Chapter 197
As soon as he finished speaking, the eyes of Zhong Ling opposite him suddenly turned cold, so cold that it could freeze a person to death. He only felt an unprecedented anger rising from his heart, making it difficult for him to control it. He barely suppressed this anger.
Zhong Ling clenched his fingers, his eyes showed disgust and anger under the light, and he sneered, "He Mian, I remember I warned you a long time ago that you'd better not mess with me."
"If you want to play with women, that's your own business. I don't care if you want to play with other women, but don't play with me. Yanyan is not someone you can play with casually!"
For the first time, Zhong Ling wanted to abandon all his calmness and rationality. He wanted to rush up and grab the other person and beat him up. But when he thought of Yanyan still upstairs, his good upbringing and calmness made him suppress the impulse and anger in his heart.
He Mian sneered, but slowly put away the careless smile on his face. His dark eyes were calm, but he still looked lazy and unreliable. He looked up at Zhong Ling opposite him, looked him straight in the eye and said, "Who said I was just playing around this time? Why can't I be serious for once?"
Seriously? Oh, who would believe this?
I'm afraid he himself won't believe it!
But this time he really wasn't just playing around, he had something to do.
"Heh." He heard a mocking laugh from the other side. Zhong Ling curled his lips. He didn't react much when he heard He Mian say such words, and even felt indifferent.
"So, you are here to snatch me away, right? What, don't you know Yanyan is my girlfriend now? What do you mean now? Do you have to go against me?"
There was silence for a moment.
He Mian did feel a little guilty and apologetic about this at first. After all, he and Zhong Ling had been friends and brothers since childhood, and could even be considered childhood friends. Their relationship was the closest among many friends.
Even last time, when he was planning to settle the score with Nan Yan in private, he gave up the idea because of a phone call from Zhong Ling.
But now, the smile on He Mian's face faded slightly, and his eyes deepened a little, "Do you really think I can't see it?"
"Zhong Ling, how can you and Nan Yan look like a couple? Yan Yan is not your girlfriend, right?"
As he spoke, a hint of a smile appeared on his face, but the smile never reached the depths of his eyes, and he still looked cold. "Let me guess, did you sign a confidentiality agreement or something with her during that time in the club? Why, Zhong Ling, wasn't your original purpose to deliberately act with her? Wasn't your purpose for your ex-girlfriend?"
"According to the time, Ruan Xiaoxiao should be back soon. If that's the case, why are you still holding on to Nan Yan? Aren't you embarrassing her more than me?
In fact, he had almost guessed it. He had already vaguely had this idea from the conversation he heard on the phone before. After arriving at Zhong Ling's house, he could clearly see that Nan Yan had no other thoughts about him.
It is not difficult to detect when someone likes you. At least in this relationship, he could tell that Zhong Ling was somewhat interested in him, otherwise he would not be so angry now.
In fact, he could have given in. He didn't like to snatch things from others, nor did he think that other people's things were better than his own. But now, there was indeed an inevitable connection between him and Wen Nanyan.
After saying this, Zhong Ling's expression became visibly gloomier. Zhong Ling rarely gets angry, but that doesn't mean he won't get angry.
He has had too many troubles lately.
Whether it was the words of He Mian that really touched the pain in his heart, or the calm and respectful attitude of Yan Yan towards him from beginning to end, which made him feel a sense of crisis, at this moment, he could not control his temper.
He smashed the glass in his hand to the ground with a clang. The flying fragments accidentally scratched the back of his hand, but he seemed unaware of it and the expression on his face became increasingly cold.
The pair of eyes stared straight at the person in front of him, with a slightly cold look in his eyes. Zhong Ling, who had completely taken off the gentle mask, was equally aggressive when facing He Mian across from him, "He Mian, get out of here. I don't mind having a falling out with you, but do you think that someone who has been inferior to me in every aspect since childhood can compete with me?"
Normally, Zhong Ling would not be so reckless in criticizing others, but he also has his bottom line. Once the bottom line is crossed, no one can be in a good temper anymore, and he is the same.
After Zhong Ling finished speaking, he looked away calmly and even chuckled. However, his smile was slightly mocking. After the smile, Zhong Ling's mood seemed to have stabilized a lot, and his tone became calmer and gentler.
"Now that I've spoken, I'd better tell you as soon as possible that you don't have to worry about Xiaoxiao's affairs. I can handle my own affairs!"
He raised his eyes and looked over coldly, looking directly into the other person's eyes, but the familiarity in his eyes was gone. "I'm telling you now, I will not let go of Yanyan easily."
After saying that, Zhong Ling seemed to have grown up. A hint of annoyance flashed across his eyes. He added, "I don't care what you think or what you are going to do. But if you dare to mess with me, I will never let you go!"
By the end of the conversation, the two of them were completely at loggerheads, and He Mian's expression became a little gloomy, from being nonchalant at first to now with his eyes narrowed.
Perhaps when he said that he was inferior to him in every way, He Mian felt a little unhappy, because this was the fact, and the fact never sounded so pleasant.
Compared to Zhong Ling, who has been a good young man since childhood, even if he "lowered his status" to hang out with people like them, he has always been a role model in the circle.
As for himself, he is indeed not very popular because of his changeable temper and lazy nature.
However, He Mian was silent for a moment, and suddenly laughed casually.
He raised his head, narrowed his black eyes, and reflected a cold and indifferent light under the light. "Yes, you are right. I am not as good as you in many aspects, but how much better are you than me? Are you so sure that she will like you in the end?"
Zhong Ling turned his head and sneered, even with a hint of gentleness, because this kind of irrelevant sarcasm had no effect on him at all. With a look of scrutiny and indifference at the corners of his eyes, he looked down at him and said, "Are you going to choose someone like you? Are you sure you can do it?"
As soon as he finished speaking, He Mian's expression finally changed.
He had been acting lazy and casual from the beginning of this confrontation. He didn't actually like Wen Nanyan that much. He just wanted to maintain a relationship with her for a while for some unspeakable reasons. So compared to Zhong Ling's concern and anger, he didn't have much emotional fluctuations.
But now, what Zhong Ling said obviously touched his bottom line, which was the only thing He Mian cared about.
Then the expression on her face gradually retreated, until finally there was no expression at all on her face, except for a layer of gloomy emotion gradually gathering in her dark eyes, staring at him intently.
"I underestimated you in the past."
He Mian's eyes darkened. "It seems that you are not as simple as you appear. However, Zhong Ling, you can give it a try and see who Yanyan will choose in the end."
He Mian stood up, and the two men looked at each other, neither willing to back down. The atmosphere in the living room instantly became tense and depressing, like a string that was instantly pulled taut, and some kind of conflict was about to break out.
But in the end, the two did not fight because there were other people upstairs. If Nan Yan knew that the two were fighting downstairs, she would probably be in trouble.
Moreover, this most primitive method of using violence to solve the problem is obviously not the best choice to solve the problem. What's more, this is not a method where you can get everything by winning. The final result still depends on the person who makes the choice.
After his face was completely torn, He Mian no longer wanted to stay any longer.
Before he left, he originally wanted to take Nan Yan with him, but under the current circumstances, it was obviously impossible. Moreover, to be honest, he was in no position to take anyone away, and he estimated that the other party would not be willing to do so.
After He Mian left, Zhong Ling felt that he could no longer control his temper, and could no longer suppress the coldness and anger that surged from deep in his heart.
He clenched his fingers, and although his face was calm and indifferent, there was a hint of red at the corners of his eyes, and his gaze was unclear. Finally, he couldn't help it, so he turned around and slammed his fist on the table in front of him.
With a loud bang, the table shook violently, and after the hit, a pain came between the fingers.
Bright red blood seeped out of the skin and slowly slid down the white fingers. There was no fluctuation in Zhong Ling's eyes. He only felt an unspeakable anger in his chest. The corners of his eyes turned slightly red because of this anger. But now, this pain made him calm down a lot.
His body was tense, and he finally restrained himself and sat down on the sofa.
In fact, what He Mian said was right, he was not much better than him.
He used to be the same as him, with the same shabby appearance, but he learned how to disguise himself, using his bright and beautiful appearance and the knowledge he had learned to disguise himself. In the eyes of outsiders, he appeared to be a refined and elegant nobleman.
But he was essentially the same as that group of people. Birds of a feather flock together. If he had not been a mess or degenerate, he would not have mixed with them.
If he hadn't relied on the Zhong family and the capital, a man like him would never be as good as Nan Yan, and would never be worthy of a self-loving and self-respecting girl like her.
He still has this self-awareness, and because of this, he yearns for those who are truly gentle and firm.
He likes Yanyan, a gentle, firm and principled girl. But now, that bastard He Mian wants to interfere again! He doesn't know what the other party's purpose is?
But it was obvious that He Mian's behavior gave him an instinctive sense of crisis.
He had clearly told himself more than once in his heart that He Mian was inferior to him in every way, that he had bullied Yanyan in public, and that he even had defects. But for some reason, he still sensed something was wrong in the interaction between He Mian and Nan Yan.
Yanyan was always polite and respectful when facing him. She was so calm and never seemed to reveal her true emotions in front of him. He had never seen her angry, nor had he seen the look in her eyes when she was unhappy and disgusted. But today was obviously different. Her attitude was obviously different when facing He Mian.
She deliberately teased him and would secretly glare at him when he wasn't paying attention, with disdain on her face but a hint of smile unconsciously flashing in her eyes. Such a lively gesture had never appeared in front of him before.
Zhong Ling liked to see her with that expression, but if those emotions were directed towards someone else, he would not feel happy at all in his heart. Instead, he would feel an unprecedented discomfort and jealousy.
This emotion came so violently and overwhelmingly, like a sharp thorn suddenly piercing his throat, leaving him at a loss as to what to do.
The emotions in his heart that were originally trying to calm down began to surge again, causing his chest to feel stuffy and achy, and he couldn't even utter a word to refute it.
He said it so strongly, but he couldn't stop feeling uncomfortable and powerless in his heart. How could Yanyan like him?
She only regarded him as a friend, a very ordinary friend. He could even foresee that if she had not been really desperate, she would not have come to contact him that night.
He was like an outsider. No matter how close he got, in her eyes, he still liked his ex-girlfriend. He even had to restrain himself and had no way of expressing his feelings to her.
But, it was all his own choice.
It was the agreement he had wanted to sign with her, written in black and white, forcing her to act with him. He was even afraid that she would get involved with him so he deliberately kept a distance from her, but in the end, he was the first one who lost control.
He was very unwilling, and the pain in his heart was about to overflow. He was not upset because He Mian wanted to compete with him, but because he had a vague feeling that no matter how hard he tried, Yanyan might not change her opinion of him.
When he thought of this, Zhong Ling suddenly felt as if he had lost all his strength. He leaned weakly on the sofa, and even felt a slight pain in his chest.
For no reason, at this moment, Zhong Ling felt a sense of disappointment and unwillingness. At the same time, another emotion kept churning out in his chest.
He understood what it was, but the more he thought about it, the more jealous he became of the familiarity and intimacy she showed towards others.
How could he not mind this!
Zhong Ling clenched his fingers unconsciously, and the wound on the back of his hand reopened. He could faintly feel blood flowing down his fingers, but the pain made him sober up a lot and relieved the discomfort in his chest a lot.
…
When Nan Yan finally finished packing up the documents in the study and went downstairs, she found that Zhong Ling was the only one left in the living room.
The soundproofing in the study was too good and it was on the second floor, so she couldn't hear clearly what the two people downstairs were saying. However, she and He Mian were obviously close while eating, and even if this man was blind, he should have been able to see it.
As expected, the two men sent her away after finishing their meal. She originally thought that the two would fight. But looking at the situation, it seems that the two did not fight. What a pity!
Nan Yan came down from the stairs and saw Zhong Ling sitting alone on the sofa smoking. She was stunned for a while. He might have been smoking for quite a while, as there were two burnt cigarette butts left on the table.
There was a faint smell of cigarette smoke in the room, but it was soon covered by the smell of incense.
Nan Yan had a strange expression on her face, as if she wasn't quite sure what happened downstairs. She turned around and opened the window. The air in the room was flowing, and soon even the fragrance became fainter.
She turned and walked to Zhong Ling's side. Just as she was about to sit down and ask him what was wrong, she saw the broken glass on the ground as she approached, with some fragments scattered on the floor.
She stopped in her tracks and asked in a strange tone, "What happened, Mr. Zhong? What happened? Why did the cup break for no reason?"
As she was about to squat down to deal with the broken pieces, the person next to her held her arm with a hand, "Wait, don't touch it, there are a lot of broken pieces, I can deal with it myself later. Nothing happened, I just accidentally slipped and broke the cup."
He also explained it a little bit.
Nan Yan just breathed a sigh of relief, but when she looked down and saw the bloodstains on the back of his hand, her expression froze. She saw many small wounds on the back of his hand, as well as some scratches from glass fragments.
Nan Yan finally reacted and subconsciously grabbed the other person's wrist with her backhand. Her expression instantly became tense. "Zhong Ling, your hand is injured, don't you feel anything? It's bleeding a lot, why don't you treat it?"
She did not have time to consider the other party's wishes and explanations. She directly dragged the person sitting on the sofa and rushed into the bathroom. She carefully cleaned his wounds and took out the tools to bandage the wounds from the cabinet, while she kept repeating to him to be careful.
"...Actually it didn't hurt that much. I just got scratched by the debris twice and my fingers hit the corner of the table. I don't feel anything now." Zhong Ling looked at her busying around. He felt that Nan Yan was not completely indifferent to him.
After hearing what he said, Nan Yan really couldn't help but glare at him this time, and deliberately pressed the wound with her finger. Zhong Lingxia frowned subconsciously and couldn't help but let out a slight hiss.
Hearing the voice, Nan Yan looked up at him again.
Unlike her usual calm and docile appearance, she seemed to be angry at him for not taking good care of his body. "Didn't you say you didn't feel anything? Why are you yelling now?"
Zhong Ling was probably seldom seeing her like this, and was slightly stunned for a moment, then couldn't help but pursed his lips and chuckled, looking a little helpless. He unconsciously held her fingers, lowered his head and didn't argue, "... um, sorry, it's my fault, it actually hurts a little, can you be gentler?"
Nan Yan naturally slowed down her movements, and held his hand again and returned to the living room. This time she found a clean place, and after they both sat down, she took out cotton cloth and disinfectant and carefully cleaned each other.
As the two of them moved, the air gradually became quiet. They didn't say anything at first. Nan Yan was not a fool after all. How could she have smashed the cup so far with a slip of the hand? Even her knuckles were covered with wounds? She was not really stupid. Of course, she could sense that the two people in the living room must have had a quarrel just now, and He Mian left for no reason without even saying hello.
However, the excuse he gave was appropriate, and it was obvious that he didn't want to tell her the details of what had just happened.
So Nan Yan didn't ask any further questions.
But she didn't ask, and Zhong Ling felt uncomfortable again. He thought Nan Yan might not care about his affairs, so she was unwilling to ask even one more question.
This sense of propriety can indeed make people feel comfortable and natural when two people are not familiar with each other at the beginning.
But now, he was obviously not satisfied with this. He hoped that she could pay more attention to his affairs instead of just treating him as a superior, respectful but indifferent as before.
"You seem to have a good impression of He Mian?"
He asked this crucial question directly, and Zhong Ling could actually sense her favor for He Mian.
But he couldn't understand why she was so fond of him, since she had bullied him at the party before. Unless they had met in private, he really couldn't understand the reason.
Thinking of this, the discomfort in his heart gradually deepened, and he asked:
"He was the one you were with this morning, right?"
After asking this question, he could clearly see a hint of unnaturalness on Nan Yan's face. Perhaps she was afraid that he would misunderstand that she had failed in her duty, so Nan Yan subconsciously tightened her grip on his fingers. "It's not what you think."
Zhong Ling glanced at the two people's intertwined fingers. He could feel that the other party was not using too much force and could easily loosen their fingers. He was not angry, but he felt a little uncomfortable in his heart.
"Hmm? What?"
"I haven't forgotten the contract we signed, Zhong Ling, don't get me wrong. I met Mr. He in the hospital yesterday. He took me home, but it rained heavily on the way. Then he had a fever and couldn't drive, so I took him home."
"I was afraid you might misunderstand me, so I didn't explain it in detail."
Nan Yan lowered her head somewhat uncomfortably and explained calmly. She did not lie, she was just a little embarrassed. After all, those were all facts.
Zhong Ling looked at her unnatural expression and knew that she was not lying.
But for some reason, he could vaguely feel that she treated He Mian a little differently. They had met first, and he was the one who cared about her first, wasn't he?
Zhong Ling leaned forward, leaned back on the sofa and breathed a sigh of relief. He saw Nan Yan take out a Band-Aid from the box and carefully put it on the back of his hand.
He felt that he shouldn't ask too much about other people's private lives, but looking at the person in front of him, he couldn't help but ask, "I don't care about these, I just think it's a little strange. Did you know He Mian in the past?"
He asked this question casually.
But Nan Yan was stunned for a moment, then looked up at him, with a hint of surprise in her eyes.
"How do you know that?"
She didn't have any other emotions. Her face was mostly calm and gentle, with only a hint of smile and a hint of doubt occasionally flashing in her eyes.
Zhong Ling didn't expect that the two of them actually knew each other in the past.
Nan Yan looked up at Zhong Ling, who was pursing his lips and not saying anything. Her eyelashes moved slightly and her breathing slowed down a lot. "But maybe we don't really know each other... It was two years ago when I first arrived at the club. Because I refused to come out, I was forced to drink by a guest in his forties. It was Mr. He who passed by and helped me a little. Maybe he doesn't even remember it himself."
Nan Yan's voice was a little soft when she said these words, and what she said was indeed the truth, it was a very accidental thing.
"It's a strange feeling. I thought I would never meet him again in my life, but I didn't expect to meet him again two years later."
After treating the wound, she carefully picked up the pieces of paper left on the sofa and said softly, "Mr. He helped me a lot that time, so I may have subconsciously said a few more words to him, but I didn't say anything else."
After she finished speaking, she looked up at Zhong Ling who was sitting in front of her, with a hint of smile in her eyes, as if she was reminiscing.
Zhong Ling couldn't tell what she was feeling at the moment, but it was obvious that Nan Yan really had a good impression of He Mian, probably because of this incident.
But that happened two years ago...
Zhong Ling rubbed his aching brows and carefully recalled what happened two years ago. At that time, he should have been studying abroad, while He Mian and the others stayed in the country.
He had no connection with Yanyan, and he didn't even know that there was such a girl in the world.
It was at this time that He Mian met Nan Yan, who had just started working.
He suddenly felt an indescribable feeling of distress and discomfort in his heart.
It turns out they met so early.
There is such a long time gap between them.
He could almost imagine the scene: a young girl who had just escaped from her hometown, experienced some wandering, and had just reached adulthood. She might not understand anything yet.
She was harassed by a customer at work and was forced to drink. She was not skilled enough to refuse. She might not be able to drink much and was probably about to cry. If she didn't drink, she would be complained by the customer and lose her job. But if she drank, she might encounter more embarrassing things tonight.
And in that helpless and frightened situation, it was He Mian who appeared in time to help her.
No matter how cliché the plot development was, it was the biggest help to the girl at that time, and it left a deep impression on her, so deep that she has not forgotten it even two years later and has always kept it in her heart.
Maybe He Mian really just helped her casually at the time, or maybe she had a grudge against her man, so he didn't even think about helping her, but it is undeniable that he helped her.
Thinking of this scene, Zhong Ling felt a sense of powerlessness in his heart for no reason, and along with this powerlessness came a hint of jealousy and bitterness.
He even felt a little regretful, regretful that it was not him who appeared by her side at that time. At that time, He Mian did something casually, which he himself could not even remember now, but now it had become the point that he longed for in his heart but could never reach.
At this moment, Zhong Ling was really unwilling to accept this, so unwilling that his chest felt heavy and the jealousy in his heart was almost solidified. There was another emotion churning in his heart.
He obviously helped her, but it seemed that the only thing she remembered completely was He Mian.
Zhong Ling vaguely recalled that when he signed the agreement with Nan Yan, he had asked her many questions in the restaurant. He asked her if she had ever liked someone. He still remembered that there was a stunned expression on her face for a moment, and then she answered that she didn't know.
This answer struck him as odd. He was puzzled as to how someone could not even tell whether they liked or disliked a person.
But now he vaguely understood that if he guessed correctly, the person she liked in her heart might really be He Mian, but they had never met, so she herself could not tell what kind of emotion that feeling was.
Thinking of this, Zhong Ling felt a little hopeless.
Zhong Ling closed his eyes. He didn't want to think about these things anymore. The more he thought about it, the more headache he felt. However, he felt that his emotions were somewhat out of control. He couldn't help it for a moment, and he grabbed Nan Yan's fingers tightly with his backhand.
Nan Yan felt the strength in his hand and saw his obviously abnormal attitude. She thought he had a headache again, or maybe his cold had gotten worse. She couldn't help but ask, "Zhong Ling, what's wrong with you? Do you have a fever? Do you want to go back to your room and sleep for a while? I'll clean up the things in the living room."
Zhong Ling suddenly opened his eyes and asked, "Do you like He Mian?"
"Ah?" Nan Yan was stunned for a moment, and looked up subconsciously, only to meet Zhong Ling's dark and calm eyes.
This time, Zhong Ling did not look away, staring straight into her eyes. Instead, Nan Yan felt a little uncomfortable being stared at, and lowered her head first, "No, no."
"Mr. Zhong, you're overthinking it. A guy like that should have a lot of girls who like him. I'm just a little grateful for his help at the time, and I don't have any other thoughts."
Zhong Ling looked at her as she pretended to be calm while speaking these words. However, her earlobe hidden under her soft hair inexplicably turned a little red.
As he watched, he only felt the sadness in his chest grow heavier.
Zhong Ling really didn't expect that he had already had this premonition in his heart, but after verifying it himself, the heaviness and sadness in his chest became even harder for him to ignore.
His fingers became stiffer and stiffer, tightly gripping her wrist and refused to let go. His throat became drier and drier, and the words he wanted to say were blocked in his throat by her subconscious reaction, and he couldn't say a single word.
Because no matter how much he said, no matter how much he deceived himself, and no matter how strong his attitude towards He Mian was, at this moment, he still could not change this fact.
Perhaps you have noticed it a long time ago but have never been willing to admit it, but now it is very obvious.
Zhong Ling herself couldn't hold back the impulse in his heart, he pulled the person sitting opposite him into his arms. Nan Yan couldn't steady for a moment and fell directly into his arms.
Because of this impact, Zhong Ling leaned back with his back against the sofa cushion. The two of them were in a position with the woman on top and the man on the bottom. She was in his arms. Her body was very light and she had a faint fragrance on her body. Her hair slid into his neck as she moved and gently brushed against his chest.
Nan Yan's eyes widened slightly as she looked at Zhong Ling in surprise, as if she didn't understand what his sudden action meant. "Zhong Ling, what's wrong?"
Zhong Ling saw the doubt in her eyes. She still trusted him so much and had no idea of what he was thinking at the moment. Zhong Ling placed his fingers on her waist and suddenly said gently, "Yan Yan, liking someone is not a shameful thing."
His complexion had returned to normal, and there was even a hint of a smile on his face. He looked at Nan Yan tenderly, "It doesn't matter if you like He Mian. I can help you."
Nan Yan was stunned for a moment and was about to refuse.
Then I heard the person on the other side explain:
"I know you've never been in a relationship, but you may not know that He Mian and I like girls who are bold and passionate. If you want to get close to him, you can't be too shy."
Nan Yan bit her lip, obviously feeling a little uncomfortable.
The smile on Zhong Ling's face became gentler, and his eyes were calm and natural. He placed his hands on her waist without making any excessive movements, but just looked at her patiently.
"If you're willing, I can help you as a reward for your help to me during this period. Yanyan, if you're willing, you can try to treat me as him, ok?"
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