Chapter 47 You don't want me to visit your uncle and aunt either...
Chapter 47
Wen Yining stood behind her parents, staring intently at Li Changjing. All the blood rushed to her head, and the immense fear made her tremble all over, almost to the point of vomiting.
She watched him walk towards them, trembling. His target was so accurate that her parents stopped and stood there looking at him in confusion.
Li Changjing stopped in front of the family of three. He looked at Wen Yining's parents but didn't even glance at her.
He adopted an exceptionally low posture, bowing slightly respectfully as if he were facing some high-ranking official or nobleman. When he spoke, he wore a deceptively polite smile, as if he were some kind of benevolent person, "Uncle and Aunt, hello, do you know where this place is?"
She hadn't noticed it before, living in the golden city of Beicheng, but now that she'd returned to her hometown, she was suddenly struck by how well he spoke Mandarin. His pronunciation was clear, his speech was measured and precise, without a trace of a local accent, and every word was perfectly clear to her.
I wasn't saying I was looking for her...
With a sigh of relief, Wen Yining felt so weak that she could barely lift what she was holding.
As he spoke, Li Changjing opened his phone, then turned around and respectfully showed his parents the location on the screen, holding the phone in both hands.
Wen Qinghua and Liu Jingzhen looked at this young man who seemed out of place with his surroundings, and at his overly respectful attitude and intimate way of addressing them. They were a little at a loss. The couple didn't think too much about it, just assuming that he was well-mannered and that his way of addressing and addressing them was more respectful and intimate than others.
The couple looked down at the address, studying it quietly.
"I've never heard of this address before. Jingzhen, can you take a look?"
"I've never heard of this before. Is there even such a road around here? That's strange."
At this moment, Li Changjing looked past his parents and gazed deeply at her, the two staring at each other for half a second.
Wen Qinghua looked up from the screen, and Li Changjing subtly shifted his gaze from Wen Yining's face to him, smiling, "Uncle, do you have any clues?"
Wen Qinghua shook his head and said in slightly accented Mandarin, "Young man, this address is too strange. We've lived here our whole lives and have never even heard of it."
As he spoke, the father suddenly remembered his daughter and turned to look at Wen Yining. "Yining, do you recognize this address?"
Startled by her chaotic thoughts, Wen Yining looked up in a panic. Her parents were looking at her, and Yu Guangzhong was also looking at her.
Wen Yining didn't dare to look up. She leaned forward slightly and quickly glanced at Li Changjing's screen, her eyes sweeping over the line of text. Her heart pounded.
Building 21, Shuangxing City, No. 32 Baiqiao Road.
The neighborhood where they lived in the northern part of the city!
What is he going to do?!
Wen Yining dared not speak, afraid that she would discover the slightest clue. After glancing over, she quickly lowered her eyes, stared deeply at the snow-covered ground, and shook her head.
Although she didn't look up, every strand of her body was tense, and all her attention was focused on him, fearing that he might suddenly say something to her parents.
Wen's parents were kind-hearted and honest people. Even though they didn't know the way, they didn't turn around and leave. Liu Jingzhen gave him a suggestion: "Don't young people use navigation these days? Try using navigation."
"Yeah, right!" Wen Qinghua raised his hand. "These days, navigation systems are better at finding their way than people are."
Wen Yining's breathing became rapid and tense. For the first time, she felt dissatisfied with her parents' kindness and almost couldn't help but pull them away to get away from him quickly.
Li Changjing gave a helpless and apologetic smile, "I don't know how to use navigation, so I'm sorry to trouble you, Uncle and Aunt."
He looks so young and knowledgeable, yet he doesn't know how to use navigation?
Parents were a little surprised by the answer, "Don't you know how to use it?"
Li Changjing smiled, raised his eyes, and slowly looked past the couple, placing his gaze openly on Wen Yining, who hadn't looked up at all.
She stood in the snow, clutching a bag of snacks, her head bowed, avoiding his gaze. She wore a puffy black down jacket, a scarf casually wrapped around her neck, and long, black hair that hung down, obscuring most of her pale face. From this angle, her young daughter looked like a high school student accompanying her parents on a trip.
Three months had passed, but her face was still etched in his mind. There was no sense of unfamiliarity; it was as if he had just taken her back to school last week and was picking her up today.
His gaze was deep and intense as he stared at her, inch by inch, down to her fair and full forehead, her long eyelashes, her delicate and straight nose, and her tightly pursed lips.
Wen Yining could feel the burning gaze above her head without even looking up. She tightened her grip, her expression unchanged, but inwardly she screamed.
The couple were puzzled as he remained silent, but they couldn't reconcile the image of this seemingly mature, composed, and extraordinary young man with their innocent and naive daughter who still seemed like a child.
Moreover, the two are clearly several years apart in age, and their personalities are worlds apart—one is an adult, and the other is a child.
The couple didn't think too much about it.
Li Changjing's lips curled up, and he said slowly, "Young lady, could you do me a favor? I don't know how to use navigation."
Wen Yining couldn't pretend she didn't know, because her parents knew she did.
Upon hearing the word "brother," Wen Yining's eyelids twitched, and she subconsciously looked up.
Sure enough, Li Changjing was also looking at her.
...This was the name he used to like her to call him.
Overwhelmed by her emotions, Wen Yining's mind was completely numb and confused. She could only take the phone, but as soon as it was in her hand, the screen went dark and locked automatically. She entered the password to unlock it with practiced ease, found the navigation, entered the address, turned off all the sounds, and then handed the phone over.
While she was working on the phone, her parents and Li Changjing were all watching her. After she finished, Wen Qinghua handed the phone to Li Changjing and said, "All done, young man."
Li Changjing took the phone without even looking at it, holding it in his hand. He looked into her eyes, his expression revealing emotions only the two of them could understand, and casually smiled as he thanked her, "Thank you, young lady."
Wen Yining bit her lower lip tightly.
He didn't look at her again, and after a brief thank you and greeting with his parents, he got into the car.
Wen Yining's tense heart couldn't relax. She stiffly followed her parents into the neighborhood, trying hard not to look back.
His parents clearly had a good impression of him, praising him several times before changing the subject.
Wen Yining sneered inwardly. He seemed like a reliable and steady person, young and promising, but what was he really like?
A hypocrite, a degenerate! A madman!
It got dark quickly, and lights came on in every household. Wen Yining, in a daze, helped her mother bring the dishes to the table.
Aside from asking for directions, Li Changjing made no further moves. But he had come all this way for more than just a simple threat.
What is he planning to do next?
Wen Yining gripped her chopsticks tightly, her stomach heavy and blocked, with no appetite whatsoever.
Her phone, which was in her pocket, suddenly vibrated. Her leg trembled, and she immediately put down her chopsticks, turned on the screen, and exhaled.
It's Zhang Zhiyang. I sent her several WeChat messages, the latest one being a link to a documentary on Bilibili.
She used to chat with him, but now she doesn't even feel like looking at his messages.
The news broadcast on TV was noisy and chaotic. Wen Yining put her phone face down on the table and suddenly had an urge to call and question him.
The thought arose, but she immediately stopped it.
He just wants me to lose my temper and contact him first.
No, she absolutely refused to make that call.
The air has been very fresh these past few days since the snowfall, and a crescent moon hangs high in the dark sky, emitting a faint glow.
After dinner, as usual, her parents went for a walk with their neighbor, but Wen Yining shook her head and refused.
She sat on the sofa, expressionless, constantly changing channels while listening intently to the sounds of her phone in her pocket. Her mind was filled with restlessness and anxiety, like weeds growing in the air, and she couldn't calm down.
She didn't know how much time had passed when her phone started vibrating wildly in her pocket. Her hand trembled, her heart pounded, and she frantically rummaged through her pocket for her phone.
It was him.
He answered the phone and said, "Come downstairs."
The two simple words almost made Wen Yining explode. She ran to the window and opened the glass. A car was parked across the narrow apartment building below hers.
A threat, a blatant threat.
He held the knife to her neck, letting her see the sharpness of the blade, but without cutting her.
He was using psychological tactics on her.
Having been with him for almost two years, she's no longer a naive and innocent girl.
Wen Yining didn't bother to change her clothes; she rushed downstairs in her slippers and pajamas. Panting, she stopped in the hallway and looked around. It was freezing cold, and there was no one around.
There was an unfamiliar Beijing-plated car parked at the entrance; it wasn't the same one from the afternoon.
Seeing that no one was watching, she rushed inside.
As soon as she opened the back door, her vision went completely black. Before she could even settle in, she felt a sudden tightness in her body and a dizzying sensation as the world spun around her. She leaned back against the soft seat, and then her body sank down as her face brushed against a warm patch of skin.
A familiar, pleasant fragrance wafted towards her. He pressed her face against his chest, and Li Changjing held her tightly in his arms, pressing her against the back seat of the car.
Wen Yining was pinned down and couldn't move. She could only lower her voice and angrily say, "Let me go! Get up!"
A cool breeze and light suddenly filled the warm car, ruffling her hair that was scattered on the seat. Wen Yining looked up, and Li Changjing reached out and opened the overhead door, revealing a crack. If someone passed by outside, they could see inside.
He didn't utter a single word, but the threat was unmistakable.
Wen Yining froze beneath him, too afraid to move.
The light and cold wind disappeared, Li Changjing closed the car door, and Wen Yining breathed a sigh of relief.
As her eyes gradually adjusted to the darkness inside the car, she could vaguely make out some things. She lowered her voice and angrily demanded, "What exactly do you want?!"
Li Changjing slowly released her and got off her slightly. He was just a silhouette in the dim light, but Wen Yining could feel him staring at her.
Even knowing she couldn't see him, she still gritted her teeth and glared back at him.
After a long silence, his quiet voice rang out in the darkness: "I saw you today, you've lost weight."
All the succulents I raised over the summer are gone.
Her mind went completely silent for a moment, her heart ached and felt bitter. She truly hated him, and she hated herself. She thought she had calmed down, but his words easily stirred up a storm within her.
Wen Yining sneered, "What's it to you! You came all this way, are you threatening me?"
Li Changjing tightened his grip on her shoulders, staring intently at her in the darkness. "Let's be together again."
Wen Yining sneered, but her eyes stung with tears. "Once or twice? What do you take me for? A pet that you can summon and dismiss at will?"
Li Changjing gently stroked her face, speaking each word with emphasis as if making a vow, "There will be no next time, this is the last time."
Wen Yining shook off his hand and replied, word by word, "Not this time."
He didn't speak, and even though he knew the other person couldn't see, the two of them still stared at each other through the darkness.
After a while, Li Changjing smiled, released her and sat up. Suddenly, he changed his tone and attitude, and slowly straightened his clothes. "Ningning, you probably don't want me to go upstairs and visit each of your uncles, aunts and neighbors, do you?"
Wen Yining felt as if she had been doused with a bucket of cold water.
Suddenly, she vaguely heard the voices of her parents and the aunt across the street outside the car. The hairs on her body stood on end. She lay in the back seat, propping herself up on her elbows, not daring to move. She subconsciously slowed her breathing and listened intently to the sounds outside.
The sound grew closer and closer. She stared intently out the car window, where her parents appeared, laughing and talking, just a pane of glass away from her.
The car wasn't locked; if I just gently open the window, my parents will see...
Li Changjing also turned to look out the window, his expression unreadable.
Without a second thought, Wen Yining grabbed Li Changjing's wrist tightly. He looked down at her, the watch on his wrist pressing against her palm.
Overwhelmed by fear, Wen Yining broke down in a trembling voice, saying, "Let's talk somewhere else, not here..."
Not here...
Li Changjing paused for a moment, then got out of the car and drove away.
Wen Yining sat in Li Changjing's car, watching him drive her along the familiar hometown road, the car headlights illuminating the low buildings and piles of snow along the roadside.
As the car drove past the familiar streets where she used to go to school and live as a child, her mind went blank, and everything before her eyes felt like a nightmare.
She didn't know where he was going until the car stopped in a spacious basement, which he knew exactly where to go. Li Changjing got out of the car, walked over to her side, and personally opened the car door for her.
As Wen Yining went downstairs, the bright light from the basement slanted in, illuminating her numb expression.
Li Changjing also noticed Wen Yining's rather thin pajamas, frowned, took off his coat, and draped it over her shoulders.
Startled awake by this action, Wen Yining forcefully pushed his hand away and took a few steps back, staring intently at him. She couldn't see her own face clearly, but she felt that her gaze was filled with hatred.
Li Changjing froze, staring at her as if he had been stabbed, his face turning pale instantly. The clothes in his hands and the things in his pockets fell to the ground, but he didn't even bother to pick them up.
After a while, he seemed to realize what was happening. He stiffly picked up the clothes and a room key from the floor. His fingers trembled almost imperceptibly as he picked it up, taking several tries before finally managing to pick it up.
His face was pale, but he calmly took out his phone from his coat pocket and casually tossed his coat into the car.
He turned to look at her and said, "Let's go, 2105."
Wen Yining turned around and walked towards the elevator.
The two stood in the elevator. Li Changjing walked to the door in front, unlocked it with his room card, opened the door, stepped back to let Wen Yining go in first, and then he went in.
It was pitch black inside. As soon as Wen Yining entered, before he even inserted the room key, she blurted out, "I've already told you I don't love you! What's the point of this?!"
The card dropped.
Li Changjing bent down to pick it up, calmly plugged it in, and the lights in the room instantly turned on, raising the air conditioning temperature.
His face was still a little pale. He turned to look at Wen Yining and said in a cold voice, "Ningning, this is the last time. I don't want to hear you say that again."
Wen Yining found it a bit funny. It turned out that Li Changjing could also be so self-deceiving. She asked softly, "Is it interesting? If you haven't had enough fun, Young Master Li can just wave his hand and there will be plenty of girls rushing to you. Go ahead."
Li Changjing ignored her words and walked past her into the room, saying, "Let's talk."
Wen Yining stood motionless by the wall. "I have nothing to talk to you about. If you hadn't used such despicable means as threats, I wouldn't even have seen you."
“Despicable behavior is also a skill, and the goal has been achieved, hasn’t it?”
Li Changjing walked to the table with his back to her, wiped his hands with a wet wipe, poured a glass of water and placed it on the table next to him, then pointed to another chair and said, "Sit."
Wen Yining didn't move, and he didn't force her.
Li Changjing sat leisurely in one of the chairs, watching her. Every move he made exuded the air of an exceptionally noble young master. His face was still a little pale, but his aura had completely changed. At this moment, he was treating her as a negotiating opponent, and the aura and sense of oppression that controlled the entire room was overwhelming.
"Don't be angry, Ningning. I know your aunt and uncle have gone home. Your time is precious, so don't waste it on pointless venting. You just can't accept it right now, but you'll eventually agree. I'm willing to give you time to process your emotions. I'll stay here until 11 PM tomorrow. Give me your answer before you leave."
"Do you remember the negotiation skills I taught you before? Skills are based on having cards in your hand, but you have so many weaknesses, Ningning, you have no cards to play."
Wen Yining knew he was right about everything, but she couldn't accept it. Why? He was the one who gave up on her first, but now he's come back to her, acting like he's deeply in love and can't live without her. She didn't believe his sincerity! And did he have to love him back just because he loved her?
What about the pain she endured during this time? What about her dignity?
Even if love has an on/off switch, she doesn't want to turn it on again once the relationship is off.
She had never been so out of control before. She picked up a decorative ceramic pot with fireworks stuck in it from the wall and smashed it at him. The pot shattered, flowers fell to the ground, water soaked the carpet, and shards of porcelain littered the floor at his feet.
Li Changjing stared intently at her without changing his expression.
Wen Yining glared at him, her eyes filled with hatred.
She used to love this person the most, but now she hates him the most.
I hate him so much, I wish I could stab him twice.
The two stared at each other. Li Changjing crossed his long legs and rested one hand on the table, quietly watching her. His expression remained calm, but his face, which had just returned to normal, gradually turned ashen.
With her back against the wall, Wen Yining finally let the tears she had been holding back for so long burst forth, obscuring her emotions, and large, hot tears streamed down her face.
Li Changjing stared at her tears for a few seconds with a calm expression and pale lips, then stood up, walked towards her, and gently raised his hand to wipe away her tears.
She hated him so much that without thinking, Wen Yining grabbed his wrist, closed her eyes, and bit down hard.
Li Changjing didn't struggle at all, obediently putting his wrist to her mouth. As the pain in his wrist struck, he took the opportunity to pin her against the wall and hug her, stroking her long hair with one hand.
The glass reflected the two figures, but it couldn't reflect his reckless eyes.
Li Changjing said calmly, "I know you. You can't go back. So when I came here this time, I was prepared for you to hate me. That's good. No matter what, you're still by my side. Hating me is better than that indifferent look you had that day."
During the three months she was trying to forget him, he was frantically thinking about her, going over and over again, reminiscing about their years together, from the first time he saw her that spring until the car disappeared on the desolate highway with her in it.
It's all because he has such a good memory, remembering things so clearly; every time he recalls them, it only strengthens his feelings for her.
The snowy night outside the window was quiet. Li Changjing gently stroked her hair and talked about everyday things. "When I left this morning, it was snowing in Beicheng too. The weather forecast said there would be a blizzard today, and the ground should be covered in snow by now. When I went back a few days ago, I heard from the property management that the cat you feed named Dou Dou had kittens. Go and see when you get home."
Wen Yining strained even harder, large, bitter tears mixed with the metallic taste of blood spreading throughout her mouth.
Author's note: I glanced at the comments section yesterday. The books I like to read, and my current writing habits, tend to be more female-centric. I prefer the main story to be told from the female lead's perspective, leaving the worlds of other characters largely unexplored, and only introducing their perspectives in the epilogues.
Since this is, after all, a romance novel told from the female protagonist's perspective, a story that takes place in her world, if too much is written in the main text, it would lack flavor for me personally, and would also reduce my sense of immersion.
I don't know if this habit is good or bad; I might change it in the future.
Also, I admit that I do have many shortcomings. I write and post every day without time to polish it. I will revise it after it is finished.
I'm trying my best to write about two real people who love each other yet hate each other, to depict the feelings of a couple in this state, rather than a plot of forced possession or a protagonist who maintains a high and mighty, two-dimensional persona.
I think no one understands the characters they create better than the author. And I want to say that even the most composed and sophisticated person cannot maintain the cool and aloof persona when faced with the intense emotions of love and hate.
I forgot to add something: Li Changjing's promotion was the same as last time, and he also took on the role of Party Secretary. It has nothing to do with whether he's involved in a matchmaking scandal this time. Jinjiang has too many restrictions; a lot of things can't be written, and even some titles will turn into squares when typed out. So I didn't dare write "Secretary Li" before, but that day I just wrote it on a whim, and I didn't expect those two words wouldn't turn into squares [glasses].
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