Chapter 130 The Only Attraction

Jiang Chuan's Adam's apple bobbed, his voice tightening. "If Bai Qianhe told you everything, wouldn't you think I'm a vindictive and despicable person?"

He admitted that the reason he had hesitated to confess was because he was worried that Lin Yu wouldn't be able to accept his darker side. At this moment, that feeling of panic about losing control surged up again.

Lin Yu shook his head gently, a warm smile appearing on his lips. "It would be a lie to say I don't care at all. But after everything we've been through, I won't make a judgment about you based on just one side of the story."

"You don't need to be right all the time, and you don't need to rush to define yourself. We're not trains, and life doesn't have a set track. As long as you're alive, you'll occasionally lose control and deviate from the path, which is normal."

She thought of some of the past stories Yuan Jie had told her. "Besides, you've already tried your best to make amends. That kitten at the alley entrance, if it weren't for your help and adoption, it might have died long ago."

Lin Yu knew far more than he had expected, but she still gently comforted him, which warmed Jiang Chuan's heart.

He suddenly realized that he no longer needed to beg Lin Yu to help him escape that seemingly inevitable tragic ending. She didn't even need to do anything; just standing there quietly was enough to give him a strange sense of peace.

"The loss of taste that I mentioned to you before... was indeed caused by illness, but it's not a physiological problem."

He finally decided to stop beating around the bush and stop guarding himself, laying bare his most vulnerable issues to Lin Yu like a surgeon cutting open the last layer of muscle tissue.

This acceptance after being exposed deepened his attachment to Lin Yu. He had a gut feeling that she would be the one to hold his hand tightly when he fell into the abyss.

Lin Yu had always thought that Jiang Chuan's loss of taste was just a side effect of a high fever. It wasn't until a few days ago, when he spoke with Yuan Jie on the phone, that he pieced together the complete story of Jiang Chuan's past.

She then thought of the bowl of plain porridge she cooked for Jiang Chuan when they first met. His strange behavior and complex expression at that time finally made sense now.

"...Was it because of that bowl of porridge?"

Seeing him nod quietly, Lin Yu smiled and gently tapped his left chest with her fingertip. "So, it's because I let you taste me again that you fell in love with me?"

Jiang Chuan took her mischievous fingers in his hand and gently stroked them. "Banban, I've told you, you are unique to me."

"So all of this only has meaning because it's you."

"Then I hope that I can not only let you taste the flavor again, but also let you learn to feel your true needs." Lin Yu's fingertips gently returned the grip, intertwining with his own.

For a long time, he had carried too much on his shoulders, to the point that he often couldn't see himself clearly. The moment Lin Yu said those words, he suddenly felt a sense of relief, as if the clouds had parted and the fog had cleared.

It turns out that all these years, he had been constantly weakening himself. He was weakening his emotions and needs, forcing himself to calmly examine his life from a God-like perspective.

"Regarding Bai Qianhe, regarding your parents... you have done everything you could, and even more."

Lin Yu's slender fingers were warm yet strong, channeling a continuous stream of power into him. "Don't let irrelevant people trap you anymore."

Like orchids fading and beautiful flowers withering, Jiang Chuan never believed in anything eternal before meeting Lin Yu. But now he suddenly understands that he has been looking in the wrong direction all along, seeing things too superficially and too closely.

A smile finally appeared on Jiang Chuan's lips, and his gaze towards Lin Yu unconsciously carried a hint of mockery. "What? Now you're not worried that I'll rekindle my old flame?"

Lin Yu raised an eyebrow and asked in his tone, "What? Aren't you worried that I'll rekindle my old flame?"

They broke up because of the same suspicions, and this shared experience actually diminished the force of the accusations.

Lin Yu recalled how she had given up on communication due to a misunderstanding, causing both of them a lot of suffering. She would never make that mistake again.

"Don't worry..." Jiang Chuan pulled Lin Yu's hand and hugged him tightly. "Even if that day comes, I will definitely take you back."

Lin Yu placed her hands together against his chest, rested her chin on the back of her hands, and tilted her head back. "Attorney Jiang underestimates himself." She paused deliberately. "Right now, you are the only thing that attracts me."

"Oh?" Jiang Chuan's fingertips lightly brushed her brow, a playful smile in his eyes. "Then, who else had ever attracted you before?"

Lin Yu looked up at him, deciding to stop hiding it. She was determined to give him the greatest sense of security. "I admit, Chen Guang's trip to Shanghai wasn't entirely for work."

"In college, we almost got together, but in the end we were just a little bit unlucky."

"Banban..." Jiang Chuan's palm gently covered her back, the warmth of his touch penetrating through the thin fabric. "Actually, you know that it seems like only a little bit is missing. But there's an insurmountable chasm between them."

“Yes…” Lin Yu gave a wry smile. “His family is very well-off. He was pampered by his parents since he was a child, but they also held him tightly.”

“His mother is very domineering and interferes in every aspect of his life, including his marriage and having children.”

“She was dissatisfied with me from the very beginning and made a lot of mistakes, both openly and secretly.”

"Looking back now, they were all trivial matters, but it was precisely these trivial matters that led to the situation between him and me today."

"So, you came to Shanghai because of him?" Although it was a question, Jiang Chuan already had the answer in his heart.

"I guess so. I was young back then, had trouble finding a job, and also ran into a snag with his mother. Just then, I received an offer from my former company, and ended up in Shanghai by some twist of fate."

Lin Yu suddenly realized that fate might have laid the groundwork back then; if it weren't for this series of coincidences, she probably would never have met Jiang Chuan.

“But if this is how it ends for us, I can accept it.” She paused, as if trying to recall. “But as soon as I arrived in Shanghai, he followed me here, doing everything he could to explain and apologize to me.”

"As a result, I gave him another chance, and I'm even planning to go back to Linjiang and be with him." Lin Yu chuckled as if mocking his own naivety and foolishness.

"But just when I was about to go back to him, he suddenly got engaged to someone else. Everyone else knew, but I was kept in the dark."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Chuan was taken aback.

He originally thought that the reason they couldn't be together was simply because of the long distance and their lack of commitment to each other.

Lin Yu's reluctance to accept Chen Guang was simply because he had been married before, but little did she know that there was such a hidden story behind it.

"Isn't it ironic?" Lin Yu asked with a smile.

"It was just a bit of a surprise," Jiang Chuan admitted.

Lin Yu sighed softly. "Of course he had his difficulties. I heard that his mother was seriously ill at the time and forced him to marry the leader's daughter. But in the end, it's because I didn't hold enough weight in his heart."

"At that time, I absolutely could not accept being someone else's alternative in life."

Jiang Chuan's gaze lingered on Lin Yu's face for a long time, trying to read some clues from her expression, but her expression remained calm, as if love and hate had disappeared, leaving only a detached indifference.

She looked up to meet his gaze, a slight smile playing on her lips, revealing a shallow dimple. "That's how people are; if you try to have everything perfect, you're destined to end up with nothing."

"He's divorced now and remembers how good I was to him, but no one stays in the same place forever."

"So I've already figured it out. Even if it weren't for you, it wouldn't be him. Even if there were someone else, I would only choose you."

Lin Yu rarely spoke such direct words of love, which touched Jiang Chuan. He cupped her face in his hands and gently kissed her forehead.

He looked at Lin Yu, who was so close to him, his eyes filled with an intense, unwavering affection. "Banban, I haven't yet figured out what love is. But I think... if I truly had it inside me, I would give it all to you."

"Don't worry, Jiang Chuan." Lin Yu gently smoothed his slightly furrowed brows.

"I am not the same person I used to be. I don't need you to give me lots and lots of love. I just need you to always have the ability to make me fall in love with you."

"So first of all, you must learn to treat yourself well."

At that moment, Lin Yu suddenly understood another meaning of love. She gained powerful spiritual strength from Jiang Chuan's sacrifices, which gave her boundless courage.

She is no longer afraid of loss, nor does she need to wait passively. Now, she can give freely and choose her own path with determination.

Jiang Chuan's appearance helped her to repair her broken self from the past.

She no longer felt anxious or insecure, realizing that she could be complete without depending on anyone. Even without anyone by her side, she could find fulfillment in giving.

They used to change themselves to accommodate each other, but eventually broke up because of a small misunderstanding.

Now, they have finally learned to be honest with each other, to give their complete selves to each other, and to accept each other's imperfections.

"So..." Jiang Chuan smiled. "Does this mean we've made up?"

Lin Yu didn't answer directly. Perhaps even Jiang Chuan himself wasn't in a hurry for a definite answer at this moment.

"Give me some more time. Partly because of work. And partly..."

"We also need to have a proper talk with Chen Guang."

"Once I've earned enough money to support your car and pay off my debts to you, then we can have a proper relationship. We have plenty of time."

Jiang Chuan paid Lin Feng's family's rent for a whole year. In Shanghai, this was a considerable expense. But his investment in Lin Yu was even greater, so much so that it made her uneasy, so much so that she worried it would affect her judgment.

Before she met Jiang Chuan, her life was mediocre. She went to an ordinary university, got a job at an ordinary company, did an ordinary job, and even her preparation for professional qualification exams was only sporadic.

It wasn't until Jiang Chuan gave her everything better that she suddenly realized that perhaps she deserved a better version of herself.

She no longer wanted to drift through life aimlessly. This inner change was more powerful than any external pressure. Perhaps what she truly wanted to catch up with wasn't Jiang Chuan, but rather the version of herself with limitless potential.