Chapter 37 Admit Defeat in the Confrontation, It's Because You Like Me
Li Chengchang, who was in charge of online public opinion management, didn't sleep well for three days and three nights because of Jiang Xuchi's words that he would never let the incident escalate.
Public opinion is easy to suppress, but what people say can be terrifying.
He can control the online insults and attacks, but he can't control the real-life fights offline.
Qin Man herself will find out about this sooner or later; Jiang Xuchi can't possibly keep it a secret forever.
Why bother with all that effort? Really.
Li Chengchang was dissatisfied for several days. Although he did his best, he felt that it was not very meaningful.
He especially didn't understand Jiang Xuchi's way of helping behind the scenes. He should either just tell Qin Man directly that he was the one who suppressed it, and still win her heart. Now he's doing this behind-the-scenes affection. Tsk tsk, I don't understand.
...
After posting a video, Qin Man has learned not to look at the comments section anymore, and she has also learned not to be affected by various insults and discussions.
She locked her phone, placed it aside, and lay back down on the bed, exhausted.
Growth happens in an instant; it seems like only a short time has passed since she went from being extremely concerned to being fearless.
But she couldn't stay hidden in her room forever; she wanted to go to Chengxi Garden for dinner today.
She didn't even bother to wear a mask. After putting on her makeup, she styled her hair with a straightener, put on a hat, and went out.
Her apartment is in a very nice environment, with two units per floor. The apartment across from hers has never been occupied, so she lives alone on this floor.
Just as the elevator doors were about to close, someone outside pressed the elevator button.
Qin Man was somewhat surprised and looked up.
Having not seen him for a long time, Jiang Xuchi was still the same as before. His sudden appearance here made her heart race a little. However, that racing didn't last long before it calmed down.
Neither of them spoke. Qin Man stared at the floor numbers as they descended, unsure how to begin.
Actually, she had heard about the online harassment she had received from Gu Lingqing, but it was quickly suppressed and didn't spread.
It's been suppressed for over a month, and not a single word about it has been leaked yet.
Qin Man asked her if it was you who helped her.
Gu Lingqing answered no, saying she didn't know who it was, as it's difficult to find out who did such a good deed.
Qin Man was already guessing at that time whether it was Jiang Xuchi.
But she didn't want to ask.
She hated Jiang Xuchi the most because he could never figure out what he was thinking. She put aside her pride to try to understand his thoughts and tried every means to get close to him, but she still only had the right to be forced to accept him.
The elevator is almost at the first floor.
Qin Man finally couldn't hold back any longer: "Is there anything you want to say to me?"
He remained silent.
The elevator doors opened.
Qin Man took a step forward, and suddenly her arm was grabbed by him.
"You were the one who called yesterday." Jiang Xuchi's voice was flat and emotionless, which put Qin Man in an awkward position. "What do you want to ask?"
Qin Man shook off his hand, her voice cold: "If you didn't have this attitude, I wouldn't have hung up the phone so soon after answering it."
After learning what Gu Lingqing had said, she had a moment of impulse to call Jiang Xuchi and ask him.
But the moment the call connected, she didn't want to ask anymore, so she hung up.
"Qin Man," Jiang Xuchi still wouldn't let go, "I can do whatever I want, what kind of attitude do I need to show you?"
Qin Man's cheeks and ears turned bright red with anger. She pulled her hand away from his and said, "What do you want me to say? That I thank you and that I like you? You're dreaming!"
Jiang Xuchi did so much but didn't say anything, simply because he wanted her to say she liked him first.
After so many years of clashes, she understands Jiang Xuchi.
From the moment she first saw Jiang Xuchi on the day she entered high school, she could see the obsession in his eyes.
He wanted to make her bow her head.
That's why she won't confess her feelings first.
She waited for Jiang Xuchi to speak. Even if she had been manipulated by him before, it was because of the circumstances. She would never lose this battle.
"Jiang Xuchi, just admit defeat. It's you who likes me!"
Jiang Xuchi frowned when he heard her say that.
He had never understood his thoughts before, but her words revealed them to him. He suddenly realized why he always wanted to go against her when they were together.
Li Chengchang complained to him, saying that if he likes someone, he should go after them. Why openly act like he has a crush on someone but doesn't say anything? What kind of behavior is that?
Jiang Xuchi, however, did not want to pursue her. Although he couldn't help but do things to pursue her, he just didn't want to say a word about liking her.
He was waiting for her to walk towards him.
Qin Man had clearly seen through this thought long ago.
He knew Qin Man all too well; she was unwilling to back down, and she would never give in. Even in her darkest times, she would not easily compromise.
Lost in his thoughts, Jiang Xuchi let go of Qin Man's hand, glared at her, and walked away.
Her back view remains the same as it was many years ago; she never looks back.
...
"So, you haven't found a man you like yet?" Lin Xian shook her hand, which had just been covered in temporary tattoos, clicked her tongue twice, and continued, "There's a long line of men chasing after you, and you haven't liked a single one of them. What kind of man do you like?"
She and Qin Man were in the same dance class, both art students, and she had a non-mainstream style that was different from the mainstream, which Qin Man liked very much.
"He's handsome," Qin Man said casually.
"The street dance club is full of handsome guys."
"None of them are handsome enough."
“The performing arts students are all handsome,” Lin Xian sighed. “At our school, there are handsome men and beautiful women everywhere. I want to hear your honest opinion.”
Qin Man thought of Jiang Xuchi and honestly said, "He's tall, handsome, doesn't talk much, has liked me since we were little, and has to obey me."
Lin Xian sensed something was wrong: "Have I liked you since we were little?"
"Um."
Lin Xian chuckled: "From what you're saying, I find it a bit strange. You like your childhood sweetheart, and your childhood sweetheart likes you too?"
Qin Man remained silent, simply tying her hair up high in front of the mirror with a hair tie.
She couldn't quite explain what liking someone felt like, but she couldn't let go of the thought of him liking her.
Seeing that she didn't answer, Lin Xian sighed and said with a smile, "I know you can't possibly pursue other people, and if someone pursues you, they probably can't use normal methods either."
Qin Man snorted, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.
As Lin Xian said, you can't pursue her using normal methods; those are things many people have already done, and she doesn't care.
From childhood to adulthood, she has obtained everything easily. Lavish things that come too easily are not cherished. Only special and memorable things are unforgettable.
Qin Man tied her hair up, applied a quick layer of foundation, stood up to grab her bag, and turned to ask, "Going to the dance studio?"
"No, I'm too tired," Lin Xian said lazily. "I'm not like you. You can spend eighteen hours a day in the dance studio, except for three meals. You're practically a monster."
Qin Man loves to dance; the combination of rhythm and strength makes her feel alive.
After finishing her dance practice, it was already late at night, and Qin Man returned to her rented apartment.
As she scanned her face and entered through the gate, she vaguely glimpsed several figures. They were in the dark alley, and every now and then a suppressed scream could be heard.
Qin Man is not stupid.
She knew she had been followed for the past few days. Because the public opinion had been inexplicably suppressed, many people still refused to give up and continued to find her address to take photos secretly.
She doesn't want to show her face, but her videos are incredibly popular, and now a single photo of her sells for an extremely high price online.
There must have been someone among those people who came to take photos secretly, but I don't know why those kinds of sounds came out.
It looks like he was beaten.
Qin Man, being bold, went over to take a look and saw a tall, thin man shoving a fat man holding a camera against the wall. The man's face was covered in bloodstains, and he looked like he had been beaten badly.
Behind the tall, thin man were two other people, dressed in black shirts and wearing masks, standing beside Jiang Xuchi like door gods.
Yes, she had a feeling Jiang Xuchi would be here.
Jiang Xuchi also saw her; after all, it was hard for her to go unnoticed when she peeked out.
"Li Chengchang, remove his memory card and tell him to get lost." Jiang Xuchi was not surprised by Qin Man's appearance; his voice was low and cold.
Qin Man watched as the tall, thin man grabbed the man by the collar and threw him out. She took a step back and met Jiang Xuchi's eyes.
Jiang Xuchi was also looking at her, his face expressionless.
Li Chengchang then noticed Qin Man standing there. It was the first time he had seen her in person, and he was so amazed that he stood there speechless.
Jiang Xuchi: "Did you hear what I said?"
"Oh, okay, you take this." Li Chengchang finally came to his senses, scratched his head, tossed the memory card in his hand to Jiang Xuchi, and quickly dragged the perpetrator away.
Qin Man pointed to the things Li Chengchang had just given him, "How many cards have you gotten?"
"Not many, this is the third one today."
"You beat up the first two like this?" Qin Man was speechless. "Anyone who didn't know better would think I hired a bunch of thugs to protect me."
Jiang Xuchi: "I've always been very polite before, but this person is different today."
"What did you film?"
"unimportant."
"Then let me see it."
Jiang Xuchi shoved the card back into her pocket. The man had not only taken pictures of her, but also of everything in her house—her bed, cosmetics, and even her underwear.
It's like a thief breaking into a girl's house at night, only to be caught red-handed.
That was a light bet for him.
"You should move somewhere else." Jiang Xuchi didn't intend to tell her about this disgusting thing. "There's absolutely no privacy here now."
"Then where will I stay?" Qin Man crossed her arms and looked at him leisurely. "Will I stay at your place?"
She really wanted to stay with Jiang Xuchi. Jiang Xuchi was such a good person. When he took her in, he didn't want anything from her. Even though he seemed so hateful, he was a true gentleman.
If he's not a gentleman, then he's an impotent man.
Thinking about the past made Qin Man angry, and she couldn't help but retort to him.
“You must find a new place to live,” Jiang Xuchi said.
"I'm too lazy to go anywhere else, I'm determined to stay here." Qin Mancai retorted, "What can you do about it... sigh!"
Jiang Xuchi suddenly leaned in, pressed the back of her head, and kissed her.
The moonlight in the alley had nowhere to hide, shining on his gray sports jacket. She was enveloped in shadow, breathless from being kissed.
Jiang Xuchi bit her lip and wouldn't let go, kissing her harder and harder, "Then come and stay here with me."
"Why should I?" Qin Man couldn't push him away and instead he slammed her against the wall. "You're not my boyfriend!"
"Didn't you want to be my girlfriend?"
"No way," Qin Man's eyes stung, and tears suddenly streamed down her face. "It was you who wanted to be my boyfriend."
Jiang Xuchi put his arm around her waist, released her lips, and rested his chin on her shoulder.
His body was trembling; it was hard to tell whether he was laughing or angry.
But he simply refused to do as Qin Man wished.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com