Chapter 69
For the old man's birthday banquet, all the flowers in the old house have been specially rearranged and replaced today, with only the ones in full bloom being planted.
Several osmanthus trees were planted alongside the crabapple blossoms, their fragrance subtly wafting through the air.
Lian Yi looked at him and suddenly felt much better.
She walked towards the young man with light steps, just as she always liked to sneak up behind him and give him a fright when he wasn't paying attention.
"Got you!"
Lian Yi wasn't that naive; she simply reached out and suddenly poked Jiang Yu in the back.
Jiang Yu turned around in slight surprise. Her lips, eyes, and even eyebrows seemed to bloom like crabapple blossoms on a branch, her smile gentle and faint.
"Yi-yi." His voice was low, as if he were murmuring, lingering the two words on his tongue before uttering them.
Lian Yi's eyes were bright, as always. She looked up at him and said, "Little Jiang, you would never guess what a big thing I just did!"
"Um?"
Jiang Yu always took every word Lian Yi said seriously, but Lian Yi always liked to tease him, or perhaps it was just that nothing was a big deal for Lian Yi.
But she still showed genuine curiosity, her beautiful eyes revealing surprise, "What is it?"
“From this moment on, I am no longer a member of the Lian family, not Lian Decheng’s daughter, not the Lian family’s heiress.” Lian Yi looked at him, her smile light and cheerful, a smile Jiang Yu had almost never seen before.
She knew that anyone who had heard those words earlier was no exception.
I doubt anyone would truly believe that she could actually break free from the Lian family.
After all, a pampered young lady who has been able to live a carefree and extravagant life for eighteen years because of her family background and has enjoyed such a wealthy life will come back crying and apologizing as soon as she leaves home and suffers for a couple of days.
They wouldn't understand, how could they possibly understand?
Lian Yi knew that no one would understand, but what did it matter? She was annoyed, so she decided to flip the table.
Even if the plot threatens to eliminate her, she will never back down.
Besides, even without her, the fake heiress, there's still Lian San'er, the real young master.
Presumably, once the real heiress returns to the Lian family, she will still be able to find opportunities to showcase herself through Lian San'er.
"..." Jiang Yu paused for a moment, a slight glint in her eyes, and asked, "What just happened? Did someone bully you?"
Hearing his words, the thoughts that had been racing through Lian Yi's mind came to an abrupt halt.
She looked up and met the gaze of the handsome young man who had been looking very serious.
After a short while, Lian Yi's eyes curved slightly, and her eyebrows relaxed.
"Xiao Jiang, no one can bully me. I just don't want to keep acting with them anymore. I'm not playing this game anymore." She looked at the young man who had never been part of the story and opened her arms.
"So, give me a hug now that I'm free."
At that moment, Jiang Yu, who had not yet figured out what Lian Yi had encountered, showed a rare moment of panic, his usually calm and composed expression turning into one of unexpected disarray.
Lian Yi saw his handsome eyes look surprised, as if they were shimmering with water as he gazed intently back at her.
She suddenly realized that Jiang Yu never seemed to have any doubts about her whatsoever.
It's like when she says the sun should rise at night and the moon should hang high in the sky during the day, Jiang Yu would believe that it's just that the world she sees is different from others.
This person has been silently by my side since I was a child, from boy to teenager, and now to young adult.
Lian Yi looked at him quietly.
It's been more than ten years—
Jiang Yu was indeed flustered. He had been suppressing his desire to get close to Lian Yi, afraid of Lian Yi's disgust and that she would resist him.
So Lian Yi's sudden remark caused Jiang Yu's heart, which had been calm for many years, to ripple with waves of emotion, which grew stronger and stronger until the emotions inside him were churning uncontrollably.
He slowly bent down.
Suddenly, a hand was placed on his chest, and the owner of the hand smiled mischievously at him, "After hesitating for so long, I'm not going to hug you."
"..."
Jiang Yu's eyes were slightly red at the corners, and she looked pitiful with her eyes downcast. "Yi Yi, you did this on purpose."
“You look so handsome today, of course you can’t let a hug wrinkle your clothes.” Lian Yi took a step back and carefully examined Jiang Yu’s outfit.
Then he nodded in satisfaction, "Xiao Jiang, you've really grown up and become very handsome."
Jiang Yu didn't know whether he should feel embarrassed by her unrestrained staring or amused by her attitude.
“Let’s go if you’re not happy here,” he said softly, looking at her as she smiled.
Jiang Yu didn't care why Lian Yi said those things or what it meant to no longer be a member of the Lian family.
He only cared whether Lian Yi had been wronged or was unhappy.
Lian Yi smiled as she looked at him and nodded. "Okay, let's go."
…
…
The gate of the Lian family's old house is not grand, but it has a kind of ancient and rustic feel, which, combined with the festive atmosphere, does not appear gaudy at all.
As Lian Yi and Jiang Yu stepped out of the gate one after the other, some guests who had left earlier looked over in surprise.
How could they not recognize these two people?
It was precisely because I knew their identities that I was so surprised.
For a time, speculation arose in everyone's minds about whether the Lian family and the Li family in the north would form a marriage alliance.
Lian Yi didn't care much about those gazes. The moment she stepped out the door, she felt incredibly relaxed and happy, even though everyone still treated her as the young lady of the Lian family.
Even the Decheng couple probably still thought that it was only a matter of time before she bowed her head and admitted her mistake.
It's as if Jiang Yu is the only person left in the whole world who doesn't ask any more questions, but unconditionally believes in her choices and approves of her ideas.
Lian Yi walked down the steps one by one, passing the two stone lions guarding the door.
His gaze suddenly paused for a moment.
Beside the stone lion, the aloof young man stood silently with his face downcast. The cold wind of late winter made his already pale face appear even paler. His attire, suitable for attending a banquet, was neither too bulky nor particularly warm.
The boy's hand hung limply at his side, the bruises on the back of his hand clearly visible.
His gaze was fixed on the ground, and he seemed lost in thought.
Lian Yi frowned. She hadn't expected Xie Ling to still be there. The situation just now had left her no time to consider Xie Ling's feelings. She just looked at the boy's stubborn back as he stood there.
She sighed inwardly, turned around and glanced at Jiang Yu, "Wait here for me for a moment, I need to say a few words to him."
Jiang Yu nodded, then took off his coat and draped it familiarly over her shoulders, saying, "It's too cold outside."
"Okay." Lian Yi smiled at him and did not refuse.
As the boy approached Xie Ling, he quickly noticed her figure.
"You..." Xie Ling's eyes went from calm to bright in an instant, and she quickly regained her usual composure.
His gaze fell on the oversized white suit jacket draped over her shoulders, and his cool voice sounded calm as he asked, "Why are you here?"
"Shouldn't I be asking you why you're still here instead of going home?" Lian Yi frowned. "Wear something warmer and stand here in the cold wind. Xie Ling, are you trying to make me feel guilty by hurting yourself like this?"
"...I didn't." Xie Ling was speechless for a moment.
He seemed to never know how to talk to Lian Yi. His academic intelligence was of no advantage in front of her, and he always seemed dull-witted.
Lian Yi paused for a moment, then said, "I may not have been very nice to you just now, I hope you don't take it to heart."
They all knew perfectly well what Lian Yi was referring to just now.
Xie Ling said, "I understand why you said that. So... is the matter resolved now?"
“That person…” he frowned, “his condition is not normal, and I’m worried that he might hurt you again.”
But now it seems that Lian Yi has already handled it, so his worries are no longer important.
"Xie Ling, you care about me so much, could it be that you actually like me?"
Lian Yi looked at the boy who had always seemed awkward before, but now showed his concern naturally, and was surprised, thinking of this unlikely possibility.
She didn't think she was overconfident or overthinking at all.
Whether it's true or not, just ask clearly. Lian Yi never liked to limit herself, to struggle and ponder alone, and to let her emotions be swayed by others without realizing it.
"I..." Xie Ling was taken aback by Lian Yi's directness, not expecting the topic to jump so abruptly.
Even when faced with the most difficult math problems, Xie Ling could still make her brain work at lightning speed, but Lian Yi only asked such a simple question.
His head seemed to be covered in paste.
Those words of rejection, though spoken so decisively in the past, still resonate clearly with Lian Yi's heart, pounding in her ears.
But why, at this point, did he seem to have lost the ability to speak?
Xie Ling fell silent.
Lian Yi was smiling as she looked at him. In her eyes, Xie Ling was just a character in the book, an important supporting character. Perhaps in the original story, he would eventually stand shoulder to shoulder with his heroine.
Xie Ling's performance has never disappointed Lian Yi.
But now, Lian Yi's gaze had calmed down. "Don't tell me you actually like me."
For a moment, Xie Ling instinctively avoided her gaze, but then looked back firmly at Lian Yi, pursing her lips slightly, "Yes, I..."
"Alright, Xie Ling, stop talking." Lian Yi's gaze gradually turned cold as he softened his tone.
She frowned, unable to understand it at all, and even found it somewhat absurd and funny.
"You like me? Why?"
"You feel guilty towards me because of what happened before? Don't be ridiculous, Xie Ling. Isn't now the time for you to righteously reject me?"
Lian Yi's words were direct and hurtful, and Xie Ling could feel the sharp pain in her heart as she spoke each word.
But he knew even better that this was the price he had to pay for his past actions.
Lian Yi sighed, "Don't like me, Xie Ling. Although I don't know what you're thinking, there's really no need for it."
She guessed that this might be one of the tricks the plot was playing.
Because of her planned early retirement, the scenes where the real heiress shows herself might become uneventful, so she has to create some drama about vying for a man.
Should Xie Ling be made the one who triggers the conflict?
Lian Yi scoffed at this.
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