Chapter 285 It’s too late. I won’t bother you anymore.
When Cen Lian got out of the car, the hem of her skirt gently brushed the edge of the door, and Jiang Chenyu's hand was already there in time to prevent her from tripping.
This subtle movement made her heart tremble again, like ripples on the surface of a lake blown by a breeze.
"Your shell." Jiang Chenyu took out the exquisite wicker suitcase from the back seat and handed it to her. His fingertips brushed against the back of her hand lightly, like a feather gently passing by, or like a weak electric current, making her involuntarily retract her fingers.
Cen Lian took the box and felt his cheeks getting hot again.
She subconsciously used her free hand to brush away the hair by her ear, trying to hide her panic.
The setting sun has sunk behind the treetops, leaving only an orange-red sunset glow, dyeing the entire world with an ambiguous warm hue.
"Would you like to go in and have some water and rest before leaving?" She heard herself inviting him. Her voice was much softer than she had imagined, with a slight rise at the end, carrying a hint of anticipation that she herself hadn't noticed.
Jiang Chenyu's gaze stayed on her face for a few seconds, and Cen Lian could clearly see her own reflection in his dark brown pupils.
The corners of his mouth curled up slightly, but he shook his head. "It's too late. I won't disturb my uncle and aunt to rest."
He paused, his voice low and gentle, like the strings of a cello being gently plucked. "I'll visit you another day."
Cen Lian nodded, feeling an indescribable sense of loss in his heart, as if the long-awaited candy was suddenly taken away.
She gripped the handle of the suitcase tightly, her knuckles turning slightly white, and her neatly trimmed nails left a few shallow marks on the wicker texture.
"Then... drive carefully." Cen Lian said softly, his eyes unconsciously falling on Jiang Chenyu's collar, where a button was undone, revealing a small piece of collarbone.
"Okay." Jiang Chenyu responded, but did not turn around and leave immediately.
The night breeze blew by, bringing the scent of jasmine from the distant garden, mixed with the faint scent of cedar on his body.
There was less than a meter between the two of them, and it seemed as if an invisible thread in the air was entangled with them.
Cen Lian could smell the faint scent of cedar on him, mixed with the freshness brought by the sea breeze, which reminded her of the warmth of his palm when he held her hand at the beach just now.
The warmth seemed to still linger on her fingertips, unable to go away.
"I'm going in." She said softly, but hesitated to take a step.
It was as if her feet had taken root, making it impossible for her to move at all.
Jiang Chenyu suddenly smiled, his smile particularly bright in the twilight: "Well, I'll watch you go in."
Cen Lian turned and walked towards the door, his heart beating so loudly that it seemed like it was about to burst through his chest.
She counted her steps, one, two, three... On the fifth step, she turned back for some reason.
Jiang Chenyu was indeed still standing there, his slender figure stretched out by the setting sun, extending all the way to her feet.
Seeing her turn around, the smile on his face deepened, and his eyes sparkled in the twilight, as if hiding the tenderness of the entire starry sky.
"It's cold outside, come in quickly." He waved at her, his voice full of obvious fondness, "If you can't bear to leave me, we can see each other tomorrow."
The tone was three parts ruffian and seven parts gentle, making Cen Lian'an's ears blush instantly.
She turned around hurriedly and almost ran into the yard, but heard his low laughter behind her.
The laughter seemed to have magic, making her heart beat faster.
It was not until the door was closed that Cen Lian breathed a sigh of relief and leaned against the door to calm his rapid heartbeat.
She looked down at the wicker box in her hand and gently opened it. The heart-shaped conch lay quietly on the white cotton cloth, shining like a pearl in the dim hallway.
Cen Lian carefully touched the edge of the conch with her fingertips, recalling Jiang Chenyu's focused expression when he explained this rare conch to her at the beach.
"An An? Are you back?" Mother Cen's voice came from the living room, accompanied by hurried footsteps.
Before Cen Lian could hide the blush on his face, his mother appeared at the end of the corridor.
Mother Cen was wearing home clothes and holding a magazine in her hand, but her eyes were surprisingly bright, as if she had discovered some incredible secret.
"Mom..." Cen Lian just opened his mouth when his mother grabbed his arm.
Mother Cen's hands were warm and soft, yet they held an irresistible strength.
"How's it going?" Mother Cen lowered her voice, but couldn't hide her excitement. Her eyes and eyebrows were stained with joy. "Did Doctor Jiang send you back? Where did you go today?"
Cen Li'an felt her face, which had just cooled down, start to burn again. She subconsciously touched her burning cheeks and said, "I just... went to the beach."
"Beach?" Mother Cen's eyes widened, as if she had heard some incredible news. "Just the two of you?"
"Hmm..." Cen Li'an responded vaguely, trying to go upstairs by bypassing his mother. The wooden stairs under his feet made a slight creaking sound. "I'm a little tired. I want to take a shower first."
Mother Cen, however, looked as if she had discovered a new world. Her eyes fell on her daughter's blue dress, and her gaze was so sharp that it seemed to penetrate the fabric. "This dress is not yours, right? I don't remember you having this dress in your closet."
Cen Lian'an's fingers twisted together unconsciously, his knuckles turning slightly white from the strain. "This was prepared by Doctor Jiang... because my old clothes were stained with sand..."
"Prepared?" Mother Cen's voice suddenly rose an octave, then forced itself down again, as if afraid of disturbing something. "Even the clothes were prepared for you? And the size fits you so well?"
Her eyes became meaningful, and a knowing smile appeared on the corner of her mouth. "It seems that Doctor Jiang is very attentive~"
"Mom!" Cen Lian was so embarrassed that she wanted to find a hole to hide in. She felt like her ears were burning. "Don't think too much. He's just... just being more thoughtful..."
Mother Cen smiled until her eyes narrowed into slits, and the fine lines at the corners of her eyes smoothed out. "Yes, yes, that's thoughtful, especially thoughtful."
She took the wicker box from her daughter, opened it and took a look. "Wow, you picked up so many shells. How romantic."
Cen Li'an snatched back the box and ran upstairs as if escaping. The wooden stairs made a hurried sound under her feet: "I'm going to take a shower!"
I heard my mother's cheerful voice behind me, "Your dad has an appointment tonight and won't be home for dinner, so it's just the two of us. Come down and have a good chat with Mom later!"
Cen Lian closed the bedroom door, carefully placed the wicker box on the bedside table, then threw himself into the soft bedding and buried his hot face in the pillow.
The scent of lavender on the pillowcase surrounded her, but it couldn't calm her restless heartbeat.
Everything that happened today flashed through my mind like a scene from a movie.
The warmth of Jiang Chenyu's palms as he held her hand as he walked across the beach, the slippers that fitted her, the shadow cast by his eyelashes when he looked down at her, and the words, "If you can't bear to leave me, we can see each other again tomorrow"...
Every detail is incredibly clear, as if engraved in the deepest part of memory.
Outside the window, dusk has completely enveloped the sky. A few birds returning to their nests fly past the window, chirping crisply.
Cen Lian turned over and looked at the chandelier on the ceiling. The light gradually blurred in her eyes and turned into the afterglow of the sunset at the seaside.
The cell phone suddenly vibrated. Cen Lian was startled and took out the cell phone from under the pillow.
The moment the screen lit up, her heart skipped a beat. It was a message from Jiang Chenyu.
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