Chapter 49. The Defense Line: I just like you, since I was seventeen...
Xia Chan seemed to hear footsteps behind her and turned around instantly.
The moment Xia Chan saw him, her previously calm expression suddenly turned into one of astonishment, and she stared at him in disbelief.
Chen Zhoudu simply strode forward and sat down beside her.
Aren't you cold?
Chen Zhoudu had a cup of hot red date and ginger tea in his hand, which was placed in a thermos. He sat down next to her and gently unscrewed the lid to hand it to her.
The moment my palm touched her fingertips, I could feel that her hands were icy cold from the sea breeze.
He quietly covered the back of her hand with his palm without letting go immediately. When he felt a slight warmth return to her fingertips, he then directly touched the Hegu acupoint on her hand and gently massaged it.
Xia Chan paused for a moment, still staring blankly at him as if she couldn't recover for a while. Her fingertips trembled slightly and she froze without moving.
Hegu (LI4) promotes blood circulation and relieves pain.
A slight soreness welled up in her heart, as if something had filled it. The emotions she had been forcibly suppressing since Xie Xun's appearance surged forth like a tidal wave. Her nose stung, and she stared at him for a moment before abruptly raising her hand to push him away, turning her face away, and saying in a low voice, "Who told you that?"
With a smile, Chen Zhoudu took her hand without a word and gently massaged it, saying, "Thoughts."
He met her eyes with a sly wink, "Don't tell her I told you. I promised her I wouldn't tell you."
Xia Chan was still slightly taken aback as she met his gaze. She let out a soft hum, hesitated for a moment, but didn't push him away a second time. She asked in a cold voice, "What are you doing here?"
If she remembered correctly, his schedule should have kept him incredibly busy these days, and he should be on set right now.
"The film crew got a temporary break, so I came out," Shen Zhoudu said casually.
fraud.
Her gaze was cold and fixed on him. Shen Zhoudu could read the meaning in her eyes, and could only smile helplessly and tell the truth: "Okay, I took leave. I was worried about you... and I wanted to see you, so I came."
Xia Chan pursed her lips slightly, gave a nonchalant smile, and asked calmly, "Tell me, what did Guan Bohan tell you?"
She was always so clever, and he knew that some things couldn't be hidden from her at all, so he sighed and switched her to her other hand.
"He said he didn't know how he made you angry. You said you didn't want to be in charge of the work related to his birthday party anymore and wanted to hand it over to another colleague. Then you stormed off in a huff."
Thinking of Xie Xun... Xia Chan's lips pressed into a thin line.
"Xia Chan." The gentle sea breeze ruffled his fine hair, giving him a naturally handsome appearance. He looked at her through the sound of the sea breeze, his fingertips still lightly massaging her breast, and whispered, "I know you won't tell me what happened."
Xia Chan frowned slightly, feeling a strange sense that he had answered her before she could.
Chen Zhoudu chuckled as he looked at her expression. "But if you're willing to talk, I'm always willing to listen—even if I can't solve any real problems for you, I'll just be your confidant."
Xia Chan's lips twitched slightly, and for a moment, a surge of emotion coursed through her heart; she almost wanted to tell him.
She has never been one to confide in others. She doesn't know many people about her past, and the only people she can truly trust are a few in her small house.
But he had seen all her disheveled moments and knew all her experiences and feelings;
He was a straw that had inadvertently fallen into her world, capable of entangled her and pulling her out.
But she didn't want this straw to take root and spread in her soil.
He should have his own trees and meadows, while her world is only a barren, icy cave with cold blades that will only cut his branches to pieces and leave him bleeding.
She finally lowered her eyes. "It's nothing, I'm just really annoyed by him, and I don't want to have anything to do with him anymore. Anyway, this job is almost over, and even if I quit, I don't want to have anything to do with him again."
Chen Zhoudu smiled inwardly at her words and said, "Well, then let's not have any more contact with him."
But since they were friends for many years, he paused for a moment and then said, "However, Bohan has a sharp tongue and likes to spit on people, but he's not a bad person. He grew up surrounded by love. Uncle Guan and Aunt Guan spoiled him from a young age, which made him more childlike. Sometimes, I'm actually quite envious of him."
But whose love was that? And whose love did it belong to? Xia Chan remained silent, a self-deprecating smile playing on her lips.
The golden sunset spills across the sea, reflecting off the shimmering surface like shattered stars, bathing the entire world in a warm, orange glow.
Xia Chan wondered if it was just her imagination, but she felt that her lower abdomen, which had been cold and painful, was not hurting as much anymore.
The previously oppressive feeling in my chest has eased considerably.
She gazed at his profile as he continued to gently massage her hand, then suddenly whispered, "Crossing the Sunken Boat."
"Hmm?" Chen Zhoudu looked up.
She looked into his eyes and hardened her heart. "I don't want to have anything to do with you anymore."
His fingertips paused slightly, but he quickly resumed his gentle massage as usual, calmly lowering his eyes, "Mm."
His reaction surprised her, and she wondered if she hadn't expressed herself clearly enough. She spoke again, "I said, I don't want to have anything to do with you anymore."
“I know.” Chen Zhoudu looked up at her with a smile.
His smile still held that calm yet determined look in his eyes, as if no storm could shake him.
Xia Chan stared into his eyes and pursed her lips. Before she could speak, he said, "Xia Chan, can you choose to trust me one more time?"
"What?" Xia Chan's eyes flickered slightly, not understanding.
He sighed, and the pressure on his fingertips eased slightly, but instead of letting go of her hand, he gripped it even tighter in his palm.
“I know you’ve long wanted to have nothing to do with me anymore. You’ve always felt that we’re from different worlds and that there’s no possibility between us. If there’s no possibility, you don’t even want to try. After all, if you haven’t had it, you haven’t lost it. If you haven’t lost it, you won’t be sad because of it, and you won’t let yourself fall into an uncontrollable and inescapable emotional state, right?”
Xia Chan stared at him, her expression one of shock and disbelief, but he remained smiling and said seriously:
"Because I don't want to be sad, I simply don't give myself the chance to be sad."
"Because I'm afraid of getting hurt, I simply didn't want it in the first place."
"Xia Chan, this is your way of defending yourself, and it's also part of your personality. I know you keep saying you don't want to have anything to do with me, but that's not really your intention. You don't hate me, you just can't convince yourself to accept me without any reservations, right?"
"What my father said back then is still a thorn in your side. I was just too powerless to fight back, and you had to endure so much contempt and slander that you shouldn't have had to bear. I'm sorry. But now, I have the ability, and I want to fulfill my promise. So I hope you can choose to trust me again, try... to accept me, give me a chance to prove myself, okay? I won't let you get hurt, I will do my best not to make you sad, and I will not leave. Since you want to hide in your shell and avoid me, then I will take the initiative to come to you. But at least give me a chance to come to you, okay?"
Xia Chan's heart pounded as she stared at him, seemingly unable to catch her breath. After a long while, she resolutely pulled her hand away from his, saying, "Don't think you know me so well."
His gaze turned cold as he looked away. "So self-righteous!"
“I truly don’t understand you,” Chen Zhoudu sighed softly. “No one in this world can truly understand another person.”
"But Xia Chan, I want to understand you as much as possible, even a little bit more is better than an inch more. I don't agree with what you said to me that day. I've always known what I'm doing, and it's not because of some so-called regret or resentment from my youth. I just like you, I've liked you since I was seventeen, and once I've made up my mind, I will never change it."
“I know that society moves very fast these days, and people’s hearts change very quickly. Things that come and go in a hurry always make people feel insecure, but I will not change. Words are not enough, but I just want to prove it with time. I also hope you will give me this time and opportunity, Xia Chan.”
It seems like many years ago, on a snowy day, he stood in front of her, and she casually said, "You won't give up until you achieve your goal, will you?"
He spoke with certainty and seriousness, “Xia Chan, that’s exactly who I am.”
"Once I've made up my mind about something, I will never change it."
Then a sentence, long buried in the dust of time, was suddenly blown away by the wind one day, and it was discovered that it was still there.
Xia Chan slowly clenched her hands on her knees, almost swaying in the wind for a moment, but finally whispered, "I don't have time."
She looked away. "Shenzhoudu, stop doing this... don't force me to hate you."
"Don't you really like me?" Shen Zhoudu suddenly asked.
His sudden, seemingly random question made her heart skip a beat. She stared at him intently and said, word by word, "I don't like you."
"Is that so?" He smiled instead, looking her in the eye with his face close to hers. "Then why do you still keep the things I gave you?"
This sentence made Xia Chan's heart pound violently. The little wooden cicada hidden under her clothes on her chest suddenly felt hot, causing a spasm in her heartstrings.
She gritted her teeth and shouted angrily, "Siyi!"
“She didn’t say anything.” Chen Zhoudu smiled smugly instead. “I was the one who wanted to take a gamble and blow you up. Now it seems I made the right bet.”
His smile was gentle and clear, with a touch of childlike smugness. Xia Chan was taken aback when she met his gaze, and suddenly became even more indignant.
When they returned home that evening, the atmosphere between the two was even more tense and cold; neither of them spoke a word to him.
As night fell, the suburban streets were quiet and peaceful. Xia Chan strode ahead, while Chen Zhoudu drove along, stopping and starting intermittently to keep up with her.
The bus stops in the suburbs are a bit far apart, but once you leave the park, the crowds increase.
Xia Chan was worried that it was too conspicuous, so after a moment's hesitation, she turned back to his car window.
"How long are you going to follow me?!"
"When you turned around." The car window slowly rolled down, revealing a pair of clear and deep eyes.
Xia Chan was stunned for a moment when she met his gaze.
—How long are you going to stay with me?
—When you turn around.
He smiled at her, looking up at her, his face bathed in the light of the streetlights.
Clean and tidy, elegant and quiet, a touch of distant frost and snow fell into her palm.
"I've always been behind you."
-
Xia Chan eventually handed over all the follow-up work for the birthday party to Yu Lianxin.
That night, after returning home, Guan Bohan wrote a long apology to Xia Chan, starting almost from their first meeting in the elevator.
He claimed that he shouldn't have ridiculed or mocked her, and even less should he have deliberately tormented her later. He hoped that she could forgive his immaturity and not hate him.
Xia Chan replied that she wouldn't. But Guan Bohan, as if possessed, immediately started sending out love letters again.
He said that he felt she was special from the first time he saw her; she was very beautiful and had a very unique personality. His confrontation with her on the basketball court later amazed him even more.
If possible, he wanted to become friends with her first, and he would definitely let her see his strengths and shining points… Xia Chan usually didn't turn her phone to silent mode because she was worried about emergencies at the hotel, but this night, she was woken up by Guan Bohan's messages every time she was about to fall asleep. Finally, she couldn't take it anymore and replied to him:
"Mr. Guan, it's 2 AM Beijing time. If you send me another message, I'll make sure you see the red dot first!"
The world is quiet.
The birthday party was held as scheduled on May 27th, which was Xie Jun's birthday.
That day, the Yahai Tianze store witnessed an unprecedentedly luxurious scene.
Because it was Xie Jun's birthday, many celebrities and politicians from their circle came to celebrate. From the political and business worlds, the entire hotel parking lot was like a luxury car exhibition, dazzling and overwhelming.
"Ah, the decadence and debauchery..."
Xia Chan stayed at the guest room department that day, deliberately avoiding the banquet hall. Du Na and several other girls who were on duty at the guest room department that day couldn't help but sigh repeatedly, their tone and eyes full of envy.
Most people yearn for prosperity and excitement, especially for such a rare feast.
Xia Chan thought there was no need for her and Xie Xuan to meet, so it was best to stay as far away as possible and focus on doing her own thing without being disturbed.
Guan Bohan was still very high-profile when he arrived, as it was a private trip and he did not follow the media.
But when he parked his cool sapphire blue sports car in the parking lot, it still attracted a lot of attention.
He wore a dark blue suit today, with a crisp cut that made him look tall and slender, with a handsome and elegant figure.
After getting out of the car, he didn't go straight to the banquet hall, but went directly to Xia Chan in the accommodation department, a slight smile playing on his lips as he casually invited, "Miss Xia, may I invite you to be my date today?"
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