43. Indifferent
As Chen Yunsheng finished speaking, the air seemed to freeze.
The fragrance of wildflowers and trees, the rustling of bamboo leaves, the faint chirping of birds in the distance, all became hazy and blurred in an instant. Jiang Nan could only hear the sudden, uncontrolled beating of her heart. She couldn't help but speculate about the emotional content behind these words, but she felt it was unlikely.
So at that moment, she could only stare at Chen Yunsheng blankly, her eyes filled with confusion and panic. She looked at a loss and completely stunned.
Chen Yunsheng looked away, without asking her what she thought or explaining further. He just stood there quietly, as if waiting for her response, or as if just admiring the pot of Podocarpus.
After a while, Jiang Nan finally seemed to have found his voice again, and he uttered dryly but without much thought, "Oh."
After saying that, she wanted to bite off her tongue.
Chen Yunsheng hadn't expected her reaction like this. He froze for a moment, then lowered his head and gave a fleeting smile. Then, he looked up at the bamboo forest nearby and said in his usual calm and gentle voice, "Let's go back. The sun is getting brighter."
"Ah? Oh, okay." Jiang Nan nodded quickly as if he had been pardoned, and followed him back almost at the same time.
Along the way, neither of them spoke again.
Jiang Nan stared down at the bluestone pavement beneath her feet, his words about not wanting it to end so soon echoing in her mind. Each word was like a pebble hurled into the tranquil lake of her heart, one after another, stirring up ripples that left her feeling restless and uneasy.
She wondered what he meant by that, was it an adjustment to the agreement, or did he also develop some feelings for her?
Jiang Nan's rationality convinced her of the first answer, but her emotions strongly desired the second. She didn't dare to dwell on it, yet she couldn't help but speculate, fantasize, and speculate.
Chen Yunsheng walked beside Jiang Nan, his expression normal and his steps steady, showing no signs of abnormality. But in reality, his heart was also in turmoil, filled with anxiety and trepidation. His recent confession had been a risk, but he had no regrets—he hoped Jiang Nan could sense his hesitation.
Not long after, the two men returned to the front yard.
The hall was quiet and no one was there.
Chen Yunsheng stopped, turned to Jiang Nan, and said to her, "I'm going to deal with some emails. You can rest here, or... go back to your room and find a book to read."
"I'm going to read a book," Jiang Nan said immediately. She desperately needed to be alone to sort out her chaotic thoughts.
"Let's go." Chen Yunsheng led Jiang Nan back to his courtyard. But he didn't go upstairs, but went to a small study on the first floor.
Jiang Nan felt relieved only after watching his back disappear behind the door.
Then she went upstairs to Chen Yunsheng's room.
As she entered, she was greeted by a mixture of wood and cedar scents.
She stood at the door in a daze for a while. After a few minutes, she noticed from the faint voices coming from downstairs that she had been standing for too long and her legs were numb.
Jiang Nan leaned one hand on the door and stretched his sore calf before walking to the bookshelf. He scanned the books aimlessly, hoping to find one that interested him.
However, compared to the book in front of her, her thoughts were more concerned with Chen Yunsheng.
What she was certain of was that things had changed. She just didn't know what that change meant. Perhaps it was deeper trouble, or perhaps it was a dream tinged with delusion. Regardless, she had to keep acting until her agreement expired.
Jiang Nan sighed, casually took down a collection of essays, and walked to the window to slowly read. She didn't look up from her book until she heard light footsteps outside the door and the sound of Chen Yunsheng talking to someone.
After a while, the voices died down and there was a knock on the door.
"Jiang Nan, is it convenient for you to come in?" His voice sounded a little distant through the door.
"Okay." Jiang Nan responded, then closed the book and walked to the bookshelf again.
Chen Yunsheng came in upon hearing the sound.
As soon as he entered, he saw Jiang Nan's back as she carefully put the book back in its place. At that moment, the sunlight poured through the glass, coating her entire body with a layer of furry gold, as soft as a shy and harmless green plant in the sunset.
"Are you done?" Jiang Nan looked back at him, then turned back to continue organizing the books.
"Well, a little follow-up." Chen Yunsheng put away his phone, his eyes lingering on her hair for a moment. Then, he asked casually, "Are you okay?"
"It's fine. There are... a lot of books." Her dry response made the air quiet for a second.
Chen Yunsheng sensed her discomfort and changed the subject: "Lunch should be ready soon. My mother is used to having meals on time."
"Oh, okay." Jiang Nan nodded and followed him out of the room.
The two of them walked downstairs, one after the other, through the courtyard and a small rockery, and returned to the flower hall. Before they even entered the door, they heard the voices of Chen Mingyuan and Chen Minghui, and the most troublesome Li Li was also there.
She was holding a small watering can and cheerfully spraying water on the new orchid she had brought.
"He's my sister-in-law's son after all." Seeing Chen Yunsheng and Jiang Nan come in, she put down the spray bottle and said with a smile, "My sister-in-law was just about to send someone to call you."
Hearing this, Jiang Nan subconsciously looked at Chen Yunsheng. She could sense that Chen Yunsheng and Su Wanrong had a close relationship, and Li Li couldn't have been unaware of it.
"Second Aunt's flowers are nice." Chen Yunsheng didn't respond to Li Li's question and instead praised her flowers. Jiang Nan followed Chen Yunsheng's lead and gave a few empty compliments about the orchid.
Li Li was very proud and generously shared with Jiang Nan the key points of growing orchids. Jiang Nan had no choice but to pretend to be very interested and listened to Li Li's advice seriously.
Fortunately, Mr. Chen came over quickly and rescued them.
The old man looked in good spirits and didn't seem angry, so Jiang Nan finally breathed a sigh of relief. However, she didn't dare approach the old man as she had before. Instead, she stood far away, watching his every move, displaying the image of a proper wife.
Chen Yunsheng noticed her silence.
Then his eyes swept across her soft eyebrows, and he suddenly felt a little curious.
He wondered if she was bothered by the social hassle she was facing or if she was thinking about their agreement, but in the end he asked nothing. He simply said in a gentler tone than usual, "Let's go. It's time to eat."
Jiang Nan agreed, hurriedly stood up and moved to the side hall.
The atmosphere at lunch is slightly more relaxed than at breakfast.
Perhaps it was because Mr. Chen was in a good mood, or perhaps it was because Chen Yunsheng's confession that afternoon had taken effect. While Li Li still occasionally made a sarcastic remark, she was much more restrained, and more often she was bragging about the rarity of the orchid she had brought.
Jiang Nan, adhering to the principle of speaking less and smiling more, ate quietly, occasionally answering a question or two when asked by Old Man Chen. As for Chen Yunsheng, sitting next to her, he was calm and composed. He would naturally answer any questions she had difficulty answering, and would signal the servant to refill her water cup when it was almost empty.
His care was meticulous and thoughtful, just within the scope of a husband's responsibilities, but with a bit more deliberate politeness than a real couple.
In such a thoughtful environment, the ripples in Jiang Nan's heart caused by his words slowly settled down and turned into a more resolute sobriety.
Maybe that was really just a line said to gain Mr. Chen's trust. He relayed it to her just to test her attitude, worried that she would have thoughts that she shouldn't have. Jiang Nan thought silently, then scooped up a small mouthful of matsutake soup with a spoon.
The soup was delicious and rich, but she could taste a little bit of bitterness. At the same time, she was somewhat glad that her reaction at that time was normal and she did not show any inappropriate posture or emotion.
Lunch ended with me lost in thought.
Following lunch is afternoon tea time.
Jiang Nan tried her best to reduce her presence, sitting quietly beside Chen Yunsheng, playing the role of a meek and taciturn granddaughter-in-law.
Chen Yunsheng was chatting with Mr. Chen and Chen Mingyuan about economic conditions and company affairs. His tone was calm and his opinions were sharp. He was still the meticulous business elite he used to be. It was as if the conversation in the bamboo forest in the back garden was just a dream that Jiang Nan had when he was in a trance.
After a while, Su Wanrong and Li Li began to talk to Jiang Nan. To appease Li Li, Su Wanrong and Jiang Nan chatted with her about orchids. It wasn't particularly lively, but they didn't make Li Li feel perfunctory. Later in the conversation, Li Li even considered giving Jiang Nan a pot of orchids, but Chen Yunsheng finally gave up the idea when he said they were busy with work and didn't have time to care for the plants.
It was only at this time that Jiang Nan realized that Chen Minghui was missing, but she did not ask any more questions.
Chen Yunsheng and Jiang Nan sat there chatting until the evening, when they got up and said goodbye.
Old Master Chen gave them a few instructions, and Chen Mingyuan and Su Wanrong politely saw them to the door.
At that time, Chen Yunsheng and Jiang Nan were still talking to several elders, but Li Li had already got into their own car and left before them.
Jiang Nan lamented that the Chen family was acting more and more strangely, but she only dared to think about it in her heart.
But whether she wanted to or not, she couldn't deny that the atmosphere on the way back was much quieter than when she came.
Jiang Nan leaned back in her chair, looking at the scene outside the window, feeling a little drowsy - the high tension of the day and the sudden emotional impact made her feel very tired.
Just as she was drifting off to sleep, she felt a coat with the scent of cedar gently fall on her. She woke up with a start, blinking in confusion and alertness, just in time to see Chen Yunsheng withdraw his hand as if nothing had happened and continue to concentrate on driving.
Jiang Nan: “…”
"Thank you," she whispered, her fingertips resting lightly on her coat.
His unique cold cedar scent lingered in her nose, making her feel at ease and distressed at the same time.
"If you're tired, take a nap," Chen Yunsheng's voice sounded gentle. "I'll call you when we get there."
"Okay." Jiang Nan agreed and closed his eyes again.
However, this time, she didn't fall asleep so easily. Her senses became unusually sharp. She could hear the crunch of tires rolling on the road, the sound of air flowing from the air conditioner vents, and the steady breathing of the people around her.
Then, driven by a secret emotion, she secretly opened her eyes a little and quietly looked at the man in the driver's seat.
He pursed his lips and looked intently at the road ahead, and his silhouette appeared soft and warm, almost holy, in the dim light of the evening.
Chen Yunsheng noticed her gaze and quickly turned his head to glance at her. Jiang Nan was so scared that she immediately closed her eyes tightly, pretending to be asleep, even breathing lightly.
Her peek made Chen Yunsheng laugh silently.
She wasn't so indifferent, he thought quietly.
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