Chapter 31
The morning sunlight streamed through the narrow gap in the curtains, casting a golden line on the carpet.
Jiang Minghua woke up to a strange feeling of being tightly wrapped around her waist. Her head was throbbing, the price of a hangover, but what alarmed her even more was the warm breathing and steady heartbeat of the other person behind her.
Last night's chaotic and intense fragments of memory flooded my mind like a tidal wave: Xie Yan's eyes, misty with desire, and his hair color that perfectly matched her XP; the increasingly aggressive kiss between the two of them; the clothes scattered all over the floor; and those... blush-inducing entanglements.
Beauty can be a trap! It truly is!
Although Xie Yan is a villain, because he has been used as an experimental subject for a long time, his thinking is as simple and pure as a child's. How could she have done such an immoral thing under the influence of alcohol and pink hair! Jiang Minghua cursed herself in her heart. A trace of regret flashed through her mind, making her subconsciously want to break free from this embrace.
Her subtle movement startled the people around her.
Xie Yan slowly woke up, her long eyelashes fluttering a few times. The first thing she saw when she opened her eyes was Jiang Minghua's regretful expression, which she had not yet completely concealed.
It was like a bucket of ice water being poured over his head. The hazy warmth in Xie Yan's eyes when he first woke up vanished instantly, leaving only a cold sense of helplessness. He quickly lowered his head, his pink hair falling down to conceal his instantly dimmed eyes and the almost overflowing disappointment.
He held his breath and released his arms from her waist, shrinking back slightly to create some distance, afraid that his touch would only provoke her further disgust.
"Minghua..." His voice was hoarse from just waking up, adding to his pitiful tone, "I'm sorry."
Jiang Minghua sat up, rubbed her temples, and didn't speak immediately. This silence made Xie Yan's heart sink even further.
He mustered his courage, raised his head, his eyes already uncontrollably reddening, like a puppy afraid of being abandoned, drenched in the rain, his voice trembling slightly:
"I know... I'm not good enough for you. You've been so good to me, but I... I lost control last night, it was my fault."
He sniffed, trying hard not to let the tears fall, his eyes filled with a humble pleading:
"I don't dare to ask for anything, really. I know about you and Han Yun Chu... I won't disturb you, and I won't let anyone find out I exist. I just beg you not to send me away."
He reached out, wanting to grab the hem of her dress, but hesitated, his fingers curling in mid-air before finally falling limply to the ground.
"Let me stay by your side, I'll do anything, as long as I can see you occasionally... Please."
Looking at him like this, Jiang Minghua felt a complex mix of emotions. After all, he was her first man, and his life story was so tragic and full of hardship. Perhaps it was because she had been good to him that he had developed a primal instinct, becoming so devoted to her. Surprisingly, Jiang Minghua didn't find this feeling bad.
Even if Jiang Minghua is calm and rational, it would be difficult for her to harden her heart when faced with such a face and such an expression.
"I didn't say I was going to kick you out."
She sighed, her tone softening slightly, carrying a hint of indulgence that she herself was unaware of.
"Lie down properly, and don't look like you're about to do something to me."
Upon hearing this, Xie Yan's eyes suddenly lit up. Although his eyes were still red-rimmed, a cautious glimmer rekindled within them. He obediently lay back down, like a stray dog granted a pardon, gazing at her expectantly, as if she were his entire world.
Jiang Minghua threw back the covers and got out of bed. Her feet had barely touched the ground when a thought suddenly flashed through her mind. She abruptly turned to look at Xie Yan, who was still obediently watching her from the bed, and frowned slightly:
"Wait, Xie Yan, what were you doing here last night?"
This question struck Xie Yan like a thunderclap.
His body stiffened instantly, and his face turned even paler than before. He stammered, "I...I..."
How could he say that he was actually the seahorse she kept in the study? Would she see him as a monster and abandon him like the Xie family did?
A tremendous fear gripped him, making it almost impossible for him to breathe. He opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a single clear syllable. His eyes reddened with anxiety, tears welling up and threatening to spill over.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..." He stammered, his voice trembling with tears, so fragile it seemed as if it would shatter at the slightest touch.
Before Xie Yan could even speak, Jiang Minghua remembered that she had brought him to her home to learn before, and his basic information was already registered in the gate's system, granting him certain access privileges. Perhaps because he had come over last night, the intelligent system at the gate recognized him and opened the door for him, while she herself was too drunk to notice.
Thinking of this, Jiang Minghua let go of the last trace of curiosity in her heart. Looking at Xie Yan's pitiful appearance, as if he were afraid of being abandoned, her heart softened.
"Okay, stop crying." Her tone wasn't exactly gentle, but it wasn't blaming either. "I'll go wash up first, and you can wash up later."
Watching Jiang Minghua's figure disappear behind the bathroom door, Xie Yan breathed a sigh of relief, his tense body relaxing. He raised his hand and forcefully wiped away the tears that were about to fall from the corners of his eyes, a feeling of relief at surviving a disaster welling up in his heart, along with an unspeakable sense of inferiority.
After a while, there was a gentle knock on the bedroom door, followed by Han Yun Chu's voice from outside:
"Huahua, are you awake?"
Xie Yan slowly got up, tugged at the clothes she had just put on, revealing the red marks from last night's intimate encounter, before opening the door.
As soon as the door opened, Han Yun Chu stood in the doorway, his usual nonchalant expression freezing on his face. His gaze instantly fixed on Xie Yan, and he clearly saw the glaring, ambiguous red marks on Xie Yan's neck and collarbone.
The air froze instantly.
Han Yun Chu's face darkened visibly. He walked in step by step, his gaze fixed on Xie Yan, his voice icy cold:
How did you get here?
Xie Yan was so frightened that she trembled and subconsciously took a few steps back. Her lips trembled, and she couldn't utter a word. Her eyes were red and she stared at Han Yun Chu in terror.
Anyone who saw this scene would think that Han Yun Chu was aggressively bullying a weak person who had no power to resist.
"Han Yun Chu!" Jiang Ming Hua had just come out of the bathroom when she saw this scene: Han Yun Chu approached with a gloomy expression, while Xie Yan huddled by the bed, her eyes red and trembling, looking like she had been bullied badly.
"What are you doing?!"
Upon hearing her voice, the two men facing off turned around simultaneously.
When Han Yun Chu saw her, his eyes welled up with the stinging pain and anger of betrayal. He was about to speak when Xie Yan interrupted him:
"I'm sorry! Han, I'm so sorry!"
Xie Yan suddenly rushed ahead of him, her voice trembling and choked with sobs, apologizing repeatedly to Han Yun Chu.
"It's all my fault. I shouldn't have made you angry. I'm sorry. Please don't fight because of me."
He spoke while crying, his humble and fearful appearance making Jiang Minghua feel distressed.
She stepped forward, shielding Xie Yan behind her, and looked coldly at Han Yun Chu:
"Han Yun Chu! Why are you bullying him?"
"I bullied him?" Han Yun Chu was so angry he almost laughed. His chest heaved violently. He pointed at Xie Yan, then looked at Jiang Ming Hua, his eyes filled with disbelief, the absurdity of being misunderstood, and hurt.
"Jiang Minghua, open your eyes and look! Who is bullying whom? Why is he here? And what's with all these marks on his body?!"
He practically roared it out, his voice filled with barely suppressed anger and resentment. He was the one who fell for her first, he had confessed to her long ago, so why did it end like this?
Jiang Minghua was taken aback by his shout, but Xie Yan's frightened sobs behind her immediately hardened her heart. To her, Han Yun Chu's anger at this moment seemed more like the embarrassment and rage of someone who had been exposed.
"Why he's here is none of your business! As for the marks on his body..."
Jiang Minghua paused, somewhat embarrassed, but more than that, she was dissatisfied with Han Yunchu's attitude. "That's between him and me! Han Yunchu, we're just business partners. Aren't you being too nosy?"
"Cooperative relationship..."
Han Yun Chu murmured these four words repeatedly, looking at Jiang Ming Hua's protective posture and Xie Yan's secretly provocative gaze behind her, though it vanished in an instant and returned to a pitiful state.
A wave of immense disappointment and frustration overwhelmed him. All his arguments stuck in his throat, becoming meaningless.
He gave Jiang Minghua a deep look, his gaze so complex that it sent a shiver down her spine. The next second, Han Yunchu turned and slammed the door shut without a word.
The loud noise echoed through the villa, startling Fu Yanzhi and Wen Chuqing downstairs. They exchanged a glance, both seeing confusion in each other's eyes. Then they saw Han Yunchu storm down from the second floor and leave the Jiang family without looking back.
"Han Yunchu!" Jiang Minghua called out instinctively as she chased after him, but all she received in response was Han Yunchu's resolute back.
She rubbed her throbbing temples, feeling a headache she'd never experienced before. What on earth is going on?!
Just then, Jiang Mingjia's urgent voice rang in her mind: "[Ahua! Han Yun Chu's emotional fluctuation value has exceeded the safety threshold, causing a violent oscillation in his connection with the balancing system! The Transmigration Bureau seems to have detected an unstable signal; the plot deviation alarm has sounded slightly! Go and calm him down! We can't let him have any problems now! If he loses his composure, it will affect the entire plan. Go, comfort him.]"
Jiang Minghua's face darkened. She glanced at Xie Yan beside her, whose eyes were still red and who was cautiously observing her expression, and felt a mix of emotions. Beauty can indeed lead to trouble. But right now, the bigger picture was more important.
"Pack your things," she said to Xie Yan, her tone unreadable, "come with me to find Han Yun Chu."
Xie Yan's body stiffened almost imperceptibly, a shadow of gloom flashing across the depths of his eyes, but he quickly lowered his head and obediently replied, "...Okay."
Jiang Minghua, accompanied by Xie Yan, quickly found Han Yun Chu at a private club owned by the Han family. He was sitting alone at the bar, several empty glasses in front of him, his cold gaze fixed on a certain spot, radiating an aura of "keep away."
When he saw Jiang Minghua approaching, he didn't even blink, as if he hadn't seen her.
"Han Yunchu, I lost control of my emotions just now. I apologize to you. Let's go back." Jiang Minghua sat down next to him.
【Han Yunchu, go back. Don't let it affect our plans.】
Jiang Minghua apologized verbally, but her mind was preoccupied with their plan. Han Yunchu thought that if it weren't for the plan, Jiang Minghua probably wouldn't have come at all. He chuckled and tilted his head back to take another gulp of wine.
"Are you afraid I'll ruin the plan? Aren't you afraid I'll bully your precious darling again?"
His tone was full of sarcasm, and he deliberately ignored Xie Yan behind Jiang Minghua.
Jiang Minghua said patiently, "What happened this morning was a misunderstanding. Xie Yan's situation is special, so please don't hold it against him."
"Misunderstanding?" Han Yun Chu suddenly turned to look at her, his eyes bloodshot. "Jiang Ming Hua, do you think I'm blind? Those marks were a misunderstanding? His behavior just now was a misunderstanding? Or do you think I, Han Yun Chu, am some kind of fool you can easily fool?"
His voice was quite loud, attracting the attention of a waiter not far away.
Jiang Minghua frowned and lowered her voice: "Han Yunchu, calm down! Don't forget our important business!"
"Serious business? Ha..." Han Yun Chu looked at her, his eyes filled with unprecedented disappointment and hurt. "In your eyes, is everything, including me, just a piece of the plan that can be used?"
He pointed at the silent Xie Yan, his tone sharp: "And what about him? Is he also part of the plan? Or is he special to you?"
Jiang Minghua was taken aback by his question. Xie Yan was certainly special—his background, his dependence, the unexpected events that happened between them—but at this moment, she couldn't explain it, nor could she.
Seeing Jiang Minghua's silence, Han Yun Chu's heart sank completely. He forced a smile that was more like a grimace, then turned to the bartender and said:
"Another one, please."
Seeing his dejected appearance, Jiang Minghua knew that it would be useless to persuade him directly, so she could only suppress her temper for the time being and try to communicate in a gentler way.
Xie Yan stood quietly a step behind Jiang Minghua, head down, like an invisible person.
But the knuckles of his hand, hanging by his side, were white from the force he was exerting. He watched Jiang Minghua patiently appease Han Yunchu for the sake of the plan, and watched how Han Yunchu, despite her bad attitude, still managed to attract all of his attention. Jealousy began to fester and spread wildly in his heart.
Why? Why can Han Yun Chu stand in the light so naturally, throw tantrums at her like this, and be cared for by her like this? While he has to be so careful and grovel to stay by her side?
Dark, gloomy thoughts entwined his heart like vines, tightening their grip.
Just then, he raised his eyes, his gaze sweeping over Han Yun Chu. Then, he gently tugged at Jiang Ming Hua's sleeve, and when she looked over, he gave her a pale but understanding smile, whispering:
“Minghua, you two talk first. I… I’m a little worried about my younger brother and want to go back and check on him first.”
Jiang Minghua was already annoyed by Han Yunchu, and thinking that it was indeed inconvenient for Xie Yan to be here, she nodded:
"Okay, let the driver take you home. Be careful."
Xie Yan waved his hand, declining Jiang Minghua's offer, saying he could manage on his own. He then bowed slightly to Han Yun Chu's retreating figure, as if apologizing again for his previous behavior, before turning and leaving the club.
However, as soon as he stepped out of the club and out of Jiang Minghua's sight, Xie Yan's steps became unsteady. He quickly walked to a deserted, dimly lit alleyway, suddenly grabbed the wall, and began to cough violently, unable to suppress the urge. A sweet taste rose in his throat, and he vomited a mouthful of dark red blood.
He raised his hand and casually wiped the bloodstains from the corner of his mouth, his eyes filled with a mad obsession and jealousy.
He pulled out his art knife from his inner pocket, skillfully rolled up his sleeve, revealing several light-colored scars, some new and some old, on his arm. Then, with a blank stare at the cold, sharp tip of the knife, he unhesitatingly drew another deep, bright red line on his pale forearm.
The intense pain caused him to groan, and cold sweat beaded on his forehead, but a near-manic calm and satisfaction appeared on his face.
Xie Yan still believed he was unlucky and that those who bullied him would ultimately suffer a bad end. He only knew how to hurt others by harming himself.
After Xie Yan left, Jiang Minghua tried to coax Han Yun Chu several more times, but Han Yun Chu remained unresponsive. Just as she was about to give up, Jiang Mingjia's voice rang in her mind:
【Ah Hua, kiss him! Trust me! I won over 00X with this trick】
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