Chapter 51

11th Street, South District.

When Jin Chuwan got out of the car, Jiang Chen was fast asleep, leaning back in his seat. Just a few minutes ago he was asking her about her recent situation, but now he was sound asleep himself.

Jin Chuwan tilted her head to look at Jiang Chen, her deep, dark eyes tightly closed.

Jiang Chen used to be lazy and leisurely, but now he seems to have turned into a busy workaholic overnight. His sharp, dark eyebrows always carry a hint of tension, even when he's asleep. When she saw the driver trying to wake Jiang Chen, she quickly made an unnecessary movement.

Fortunately, the driver didn't continue; he simply nodded to Jin Chuwan and drove away.

Jin Chuwan watched them go for a while, then turned around and looked behind her.

A silver-gray sports car was parked not far away, and a handsome young man leaned out of the car window, smiling at him.

Jin Chuwan strolled over slowly, looking at Li Xing'en expressionlessly. She had already told him she didn't need him to accompany her, and she had clearly agreed when they left the mall, but now he had followed her.

Lee Sung-eun seemed to sense Kim Cho-wan's displeasure, and the smile on the boy's lips faded slightly: "I was just passing by, and then... I suddenly remembered that I seemed to have something I wanted to buy."

Jin Chuwan listened to Li Xing'en's explanation, crossed her arms, and sighed softly.

"You've learned to lie to me now?"

Being exposed so directly made Li Xing'en a little nervous, but when he saw Jin Chuwan's helpless look, he laughed again. He casually tossed his car keys to the driver in the back seat and then opened the car door.

The boy strode over, then suddenly bent down with his hands behind his back.

As the other person got closer, Jin Chuwan subconsciously moved away. The boy stood behind her, his head close to her ear. She keenly sensed the sidelong glances of those around her, and then she inexplicably began to feel nervous.

"you……"

"I've always felt that my aunt has been acting a bit mysterious lately..."

The boy's voice drifted over softly. He lowered his head slightly, and his fine hair obscured his eyes. Jin Chuwan couldn't see his eyes clearly, but she could vaguely sense a kind of pressure emanating from him.

But she quickly relaxed; after all, she was the protagonist of a novel, so it was perfectly normal for her to have a certain aura.

"I've always felt that my aunt has a kind of aloofness about her since I was little, but I don't know why this feeling seems even stronger now..."

Jin Chuwan was somewhat stunned. Perhaps it was the faint sadness in Li Xingen's voice. She raised her hand and ruffled his fluffy, soft hair, then gently coaxed him.

You're overthinking it.

In Jin Chuwan's eyes, Li Xing'en was more like someone who had grown up with her than Jiang Chen. Although they didn't spend as much time together, she felt relaxed and at peace when she was with him.

She knew all too well how perceptive and sensitive Li Xing'en was. As a child, he always watched everything warily with those beautiful light gray eyes. Even though that coldness had disappeared and his gloomy profile had softened, perhaps he hadn't really changed.

Just like herself, no matter how gentle she may appear on the surface, her inner self is always fortified.

This may be a human instinct for self-preservation, a kind of repair mechanism. The superficial changes are merely to adapt to social life, but the aftereffects are still aftereffects, and the essence is still the essence.

So after thinking about it, Kim Cho-wan still took Lee Sung-eun's hand.

She looked up, no longer avoiding his approach, but instead smiled softly as she gazed into his downcast eyes. She used to think he was very handsome, but as he grew older, that handsomeness had begun to transform imperceptibly. This transformation wasn't as fragile and moving as the fluttering of a butterfly's wings, but rather a more stable and resolute feeling.

But for now, this is still an ongoing process. So he still occasionally displays a delicate and gentle beauty that belongs to his youth.

She sighed and tried her best to explain in order to avoid Li Xing'en overthinking things.

“I don’t have any secrets. It’s just that a friend invited me to his mother’s concert today, and I wanted to send him a bouquet of flowers.”

These words indeed alerted Li Xing'en, and his eyelashes fluttered.

"What friend? A guy?"

Jin Chuwan paused for a moment: "He's just an ordinary male friend."

But after she finished speaking, she fell silent. Why did she have to explain so much?

"Then I want to go too."

After figuring things out, Lee Sung-eun deftly dropped his deliberately displayed vulnerability and sadness, and instead became unreasonable. He tightened his grip on Kim Cho-wan's hand, and then started searching on his phone.

"Today's concert, in the southern district of S City... Is that... that female singer?"

Li Xingen quickly searched his mind for information about this woman. Normally, he wasn't interested in celebrity gossip, but he had a mother who loved following celebrities and a CEO husband who unconditionally helped her follow celebrity gossip.

Therefore, based on previous rumors, it doesn't take much time to conclude that...

He turned to look at the somewhat dazed Jin Chuwan, about to give the answer directly, but then stopped himself from speaking.

"When did my aunt meet the singer? She didn't even tell me about such a good thing?"

Just a moment ago, Kim Cho-wan was reminiscing about the ups and downs they had gone through together, but now Lee Sung-eun had already found out her destination through a simple message, which left her a little disoriented.

She remained silent for a moment, while Li Xing'en began making phone calls, using his unpredictable power as the son of the male and female leads to secure concert tickets.

If Jin Chuwan couldn't explain why she always wanted to reject Li Xing'en and Jiang Chen before, she now vaguely understands.

That subconscious rejection is probably an instinct that humans developed during evolution to avoid being entangled.

Kim Cho-wan tried to shake off their clasped hands, but to no avail. She looked at Lee Sung-eun, who was looking at her with innocent eyes, speechless.

This shouldn't be her imagination.

Kim Cho-wan felt rather helpless and wanted to walk away, but she was afraid of hurting Lee Sung-eun, who had become vulnerable again for some unknown reason.

When did this child become so clingy?

Doesn't he have any friends?

--

The two stood on the noisy street, but the atmosphere was subtly tense.

The driver, who was about to drive away, glanced at the two people standing hand in hand facing each other, pretended to be stuck in the crowd, stepped on the gas pedal but did not move.

Jin Chuwan always considered herself an adult, so she initially tried to coax and persuade Li Xingen to go back. However, Li Xingen was clearly unyielding and very good at disguising her seniority, acting as if she wanted Jin Chuwan to take her to broaden her horizons.

But he was clearly after her 'male friend,' did he think she wouldn't notice?

"Li Xing'en—"

Jin Chuwan rarely called him by his full name like that, so the boy was slightly and briefly nervous. He lowered his head and then looked away at the busy sidewalk.

This appearance clearly showed that she was still stubborn. Jin Chuwan felt a little helpless. She subconsciously began to recall whether Li Xingen was also rebellious in the past.

Jin Chuwan finally lowered her head, but she showed no sign of backing down. She remembered how, at their worst, they treated each other like air, and now she actually missed that cold, distant relationship.

"You can't just stare at me like this because the other person is a boy. I'm an independent person, and I have my own judgment. Besides... even if I... develop a relationship with someone, it's none of your business. I'm not a child anymore; I can date, and it's my business. You can't interfere like this..."

Jin Chuwan's voice remained calm. Not arguing with the protagonist of the world was still her principle, but even though she had expressed herself so gently and logically, Li Xing'en suddenly became gloomy.

She could feel his hand suddenly tighten, and his beautiful eyes showed a clear anger. He was much taller than her, and his shoulders were broad enough. But he had always been so approachable before, so she had never felt his oppressive presence as a man.

But now, Jin Chuwan is somewhat relieved that there are no walls around her; she always has this absurd feeling that she might be wall-pinned.

Fortunately, this oppressive feeling did not last long. Jin Chuwan saw Li Xingen take a deep breath with his eyes closed. When she looked into his eyes again, the gloom in his pupils had disappeared. He forced a somewhat unsteady smile, as if he were admitting defeat.

"Yes, you... are right."

Li Xing'en murmured to herself, unsure whether she was speaking to Jin Chuwan or to herself.

Rationally, he knew that Jin Chuwan was just arguing with him and stating the correct facts, not that she was sincere or intentional. So he could still convince himself to regain his composure and try to remain calm.

He can bow his head, admit his mistakes, and back down, provided that Jin Chuwan doesn't really leave him.

Li Xing'en took a breath to calm herself down.

"I know what you mean, but I just... want to be with you."

The boy looked hurt, as if he had endured a lot.

"I swear, I'll stay by your side. I'll never do anything to make things difficult for you. If you tell me to laugh, I'll laugh; if you tell me not to speak, I'll shut up. I'll just be a quiet decoration..."

His voice remained low and soft, sounding almost seductive.

"OK?"

At this moment, Jin Chuwan felt somewhat flustered and unsure, but she couldn't figure out if the pressure she had just felt was an overreaction. After all, it was too short-lived, and in her opinion, Li Xingen had no reason to be angry.

In any case, Li Xing'en has already said this much.

Jin Chuwan nodded blankly.

She subconsciously tried to investigate whether the boy's eyes were genuine and credible, but in the end, she came up empty-handed.

Never mind.

As long as he promises to be obedient, that's fine; after all, he has always been obedient.

"You must keep your word."

Kim Cho-wan emphasized that Lee Sung-eun seemed satisfied at this moment, but she felt increasingly dissatisfied.

"You scared me a little just now. Don't throw tantrums like that again. You weren't like this before..."

Jin Chuwan's complaints made the boy slowly curl his lips into a smile. He shook the two of them holding hands and then readily agreed.

"I didn't throw a tantrum, it was clearly my aunt who threw a tantrum at me..."

"I don't."

“You have, you’ve been trying to get rid of me.”

"That's because I had plans with someone else, and you insisted on... Never mind, you need to have your own circle of friends in the future, make more friends, and don't always follow me around. I'm a little introverted, and you're not..."

Kim Cho-wan muttered to herself, disliking any emotion other than peace.

She will make concessions to achieve peace when necessary, but when? When did she become like this?

Kim Cho-wan was pulled by Lee Sung-eun toward the flower shop at the street corner. Looking at the fashionable street in front of her, it felt as if she had walked into the narrow alley that accompanied her childhood in her previous life.

It was a complex emotion, a mixture of eager anticipation and panic, as well as disarray and fear.

What do you think of this bouquet of flowers?

The young man's soft voice startled Jin Chuwan awake. She looked at the blue roses in front of her, each one blooming with all its passion, its petals glistening with dew, looking both delicate and intense.

No wonder so many people like it.

Jin Chuwan nodded and took out her wallet to pay, but Li Xingen stopped her.

"I upset you today, so I'll pay for it as an apology."

Jin Chuwan thought about it and decided there was no problem, then put her wallet away.

Originally planning to stroll around the streets, Jin Chuwan unexpectedly resolved the gift issue in less than ten minutes, glancing at the watch on her wrist.

It's still early, so we can find a place to sit for a while.

"There's a guesthouse and bar up ahead, shall we go check it out?"

Lee Sung-eun made the suggestion at the right time, and Kim Cho-wan did not refuse. Perhaps because she was too engrossed in what she was thinking, she even forgot that she and Lee Sung-eun were still holding hands.

The shop's decor is very Western-style, with a European-style fence outside the door and flowers, some real and some fake, wrapped around it. A sign with metal patterns is nailed to the wall, with "Welcome" written in Spencer script.

The moment she pushed open the door, Jin Chuwan heard someone humming a folk song in a soft voice.

The bar was quiet; there seemed to be hardly anyone there at this hour, and even with her and Li Xing'en, there were only two or three tables of customers.

Lee Sung-eun ordered two drinks with long strings of English words and two desserts, then looked at Kim Cho-wan across from her.

She seemed to be drawn to the man playing the guitar, staring blankly at the person sitting at the bar.

Just as Li Xing'en was about to speak, she saw Jin Chuwan pick up her phone and make a call.

The guitarist, who was testing his guitar at the bar, suddenly stopped. He glanced at his phone, stood up, and went to a corner to answer the call.

Lee Sung-eun heard Kim Cho-wan's helpless voice.

"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be with your mother preparing for the concert?"

The guitarist in the corner paused, glancing around the bar in confusion before finally meeting Jin Chuwan's gaze. Almost instantly, a look of excitement flashed in the man's eyes, but it turned to disappointment when he glanced at Li Xing'en.

He intercepted the waiter's tray, went to the bar and ordered another drink, before carrying the beverage and dessert back to their table.

That striking silver hair was unforgettable. Li Xing'en watched as Yin Zhihua walked straight to Jin Chuwan and sat down next to her, then gave him a critical look.

"haven't seen you for a long time?"

This was their first meeting since their chance encounter in the South District. In fact, the two families had some cooperation in certain areas, but their only two contacts were both because of Jin Chuwan.

Both of them found each other extremely annoying, but they chose not to express it because of Kim Cho-wan.

If Kim Cho-wan herself knew what they were actually thinking, she would probably advise them not to force themselves, but she doesn't know that now, so she is still trying to figure out how to explain going to the concert with Lee Sung-eun.

"Well... he happened to be going too, so we went together. I didn't expect to see you here..."

It's obvious that the singer is Yin Zhihua's mother, and now that it's been exposed, Jin Chuwan feels a little guilty about it, so she looks at Yin Zhihua with a bit of guilt.

"I work here."

Yin Zhihua didn't seem to care much. Although Jin Chuwan didn't know about their family's affairs, those old stories had long become trivial topics of conversation among celebrities.

"Didn't I say last time that I'm going to be self-reliant now? But I still have half an hour left before I finish. Do you want to wait for me?"

Jin Chuwan had no reason to refuse. She watched as Yin Zhihua switched her drink with Li Xingen's and then drank it all in one gulp.

But before leaving, he smiled at Jin Chuwan with his eyes crinkling.

Lee Sung-eun glanced at the cocktail in front of her called Hypocritical and sneered inwardly.

childish.

Jin Chuwan had no idea what was in front of Li Xingen. She simply took it, smelled it, and after confirming that it was alcohol, placed it directly in front of herself.

"You drink this."

Kim Cho-wan pushed her drink in front of Lee Sung-eun.

She really didn't want to see Li Xingen acting crazy when he was drunk anymore.

The boy opposite her saw her action and a meaningful look flashed in his eyes, but he did not refuse. He just smiled quietly and obediently.

At that moment, music started playing in the bar, and Jin Chuwan's attention was drawn to the song.

This was the first time she had ever heard Yin Zhihua sing. Last time, he was just an accompaniment musician at a concert, yet he attracted so many people to shout and scream for him. This time, he was just hidden in a small bar on a street corner. There were no flowers or applause around him, only a few scattered tables of customers, and her and Li Xingen.

However, Yin Zhihua didn't seem to care about any of this. He lowered his head, played the piano, and sang softly into the microphone, appearing relaxed and carefree.

Sometimes Jin Chuwan felt that Yin Zhihua had a very deceptive face. Whether it was his overly fair skin or his flower-like face, his appearance was so beautiful that it was even effeminate. However, he always showed a rebellious and unrestrained attitude.

But it doesn't seem to be entirely true.

Jin Chuwan looked at Yin Zhihua, whose gaze wandered, as if looking at her, yet also as if looking elsewhere.

However, her gaze remained fixed on Yin Zhihua.

Perhaps she was too focused on the moment, so she didn't notice the gradually darkening look in Li Xing'en's eyes beside her.

However, he remained silent because he had promised her that he would be obedient and compliant, so he could suppress the turmoil in his heart.

Anxious, restless, vying, controlling.

These things were meaningless. Li Xing'en knew exactly how to coax Jin Chuwan, so he took a sip of water and quickly calmed himself down.

Half an hour, which is actually only the time it takes to listen to four or five songs, was enough time for Yin Zhihua to return. Jin Chuwan had already devoured a lot of the desserts on the table, but she hadn't touched the cocktail in front of her.

It was four o'clock in the afternoon when Yin Zhihua returned, looking somewhat anxious.

Because the woman had already called to urge him.

The three of them stood outside the bar, staring at the bicycle that could only carry one person. In the end, it was Li Xing'en who smiled and said something.

"I'll call the driver over now."

Sometimes relationships are very simple to build. Yin Zhihua, who had been cold to Li Xingen, changed his expression the moment the car arrived. He smiled nonchalantly, as if he had forgiven his grudges.

"It's a good thing Jin Chuwan brought you along today, otherwise we don't know when we would have made it if we had been on this."

"We are referring to him and Kim Cho-man, of course." Lee Sung-eun smiled, pushed away the arm that was on her shoulder, and then opened the car door to let Kim Cho-man sit down in the back seat first.

"Actually, if you're alone, you should be able to get there by bike if you put in the effort."

Yin Zhihua raised an eyebrow, deciding to withdraw the goodwill that had just begun to rise within him.

"Why are you like this?"

As Yin Zhihua spoke, he raised his hand and brushed the hair from his forehead. He was a little angry at first, but when he turned his eyes to see Jin Chuwan, his expression suddenly changed. He leisurely glanced at Li Xingen and suddenly lowered his voice.

"Do you think I should whisper something in Jin Chuwan's ear and tell her to stay away from someone like you?"

The other party deliberately lowered their voice, which seemed to have a hint of threat and a touch of probing, but these had no effect on Li Xing'en.

Yin Zhihua smiled, and Li Xingen smiled too.

The two stood together, each with their own unique charm—handsome and arrogant.

"Why don't you give it a try?"