Chapter 34 I'm leaving
Ling Shen sat in the dining room, unable to get the porridge at the bottom of his bowl into his mouth with the spoon in his hand. In the kitchen, Su Nian was busy preparing coffee, the morning light shining on him, making Ling Shen confused for a moment.
Ever since the party, Ling Shen's heart felt like it was entangled by silk threads, and that inexplicable strange feeling made him feel at a loss.
But Su Nian still prepared breakfast in the morning and greeted him with a smile when he got off work. However, Ling Shen felt that something had changed.
But every time he wanted to stop Su Nian and ask her for clarification, facing those eyes that were faintly smiling and sad, all of Ling Shen's words were blocked back.
Although Ling Shen wanted to explain to Su Nian, the company's busy projects forced him to put his affairs with Su Nian aside for the time being. He watched Su Nian's figure disappear into the distance, determined to confront her after he was done with his work. He didn't want to let some inexplicable things disrupt their relationship, nor did he want to lose her.
But Ling Shen didn't know that everything Su Nian was doing now was preparation for leaving. At the same time, Jiang Qichen finally found Jiang Yi.
"How long are you going to stay abroad? Jiang Yi, don't forget, you are also a member of the Jiang family." Jiang Qichen held the phone, his voice filled with a hint of anger.
Jiang Yi casually pressed the cigarette butt into the carved ashtray, and the tattoo on his forearm stretched into a ferocious thorn. "What's wrong? Dad, why are you so anxious?"
Jiang Qichen listened to Jiang Yi's lazy words on the phone and felt a surge of anger rising to his head. "You still ask what's wrong? The Jiang family is almost finished, and you still have time to wander around overseas? The Ling family is like crazy. If you don't come back, Ling Shen will probably forget about you."
"Forget? How could he forget me?" Jiang Yi's fingertips twirled around the woman's drooping curly hair, his warm breath brushing across her reddened earlobes, his dragonfly-like kiss carrying an unmistakable paranoia.
The woman in his arms smiled sweetly and tilted her head back in response. The pearl necklace around her neck swayed slightly with her movements, reflecting tiny bits of light.
Jiang Qichen stood in front of the French window, his eyes as cold as ice. He slowly untied his tie, the expensive silk fabric wrinkling between his fingers.
"Do you really think you are such a popular person? Don't forget how much truth there is in your claim to be a lifesaver. Come back quickly." There was an electrical noise coming from the receiver, like some kind of silent mockery.
Jiang Qichen hung up the phone after he finished speaking. Jiang Yi held the phone, which was now busy, his Adam's apple twitching twice, and a smile uglier than crying appeared at the corner of his mouth. The neon lights flickered outside the floor-to-ceiling window, casting a distorted and lonely shadow on his face.
Savior? Haha, he was just a clown who took someone else's place. For so many years, the Jiang family relied on Ling Shen to get to where they are today. He wanted to explain to Ling Shen countless times, but how could he say it?
Could it be that he had simply helped Ling Shen back to his room? Or was his injury the result of an accidental fall while playing around?
At first, he had nightmares all night long. He dreamed of Ling Shen's torn smile after he knew the truth, and dreamed of the Ling family's revenge coming like a tide.
But as time went by, those fears were slowly filled by Ling Shen's meticulous care. He began to enjoy the feeling of being held in the palm of his hand, and the unique starlight in Ling Shen's eyes when he looked at him, and even gradually convinced himself that this lie was the truth.
Jiang Yi thought so as he touched the tattoo on his arm. The place where the scar should have been had become a thorn, just like everything was just a mirage that could not withstand any waves.
The woman beside him clung to his neck coquettishly, and the scent of perfume mixed with red wine hit his face, reminding him of the faint cedar scent on Ling Shen.
"It's time to end it." He suddenly turned over and pressed his female companion onto the sofa. The sound of the metal buckle breaking was crisp and sharp. The female companion's panicked cry mixed with the sound of rain outside the window exploded in his ears.
Jiang Yi clenched his teeth tightly, his nails almost digging into the other person's flesh, as if this could crush the guilt and unwillingness surging in his heart.
Su Nian lowered her eyes and stared at the empty bookshelves. Her fingertips slowly stroked the wood grain, and her fingertips touched the faint remaining marks. That was where the poetry collection used to be placed, but now there was only a faint trace left, as if silently telling the past.
His eyes involuntarily fell on the bookshelf that Ling Shen had fixed with screws. As time passed, the bookshelf began to shake gently, making a slight creaking sound, like the tired sigh of an old man.
"As expected..." Su Nian muttered to himself, a helpless smile curling up at the corner of his mouth. His voice was filled with the feeling of the passing of time, the changes in things and people, and a hint of melancholy about the impending separation.
At this moment, crisp footsteps approached from afar, and a young girl walked into the store, holding a book, her face full of curiosity. Her eyes swept across the empty bookshelves, and she couldn't help but ask, "Hey, boss? Why are so many bookshelves empty?"
Su Nian quickly put away the loneliness in his eyes, put on a gentle smile on his face, walked quickly to the bar, and said in a light tone: "Nothing, I just want to tidy up. What would you like to drink today? I'll treat you." His smile was like the warm spring sun, trying to dispel the faint sadness in the air.
The girl's eyes lit up instantly when she heard that. She raised her head excitedly, resting her elbows on the bar, supporting her chin, and said in a voice full of joy: "I want Australian white."
Su Nian turned on the coffee machine and watched the coffee grounds fall into the filter, and smiled and joked, "Aren't you afraid that you won't be able to sleep at night?" There was a bit of brotherly concern and teasing in his tone.
The girl frowned, shook her head and nodded in distress, looking very cute: "I'm scared, but since the boss is so generous, I must drink something I don't usually drink." Her words revealed the frankness and playfulness unique to young people.
Su Nian shook his head helplessly and began to concentrate on extracting the coffee. Then, he picked up the milk and skillfully frothed it, gradually filling the container. He muttered to himself, "I really don't understand the minds of girls these days. They know drinking coffee will keep them awake at night, but they still can't resist the delicious temptation."
Just then, "Boss, this bookshelf is shaking again," Li Li's voice came from behind the bookshelf. She cautiously poked her head out, a hint of worry in her eyes, clinging tightly to the bookshelf that Ling Shen had once repaired, not daring to let go.
Su Nian's hand, which was currently embroidering, suddenly trembled, and the perfectly formed swan pattern suddenly became slightly flawed. The girl next to her couldn't help but sigh in regret when she saw this.
"Here, your coffee." Su Nian came back to his senses, with an apologetic smile on his face, and gently pushed the coffee in front of the girl.
Then he slowly raised his head and looked towards the source of the sound.
Li Li held the bookshelf with one hand while looking at the bar, but Su Nian waved at her, "Don't worry about it. Come, I'll bake some cookies for you."
Li Li held onto the still-shaky bookshelf with one hand, clutching the corner of her clothes with the other, her eyes uneasily looking towards the bar. Su Nian waved at her, trying to sound casual and natural, "Don't worry about it. Come, I'll bake you some cookies."
Li Li hesitated for a moment before slowly releasing her hand and moving step by step towards the bar. Her steps were somewhat slow, as if each step was filled with reluctance.
It wasn't until she sat down at the bar that she saw the girl next to her holding her cell phone, taking pictures of the coffee with great interest, the flash flashing non-stop.
Li Li raised her head and her eyes fell on Su Nian who was putting a baking tray into the oven. Unable to contain her doubts any longer, she asked curiously, "Boss, are you leaving?"
These words were like a pebble dropped into a calm lake, instantly shattering the relaxed atmosphere inside the shop. The girl taking the photo paused, and the other regulars who were reading also looked up, their gazes fixed on the bar.
Su Nian's back froze in place for a moment, but the movements of his hands did not stop until he put the baking tray properly in place, then he slowly turned around.
He looked at Li Li, who looked reluctant, and swept his eyes over the familiar faces around him. He took a deep breath and said in a low but firm voice, "Yes, I'm leaving."
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