Chapter 39
The Chiang family.
Looking at Jiang Zhuochun's obviously unpleasant face, Zhang Ma didn't dare to utter a sound, deeply regretting that she had told the second young master about Xiang Wan's visit to their home.
If the two brothers start arguing because of this, she'll really be committing a terrible sin!
She was still feeling uneasy when she heard the sound of someone opening the door and changing shoes.
Realizing that it was the young master who had returned, she was about to go to greet him when Jiang Zhuochun stopped her: "Zhang Ma, you should go upstairs first."
"..." She wanted to tell the second young master not to be impulsive and to talk things out, but after thinking about it, she felt that she was overstepping her bounds, so she went upstairs without saying anything.
Downstairs, as soon as Jiang Juncang entered the room, he saw his younger brother looking at him with a questioning expression on the sofa.
Someone who had long anticipated this day: "..."
"Let's talk in the study."
Seeing his brother's indifferent reaction, Jiang Zhuochun became even more furious.
In the study, the two brothers sat facing each other. Jiang Juncang looked at his younger brother, whose likes and dislikes were written all over his face, and said with a hint of helplessness, "Do you think I shouldn't have invited Xiang Wan to have coffee?"
This is a statement of fact, because he knew perfectly well that this was exactly what Jiang Zhuochun thought.
The other party was also very frank: "Yes, and you know perfectly well that I've liked Xiang Wan since junior high school."
When he said this, Jiang Zhuochun sounded somewhat aggrieved.
He knew that many people liked Xiang Wan, but at least his brother shouldn't like her.
Jiang Juncang said calmly, "She and I went to a coffee shop to discuss a collaboration."
Hearing that it was about work, Jiang Zhuochun thought she had misunderstood her brother and felt a little embarrassed: "I misunderstood you."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Juncang took off his gold-rimmed glasses and turned his gaze from the screen to his younger brother: "You haven't misunderstood me, I do have feelings for Xiang Wan."
He spoke with such composure that Jiang Zhuochun didn't even know how to react: "..."
After a moment of silence, Jiang Juncang changed the subject: "Zhuo Chun, ask yourself honestly, do you really like Xiang Wan?"
He originally thought that his younger brother liked Xiang Wan, which is why he had only recently made a move despite being interested in her for so many years.
Then one time, Che Nan came to the Jiang family and the three of them had a meal together. Although they didn't speak, even a fool could tell that something was off between the two of them, except for the two of them themselves.
Jiang Juncang's words were like a sharp sword, directly piercing the part of Jiang Zhuochun's heart that he was least willing to face, making him jump up instantly: "If I don't like Xiang Wan, who else can I like?"
Jiang Juncang didn't want him to run away anymore, so he said directly, "Che Nanbei."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Zhuochun's eyes flickered, and he subconsciously denied it: "She and I have been friends since childhood, I have no feelings for her."
"..."
When Jiang Zhuochun was a child, his parents were often away on business trips, and he was basically raised by Jiang Juncang. Therefore, he knew him very well and knew that Jiang Zhuochun would subconsciously run away when faced with problems.
This time, Jiang Juncang did not allow him to escape, and said coldly, "Jiang Zhuochun, haven't you had enough of playing house?"
"Putting everything else aside, you keep saying you like Xiang Wan, but you actually like someone else. Is that really respectful to Xiang Wan?" His tone was unusually serious.
He always thought his younger brother would grow up, but with so many people protecting him, he had always grown up in a greenhouse. Jiang Juncang worried that Jiang Zhuochun was maturing too late, and that those around him would get hurt because of him.
He had heard about the friendship among the four of them, and his younger brother would sometimes chatter on and on with him at home.
Jiang Juncang knew that his younger brother liked Xiang Wan. He had always thought that Jiang Zhuochun was protecting and accommodating Xiang Wan, but later he realized that it was actually Xiang Wan who had been accommodating and protecting her younger brother.
Jiang Zhuochun has always been very dependent on Xiang Wan, so he hasn't really grown up.
Seeing his younger brother looking distraught, Jiang Juncang realized he had been too harsh with his tone and softened it: "Think about it yourself first. Isn't it Xiang Wan who's been accommodating you in many things?"
"For so many years you've said you like Xiang Wan, but do you really like her? Or are you just attracted to the aura surrounding her, mistaking admiration for love?"
Jiang Zhuochun didn't say a word, quietly closed the door, and went upstairs alone.
In the study, seeing that his younger brother hadn't stormed out, he felt a little relieved.
Not long after, the silent man suddenly returned: "This is no excuse for you to steal Wanwan away and ask her out for coffee alone!"
Like a small beast unleashing a powerful attack after being provoked: "I'll tell Wanwan bad things about you."
Jiang Juncang: "..."
In fact, after Jiang Juncang exposed a truth that he had never dared to admit, Jiang Zhuochun was depressed for a whole month.
For a month, he neither went to school nor looked for an internship. Even when Shen Feiyang and Xiang Wan came to him, he avoided them like a coward.
When Jiang Zhuochun realized that he didn't really like Xiang Wan and only regarded her as a close friend, he was filled with shame.
Even though he used many excuses, such as protecting Xiang Wan from many unwanted suitors, to numb himself, he still felt like a complete bastard when he woke up the next day.
For a whole month, he neither cut his hair nor shaved, letting himself live like a caveman, as if that would lessen his guilt.
Zhang Ma had watched the two young masters grow up since they were little, and she was extremely anxious to see him like this. However, Jiang Juncang saw everything but told Zhang Ma not to interfere.
Half a month later, Xiang Wan visited for the third time. Zhang Ma took her to knock on Jiang Zhuochun's door for the third time, but the man still pretended to be dead and refused to open the door.
Xiang Wan, standing outside the door, probably knew a little about the reason and what he was obsessing over.
Standing outside the door, she felt as if she had been reborn, her fate still uncertain, and she had become the unfortunate homeroom teacher making home visits.
She wasn't angry at all at being turned away, and seeing that Zhang Ma was very calm, she said, "Zhang Ma, you can go now."
Once only the two of them were left, Xiang Wan looked at the door and said, "Jiang Zhuochun, I've come to ask for your help. I wonder if my three visits to your thatched cottage are enough to persuade you, my Zhuge Liang?"
Upon hearing this, the person who had been eavesdropping with his ear pressed against the door was taken aback. When Xiang Wan came to see him earlier, he thought she knew about the stupid thing he had done and was there to persuade him.
Once he calmed down, he realized that only his brother knew about his feelings for Che Nanbei.
Jiang Zhuochun was curious about what Xiang Wan wanted to say, so he took out a baseball cap from the closet, put it on, and opened the door for her.
In the room, the two remained silent for a long time before Xiang Wan broke the silence: "I've come to ask you for a favor."
Jiang Zhuochun was extremely curious: "What kind of help?"
Xiang Wan said in a nonchalant tone, "I've fallen for a junior and want to pursue him. Can you help me do that?"
"..." Upon hearing that Xiang Wan had a boy she liked, Jiang Zhuochun's first reaction was not sadness, but relief.
Fortunately, she didn't like him, and fortunately, she didn't take his verbal expressions of affection over the years seriously.
If he discovers that his feelings for Xiang Wan are admiration, not romantic love, and then Wan Wan falls for him, it would be more painful than being slowly sliced to death.
Fortunately, his self-righteous affection did not harm Wanwan, and thankfully, Wanwan is still unaware of anything. They are still best friends, and it's not too late for everything.
Upon hearing this, Jiang Zhuochun instantly transformed from a wilted eggplant into an energetic puppy: "Wanwan, which junior do you like? Is he as handsome as me?"
He yanked off his baseball cap, and Xiang Wan, caught off guard, saw someone who looked exactly like a caveman, and her eyelids twitched in surprise: "..."
It wasn't until Jiang Zhuochun urged her to speak quickly with a gossipy look on her face that Xiang Wan came back to her senses. She suppressed her wildly twitching eyelids and began to make up a story: "He's also from our finance department, a freshman."
"Sure, Xiang Wan, is he handsome?"
"..."
There was no such person at all; the character was made up on the spot simply to stop Jiang Zhuochun from getting stuck on things. Of course, Xiang Wan couldn't say who it was.
But for some reason, when she was making things up, Chen Yan's face popped into her mind.
Therefore, when she made up a story, she based it on his appearance: "He is very handsome."
"beautiful?"
"Yes, but not effeminate."
"Does our institute have such a person?"
"have."
…
After Xiang Wan visited him three times, Jiang Zhuochun finally stopped being stubborn, and the four of them returned to their previous state.
However, this time, the atmosphere between Jiang Zhuochun and Che Nanbei changed from the initial awkward silence to a more ambiguous one.
Xiang Wan and Shen Feiyang noticed this and would occasionally tease her when the three of them were alone.
Within a month of the press conference, after confirming that there were no problems with the first batch of cars, Xiang Wan handed over all the remaining finishing work to Secretary Huang, and became a hands-off manager.
Because she had relatively free time during her junior year, Xiang Wan recently joined a new club in addition to her regular classes – the Mountaineering Club.
She wasn't the type to enjoy joining clubs, but perhaps because she had finally resolved a grudge from her past life, she had become a little too relaxed lately.
The president of the mountaineering club, who was struggling with recruiting new members, almost knelt down on the spot with tears in his eyes when he heard that Xiang Wan wanted to join.
The mountaineering club has transformed from an unknown small club into a star club that requires a resume to join.
Xiang Wan was initially unaware that the club president had been publicizing the news of her joining the mountaineering club, until she saw dozens of familiar faces at the club's first group activity...
*
The mountaineering club's first group activity was, naturally, mountain climbing.
At the foot of the mountain, all the club members gathered together to get acquainted with each other.
Besides the four-person group, Chen Yan and Zhou Chengze and his sister were also there.
Xiang Wan looked at the familiar faces, and then looked at the president of the mountaineering club with some disbelief.
Seeing that the club president looked guilty and didn't dare to look at her, she turned to the group of four and asked, "Why are you all here too?"
The trio said in unison, "We also enjoy mountain climbing."
Xiang Wan: "..."
That's utter nonsense. The two young ladies and the young master usually take a taxi even for a few hundred meters, and they also like to go hiking.
But Xiang Wan didn't intend to expose them, and instead asked Chen Yan, who was standing to the side, "What about you?"
"I heard that you joined the mountaineering club." His eyes were glued to her as he spoke.
Xiang Wan raised an eyebrow, her voice devoid of emotion: "Is that so?"
She then looked at Zhou Chengze and Zhou Xinyi standing in the corner. They were a handsome man and a beautiful woman. If it weren't for the fact that she had to be dragged into their forbidden relationship in her previous life, she would probably have blessed them.
However, she had no interest in being Zhou Chengze's "white moonlight" (ideal love interest), and she selectively ignored his greetings...
The mountain they were going to climb this time was Yueya Mountain, a famous mountain in Beiyi known for its scenery.
The club president was standing at the front of the crowd, explaining the lottery rules to them through a megaphone: "Later, you will travel in pairs, and your partners will be decided by drawing lots. We will meet at the top of the mountain this afternoon, have lunch, and then take the cable car down the mountain together."
He talked on and on, then pulled a small box out of his coat and asked everyone to come up and draw a lot.
People behind gradually surged forward, but Xiang Wan didn't move. She turned around, squeezed through the crowd, and walked towards the trio behind her.
However, she had only walked a short distance behind them when she heard the trio seemingly whispering and plotting something.
There were many tourists at Yueya Mountain, and the crowd was so noisy that she couldn't hear what they were saying, except for one sentence.
"Are you sure the junior student Wanwan likes is in the club?"
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