Chapter 35
Jiang Chen lay back on the sofa, his slender, almost masculine physique making him look quite attractive.
But at this moment, his expression was somewhat dejected.
Perhaps stemming from his inner arrogance, he used to believe that even if he did nothing, she would eventually belong to him.
He always felt that she would stay by his side forever, and that she would never leave unless he asked her to.
So he waited calmly and patiently all along.
Wait until she grows up, until she understands her own feelings.
But when did this calm waiting gradually turn into anxiety?
Perhaps it was because her eyes were becoming increasingly calm when she looked at him, or perhaps he suddenly realized that she was much more comfortable and happy with other people than with him.
The huge villa was unusually quiet, with only the ticking of the clock and the man's long sighs.
...He was losing patience.
--
The sunlight outside was blinding; at this time of year, S City was always unbearably hot and dry.
After contacting four or five real estate agencies, Jin Chuwan finally settled on two apartments. Although they were in older neighborhoods, the locations were good and the prices were reasonable. While older neighborhoods lacked security, there were many residents, the neighborhood was friendly, and most were elderly, making it relatively easy to get along with them.
Jin Chuwan looked at two apartments with the real estate agent, but ultimately chose the one on the third floor with good natural light.
Although the deal is finalized, a contract still needs to be signed with the landlord, who is currently not in the city, so Jin Chuwan will have to wait a few more days.
She had been busy outside all day, and her phone had been ringing non-stop. Cheng Ya said that because of company matters, she wouldn't be able to register at school for another two days, while Ran Min was already enjoying life in City A. It seemed that she only ever had one requirement for Jin Chuwan.
"Take good care of Ran Xian for me. In short, I won't allow him to live too comfortably—"
Upon seeing the text message, Jin Chuwan shook her head and quickly replied using the nine-grid keypad.
"He's still your own brother..."
But her persuasion seemed to sink without a trace; Ran Min only replied with a multimedia message photo of herself wearing a face mask and making a V sign.
Data usage is extremely precious these days, with only about 100 megabytes a month. Jin Chuwan looked at the pile of photos in her inbox and hesitated for a moment before opening them.
Jin Chuwan scrolled down, because she didn't check her phone often and frequently missed some messages.
Jin Chuwan only put her phone away after opening all the unread messages.
Summer winds always come in gusts, and even when the sun is about to set, they don't feel very cool when they blow on you.
S City doesn't have as many skyscrapers as it will in the future, but it is already very prosperous, with heavy traffic on the roads and hurried pedestrians waiting at every traffic light intersection.
Jin Chuwan groped her way back to the location of the villa. She patted her pockets. She had originally thought she would only need to stay for two days at most, but now it seemed that she would have to use the key that Li Xingen had given her for a few more days.
Jin Chuwan was stunned when she opened the door.
The house was quiet, and all the lights in the rooms were off. It seemed that no one else had returned except for her.
Jin Chuwan put down her backpack and went to the kitchen. There was rice and flour, but not many fresh vegetables. However, she didn't feel very hungry, so she cooked some plain porridge.
The villa area is great in every way, except that supermarkets and convenience stores are too far away, which is inconvenient for daily life. But then again, these wealthy people living in villas probably don't need to buy anything themselves.
While waiting for her meal, Jin Chuwan casually turned on the TV; there seemed to be more information about various business families lately.
There are both positive and negative news, as well as a lot of gossip about family members. In short, it seems like the whole world revolves around the protagonist's family, just like in the novel.
Jin Chuwan stood in front of the television, changing several channels before finally stopping at the movie channel.
All the entertainment works in this world are completely different from those in the real world, but in her opinion, the works in this world are of higher quality.
Perhaps it's because it's a story world in itself?
Jin Chuwan didn't quite understand whether this place was a parallel world or a virtual world compared to her previous life. She hadn't specifically considered it; she just felt that she and the people around her were real, so she assumed it was real.
At that moment, the aroma of food wafted from the room, and Jin Chuwan hurriedly went to the kitchen to turn off the stove.
She ladled out a bowl of porridge, then pulled up a chair and sat in front of the TV. It was a sci-fi movie similar to "Terminator X," except the robots weren't muscular men, but beautiful blonde women, and the villainous robots actually won against humans.
However, the robots in this movie seem to be sentient beings who are oppressed, so even though humanity fails, it doesn't evoke any sense of disgust.
"So you like watching this kind of movie?"
A figure suddenly appeared behind her, startling Jin Chuwan so much that she almost dropped the bowl in her hand.
Jiang Chen stood outside the guest room on the first floor in his pajamas. Judging from the state of his hair, he had just woken up, and his dark eyes were still somewhat unfocused.
He seemed to smell the aroma of food, so after washing up in the bathroom, he went straight to the kitchen and, imitating Jin Chuwan, started watching TV while holding a bowl.
Jin Chuwan noticed him yawning again and was somewhat puzzled.
"You just sleep at home all day?"
Jiang Chen blew on the rim of the bowl, then nodded.
"I couldn't sleep at all on the sofa last night, and that young master of the Ran family is also very annoying; he kept arguing with Ran Min on the phone..."
Perhaps because they had spent a long time together, she could tell from just a glance that Jiang Chen was only a little annoyed, not really disgusted with Ran Xian.
Jin Chuwan finished the last mouthful of porridge, thought for a moment, and then spoke.
"Who told you to have your own home and not sleep here, insisting on squeezing in here..."
Jiang Chen paused in his blowing the porridge, then looked up at the girl beside him.
Although they had lived under the same roof for so long, Kim Cho-wan rarely argued or expressed her emotions.
A silent or submissive response always manages to end the conversation quickly.
However, Jiang Chen did not like it.
"Why do I have to squeeze in? Don't you know?"
The boy's voice was deep, and because he was sitting right next to her, Jin Chuwan felt a little pressured for a moment, but she still mustered up the courage to confront the male lead next to her.
“I’ve already said, I’m not a child anymore. I can tell the difference between good and bad people. Besides, given Li Xing’en’s status, appearance, and family background, why would he have any reason to plot against someone like me?”
Despite saying that, Kim Cho-man did not look down on herself.
On the contrary, she believed that she was excellent in this life and that the future would be very different. But love is a different matter. Humans are visual creatures and are easily moved by beautiful things. Even if she had helped Lily in the past, gratitude is gratitude and sympathy are sympathy. These emotions are different and cannot be easily transformed.
With the same appearance, she had been disliked many times in her previous life.
Having lived two lifetimes, there's no reason why I shouldn't be able to figure myself out and have those kinds of messy fantasies.
Jin Chuwan turned to look at Jiang Chen, a hint of helplessness in her eyes.
"I can accept my parents' behavior, but why do you have to do it this way?"
While it fits a certain plot point in the novel, this behavior is far too childish.
The boy's eyes flickered, and then he suddenly chuckled softly.
"I'm only finding out now..."
Jin Chuwan sat on a high chair, while Jiang Chen sat on the sofa. The height difference between the two was significant, so Jiang Chen had to look up at her the whole time.
A strange light suddenly appeared in those dark eyes, and the boy's gaze was firmly fixed on Jin Chuwan.
"I only now realize that you've always seen yourself this way."
A faint smile appeared on the boy's lips. He placed the porcelain bowl in his hand on the coffee table, then pulled Jin Chuwan's hand and pressed it against his chest.
Because of this sudden movement, Jin Chuwan leaned towards the sofa, and she looked up in a panic.
"You say he won't have any romantic feelings for you, but what about me?"
The boy's chest was very firm. Jin Chuwan felt the warmth under his palm and recoiled as if burned.
"Jiang Chen—"
She was still holding a bowl and chopsticks in her other hand, making it difficult for her to break free.
"I don't understand what you're saying—"
But after she finished speaking, Jiang Chen smiled.
"You probably also think I wouldn't fall for you, right?"
As he spoke, he suddenly exerted force, and Jin Chuwan fell directly into his arms.
Jiang Chen was still looking up at her.
Do you think I hate you?
Jin Chuwan was furious at being offended like this, and she glared angrily at Jiang Chen.
"Don't you hate me? You think I don't know? Ever since I moved into the Jiang family home, you've hated me—"
Jiang Chen, upon hearing this, suddenly leaned forward and kissed Jin Chuwan's lips.
The living room fell silent, with only the sounds of explosions from the robot battle coming from the television.
The boy's movements were awkward and gentle, and even as the temperature around his lips grew hotter, he refrained from exploring further.
Kim Cho-wan always considered herself an adult, so she remained rational, cleared her mind of distractions, and focused on her future.
What does a kiss mean to a mature woman?
So even though she had already raised her hand, she remained still for a long time without lowering it.
"--What are you doing?!"
Whether it was anger or fear, Jin Chuwan looked at Jiang Chen, whose face was flushed and whose thin lips were moist, but whose eyes held a faint smile.
"He's expressing his love."
"If I don't do it, don't say it, don't kiss you, will you never realize how I feel?"
“Jin Chuwan, I only now realize that you're a coward. You're timid and cowardly, you're insecure and weak. You don't dare to look at Li Xing'en, and you don't dare to look at me either…”
"So you weren't unmoved, you were just afraid to be moved?"
The boy's words were aggressive and intimidating, and Jin Chuwan finally lost her temper and raised her hand to strike.
Jiang Chen turned his face to one side, but he showed no anger whatsoever.
The two remained in the same position, but the boy did not approach them again.
"Jin Chuwan, this kind of force can't drive a man away."
Jiang Chen turned around as he spoke.
“I know you’re angry. If you’re going to hit me, do it now, because from today onwards I will keep bothering you.”
"I won't allow you to pretend you can't hear or see, I won't allow you to hide, and I won't allow you to doubt my sincerity."
"You are not allowed to be arrogant and think that you are not pretty or good enough, and that you are not worthy of being loved."
The boy suddenly lowered his head and chuckled as he spoke.
"I've had enough of anxiously waiting for your response, enough of being nervous and afraid that you'll fall in love with someone else. Jin Chuwan, do you even know how long I've been waiting for you?"
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