69. Confession
Jiang Nan tried not to think about Chen Yunsheng or the possible meaning behind his WeChat message. To distract herself, she began to think about work and her parents.
The Summer Pulse project has entered a stable phase, but ongoing maintenance and data analysis are still needed. Jiang's mother is recovering well, but we still need to monitor her health and take her to the hospital for follow-up examinations.
She used rational thinking to build a dam for herself, temporarily blocking out those inappropriate emotions, hoping to prevent the birth of trouble.
Afterwards, Jiang Nan read a book while thinking about what to do next.
After an unknown amount of time, a strong wind suddenly blew outside, stirring the leaves in a flurry of leaves. Jiang Nan leaned against the window, quietly gazing at the Albizia Julibrissin tree in the yard. The Albizia Julibrissin tree's flowering period lasted much longer than she had expected. Even in September, the tree was still covered with pink and white velvety flowers.
The velvet flowers swayed in the wind, looking light and lovely, and the fields were filled with a quiet and peaceful early autumn atmosphere. At this moment, Jiang Nan, taking advantage of his high vantage point, saw Chen Yunsheng walking towards them.
When Chen Yunsheng came over, he also saw Jiang Nan looking out the window. He paused for a moment, then smiled gently and walked slowly into the courtyard.
Jiang Nan, unsure of her own attitude, smiled faintly and lowered her head, pretending to be absorbed in her book. But when she heard Chen Yunsheng's footsteps coming up the stairs, she still felt a little nervous. A moment later, he entered the room. Jiang Nan glanced at him quickly.
He walked calmly, with no particular expression on his face. When Chen Yunsheng entered the room, his gaze naturally fell on Jiang Nan, who was standing by the window.
Jiang Nan noticed him looking at her and immediately looked away.
"Grandpa wants to keep us for lunch and let us go back this afternoon," he said, "but I think it wouldn't be nice to leave the house deserted since the old man just celebrated his birthday yesterday. So I think we should go back tomorrow. But I still need your opinion."
Jiang Nan looked up from his book and thought seriously, "That's true. Yesterday the room was packed with guests, but today only Grandpa and Auntie are left. It's a bit quiet indeed."
Then she looked up at Chen Yunsheng. She wanted to laugh, but remembering the unclear relationship between them, she immediately put away her smile and quickly looked away: "Then let's go back tomorrow."
"Well, thank you." Chen Yunsheng noticed her contradiction and was silent for a moment. Then he walked to the single sofa opposite her and sat down. "Auntie and uncle...how are you?"
It took Jiang Nan a moment to realize he was asking about her parents. She lowered her head to look at her book and replied softly, "I didn't go home for Mid-Autumn Festival in previous years either. But I sent gifts back."
"You can go back during the National Day holiday," Chen Yunsheng said. "There's nothing much to do at home during those days."
Jiang Nan nodded: "Okay...thank you."
"You're welcome," Chen Yunsheng replied, then casually picked up a financial magazine in front of him, but he didn't open it; he just held it. After a while, his gaze shifted to the window, as if he was admiring the view of the courtyard, or perhaps he was just lost in thought.
Both of them fell silent, but this silence was mixed with a sense of temptation and waiting.
Jiang Nan felt a little uneasy. She put down her book and stood up. "I—I'll go get a glass of water."
Without waiting for Chen Yunsheng's response, she left the room and went downstairs to the tea room to pour herself a glass of water. The cool water eased her inner irritability a little. She stayed in the tea room for a while before preparing to go upstairs. Before leaving, she hesitated for a moment, then poured him a glass as well before going upstairs.
As soon as she entered, she saw him sitting on the sofa, looking thoughtful.
"For you." Jiang Nan pretended to speak in a casual tone and placed his glass of water on the table next to him.
"Thank you." Chen Yunsheng raised his head slightly, his gaze lingering on her face for a few seconds before moving away.
Jiang Nan sat back down by the window, holding the water cup and drinking it in small sips, as if she had no interest in anything else besides drinking water.
But her peripheral vision kept tracking Chen Yunsheng. She could see his gaze returning to her. It wasn't intense, but it held a quiet, undeniable presence that made her feel uneasy.
After about five or six minutes, she finally couldn't help but raise her head and looked directly at him: "You - something wrong?"
Chen Yunsheng was surprised by her directness and was slightly taken aback. Then, he put down the magazine he hadn't even opened, leaned forward slightly, and met her gaze calmly.
"Last night and this morning," he asked in a very gentle tone, "did they scare you?"
Hearing this, Jiang Nan felt her cheeks begin to heat up again. She instinctively wanted to deny it, but under his gaze, the words she was about to say changed slightly. She lowered her head to stare at the water in the cup and made a vague "hmm".
"I'm not that scared." She added softly, as if she was making an excuse, or as if she was talking to herself.
Chen Yunsheng was silent for a moment, but Jiang Nan could feel his gaze still on her.
"I know," his eyes flickered for a moment, then returned to normal, "I was the one who crossed the line first."
Jiang Nan looked up in surprise.
Chen Yunsheng looked at her surprised expression with a half-smile. Then, his eyes became complicated. It was a look that Jiang Nan found difficult to describe: a look that seemed to contain both hesitant calmness and hesitant boldness.
"Jiang Nan," he called her name, intending to let her continue, "Do you remember the agreement between us?"
"I remember." Jiang Nan answered cautiously.
"We'll keep our private lives separate, act like a harmonious couple in public, and deal with our families for three years," Chen Yunsheng calmly recounted the core terms. Then his eyes grew sincere and earnest. "However, the agreement doesn't stipulate that anything beyond the terms of the agreement won't occur during our relationship."
Jiang Nan's heart trembled and she stared at him blankly.
Chen Yunsheng met her blank gaze and continued, "For example, getting used to living under the same roof, for example, discovering that the other person isn't actually annoying, and even... cares a little bit."
After hearing his words, Jiang Nan's mind suddenly froze, and everything went almost blank. She could only stare at him stupidly.
——What is he saying?
——Is he saying that he cares a little about her?
Chen Yunsheng looked at her completely bewildered expression, and the smile in his eyes deepened. But he didn't rush her, just waited patiently, giving her time to accept it.
Then both of them fell silent, and there was only the vague sound of wind and the even vaguer sound of rustling leaves in the wind.
After a long while, Jiang Nan finally found his voice: "What do you mean?"
"What I mean," Chen Yunsheng looked at her and said in a serious tone, "an agreement is an agreement, and people are people. After an agreement is signed, it can only have supplementary clauses and cannot be changed. But people can change."
"Jiang Nan, my feelings towards you are different from when we signed the agreement ten months ago." He paused, carefully observing her reaction. After confirming that she was not opposed to it, he slowly added the last sentence, "I think maybe we can try to do more than just a pleasant cooperation."
——It’s not just a pleasant cooperation.
This sentence gave Jiang Nan a sudden sense of enlightenment. All those throbbing feelings she hadn't dared to dwell on, those ambiguities she had deliberately ignored, those illusions she had thought were just wishful thinking, all seemed to have found answers at this moment.
He wasn't indifferent, nor was he simply fulfilling an agreement. Like her, he had quietly changed as they spent time together day after day.
Such a shock made Jiang Nan unable to think for a moment. She opened her mouth but could not make any sound.
Chen Yunsheng looked at her like this and didn't press her any further. He turned his gaze back to the window, giving her some time to think. But his expression was a little serious, no longer as calm as before.
So, the two fell into silence again.
Jiang Nan lowered her eyes to look at the pink diamond ring on her ring finger, thinking carefully about his words.
——Something outside the agreement.
——It’s not just a pleasant cooperation.
These words echoed in her mind over and over again. She remembered his dependent eyes when she had a stomachache in the middle of the night, his natural consideration and care, his focused admiration when he accompanied her to try on cheongsams, his silent protection at the birthday party, his warm palm covering her hand in the night, and his words that it would take time to figure out his feelings for her.
Little by little, they come together to form a river.
It turns out that what she thought was acting and thoughtfulness may have been mixed with real elements.
She slowly raised her head and looked straight at Chen Yunsheng. He was also looking at her with anticipation and a hint of nervousness in his eyes.
Jiang Nan took a deep breath and mustered up all her courage, but her voice still trembled.
"Chen Yunsheng, my feelings towards you are also different."
Saying this, she almost exhausted all her strength. She immediately turned her head away, not daring to look at his reaction.
The air in the room stagnated for a moment.
After a few seconds, she heard a slight noise coming from the sofa, and then a thick shadow enveloped her.
It was Chen Yunsheng who walked up to her.
Jiang Nan swallowed nervously and tried to regulate his breathing.
Then, Chen Yunsheng slowly bent his knees and squatted down, bringing his eyes level with hers to ensure she could see him.
Then he reached out and gently lifted the hand that held the ring, a subtle gesture that showed a palpable intimacy and cherishment.
Then Chen Yunsheng raised his head, his eyes were as deep as the sea, and in them was a clear tenderness and a relieved smile.
"In that case," he looked at her and said in a tone mixed with tenderness and affection, "then let's get to know each other again starting from today?"
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