Chapter 27 Reconciliation "Didn't we sleep together last time?"...
If it weren't for the fact that she cared about him the most, how could he have possibly broken her heart?
After all that commotion, Lan Jia was completely exhausted. She couldn't muster any more energy, like someone who had just completed an extreme cliff dive, barely managing to swim to the shore. She nestled against Meng Cenjun's neck, like a dried-up fish out of water, struggling to breathe.
Actually, she hated him too.
I hate his bad side, and I hate his good side too; I don't hate either of them completely.
Why does he always make a mess of things whenever she tries to make a tough decision?
Why does he always try to sway her when she's absolutely determined to leave?
I also hate myself.
I hate myself for being weak and indecisive; I can't leave him no matter what.
A meal, a hug, an apology—it's easy to win her back.
She returned with a do-or-die attitude, but things have turned out this way, leaving her completely unprepared and at a loss.
Lan Jia wiped her tears on his skin, a wave of melancholy washing over her.
Must we forcefully split the intertwined branches apart? Must we ruthlessly sever the tangled limbs?
It can hurt, it can destroy, it can kill.
Having depended on each other for ten years, their bond was so deep that it was like the roots of two old trees welded to the ground.
She knew there was nothing she could do; she would always reconcile with him, and there was nothing she could do about it.
So a voice inside her advised her, which was also like self-hypnosis.
Why not try to believe again? It's not right to completely condemn a person because of one mistake.
Lan Jia stopped crying, straightened up slightly, and murmured with swollen eyes, "You will change." Her tone was a mix of certainty and hesitation.
Meng Cenjun lowered her voice: "I keep my word."
Give me more freedom.
"good."
"Give me the right to make my own decisions."
"good."
"Don't interfere with my interpersonal relationships."
"good."
"Don't take your anger out on the people around me."
"good."
"I need to protect my self-esteem as an adult."
"good……"
She thought for a long time, but couldn't think of anything. After a moment of silence, she reached out and touched his cheek. It didn't look swollen, just slightly red. She hadn't been completely out of her mind just now, and it seemed like she was holding back some force when she hit him.
"Does it hurt?" she asked guiltily, touching him.
He didn't speak, but looked at her from beneath his dark eyelashes with a deep, unfathomable gaze.
"Don't hit someone in the face; that's the most taboo offense." Lan Jia's earlier bravado receded like the tide, and a chill ran down her spine; she feared Meng Cenjun would seek revenge later.
"Brother... I'm sorry, I was too impulsive." She apologized, her voice weak and pitiful.
Meng Cenjun looked at her for a while, then held her wrist and softly forgave her, saying, "It's alright."
Actually, he didn't care at all; he was already prepared to let her vent her frustrations.
He taught them, so he should bear the consequences.
Lan Jia carefully observed his expression, and when she made sure he wasn't angry, she felt a little relieved and asked, "Is there anything you want to say to me?" She had been the one making requests of him all along.
"have."
She was kneeling, but now she stood up, listening intently to the lecture.
"Lan Jia," he called softly, "I have only one request for you."
She stared at him without blinking.
Suddenly, he leaned over and wrapped his arms around her neck. Their foreheads touched, as if they were in a vacuum glass dome, so intimate that there was no barrier between them.
She heard Meng Cenjun say to her earnestly, "From now on, no matter what the situation, don't do anything that will worry me."
"May I?"
For no apparent reason, a ripple of laughter suddenly appeared at the corner of Lan Jia's eyes.
She thought he had abandoned her.
He still cares about her.
Although she was overjoyed, a proud cat still lived inside her. She cleared her throat, as if she had thought it over carefully, and then said in a serious tone, "Then I will try my best to do so."
"Don't try." This answer clearly didn't satisfy him. Meng Cenjun released her and then solemnly reminded her again: "Lan Jia, you must take this to heart."
Knowing his relentless nature, she nodded solemnly after a long pause.
Meng Cenjun finally calmed down and helped her stand up, saying, "It's late, go wash up and go to bed."
Lan Jia knew the discussion was over, and reluctantly said "Oh." Then, remembering that she had just vomited and was covered in dirt, she obediently went back to her room.
She was even happy while taking a shower, smiling from time to time. After a while, she came out smelling sweet and smooth, and put on a peach-pink slip dress, her favorite style recently.
Barefoot on the plush carpet, her skirt twirled into the shape of a peony flower, and as she walked, she tiptoed, like a light and delicate pink bird.
As she opened the drawer to get some lotion, she happened to see that familiar wooden photo frame. It was one she had deliberately stuffed inside after their argument, left to gather dust and grime for so long. Tonight, however, it seemed particularly striking. Lan Jia reached out, picked it up, and gently wiped its surface. She then pushed aside the pile of rare and exquisite items on the bedside table and, with a slight smile, placed the photo frame in the most prominent spot.
She stared at the group photo for a while, then a thought struck her and she had an idea.
Meng Cenjun also finished his shower. With nothing to do tonight, he changed into his bathrobe and leaned against the headboard to read. He had never slept well, and reading helped him.
I had been reading this book for quite some time, and when I finally reached the last page, I was feeling tired, but then I was startled away by a knock on the door.
He looked up and saw a head peeking out furtively through the crack in the door.
"Aren't you going to sleep yet?" he asked casually, knowing that only she would come.
"Brother." Lan Jia chuckled and tiptoed in.
Seeing that she had her hands behind her back, he asked, "What is it?"
Hearing that his tone was relatively gentle, she gradually grew bolder.
"Good thing."
Lan Jia smiled mysteriously, jogged over, climbed onto the bed with practiced ease, bent her knees and took two steps to kneel down beside him.
Too close.
He has a keen sense of smell and can detect the minty scent on her body after her shower.
Meng Cenjun gripped the spine of the book tightly.
“We have a memorable day today,” he heard Lan Jia say, and then he saw her take out a Polaroid camera and a thick photo album from behind her.
"How should we commemorate this?" He wasn't trendy, nor did he care much about rituals, and he seemed a little dazed in front of her at that moment.
"Let's take a group photo," Lan Jia said with a smile, then added, "Brother, we haven't taken a photo in a long time."
"I don't photograph well," he said in a low voice, intentionally refusing.
She knew he always avoided the camera, just like when cameras were first introduced to China in the last century, people thought it was a "soul-stripping technique" and therefore avoided it like the plague.
"No, not at all." Lan Jia looked him over carefully and coaxed him, "You're very handsome."
He clearly didn't believe it was a genuine compliment and remained silent.
Seeing that he remained unmoved, she immediately pouted and accused him, "Can't you even grant me this small request?"
"Just one picture, okay?"
Knowing she was determined to make a scene and it would never end, and that he could never handle her, he had no choice but to agree: "What do I need to do?"
With her goal achieved, Lan Jia immediately broke into a smile.
She leaned over and reached out to take off his glasses.
Meng Cenjun seemed to freeze for a moment, staring at her, letting her do as she pleased.
“That’s good,” she said cheerfully.
Lan Jia moved closer to him, holding her camera and raising her arm high and straight.
"Three, two, one."
With a click, the photographic paper was ejected.
Lan Jia waited impatiently for a while until the photo was taken. She picked it up and looked at it, then made a dissatisfied "Hmm," saying, "Brother, relax a bit, your expression is too serious."
Meng Cenjun pursed her lips somewhat awkwardly, "Then let's do it again."
"Okay." She smiled. "Come a little closer to me."
He nodded, leaning slightly forward.
Lan Jia sighed, "This isn't enough." So she boldly squeezed closer to him, and the two of them pressed their bodies intimately together.
Meng Cenjun felt a furry animal rubbing against him, its hair also furry, making his chin very itchy.
He could smell the fragrance of her freshly cleaned hair, and the soft, warm touch of her body reached his nerve endings. It was so strange, unlike any other contact he had ever had.
He swallowed silently, forcing himself to remain calm and natural.
"Once again," Lan Jia shouted, pressing the shutter.
After a while, she frowned again: "Oh dear, this one is ruined too, my expression is not good."
Meng Cenjun took it and read it, and didn't think it was so bad.
"Again?" she pleaded, seeking his opinion.
Since you've made the promise, you must do your best and stay true to it to the end.
This time he tacitly agreed.
Lan Jia raised her camera again, but suddenly felt a soreness in her hand, so she looked up and said, "Brother, how about you..."
Something was quickly brushed against his lips.
She didn't expect Meng Cenjun to suddenly turn his head, probably to listen to what she had to say.
Lan Jia was stunned for a moment, then realized that thankfully, it was only her chin.
She leaned back slightly, creating a small gap, but when she looked up, she was still very close to him.
Meng Cenjun watched her quietly, perhaps not as indifferent as she appeared.
After a moment of silence, Lan Jia suddenly murmured, "Actually, it's really beautiful..."
The impact was so strong that it left people speechless.
A flawless face.
In the end, Meng Cenjun lowered her eyes first, "You want me to film it, right?"
Lan Jia nodded blankly and handed the camera to him.
This time she was serious, and for some reason, they both became shy, only touching shoulders and taking a picture at a distance that wasn't too close or too far.
It was decent, but I was too embarrassed to take any more pictures.
Lan Jia opened the photo album, flipped all the way to a blank page, and put all three photos into the compartments.
Meng Cenjun, watching from the side, recalled the few pages that had flashed by earlier and asked, "Why are there so many photos of me?"
Having said that, he reached out to check.
Lan Jia panicked and slammed the photo album shut, almost pinching his hand in the process.
He was slightly surprised.
She stammered, trying to cover it up: "How could that be? You must have seen wrong. You're someone who doesn't like taking pictures."
Hearing her say that, he let it go; he never competed with her for anything.
"The commemoration is complete, can you go back to sleep now?" he urged her, worried that she wouldn't be able to get up for work tomorrow. Lan Jia had been too tired lately and had become immune to alarm clocks, needing someone to wake her up in the morning.
Unexpectedly, she suddenly lay down and started acting spoiled: "I can't sleep, I'll stay here with you for a while. Brother, how about you tell me a story? Like when we were little, okay?" For some reason, she really wanted to stick to him right now.
Meng Cenjun sighed, her expression disapproving, but she patiently said to her, "How old are you? It's not appropriate for you to sleep here."
"Didn't we sleep together last time?" she blurted out without thinking.
The air suddenly turned cold, and Meng Cenjun lowered his brows to look at her.
Lan Jia then realized her mistake, understood her slip of the tongue, and shut her mouth.
Author's note: I only wear glasses when I'm working or need to read. [Milk Tea]
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