Chapter 92 The Coldest Day What have you taken me for over a year? ...
The sound was not noticeable in the large restaurant, drowned out by the melodious music, but it exploded in Cui Yiluo's ears like a bomb.
Yuan Ling also realized something was wrong and frowned slightly as he looked towards the private room next to him.
But the screen was made of wood, completely obscuring the view, so you couldn't see who was next to you at all.
Cui Yiluo's heart inexplicably started pounding.
The waiter's voice came through the screen: "Sir, are you alright?"
"fine."
The voice was all too familiar; Cui Yiluo recognized him the moment he uttered the first word.
The music played by the restaurant band paused in Cui Yiluo's mind for a moment before slowly reaching her ears.
Why is Jiang Yunjin here?
Cui Yiluo's first thought was that he might be here to discuss cooperation, but she hadn't heard any conversations around her since he came in, otherwise she would have recognized him long ago.
He had been sitting there for so long, and he had long recognized her, yet he continued to sit.
That's so strange, why?
She was just talking to Yuan Ling about him, and Yuan Ling even misunderstood that he had feelings for her and that he was her boyfriend.
He heard it all.
Moreover, she lied to him, saying that her supervisor had something to discuss with her regarding a project, which was why she wouldn't be going to his apartment tonight. But now she's showing up at the blind date party. Last time when she mentioned ending the date, she told him she wouldn't go to the blind date party.
Even though Cui Yiluo is usually thick-skinned, she felt a complex and awkward feeling at this moment.
She was suddenly caught in a dilemma. Jiang Yunjin was sitting right next to her. She and Yuan Ling had just finished talking about him, and she really couldn't just finish this blind date dinner with Yuan Ling as if nothing had happened. But she couldn't just go into the private room next door in front of Yuan Ling and ask Jiang Yunjin what was going on, wouldn't that just confirm that there was something between them?
They're intimate, but not in a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship. What kind of relationship is it? It's pretty obvious.
Just then, the sound of chairs scraping against the floor came from the next private room, followed by footsteps that gradually faded away.
He left. Perhaps he sensed her predicament.
But before Cui Yilu could even breathe a sigh of relief, her phone on the table vibrated. She hadn't set notifications to be visible, but she instinctively knew it was from him.
Upon clicking, it was indeed a message from Jiang Yunjin.
"I'll wait for you in the parking lot."
Cui Yiluo's fingertips trembled.
If he hadn't sent this message and had simply left in silence, they could have pretended nothing had happened. But by sending her this message so directly, he was essentially laying bare the fact that she had lied to him and what had just occurred.
Aside from losing control in bed, he was always a very calm and restrained person, aloof yet consistently maintaining his composure. Cui Yiluo had never seen him angry; he seemed devoid of emotion. The only time was when she intentionally distanced herself from him, and he noticed, asking her if she was avoiding him.
Only then did his eyes finally reveal emotion; the light from the corridor wall lamp reflected in them, giving them a cold glint. It was an expression of displeasure.
But now that he's messaging her directly, Cui Yiluo isn't sure what his attitude is.
"Miss Cui?"
Seeing her slightly lost in thought, Yuan Ling's voice rose again. He raised an eyebrow, his eyes filled with even more amusement. Cui Yiluo sensed a hint of schadenfreude in his expression; clearly, he had some idea who the person beside him was.
But he didn't mention Jiang Yunjin again, only saying, "Miss Cui, don't rush to give me an answer. This is mutually beneficial for us. You don't want your family to keep arranging blind dates for you, do you?"
When he said his last words, his smile deepened, as if there was a hidden meaning behind it.
Cui Yiluo asked him, "Why didn't Mr. Yuan look for someone else?"
Since his family arranged so many blind dates for him, he must have found someone among them who was also forced into the blind dates by his family and agreed to cooperate with him.
Yuan Ling gently swirled his wine glass, took a sip of red wine, and slowly said, "Because we're both from University A, it's convenient for them to meet, and from our perspective, it's also convenient for us to cover for each other, isn't it?"
It seems to make a lot of sense and is well-founded.
"There are quite a few socialites studying at University A, Mr. Yuan should ask about the wishes of others."
Upon being rejected without hesitation, Yuan Ling chuckled, "Why are you rejecting me so directly?"
In truth, Cui Yiluo couldn't quite explain why. Pretending to be in a relationship with Yuan Ling could avoid a lot of trouble, but she just didn't want to. Perhaps it was because the idea of having a boyfriend on the surface while secretly being involved with another man, even if nothing was actually going on between her and Yuan Ling, felt too outrageous to her. And if it were exposed, it would be even more troublesome.
The meal was finished as Yuan Ling casually picked a few topics to chat about, and Cui Yiluo gave only half-hearted replies.
After the meal, as is customary, Yuan Ling naturally offered to take her home, which was the final part of the blind date banquet.
The phone pressed against her palm was inexplicably hot; Jiang Yunjin was still waiting for her in the parking lot. Although she hadn't replied yet, she was certain that Jiang Yunjin wouldn't leave.
"I have to go back to school, so you don't need to take me."
Yuan Ling raised an eyebrow slightly, a smile flashing in his dark eyes. "Perfect timing, I'm going back to school anyway, it's on my way."
Cui Yiluo's brows furrowed. Yuan Ling's ambiguous smile made it clear without even guessing that he was doing it on purpose.
“Mr. Yuan, no one is with us tonight, so there’s no need to go to such lengths to put on an act.”
Yuan Ling slightly curled the corners of his lips: "Is no one following us?"
Both of them knew who it referred to. But Cui Yiluo didn't think Jiang Yunjin had deliberately followed them; he wouldn't do something so pointless. He probably just happened to bump into them.
"Miss Cui, are you this aloof to everyone? Do you treat others the same way?"
Yuan Ling's tone was meaningful. Cui Yilu didn't know how much he had seen through, but at least he must have realized that her relationship with Jiang Yunjin was unusual.
But he's also a very difficult person to deal with.
Cui Yiluo had no intention of getting entangled with him any further; she still needed to resolve her issues with Jiang Yunjin, so she picked up her bag and left first.
When the elevator reached the underground parking lot, as if afraid she wouldn't be able to find it, Jiang Yunjin's car was parked in a parking space near the elevator entrance. The car was black and not very conspicuous, but Cui Yiluo was too familiar with his car, and he had the headlights on, so she saw it at a glance.
His car had privacy film, so Cui Yiluo couldn't see his expression inside the car, nor did she know if he had noticed her coming. But she always felt a gaze on her, close to her.
Sure enough, just as she reached the car door, the sound of the door unlocking rang out, like a thud in her chest.
She opened the car door, and Jiang Yunjin's handsome profile was slowly revealed. He lowered his eyes and did not look at her. The car was not lit, with only the faint light from the headlights shining in. She could only see that his face was sullen, and she could not tell what he was thinking.
Cui Yiluo didn't move after getting into the car, and didn't know how to speak first.
He tapped the steering wheel lightly with his fingers. "Seatbelt."
Cui Yiluo turned around to fasten her seatbelt.
This is certainly not a good occasion to speak.
Saturday night, the city center was bustling with traffic.
Jiang Yunjin focused solely on driving, accelerating significantly faster than usual, almost reaching the maximum speed allowed. He remained completely silent throughout; aside from the sounds of other cars outside, the car was eerily quiet. Music was usually playing in the car, but it wasn't tonight, creating a tense and eerie atmosphere.
Cui Yiluo sensed his displeasure from this.
Not long after, the car arrived at an apartment near University A.
As they took the elevator upstairs, the two remained silent. Jiang Yunjin, as always when he was not speaking, had no expression. If Cui Yiluo hadn't had many interactions with him over the past year, she probably wouldn't have been able to detect the signs that something was wrong with him.
The door closed, and Jiang Yunjin turned his back to her as he changed his shoes. His tall figure was cast on the floor by the light in the entryway, appearing heavy and imposing.
After Cui Yiluo changed her shoes, he finally spoke his first words of the night.
Why did you lie to me?
His tone was very soft, as if he were asking a casual question.
But he would never ask such a question.
Cui Yiluo didn't want to talk about how Lan Yi and the Cui family forced her to attend the matchmaking event; she didn't want to mention their ugly faces when they wanted to use her for a marriage alliance to gain commercial value.
She didn't want him to know about these negative things about her; it wouldn't do either of them any good, and it was too much of a cross line. They didn't need to consider these things between them.
Cui Yiluo composed herself and apologized to him: "I'm sorry, cousin, I did lie to you. There was a reason for what happened tonight, but... I don't want to go into details. If you're worried about it affecting our relationship, don't worry."
Jiang Yunjin remained silent for a second with his back to her, then turned around.
It wasn't until this moment that Cui Yiluo truly saw his face clearly tonight. It was extremely dark, with complex emotions surging in his eyes. His sharp, sword-like eyebrows were heavily pressed down, and his face was expressionless, but he was extremely displeased.
This was the first time Cui Yilu had seen him so emotionally expressive, and she was momentarily stunned.
He went straight to the point: "If you really don't want to affect our relationship, you should just tell me."
Cui Yilu frowned subconsciously, "But this doesn't affect..."
"Why won't it affect us? Yiluo, you promised to go on a date with someone else, why won't that affect our relationship?"
Jiang Yunjin felt a lump in her throat. She had promised her family she would be arranged to marry someone, even if it meant marrying someone she didn't like, and she had never considered her boyfriend. Had she never thought about their future, or did she simply not want to marry him?
But why is it that he is inferior to those people in some way?
Moreover, she even denied to others that he was her boyfriend.
He told himself that she just didn't want others to know about their relationship. After all, even their family didn't know, so how could she easily tell Yuan Ling? But the moment he heard her denial, he still lost control and knocked over his wine glass.
Jiang Yunjin's expression grew increasingly grim, while Cui Yiluo was puzzled by his reaction. Their casual sex relationship would only end if she were truly going to be married, but for now it was just a blind date, and she wasn't actually dating anyone.
Cui Yiluo felt that it was wrong of her to lie to him, but in the end, they only had a physical relationship, and Jiang Yunjin's interference in her affairs was a bit overstepping his bounds.
"Cousin, this is my business. If I really want to develop a relationship with someone else, I will make it clear to you and end it. I wouldn't do something so immoral."
"End?" Jiang Yunjin frowned, a hint of sarcasm rising on his face. "You want to end things with me for their sake?"
"I didn't, it's just a hypothetical situation..."
"So that's why you denied being your boyfriend tonight?"
Cui Yiluo sensed something was amiss. Jiang Yunjin's reaction was too intense; they seemed to be arguing like a couple, and he didn't seem to understand what she meant.
Cui Yiluo let out a weak sigh and patiently explained, "Cousin, I know our relationship right now... is a bit special, but I can't drag you into this or use you as a shield. After all, we're not boyfriend and girlfriend, don't you think?"
Jiang Yunjin's apartment was filled with traces of their life together. Cui Yiluo liked warm light, so the indoor lighting was all warm yellow, and the matching furniture was also warm-colored. At this moment, the warm light shone on the two people standing at the junction of the entrance hall and the living room, but it could not melt away the cold and stiff atmosphere.
Jiang Yunjin stood with his back to the warm indoor light, his handsome face half-lit and half-shadowed.
Cui Yiluo saw that his expression was frozen solid, and he didn't say a word for a long time.
After an unknown amount of time, he slowly opened his mouth, his voice sounding cold and hoarse, as if squeezed from his throat.
"What did you say? We're not boyfriend and girlfriend?"
Cui Yiluo was also stunned.
Suddenly, she seemed to understand, but this was probably too absurd. Recalling what had happened in the past year or so, almost two years, her fingertips trembled.
Almost two years have passed, and Jiang Yunjin actually mistakenly believes they are dating? How could she possibly be with him...?
This was the first time she had shown such obvious panic, which deeply stung the man's eyes.
Jiang Yunjin gave a very light chuckle. "We're not boyfriend and girlfriend. Yiluo, what have you taken me for over a year? A bed partner?"
Cui Yiluo never expected such a misunderstanding, and almost two years had passed without either of them realizing it. Jiang Yunjin's expression clearly showed he found it utterly absurd. He had always been very proper and thought they were having a serious relationship, but it turned out to be just a physical one.
Cui Yiluo knew without even thinking that he was furious.
"say."
He spoke coldly.
Cui Yiluo looked up at him, feeling somewhat aggrieved. The misunderstanding couldn't be blamed on her alone. "Didn't you say back then that we were just that kind of relationship?"
They were both drunk that night and did it countless times. When they woke up, the hotel room was a mess, and he was still there... The two of them woke up lying in bed, completely naked in each other's presence. She didn't know how to handle such a situation.
He left first and apologized to her.
Cui Yiluo said it was okay, she had also drunk too much. And although her memories were a bit muddled afterward, she remembered clearly that she was the one who kissed him first, because he looked so good in the dim light that she couldn't resist.
So if we really want to talk about responsibility, she bears the majority of the responsibility.
They were both silent for a while, as if processing the matter, unsure how to begin, yet they faced each other honestly. Cui Yilu deliberately looked away from his ferocious expression.
She was the one who spoke first, asking him, "Cousin, so what... what kind of relationship do we have now?"
His body still bore the marks she had left on him last night when she was in pain. The red marks stood out starkly against his pale skin, with the most marks on his abdominal muscles, because she had tried to push him away when she was in pain, but she had never managed to. And her body was covered in marks as well.
Since it has already happened, we can't pretend it never happened.
At that time, Jiang Yunjin simply asked her, "What do you think?"
Cui Yiluo bit her lip, and after a few seconds, she leaned in and kissed him. Her fingers traced a line down, paused, and she asked, "Is this... this kind of relationship?"
Before he turned over and kissed her, he responded with a soft "Mmm".
It turns out that at the time, he always thought she meant a romantic relationship?
Upon careful reflection, because Jiang Yunjin was conservative by nature, she did not explicitly state that they were friends with benefits, but every time she mentioned this relationship, he actually misunderstood it as a romantic relationship.
Jiang Yunjin clearly understood as well, his eyes filled with a mixture of sarcasm and hurt, and his chest heaved with anger.
"How could I possibly consider you a bed partner?"
Cui Yiluo fell silent. In retrospect, his personality certainly wouldn't allow for a casual sex relationship, but back then, Cui Yiluo never imagined they were dating. They weren't even close; they only crossed paths because of Lan Hui. How could sleeping together once lead directly to a romantic relationship? So at the time, Cui Yiluo simply thought he had just tasted the sweetness and had gotten a taste for it, which was why he went too far and agreed, and so did she.
"But cousin, it's been almost two years, and we hardly ever contact each other or see each other. We only meet on weekends, and even then, it's always just for show. Have you ever seen a couple who don't go on dates, and on special holidays, they might not even exchange a single message for a whole day?"
How could this kind of relationship possibly be considered a romantic one?
Jiang Yunjin's eyes were so dark that not a ray of light could penetrate them, with a faint red tinge at the corners in the darkness, and his voice was dry and hoarse.
"How should I understand? This is my first time dating."
Author's Note: A heartbreaking moment [doge emoji]
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