Chapter 63
"I heard you went on a blind date. How was it?"
"Nothing."
"I came back from a business trip two days ago and stopped by Capital University."
Zhong Xing paused, pressed his brows, and leaned back in his chair. "Jiang Jiang, didn't she say anything to you, right?"
Yu Hangyuan smiled and didn't answer the question directly. He pulled a chair and sat down in front of him. "I just saw Assistant Liu holding an acquisition plan. You want to acquire a restaurant? Or a Huaiyang restaurant? When did you like Huaiyang cuisine?"
"The restaurant itself has good food and good location, but it is facing closure due to poor management by the owner. There is a certain profit margin."
Yu Hangyuan looked unconvinced. It was obvious that Zhong Xing's explanation was not very convincing.
"To be honest, apart from Jiang Jiang, I've never seen you care so much about anyone else."
"I advise you to think about it seriously. I think she is quite serious. You liked Jiang Jiang before because you regarded her as your sister. In the future, you should treat her as an independent adult. Besides, age is not a big problem. You see, Wanzhen and I are only seven years apart in age, and we live quite well."
"A thirteen-year age difference is not the same as a seven-year age difference. She is only nineteen, full of energy and vitality. She doesn't have a clear plan for love and the future. She is still young and ignorant. I can't do this. I can't ruin her life because of my own selfish desires."
Zhong Xing rarely had to work overtime today. When he got home, it was exactly seven o'clock in the evening.
He boiled some water and made himself a cup of tea.
After soaking for more than ten seconds, the tea leaves floating on the water sank to the bottom of the cup. There was a photo frame on the desk. The girl in the photo was wearing a goose yellow skirt and a ponytail. She was innocent, romantic, quiet and beautiful. In the first two years of his work, he received photos sent by Jiang Jiang from his hometown, so he bought a photo frame, framed the photos and placed them on the table.
He has moved many times over the years, but he has always kept this photo.
Zhong Xing lowered his eyes, reached out and put the photo into the drawer.
After a while, he felt a little uncomfortable with the empty desk. He pondered for a while and decided to find an object to put where the photo frame was originally placed.
As soon as he opened the drawer, he saw a full drawer of letters, all of which were written to him by Jiang Jiang in the past.
Zhong Xing was stunned for a moment. There were probably two or three hundred letters in the letter box. Jiang Jiang would send her a letter every month, sometimes one or two, sometimes three or four. But in fact, he did not reply very often, only once a month, and more often he would save up several letters and reply at a time.
He pulled out a letter from a drawer full of letters. He left Jiang Jiang the year she started primary school. This was the first letter Jiang Jiang sent her shortly after he left. It can be seen that her handwriting was not strong at this time. Although she was very serious, her handwriting was still a little crooked, and her childish words were adorable.
Zhong Xing picked up another letter at random.
This letter was sent to him by Jiang Jiang when she was in the third grade of junior high school. It was five pages long and listed various prescriptions for treating insomnia. The girl's hand-written calligraphy with flowers on it was elegant and graceful.
Zhong Xing recalled that year, he accidentally mentioned that he suffered from insomnia due to stress. In addition to the letter, Jiang Jiang also sent him a specially prepared medicinal tea.
He counted exactly two hundred and sixty-five letters. Each letter was unexpectedly thick, and the words were warm and earnest. Zhong Xing could probably infer her context and demeanor at the time from the words. Each page of letter paper was neatly folded.
In fact, he has always put himself in the role of an older brother and regarded taking care of her as his responsibility, but in fact it was Jiang Jiang who has been healing him.
Whenever he felt tired, as long as he saw her smiling face, he would feel that all the fatigue in his body was dispelled.
Zhong Xing smiled bitterly.
Maybe, he likes being with Jiang Jiang not because he regards her as his sister.
But because... he liked being with her.
After school that afternoon, Jiang Jiang and two or three roommates walked from the classroom to the dormitory. Her fluffy black curly hair was tied up with a black hairband, giving her a neat beauty.
"Jiang Jiang, your brother is here to see you." The roommate immediately noticed the man standing under the tree and nudged Jiang Jiang with his elbow.
When Jiang Jiang saw Zhong Xing, she thought she had seen it wrong. She was stunned for a long time before she reacted and threw the book in her arms to her classmate and walked towards Zhong Xing.
"Brother Zhong Xing."
"Have you got a meal yet?"
Jiang Jiang shook his head, "Not yet."
Zhong Xing took her to a nearby restaurant for dinner.
Zhong Xing is really a very careful person. Every time he picks up fish for her, he will pick out all the bones inside. Jiang Jiang likes to eat ice cream desserts in the restaurant, so he gives her his portion as well.
After dinner, Zhong Xing suggested taking a walk in the nearby lakeside park to help digest the food, and Jiang Jiang naturally agreed.
Under the dim street lights, the air was filled with the moist scent of earth. The shadows of the two people overlapped, and everything was hazy. There were not many pedestrians around, so such a night could be considered quiet and beautiful.
"Brother." Jiang Jiang spoke up, breaking the silence.
Her voice was a little muffled, "Don't you like me?"
"It's not a question of whether we like each other or not, but the gap between us is too big. You are still young, and I am over 30. There are huge differences in our environment, experience, and cognition. Even if we are together reluctantly, not to mention the adjustment itself, we still have to endure huge prejudice and doubts from the outside world."
It is difficult for everyone not to yearn for and admire beautiful things, and he is no exception.
But, he can't.
"I don't care about that." Jiang Jiang looked stubborn.
"But I care. I can't be with a girl whom I regard as my younger sister. I can't selfishly occupy your youth. Jiang Jiang, you are the rising sun. There will be someone more suitable for you in the future who will accompany you to experience the scenery along the way. Brother is not the one for you."
He knew very well how much external turmoil he would face once he and Jiang Jiang were together. He couldn't be so mean, selfish and reckless, as that would only bring her pain.
Jiang Jiang's vision had become misty. She reached out and wiped the tears from her eyes. "So... there is really no possibility between us?"
"Sorry, Jiang Jiang, no." Although Zhong Xing felt reluctant, he answered decisively.
“Why am I not twenty-nine or thirty-nine, but nineteen?”
He couldn't help looking away.
"Brother...can you give me a hug?"
Under the street light, the woman's figure was thin. Although she looked young, she had a vague and light feeling about her.
Zhong Xing stretched out his arms and gently hugged the sister he had loved since childhood.
He took out a tissue and wiped Jiang Jiang's tears, then smiled and tried to make the atmosphere more relaxed. "Don't cry anymore, Brother Zhong Xing will be distressed."
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