Episode 3 Rainy Season
Jiang Shu stayed in the villa for almost a week this month and didn't even go back on weekends.
Lin Ying didn't ask him the specific reason. She was busy with her own things every day. When she had work, she focused on it. Normally, she stayed in her room. Occasionally, she would accompany Liu Ma to buy groceries, cook, and chat. But what she liked to do most was to help take care of the flowers, plants, and branches...
In just two weeks, Liu Ma added three rounds of tuberose colors to her room.
On Saturday afternoon, she was carefully taking care of the newly arrived flowers and plants in the living room. Jiang Shu happened to come down from upstairs, wearing a loose bathrobe and only swimming trunks underneath. Although his well-proportioned chest muscles were faintly visible, Lin Ying did not glance at him. She knew that Jiang Shu occasionally went to the backyard of the villa to swim, and she could just "watch" him from the back window of the secondary bedroom, so it was nothing strange.
He didn't rush to the backyard, but walked towards her and asked -
"I recently asked Aunt Liu to order more tuberoses from the flower shop. Do you like them?"
Lin Ying paused, pondering these words quickly and carefully, and was slightly surprised: "I thought you liked this flower too."
"Seeing you've been here lately, I thought I'd help you out."
Jiang Shu's gaze was like a stream of water, and it was hard to stop for a moment. Was he looking at the tuberose in Lin Ying's hand, or her fingers...
Tuberose, also known as night-blooming jasmine, has a delicate shape and rich fragrance. When Lin Ying was in high school, she would often buy a few bunches of them from the flower stall outside the school after school, and then quietly put them in a vase on her desk when she got home.
Later, she left home and went to college, so she had no time to grow flowers. Then she got married. She wanted to take care of some flowers and plants, but because Ren Jiahui was allergic to pollen, she no longer had a reason to do so.
She never thought that someone would care about her preference.
"It's time to change the flowers in the study. Once you're done, ask Aunt Liu to change them."
After explaining, Jiang Shu turned to leave. Lin Ying said, "Shall I go change?"
"No need for you."
He stopped and ordered, his tone awkward: "This is not your job."
Thinking of Liu Ma's previous warning about the "restricted area", Lin Ying didn't say much and nodded obediently.
He went to the backyard, and Lin Ying's hands were not idle either. She looked at the pot of fragrant night-blooming jasmine, but her face was hot - as if she was dizzy from the fragrance.
After dealing with all the flowers and leaves and filling them with fresh water, she was still worried about Jiang Shu's instructions just now. It was not about changing the flowers in the study, but why he didn't let her interfere at all - what secrets were there in his study?
Could it be something shameful? After all, this villa was where Jiang Shu and his bedmates often came. Could it be that he, like the CEO in Fifty Shades of Grey, had a small compartment in his study specifically for fun?
But since Xiao Lu's incident last time, there haven't been any new people coming...
But what does this have to do with her?
She forced herself to accept Jiang Shu's care for her during this period as normal. He was just paying more attention to her because of their family relationship. After all, they had lived together for so many years, so it was normal for him to notice these things.
But when she came to her senses, she was already standing at the door of the study, holding a tuberose flowerpot...
Just as she was about to open the door, Aunt Liu suddenly came over, seeing the opportunity.
"Let me take it in, miss?"
She was just coming downstairs with dried clothes and towels when she suddenly rushed over, frightening Lin Ying so much that she almost dropped the flower pot in her hand...
"Let me take it in, miss. Would you like to help me take these new towels to the backyard? Mr. Jiang will need them later. Didn't he go swimming?"
Seeing the other person's embarrassed and deliberate look, she knew that it was useless to say more, so she honestly handed the vase to her and took the bath towel in her arms... But deep in her heart, she was still chewing on the regret of her failed peeping.
She walked towards the pool with a bath towel in hand. Her agile and flexible figure in the water was hard to ignore. It was her first time watching him swim up close, and she couldn't help but glance at him a few more times. She was so distracted that she almost forgot that she was supposed to put down the bath towel and leave.
But the phone on the recliner suddenly buzzed...
She subconsciously picked up her phone and waved it towards the person in the water to remind him, "Brother, your phone!"
In a matter of seconds, Jiang Shu jumped out of the swimming pool and walked towards her with the water.
His figure is more beautiful than I imagined, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist, well-proportioned muscles, and excellent proportions. Just looking at him is a visual enjoyment...
But now is not the time for her to enjoy herself.
Jiang Shu leaned towards her, keeping a distance from her. The bath towel in her arms was suddenly taken away, as if he had dragged her into the hot spring. Her head was still dizzy, but her body had already melted into it.
He threw the towel over him, snatched the phone from her hand, and immediately answered the call.
Jiang Shu didn't seem to care about the distractions of the people around him. He just wrapped himself in a bath towel and left the pool while listening to the phone...
Lin Ying just stood there, the water droplets that had just been shaken off splashed on her skin, as if something had sprouted on her skin. She felt itchy, as if she was touching herself over and over again, and she fantasized about these touches.
Why do you think of these again?
Lin Ying, you are really crazy.
More than an hour later, Jiang Shu finished his work and knocked on Lin Ying's door.
"Do you have plans tonight?"
"What's wrong?"
"A friend of mine is organizing an Asian alumni association for California universities in Xuhui. If you haven't made plans, I can take you there."
"Ah? Why would I want to join in your alumni gathering?"
Jiang Shu said, "Didn't you get stood up at the last exhibition in Julu? I have a classmate who works in entertainment venue management. He's going there this time too. I'll help you out."
He actually remembered what she had just casually mentioned? Although it was abrupt, there was no reason for Lin Ying to refuse such an olive branch being thrust into her hand.
"There should be a dress code for the cocktail party, right? Then I have to go home and get an evening gown."
"It's not on the way to your house, so I'll take you shopping. Get ready and leave at four o'clock."
Another arrangement that leaves no room for maneuver.
Half an hour later, he took Lin Ying to Jing'an Henglong to pick out a dress.
Lin Ying didn't have any requirements, as long as it was decent, but Jiang Shu seemed to have obsessive-compulsive disorder. He took her to try on one outfit after another and changed several luxury stores. Lin Ying was too lazy to try on so many sets of clothes when she went shopping herself.
After trying on the tenth little black dress, Jiang Shu finally compromised with Lin Ying's tough decision.
"Let's just take this one. I don't want to try it again. I won't be able to wear it many times anyway."
The salesperson at this store knew Jiang Shu. While Lin Ying was in the dressing room changing into her own outfit, when Jiang Shu came to swipe his card, the salesperson whispered:
"This is the first time I've seen you be so patient while helping a girl pick out clothes."
Jiang Shu entered the password without even looking up: "She's different."
Lin Ying changed her dress and came out of the fitting room. Seeing Jiang Shu's expression, which seemed to urge her, she hurried forward to pick up her clothes, but Jiang Shu snatched the bag from the salesperson's hand...
Looking at the backs of the two people leaving, the salesperson couldn't help but sigh - it seems that this person is not ordinary, because he has never taken the initiative to pick up the clothes of those girls before.
The scale of the cocktail party was not very large, but the people who came were all elites, and their status was almost the same as that of Jianglin Group.
When Jiang Shu's friend Eric rushed out unexpectedly, Lin Ying almost spilled the champagne in her hand.
"Hey, Mr. Jiang! You brought your family with you today? How strange!"
Jiang Shu rolled his eyes at the visitor and explained:
"This is my sister. I brought her here today to meet the people from Fujiharu's side. Ah Ying, this is my schoolmate and good friend. Just call him Eric."
"A real sister? Or did you recognize her?"
Lin Ying took the initiative to clarify: "He is my brother, and my father is Mr. Lin of Jianglin Group."
Eric almost couldn't believe her ears: "You are Lin Ying? I finally met the real person. Before this, I was always in Jiang Shu..."
"We have something else to do, let's talk Eric again."
Jiang Shu suddenly put his arm around Lin Ying's shoulders and urged her forward with his body, heading towards their main destination tonight...
Tonight, Lin Ying met many people at Jiang Shu's alumni gathering, including Chen Can, the business director of Tengchun Culture. The other party knew her identity, and with the support of her brother Jiang Shu, the resources behind her could be used as a reserve for her future work.
To be honest, Lin Ying's status as a "rich girl" never really took advantage of her after graduation. Whether in work or marriage, she seemed to be a meaningless screw, a delicate vase. Even her current job was squeezed in by Yan Song's nepotism.
No matter what environment she is in, her presence is always insignificant.
The cocktail party is over.
On the way home, Lin Ying burst into tears of gratitude, "Tonight's cocktail party is so important to me, thanks to your introduction, brother."
"I don't know many people in the art world. Eric told me about this cocktail party the day before yesterday, and then I noticed that the venue manager you contacted is my schoolmate. I'm at home with nothing to do anyway, so I might as well go out and relax. It's not good to be stuck at home."
He also knew that he was in a bad mood.
Is it that obvious?
"Thank you for your help."
"There's no need to talk about trouble between you and me."
His reminder was so serious that Lin Ying couldn't refuse. Suddenly, she remembered, "Oh, by the way, you haven't told your family that I've been staying at your place lately, have you?"
Lin Ying seldom mentioned the concept of "parents" in front of him. Firstly, she did not call Jiang Yueling mother. Secondly, she knew that she was an outsider and did not want to deceive herself.
"Everyone said he was on a business trip, so of course I didn't say anything."
"That's good."
"Why? Do you mind if they find out?"
"Of course I mind," Lin Ying admitted immediately, choosing her words carefully. "After all, I'm married, and Dad is close to the Yan family. If my in-laws heard about it... it wouldn't be good."
Hearing this, Jiang Shu also chuckled softly and said, "That's right, after all, we are not siblings."
As Shanghai's plum rain season draws to a close, Yan Yiming's field trip has finally come to an end.
After learning that he was going home, Lin Ying said she had to go home early.
She had lived in Jiang Shu's house for more than a week. She didn't see him all the time, but they had a tacit understanding. She had lied to her mother-in-law that she was on a business trip for five days, so she didn't bother her to accompany her.
On the day she returned home, the rain still continued, but Jiang Shu offered to take her home.
"It's inconvenient when it rains, why bother..."
"Fasten your seatbelts."
Jiang Shu interrupted her excuses and pressed the handbrake without any objection.
Lin Ying had no choice but to do as he was told.
Along the way, the two exchanged greetings from time to time, but the rain outside the window washed away these greetings one by one, and mist rose and covered the left and right windows.
After Jiang Shu drove into the underground garage of her apartment, she spoke softly, as if trying to find out if he wanted to chat.
"Now that I'm gone, are you planning to let Xiao Lu move back in?"
"Probably not."
"It's so easy for me to leave, and you can enjoy your own world in peace."
He didn't respond. After finding a suitable parking space, he asked, "Do you think I'm that impatient about that kind of thing?"
"That's not what I meant."
Click.
He turned off the parking brake, and then everything in the car went dark.
The private space was shrouded in a vacuum.
"What about you? Your husband is coming home soon. Are you looking forward to it?"
It was right next to me, but this problem was like throwing a stone into a quiet lake, causing ripples to form layer by layer and then wrapping around me.
"What are you looking forward to?"
"Don't you miss him after such a long separation?"
"It's okay, it's not like we just got married."
He laughed inaudibly, as if mocking her and himself.
"That's right. The same people, the same things, naturally, after a long time, there's nothing new about them."
Jiang Shu appears to be very secretive and serious, but occasionally reveals a cunning and even petty side, like a lion with fox-like claws.
But she couldn't see this side clearly.
"I'm leaving first, brother. Thank you for sending me back."
I tried to lock the car with my fingers, but the door didn't respond... The interior of the car was pitch black, and the rain and fog melted on the glass windows, mottled like sweat or tears.
She tried twice more, but it still didn't open.
"Aying, you forgot something."
"What?"
There was mist on the glass, and when she stretched out her hand, it was wet... She turned around and was greeted by a kiss from the other party without any warning.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
