Chapter 87 Undercurrents [Modern Fate] Their relationship is illicit...
"Yi Luo, are you going this afternoon?"
Cui Yiluo was about to leave when she heard her roommate's question, and she looked confused: "Where are you going?"
“It’s the presentation this afternoon.” When Cui Yiluo still couldn’t remember, her roommate prompted, “It’s your handsome cousin, Jiang Yunjin. He’s representing the Jiang Group to give the presentation. I happen to have an extra ticket.”
Cui Yilu frowned, clearly unaware of this. "He's coming?"
All she knew was that he had just returned from a business trip to City B yesterday.
"Yeah, isn't he your cousin? How come you know less about him than we do?"
Her roommate was still talking on the other end of the line. Cui Yiluo took out her phone, opened WeChat, and scrolled down the contact list. They rarely exchanged messages, and she had a lot of messages on her phone, so her contact was pushed to the bottom. It took Cui Yiluo a while to find it. She hadn't changed his nickname; it was still "Big Cousin."
He did send her a message last night.
"We're having dinner at home tomorrow, so I'll pick you up on the way."
She thought he was just stopping by A University on his way from the company, but she didn't expect him to be coming directly to A University to give a presentation.
She replied, "Then I'll tell my cousin that we don't need to ask Uncle Chen to pick us up."
After she replied, the dialog box displayed "Typing..." and then disappeared.
Cui Yiluo waited for a minute and, seeing that the input mode in the dialog box did not reappear, guessed that he was probably busy and that the input mode was probably accidentally touched. She then put down her phone and went to read a book, as the end of the semester was approaching and papers and exams were coming one after another.
When I checked my phone again, it was already 10:30. I then realized that he hadn't replied for half an hour.
Just a simple "good".
It seems they are indeed busy.
They didn't mention anything about the University A's presentation at all, but Cui Yiluo wasn't surprised, as they weren't very close.
"Yi Luo?" her roommate called her again.
"ah?"
"are you going?"
Cui Yilu thought for a few seconds, then said, "Go."
It's been more than half a month since they last saw each other.
She was planning to spend the afternoon at the library listening to Jiang Yunjin's lecture, so it would be more convenient to go back to the Jiang family together.
When Cui Yiluo and her three roommates arrived at the venue for the presentation, it was already packed with people. They had tickets and could sit inside, while those without tickets had to stand near the door.
Even though they could only stand, the back of the venue was still packed with people. Such an unprecedented spectacle was rare. Jiang Yunjin was a well-known alumnus of A University and had taken over the Jiang Group in the past two years. He was at the height of his popularity. Moreover, he was exceptionally handsome among the entrepreneurs. Even among ordinary people, he was someone you could spot at a glance. Many people came for his good looks, so it was not surprising that he attracted so many onlookers.
One of her roommates glanced at the crowded scene at the back of the venue and whispered gossipingly, "Yi Luo, does your cousin really not have a girlfriend?"
Cui Yiluo touched her nose. "No."
However, I do have casual sex partners.
Another roommate joked, "Someone like Jiang Yunjin will definitely marry a rich girl from a similar social class. We can't even get close to people from that class."
Cui Yiluo didn't speak, but she agreed inwardly.
Jiang Yunjin's parents died in a car accident when he was young. Now that he has taken over the Jiang family business, he should have a certain amount of say. However, when Cui Yiluo had dinner at the Jiang family home through her aunt Lan Hui, she overheard some snippets of conversation. The Jiang family matriarch, Jiang Yunjin's grandmother, has been looking for a marriage partner for him. It seems that in the end, he will have to listen to his family.
After all, even her family's small conglomerate, which wasn't even considered a prominent one in City A, was being used by her father to gain benefits for the group through her marriage. How much more so would the Jiang family's?
Her roommate nudged her with her elbow, reminding her, "Hey, you're here."
Cui Yiluo turned her gaze to the podium.
Jiang Yunjin followed the host out from backstage, and immediately all eyes were on the stage. After a moment of silence, a chorus of murmurs rose from the audience.
Most of the comments were praising Jiang Yunjin's outstanding appearance.
Even though Cui Yiluo had seen his muscular physique, with its smooth and beautiful lines, which easily aroused her desire, when he was naked many times, and the way he looked when he was immersed in lust, she couldn't help but be momentarily stunned when she saw him today.
To be fair, Jiang Yunjin was indeed very much to her aesthetic liking; otherwise, she wouldn't have maintained that kind of relationship with him for nearly two years.
Beauty can lead people astray.
And today, perhaps because he was giving a speech at his alma mater, he was dressed more formally than usual. Normally he only wears suits, and she'd even gotten a few dirty while doing it. But today he had clearly chosen his outfit carefully; the white shirt under his suit jacket even had delicate embroidery, though that tie…
Cui Yiluo felt that the face looked somewhat familiar.
After thinking for a long time, she finally remembered that it was on one of his birthdays before that she didn't know what to give him, so she went to the department store counter and picked out a tie. The price was considered expensive for her, but it was probably nothing in Jiang Yunjin's eyes, since his ties were all custom-made.
His suit today was custom-made, and he even had his hair styled specially, but I don't know why he chose this tie.
Although she wasn't very familiar with him, she knew that Jiang Yunjin was a person who valued order highly. From an MBTI perspective, Jiang Yunjin was probably someone with a maxed-out J value.
However, Cui Yiluo was only puzzled for a moment before quickly becoming engrossed in Jiang Yunjin's speech.
Jiang Yunjin's voice was very pleasant, as clear and cool as a mountain spring in summer, and also magnetic. He did not rely on his face or the Jiang family's long-standing status to give his speech. His speech was also very profound and logically clear, making it easy for people to understand.
The presentation, which lasted for more than an hour, quickly came to an end, and thunderous applause erupted in the room. Cui Yiluo also clapped along.
Jiang Yunjin stood on the stage and glanced around the venue. For a moment, Cui Yiluo felt that their eyes seemed to have met, but he probably didn't see her and quickly looked away.
Next is the Q&A session.
Aside from the media, everyone present was a student. Although part of the reason they came to listen to the presentation was Jiang Yunjin's outstanding looks, A University is, after all, a top-tier institution. Everyone wanted to learn something from Jiang Yunjin's experience, so most of the questions they asked were related to her career and they avoided asking personal questions with a strong sense of boundaries.
But the media is different.
When it was the media's turn to ask questions, the first question was: "Mr. Jiang, you are 23 years old now. Are you currently dating anyone?"
Although Jiang Yunjin's age seems young among seasoned businessmen, he had already honed his skills at Jiang's company while still in university. Moreover, he skipped two grades and entered A University at the age of 16, earning him the reputation of a child prodigy.
Perhaps because of his precocious nature, the temperament he exudes has always been much more mature and experienced than that of his peers.
Although the question was offensive, everyone present was eager to gossip.
But clearly, Jiang Yunjin did not intend to answer. He glanced at his assistant Wen Feng, who immediately stepped forward to stop him.
"Please refrain from asking personal questions and focus your attention on this presentation."
Speaking out directly to stop them was effective, and the media did not ask any further questions.
The presentation ended quickly, and Jiang Yunjin left from backstage without lingering in the venue for even a second longer.
Even after leaving the venue, everyone was still somewhat reluctant to leave.
The phone in her pocket vibrated, and Cui Yilu instinctively knew it was from him.
Several roommates planned to have dinner at the third canteen, but Cui Yiluo told them she wouldn't be coming back for the weekend and planned to go back to the dormitory to get some things. Actually, Lan Hui had prepared daily necessities and toiletries, and even skin care products and cosmetics for her, but she still needed to get some other things.
The three roommates were used to it.
Cui Yiluo is a local of City A. She often goes home on weekends and occasionally doesn't return to her dormitory during the week. Students at University A often stay up all night in the study room during exam weeks, so dormitory checks at University A are not strict, and Cui Yiluo's frequent absences from the dormitory do not affect her.
However, her roommates didn't know that when she said she was going home, she only really went home two or three times out of ten, and that was only because Lan Hui missed her and asked her to stay at the Jiang family's house for a weekend. She basically never went back to the Cui family's house.
For the past two years, she has spent even her winter and summer vacations in Jiang Yunjin's apartment. The Cui family and Lan Hui both thought she was staying at school.
Cui Yiluo knew that this was truly absurd.
Cui Yiluo came out of the dormitory building with her bag on her back, glanced at her phone, and sure enough, the vibration she heard earlier was a message from Jiang Yunjin.
"I'll be waiting for you in the underground parking lot of Building A."
But she's already out.
Cui Yiluo replied, "Sorry, I just went back to my dorm to get something. How about the east gate?"
The reply came quickly from the other end: "Okay."
As Cui Yiluo walked towards the east gate, she typed: "Then I'll talk to my cousin."
She immediately opened the chat window and sent a message to Jiang Zhaoyue, asking her to wait at the East Gate.
Jiang Zhaoyue sent her a voice message. Cui Yiluo opened it and held it to her ear. Jiang Zhaoyue's complaining voice immediately came out, mixed with the rumbling sound of the suitcase being dragged on the ground.
"Okay, Yiluo, you have no idea, I bought some clothes a while ago and my dorm room was full, so I brought all my old clothes back today. There were so many..."
Hearing Jiang Zhaoyue's complaints, Cui Yiluo couldn't help but chuckle.
She walked while texting Jiang Zhaoyue, and in the blink of an eye, she arrived outside the East Gate. Cui Yiluo recognized Jiang Yunjin's car; it was black and extremely low-key, which suited his personality.
She opened the passenger door directly, but was surprised to find Jiang Yunjin sitting in the driver's seat.
She assumed that Jiang Yunjin's driver should be driving, with Jiang Yunjin sitting in the back seat, and the other seat in the back should naturally be reserved for Jiang Zhaoyue, which is why she opened the passenger door directly.
She's caught in a dilemma: whether she goes or not.
She hesitated for a second. Jiang Yunjin's dark eyes narrowed, and he tapped his fingers on the steering wheel before speaking softly, "Not going?"
Cui Yiluo stopped hesitating and got into the passenger seat.
Jiang Zhaoyue hadn't arrived yet, and there were only the two of them in the car. Although they had done the most intimate thing for two years, they didn't communicate much afterward.
Unexpectedly, Jiang Yunjin broke the silence by speaking first.
Why didn't you reply to the message I sent you earlier?
Cui Yiluo was stunned for a moment.
She then realized that she had been chatting with Jiang Zhaoyue and there had indeed been a message pop-up on WeChat, but she had set notifications to be invisible and ignored it.
When he suddenly asked, Cui Yiluo felt a little guilty, but answered without changing her expression, "I didn't look at my phone."
After saying that, she pretended to have just looked at her phone, took it out, and didn't notice that the man next to her's face darkened.
His message to her was: "Going back to the apartment or school tomorrow?"
I'll definitely be spending the night at the Jiang family's house tonight.
Cui Yilu couldn't help but laugh. She always asked her questions selectively, showing great respect for her opinions, but in bed, it was a different story.
Cui Yiluo teased him deliberately, saying with a troubled expression, "The project for the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition is scheduled for discussion this weekend, so I might have to go back to school."
Jiang Yunjin pursed his lips and hummed in agreement.
He appeared calm and undisappointed, but Cui Yiluo, having been close to him for two years, could still sense a hint of unease beneath the surface of his composure.
Cui Yiluo curled her lips and said, "I'll tell Auntie this tomorrow."
Jiang Yunjin paused for a moment, then immediately looked up at her.
Cui Yilu blinked: "Wasn't my cousin going to 'go along the way' and give me a ride back to school?"
"Um."
But where it went or what it did on the way is uncertain.
Jiang Yunjin's aura was noticeably lighter, unlike the heavy one he had just exhaled. Combined with the soft music playing in the car, the atmosphere inside immediately became much more relaxed. Even the slight awkwardness and estrangement they had felt since Jiang Yunjin hadn't seen him for over half a month due to his business trip disappeared.
Cui Yiluo had ridden in his car many times, and the playlist in his car had somehow become the music she liked.
Cui Yilu was humming along in her mind when she suddenly noticed his gaze fall on her obviously empty backpack.
"What did you bring?"
Because Lan Hui had prepared everything for her, she usually only carried a small bag, and this was the first time she had ever carried a backpack. Jiang Yunjin was always perceptive, so it was no wonder that it caught his attention.
While Cui Yiluo was pondering how to answer, Jiang Yunjin asked again, "Should we put it at the back?"
He was just worried that she might be uncomfortable sitting with it in front of her. Cui Yiluo breathed a sigh of relief and said no need.
Jiang Yunjin didn't press further, but instead shifted her gaze to her unfastened seatbelt.
Cui Yiluo understood and was about to turn around to knock when a long arm suddenly appeared in front of her.
With his well-defined knuckles, he pulled out the seatbelt and fastened it to the seat.
They were instantly very close, so close that Cui Yilu could almost count the individual eyelashes of his lowered eyes. He practically trapped her in the passenger seat, forming a wall around her with his body.
They had been intimate many times, and when they suddenly drew close, the familiar scent enveloped her, instantly reviving her physical memories.
Jiang Yunjin looked up and met her gaze, his eyes deep and dark.
With a click, the seatbelt was fastened. Cui Yiluo's body instinctively felt hot.
He didn't look away, but lowered his eyes slightly, seemingly focusing his gaze on her red lips. She was wearing light makeup today, and the lip gloss she used was not dark, just a light layer of red, but it looked crystal clear and moisturized.
Cui Yiluo felt her lips burning as he stared at her.
She lowered her eyes slightly, a sign of tacit agreement.
He slowly drew closer, their two hot breaths mingling. But just before they were about to touch, there was a sudden knock on the driver's side window.
Cui Yiluo immediately realized that Jiang Zhaoyue had arrived. She placed her hands on Jiang Yunjin's hard chest and pushed him away instantly.
Jiang Yunjin closed his eyes briefly, then opened them again. The lust burning in his eyes had subsided somewhat, and he had become much clearer.
As expected, it was Jiang Zhaoyue outside the window. The car door was locked at some point, and she couldn't open it. She also couldn't open the trunk while pulling her luggage, so she knocked on the window in confusion.
Jiang Yunjin's car had privacy film applied, so Jiang Zhaoyue shouldn't be able to see what was happening inside the car from the outside, but Cui Yiluo still couldn't help feeling a little guilty.
After all, the fact that she had slept with her cousin whom she had known since childhood was something she felt guilty about, even though she and Jiang Yunjin were not related by blood and it was an accident. Jiang Zhaoyue was her cousin and had always been very good to her.
After glancing at Jiang Yunjin's waist and abdomen, Cui Yiluo felt as if she had been electrocuted and instantly looked away.
I felt even more guilty.
Jiang Yunjin was also clever; he only lowered the car window a little, revealing his dark eyebrows and eyes.
Jiang Zhaoyue was taken aback when she saw Jiang Yunjin sitting in the driver's seat, but perhaps because she was always carefree and not sensitive, she didn't react to the suspicion just now. She called out "cousin" and asked Jiang Yunjin to open the trunk.
After Jiang Zhaoyue got into the car, she didn't dwell on why Cui Yiluo was sitting in the passenger seat. Instead, she continued chatting with Cui Yiluo about the topics they hadn't finished discussing earlier.
Jiang Zhaoyue is a chatterbox; once she starts talking to Cui Yiluo, she can't stop.
Therefore, once the car started moving, the previous enchanting atmosphere dissipated completely, and the place became lively.
"You went to the basketball game the other day, right? I saw you and your roommate. What do you think? I wasn't wrong, was I? That Yuan Ling is quite good-looking."
Cui Yiluo thought for a moment, but didn't look at the person's face; she was only focused on the competition at the time.
She gave a vague "hmm" and said, "It's alright."
Jiang Zhaoyue continued, "But I don't like his type. I think number 6 is more handsome. He seems to be in finance, just like Yuan Ling."
Cui Yiluo didn't remember what number 6 looked like either, and mumbled "uh-huh" a few more times.
To everyone's surprise, Jiang Zhaoyue became interested and asked, "So, do you think Number 6 is prettier, or Yuan Ling?"
There was a moment of silence in the car. Cui Yiluo glanced at Jiang Yunjin and saw that he was focused on driving and didn't seem to be paying attention to their conversation.
For some reason, I felt a little relieved.
Jiang Zhaoyue asked again, "Yi Luo?"
Cui Yiluo randomly selected one: "Yuan something."
Jiang Zhaoyue gave a teasing "Oh," and said, "So that's the one you like. Well, it does suit your taste."
Jiang Zhaoyue chatted about other things for a while, then turned the topic to Jiang Yunjin, reminding him, "By the way, cousin, I heard that the Gu family and the Xu family are going to hold an engagement banquet in a few days. Grandma will definitely nag you tonight, so you should prepare in advance."
Cui Yiluo looked at the green trees gliding by on her right and heard Jiang Yunjin say, "I understand."
Jiang Zhaoyue paused, then asked, as if unable to suppress her gossip, "But cousin, don't you have someone you like?"
Cui Yiluo turned her head to look ahead, but out of the corner of her eye she suddenly saw Jiang Yunjin's eyes sweep over her, as if he had glanced at her, or perhaps he was just looking at the rearview mirror on her side.
Then she heard Jiang Yunjin reply, "No rush, let's wait another year or two."
-
The Jiang family owns a large estate on the outskirts of City A. The estate contains several villas, and the families live separately, only gathering together for meals.
Since starting university, Jiang Yunjin has stopped living at the Jiang family home. She either lives in a house near her company or in an apartment she bought near A University when she was in college.
Cui Yiluo was no stranger to the Jiang family. Because of her family background, Lan Hui took special care of her and often invited her to stay at the Jiang family for a period of time. From childhood to adulthood, she probably saw Lan Hui more times than she saw her biological mother, Lan Yi.
Lan Hui had been waiting for her in the hall for a while. After having the servants carry Jiang Zhaoyue's suitcase upstairs, she pulled the two of them down to sit and inquire about their recent situation.
As they chatted, Lan Hui's expression became somewhat off, and she seemed hesitant to speak.
"What's wrong, Auntie?"
Lan Hui sighed, "I heard your parents are arranging a blind date for you."
The "mother" in this context does not refer to Lan Yi, but rather to her stepmother.
Cui Yiluo was not surprised by this.
Lan Hui was somewhat annoyed, "You're almost 20, and you won't reach the legal marriage age until the end of the year. Why are they in such a hurry?"
After saying that, she added, "Yi Luo, don't worry. If you have someone you like, just tell your aunt. As long as you like them, your aunt will definitely have a good talk with your parents."
Cui Yiluo smiled and said, "Thank you, Auntie."
Lan Hui tentatively asked, "So, do you have someone you like right now?"
Cui Yilu shook her head. "No."
"Dinner is ready."
A familiar male voice suddenly came from the doorway.
The group looked in the same direction and saw Jiang Yunjin standing at the corner of the living room, his handsome face expressionless, just like usual.
Without much thought, the group quickly responded. Jiang Yunjin had assumed that with several families gathered together tonight, the servants would be too busy, which was why he had come to inform them.
At the dinner table, as expected, Old Madam Jiang brought up the Gu family's engagement, urging Jiang Yunjin to find a marriage partner as soon as possible, but Jiang Yunjin firmly rejected all her suggestions.
This matter had nothing to do with Cui Yiluo, so she ate her meal in silence. After all, if there was any connection, it was probably to her improper relationship with Jiang Yunjin, which she should consider ending.
Their relationship was clandestine and originated from an accident. Cui Yiluo originally thought it would end quickly, after all, Jiang Yunjin was very busy, and her studies at A University were not easy either, so the two of them didn't have much time to see each other.
She even set a one-month deadline and prepared herself for the awkwardness of seeing Jiang Yunjin again, but she never expected it to last for almost two years.
It has indeed been quite a while. As they get older, continuing this improper relationship is not appropriate for either of them.
She should probably consider ending things with him.
Cui Yiluo was thinking about this, but she didn't know how to bring it up. She was somewhat absent-minded all night. Lan Hui assumed that she was just tired from class during the day, so she quickly told her to go back to her room to take a shower and rest.
Cui Yiluo naturally stayed at Lan Hui's villa. After taking a shower, her mind cleared up a bit, and she thought that she might as well go to Jiang Yunjin's apartment tomorrow and talk to him about ending things.
Just then, there was a knock on the door.
Cui Yiluo glanced at the clock on the wall; it was already past ten. Given Lan Hui's personality, she wouldn't disturb her while she was resting. It seemed Jiang Zhaoyue couldn't sleep and came to chat.
Cui Yiluo immediately went to open the door.
The corridor lights went out, leaving only a few wall lamps. In the dim light, a tall man stood outside the door, his handsome features appearing even more profound and three-dimensional.
Cui Yiluo didn't expect Jiang Yunjin to appear here. This is Lan Hui and Jiang Wen's villa, and he came here specifically for this purpose.
He took a long stride and squeezed into the room, then closed the door behind him.
With a snap.
Looking into the man's dark eyes, Cui Yiluo had a gut feeling that something was wrong.
"Why are you..." here?
The remaining half of the words was instantly blocked between his lips and tongue.
He grabbed her chin and pressed down on her, aggressively and skillfully prying open her lips and teeth, penetrating deep inside, sweeping across her mouth inch by inch, hooking her soft tongue, half-coaxing and half-forcing her to intertwine her lips and tongue with his.
Author's Note: From A-Luo's perspective, the casual relationship is ending; from the cousin's perspective, his girlfriend has never really cared about him, and now she wants to break up with him [doge emoji].
Note: The relationship occurred after his 18th birthday. The "two years" mentioned are almost two years; the timeline is that the cousin was 23 and A-Luo was almost 20.
There are still 4,000 words left today.
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