Chapter 55
Jin Chaoyang covered his mouth with both hands.
She didn't expect Li Xing'en to actually make a move.
Jin Chuwan was also stunned for a moment, but when she saw Yin Zhihua's violent eyes, she rushed over almost without hesitation.
This is a skill so practiced it's almost instinctive.
Trapping her arms and turning around with all her might, Jin Chuwan didn't know where she got the strength to hug Li Xing'en; she just did it when she regained her senses.
The boy in her arms was pounding his heart, while her fingertips were tingling slightly.
Li Xing'en opened her mouth, then said in a hoarse voice, "Let me go."
His voice sounded calm, yet it also seemed cold and devoid of emotion.
Jin Chuwan was somewhat at a loss, but she did not let go. Her pupils trembled slightly, and her breathing became a little rapid.
"Stop it, all of you..."
After Jin Chuwan finished speaking, Yin Zhihua smiled. He lowered his head to wipe his mouth, then looked at Jin Chuwan, who was protecting Li Xing'en with her body.
He only got punched once, and he didn't care at all.
But at this moment, he felt as if an unnamed fire was burning in his chest.
He looked at Jin Chuwan, his eyes filled with obvious disappointment and bitterness.
Why? Why does she always protect him? What's so great about Li Xing'en that makes her so biased towards him? He's the one who started it, he's the one who got hurt!
The restlessness in his heart led Yin Zhihua to vent his anger in accordance with his emotions, but he was also troubled and helpless because of the other emotions mixed in.
The boy closed his eyes, suppressing the urge to ramble on.
"Looks like I'm in the way."
Yin Zhihua's voice startled Jin Chuwan, who realized that the farce was nearing its end. Jin Chuwan finally felt relieved and slowly released Li Xingen, her fingers sliding down his waist.
She glanced around the room, which seemed even more cramped and narrow because of the men, and felt a little absurd and tired.
"You all leave."
Jiang Chen kept watching Jin Chuwan, noticing her pale face and anxious eyes. He slowly frowned, then stepped out of the room first.
Yin Zhihua didn't linger. He coldly swept his gaze over Li Xing'en and then strode out.
However, after he walked out, he paused for a moment.
Jiang Chen leaned against the corridor wall, seemingly waiting for him.
Yin Zhihua frowned, trying to pretend he didn't see it, but as they passed each other, he heard Jiang Chen whisper.
You have a lot of trouble.
Jiang Chen's words made Yin Zhihua stop in his tracks again. He wanted to say what it had to do with him, but he shut his mouth when he met Jiang Chen's serious gaze.
"So when you encounter trouble, you should come to me, not Jin Chuwan."
I thought you should understand this principle.
Jiang Chen's words left Yin Zhihua somewhat dazed. He instinctively wanted to refute them, but rationally he felt that Jiang Chen was not wrong. So he held back, but in the end he could only weakly remain silent.
"Aren't you making a mountain out of a molehill? Jin Chuwan and I are friends. What's wrong with friends helping each other out? Besides, I'm not some dangerous person..."
Jiang Chen raised his eyes, seemingly losing patience.
"Why are you hiding if you're not in danger?" Jiang Chen's eyes held an innate arrogance. His voice wasn't loud, but it was steady and powerful. "If you can't even control your own life, don't talk so lightly. Besides, Jin Chuwan is just an ordinary girl. If your vicious dogs accidentally bite her while they're attacking you, don't blame me for turning against you..."
Jiang Chen spoke slowly, and only after he felt he had explained enough did he give Yin Zhihua a deep look before turning and leaving.
Yin Zhihua, left behind, felt like a trapped beast. He felt increasingly frustrated and didn't know who to vent to. In the end, he just tilted his head back and let out a breath.
He subconsciously pressed his chest. Jiang Chen was right. Ever since his mother sent him back to his ancestral home, his life had been a complete mess. To that family, he was an outsider who represented betrayal; to his father, he was a pawn that could be used whenever he wanted; and his mother, she was about to develop new feelings for someone else.
Yin Zhihua fell silent. He suddenly turned around and glanced at the room behind him, but quickly looked away again.
After the two left, Li Xing'en remained standing in the room, trying to compose himself, but Jin Chuwan didn't give him enough time.
"Xing En, you should go back too."
The chaotic scene early in the morning made Jin Chuwan lose control. Not long ago, she had decided to give up the idea of leaving, but now she wanted to leave again.
As expected, getting too involved with the main character is a real hassle, Jin Chuwan thought irritably, wondering if she could get accepted if she applied for an exchange student position now.
Li Xingen glanced at Jin Chuwan and keenly sensed her anxiety, so he once again chose to be patient and turned away with restraint.
He couldn't understand why she insisted on helping that silver-haired boy. Were they very close? Or did she already trust him completely?
Did she even know that the other person was a man? If he had any ulterior motives, could she resist him?
Li Xingen was extremely irritable.
Of course, he didn't know that in Jin Chuwan's eyes, whether it was him, Yin Zhihua, or Jiang Chen, they were all just the protagonists of this world, characters in a certain novel.
After Yin Zhihua left, Jin Chaoyang peeked out from the doorway.
"Then...should I leave too?"
Jin Chuwan then remembered that there was someone outside the door. She looked up at the girl outside the door, then lowered her head and sighed.
"Close the door for me."
Jin Chaoyang hesitated for a moment, wavering between closing the door from the outside and closing it after entering the room, before finally choosing to step inside.
She now felt a bit of awe towards Jin Chuwan; she hadn't expected that someone who looked so gentle and weak could remain so composed in front of the male leads.
They even told people to get lost.
"I was wrong, I shouldn't have let them upstairs."
Jin Chaoyang glanced cautiously at Jin Chuwan, and even sensibly took the responsibility upon himself.
Jin Chuwan looked at her with a puzzled expression, then got up and went to her room to change her clothes. After the farce that morning, she was completely awake.
She wasn't just awake; she was fully awake and wanted to keep her distance from them.
Jiang Chen is one thing, but now it seems that Li Xingen also has a somewhat abnormal possessiveness towards her. Recalling the boy's angry eyes, Jin Chuwan unbuttoned her clothes while thinking.
Perhaps Chaoyang is right; she should find someone to date.
That's not how it is in novels. As long as the characters' love is stable, the plot is nearing its end.
She didn't want to be involved in ambiguous relationships with several people, nor did she have that need.
Kim Cho-wan put on the dress and then looked at herself in the mirror with a slightly dejected expression.
What went wrong? Is she really that attractive?
--
While Jin Chuwan locked herself in her room to think, Jin Chaoyang heard a knock on the door.
She opened the inner door and saw Jiang Chen. Jin Chaoyang was surprised, but she didn't dare to open the door and let anyone in now.
She hesitated, about to refuse, when she heard the other person whisper.
"I just wanted to talk to her for a bit."
At this moment, Jin Chuwan also came out of the room. She subconsciously frowned when she heard Jiang Chen's voice. She looked at Jiang Chen outside the door. Through the rusty security door, they seemed to be from two different worlds and were completely out of place.
The boy outside the door pointed behind him, signaling her to go out.
Jin Chuwan thought about it and realized that she didn't need to avoid him, so she went out.
Besides Jin Chuwan, there was only one elderly couple living on this floor, and at this time the two elderly people had already gone out for their morning exercise and walk.
Jin Chuwan stopped at the entrance of the corridor. The railings of the corridor were covered with gray stone bricks, and flower pots, some new and some old, were placed on them. For a moment, Jin Chuwan felt as if they were standing in the corridor of a school.
But in fact, even when they were in the same school, they rarely stood face to face like this.
The young man before me was well-dressed and had an elegant demeanor. His usually messy black hair had been trimmed a little shorter, giving him a cool and noble air.
What do you want?
In the end, it was Kim Cho-wan who spoke first.
Jiang Chen picked up the bag in his hand. "This is porridge that Aunt Hui cooked herself. She specially asked me to bring it to you."
Jin Chuwan was stunned for a moment. She watched as Jiang Chen took the thermos out of the bag and then looked up at her.
"But there was traffic this morning, so I arrived a little late." The boy paused, then asked, "Would you like a drink?"
Jin Chuwan thought for a moment and nodded. She watched as Jiang Chen opened the thermos lid, carefully poured a bowl of liquid, and handed it to her.
"Be careful, it's still very hot."
The metal cup wall conducts heat very quickly. Jin Chuwan could feel the heat when she got it, but it wasn't hot enough to burn her hand.
She lowered her head and took a sip; it was indeed Aunt Hui's cooking.
"She came here too?"
Jiang Chen nodded, then leaned against the railing and stood there lazily.
"Have you forgotten? Her youngest son is also studying here, so it's convenient for her to come and take care of him."
Jin Chuwan had indeed forgotten, because Aunt Hui rarely mentioned her family affairs, and even when she did, it was mostly complaints, so she only had a vague impression.
"So all you did today was bring me porridge?"
Jin Chuwan lowered her head and drank her porridge, but her eyes were misty as she looked at Jiang Chen.
Subconsciously, she recalled that confession.
Jiang Chen chuckled softly, his dark eyes curving slightly, but instead of appearing gentle, they held a profound meaning.
"It's just an excuse. I just missed you, so I came."
Jin Chuwan paused in her porridge-drinking motion, slightly taken aback, but quickly regained her composure after a brief moment of confusion.
Jiang Chen lowered his eyes and gazed at the person before him. She used to be right beside him; he could see her whenever he opened his eyes. Perhaps it was because the distance between them had been so long—so close that he had forgotten that people always come together and part ways, and had overlooked the fact that she would eventually leave.
Thinking this, Jiang Chen's smile faded a little.
"But don't worry, I've been very busy with school and work lately, so I probably won't have much time to come see you."
The soft, sticky red date porridge was sweet and delicious, but Jin Chuwan suddenly felt a lump in her throat. She felt she should say something, but she didn't know what to say.
Say: Oh, that's great!
Or: Don't do this, I don't hate you that much?
Jin Chuwan hesitated briefly before giving up, and looked helplessly at Jiang Chen.
But then he laughed again.
A gentle breeze blew into the corridor, causing the wisps of hair on his forehead to sway. His eyes, deep and narrow, were now slightly squinted.
Jiang Chen rarely hides his emotions, not because he dislikes or is bad at it, but simply because there's no need to.
Whether he likes it or hates it, he would never suppress his emotions or pretend to be upset.
So he still smiled.
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