Chapter 12: Step by Step
Chapter 12: Step by Step
Four years ago.
There was heavy snow in Boston all night.
In order to clean up the mess of their irresponsible team members, Chen Huaixu and Yan Zhao stayed up late to redo the case, and finally sent the assignment to the professor's email before the deadline in the morning.
It was dawn outside the window. After confirming that the email had been sent, they turned off the computer, went back to their respective rooms and fell asleep.
But before I had slept for two hours, the shrill ring of the doorbell broke the silence. Seeing that no one answered the door, the person outside lost his patience and rang the doorbell even more frantically to urge me to come back.
Even the best-tempered people would inevitably feel a little emotional at this moment. Chen Huaixu lifted the quilt expressionlessly, walked to the door with a cold face, and even forgot to look through the peephole, and pulled the door open forcefully.
Along with the extremely cold air outside the door, a handful of icy snow came towards me, falling on my hair and face, and some even slipped into my collar.
“Surprise!”
A sweet and cheerful female voice sounded. Chen Huaixu frowned and brushed the snow off his face. He was about to scold her coldly because he had no patience, but he stopped when he saw the person in front of him clearly.
The girl was wearing a white down jacket and a plush hat. She had a small face, clear eyes with charming corners, and the tip of her nose was a little red due to the cold. She was looking at him coquettishly and proudly, obviously very satisfied with her masterpiece of "attack".
It was as if the messy lines on the canvas in the software were cleared with one click, and all the depression was swept away.
The irritation in his heart disappeared instantly.
But when the other party saw Chen Huaixu's face clearly, his expression instantly changed from happy to panic.
Yan Zhen had originally thought it would be Yan Zhao who would open the door, so she prepared a "gift" to tease him, but unexpectedly, she threw it to the wrong person. Embarrassed and embarrassed, she stood on tiptoe and frantically brushed the snow off his hair, apologizing repeatedly.
"It's okay." Chen Huaixu lowered his head slightly to facilitate her movements, and his eyes inadvertently fell on the plush balls hanging down on both sides of her hat - they swayed with her movements, like a rabbit's tail.
So cute.
Ten minutes later, three people sat on the sofa in the living room.
"Who asked you to come?" Yan Zhao looked half asleep, legs crossed, and said in a bad tone, "Does Mom know you came here alone?"
"What's with that expression on your face? I flew for almost 30 hours! There's no direct flight to Ningchuan, so I had to transfer in Abu Dhabi." Yan Zhen was very dissatisfied. "I came all the way here to see you, and this is how you treat me?"
"Oh, so Mom doesn't know." Yan Zhao ignored her emotional appeal and coldly took out his cell phone, slid it open, and pretended to make a call.
"Yan Zhao!" Yan Zhen rushed over and grabbed his hand, "How can you be like this!"
Yan Zhao threw his phone aside and pinched her cheeks hard, saying, "You impulsively came to America without informing your family or telling me. What if something happens on the way? You're relying on your recent adulthood to become too independent, aren't you?"
Yan Zhen's cheeks were pinched and her lips were squeezed, so she couldn't speak clearly. She could only look at him with aggrieved eyes and beg for mercy.
Yan Zhao was really a little angry at his sister's impulsiveness. In addition, the fatigue from staying up all night made his brain not very flexible. For a while, he didn't know how to use enough strength with his hands. Yan Zhen's skin was thin and tender, and he soon left red marks on it.
After he realized what was happening, he let go of her hand and said, "Tsk," "Forget it. When is the return flight? I'll take you to the airport."
"It's in three days, so we have to hurry up and have a good time." Seeing that Yan Zhao didn't pursue the matter any further, Yan Zhen rubbed his cheeks nonchalantly, took out his tablet and said excitedly, "I did a lot of homework before coming here, such as Revere Beach, Quincy Market, and -"
"Yan Zhen," Yan Zhao interrupted her, "It's winter now. If I remember correctly, there will be a blizzard in Boston starting next week. Do you think this weather is suitable for travel? If you go to the beach now, you'll probably just be blown away by the wind and never want to come back to this city again."
Seeing her instantly frustrated expression, Yan Zhao sighed in defeat and said, "You can still visit museums and schools and the like. I'll take you there when the time comes."
"Okay! I'm ready, then we'll do it later-"
"Not today, I need to sleep." Yan Zhao stood up, "We just stayed up all night last night, and we're not in a good mood. I'll take you out for dinner tonight."
His idea was simple: winter wasn't the best time to visit the city, and Yan Zhen's timing wasn't right, so she wouldn't be able to see the most beautiful scenery at many scenic spots. But it wasn't a big deal. Whenever she wanted to come again, it would only take her a plane ticket, not a few days.
"Oh... then I will do it myself..."
The ending was long and full of obvious disappointment.
In the silence, Chen Huaixu, who was sitting on the side, suddenly spoke up: "I can take you there."
The brother and sister turned their gazes towards him simultaneously, their surprise undisguised.
"But you just stayed up all night..."
"It's okay, I did get some sleep last night." Chen Huaixu lied lightly, "Since we're here, we should go for a walk while it's not snowing today."
Yan Zhao looked at Yan Zhen, hesitated for a moment, sighed and said, "Then I'll trouble you."
So the two of them packed up, went out, and walked on the path covered with deep snow.
The snow was soft and made a squeaking sound when stepped on. The streets were very quiet after the snow, with only the occasional whistle and the tires rolling over the snow, leaving faint traces of water on the asphalt road.
The two people's steps alternated between deep and shallow, and no one spoke for a long time.
It was Yan Zhen who broke the awkwardness first: "You..."
"Chen Huaixu." He spoke at the right time, "This is the second time we meet."
More than half a year has passed since our last meeting on the basketball court. The time has changed from summer to winter, and the location has changed from Ningchuan to Boston.
But my mood seems to have not changed much.
"Yes, I remember." Yan Zhen was a little reserved in front of someone she didn't know well. "Thank you, brother."
He said calmly, "You're welcome."
Then the two fell into silence again.
Although it was winter, there were still many people in the park.
Yan Zhen took photos along the way, and Chen Huaixu followed behind her slowly, always keeping a distance so as not to make her feel uncomfortable.
He was tall, with long legs, a handsome face, and very oriental features, and soon attracted the attention of a group of Chinese girls.
Someone came up to him, chatted briefly with him, confirmed that he was also studying in Boston, and asked for his contact information.
But he refused.
The girl looked disappointed and asked if she could take a photo together.
He politely declined again: "Sorry, I don't like having my picture taken."
The conversation fell into Yan Zhen's ears.
On the way back, Yan Zhao had also woken up and was ready to drive Yan Zhen out for dinner. Even though the young master was studying in the United States, he still wanted to ensure comfort and didn't want to squeeze into crowded subways or buses. He got his driver's license and bought a car right after arriving.
But everyone overlooked one fact, that is, the snow in front of the door was very deep and the car could not drive out.
So he had no choice but to call Chen Huaixu, and the two of them shoveled snow at the door.
Yan Zhen would never do such a thing. She took her newly bought Polaroid camera and captured Yan Zhao working, occasionally laughing at his funny appearance. Soon, this behavior was interrupted by the unwilling Yan Zhao: "Can you please stop taking pictures of me?"
“Who should I photograph then?”
"Him." Yan Zhao gestured to the person beside him, "If you can take a photo with him, I'll buy you the bag that mom didn't want to buy you last time."
"Are you serious?"
"Of course," Yan Zhao said, wanting to get rid of her. "I never break my promise."
Chen Huaixu stood aside, shoveling snow absentmindedly, but he didn't wait for Yan Zhen to come to him for a photo. After a while, her cheerful voice rang out behind him: "Look, a photo."
Yan Zhao was silent for a moment, then asked, "Does this count?"
"Why not? Both of us are in the camera." Yan Zhen said confidently, "Even if their backs are in the camera, they are still in the camera!"
"You're becoming more and more unreasonable."
"You didn't set any rules. I think you're the one being unreasonable and unwilling to admit defeat!"
They were originally shoveling snow, but the brother and sister started arguing with each other, and then they picked up snow from the ground and threw it at each other.
Chen Huaixu stopped and looked back.
The setting sun dyed the sky dim yellow, and even the white snow was covered with a layer of afterglow, like cream sprinkled with caramel.
Her laughter was like the tiny bubbles that came out when boiling milk, emerging one by one and bursting in his heart, leaving behind sweet foam.
He stood there, watching for a long time without moving.
Love often comes without warning, whether it's our first encounter on the basketball court or the dusk after the snow in Boston.
He didn't think that the feeling he had now was enough to be called love, but the irresistible attraction must be the beginning of his fall.
If he were given a little more time, he would fall head over heels in love with her.
The two people were tired of arguing, and the final outcome was to find the person involved.
Yan Zhao asked: "Do you think this counts as a group photo?"
Yan Zhen desperately winked at Chen Huaixu. He looked away, pretending not to see: "It doesn't count."
The small square photo should not frame the figures of two people with their backs to each other.
He hoped that they could stand side by side.
After coming back from dinner, it started snowing again.
Yan Zhao took out two bottles of beer from the refrigerator, heated a cup of cocoa for Yan Zhen, and he and Chen Huaixu each took a controller and started playing the game.
When Yan Zhao won the seventh game in a row, he noticed something unusual.
He turned his head to look at Chen Huaixu and saw that he looked calm, not at all unhappy about losing so badly.
It looks like he lost on purpose.
But Yan Zhao didn't think that Chen Huaixu, who was in good condition, would deliberately lose to him, so he pressed the controller and said, "Let's play another game."
He intentionally exposed a flaw in this round. In the past, such a fatal mistake would have been seized upon by Chen Huaixu, who would have completely crushed him without giving him a chance to fight back. But today, Chen Huaixu was as blind as a blind man and had no reaction.
Yan Zhao couldn't bear it anymore, so he raised his head and took a look. Just as he was about to ask a question, he found something wrong.
It wasn't intentional, but Chen Huaixu was completely distracted, not even noticing Yan Zhao's glances. He pressed the controller, his expression unchanged, but his eyes kept wandering, often landing on one spot for a long time before returning to his senses.
Where is he looking?
Yan Zhao followed his gaze and found his sister sleeping on the side.
Yan Zhen was originally sitting aside, watching, but after a while she got bored and hugged the pillow, and unexpectedly fell asleep lying on her stomach, with Chen Huaixu's coat still draped over her. She didn't know when he had put it on.
She slept soundly, her long black eyelashes trembling slightly, and her cheeks flushed from the warmth in the room.
Yan Zhao was silent for a moment, then, as if understanding something, he casually raised his voice and called out, "Yan Zhen."
Chen Huaixu's gaze immediately turned to him.
Yan Zhen was startled awake by the sound. She rubbed her eyes in a daze and asked, "What's wrong?"
"You're disturbing your two brothers from playing games. Go back to your room and sleep."
"How did my sleep disturb you?" Yan Zhen complained, but she was indeed sleepy. Yawning, she turned around and went back to the empty room that Yan Zhao had cleaned up for her.
So there were only two people left in the living room, the game screen was frozen, the fast-paced background music was looping, and no one spoke.
After a while, Yan Zhao got straight to the point: "Are you serious?"
Chen Huaixu understood what he meant and said, "Yes."
"Is this only the second time you've met?" Yan Zhao found it a little unbelievable for the first time. "I don't understand. This is not your style."
This kind of love at first sight story sounds too idealistic and romantic. It is hard to imagine that it would happen to someone like Chen Huaixu who has always been calm and rational.
"I don't understand it myself."
Chen Huaixu felt like he was being pulled by an attractive thread, and was about to step uncontrollably into a turbulent river with no way back.
Yan Zhao leaned back on the sofa, tilted his head back, and stared at the ceiling. It took him a long time to digest this fact, and he said, "I'll ask you again, are you really serious?"
"Yes," he answered again, "I want to be with her."
Upon hearing this, Yan Zhao's face did not show a relieved expression. He said, "Since you are so serious about confessing to me, I also want to tell you my thoughts."
He put away his usual nonchalant demeanor, let out a deep breath, and said, "Do you know how much my sister's daily expenses are? Do you know the price range of the clothes she wears, the bags and jewelry she buys, and the food she eats?
"Let's take a step back and say that even if Zhenzhen really loves you and doesn't care whether you have money or not, and is willing to lower her quality of life for you, or even use her own money to support you, but, Chen Huaixu——
"As a man with self-respect, can you tolerate such a thing?
"You're my good brother. I understand your nature and trust your character. We know each other well, and I'm absolutely confident in leaving Zhenzhen in your care. But material support is a very practical issue. I might have to say something unpleasant. Even if you graduate and find a high-paying job in the United States according to your current plan, with that kind of income, you won't even be able to see my mother, let alone propose marriage.
"The reason I suddenly bring this up is because I know you're a responsible person. I'm sure you don't treat relationships as a frivolous affair. If that's the case, then I can't just leave it alone. I know my sister. Don't underestimate her; she's actually soft-hearted and deeply sentimental. I don't want her to be hurt, and I don't want to see her suffer any injustice.
"I'm sorry, I've said too much today." Yan Zhao looked at Chen Huaixu who had been silent. "I didn't mean that. You know that I've always been good brothers with you sincerely, and I don't look down on you. On the contrary, I really admire you for getting to where you are today without any support from your family. If it were me, I ask myself, I can't do it.
"But because Zhenzhen is my biological sister and you are my best brother, I have to make everything clear. Have you really thought it through? If you want to be with her, at least right now, there will definitely be a lot of problems for both of you."
Love is illusory. It is wonderful to indulge in the satisfaction of the spiritual world, but people ultimately live in reality. No matter how unwilling they are, they have to face those mundane big and small things.
Chen Huaixu sat on the sofa for a long time before saying, "I'm going out for a walk."
He opened the door, but didn't go anywhere. He just sat down on the steps at the door and looked at the snowflakes floating and falling under the street light.
The snowy winter nights in Boston were very cold. He tried to light a cigarette several times, but the flame dimmed after just two puffs and he simply threw it into the trash can.
Yan Zhao said it very tactfully, but he knew that his good brother was only taking his self-esteem into consideration.
Would the eldest daughter, who is always the center of attention and pampered, be interested in a man who has spent all the savings left by her grandfather just to study abroad?
If he were Yan Zhao, he would not hand his sister over to such a person.
Coming to Boston was already a big gamble for him, but now, the stakes are far from enough.
Chen Huaixu sat in the snowy night until the early morning.
The next morning, he sent a sincere email to the manager who had strongly invited him to stay, giving up the opportunity to convert his internship into a regular position, which was equivalent to giving up the opportunity to stay in the United States with a high salary.
This was once his ultimate goal.
After doing all this, he walked out of the room. Yan Zhen also happened to be walking out. Their eyes met. She waved at him and said, "Hurry up, let's go to Tatte for brunch!"
Chen Huaixu followed her downstairs. She suddenly remembered something and snorted, "No, I'm ignoring you today. Yesterday, you actually sided with Yan Zhao and spit out the lobster roll I treated you to."
After a day of getting along, the two gradually became familiar with each other, and Yan Zhen also began to show his temper to him.
"It's not right to take back what you've invited someone to." A smile appeared on his lips. "How about this, I'll treat you to a meal too, then we'll be even."
Not yet.
Since he couldn't make her a promise, he couldn't selfishly drag her into sinking with him.
What I want is you, so wait for me, Zhenzhen.
Chen Huaixu's thoughts broke free from the memories carried by the photo frame, and his eyes fell on the person in front of him.
Yan Zhen studied the small ornaments on the cabinet for a moment, but soon lost interest. She lowered her head and opened the drawer, saying in surprise, "Why do you still have a few watches here?"
And it looks very familiar, as if he wears it often.
Chen Huaixu's voice sounded calmly above his head: "Have you forgotten that every year on my birthday, you gave me a watch."
The items are shipped directly from the store to his home. There is always only one brand and the style is always the latest model. It is a completely thoughtless choice and looks very perfunctory.
The stuff is the same every year, and he almost laughed when he received it, but he still wore it obediently.
She took out a watch and examined it, humming, "I hated you so much before, it was good enough that I could give you a gift."
Chen Huaixu caught the loophole in her words: "So you don't hate me now?"
She was speechless after being asked this question, but she didn't want to comply with his wishes, so she could only throw the watch into his arms with force.
Why do you have to ask so clearly about everything!
The two walked out of the bedroom to eat. Yan Zhen originally thought that Chen Huaixu would order takeout from the restaurant, but she didn't expect that he would actually cook. The food looked very delicious and presented very well.
Thinking of the detailed travel guide he made, Yan Zhen felt more and more that Chen Huaixu seemed to be a person who knew how to live and was very homely.
The words "live" and "stay at home" popped up in her mind out of nowhere, and even she was shocked.
"Wait." Chen Huaixu interrupted her thoughts.
"What's wrong?" Yan Zhen stopped eating.
He reached out and pinched her chin, his fingertips brushing the corner of her mouth. As he moved, his eyes slowly slid across her cheek.
She looked at him, her sharp jawline inexplicably softened in the backlight.
Noticing her gaze, his fingers stopped on her face, and the place where they touched seemed to gradually become hot.
It was Chen Huaixu who broke the silent gaze first. He withdrew his hand, took out a tissue and wiped it, and said, "There is a grain of rice."
Yan Zhen refused to admit it and muttered, "You did it on purpose. How could I possibly eat food on my face?"
"Well," he picked up his chopsticks again, "you're right."
At night, the yacht moved slowly on the river, leaving two deep water marks on the bottom of the boat.
"What's wrong with you today? You seem absent-minded." Lu Sichu leaned on the railing of the deck and turned to look at Yan Zhen.
The lights of the yachts flickered on the surface of the river. Yan Zhen's gaze lingered on the halo on the lake for a long time before she said, "Something happened today, and I've been thinking... What if a man always keeps your WeChat at the top of his head, and the note was something you forced him to change before, and he didn't change it back even after the bet expired..."
She had only discovered the WeChat note when Chen Huaixu dropped her off today. She'd suddenly mentioned wanting to go get dessert, and since it wasn't convenient for him to drive, he'd handed her his phone so she could enter the location for navigation. As Yan Zhen was typing, a WeChat notification popped up at the top of her head. She clicked it reflexively, only to realize it was impolite. When she exited, she saw the WeChat interface.
There was only one pinned post, the avatar was very familiar to her, and the note was "Her Royal Highness the Princess".
Seeing that she didn't move for a long time, Chen Huaixu asked, "What's wrong?"
"Nothing." She quickly exited WeChat and placed her phone on the stand. "It took me a while to find the address."
"Um."
Along the way, Yan Zhen had no intention of thinking about desserts and was always uneasy.
It would be a lie to say she wasn't shocked when she saw the photo in Chen Huaixu's bedroom. She didn't even know where she had thrown the photo away, but he had kept it so carefully until now.
She was a little slow in emotions, but not stupid. With such obvious evidence before her, she had no way of thinking of a second reason.
Chen Huaixu liked her, and it had started at least four years ago.
After realizing this, Yan Zhen's first reaction was to escape, pretending nothing had happened and doing something else to distract himself.
Unexpectedly, she soon discovered that the gifts she gave him perfunctorily every year were also carefully accepted by him.
Later, she found his WeChat notes.
Like dominoes, one after another, she continued to discover evidence in her life, and every little detail that she had once ignored now pointed to the same answer.
But Chen Huaixu never told her.
"I'm a little uneasy." She felt helpless for the first time, bending down and resting her head on her arms, "I didn't know he would do it so early... but we've been fighting all these years, and he's been so strong towards me... I never thought about it that way.
"I used to think he was... trying to flirt with me, or maybe it was just a man's natural desire to conquer. He just wanted to conquer me and make me submit."
That's why she competed with him and refused to give in.
Since the beginning of this game, Chen Huaixu has given in a lot, and she can slowly sense his feelings, but she never thought that he started so early.
"I don't know how to respond. In other words, I'm very scared now. I'm afraid my reaction won't meet his expectations."
If you have liked someone for a long time, you will definitely expect him to return the same feelings to you, but Yan Zhen feels that she can hardly do that now.
She was even a little afraid that he would be disappointed.
Lu Sichu couldn't stand it any longer. He reached out and tapped her forehead, saying, "When did you start to consider other people's feelings so carefully? I remember there was a boy in high school who had a crush on you for three years. When you graduated, he finally mustered up the courage to confess his feelings to you, but you rejected him outright. Did you ever consider how bad it would make him feel?"
"Then I really don't like him!" Yan Zhen argued, "I really don't have any feelings at all."
"Yes, love is selfish. It doesn't mean that if you give, others will like you and respond to you. When faced with other people's love, you want to reject it, but when faced with Chen Huaixu, you didn't reject him. Instead, you were worried that you didn't love him as deeply as he did and couldn't respond to him in the same way, and you were afraid that he would be disappointed.
"You don't even realize it yourself, but when you're afraid of hurting him, this consideration itself is a form of cherishing him. You can't do this for others, which means the balance in your heart has already tilted towards him."
"What are you talking about? I don't understand a single word you say." Ying Shu was confused. "What WeChat, what confession? What does this have to do with Chen Huaixu?"
Yan Zhen had just been talking, and now she realized what was going on. She asked Lu Sichu, "How did you know?"
"The first time I met him was at your house. I was drunk, and later I saw you two kissing in the kitchen." Lu Sichu tilted his head back and took a sip of champagne. "I can finally speak. I was really dying of suffocation."
Ying Shu uttered "Oh" twice, then suddenly realized something and said, "So when you met him in western Sichuan, he came to see you specifically, right?"
Yan Zhen didn't say anything, but just leaned her hands on the railing and let the river breeze blow her long hair.
Then she paused suddenly.
At the corner, she vaguely saw the back of a man in a suit and tie, with a straight back, who looked very much like Chen Huaixu.
The hand holding the cup tightened instantly, and she leaned forward unconsciously, wanting to lean over to confirm.
"What's wrong?" Ying Shu asked.
Yan Zhen's eyes followed him until the man in the suit turned around and spoke to someone, and then she saw his face clearly.
It was a strange person. It wasn't Chen Huaixu, but his figure was similar to his. Plus, the light was dim over there, so she must have mistaken him for a moment.
She retracted her gaze and said, "It's okay, I recognized the wrong person."
There was a hint of disappointment in my heart.
That’s right, how could Chen Huaixu appear in such an occasion?
Ying Shu glanced at her distraught expression and said pointedly, "When you start to unconsciously want to see him, you've already fallen in love with him."
"Who said I wanted to see him?" Yan Zhen was still being stubborn.
"Okay, let's make a bet. This is a good way to test him." Ying Shu took out her phone from her pocket. "Send him a message now, saying you want to see him. See if he comes."
"Stop it." Yan Zhen wanted to snatch the phone back. "It's almost 11 o'clock now, how could he possibly come?"
"Good idea!" Lu Sichu held Yan Zhen down, ignoring her struggles, and said to Ying Shu, "Then do this. First, tell him you miss him and see how good he is at speaking sweet nothings. Then, call him over and see if he's the type of man who only knows how to say nice things."
Ying Shu typed with a wicked grin on her face, and Yan Zhen could only watch her press "send" with her heart in her throat.
Yan Zhen: I miss you.
There was no reply for five minutes, and the three of them looked at each other in bewilderment in the night breeze. Yan Zhen didn't know what was going on in her heart, but she forced herself to say, "See, I told you it was too late, he must be asleep."
She was about to put her phone into her pocket when the WeChat notification sounded suddenly. The three of them became nervous and hurriedly picked up their phones and turned on the screen.
"Hurry up, hurry up, and see how he responds."
The party on the yacht was bustling with activity, while the deck was empty and silent. The night breeze swept past, carrying her heart along with it.
Chen Huaixu: Where is it?
Chen Huaixu: I'll come to see you right away.
When Chen Huaixu arrived, Yan Zhen was waiting for him at the dock.
The dock road was wide, with tall, straight street lamps standing on both sides, making her figure look very slender and casting a long shadow on the ground.
He walked over and half-blocked the light shining towards her.
Yan Zhen's eyes darkened, and she looked up, meeting his gaze.
"Are you really here?"
He lowered his head and looked at her, saying, "Didn't you say you missed me?"
"Didn't I send you a WeChat message later to explain that it was just a small test by Ying Shu and the others?" Yan Zhen stood up from his chair. "It's so late, you didn't have to come all this way."
He raised his eyebrows slightly and said, "Really? Then who are you waiting for here?"
Her eyes wandered to the side and she said, "I'm looking at the scenery."
He laughed, took a step forward, and put his arms around her.
A solid and warm embrace enveloped her. Her windbreaker still held the chill of the cold wind from the journey, but at this moment, it seemed to be gradually smoothed out by the warmth of her heart.
Yan Zhen pulled his coat tighter and said, "How did you get here so quickly? Your home is quite far from here, right?"
He hummed and said, "I came from the company."
"You're working overtime right after you've recovered from your illness. You're incredible." She was clearly very dissatisfied with this answer. She frowned and pushed him away forcefully, snorting coldly, "Just let it go."
She walked forward without looking back, and Chen Huaixu followed her, holding her fingers in his palm. He took control of the pace of his steps and said, "It's just that I'm busy tonight. I will leave work on time for the next week.
"Our game continues, Zhenzhen."
The car turned into the yard of the Yan family villa and did not stop in front of the door as usual. Instead, it made a turn and drove towards the garage.
Although Yan Zhen was a little confused, she didn't say anything until the car stopped steadily in the parking space, the engine was turned off, and the car instantly became quiet.
She didn't rush to get out of the car. She leaned back in her seat and thought for a while. Then she stretched out her hand and hooked her finger at him, motioning him to come over.
Chen Huaixu thought she was going to say something, so he leaned over and tilted his head. Suddenly, a kiss fell on his cheek, the touch was gentle.
He was a little surprised.
"This is your reward for tonight."
She kissed him hurriedly, turned around and was about to open the door to get out of the car, but found that the door was not unlocked. She looked back at him and said, "Unlock it."
Chen Huaixu touched his cheek, savored it for a moment, and smiled softly, "Isn't it a little insufficient?"
Yan Zhen looked into his eyes, always feeling that there was something hidden behind them, as if this kiss was just a bait, and once she took the bait, she would be completely hooked.
She quickly leaned over, touched his lips, and said, "Okay, stop pushing your luck. I'm leaving now."
"No, it's still not enough." He took advantage of the situation to hug her, held the back of her head, pressed his lips against hers, and deepened the kiss.
The next morning, Aunt Cui got up early and, as usual, planned to take Chocolate for a walk in the garden. However, she found a pair of men's shoes at the entrance, next to Yan Zhen's shoes, as if they had come back together.
Could it be Yan Zhao? But he came back early last night.
Although Aunt Cui was a little confused, she didn't think much about it. After taking Chocolate for a walk, she returned to the house and started to busy herself with housework. When she passed Yan Zhen's closed door with clean bedding in her arms, she heard a man's voice coming from inside.
Aunt Cui hesitated because she couldn't hear clearly through the door, but she couldn't help but knock on the door and said, "Zhenzhen, what's wrong?"
The slightest sound in the room suddenly disappeared without a trace.
Aunt Cui stood there for a moment longer, making sure there was no more movement. Although she felt a little strange, she thought it might be due to her age and poor hearing, so she shook her head helplessly and continued walking.
Inside the door, Yan Zhen saw that there was no more movement outside, so she breathed a sigh of relief and let go of the hand that was covering Chen Huaixu's mouth.
"I almost got caught," she said, still feeling terrified. "I'd never be able to clear myself of this even if I jumped into the Yellow River."
"What do you need to wash?" Chen Huaixu reminded her, "We weren't just chatting under the covers last night."
Yan Zhen's face flushed, and she hid under the quilt again, saying, "You're so annoying!"
After everything was packed up, Chen Huaixu dressed neatly and prepared to go out.
Yan Zhen originally wanted to continue sleeping, but suddenly remembered that she had to ask him to avoid Aunt Cui and leave quietly, so she forced herself to get up and ran to the door first. After confirming that Aunt Cui had gone to buy groceries, she breathed a sigh of relief and called Chen Huaixu to come downstairs.
He stood by the door, looked down at her, and said, "I'm leaving."
"Yeah." She yawned and pushed him away. "Hurry up and leave. Aunt Cui is coming back."
Chen Huaixu raised his eyebrows slightly, reached out to hold the back of her head, gently pulled her into his arms, and kissed her.
"Um..." Yan Zhen struggled without much strength, "What are you doing..."
He bit her lips and said, "Good morning kiss, and then we'll leave."
She was sleepy and tired, and too lazy to resist. She almost leaned into his arms and simply closed her eyes.
The two of them were cuddling in the entrance hall. Yan Zhen was holding him, feeling a little dizzy and for a moment she didn't even notice the footsteps.
Until a familiar, slightly casual voice sounded: "Well...how about letting me go first, and then you guys continue?"
Yan Zhao's voice was calm, but it was like a sudden thunderclap that tore apart the originally lingering and ambiguous atmosphere.
Yan Zhen was instantly frightened awake, her body reacting faster than her brain. She opened the door and pushed Chen Huaixu out without thinking, then slammed the door shut, turned around, and nervously leaned her back against the door. Her movements were smooth and seamless.
After doing all this, the living room suddenly became silent, with only the brother and sister looking at each other in silence.
Yan Zhen's eyes dodged, and he stammered, "Brother...why are you here?"
Yan Zhao found it a little funny and asked, "This is my home, why can't I be here?"
She said "Oh" slowly, her eyes wandering, obviously still racking her brains to think of what to say. Seeing this, Yan Zhao raised his head, pointed his chin in the direction of the door, and said lazily: "Why did you lock her out? Weren't you kissing her passionately just now?"
Yan Zhen heard the teasing in his words, and her cheeks burned like fire. She said, "No! We are not..."
Being caught by her brother kissing her and his good friend at the door early in the morning made her feel so embarrassed that she wished she could find a hole in the ground to crawl into.
"You've grown up and learned to bring men home." Yan Zhao looked at her with a half-smile. "When did it happen?"
Yan Zhen answered honestly: "A few months..."
"Why have you been hiding this from me? Didn't I tell you that if you get a boyfriend, the first thing you should do is tell me?"
"We are not what you think!" Yan Zhen didn't know how to describe the relationship between her and Chen Huaixu, "We can't really say we are boyfriend and girlfriend..."
Yan Zhao suddenly said, "Get out of the way."
She became alert and asked, "What are you going to do?"
He said nonchalantly, "Go beat him up."
She was horrified and quickly pressed her body against the door, saying anxiously, "No."
He really began to roll up his sleeves slowly and said, "No fight? Should I thank him for deceiving my sister's feelings?"
"He didn't lie to me!" Yan Zhen blocked his arm, "It's me... I haven't figured it out yet, I'm a little confused now..."
Yan Zhen grew up in a pampered family, her family rich and harmonious, doted on by her parents and cared for by her brother. The eldest daughter had no shortage of money or love, and had never suffered hardship, so she always took other people's kindness for granted.
She never learned how to respond to other people's feelings, nor did she ever try to put herself in a position to provide loving emotions because she didn't need them.
This is also why, after she realized Chen Huaixu's deep feelings, her first reaction was to escape.
She only wanted to enjoy and not give, but Chen Huaixu was unwilling.
He took every step carefully. He wanted her love and her heart.
Yan Zhen opened the door and saw Chen Huaixu squatting at the door, casually stroking the hair on Chocolate's head. There was a red mark on the back of his white hand, as if he had accidentally scratched it when she pushed him out the door. It looked a bit shocking.
Hearing the sound of the door, he turned around calmly and met Yan Zhao's gaze first.
"You escaped a disaster." Yan Zhao said half-jokingly, "If my mom was home today, you would definitely be skinned alive."
The little princess, the center of attention in the family, was seduced away by a man and taken home to sleep with him for one night.
The test that Chen Huaixu has to go through is always just the first hurdle for Yan Zhao, and it is the easiest one.
Yan Zhen walked over and unconsciously put her hand on the back of his injured hand. Her fingertips moved and gently stroked it twice, and then he grasped it in his palm and held it, and then let go.
She couldn't help but look up at Chen Huaixu, and found that his eyes were not looking at her.
He is unhappy.
Yan Zhen was keenly aware of his emotions.
"It's cold outside, you should go back first." He smoothed her collar and buttoned up the top button of her pajamas, covering her fair collarbone. Then he raised his wrist and glanced at his watch. "It's time to go to work. I'm leaving first."
After saying that, he turned around and followed Yan Zhao to the garage. Yan Zhen couldn't help but ran a few steps and grabbed the corner of his clothes again, saying: "Chen Huaixu..."
Chen Huaixu turned around and sighed softly, "Baby, I'm not angry with you. I was impulsive today. I'm sorry."
Yan Zhen didn't understand why he apologized to herself?
She opened her mouth to say something, but he held her shoulders and turned her away: "Go back and have a good rest."
"Hit a car."
Yan Zhao looked back at the only car in the garage that didn't belong to his family and asked, "Isn't your car there?"
"It's broken and can't be opened." Chen Huaixu said lightly.
"You didn't use this excuse to deceive my silly sister yesterday, did you?"
"You have quite a rich imagination." Chen Huaixu asked, "Do you have any cigarettes?"
Yan Zhao glanced at him, opened the car door, took out a bag from the car and threw it to him.
Chen Huaixu lowered his head and looked at the cigarette box with only a few cigarettes left. He said, "You've been smoking quite a lot lately."
"I have so many worries." Yan Zhao also took out a cigarette, borrowed a lighter from him, and put it to his mouth and bit it.
Two people stood by the car smoking, the smoke lingering in their chaotic thoughts.
"A few days ago, I was chatting with some LH executives and found out that LH was acquired by you." Chen Huaixu suddenly mentioned.
Yan Zhao flicked the ash from his cigarette and said, "Yeah, I just acquired it. It's not a big deal, so I didn't mention it to you."
"Are you entering a new field?" Chen Huaixu continued, "Acquiring LH right now is not a wise choice. You'll be at a huge loss. This isn't your style."
"It's just a change of shareholders. I won't interfere with their business model. With their momentum, I will also make money in the future."
Chen Huaixu exposed his excuse: "Which company does Chen Ciyin work for?"
Yan Zhao didn't expect him to ask so directly. He took a deep puff of cigarette and said, "Yes."
Chen Huaixu understood and didn't ask any more questions.
The two men remained silent until the cigarettes burned out, then they threw the butts into the trash can and got into the car.
"You just saw me going downstairs, but you didn't stop." Yan Zhao paused for a moment and said in a firm tone, "You did it on purpose."
Chen Huaixu didn't say anything, pulled the seat belt sideways and buckled it around his waist.
"How does it feel to be kicked out? I don't think I've ever seen you so embarrassed."
Chen Huaixu admitted that he did have selfish motives the moment he saw Yan Zhao. Perhaps the passionate, love-struck atmosphere between them last night and this morning had given him some confidence, leading him to make an impulsive decision, wanting to test her directly and force her to confess her feelings.
But she still backed off.
He was too impatient and scared her.
He was still a human being, not a perfect calculating machine, and he occasionally had emotional moments. Especially when it came to Yan Zhen, he simply couldn't always remain rational and calm.
"It doesn't matter."
Chen Huaixu looked out the window as the car slowly drove away from the villa. His gaze moved upwards and through the car window he saw from afar a place on the second floor that he knew very well. A corner of the tightly closed curtains was pulled up, and someone was standing motionless, looking over here.
Happy, joyful, lost, jealous, embarrassed...
After meeting Yan Zhen, he experienced all these flavors.
But so what, he was willing to be controlled by her.
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