Chapter 70

Jin Chuwan had intended to lie down and rest for a while, but perhaps because the surrounding noise was just within an ideal range, or the wind was too comfortable, she fell asleep.

When she opened her eyes again, it was much darker around her.

Jin Chuwan was stunned for a moment. She was really panicking now. She opened her phone and checked the time.

5:50.

The rain had stopped, and after her eyes adjusted to the light for a while, Jin Chuwan suddenly perked up again because she saw the lights.

It looked like someone was carrying a flashlight and moving through the woods. The light had excellent penetrating power, and Jin Chuwan spotted it as soon as it passed through the trees.

She immediately turned her back and shouted in that direction, "Over here! There are people over here!"

As soon as Jin Chuwan called out, she saw the other person suddenly stop. Seeing that the other person had stopped, Jin Chuwan immediately ran back to the mountain path.

However, the roadside was very slippery, and you had to be careful with every step you took.

The slope that Jin Chuwan hadn't paid much attention to before had now become troublesome. Jin Chuwan tripped and fell. She got up from the ground and, without even checking herself, went to look for the source of the light.

Fortunately, the person seemed to be coming over as well. Jin Chuwan raised her hand and waved again, shouting loudly, "I'm over here, can you see me—"

This time, the other party finally came over without hesitation.

Jin Chuwan noticed that the other person was walking very fast, so she reminded them, "The ground is slippery, please be careful—"

As she was speaking, the other person had already crossed the dense forest. Jin Chuwan noticed that he seemed to have slipped a few times, but fortunately he managed to regain his balance.

Before long, Jin Chuwan saw the other person standing on the mountain path not far away.

The forest was dark and damp. The other person was standing with his back to the light. Jin Chuwan was momentarily blinded by the flashlight beam. She tried to see the person, but she still couldn't make out who he was. She only felt that his figure was somewhat familiar.

The rain seems to have started falling again.

Jin Chuwan looked up blankly. The drizzling rain and the atmosphere that implied a certain emotion felt familiar to her.

Without even thinking, Jin Chuwan guessed who it was.

"Jiang Chen...?"

Kim Cho-wan called out softly.

The other party still didn't make a move. Jin Chuwan heard a weak and long sigh. At this moment, the flashlight beam suddenly disappeared. She saw the other party hang the flashlight on a tree and then slide down the hillside.

Jin Chuwan was a little nervous. She wanted to say, "You don't need to come down. I can climb up by myself," but before she could finish hesitating, the other person had already walked up to her.

As if it were a unique aura belonging to the male lead, Jin Chuwan felt that the air around Jiang Chen was cold. He didn't say anything, but simply raised his hand and gently stroked her forehead.

His movements were very gentle, as if he was afraid of hurting her. Jin Chuwan felt that Jiang Chen was probably very angry right now, otherwise the rain wouldn't have come so quickly and so heavily.

But he didn't get angry at her. Instead, after a quick check, he knelt down in front of her again.

"Come up."

His voice was somewhat cold. Normally, Jin Chuwan would have chosen to downplay the seriousness of the matter and obey his orders.

But the situation is different now.

“Jiang Chen, if you carry me, we’ll both be stuck here,” Jin Chuwan said, then explained, “Besides, I’m not injured, I just look a little…”

After all, she had just rolled around in the mud, so she knew without a doubt how she looked in Jiang Chen's eyes.

Jiang Chen still didn't move. Jin Chuwan sometimes felt that Jiang Chen was really stubborn. She frowned and felt somewhat resigned.

"If you can't get up there, don't blame me..."

It's your own fault for not being good enough.

Jin Chuwan's voice was a little low. She felt like she was making mistakes in front of Jiang Chen from time to time, and she was even gradually beginning to accept this persona of hers.

Jiang Chen, who was squatting on the ground, seemed to chuckle slightly. He didn't turn around, but said in a low voice, "It's not your fault. Come on up."

As the rain kept pelting his face, Jin Chuwan gradually felt lost. The rain didn't stop, but his voice was unusually gentle. Jin Chuwan suddenly wondered if this rain had nothing to do with the male lead.

But it feels so familiar.

Jin Chuwan stepped forward and lay down on Jiang Chen's back.

She suddenly felt that Jiang Chen's back seemed broader. He was wearing a short-sleeved shirt, and through the fabric, Jin Chuwan could feel his body temperature. His neck felt sticky, and she couldn't tell if it was sweat or rain. While she was lost in thought, Jin Chuwan suddenly felt her body sway. The next moment, she hurriedly hugged Jiang Chen tightly.

This guy actually carried her on his back and just strode up to her in a few steps.

His movements were quite large, and it took Jin Chuwan a while to feel the ground gradually stabilize beneath her. Just as she was about to get down, Jiang Chen carried her to the treetop where they had just been.

"Take the flashlight and use it to light the way."

Jin Chuwan obediently picked up the flashlight. This kind of large device, which belonged to an old era and would be almost obsolete in the future, Jin Chuwan guessed that Jiang Chen had borrowed it from the service station at the foot of the mountain. She turned on the flashlight, and as the light shone, the raindrops were also illuminated by a dense cluster of beams of light.

Neither of them had rain gear, so they had no choice but to walk down in the rain.

This kind of mountain forest is not like a real mountain path, nor does it have long bluestone steps laid by predecessors. It is basically a path that has been formed by many people walking on it.

Once it rains, you just have to pick out the right spots to step on.

She wanted Jiang Chen to let her down, but he remained unmoved. Jin Chuwan had no choice but to hold up a flashlight so that Jiang Chen could see her more clearly.

As the two walked along the mountain path, Jin Chuwan's heart gradually grew heavy with each bumpy ride.

She suddenly realized that she seemed to owe something she could never repay, something that couldn't be measured in money or repaid with a few words of thanks.

If she were a little more shameless and cunning, and attributed everything to "you came on your own, you were willing, I didn't ask you to," she could at least deny it.

But she couldn't bring herself to say those words.

Both remained silent. Jin Chuwan suddenly asked Jiang Chen with a puzzled look, "Um, it's so late, how did the staff let you in?"

"I said I came to fish..."

Jin Chuwan was taken aback; she found Jiang Chen's explanation quite reasonable.

"Did you also pay a fishing fee?"

Jiang Chen smiled and then gave a faint "hmm".

As Jiang Chen answered, he continued walking forward. He recalled the appearance of Jin Chuwan just now, and for a moment, he felt as if a fire had ignited in his chest.

She was soaking wet, her clothes clung haphazardly to her body, her pants and shirt were covered in mud, even her forehead and hair were not spared. She stood alone by the tree, making him almost stop breathing.

His manic mood made him want to reprimand the other person, but seeing the other person's bewildered eyes, he couldn't say anything.

Why did someone run away? Why wasn't he told? Why was he injured?

He had many questions and accusations he wanted to make, but he quickly realized that he had no right to accuse her. Even if he did have a right, she was an adult, and even the staff at the foot of the mountain thought it was just a rain shower. Their scenic area had shelter facilities, and there were temples and travel agencies halfway up the mountain and at the top.

So, in fact, he was the one making a big fuss.

All of this felt like ice and fire intertwined within his heart. In the end, the ice melted into water, and the water extinguished the fire. The fire turned into pent-up frustration, which Jiang Chen slowly exhaled.

never mind.

It's good that you're alright.

As Jiang Chen was thinking, he heard Jin Chuwan talking to him in a rambling way. It seemed like they rarely chatted like this without any distractions. She talked about school, about her sudden impulse today, and about Li Xing'en, and also mentioned herself.

"Jiang Chen, you probably don't understand, but I feel like I'm sick..."

"My heart feels like it's been soaked in formaldehyde. It's inside my body, just barely functional. But I seem to have no feeling for love or anything like that, no matter who it is. And I've actually been like this for a long time..."

Jin Chuwan's voice was always weak and soft, just like the feeling she often gave him: gentle, soft, without much temper, and without any concern for him.

Sometimes she's like a lifelike statue, thin and placed there. At first glance, she seems vibrant, but in reality, she's empty and silent. Other times, she's like a moving ornament, making rhythmic clicking sounds that make you feel noisy, but then you unconsciously get used to her.

Jiang Chen sometimes thinks that his feelings for Jin Chuwan were probably accidental, and that she was mostly unaware of his existence.

He discovered that the statue in his house could move and talk, and even get angry and annoyed. This ornament, which could only click, actually had its own thoughts and would express its emotions in front of people it trusted.

Jiang Chen thought Jin Chuwan's use of "sick" was very good, but he should have gotten sick earlier than her.

He himself didn't know when he became fascinated with eavesdropping on other people's conversations.

She always told Cheng Ya a story about a friend of hers. In the story, this friend was often troubled by an impolite roommate. She felt that he had a bad temper, was difficult to approach, and was a bit scary when he didn't smile, even though he was quite good-looking.

Those trivial matters that Jiang Chen himself had overlooked became some of her troubles and embarrassments. Jiang Chen once suspected that Jin Chuwan might have been keeping a grudge notebook behind his back.

It contains all his various crimes.

She also frequently said that they were not from the same world.

Jiang Chen overheard this two or three times, but he always scoffed at it, thinking that they were clearly in the same world, even living under the same roof.

How come we're not in the same world?

Even now, Jiang Chen still finds these words hard to understand, but his strength lies in his ability to ignore things that he finds difficult to handle emotionally.

Besides, he's actually in a pretty good mood right now.

Because in the past, he had always overheard her secrets from somewhere.

But now, she's talking to herself on her own initiative.

He wondered if he had finally risen to the same level as someone with the surname Cheng, a thought that made him slightly elated.

After his initial excitement, Jiang Chen felt incredibly stupid.

However, this kind of stupidity is not controlled by reason.

So he gave up again; he couldn't be bothered to argue with himself...

Jiang Chen carried Jin Chuwan on his back. He sensed her unease, but he did not immediately offer words of comfort or contradict her self-judgment.

He simply listened quietly to her explanation, and after she finished speaking haltingly, he also saw the bright lights in the service station.

The rain had stopped long ago.

But the two of them were still soaked to the bone. Jiang Chen shook his hair, looking like a big dog shaking its fur.

He turned his head slightly to look at Jin Chuwan.

"If you can't like it, then you can't dislike it. Chuwan, I don't want you to force yourself."

As Jiang Chen spoke, he moved his shoulder and wiped away the water droplets that had gotten into his eyelids.

"Also, don't feel grateful and demanding just because I've found you and protected you. Don't do that. I came here on my own initiative, and you don't need to take it to heart. Remember that any unwarranted kindness from others is always for ulterior motives. Just throw away any kindness that you don't want."

Jiang Chen's voice was a little hoarse, but still steady.

When Jin Chuwan heard the phrase "having ulterior motives," she immediately looked at Yan Jiangchen, but he seemed quite open and honest.

“You said that being too close can sometimes feel like a burden, but at first, you can be a little more selfish. You worry and fear because you take things too seriously, but you won’t if you take them less seriously. There’s no need to reward people based on merit and put them in different positions. Just follow your heart, just like how you treated me before. If you felt that I made you unhappy, you would ignore me or simply disregard me.”

Jin Chuwan froze when she heard Jiang Chen say that. She wanted to explain, but then she heard him laugh.

After a brief pause, Jiang Chen quickened his pace, his voice blending into the gradually darkening night, sounding both self-deprecating and somewhat sincere.

"Don't be nervous. Actually, sometimes I wish you would throw a tantrum at me without any restraint..."

Jiang Chen suddenly stopped walking as he spoke.

The boy had a broad back, and even though he carried Jin Chuwan for a long time, he didn't seem tired.

He stood upright, his gaze fixed on the figures who were also carrying flashlights and hurrying toward them.

As they drew closer, the other person's figure became clearer. He saw the anxious look on his face, and the momentary furrow of his brow and worry when he saw them.

Almost instantly, a secretive and ambiguous meaning spread across his face.

He turned slightly to the side, his soft hair hanging down, and the usually aloof and arrogant man now revealed a subtle hint of cunning.

He chuckled, "Your boyfriend seems to be a little late for your first night together..."

His voice was low and slow, as if each word was being hammered into Jin Chuwan's head. She instinctively felt that something was about to collapse, but for a moment she couldn't make sense of the logic behind it.

Kim Cho-man suddenly felt a deep sadness and a sense of dejection at being caught red-handed.

She stared blankly at Ran Xian, who was panting heavily in front of them, while her mind couldn't help but speculate: she must have lost her mind, otherwise, the male protagonist of this world must have the ability to suddenly make the people around him lose their intelligence...