy picked up the puppy and threw it onto a soft cushion to the side, then took a thin blanket from the room and covered Jin Chuwan with it.

Although it was on the first floor, the room had pretty good natural light. The balcony was connected to the living room, and the sunlight slanted into the room, making it look warm and cozy. The boy bent down to look at the sleeping girl, and the smile on his face gradually softened.

"She's ugly enough already, how come she has such deep dark circles under her eyes..."

The boy shook his head and went back to the kitchen to continue fighting. Only after he had prepared the meal did he wake up Jin Chuwan.

Having not slept a wink all night, Jin Chuwan was still a little dazed after being shaken awake. She glanced at Yin Zhihua before remembering where she was.

Jin Chuwan finished her meal in a daze. She had planned to help Yin Zhihua clear the table later, but by the time she realized it, the sunlight outside was already turning orange.

She glanced around the room; it was quiet, and even the little dog was nowhere to be seen.

Jin Chuwan folded the blanket around herself and put it aside before going to the bathroom to wash her face.

She looked at herself in the mirror, her face still bearing faint marks from the pressure, looking completely silly.

Jin Chuwan's phone vibrated in her pocket. She opened it and saw that there were many unread text messages, some from Jiang Chen, some from Li Xing'en, but the one that had just come from Yin Zhihua.

Ask her what she wants for dinner.

Jin Chuwan was taken aback. She had already been bothering him at his house for most of the day, and it seemed inappropriate to continue bothering him.

Although she didn't want to go back and face Jiang Chen either.

Jin Chuwan thought for a moment and replied, "I'm not hungry," then added, "I can treat you to anything you want to eat."

She then opened Jiang Chen's text messages.

"Avoiding me?"

Upon seeing this text message, Jin Chuwan felt a surge of anger again.

She hasn't done anything wrong, nor has she wronged anyone, so why is she hiding from them?

The warm rays of the setting sun streamed into the room. It was a beautiful day, but Jin Chuwan had no heart to appreciate it. Rationally, she knew that it was just that someone liked her, which was understandable. At worst, she could just reject him directly. What difference would it make?

However, a sense of panic would occasionally surge up within her, making her fearful and restless.

If she didn't know she was just a supporting character, she might be happy that such an outstanding person confessed to her and said he liked her.

But now she absurdly feels that she has stolen the love that originally belonged to Cheng Ya.

Not long after, Yin Zhihua returned from walking the dog. He glanced at Jin Chuwan, who was sitting in front of the sofa in a daze, and suddenly remembered the scene he had witnessed during the day.

"What's wrong? You seem a little strange today?"

Jin Chuwan looked up at Yin Zhihua. The young man was wearing a white T-shirt and trousers, and he looked handsome. It was easy to guess how popular he was in the crowd.

"Actually, I've always been curious, why did you want to be friends with me?"

She was a little confused. She wasn't exactly gentle, and she was usually rather gloomy and aloof, but when she came to her senses, there were many more people around her.

She used to have few contacts on her phone, but now she often has unread messages.

Yin Zhihua put the puppy down, then bent down to look at Jin Chuwan.

Is this important?

Yin Zhihua is a free spirit. He associates with whoever he finds interesting and cuts off contact when he gets bored. He never considers why someone likes him.

Jin Chuwan chuckled as she listened, "I don't know if it's important or not, I'm just a little curious."

The puppy rubbed against Jin Chuwan's legs again. She reached out and touched it, and the puppy lay down on its back with its four paws in the air.

Generally speaking, the protagonists in a novel get together because of various bonds, such as a life-saving grace, childhood sweethearts, experiencing happy things together, or having a moment of mutual understanding.

But when Jin Chuwan asked herself honestly, she really felt that she and Jiang Chen were just the most familiar strangers.

As for Li Xingen, she always thought he was a very sensible child.

Have you ever had a crush on anyone?

The sudden unusual topic startled Yin Zhihua. He glanced at Jin Chuwan and then asked cautiously.

"So you're in a bad mood because someone rejected you?"

Upon hearing this, Jin Chuwan glanced at the boy beside her. This was a normal reaction; someone as ordinary as her should indeed be the one being rejected.

However, Jin Chuwan was still slightly depressed after hearing these words.

"Never mind, let's not talk about this anymore. Anything you want to eat, as long as it's under a hundred, is fine."