Chapter 53 My Beloved "My White Moonlight, from beginning to end, has always been you..."
Just past noon, the once clear sky became overcast with dark clouds, accompanied by occasional rumbles of thunder. In less than half an hour, rain poured down, making a "pitter-patter" sound as it hit the ground.
The sound made Chen Cen feel irritated and disturbed.
Around four o'clock, Jiang Shiyu finally sent a message.
Jiang Shiyu: [Xiao Cen, I've arrived.]
Jiang Shiyu: [Can't you really let me come in to pick you up? It's raining so hard outside.]
Jiang Shiyu only knew the location of Wen Jie's residential complex, but not the specific unit or building.
Shen Cen did not agree, grabbed an umbrella and went out.
The rain was much heavier than she had imagined, and the wind was blowing so hard that the umbrella she was holding with one hand was almost blown away.
By the time she reached the entrance of the residential area, her shoes and socks were already soaked, as if a bucket of water had been poured into them, making them feel damp and uncomfortable.
In addition, the wind blew straight into his soaked clothes, causing Chen Cen to tremble uncontrollably.
In that instant, her first thought was that if Jiang Shiyu were there, he would hold her shoulder tightly, and even if his side was soaked, he would not let her get wet in the rain.
If there were many puddles on the road, he would even pick her up and carry her horizontally.
Feeling inexplicably wronged, Chen Cen's eyes reddened slightly. She realized she was really in trouble; in the few days since she and Jiang Shiyu separated, she couldn't help but think of him about everything, big or small.
When she tasted a delicious dish, she would imagine Jiang Shiyu making it. Jiang Shiyu would be wearing a black apron, his shirt cuffs neatly folded up, revealing a small section of his wrist. If she tried to squeeze in to help, Jiang Shiyu would definitely carry her back to the sofa and tell her to just wait patiently.
Every night before going to sleep, she would think of Jiang Shiyu's goodnight kiss. He would kiss her all over, from light to deep, and then he would hold her in his arms and coax her to sleep like a child.
She discovered that this despicable man had infiltrated every aspect of her life like air. She might not realize his importance normally, but losing him would be suffocating and unbearable.
However, a short, sharp pain is worse than a long, drawn-out one.
If she pretends to be oblivious and continues living with Jiang Shiyu, what will she do when her beloved returns one day? Will she just watch Jiang Shiyu treat another woman as well as he treated her?
Shen Cen didn't want to put Jiang Shiyu in a difficult position, and she didn't want to embarrass herself by staging some melodramatic scene of her "white moonlight" returning to China.
As Shen Cen stepped out of the residential area, he immediately spotted Jiang Shiyu not far away.
Jiang Shiyu has excellent physical attributes; his height of nearly 1.9 meters and his muscular physique make him the most eye-catching person in a crowd.
However, the man stood alone in the rain, holding a large black umbrella, looking forlorn and lonely. The umbrella obscured his eyes, making it impossible to discern his true emotions.
"Xiao Cen".
Even though his vision was blocked, Jiang Shiyu could still feel Chen Cen getting closer. He was all too familiar with her unique aura.
It was this delicate fragrance that could soothe his troubled mind.
You're soaked.
Without saying a word, he pulled the woman into his large umbrella.
"Need not……"
Jiang Shiyu's domineering and forceful actions abruptly cut off Shen Cen's words.
The next second, Shen Cen fell into a very warm embrace. In particular, the patch of skin that had just been chilled by the rain began to heat up as it rubbed against the man's suit.
The man's hands gripped her back, and the embrace was more possessive than ever before, as if he wanted to melt her into his body.
She greedily clung to this warmth for a brief three seconds before breaking free. After ensuring that neither of them would get wet in the rain, she maintained a delicate distance from Jiang Shiyu.
Jiang Shiyu naturally sensed the woman's distance, and his throat suddenly became dry and sore, with a constant surge of sourness rising up.
He didn't know why Shen Cen reacted so strongly, even showing some resistance, after learning that he was the president of Guangyi.
Does she dislike him this way? Does this make her feel distant from him?
He couldn't help but regret not telling her sooner.
But I can't help feeling fortunate. If I had told Shen Cen from the beginning, he might not have even had that beautiful memory.
Shen Cen: "This is for you."
When Jiang Shiyu saw the cake that Shen Cen handed him, a hint of surprise flashed across his eyes. This was the first time in a long time that his eyes had warmed. "Xiao Cen, you actually remembered."
"Isn't this what you meant when you asked me to meet you today?"
Shen Cen's tone was not pleasant, and to Jiang Shiyu it was several times colder than the torrential autumn rain.
His lips were slightly pursed, and he even looked a little aggrieved; the light in his eyes also dimmed noticeably.
Shen Cen suddenly wondered if his words had been a bit too harsh.
She felt that Jiang Shiyu was a really bad person. He wanted to test whether she knew his birthday, or whether she was still willing to celebrate his birthday while they were in a cold war, so as to judge whether she still had feelings for him.
These past two days, Shen Cen has struggled countless times with whether to be ruthless and pretend he doesn't know anything about this, just like any other ordinary weekend out of 365.
But she couldn't simply ignore it. She remembered how Jiang Shiyu had rushed back from the United States on her birthday. She had already searched online; that period coincided with the crucial time for the release of "The Legend of China," and it was obvious that Jiang Shiyu's workload was immense.
Now that it's his birthday, why should she want to cause trouble? Why not take this opportunity to put an end to this relationship?
Although in her view, this period will never be a perfect ending.
Shen Cen looked at Jiang Shiyu's lowered eyes, her heart aching. She opened her lips and said, "Um, happy birthday."
With just these words, Jiang Shiyu's eyes brightened even more. "Xiao Cen, thank you for remembering my birthday."
He was about to step forward and hug Shen Cen when he said that, but Shen Cen dodged away and didn't reply.
She was afraid that if she continued talking, Jiang Shiyu would notice her trembling voice.
The two got into the car, and a warm current rushed towards them; Jiang Shiyu had deliberately turned the air conditioning up when he got out of the car earlier.
Shen Cen rubbed his hands, which were red from the cold, and Jiang Shiyu glanced at him. "Are you still cold?"
"A little." She deliberately avoided his gaze, but out of the corner of her eye she saw Jiang Shiyu hand her a pink thermos.
"Drink some, or you'll catch a cold." His tone was quite forceful.
Shen Cen discovered that whenever it came to matters concerning her health, Jiang Shiyu's attitude was always resolute, leaving her no room for refusal.
She gave a soft "oh," took the thermos, and continued to face the window.
The sky outside had completely darkened, and it was impossible to see even a few meters away. Therefore, the man's face was reflected in the glass window.
She couldn't help but want to take a few more glances, because she knew that after today, she might never have the chance to see it again. Even if she did, it might feel unfamiliar.
The man had strong, defined features; even from a blurry profile, it was easy to see how breathtakingly handsome he was. His beautiful, almond-shaped eyes were staring straight ahead, his lips slightly pursed and expressionless, just like when Shen Cen first saw him.
Aloof and indifferent.
Shen Cen picked up the cup. The temperature of the jujube and ginger tea was just right. He took a sip and felt a warmth envelop him. This warmth seemed to touch a certain part of his heart, yet it also caused a sharp pain in his heart.
This feeling persisted until they entered Jiang Shiyu's home, and saw that the cozy little home they had once decorated was now fading in color little by little, which made it even more obvious.
"Xiao Cen, spend my birthday with me first, then we can talk, okay?"
Shen Cen responded softly and carried the cake to the coffee table in the living room.
She took the cake out; it had been bumped and slightly deformed on the way she left the apartment complex. After hesitating for a moment, Shen Cen still lit the candles.
The moment the candlelight was lit, Jiang Shiyu extinguished all the lights in the house.
"Would you like something to drink today?" Jiang Shiyu walked over to the coffee table and sat down. His long legs were bent and crossed, making the space seem even more cramped and small.
Shen Cen stared blankly at the two glasses of wine for a moment, then pushed them away, saying, "No, thank you."
She recognized the two glasses of wine as "my love."
This wine originated in Haiti and expresses longing for a lover. She didn't know if Jiang Shiyu was longing for her, or if he was using her to express his longing for his unrequited love.
Jiang Shiyu reluctantly took it away, "Fine, if you don't want to drink, then we won't."
"The cake is a bit messy. If you mind, I'll order a new one."
Jiang Shiyu looked over and asked, "You baked the cake yourself, didn't you?"
Shen Cen remained silent.
Two or three months ago, she secretly started learning baking behind Jiang Shiyu's back, wanting to make a cake for his birthday herself. But who would have thought that something like this would happen before Jiang Shiyu's birthday.
This morning she was torn about whether or not to bake a cake for Jiang Shiyu herself, but then she felt that in the end, only she would be moved.
However, she couldn't help but look forward to seeing Jiang Shiyu's reaction when he saw the cake.
"Was it done terribly?" she asked with a self-deprecating laugh.
"It's not bad looking." Jiang Shiyu subconsciously wanted to get closer to Shen Cen, but considering their current state, he knew that doing so would only make Shen Cen dislike him more, so he restrained himself.
He stared at the cake for a long time, then suddenly looked up at the person in front of him, his eyes glistening with barely perceptible tears. "I'll like anything you make."
"Really...?"
Jiang Shiyu could easily detect the disbelief in Shen Cen's tone. He didn't know why, even though Shen Cen knew he loved her, his attitude suddenly changed after the truth came out.
Despite this, he would still tell Shen Cen again and again, tirelessly, that he loved her.
His words and actions speak for themselves.
Even though Shen Cen is not someone who is easy to warm up, he will slowly warm her up and see the snow-capped mountains melt and spring flowers bloom.
Shen Cen turned her face away, hiding the tear from the corner of her eye, before turning her head back: "Make a wish, Jiang Shiyu."
Can a wish come true if you make one?
"Maybe."
"Xiao Cen, do you know what my wish is?"
"I might have known before, but I'm not sure now."
The man's Adam's apple bobbed, but he didn't utter another word.
"Make a wish first, Jiang Shiyu." Her voice rose a few decibels, as if trying to conceal some emotion.
"Okay, then I'll make a wish."
Jiang Shiyu made his wish for a very short time, so short that even Shen Cen was surprised.
After all, Jiang Shiyu had only one wish: to be with Shen Cen forever. He asked for nothing more.
His only birthday wish in the past was this one, and it will only ever be this one in the future.
It has never changed from beginning to end.
-
The rain continued to fall relentlessly, and the fierce winds tore the pouring rainwater into countless pieces.
The sound of rain hitting the glass was startling.
"We should talk."
Shen Cen took two documents out of his bag and handed them to Jiang Shiyu. Jiang Shiyu took them, and when he saw the black and white words on the paper, he was stunned. Even though he was usually a very calm person, his emotions had completely run wild at this moment.
after all--
The huge "divorce agreement" was placed right in front of him, almost piercing his eyes.
“I disagree.” Jiang Shiyu blurted out almost without hesitation.
Shen Cen bit her lower lip and opened another document, which was the document from when the two of them agreed to get married.
"The agreement stated that either party could terminate the engagement at any time." Shen Cen's fingertip moved to Jiang Shiyu's signature at the end. "You even signed it yourself back then."
"Therefore, I am now exercising my right to terminate this marriage."
The words had barely left his lips when they echoed faintly in the empty, desolate living room.
Jiang Shiyu could no longer control himself. He suddenly pulled Shen Cen into his arms and used all his strength to hold her firmly in place.
"I don't agree to a divorce! Xiao Cen, are you still complaining about me hiding my identity? I can explain it to you."
She was enveloped by the man's familiar aura.
The man wrapped one arm around her neck and the other around her waist, burying his head in the crook of her neck.
Shen Cen felt a lump in her throat, and tears streamed down her face like a broken kite string.
All the mental preparation she had made during this period had vanished; she was completely defeated.
"Mr. Jiang, there's no need to explain. After signing this agreement, go find your white moonlight."
She wouldn't even call him by his name anymore; the intention to distance herself from him couldn't be clearer.
The hand around her waist suddenly froze.
"Xiao Cen, what... what did you say?"
"Your white moonlight."
Shen Cen no longer wanted to hide the fact that he knew about this.
"You really like her, don't you? You like her so much that Guangyi was founded because of her, you still have her portrait sketches, everyone who plays 'Summer Echoes' knows about your romantic love story, and you even went so far as to find me as your substitute. Jiang Shiyu, is this fair to me...?"
By the end, she was so choked up that she couldn't utter a complete sentence, and could only sob softly.
Jiang Shiyu stood frozen in shock, as if struck by lightning, his mind buzzing.
He was only brought back to his senses by the trembling of the person in his arms.
It turns out that Shen Cen had misunderstood that his white moonlight was someone else.
He finally understood why Shen Cen had been so cold towards him all this time. It wasn't because she didn't love him anymore, but because she thought he had fallen in love with someone else.
Jiang Shiyu chuckled softly and admitted, "Yes, I do have a white moonlight, and I love her very much."
These words struck Shen Cen like a thunderbolt.
"Let me go!"
She struggled to break free, but he wouldn't let go. She yelled at him, calling him a bastard, but he held her even tighter.
She bit his arm, trying to make him let go, but Jiang Shiyu seemed oblivious to the pain, letting Shen Cen bite him hard without uttering a sound.
Only when the taste of rust filled his mouth did Chen Cen release his grip. Blood seeped out along the teeth marks, a truly horrifying sight.
She sobbed, "Jiang Shiyu, why won't you let me go? Can't we stop torturing each other? Since you have a white moonlight now, go find her! What's the point of clinging to me!"
"But Xiao Cen," the man showered her with kisses, as if he wanted to pour out all the longing he had accumulated over the past ten years.
Do you know?
"I found it a long time ago."
"You have always been my white moonlight."
-----------------------
Author's Note: When I finished writing this chapter and set it to run in the draft box, I was stunned! The timeline in the story is November 2nd, and today in reality is also November 2nd! What an incredible coincidence! Let's wish President Jiang a happy birthday, and hope his only birthday wish comes true! [cat emoji]
They'll reconcile in the next chapter! President Jiang always thought Xiao Cen was distant because of his position as CEO, never imagining it was because of his "white moonlight" (his unrequited love). The misunderstanding will be cleared up soon! Let's go back to that small town in southern Beijing and see what happened back then~ [pat on the head]
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
