Chapter 1 Chapter 1 Ambiguous and tacit
Chapter 1
On a sultry afternoon, the azure sky suddenly changed color. Bright lightning split the layers of dark clouds in the storm, and rumbling thunder rolled down.
In the Ruan Mansion, the luxurious and spacious living room was brightly lit, and the huge crystal chandelier hanging in the center of the ceiling cast layers of light and shadows, which was dazzling.
The cool light enveloped the graceful girl sitting on the dark brown leather sofa.
Ruan Yan was sitting quietly without any makeup on. Her beautiful face, as clear as jade, was slightly pale. There was a piece of gauze stuck on her smooth forehead, half of which was covered by her soft black hair.
She looked calmly at the couple on the sofa next to her, her bright eyes as clear and moist as those of an elk hidden deep in the forest.
"Xiaoyan, how do you feel today? Are you feeling better?" The handsome man with sharp eyebrows and bright eyes said to Ruan Yan.
The man's name is Jia Yanyuan, Ruan Yan's boyfriend, and the white moonlight that Ruan Yan had loved carefully and deeply for more than ten years.
If that accident hadn't happened, if those things hadn't happened, she and he might have walked down the aisle hand in hand.
Ruan Yan held a gold-painted bone china cup in her hand, and her slender fingertips gently stroked the cup wall: "Much better, thank you Brother Ayan for your concern."
Although he knew that Ruan Yan had lost her memory, Jia Yanyuan still felt a little uncomfortable when he saw that the arrogant and willful young lady had changed from her usual well-behaved and docile self.
He blurted out: "Didn't I tell you not to be so distant with me? If I don't care about you, who else can I care about?"
"Yeah." Ruan Yan pursed her pale pink lips and nodded at him shyly.
Seeing her so weak, Jia Yanyuan couldn't help but feel a little pity in his heart, and his eyes became softer.
Qiao Qianqian, who was sitting next to Jia Yanyuan, noticed the subtle change in Jia Yanyuan's expression, and her thin eyebrows immediately frowned.
"Xiaoyan, do you still remember me? I'm Qianqian. We are very good sisters."
Qiao Qianqian leaned forward slightly, her slender collarbone highlighted, and the thin diamond necklace on her porcelain-white neck sparkled, echoing the light cast by the crystal chandelier above her head, making her expression seem a little distorted.
Ruan Yan raised her eyes slightly, and through her thick eyelashes, she seemed to see a day two years ago when Qiao Qianqian said to her arrogantly and mockingly: "You can't even control your own man, who can you blame?"
"His heart is with me, what can I do?"
"It's not certain which of us is the mistress."
…
The memories faded away. Under the bright white light, Ruan Yan stared at Qiao Qianqian's face motionlessly. Her dark eyes reflected a cold and empty light, which made Qiao Qianqian inexplicably frightened.
After a few seconds, Ruan Yan's tightly furrowed brows slowly relaxed, and she shook her head regretfully: "Sorry, I don't remember..."
Qiao Qianqian subconsciously breathed a sigh of relief.
"How could this happen? How could this happen?" she murmured, her eyes reddening. "You must have suffered a lot these days, being out there alone..."
There were slight sobs in Qiao Qianqian's voice. As she spoke, she even started to sob softly, as if she was really heartbroken for her friend's experience.
Seeing this, Jia Yanyuan, who was standing next to her, quickly took out his handkerchief and handed it to her to wipe her tears.
Qiao Qianqian took the handkerchief and moved gently towards the man naturally, her voice muffled: "Thank you..."
Jia Yanyuan couldn't hide the compassion in his eyes, and he lowered his voice and said a few words to comfort Qiao Qianqian in a gentlemanly manner.
The interaction between the two is ambiguous and tacit, and it is obvious that they have an extraordinary relationship.
Ruan Yan, who was sitting opposite the sofa, took everything in, but her expression remained calm.
After a while, Qiao Qianqian adjusted her mood and finally stopped crying. She looked up and said apologetically, "I'm sorry, I lost my composure just now."
Ruan Yan, who was sitting opposite her, shook her head with a bewildered expression. "Sister Qianqian is so sad because she's worried about me. I should be the one feeling sorry."
Qiao Qianqian paused imperceptibly as she wiped her tears with the handkerchief between her fingers.
If it were in the past, with Ruan Yan's temper, she would have exploded on the spot when she saw herself and Jia Yanyuan having such intimate physical contact in front of her. How could she possibly blame herself?
Could it be that if one loses his memory, his original temperament will also change?
Qiao Qianqian, who has always been cautious, was skeptical.
Not to mention the drastic change in personality, Qiao Qianqian also thought that there might be something else fishy about Ruan Yan's amnesia.
These days, every time she heard Jia Yanyuan describe Ruan Yan's abnormal behavior after her return, she felt something was wrong, so she came here today to find out what was going on.
"Xiaoyan, please stop saying that. When your body recovers, that will be the happiest thing for Ayan and me."
Qiao Qianqian's pronunciation focused on the words "I and A Yan", and between the lines she subtly added a hint of ambiguity to the relationship between herself and Jia Yanyuan.
"I will, thank you, Sister Qianqian."
Qiao Qianqian smiled gently, and Ruan Yan also had a somewhat innocent smile on her face.
Their eyes met in the air. On the surface, they both appeared gentle, calm and indifferent, but there seemed to be undercurrents surging in their hearts.
At this time, Aunt Wang from the family came out to speak.
"Xiaoyan, the doctor will come to give you a routine checkup this afternoon and will be here soon."
"Oh, okay." Ruan Yan slowly put down the cup in her hand.
Qiao Qianqian turned her head and said to the man beside her with a smile: "Ayan, didn't you say you were going to the company this afternoon?"
Jia Yanyuan glanced at the time: "Yes, I have a meeting this afternoon."
Qiao Qianqian adjusted her sitting position as she prepared to leave, and said, "It just so happens that I'm going to be nearby too..."
"Brother Ayan——"
Before Qiao Qianqian could finish the second half of her sentence, "Then let's go together," she was interrupted by another soft and gentle voice.
Ruan Yan raised her thin eyelids, and her clear eyes covered by thick eyelashes were so crystal clear that they seemed to be dripping with water. "Brother Ayan, can you stay and accompany me for the examination? I'm a little scared to be alone..."
Her tone was pitiful, her white teeth biting her rosy and tender lips, and she stared at him pleadingly.
She looks so innocent and delicate that no man would be able to refuse her.
Jia Yanyuan is no exception.
He thought for less than a second and nodded: "Don't be afraid, I will be with you later, it's okay."
Ruan Yan smiled sweetly: "Thank you, Brother Yan."
Qiao Qianqian, who was standing next to her, frowned and tightened her lips.
Oh, how could she be alone? Isn’t Aunt Wang a human being? Aren’t the other servants in the house human beings?
Why are you pretending to be a weak little white flower to get men's sympathy...
People of the same sex are most sensitive to this kind of scheming.
Jia Yanyuan was deceived and couldn't see it, but Qiao Qianqian saw through her hypocritical tricks at a glance.
A feeling of hatred rose in Qiao Qianqian's heart, but at this moment she could do nothing but grit her teeth in her heart.
Seeing that Jia Yanyuan focused all his attention on Ruan Yan and almost ignored her as a background board, Qiao Qianqian became more and more annoyed.
After a long pause, she relaxed her frown and asked casually, "Xiaoyan, why isn't Sister Wen Ying here? Is she busy with work again?"
Wen Ying is Ruan Yan's sister, or to be more precise, her half-sister.
The relationship between the two sisters has never been very good.
Today, when Qiao Qianqian came to Ruan's house, she saw that the surroundings were deserted and Wen Ying was nowhere to be seen. She understood something.
Her only sister was lost and found again, and came back from the gates of hell. Her body and brain were injured and not healed yet. As an older sister, she seemed to be indifferent and did not even provide the most basic companionship. It can be seen that the relationship between the two is still very tense.
So Qiao Qianqian took advantage of the opportunity and deliberately mentioned it in front of Ruan Yan.
On the one hand, he pricked Ruan Yan's sore spot to vent his anger, and on the other hand, he tried to sow discord between the two sisters.
One arrow penetrates twice.
Ruan Yan looked very calm, and said nonchalantly, "She has been staying at home with me these past few days. She had something to do at the company this afternoon and just left."
"Really? That must be a very serious matter." Seeing her trying to pretend to be calm, Qiao Qianqian smiled faintly and said, "But Sister Wen Ying is really like a reassurance to the Ruan family. She works very hard and is very capable. The company really can't do without her."
Hearing this, Ruan Yan didn't react much. She just blinked her watery eyes and nodded, seeming to agree with Qiao Qianqian's words.
Seeing that Jia Yanyuan changed his afternoon schedule, Qiao Qianqian very "considerately" expressed her willingness to stay and keep him company.
The doctor gave Ruan Yan a very detailed full-body examination. During this time, Jia Yanyuan received a call on his mobile phone.
He got up and went to the corridor to answer the phone. When he came back, Ruan Yan's examination was almost done.
Ruan Yan noticed that when he pushed open the door and came in, there was a refreshed and happy arc in the corners of his eyes and eyebrows.
Catching the change in his mood, Ruan Yan asked him, "Brother Yan, is there anything happy?"
Jia Yanyuan restrained his expression, a smile still lingering on his lips. "Nothing. My assistant just called to discuss attending the East District Plaza opening reception next month."
Qiao Qianqian, who was standing next to him, raised her eyebrows when she heard this and couldn't help but ask, "WAN Plaza, which is under the Wanlai Group?"
"Yes." The excitement in Jia Yanyuan's tone subsided a little.
The name of Wanlai Group is well-known in City C.
Wanlai, founded by the Lu family with profound family background, has multiple subsidiaries under its umbrella, covering a wide range of fields including real estate, finance, media and film, and is a major taxpayer in City C every year.
Different from the upstarts who have emerged in recent years, the Lu family has been a prominent and prominent family for generations and was already a well-known local tycoon in the early Qing Dynasty.
With the change of dynasties and the passage of time, the Lu family also experienced a dark period of decline after its peak, but this "decline" was only relative to the Lu family itself. For most ordinary people, they were still an unattainable wealthy family.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the national industry developed rapidly. The Lu family took advantage of the rise of the textile industry and once again made a name for themselves in the market. They later founded the Wanlai Group, which is now in its heyday.
In City C, who wouldn't want to be related to Wan Lai and the Lu family? But not everyone is qualified to interact with the Lu family.
For example, Jia Yanyuan, in order to be able to attend this cocktail party, he has been working hard to open up various connections during this period.
"...None of the Lu family's descendants are ordinary people. In the past few years, Wanlai has suffered repeated losses in gambling, its financing plans have been blocked, and billions of shares have been frozen. Rumor has it that the situation is so serious that it is on the verge of bankruptcy and liquidation."
"When almost everyone thought Wanlai couldn't make it through this, Mr. Lu's eldest son, Lu Peishi, who had previously declared he didn't want to inherit the family business and had long since left the inner circle to start his own business, suddenly came back from outside!"
"Lu Peishi took only two and a half years to miraculously turn the tide against the odds, despite outsiders' pessimism. He remains a legend in our industry to this day."
"This WAN Plaza is one of Lu Peishi's key projects in the second half of the year..."
Having finally established a relationship with Wan Lai, Jia Yanyuan couldn't hide his pride, and at the same time began to talk incessantly about Lu Peishi's various great achievements as if he were there.
Ruan Yan listened for a while and couldn't help but glance towards the loyal listener next to him.
With such a focused and serious expression, it seems that Qiao Qianqian is very interested in the Wanlai Group.
Especially when mentioning Lu Pei, who was said to be so miraculous, Qiao Qianqian's eyes instantly lit up. Even though it was obvious that she was trying her best to suppress it, she still couldn't resist the sparkle in her eyes.
Jia Yanyuan didn't know whether he was speaking too seriously or what, but he didn't realize whether Qiao Qianqian was focusing on him or others. He was still counting Lu Peishi's glorious achievements one by one.
Ruan Yan was not too interested in these things, she just kept repeating the name in her heart.
Lu Peishi...
Is it that powerful?
She glanced sideways, bent her fingers to hook a small lock of soft hair, and her thoughts wandered briefly.
*
The wind gradually died down, the clouds dissipated and the rain stopped.
The sky finally cleared up, and the air was filled with the faint scent of grass, fresh and refreshing.
At the entrance of Ruan Mansion, Ruan Yan put on a thin shawl and looked at the two people beside the black car with a smile.
"Thank you for visiting me today."
In the golden light, her fair face looks rosy and plump, with that kind of very clean and pure beauty.
Jia Yanyuan's gaze couldn't help but linger on Ruan Yan's face for two more seconds.
Why do I always feel like her temperament is completely different from before? Now she looks pure and gentle, like a high school student who has not yet grown out of her childishness.
Perhaps it was because since some time ago, Ruan Yan always wore heavy makeup in front of him and rarely appeared without makeup.
Jia Yanyuan was in a daze for a moment, but quickly regained his composure: "Xiaoyan, don't send me off. Go back quickly."
After saying that, he couldn't help but gently hugged her shoulders and said with concern: "It just rained and the weather is still a little cold. Don't catch a cold."
Qiao Qianqian's face darkened for a moment, then she smiled nonchalantly again, "Yeah, Xiaoyan, go back quickly. Don't catch a cold. You haven't recovered yet. Ayan and I will come to see you next time."
"Okay." Ruan Yan didn't react to the provocative words, but just smiled with her eyes narrowed.
When getting in the car, Jia Yanyuan naturally opened the passenger door for Qiao Qianqian.
Qiao Qianqian gave him an extremely gentle look in return.
The silent movements clearly revealed the intimacy and familiarity between the two.
Qiao Qianqian got into the car proudly and elegantly. At the same time, she raised her pointed chin with a hint of pride and glanced in Ruan Yan's direction intentionally or unintentionally.
Ruan Yan's expression remained calm, not looking irritated at all.
Sitting up straight, Qiao Qianqian, with her face blocked by the car window, snorted in her heart, "Ha, let's see how long you can hold your temper."
The car carrying the two people slowly drove away.
Ruan Yan stood there, watching the black spot disappear into the corner hidden by tall trees. The formal smile on her face had been replaced by indifference at some point.
The sunlight was becoming more and more dazzling. Ruan Yan put one hand loosely in front of her forehead and turned sideways to walk into the Ruan Mansion.
When I turned my head, I unexpectedly saw a familiar figure.
The door of the very imposing villa next door finally opened.
At the foot of the lead-gray brick wall covered with ivy, a tungsten-colored car faintly blocked the shadow of a slender figure.
The man came out of the house at some point and stood in front of the car with his back hunched, seemingly not noticing Ruan Yan behind him.
After a while, he closed the driver's door and turned back.
Ruan Yan was still standing there, and their eyes met in mid-air.
Their eyes met briefly, and those eyes as deep as a pool were cold and dull, without a trace of warmth.
In the scorching sunlight, the man glanced at her face expressionlessly, as if he didn't see her, and walked straight ahead.
Ruan Yan didn't care. At this moment, she was just thinking with amusement in her heart, if Jia Yanyuan and Qiao Qianqian knew that the legendary figure Lu Peishi in their hearts was the first person to discover and "save" her when she returned to the Ruan family, how would they react?
What would their reaction be if they knew that Lu Peishi had just moved into the old house next to Ruan Mansion - where his mother Shen Qingling lived many years ago, and became a neighbor of Ruan Yan?
Thinking of this, Ruan Yan raised her carefully designed bright smile, and in a soft and sweet voice, she greeted the cold man in front of her warmly: "Brother Pei Shi——"
The author has something to say:
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The post is about to begin, I, Hu Hansan, am back again!!!
I took a break for a while due to health reasons, and now I am back with plenty of manuscripts in full swing!
Hope you all like this little cookie!
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