Chapter 54 The Butterfly Flutters Its Wings
The group arrived at the dock in off-road transport. One of their friends had provided a three-story yacht, which was quietly and arrogantly moored on the sea, making the nearby yachts look tiny in comparison.
It's too cold to go into the water right now.
Everyone was relaxed and casual, no one cared about style over warmth, and they all bundled up like bears, laughing and joking as they squeezed onto the yacht.
Once on the yacht, everyone dispersed into their own groups. They were all friends who had known each other for quite some time, and there was no one who needed special care.
At the boat owner's signal, the yacht quickly sailed away from the dock.
Lian Yi, with her hands in her pockets, slowly strolled up to the second-floor terrace.
Here are a few tables and chairs for resting. The light-colored wooden floor extends outwards, and between it and the light-colored fence is a transparent glass floor. This area is suspended above the sea.
As the yacht sailed across the boundless sea, a cold sea breeze swept over us, making our faces feel icy and painful.
Lian Yi did not sit down, but stood on the glass floor.
Her clear, amber eyes gazed quietly into the distance, her cheeks slightly flushed, her hair fluttering wildly in the sea breeze, occasionally brushing against her face, still enjoying this moment of freedom standing between the water and the sky.
Low footsteps approached from behind, tapping lightly on the floor.
A moment later, a coat, still warm from my body, was placed over me, exuding a faint, dry, and refreshing scent.
Lian Yi lowered her eyes, her long, slender, fair hands carefully buttoning up her coat, her movements patient and meticulous, without a trace of anger.
These are very beautiful hands, slightly slender, which makes the lines even clearer. When you exert force, you can occasionally see faint blue veins protruding, which makes the skin on the back of your hands appear translucent white.
"It's windy at sea, I'll take off my coat when we go inside." Jiang Yu fastened the top few buttons to keep the sea breeze out of his trench coat.
Lian Yi simply turned up her collar, hiding half her face in it, leaving only her eyes showing as she stared at him—
"how?"
Jiang Yu lowered his head to meet her gaze, and raised his hand to brush away the messy strands of hair from Lian Yi's face.
He stood tall and straight, seemingly unaware of the deep, cold sea behind him, and the railing, which was only below his waist, offered him no protection.
Jiang Yu gently brushed his wind-blown hair back to his face, blocking out the sea breeze behind him.
Therefore, Lian Yi's face, which had been hidden among the shadows of her hair, was finally revealed.
Her clear, pure eyes seemed to see right through you, reflecting the inner world of the person looking into them.
“Xiao Jiang, I’m not a child anymore.” Lian Yi looked at him, her eyes curving slightly along with her eyebrows.
Jiang Yu has no connection to this story, and doesn't even have a name in it.
In the past, relying on her youth, Lian Yi could enjoy her childhood sweetheart's meticulous care without restraint, but as the plot's turning point approaches, she suddenly doesn't want to accept it anymore.
He wasn't an insider to begin with, so why did he have to get involved?
Whether it's like in the story, where someone protects her and stands on her side unconditionally and without reason, thus going against the female lead and suffering a humiliating defeat, or becoming a symbol of the female lead's rise to a higher level.
Or perhaps he might become disappointed in her during this process, be moved by her excellence, and gradually stand on the opposite side of her.
Regardless of which one it is, Lian Yi is now facing this selfishness in her heart with equanimity.
To her, Xiao Jiang was a unique existence in this chaotic world, seemingly belonging only to her.
Lian Yi selfishly didn't want him to get involved in the plot, even though he seemed unchanged at the moment, still the same as before, affectionate and unconditionally trusting her.
But who can predict the future?
"Mm." Jiang Yu still smiled, lowered his face slightly, and looked at her intently with his dark eyes as if they were coated with an arc of light.
“I know, it’s been two years… Back then, you weren’t this tall, and your cheeks were fuller than they are now. That often made you look less imposing, and it made you even angrier.”
Lian Yi was furious, "Why are you saying this!"
A vicious heiress should certainly act like one. Indeed, she once got angry because she stared at someone so fiercely that the person burst out laughing.
But that's ancient history, who knows how many years ago it is.
Jiang Yu looked at her with gentle eyes.
Speaking in a low voice, "When I returned to Yunhai, I went to your favorite pastry shop to buy some of your favorite rose red bean paste rolls. They shouldn't be too sweet, have too much red bean paste, and be freshly baked."
"That shop has been closed for a long time," Lian Yi said sullenly, clutching the edge of her trench coat.
"Yes, it's been open in the old street for thirty or forty years. If it closes down, it'll only be for a day or two."
Jiang Yu's eyes were gentle and clear. "The boss is getting old. Following his son's relocation, he moved to another city and decided to stop working so hard."
"...Why are you bringing this up?" Lian Yi frowned in annoyance, her mood worsening at the thought of never being able to eat those sweet and sticky red bean paste rolls again.
"Yiyi, I just want to tell you that you may lose a lot in this life. The things around you are constantly changing. Those people or things you care about come and go, becoming distant or close..."
Jiang Yu leaned back slightly, bracing against the railing that was less than his waist. In Lian Yi's eyes, it seemed as if he was about to fall backward into the sea at any moment.
The wind tousled his hair, sending it billowing forward.
The young man had black hair and black eyes, but his skin was almost transparently pale, and behind him was a slightly dark background of sea and sky.
As Lian Yi looked at him, she was momentarily stunned, as if a mermaid from the sea had come ashore and was standing right in front of her, showing no wariness or curiosity towards humans, and was staring back at her.
His eyebrows and eyes were so beautiful they were almost bewitching, yet his handsome face exuded a pure and aloof air, as if he were untouchable. His eyes held a faint smile, like warm, flowing candle wax.
It is charming everywhere, yet it also has a sense of distance that makes people hesitant to approach.
"Hey, Xiao Jiang, you're so beautiful." Her words rang out abruptly, completely out of place.
But if it were before, Lian Yi would have already started working on it, it's just a pity—
She stared at Jiang Yu with regret in her eyes and sighed heavily.
"..." Jiang Yu slowly lowered his eyes, a slight smile on his lips that seemed to be mixed with a bit of shyness.
"Yi-yi, why are you still like this?"
“Because that’s the kind of person I am.” Lian Yi was briefly captivated by his good looks, but quickly regained her composure and said fiercely to him, “You’re always like this, self-centered, lacking in emotional intelligence, and unable to learn how to be friendly and cheerful with others.”
"I don't have much sense of boundaries when it comes to friends. Like right now, I just want to see if you've lost your abs in the last two years. If you don't show me, I get angry."
"That's the kind of person I am, you understand?"
Lian Yi lowered her eyes impatiently and pursed her lips. "Everyone matures, but I won't. I laugh when I'm happy, I make a fuss when I want to, and I don't want to consider social etiquette when I encounter unpleasant things."
"I was just born into a better family than others, and I was born as Lian Decheng's daughter, so countless people are willing to accommodate me."
Therefore, Jiang Yu had no need to do this; his memory of her remained from two years ago.
Perhaps over the past two years, he has been romanticizing these memories, only recalling the happier parts.
She arrogantly believed that she would become better.
But she wouldn't. Even without the constraints of the plot, Lian Yi would still be that kind of person.
In every moment of extreme calm and emotional control, she thought more than once—
If you can stop thinking about anything and ignore everything, and just follow your heart in the moment, whether you are happy or sad, you don't need to suppress your emotions because of rules and regulations.
This is the life she wants.
In her past life, Lian Yi was not immune to the common customs, but now, she has Meng Er.
She is still herself, Meng Er is herself, and Lian Yi is also herself; they can all do things that are meaningful or meaningless.
So she is not lonely, nor does she necessarily need Jiang Yu to be by her side to watch her laugh and play, or to watch her throw a tantrum.
Lian Yi hid half her face in her collar, the warm, clean scent of Jiang Yu mingling with her own. Her eyes, which were visible, showed no sign of reluctance, but were serious and somewhat domineering.
"We're still friends, but don't think I'll become any better."
A two-year-old child will cry and fuss if he/she can't get what he/she wants to eat or get the toy he/she wants.
But the adults will patiently coax them.
But for a twelve-year-old to do this is just immature.
Lian Yi felt that even when they were both 'twelve years old,' he still regarded her as that two-year-old child.
She stared at Jiang Yu for a long time, and even though she had been rambling on and on, he still had a light smile on his face.
His gentle expression made it seem as if he would never lose his temper, or as if he hadn't listened to what she said.
Lian Yi frowned, hesitating whether to go over and kick him a couple of times. It would at least vent her anger. As for whether doing so would be inhumane, that was not within her consideration.
Just as she was hesitating, the pocket of the trench coat that Jiang Yu had draped over her suddenly trembled slightly.
Lian Yi lowered her eyes and snorted, "Someone called you."
“…Hmm.” Jiang Yu walked up to her, bent down slightly, and took out his phone, which was still vibrating slightly, from his pocket.
He tapped the screen twice with his fingertip, but did not answer the call or lock the screen.
From Lian Yi's perspective, she only glanced at it casually and couldn't see it clearly. From the upside-down angle, she could only see rows of numbers on the screen that changed from time to time.
"Yiyi, I haven't finished speaking yet."
Jiang Yu held his phone, lowered his eyes and looked at Lian Yi. Seeing that Lian Yi looked away and didn't care, he found it really cute.
He found it amusing, a hint of helplessness in his pursed lips.
"...That boss rested for two months, but he still couldn't stay idle. Every day, after making the pastries, he would ride his tricycle around selling them. He could often sell them all before his grandson got out of school, and then he would pick up his grandson on the way home."
Lian Yi snorted, "So, you mean if I want to eat red bean rolls, I have to go all the way to another city and wait for them?"
"No, no, no."
Jiang Yu's voice is gentle and slightly deep, a voice very suitable for telling stories to lull someone to sleep. He always has great patience, and even if the listener doesn't appreciate the story, his tone remains calm.
Lian Yi raised her eyes, and something seemed different in the whistling wind beside her.
Faintly, from other areas of the yacht behind them, and even from the upper and lower decks, came the surprised discussions of their friends.
The different sounds that had been drowned out by the wind became clearer and clearer.
Lian Yi paused in his gaze, then turned around, raised her face to look at the sky, in the direction from which the propeller was turning.
“Whether you’re eighteen or sixteen, Yi Yi,” Jiang Yu said in a low voice behind her, “no matter how old you are, you should be as you say.”
"I just hope that you won't have to compromise yourself because you have no other choice."
He would accompany her as she did what she wanted to do.
It's always like this.
"..."
Lian Yi stared blankly as the helicopter approached, just like in a movie scene, the rope ladder was thrown down and swung back and forth in the air.
Then a figure carrying a bag climbed down the rickety rope ladder and jumped straight to the third floor of the yacht, causing a gasp of surprise.
A faint, wary questioning arose, but it quickly subsided.
Then, a young man in a black jacket walked over from the corner of the stairs, followed by Pei Tu'an and the others, who looked over with slightly complicated expressions.
As the man approached, Jiang Yu stepped out from behind Lian Yi, took a square box from the man's backpack, and nodded slightly to him, "You stay here and leave with us later."
The man nodded, then silently turned and left.
The sound of the propeller turning faded into the distance.
Jiang Yu turned around, stood by the table, placed the square box on it, and slowly and methodically unpacked it.
"Finding the owner wasn't difficult, but persuading him to sell half of his pastries at once was not easy. In the end, I had a video chat with him for a while, and he recognized me before he agreed."
He unfolded the box, revealing pastries that weren't particularly appealing in appearance, with obvious signs of handcrafting, but looked delicious.
Among them, the glutinous rice rolls with red bean paste filling were the most numerous, piled up one after another in plump pieces.
"Yi Yi, he still remembers you. He said with a mix of happiness and regret, 'If I had known, I would have made more red bean rolls today. I remember you loved them back then. I don't know if you still like them now, so I gave you some more of the new pastries he learned to make when he was bored.'"
Jiang Yu knew that she didn't like listening to grand principles, and her rambling words were just to make Lian Yi understand his only thought at that moment.
Lian Yi's gaze fell on the box on the table, where the pastries, whose flavors were still vivid in her memory, looked as if they had just come out of the oven.
Then his gaze shifted to the side and landed on Jiang Yu's face.
She seemed to have never experienced this feeling before. Countless thoughts flashed through her mind, and she wanted to say many things, but they were stuck in her throat, and she couldn't squeeze out a single syllable.
Lian Yi pursed her lips, which were hidden in her collar, and stared at Jiang Yu with her amber eyes, as if observing, scrutinizing, and analyzing him.
Strangely, compared to the expected emotions of being moved, the thoughts that kept popping into her mind kept repeating two words—
Why bother?
There are far too many people who are more outstanding than her.
As for her, she was just an ignorant, spoiled, and vicious young lady who acted arrogantly and domineeringly in her interactions with others. In other people's eyes, she was an immature, spoiled, and lawless brat.
Everything she has now is simply because she's lucky and is living a life that others should have had.
But they don't use it properly.
From the age of four to ten, Jiang Yu was always more like a proper young master from a wealthy family than her. He was always elegant and composed. Even when he was teased and Jiang Yu drew a cat's face on his face with a pen, he would only helplessly accept the towel handed to him by the maid to wipe it off.
She would take the initiative to take responsibility for the things she did to cause trouble or mischief in front of her parents.
He sincerely admitted his mistake, took her hand, and gently shook his head.
From the age of ten to thirteen, all she had to do was throw her homework in front of Jiang Yu and run off to call her friends.
Occasionally, he would anger his father and cut off his allowance, so he would naturally reach out to him for money.
From the age of fourteen to sixteen, his health deteriorated, and he spent more and more time with her. No matter how impatient she was, she always tolerated it with good temper.
People came and went around Lian Yi; some couldn't stand her spoiled attitude and kept their distance.
Some people figured out how to get along with her: when to avoid her, and when to play together.
Some people are outwardly eager to please, but inwardly they secretly despise and sneer.
Lian Yi blinked and watched as Jiang Yu packed several pieces of pastry, cut them into bite-sized pieces, and walked over with a plate.
"The taste shouldn't have changed much compared to before. Why don't you try it first?" He poked a piece of the smooth and creamy red bean paste roll, which was almost bursting open, and held it in mid-air, looking at Lian Yi with a questioning gaze.
"..."
Lian Yi sniffed lightly, probably because the sea breeze was too cold.
She said in a muffled voice, "Jiang Yu, have you been secretly seeing rich women these past two years without telling me?"
From the time Lian Yi met him until now, she has never known Jiang Yu's family background, and his family members have always mysteriously never appeared.
There were all sorts of speculations and rumors, such as that he was the illegitimate son of a wealthy man who, afraid of being discovered by his wife, secretly bought a villa and kept him outside.
But why has it never appeared, including his mother?
No one could understand it. After the person who spread these rumors was cornered by Lian Yi for half a month, the topic of Jiang Yu never circulated openly again.
"..." Jiang Yu's hand, which was holding the thin fork suspended in the air, swayed. He chuckled helplessly, "I'm afraid no one would like a sickly person like me."
"Who said that? With a face like yours, I think even just looking at you without touching you would make a lot of people willing to spend money..."
Lian Yi was still babbling on when he gently pulled off the collar of her clothes that was blocking her way with his two free fingers.
Between words, the soft, sticky rice roll, filled with sweet red bean paste that wasn't too cloying, was melted on the tongue.
Lian Yi's slightly troubled mood was instantly soothed by the long-awaited sweets, and her eyes narrowed with pleasure, "Ah—"
What you think in your heart doesn't matter; your body will always open its mouth in the end.
The first bite is a different flavor of pastry, with a delicate, muddy texture mixed with occasional grains. But as those grains are gently crushed between the teeth and on the tongue, they burst forth with a unique taste.
Jiang Yu lowered his eyes slightly and would always feed Lian Yi another piece of pastry just as she had almost finished eating.
Watching her rosy lips slightly parted, her cheeks puffing out slightly with each bite.
A relaxed smile gradually blossomed in his eyes, and the two beauty marks at the corners of his eyes gleamed a deep red, almost like dripping blood.
"Yi Yi, there's something I think would be better to tell you now." Jiang Yu was familiar with every change in Lian Yi's expression, perhaps even more so than she was.
He held the plate in one hand and took Lianyi's hand, who was in a good mood, with the other, leading her to sit down at the table.
"Hmm, go ahead and speak." Lian Yi leaned back comfortably in her chair, enjoying his pampering and care, almost to the point that she needed Jiang Yu's help even to open her mouth.
The feeling of being surrounded by such a beautiful and gentle woman made Lian Yi squint her eyes and inwardly despise herself.
Lian Xiaoyi! Lian Xiaoyi!
What about inner resolve?
Is it the thought of sealing their relationship in its most beautiful moment?
Absolutely depraved!
Lian Yi's self-loathing caused her to open her eyes, revealing a somewhat clear expression.
"I heard this chestnut cake is the best-selling one." The beauty picked up a chestnut cake shaped like a rabbit's head, her dark eyes shining brightly as she looked at Lian Yi earnestly. Her smile seemed to exude a thousand charms towards Lian Yi.
Lian Yi restrained herself and focused her gaze on his defined jawline, letting out a soft hiss in her heart.
Could it be that Jiang Yu has really been secretly taking extra classes at some club over the past two years?
So alluring... I can't handle it.
"I'll control the portion size. Try a bite of everything, and if you like any of them, you can eat more later." Seeing that Lian Yi didn't open her mouth, he spoke in a coaxing tone, his gentle voice making every word tender and affectionate.
"What do you want to say? Hurry up and tell us."
Lian Yi wanted to urge him impatiently, but when she looked at his face, she softened her voice.
She then angrily opened her mouth to bite into the pastry, but Jiang Yu quickly pulled back, allowing her to eat the chestnut cake instead of biting the fork.
Never mind, there's no rush. She'll definitely be able to explain herself clearly next time.
"Actually, I am the son of Li Zhongyi from the Li family of Qingbei." When Jiang Yu mentioned this name, the light in his eyes dimmed for a moment, but he quickly recovered and got straight to the point.
Jiang Yu knew that Lian Yi didn't like being deceived, especially by those around her, so he offered an explanation as Lian Yi's chewing motions gradually slowed down.
"But I only found out about this two years ago when they took me back to the Li family."
“…The Li family of Qingbei?” Lian Yi frowned slightly, her eyes still on him, but she was already lost in thought.
Seeing that her reaction wasn't as strong as he had imagined, Jiang Yu slowly lowered his eyes and breathed a slight sigh of relief.
"Yes, as you know, my parents have never appeared since I was a child. After I was taken back to the Li family, they told me that it was because my mother had a difficult childbirth and a very famous master from Qingbei came to our house to tell my fortune."
As Jiang Yu spoke, he still forked a piece of pea flour cake for her, but Lian Yi pushed it away and refused.
"Go on, I'm not eating." Lian Yi frowned. We're talking about serious business, why are you talking about eating?
"good."
Jiang Yu said gently, "The master said that I am incompatible with my parents, which also caused me to be born prematurely and weak. If I were raised in the Li family as a member of the Li family, I would not be able to withstand the wealth and fortune of the Li family and would not live past my childhood."
"Only after they reach adulthood can they be brought back to the Li family and recognize their ancestors."
“Over the past two years, they have been taking care of my health and arranging many training courses for me. Every move I make day and night is under their watchful eye. I was worried that they would bother you, so I didn’t take the initiative to contact you.”
Jiang Yu smiled slightly, his dark eyes filled with warmth. "Fortunately, you've never contacted me."
"cough……"
Lian Yi looked away guiltily.
He immediately frowned and said, "You are the son of the Li family... Even if they practice feudal superstition, why do they never care about you, except leave you there and let a few servants take care of you?"
In her memory, the housekeeper and servants in Jiang Yu's household did not seem very professional or responsible.
"Hmm... Perhaps it's because of worry that they dare not offend in the slightest." Jiang Yu lowered his eyes, concealing his slightly melancholy gaze.
He didn't want to hide anything from Lian Yi, but those dirty secrets, filled with scheming and intrigue, were not worthy of being revealed to Yi Yi.
The most troublesome person has gone where they were meant to go, and is now enjoying a long and peaceful sleep.
Jiang Yu recited the same set of words that everyone in the Li family and even prominent figures in Qingbei knew to Lian Yi.
As for how he pretended to be harmless over the past two years, gradually seized power, and finally watched the old man die, and now stood in front of her.
Jiang Yu didn't want... and dared not let her know about these things.
He only hoped that the Xiao Jiang in her heart was pure and innocent.
"The Li family..."
Lian Yi was still frowning and deep in thought when she asked, "So, what's your current identity as the young master of the Li family called?"
“Li Jingxing.” Jiang Yu chuckled, looking at her, “But I still prefer the name Jiang Yu.”
"..."
wrong.
Lian Yi lowered her eyes and pursed her lips slightly.
She seemed to have grasped a fleeting thought, and suddenly looked up at Jiang Yu, asking, "So, what about Li Jingcong? Do you... know him?"
"Hmm?" Jiang Yu looked slightly surprised, then lowered his eyes and nodded. "Of course, he is my older brother, but it's a pity that after my parents and uncles died in accidents one after another, he became somewhat... decadent and degenerate."
“A year ago, he drove drunk and crashed off the road into the river. Although he survived, he is still in a vegetative state.”
The Li family... has truly suffered many misfortunes.
Lian Yi couldn't help but think to herself, but as the thoughts in her mind became clearer, her heart suddenly started beating a little faster.
In the plot outline, there is a small, inconspicuous section about the Li family.
This once more glorious and powerful family, even more so than the Lian family, seems to be under a curse.
Three generations, old, middle-aged and young. The middle generation died young due to various accidents, while the third generation only had one son - Li Jingcong.
With the early passing of its core members, the Li family was already in decline when it appeared in the plot outline.
In the story, Li Jingcong's role is to harbor evil intentions towards the real heiress. He covets her family background and is also attracted by her appearance, hoping to gain the support of the Li family by getting her.
Naturally, their plan failed, and instead, it led to the complete downfall of the Li family. In order to protect his only grandson, the semi-retired old man disregarded his status and tried to take action against the real heiress.
After the younger generation was punished, the older generation followed suit. This led to the realization that the old man, Mr. Li, died in despair, and Li Jingcong disappeared without a trace.
Similar plot points appeared several times in the story outline, but Lian Yi didn't take them to heart. After she retired, these people's troubles were no longer her concern.
At most, it gives the smaller account a foresight advantage in avoiding risks in advance.
"...Li Jingcong has become a vegetable, so now you're the only one left in the younger generation of the Li family?" Lian Yi asked hesitantly.
Jiang Yu was a little confused as to why Lian Yi cared about this point. Thinking of that dim-witted fool, whom she had mentioned several times, he lowered his eyes and nodded, saying, "Yes, that's how it is."
"Where is your grandfather?" Lian Yi quickly followed up.
"He... passed away from illness not long ago."
Jiang Yu stared at Lian Yi with gentle eyes, his gaze warm yet tinged with a hint of doubt. He felt that Lian Yi was not shocked by his identity or his relationship with the Li family.
It was more like she had discovered something incredible, constantly confirming her conjecture.
Jiang Yu answered almost every question, and the more he did so, the more shocked Lian Yi became.
She frowned, her fingers tapping lightly on the table from time to time.
The plot outline clearly doesn't contain a single word related to the name 'Li Jingxing'.
The old master Li will also pass away earlier than the original plot, and Li Jingcong, who should have been the last straw that broke the Li family, is now in a vegetative state.
Lian Yi's gaze fell on Jiang Yu's face, which earned her a gentle smile in return. She was slightly taken aback, her mind a jumble of thoughts that became increasingly chaotic.
Could it be that her butterfly wings, unintentionally, fluttered out a completely different story?
Lian Yi didn't think she had any special feelings for Jiang Yu.
He was always low-key and didn't like to show off, but she knew better than anyone how outstanding Jiang Yu was. If such a person was of the Li family bloodline, how could he be an unknown person?
The Li family would never bypass him and delegate power to a fool who could come up with a scheme to drug the real daughter to secure a marriage alliance.
How could Jiang Yu be completely absent from the original storyline?
“Li Jingxing…” Lian Yi looked at him again, unable to understand what she had done to trigger the so-called ‘butterfly effect’.
"Jiang Yu, if you hadn't met me, can you imagine what your life would have been like?"
"...such a possibility."
Jiang Yu was clearly surprised by her sudden question. His expression seemed to change for a moment, becoming somber that Lian Yi had never seen before. But in the blink of an eye, it was as if it were her imagination, and it never returned.
He shook his head in confusion. "I can't think of that."
"But if I hadn't met you, perhaps my life would have remained forever on that rainy day."
"...Rainy day?" Lian Yi looked puzzled.
Jiang Yuwei paused for a moment, then pursed her lips. "You... forgot?"
Seeing the hurt and sad look in the beauty's eyes, Lian Yi's brain, which was already overwhelmed by countless pieces of information, suddenly felt like it was about to burn out.
"Or, could you give me a hint?" Lian Yi coughed lightly, a rare hint of weakness appearing on her usually domineering face.
"...Since you don't care, let's just forget about it." He seemed to be throwing a tantrum at this moment, lowering his eyes and pursing his lips, looking unwilling to say more.
Lian Yi raised her hand to her forehead and sighed helplessly in her heart.
She paused, thinking of what Jiang Yu had just said, which meant that if he hadn't met her, he might have really died young.
Although Lian Yi couldn't think of a match for the incident in her memory, Jiang Yu never exaggerated when speaking to her.
In other words...
"Little Jiang!"
Lian Yi's eyes instantly brightened like stars. Ignoring Jiang Yu's lowered head and somewhat sullen expression, she leaned forward slightly, her smile growing wider, staring intently at him.
"Mmm." Jiang Yu always felt helpless towards her, and once again gave a helpless reply.
There are no "ifs".
"Huh? What's wrong..."
"Without my 'ifs,' you are Xiao Jiang, the living, breathing Xiao Jiang." Lian Yi knew he wouldn't understand her feelings at that moment, so she finished speaking to herself, leaned back in her chair, and let out a long sigh.
Lian Yi did not deny the selfishness in her heart.
When a butterfly instinctively flaps its wings, it obviously doesn't realize that it will cause a storm in the distance.
And unknowingly, she changed Jiang Yu's fate.
Even if the price is that the fate of the Li family, young and old, is rewritten.
But when she looked at Jiang Yu sitting right in front of her, alive and well, she saw him.
"Little Jiang, may you live a long and healthy life, reaching the age of 100."
Only in this way can we be worthy of everything she unconsciously changed.
As Lian Yi spoke, she suddenly frowned, "Also, you must not try to save the Li family from collapse by doing something bad to some noble ladies."
"Cough...cough cough..." Jiang Yu had been listening attentively to her words, and although he was puzzled, he was happy for her.
Until I heard what came next, even with years of cultivating a peaceful mindset and the cunning and scheming I had learned in the last two years, I was still shaken.
Jiang Yu was still startled by her words and coughed, clenching his fist to his lips, coughing until his cheeks turned slightly red and his eyes even showed a captivating color.
"Eh..."
Lian Yi was startled by Jiang Yu's sudden cough. She got up and went over to pat his back to help him catch his breath. However, as she looked down at his face, her hand movements unconsciously became a little improper.
Jiang Yu, having recovered from the itch in his throat, helplessly raised his hand to grab her restless hand around his neck.
"Yi Yi, what are you saying? Although the Li family is not as well off as before, it is not to the point that I should sacrifice myself to exploit other people's feelings."
"Besides, I could never do that."
If it weren't for the calm and serious look in Lian Yi's eyes when she said these words, and the utmost sincerity in her advice, it would be a different story.
Jiang Yu almost thought she was... making a suggestive gesture towards him.
She's exactly the same as before, always prone to overthinking, having all sorts of strange and absurd ideas, and speaking her mind without reservation.
"Okay, okay, I know you won't do that." Lian Yi scratched his palm and said with a smile, "Xiao Jiang, I've decided, I'll definitely treat you better from now on."
This is Xiao Jiang, who 'belongs' to her.
It does not exist because of the plot.
Lian Yi's eyes were bright, and her delicate and charming face was free of the hidden worries in her heart, revealing a smug expression.
Feeling a light, ticklish sensation in his palm, Jiang Yu frowned slightly as he looked at her.
The hint of disapproval in his eyes seemed more like a helpless concession. He covered her hand with his own, enveloping her playful and restless fingers in his palm and holding them with a slight grip.
"But I heard... you're taking a boy to Grandpa Lian's birthday banquet?"
Jiang Yu lowered his eyes slightly, his voice still gentle, but a little low and soft.
"I didn't mean anything by it, but I still can't help feeling regretful. If I had come back sooner, maybe that person could have been me... Would saying this make you feel awkward?"
He paused for a moment, looked up, and chuckled softly.
However, to Lian Yi, who had known him since childhood, this smile seemed somewhat forced and forced.
"I'm already very grateful that you're not angry with me."
Jiang Yu said gently, "If he doesn't mind, would you like to dance the first dance with me at the birthday banquet?"
Lian Yi, who had just excitedly made the promise, was speechless.
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