I was able to use my legs again, so I slowly got into the car by myself.
After he got on the bus from the other side, I turned to look at him and finally had a chance to ask, "Why are you here? Didn't we agree that you shouldn't get involved in this? You might end up getting yourself into trouble."
Su Shenglin instructed the driver to go to the Imperial Garden before answering my question.
"I was out running errands this morning, and after I finished, I checked the time and figured you'd be done soon, so I thought I'd come over and have lunch with you when you were done. But as soon as I got here, I saw that group of people from the Gu family aggressively attacking you. Your leg isn't fully healed yet, and if a conflict caused further injury, wouldn't that be even more troublesome? In a hurry, I got out of the car and went over..."
So that's how it is.
I was extremely grateful, but thinking about Su Shenglin's actions, I also felt uneasy.
"Thank you for coming to my rescue in time, but... you shouldn't have said those things to Gu Yanqing just now. The entire Gu family is like mad dogs now, biting anyone they can get their hands on. I just got divorced, and you publicly announced that we would get married. If this is spread by malicious people, it will definitely cause you trouble. Especially now that Gu Yanqing is sick and the Gu family is in constant turmoil, it will be easier for people to think that you are bullying the weak and kicking someone when they are down."
Su Shenglin didn't seem to care much, and smiled faintly: "I had already considered these issues when I decided to pursue you. If I were afraid of those troubles, I wouldn't have gone to such lengths to get close to you."
scheming and plotting...
I pondered the word in my mind, thinking that he was becoming increasingly unreserved.
I had many concerns, but at this moment, looking into his warm and sincere eyes, I couldn't bring myself to say anything discouraging.
The atmosphere quieted down, and seeing that I didn't speak, he silently reached out and squeezed my hand in his palm.
"Didn't your friend say that today is a day worth celebrating? You should be happier and stop looking so gloomy."
"Hmm..." I looked at him and forced a smile.
The hand he held was warm and dry, and I felt a deep longing for it.
But in my heart, I felt depressed and uneasy.
Su Shenglin treated us to lunch, saying it was unreasonable and ungentlemanly for a girl to pay.
This was the first time he officially met and dined with my friend, and the ceremony felt like we were officially announcing our relationship.
Li Yunwei was quite bold; she immediately asked Su Shenglin if the revolution had succeeded, which frightened me so much that I raised my hand to hit her.
Su Shenglin was very approachable, looking at me with a smile on his handsome face, and passed the buck, "That depends on Jiang Wan's opinion, but I think it's already a success."
"Wow~" Li Yun raised an eyebrow and immediately teased me, "You actually kept this from me, are you even my best friend!"
I was startled and looked at Su Shenglin, feeling both ashamed and resentful. "What? When did you succeed? How come I didn't know?"
Su Shenglin sipped his tea with elegant movements and a shy smile, and said without any hesitation, "I held your hand, and you didn't pull away—doesn't that count?"
"Wow—you two are holding hands? What else is there besides holding hands? Could it be that you've already..." Li Yunwei became even more excited, pouting and making a kissing gesture.
"Weiwei! That's enough!" My cheeks flushed red with embarrassment and anger. This time I really reached out, but she dodged it with a smile.
When I turned around, I saw Su Shenglin staring at me, his smile full of a seductive and wicked charm.
Although he didn't directly answer Li Yunwei's question, his eyes and expression exuded a strong sense of masculinity that anyone with eyes could understand.
"Oh~ I get it, I get it!" Li Yunwei immediately understood, her excitement growing even stronger, and she couldn't help but continue gossiping, "So who made the first move?"
I remembered Su Shenglin saying that when I was drunk, I took advantage of him, and that I supposedly kissed him that night and even complimented his soft lips—I immediately exploded, instinctively turning around and ordering him, "Don't talk! We can't talk anymore!"
Su Shenglin didn't say anything, but his smile deepened as he stared at me.
Li Yunwei was a shrewd person; she understood almost instantly, and her expression was incredibly excited.
"Jiang Wan! You're so unfair! You two have progressed to this point, and you haven't mentioned it to me at all!"
"No, it was a misunderstanding, an accident." I tried to explain in vain, then remembered that the birthday party that night was Li Yunwei's idea, and immediately changed the subject, "You have the nerve to say that! It's all your fault, you know?"
"What does this have to do with me? You two took a liking to each other; I didn't try to match you up."
"If it weren't for you that night—" I almost blurted out, but thankfully I stopped myself in time.
If this were to be revealed, Li Yunwei would be even more excited and frantic if she knew that Su Shenglin and I "crossed the line" on the night of my birthday party, and that Su Shenglin stayed overnight to take care of me when I was drunk.
If a man and a woman spend the night together, anyone would assume something happened.
That will make things even harder to explain.
Seeing that I suddenly fell silent, Li Yunwei, being quite gossipy, quickly pressed me, "What? Finish what you're saying."
"Enough talk, let's eat! I'm starving!"
"You know, the most uncomfortable thing is being left hanging halfway through a story."
"I won't tell you, I'll just make you feel bad."
We were playfully bickering, while Su Shenglin watched quietly, and Xiao Yingtao laughed so hard she was practically lying on the table.
Even after we finished eating, I still didn't satisfy my best friend; I just wouldn't tell her.
She also wanted to find out the details of my "kissing" with Su Shenglin, but I kept it a secret.
After dinner, Li Yunwei stayed at her family's restaurant, Xiao Yingtao went back to work, and Su Shenglin drove me home.
The moment we got into the car and closed the door, the hustle and bustle came to an abrupt halt.
The carriage quieted down, and it was just the two of us in the back seat. Suddenly, the atmosphere became ambiguous and awkward.
Knowing that I was now a free person, Su Shenglin would definitely make new moves or gestures to force me to acknowledge our relationship sooner, so I felt both nervous and apprehensive, as well as excited and expectant.
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