Chapter 2. Even between members of the opposite sex, social distancing should be maintained. ...
Lan Jia's heart pounded, and she stammered, "I accidentally fell on the boat."
She certainly wouldn't dare to reveal the details. Meng Cenjun had always strictly forbidden her from meddling in other people's business, probably because he was afraid she would cause trouble and he would have to clean up the mess.
However, how could someone who has known her for many years not know her true nature, see through her concealment, and question her further?
"careless?"
She looked at the gauze on her arm and secretly resented the ship's doctor for bandaging her so excessively.
"There was a storm at sea, and I lost my footing."
"Yes, you always have so many surprises." Seeing that she still wouldn't tell the truth, his tone suddenly turned cold.
"It's not my fault. Who could have predicted that something unexpected would happen to me?"
"You know why yourself."
Lan Jia suddenly realized that he was still angry about her sneaking out.
What is this? Is she his pet bird? She flies away at his command and returns to her cage at his whistle?
Her hands are in this state, yet she hasn't uttered a single word of concern. Is this person heartless?
Seeing the two on the verge of exchanging blows, Qiao Zimu, who was in the front row, quickly stepped in to mediate: "Brother Cen Jun, it was my fault for dragging Lan Jia on this trip. It was also because I didn't take good care of her that she got hurt. If you want to scold someone, scold me. It has nothing to do with Lan Jia."
"Xiao Qiao, you don't need to speak up for me, because I've done nothing wrong!"
"Lan Jia, don't be stubborn. We really didn't think things through this time. You should apologize to Brother Cen Jun."
"Qiao Zimu, whose side are you on?"
"From this moment forward, we are breaking off all ties!"
"..."
Meng Cenjun watched the two children singing in unison with a cold eye, and showed no intention of speaking again.
Lan Jia and Qiao Zimu exchanged a few words. Lan Jia quietly turned her head and caught a glimpse of Meng Cenjun's profile. Meng's brows were furrowed and her jawline was taut, clearly trying to control her temper.
She immediately fell silent as a reflex, sat up straight, and the car fell into dead silence once again.
He stood frozen like a puppet for a long time, then became restless and irritable. His forehead leaned weakly against the car window, his hands ached as if being bitten, and he broke out in a cold sweat from the pain.
When the car arrived at a resort hotel, a doorman immediately came to park the car and help with the luggage.
While waiting to check in, Qiao Zimu helped Lan Jia sit down on the sofa in the lobby.
Zhou Qin had already notified the hotel to arrange for a doctor to come to the room. Meng Cenjun glanced at the two of them leaning against each other's backs and then confirmed the relevant matters with him again.
After taking the room key, we went upstairs in the elevator, and all three of us were assigned rooms on the same floor.
Zhou opened one of the rooms and led Lan Jia inside to rest. Qiao Zimu followed closely behind, took her bag, and then skillfully took out a set of clean clothes from her suitcase and handed them to her.
"Take off your skirt, or you'll catch a cold."
"Oh." Lan Jia walked into the bathroom listlessly.
Only the two of them remained in the suite's living room. Zhou Zhu looked slightly surprised when he saw Qiao Zimu naturally start packing his suitcase again.
Qiao Zimu caught his gaze and smiled somewhat embarrassedly: "Lan Jia injured her hand, so it's inconvenient for her to organize things."
Zhou Zhu nodded, wisely refraining from saying anything more, as it was, after all, someone else's private matter.
But he had a vague, unsettling feeling that things weren't going well.
Lan Jia was injured in her right hand, but the back of her dress had several pearl buttons that were quite tight. She bent one arm and tried to undo them for a long time, but couldn't. She became increasingly anxious and came out to ask for help.
"Xiao Qiao, come help me with this button."
Qiao Zimu was placing Lan Jia's small medicine bottles on the bedside table when he heard her voice and immediately went over.
Lan Jia turned her back and waited with her head down for him to finish.
He brushed her long hair aside, picked up the topmost pill as if to untie it, but unexpectedly she suddenly took a step forward.
"Hey, don't move."
"Ouch...that hurts."
A few extremely fine strands of hair were wrapped around the button, tugging at the scalp.
"I told you not to move it." Qiao Zimu said helplessly as he carefully pulled out the strand of hair.
Lan Jia looked at the suitcase that was only half-tied up on the ground and asked anxiously, "Where is that dark blue box?"
"Was it the one you bought on Cozumel?"
"right."
"It should be in my suitcase. I'll go look for it later."
“You bought too many gifts. The box was almost bursting at the seams. Not even a mosquito could fly in.”
Lan Jia couldn't help but laugh when she remembered Qiao Zimu complaining on the way that her suitcase was as heavy as the stones used to build a pyramid.
"Isn't it you who's here, planning master?"
"Yes, yes, I'd be happy to help."
"But do you really have that many friends to send gifts to?" He felt a little envious.
"Yes, I have!"
"Grandma, Aunt Ming, Jingwei... and Sister Qinghuai."
Hearing her list, Qiao Zimu felt inexplicably disappointed. "Even my sister got a share, so what about me?"
"You? Weren't you on the island too? Buy it yourself."
"How can that be the same?" he said, both amused and exasperated.
"Okay, I'll remember to bring you a gift next time I go out with other people," Lan Jia said, cutting off the conversation at the right moment.
He gave a muffled "hmm," his fingers moved down, brushing against Lan Jia's exposed skin, then, realizing it was inappropriate, withdrew his fingertips.
"You should be able to handle the last few yourself," Qiao Zimu coughed lightly.
The tiny touch she felt just now traveled to her nerve endings, a dull sensation like raindrops on her skin. Lan Jia slowly came to her senses, noticing something was amiss, but before she could think about it further, she heard a sudden sound:
"Yi Lanjia".
The two of them turned their heads at the same time.
They saw Meng Cenjun standing at the door with a doctor, staring intently in their direction.
For a moment, the three people locked eyes, and the air seemed to freeze.
Lan Jia touched her nose, feeling as if she had been misunderstood.
Qiao Zimu keenly sensed that the tone carried a warning.
He scratched the back of his head and said to her:
"Then I'll go back to my room to find something."
The doctor came over; she was a gentle older sister who smiled and said, "I can help you with the dress."
Lan Jia said "okay" and changed her clothes with the doctor's help.
He came out and sat on the sofa in the living room to re-examine the wound.
Meng Cenjun sat down beside her, his gaze falling on her arm as he watched the gauze being peeled away layer by layer, revealing the red and swollen wound.
Like the hideous claw marks left by a wild beast.
His expression turned very gloomy.
"The wound wasn't cleaned properly." There were still some tiny shards of glass embedded in the flesh.
"No wonder it hurts so much," Lan Jia said, trying to sound casual.
"Luckily, they weren't stuck too deep. I'll take them out now. Just bear with it." The doctor spoke to her softly.
Lan Jia felt a sliver of comfort. But it was only a sliver.
From childhood, she had always been terrified of physical pain, and immediately turned her head away, unable to bear looking.
She could only feel the delicate tweezers stirring inside her wound, like a mutated beetle frantically stabbing and biting her with its mouthparts.
Fine beads of cold sweat began to appear on her forehead. To distract herself, she unconsciously crumpled the dark green velvet sofa in her hands.
When she looked up, she suddenly met Meng Cenjun's gaze. He had his lips tightly pressed together, and because of the overhead light, a shadow was cast under his prominent brow bone, giving him a solemn and imposing air.
He rarely seemed to smile in her presence, and his words were always cold. Their relationship wasn't like that of ordinary siblings; it was more like that of a parent and child. He always exuded a natural air of authority and pressure towards her, a pressure that grew stronger with time. The older she got, the more she hated this distance, always feeling like he was taking something away from her. But she couldn't do anything about it.
At her most vulnerable moment, Lan Jia suddenly felt very wronged, and her eyes immediately welled up with tears.
Seeing her in pain, Meng Cenjun frowned almost imperceptibly, considered for a moment, and then stretched out a hand for her to grab.
Unfortunately, Lan Jia didn't know. In an instant, she had already turned her head away and refused to look at him.
In the brief moment when no one was watching, he clenched the hand that was resting on the sofa armrest and quietly withdrew it.
The doctor over there had finished bandaging the wound and gave instructions:
"Don't get the affected area wet until it's fully healed. Try to use your right hand as little as possible these next few days. If you have any problems, just contact me anytime."
Seeing the doctor about to leave, Lan Jia felt uneasy and got up as if trying to escape, seeing her to the door.
When she returned, her steps slowed down, and she dragged herself forward a few steps before unexpectedly meeting Meng Cenjun's gaze.
He simply sat there, but his gaze was like a dense spiderweb, firmly capturing her.
Lan Jia knew she couldn't avoid it, so she sat back down on the sofa with her head down and didn't say a word.
"Are you planning to keep wasting your time with me like this?" Seeing her wilted like a lotus orchid, his tone softened a bit.
She shook her head, fiddling with the hem of her dress, still looking aggrieved.
Meng Cenjun knew best that she was only responsive to gentle persuasion and not force. Even though he was angry, he still patiently spoke to her.
"If you don't want to talk about it, I won't pursue what exactly happened on the ship. I just hope you'll remember to be careful in the future."
"You know what your hands mean and how important they are, I don't need to explain."
Lan Jia felt a lump in her throat and mustered her courage to ask, "Brother, do you think I've caused you trouble?"
She knew he hated having his plans disrupted and abhorred things getting out of control. He had gone through so much trouble to come to Texas to find her, only to be stranded in the city because of a hurricane. She didn't know how much business he would have missed these past few days.
Meng Cenjun is not a good-tempered person; she is decisive and efficient, and has zero tolerance for any burdens around her. Yet, for so many years, he has always followed behind her out of a sense of responsibility, solving her problems and cleaning up her messes.
Although he never expressed any explicit complaints, Lan Jia never dared to think about how Meng Cenjun truly viewed her.
She was afraid to hear the truth.
However, the person in front of her only looked at her with a complicated and puzzled expression, and only spoke after a long while:
"Yi Lanjia, what on earth are you thinking?"
Do you really think I care about these little things?
"I'd be surprised if you didn't cause me trouble one day."
"So what do you think?" she asked softly.
"I don't want you to be timid and hesitant from now on. I only ask that you be honest with me and let me know your whereabouts anytime, anywhere. Only when I'm sure you're safe will I not control you too much, understand?"
Upon hearing this, Lan Jia couldn't help but think to herself: If he really knew about the plan, he probably wouldn't even be able to leave his house.
But she showed no sign of it on her face, skillfully adopting a flattering posture.
"Hehe, so bro, you're actually angry because you care about me, right?"
Meng Cenjun remained expressionless, neither confirming nor denying.
She smiled and immediately pressed her advantage, "Then I promise you, I will definitely report to you in a timely manner from now on and I will never let you worry."
"If I accidentally cause trouble next time, you won't blame me, right?"
"Give an inch and you'll want a mile."
"Brother, let's make up," Lan Jia suggested.
Meng Cenjun scrutinized her for a moment, stood up, and then spoke as if granting a reprieve:
"This will not be repeated."
Sensing the tacit agreement, she smiled and stood up, very attentive, "I'll see you out."
Following her all the way to the door, Meng Cenjun was about to leave when she suddenly turned around.
Lan Jia blinked. "What's wrong?"
Recalling what had just happened, he couldn't help but give a serious warning: "When you're with Qiao Zimu, be mindful of your boundaries. You're not a child anymore; you should maintain social distance between people of the opposite sex."
"Okay, I understand." She seemed completely obedient.
"good evening!"
With a click, the door closed.
Lan Jia turned her back, let out a long sigh of relief, and the smile on her face gradually faded.
From childhood to adulthood, whether it was clothing, food, housing, transportation, studying, or making friends, it seemed that very few things went smoothly for her.
Ever since Meng Cenjun took over the household, Lan Jia seems to have been living under the dark cloud of his extreme control.
Her phone must be on 24/7, she must report regularly when she goes out, and any delays in access control will result in a cold interrogation. Anyone who comes into contact with her will be thoroughly investigated.
She still remembered the summer vacation after her second year of junior high school, when her new friends secretly took her to a farm in the suburbs until dark. When Meng Cenjun found out, he ignored her for a whole week. She would never forget the look on his face when he came looking for her; he was so furious that no amount of crying and pleading could change his mind.
After school started, she never saw that girl again.
She later learned that there was an abandoned factory near the farm where many criminal cases had occurred.
She had no interest in figuring out the truth of the matter; she just felt that Meng Cenjun was being a bit too neurotic.
For a long time after that, she didn't make a new friend.
People who like her never dare to get close to her, and she becomes increasingly afraid of bringing unnecessary trouble to those around her.
Meng Cenjun's desire for control is like a lock that follows her everywhere; she has to be extremely cautious and careful in her maneuvering to avoid being firmly bound by it.
But what about the future? If you keep using this trick, it will eventually stop working. Shedding tears won't solve the fundamental problem.
She was tired of only knowing how to listen to Meng Cenjun, but freedom was still a long way off until she found a way to have the best of both worlds.
After feeling depressed for a while, Lan Jia quietly opened a crack in the door and peeked into the corridor. Luckily, no one was there.
She tiptoed out to the next room, but didn't dare knock. She just sent a message.
Soon, the door opened, revealing Qiao Zimu's smiling eyes.
"Welcome, welcome."
He lowered his voice and pulled her inside; the two made contact like underground members of an organization.
Once she was by Qiao Zimu's side, she felt right at home and immediately dropped all her pretenses.
Lan Jia let out a wail and collapsed onto the bed like a rag doll.
Qiao Zimu sat cross-legged on the carpet, propping his head up as he looked at her: "How is it? Is he still angry?"
"They've made up for now."
“I knew it, your brother wouldn’t just stand by and do nothing when you’re injured.”
"That's because I bowed to him first. It's always like this, it's really boring."
"Why should you always be the one to make peace first? That's so unfair."
"What can we do? He's so high and mighty, do you expect him to bow down to me? That's absurd."
How do you know it's impossible if you don't even try to fight back?
Lan Jia rolled over and said dejectedly, "You don't understand. Going against my brother is no good. He can come up with a hundred ways to get back at me."
"Besides, what will happen to my allowance if I anger him? What about my limited edition bags? What about my haute couture and jewelry? I'll be laughed at to death if I wear an out-of-season dress to a party!"
"No ambition." He flicked her forehead with his knuckles.
"So you're so afraid of your brother because you don't want to lose these things?"
Lan Jia thought for a moment and joked, "Who would refuse a money-printing machine? My brother's money-making ability is top-notch."
Qiao Zimu stared at her for a while, then suddenly said seriously:
"Lan Jia, if this is all you want, I can give it to you."
"I can give you equity dividends, antique properties, funds and bonds, and trust assets after I turn thirty."
Lan Jia was taken aback: "What do you want to do?"
Are you showing off your wealth?
He frowned, seemingly at a loss for words, looking as troubled as a wrinkled potato.
"I just don't want you to lose your freedom because of money."
"I don't want you to be unable to enjoy your work."
"I don't want you to be on edge every time we go out together."
Lan Jia stared at him cautiously. During the silence, Qiao Zimu swallowed carefully once, and then he heard her suddenly burst out laughing and roll around on the bed.
"Hahaha, Qiao Zimu, how can you be so funny!"
"I was just talking nonsense. How could I be threatened by something so trivial?"
"Why is that?" His voice was somewhat muffled.
Noticing his unhappiness, Lan Jia stopped smiling and leaned closer: "Are you afraid of him? Actually, I'm conflicted too. Xiao Qiao, my brother has been by my side since I was born. Although he sometimes tries to control me too much and it's really annoying, I can't deny that he has a good side."
“I know I can’t have the freedom to do whatever I want around him, but I just can’t bring myself to really make up my mind to escape all of this.”
"Lan Jia, he's not your real brother. You have no blood ties. What reason does he have to be a burden to you?" Qiao Zimu's tone was unusually firm.
Lan Jia felt that he was acting a little strange, but she wasn't disgusted yet. She patiently explained to him, "But we are family."
"So in your mind, his kindness towards you far outweighs his darker side?"
She just looked at him.
"If one day you find that he is not as good as you imagined, would you still want to stay by his side?"
Lan Jia's expression gradually darkened. "Qiao Zimu, why are you acting strange?"
"It's getting late, I'm going back to my room now."
Seeing her get up to leave, Qiao Zimu grabbed her hand.
He lowered his eyelashes, not looking at her, and said only, "Lan Jia, I hope you are happy and carefree."
She gave a soft "hmm" and stepped forward.
Unfortunately, she hadn't anticipated that tonight would be such an eventful night; otherwise, she certainly wouldn't have chosen to open the door at this moment.
In the empty corridor, diagonally opposite the room, Meng Cenjun stood at the doorway wearing a misty gray bathrobe, his brows and eyes aloof, meeting her gaze directly.
Lan Jia felt a chill run down her spine, a sense of dread washing over her.
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