Chapter 94
The freshly poured tea was steaming, the steam rising in wisps. In no time, many small water droplets accumulated on the lid of the cup, and they fell back one by one as the tea was poured out with a finger.
Kim Cho-wan maintained this posture while looking at Lee Sung-eun.
The sadness and resentment in his eyes confused her.
She knew he liked her, but Jin Chuwan originally thought it was just a feeling of affection based on long-term companionship; if she got him, great, if not, she would let go.
But his suppressed emotions at this moment made Jin Chuwan begin to doubt whether she had made a mistake in her judgment.
"So you mean I can't be with him anymore?"
The steam from the water glass leaked into the outside air through the spilled lid.
Kim Cho-wan's question made Lee Sung-eun, who was still indignant, pause for a moment. Almost instinctively, he wanted to say, "That's right, you can't."
But when he met Jin Chuwan's gaze, he could only forcefully swallow back the words that were about to come out.
Not yet.
Li Xing'en closed her eyes.
The truth is that Jin Chuwan doesn't like him that much right now, so even if he says it, in her eyes it's just being unreasonable and acting crazy.
It's truly heartbreaking.
At this moment, Li Xing'en had become much more awake.
After regaining his senses, he gradually realized Jiang Chen's ill intentions.
So, the fact that he made such a big show of whispering in front of him, and deliberately left the door open when he left, shows that he was trying to lure him out.
His anger actually means that his accusations are correct; the more out of control he becomes, the happier he is to watch.
Li Xing'en remained silent, her gray eyes gradually becoming obscure and dark.
He had only devised some methods to keep Jiang Chen a little "busier" recently, but he never expected Jiang Chen's revenge to come so suddenly.
He almost rushed out while he was listening in...
The boy stood quietly.
His features were as elegant as an ancient painting, even the beauty mark under his eye looked like a drop of ink. But at this moment, he seemed to have lost some of his usual composure and calmness, and his overly pale profile revealed a hint of coldness and gloom.
Kim Cho-wan looked on and suddenly touched Lee Sung-eun's hand.
What are you thinking about so intently?
The warmth of her fingertips made Li Xing'en's heart beat a little faster. He lowered his head and met Jin Chuwan's gaze.
She remained as calm and composed as ever.
Kim Cho-wan's behavior made Lee Sung-eun feel a sense of defeat, as if Kim Cho-wan wouldn't care about what she said or did.
This sudden surge of disappointment mixed with lingering anger left Li Xing'en feeling lost and confused.
He stood there for a moment, then sat down next to Jin Chuwan.
By this time, the water glass on the table was no longer steaming much, and Li Xing'en leaned dejectedly on Jin Chuwan's shoulder.
"Golden Night..."
"Can't you like me a little more?"
Jin Chuwan felt the weight on her shoulder. She turned around and touched Li Xing'en's head. When she was with Jiang Chen, she always felt like he could see right through her. In comparison, Li Xing'en seemed to be more mature.
He seemed to know how to phrase things in a way that would make her more receptive.
Thinking about it, Jin Chuwan smiled again: "Aren't you going to call me 'Auntie' anymore?"
Li Xingen closed his eyes, listening to the rustling sound of his fingers moving through his hair, and replied as if helpless and resentful.
"If you like, I'll shout it for you, as many times as you want."
Kim Cho-wan laughed again as she listened.
Li Xingen now seems to have given up entirely. He has finally abandoned his previous almost boundless gentleness and has begun to show some dissatisfaction and resistance in front of her.
But he probably hadn't given up yet, so he kept rubbing his head against her neck.
"Auntie..."
His voice sounded weak and listless, with a sticky quality that made Jin Chuwan wary.
Do you like me?
here we go again.
Jin Chuwan felt a wave of helplessness.
The television in the living room was still chattering away. Now that the commercials were over, the screen was playing a modern love story that had been replayed countless times.
She watched TV for a while, but seemed to find it boring, so she turned her gaze to the boy beside her.
Her expression looked somewhat serious, as if she were genuinely beginning to consider Li Xing'en's question.
This made the boy, who had been feeling dejected, suddenly brighten up.
They were so close that they could hear each other breathing clearly.
Originally, Lee Sung-eun was just pretending to be tired and leaning against Kim Cho-wan, but now he was starting to regret it.
It seems a bit too close.
It took Li Xing'en a while to realize that this was probably the first time she had looked at her so seriously.
In the past, he probably wouldn't have had a chance to get close before Jin Chuwan subtly avoided him.
But now, Li Xing'en feels that she should have just sat a little further away.
Perhaps it was because of the continuous rain outside, making the air damp and uncomfortable, or perhaps it was because he was leaning on her shoulder with his gaze downwards, causing his neck to feel uncomfortable after looking up for a long time.
In short, Li Xingen thought of many reasons at this moment.
But the tight, swollen feeling wrapped around his chest made it hard for him to control himself.
Like a fool experiencing his first love.
But he wasn't a naive young man.
Li Xingen couldn't help but laugh inwardly.
He wasn't unaware of his own feelings, but now he seemed like a naive fool. He knew perfectly well why he was nervous and helpless, but he was furious because he couldn't pretend to be at ease as usual.
However, no matter how ironic reason might be, Li Xing'en ultimately lowered her eyes.
At the same moment, Kim Cho-man was also thinking: Are they getting too close?
She was ready to speak up. She wanted to tell him frankly that she planned to leave in a few years, and she hoped he could accept it and take good care of himself in the future.
But seeing Li Xing'en's anxious yet expectant gaze, she couldn't bring herself to speak.
So, it's still too close.
If you're further away, you might not be able to see these things clearly.
Jin Chuwan stared blankly, looking somewhat dejected.
“Li Xing'en…”
The person in front of her seemed a little happy when she called out to him; he seemed to enjoy seeing her helpless in front of him.
"Didn't you say you would listen to me?"
Li Xingen instinctively sensed the deeper meaning of those words. He lowered his head and looked at meekly, yet said ambiguously, "What I said was clearly that I would obey you if you didn't leave me."
But I can't live without him.
Kim Chu-wan was helpless.
The conversation ultimately came to nothing.
Li Xingen was too persistent. He still didn't understand that love is just a seasoning in life, but he treated it as an indispensable main course.
Their views were completely contradictory, and neither of them could persuade or convince the other.
So, just as Jiang Chen had warned him, Kim Cho-wan did not mention going abroad in the end.
After all, going abroad is not easy for an ordinary person like her, but it is too easy for Li Xing'en.
She could almost picture him chasing after her.
Obedient, gentle, and irresistible.
--
Days passed by, and by the time Jin Chuwan came to her senses, it was already time to set off.
Before leaving, she went to the post office. Since it wasn't yet the era of rapid internet development, stamp collecting was still a relatively widespread hobby.
Jin Chuwan picked out a few papers and then mailed three letters into the mailbox.
One letter was given to Cheng Ya, one to Jiang Chen, and the last one was sent to Li Xing En.
She knew her sudden departure would infuriate Li Xingen, so she informed Lili beforehand as a precaution.
However, of these three letters, the one she wrote to Li Xing'en was particularly long.
It's probably because after careful recollection, she realized that she was the one who took the initiative to approach him, the one who spoke first and showed kindness first. So, Li Xingen's current feelings for her might also be partly due to her.
Jin Chuwan rambled on in the letter, a long section of which was a self-analysis. Jin Chuwan is usually a quiet person and doesn't like to express her personal emotions, but she was unusually frank in the letter.
Some of my own worries, concerns, and unresolved issues.
She still felt that Li Xingen was an obedient child, and she thought he would understand her, so after sending the letter, she felt much more at ease.
But what she didn't know was that Li Xing'en chased after him almost immediately after reading the letter.
He probably wanted to chase after the departing plane on foot, but when he stood panting beside the busy highway, he was lost in confusion and silence.
Since the previous rain, the entire city of S has turned cold.
Passersby glanced at the boy in his thin shirt and slippers, but after noticing his reddened eyes, they pretended not to notice and looked away.
Why does this perfectly normal person seem a bit crazy...?
The cold wind lashed against his face, but Li Xing'en felt nothing. He stood by the roadside as if time had stood still, wondering what he should do, but not knowing where to begin.
Li Xing'en, whose mind was usually so calm, suddenly felt dizzy and closed her eyes with a headache.
He still couldn't understand it.
Why?
What did he do wrong?
Why does she insist on leaving him?!
He said he didn't care who she liked or who she had feelings for. He could wait, and even hide it from everyone. He just didn't want her to leave him.
But why did she still leave...?
Lee Sung-eun kept recalling his past with Kim Cho-wan, but his brain was like a broken projector, with only fragments or silhouettes scrolling back and forth.
Suddenly, he spotted a familiar figure in the image.
He watched, his gaze gradually turning cold.
Soon, the boy walked back amidst many surprised and doubtful gazes.
The villa's butler breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the young master return. He was about to call his wife and send someone out to look for him, but he didn't expect Li Xing'en to come back on his own.
He was about to go to greet him when he saw the usually gentle young master with a cold expression. He completely ignored the butler's greeting and went straight up to his room on the second floor.
The room was just as he had left it. The milk that the housekeeper had brought over was spilled on the floor and no one had come to clean it up. The torn envelope was teetering on the table.
Li Xing'en rummaged through the drawer, took out her phone, found her contacts, and dialed one of the numbers.
After a brief burst of static, a deep, slightly hoarse voice came through.
"Li Xing'en?"
On the other end of the phone, Jiang Chen, who had also received the letter, pressed his hand to his forehead, his dark eyes revealing suppressed anger.
Stop pretending.
Li Xing'en glanced out the window and gave a very faint smile.
"Tell me honestly, where did you hide her?"
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