Chapter 91 Rashomon: He's Not My Boyfriend
His tone carried a hint of accusation. Cui Yiluo frowned, not understanding why he would ask her so confidently. They were just friends with benefits. Even if she wanted to pursue someone else, she would end things with him first; he had no right to question her.
But they were compatible. That day, he rejected her suggestion to end the relationship. The conventional man decided to continue his transgressions and was clearly indulging in physical pleasure. He didn't want to lose a compatible bed partner, so it was normal for him not to want her to have contact with other men.
"We were just discussing our group assignment and came back on the way."
After Cui Yiluo finished speaking, she saw Jiang Yunjin's even sharper gaze and her heart skipped a beat.
How could she forget that Jiang Yunjin was also in the finance department, and the dormitory building assigned to her by the finance department wasn't even on the same route as hers. Yuan Ling wanted to go with her earlier because he wanted to bring up the deal.
But that deal involved a blind date banquet, the Cui family, and even Lan Yi, so Cui Yiluo didn't really want to talk about it with others.
And her explanation to Jiang Yunjin really did seem...
He is her boyfriend.
This shouldn't be happening; their relationship is rather awkward. Once they're out of bed, they should only be cousins in name, not even related by blood.
Their relationship cannot go any deeper.
Jiang Yunjin remained silent, seemingly waiting for her to speak; both of them were well aware of each other's intentions.
Cui Yiluo lifted the calming tea in her hand and smiled as if casually brushing the matter aside: "Thank you for the tea, cousin. It's getting late. Cousin, don't work overtime anymore when you get back. Go to sleep early, okay?"
Jiang Yunjin's eyes deepened. Faced with the gentle and bright smile and the coquettish tone of concern before him, the sharp look on his face finally disappeared, turning into a soft one.
"good."
The fact that she cares about him so much and is worried about his health proves that she doesn't like anyone else.
At the very least, it prevents others from getting past him.
After all, he was her boyfriend.
After seeing Jiang Yunjin off, Cui Yiluo unconsciously breathed a sigh of relief. The calming tea she was carrying suddenly felt heavy. Since Jiang Yunjin had made a special trip, she definitely wanted to choose a return gift for him, so she decided to pick one in the next few days and give it to him on Sunday.
His final concession must have been an acceptance that he understood her meaning and tacitly agreed that they would not cross that line.
Cui Yiluo went upstairs.
The matchmaking event was not going to end easily. The Cui family wanted to use her marriage to gain benefits, and not only the Cui family, but also her biological mother, Lan Yi, had the same idea.
The next morning, when Cui Yiluo woke up, she saw a message from Lan Yi: "Call me later."
Lan Yi rarely contacts her, treating her like she doesn't have a daughter. Why would she suddenly contact her? Considering her conversation with Yuan Ling last night, Cui Yilu could figure it out with her toes.
Her mother, Lan Yi, divorced Cui Qi when she was six months old, voluntarily relinquishing custody of her to marry the head of the Huiguang Group. Huiguang and the Jiang family were evenly matched in City A. Lan Yi quickly gave birth to two sons and a daughter after her marriage, and had even less interest in paying attention to her.
Perhaps because Lan Yi got involved with the Huiguang Group through Lan Hui's connections, Lan Hui felt guilty about her neglected situation and often took her to stay at the Jiang family home when she was young. Cui Qi and his wife were naturally happy to see this happen, and the stepmother even secretly hinted that she could develop a relationship with Jiang Yunjin, and that using some methods if necessary was not out of the question.
She was only 12 years old at the time.
Jiang Mingxun is her real cousin, so it's definitely not possible for her to be with him. But the other two grandsons in the Jiang family are too young, so Jiang Yunjin is the most suitable.
Cui Yiluo loathed her stepmother's actions. In order to dispel their thoughts, she even secretly distanced herself from Jiang Yunjin, deliberately avoiding him for a long time, and even using her busy studies as an excuse to reduce the frequency of visiting the Jiang family.
Seeing that she had lost contact with Jiang Yunjin, Cui Qi and his wife had no choice but to give up the idea.
Unexpectedly, that accident led them to sleep together.
This matter absolutely cannot be known to the Cui family, otherwise they will definitely use it to demand that Jiang Yunjin marry her. Given the current situation, it is also absolutely crucial that Lan Hui and Lan Yi not find out.
Jiang Yunjin doesn't owe her anything, and there's no need for him to drag her into this mess. This relationship was consensual, and they'll part ways amicably in the future.
Cui Yiluo completely ignored Lan Yi's message.
After noon, Lan Yi finally couldn't sit still any longer and called her.
Cui Yiluo didn't answer.
Lan Yi called two or three more times in the afternoon, but Cui Yiluo still didn't answer.
In front of her, Lan Yi always carried a certain air of superiority, perhaps because she did not want to mention her marriage with Cui Qi, and after becoming the president's wife of Huiguang, she looked down on the Cui family even more.
Therefore, after Cui Yiluo stopped answering her calls and replying to her messages, Lan Yi felt embarrassed and stopped calling.
On Friday, Lan Hui called her. Lan Hui often called her on Fridays to ask if she wanted to come and stay for a couple of days over the weekend.
Without thinking much, Cui Yiluo answered the phone, but Lan Yi's voice came through the receiver.
"You finally answered! You wouldn't answer your mother's calls, but you answered your aunt's calls without hesitation. Do you even consider me your mother anymore?"
Cui Yiluo said calmly, "You've never seen me as your daughter."
No one outside knew that Lan Yi, the president's wife of Huiguang, had been married before and had a daughter. In the eyes of outsiders, she and Cui Yiluo were completely unrelated.
After Cui Yiluo finished speaking, she didn't care about Lan Yi's reaction and planned to hang up.
Lan Yi clearly guessed her next reaction, "Wait a minute."
"Do you want your aunt to see us arguing? Your aunt is so good to you, can you bear to see her sad?"
In the brief moment of hesitation that Cui Yiluo hesitated, Lan Yi's words rushed into her ears like a flood, making it impossible for her to pretend she hadn't heard them.
Lan Yi called her using Lan Hui's phone, and it's unclear what she said to Lan Hui. Although Lan Hui is shrewd and capable, she is incredibly affectionate and sentimental towards her family.
"What are you trying to say? The blind date banquet tomorrow, right? I'm not going."
Lan Yi chuckled softly on the other end of the phone, seemingly mocking her naiveté.
"The other party is the only son of the Yuan family. This is an opportunity I worked hard to get for you. The Yuan family is already your best choice. With your family background, it would be difficult enough for you to marry into the Yuan family."
For a moment, Cui Yiluo thought she was still living in the Qing Dynasty.
"Aren't you doing this for yourself?"
"What nonsense are you talking about? I'm your mother, why wouldn't I want what's best for you?"
"I heard that Huiguang has a project that requires the technology that Yuan has in his possession."
Lan Yi was clearly surprised that she was still in university and had no chance of taking over the company, yet she was still paying attention to business matters. She was suddenly exposed and felt both ashamed and angry, her breathing becoming somewhat disordered.
“This matter is also good for you. You’re not a child anymore, and you can tell what’s important.”
"Of course I can tell the difference; you can't bear to see Xiao Ying go through a marriage alliance."
In Lan Yi's heart, Xiao Ying was far more important than her; she could tell the difference at a glance.
Lan Yi's breathing rose and fell with anger. After a moment, she exhaled and tried to keep her tone calm: "Yi Luo, I know you resent me. Although I did not raise you, I suffered a lot to give birth to you. Moreover, your aunt has always taken good care of you. This matchmaking with the Yuan family is something our two families have already agreed upon. I will not force you to marry Yuan Ling, but for the sake of me giving birth to you and for your aunt's sake, please go tomorrow night, okay? Consider it a favor from your mother."
This was the first time Lan Yi had spoken so much to her, and she did so in a gentle tone.
But it was only because I needed her help.
Cui Yiluo replied, "Okay."
"But don't contact me again. This will not happen again. Remember what you said."
Cui Yiluo sent a message to Jiang Yunjin, making up an excuse, saying that her mentor had an urgent project to discuss with her and that he didn't need to pick her up on Saturday night.
Jiang Yunjin quickly replied with an "okay".
Very calm, without any emotional fluctuations, just like always.
Following the address and private room information sent by Lan Yi, Cui Yiluo went to Ruyi Restaurant on Saturday night. Lan Yi even had her usual makeup and hair styling team come to do Cui Yiluo's makeup and hair, but they reluctantly withdrew after Cui Yiluo insisted on refusing.
Ruyi Lou is a Chinese restaurant. The small private rooms are covered with beaded curtains, and the private rooms are separated by extremely large and tall screens. The privacy and soundproofing may be insufficient, but the atmosphere is stronger. There is a band playing in the restaurant, and the music is soothing and pleasant, making it a perfect place for a date.
Lan Yi and the others clearly put in some effort.
Yuan Ling had arrived long ago. He wore a black hooded sweatshirt during the elective class that day, but tonight he changed into a bespoke suit, exuding an air of nobility.
He had clearly dressed up, and when he saw that Cui Yiluo was dressed similarly to usual, he raised an eyebrow.
However, he didn't say anything. He followed etiquette and pulled out a chair for her to sit down. Only after she was seated did he return to sit opposite her.
There were only the two of them in the small private room. Yuan Ling poured her red wine while introducing which year it was produced in France, but Cui Yiluo was too lazy to listen.
The fragrant red wine slid into the stemmed glass. Yuan Ling picked up the glass and clinked it against the one she had placed on the table. Without waiting for her to drink it or not, he took a sip.
Then, with a half-smile, she said, "Since Miss Cui is here today, are you planning to agree to the deal I proposed last time?"
Cui Yiluo took a sip of red wine and decisively denied it: "No."
Yuan Ling laughed and said, "You've come to a blind date with me, don't you have any intention of developing a relationship with me?"
Suddenly, some noise came from the private room next to her. Cui Yiluo subconsciously looked in the direction of the sound, but the screen was very thick and she couldn't see what was happening on the other side at all.
She didn't think much of it.
"No."
Cui Yiluo's task is to finish today's meal.
Yuan Ling's expression turned somewhat intrigued, and he asked her, "What's the reason for your hesitation? Do you have a boyfriend?"
Cui Yiluo remained noncommittal: "Whether you have a boyfriend or not doesn't affect my decision not to do business with you."
“Last night I saw Jiang Yunjin come to see you. I heard that your aunt is his aunt, and you often lived in the Jiang family home when you were little. Jiang Yunjin is known in City A for not getting involved with women. He doesn’t even have a female companion when he attends banquets. When he graduated from high school, I heard that the program originally planned for him was a two-person piano duet, but he refused it. In the end, it was a solo performance by that girl.”
She had never really cared about Jiang Yunjin's affairs before, and since Jiang Zhaoyue was in the same grade as her, and Jiang Yunjin skipped a grade to graduate from high school, they were still in junior high school, so of course they didn't know about these things.
This was the first time Cui Yiluo had heard Jiang Yunjin described from an outsider's perspective.
Seeing that she was unaware of these things, Yuan Ling's interest deepened and his smile grew even wider.
"He works non-stop, all year round. Yet, this same person took the time to wait for you outside your dorm. So, you refused to do business with me because of him? Is he your boyfriend?"
Cui Yiluo didn't want to drag Jiang Yunjin into this, nor did she want their relationship to be exposed, as it would be bad for both Jiang Yunjin's reputation and her own.
She denied it decisively: "No, he is not my boyfriend."
With a loud clang.
Suddenly, a loud thud was heard from next door as a cup fell onto the table.
Author's Note: Modern-day cousin: What about my status?!
P.S.: Just like in ancient times, the cousin fell in love first. In modern times, the pressure of marriage isn't as strong, so right now, A'Luo is only after the cousin's body. It's a long and arduous road for the cousin to gain official recognition. [heart emoji]
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