Chapter 94
Underneath the greenery, there are casual tables and chairs for a temporary rest.
It's a top-notch place to eat.
However, after seeing the person under the banyan tree, Guan Nan stood there stunned, her eyes wide open.
Jiang Li remained expressionless, his tone indifferent: "If I'm not here, where am I supposed to go?"
“You,” Guan Nan paused, “didn’t you go out?”
"Where to?" Jiang Li asked in return.
Before Guan Nan could finish her sentence, she couldn't bring herself to say "go—". In her memory, the only things that could be associated with him were coffee and wine, and the school. But the campus had long since become irrelevant to them, and she couldn't bring herself to say the only thing she knew about coffee and wine.
There were other places she didn't know at all, let alone could name.
As she paused, the air seemed to freeze.
"Then what should we do?" As if she had something to say, Jiang Li lowered her eyes and then raised them again, saying without revealing any emotion, "I'm at home and you don't even leave the house."
so······
Guan Nan's eyelids twitched.
He goes out three times a day, punctually.
Whether it's taking out the trash, going out to eat, or simply making room for her.
She didn't notice anything.
Only now does she belatedly realize that the times she went out those days were always coincidental—she would pick up her takeout, she would wash up and take a shower, she would occasionally take a stroll in the living room, and then return to her bedroom.
Guan Nan silently reflected on her actions.
Then, she gripped the bag tightly, feigning composure.
She called his name: "Jiang Li".
Jiang Li raised his chin, silently gesturing for her to "speak."
"I'm not hiding anymore," Guan Nan said earnestly, pursing her lips.
Upon hearing this, Jiang Li lightly tapped the screen with his thumb, and the screen clicked shut. He then asked, "I didn't ask you for money, did I?"
Guan Nan quietly shook her head.
"I didn't ask you to take responsibility for me, did I?" Jiang Li asked again.
Guan Nan shook her head again.
"Then why are you hiding?" Jiang Li said. "Shouldn't I be the one who suffers?"
"..." Guan Nan felt that this statement was biased and couldn't help but retort, "You didn't really suffer a loss, did you? I didn't do anything to you."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Li immediately became interested, and his eyes narrowed slightly: "What else do you want from me?"
"······"
He always seems to miss the point.
What they're discussing now isn't what she wants to do to him.
But with this back-and-forth, even someone who's in the wrong can argue their point, let alone someone who's in the right but is at a disadvantage.
Guan Nan immediately frowned: "You're being unreasonable."
"Oh," Jiang Li seemed to find it amusing, "After all this talk, you've run out of ideas, so you're starting to blame me for being unreasonable?"
Guan Nan was speechless again.
"Why are you not saying anything again?" Jiang Li turned his phone around.
"..." Guan Nan hesitated for a long time before finally managing to say, "Jiang Li, please be reasonable."
Jiang Li glanced at her and tapped the lit screen.
Guan Nan stopped while thinking about how to bring upstairs.
Suddenly I heard him say, "Are you out of things to say?"
Guan Nan: "?"
"How about I give you a book?"
"What?"
Jiang Li stood up, raised his hand, and said slowly and deliberately, "The art of language."
"······"
Realizing he was mocking her, Guan Nan took a deep breath and, seeing him stand up, tilted her head back and said, "No need, I'm quite talkative."
The next second, Jiang Li chuckled.
Jiang Li lowered his hand and said casually, "That means you have nothing to say to me."
"..." Guan Nan's face was blank.
Jiang Li nodded slightly, raising his hand to pass over her right shoulder. "It's fine."
The heat source brushed against her ear, and the faint scent of sea salt filled her nostrils. Guan Nan's body suddenly stiffened, and she dared not move.
Guan Nan lowered her eyes, staring at that slender, long hand, and said in a low voice, "There's nothing I can do if that's how you think."
"You're pretty scummy." Jiang Li seemed to find it somewhat unbelievable.
As soon as he finished speaking, someone else took over.
The man was right behind me, still slightly out of breath, but he smiled and said, "Sorry to keep you waiting, there's no parking available at the entrance." Even after saying that, the man hadn't left.
Jiang Li took the things, thanked the man, and didn't see him leave.
As the man turned around, something suddenly popped into his mind. He turned his feet and suddenly pulled out his phone, reaching out with one hand to grab Guan Nan, only to find that he had grabbed nothing.
Man: "Hey, aren't you that guy who's been all the rage lately—"
"No." Jiang Li stretched out his hand, gently pulling her into his arms around her waist. Then, he moved his hand up, pressing her head against his shoulder and burying her face in his shoulder.
One second he was smiling faintly, the next he was indifferent, his eyes cold.
The seemingly inconspicuous movements are actually both offensive and defensive, as if the opponent has already been prepared to be placed behind them and then seamlessly launched an attack.
Jiang Li is always like this; he seems nonchalant, but he always manages to gain the upper hand.
"That internet celebrity..." His aggressiveness was visibly strong, and the man looked somewhat intimidated, holding up his phone as if he wanted to say something.
Jiang Li shooed him away, his tone cold: "You can leave now. I'll give you a tip."
"That's not what I meant." The man looked quite young, and his words had clearly hurt his pride, so he didn't consider the inappropriateness of his behavior.
Jiang Li tossed the bag aside, gripped his phone tightly, and tapped a few times quickly: "Is five hundred enough?"
He wanted to say something more, but the man in front of him didn't seem like someone to be trifled with, so he simply said a few more words and slunk away.
But after walking a short distance, still unwilling to give up, they took another photo of the two of them.
Guan Nan nestled in his arms, her spine and scalp tingling, her body trembling slightly and uncontrollably, her hands clutching his clothes tightly, her heart pounding erratically.
Fortunately, the familiar and warm embrace gave her a sense of security, but she was still anxious and uneasy.
Until those warm, strong hands gently patted her back, driving away all fear.
After a long while, Guan Nan finally found her voice, and called out his name unconsciously, "Jiang Li."
"Mm," Jiang Li replied softly.
"He," Guan Nan paused, catching her breath, "did he take pictures?"
Jiang Li immediately denied it: "No."
As the weather turned cooler, Guan Nan felt a slight relief from her taut nerves and numb body after receiving the answer. Her hands, which had been gripping the fabric of her clothes tightly, relaxed, and she noticed that her palms were still slightly damp.
The brim of the hat seemed to be touching his chin, and Guan Nan realized that the two of them were still close together, so he instinctively took a step back.
The two of them put some distance between them.
There was silence for a moment.
All I saw was Jiang Li bending down, picking up the bag that had fallen onto the pebbles, and straightening up with one hand in his pocket.
He tilted his head and said lazily, "Go home."
Guan Nan followed behind him.
Reaching the elevator, Guan Nan lowered her head and saw the contents of the bag: vegetables, meat, oil, salt, seasonings, and even a note on the order form.
"Don't go upstairs, make a phone call."
The elevator doors opened, and Guan Nan followed him in. Seeing that he had swiped his card to unlock the elevator, she suddenly asked, "Are you downstairs every day?"
"Not necessarily." Jiang Li put the card away, but halfway through the action, he handed it back to her.
Guan Nan stared at the card: "And what about you?"
“This is my home,” Jiang Li said, handing him the card with a half-smile.
The implication is that this is my home, so how could I not have a card or not be able to log in?
Guan Nan accepted the access card and thanked him.
Upon arriving home, Jiang Li went in first, carrying a large bag straight to the kitchen. He took out the items one by one, placed them on the counter, and then washed the cutting board.
Sitting outside the island counter, Guan Nan looked at the takeout and then at the kitchen.
Guan Nan hesitated before asking, "Do you need help?"
"Yes." Jiang Li replied without turning his head.
Just as she was about to go over, she heard Jiang Li say, "Could you please help me throw the takeout in the trash can?"
"······"
Then forget it.
Aside from what he bought, the only other thing in the house that counted as takeout was the spicy hot pot she ordered. She tried to pretend she hadn't heard it.
These words were clearly directed at her.
So, Guan Nan originally planned to use the same trick again, but before she could react...
Jiang Li turned slightly to the side, resting one hand on the counter, and looked over with a half-smile, as if he could see through all her thoughts.
He said calmly, "What?"
"..." Guan Nan paused, her hand still holding the bag. She looked up at him, somewhat bewildered: "What?"
Jiang Li scoffed lightly: "What are you pretending for?"
These words came out of nowhere, leaving Guan Nan completely confused. Because the words were derogatory and made her uncomfortable, she frowned and asked, "What did I pretend to be?"
"You lost it," Jiang Li repeated slowly, "Can't you hear me?"
Guan Nan was speechless: "What will I eat if I lose it?"
"Have you become nearsighted again?"
When did I become nearsighted?
“Oh,” he nodded, “I don’t need glasses.”
"······"
Jiang Li countered, "What am I doing?"
The words were on the tip of her tongue, but Guan Nan swallowed them back, not giving him the hint, and said in a low voice, "How would I know?"
"How old are you?" Jiang Li asked.
"24," Guan Nan answered habitually, then realized her mistake and changed her answer to "25."
Jiang Li smiled and said, "Really? I thought you were three years old."
"..." Guan Nan's face was tense. "What do you mean?"
Jiang Li: "You're just saying that because you look young."
That doesn't sound like a compliment.
But, as the saying goes, "one has to bow one's head when under someone's roof," and Guan Nan felt extremely aggrieved. She ignored him, lowered her head, picked up the takeout box, and prepared to go back to the bedroom balcony to eat.
The glass door to the balcony can be opened to allow for ventilation and prevent odors from lingering. Small tables and chairs have also been placed there.
As soon as she got up, the stool moved and scraped against the floor, making a harsh sound.
"Guan Nan," Jiang Li said without turning his head, rinsing the vegetables he had taken out in the sink, "come and pick the vegetables."
Guan Nan was taken aback. "And what about you?"
"Throw away the trash." Jiang Li said as he walked over, naturally taking the takeout from her hand. He glanced at the price and immediately laughed in exasperation, "Six yuan and ninety cents, nine dishes, and three freebies."
Guan Nan frowned and reached out to snatch it.
"You really aren't picky about food," Jiang Li said, raising the spoon a few inches higher and staring down at her. "Aren't you afraid the boss will spit in it?"
Upon hearing this, Guan Nan pursed her lips and remained silent.
She is currently on the verge of unemployment, and with the recent unforeseen events, it will be difficult for her to have any income in the near future. Without a source of income, and with her savings only dwindling, she feels very insecure.
The only thing we can do right now is to save money, since food, drink, accommodation, and transportation are the biggest expenses.
She's only a little stingy.
Eat less, eat cheaper food, and be careful with every penny.
Guan Nan was still thinking last night about how to ask him about a month's rent, and then calculate the length of time she had moved in so that she could split the rent with him for the period of her stay.
Since the topic had come up, Guan Nan hesitated for a second, "Is the rent expensive here?"
The conversation abruptly changed, and Jiang Li's brow twitched. She hadn't caught up with her sudden change of topic, but she quickly followed up with, "What, you're buying a house?"
"Um," Guan Nan mumbled, "I was just asking."
Jiang Li dragged out the emphasis, replying lazily, "Anyway, one million is definitely not enough."
Guan Nan nodded: "Oh, what about renting a place?"
"What?" Jiang Li raised an eyebrow, "You want to rent it for a million?"
“No,” Guan Nan shook her head and said honestly, “I’ll give you the rent.”
"······"
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