Chapter 4 Benzoin "Brother, don't be angry with me..."
"What's wrong?" he asked softly.
Lan Jia was still trembling, and said incoherently, "I...I had that dream again..."
The ear-piercing impact, the thick, black blood, and the mother's gradually cooling and stiffening embrace.
A shadow that will haunt her for the rest of her life.
Meng Cenjun's expression was solemn. He tentatively placed his large hand on the top of her head and patted it reassuringly.
"It's alright, Lan Jia."
"I'm here."
Lan Jia responded sullenly, smelling the scent of benzoin on him, mixed with a faint hint of sandalwood, which became exceptionally rich and intense due to his warm body temperature.
Meng Cenjun rarely uses fragrance, fearing it might trigger Lan Jia's old ailment. Realizing something was amiss, she explained, "I just used the hotel's shower gel."
She hummed in agreement, still clutching the fabric of his robe tightly against his back, preventing him from backing away.
Helpless, he placed his palm on the back of her head and tightened the embrace.
In the warm, hazy light of the corridor, the two embraced quietly at the doorway.
After a while, Lan Jia's sobs gradually subsided.
She looked at him with red and swollen eyes, her voice pitiful: "I lost Xiao Lan, and I can't sleep well."
"You have a partner at home, so I'll save it for you. Don't worry."
"I'm afraid to close my eyes, because then I'll see those images again."
"I will be by your side before you fall asleep."
"What if I have nightmares again in the middle of the night? Brother, I really can't be alone." She grabbed his fingers and begged him to stay.
Actually, this kind of thing often happened when they were young, but as Lan Jia grew up, due to a sense of boundaries, the two of them deliberately avoided going to each other's rooms.
Meng Cenjun was secretly in a dilemma, but after thinking for a moment, she relented, "In special circumstances, I'll stay with you."
Lan Jia was on the verge of tears, but upon hearing these words, she finally smiled with relief.
"Brother, you have to keep your word."
Meng Cenjun nodded in agreement.
"You're not leaving, are you?"
"When have I ever lied to you?"
After finally getting back into bed, Lan Jia sat up tensely again: "Brother, come closer, I'm scared."
"Yi Lanjia, are you going to sleep or not?" Wen Yan's credit limit was almost gone, and Meng Cenjun gradually regained her usual sternness.
Lan Jia suddenly remembered that the two of them had argued not long ago, and she felt a little embarrassed. But she really had no choice at the moment. After weighing the pros and cons, she was willing to temporarily put aside her pride and pitifully said to him, "I can't sleep right now, will you chat with me?"
Meng Cenjun moved a chair to the edge of the bed and sat down, staring at her.
Seeing that this tactic was consistently effective, she suddenly became excited, "Brother, let me show you the things I bought on the island."
With her only audience, Lan Jia wandered around the room, showing him handicrafts she had found and asking for his opinion on several sundresses from the closet.
"These are earrings for Jingwei, and essential oils for Qinghuai. Do you think they'll like them?"
"And this wood carving is exquisite and small, featuring my favorite octopus design. I'm going to put it on my desk when I get back."
Meng Cenjun watched her bustling about, his gaze surprisingly gentle, perhaps without even realizing it himself.
"Alright, you're injured but still have so much energy? Who's going to clean up this mess for you?"
“It’s okay, Qiao Zimu will help me anyway,” Lan Jia blurted out.
"Um?"
Realizing she had spoken out of turn, she shut her mouth.
Both remained silent, and after some back and forth, they eventually returned to the same topic.
After a while, Meng Cenjun took the initiative to ask, "What do you think of him?"
Lan Jia carefully discerned his tone and realized he wasn't angry, so she cautiously climbed into bed.
"He has no flaws, and he's very good to me."
"He always helps me, but I haven't been able to do anything for him."
"No one does things without expecting anything in return. Do you know what he wants most?"
"Brother, can you stop judging people by your own business acumen?"
"You don't understand the friendship between us young people."
"Does interacting with people always require demanding something? Isn't it enough to have a two-way selection process where both parties are compatible?"
Seeing that she still seemed confused, Meng Cenjun didn't want to call her naive. Qiao Zimu's intentions were already crystal clear to him; his eyes held a distinct desire, a kind of yearning.
Intense emotions can make people lose their minds, so how could he feel at ease leaving such a dangerous element by Lan Jia's side?
Unless, of course, she and he share the same feelings.
Meng Cenjun wasn't going to let this opportunity slip by. After careful consideration, she asked tactfully, "If he has someone more important than his friends in the future, what would you think?"
"For example...girlfriend, wife?"
He nodded, capturing every change in her expression.
She looked troubled and thought for a while before saying, "Then I'll have to keep my distance from him from now on, so he won't misunderstand."
"Don't you feel sad?"
"Probably... but I can understand. After all, you can't spend your whole life with your friends. You should focus on the people you love most."
At this point, Lan Jia suddenly had a worry: "Brother, if you get married in the future, will we still separate?"
Then she thought of another thing: if Meng Cenjun got married, he might not have time to keep an eye on her all the time.
She didn't want to be suppressed all the time, but subconsciously, she resisted using this method, even more than she resisted staying away from Qiao Zimu.
She couldn't quite explain her mindset, but she felt she couldn't accept another new family member for the time being. Over the years, no matter how many conflicts and arguments she had with Meng Cenyun, they had built a delicate balance, and adding any other person would always seem out of place.
Meng Cenjun gazed at her quietly, a hint of tenderness creeping into her voice: "Lan Jia, you are my sister."
He has always avoided talking about matters of the heart, and he did not give a direct response at this moment either.
Only this sentence remains, as if it were an absolute certainty, undeniable and irreversible.
"No matter what the future holds, I will take care of you."
Lan Jia smiled slightly, her nose tingling with emotion: "Actually, I've never been your responsibility. Ten years is enough."
“I promised you, we’ll always be family,” he said.
She tilted her head back, fanned herself with both hands, and her eyes glistened with tears.
I know I'm still pathetic and soft-hearted.
"Brother, if only you could always be like this..."
Don't get angry, don't be cold, don't be mean to her; even a little bit of gentleness is enough.
Meng Cenjun rarely showed a smile, but urged her impatiently, "Go to sleep."
Lan Jia obediently lay down in bed, her wet eyes fixed on him.
Outside, the wind and rain were gloomy, but inside, it was quiet and cozy.
The seashell lamp by the bedside emitted a soft, warm orange light. Meng Cenjun's face was gentle, and her eyelashes fluttered slowly in the lamplight like long moth wings.
It was as if she was seeing this side of him for the first time, but without a doubt, she seemed to rely on this side of him more.
My whole body felt limp, as if I had just taken a hot bath and was lying in a light, floating cloud.
Lan Jia felt like she was about to fall asleep.
She reached under the pillow and pulled out a small blue velvet box, gazing at him hazily: "A gift for reconciliation."
Meng Cenjun took it, and a part of her heart softened quietly.
She held his hand contentedly, closed her eyes, and murmured, "Brother, don't be angry with me..."
Consciousness, like a cream cake, slowly collapsed and melted.
Hearing her even and gentle breathing, Meng Cenjun reached out and tucked the blanket in tightly.
Seeing her right hand exposed, wrapped in pale, unsightly gauze, I felt a sudden, secret discomfort.
Can rebellious adolescence continue into your twenties?
The older she gets, the less I can keep an eye on her.
I turned off the light and quietly left the room, but because I had promised her, I didn't leave.
Sitting on the sofa in the guest room, playing with the little blue box in my hand, I had already guessed what it might be, but when I opened it, I was both annoyed and amused.
A silver ring with a Mayan design, very small in size, it's a pinky ring.
Does she even know the meaning of a pinky ring?
It was past 2 a.m. when Meng Cenjun received a call from China. He walked a little further away and answered the call.
"Chairman." He spoke with unusual respect.
The old woman's kind voice came through the receiver: "I've told her so many times, but she just won't call me 'Grandma' like Lan Jia does."
He remained silent, seemingly unable to feel any natural closeness to the true decision-maker of the Yi family.
He always kept in mind that he was an outsider.
Knowing his thoughts, Old Mrs. Yi didn't press him further, and asked again, "Have you found her?"
"Um."
"I encountered a hurricane and will have to wait a few days to return home."
"Lan Jia is impetuous, please take good care of her."
"It's my fault for not taking good care of her." His tone lowered.
“Raising a child is not an easy thing, you have done enough.”
"I just don't know how to get along with someone her age."
The old lady smiled. "Lan Jia didn't grow up with me, so you should know her temperament better than I do. Since she chose to live with you, she must have been more inclined to be with you. Be gentle and patient with her, and she'll feel it."
"Yes, I understand."
"Xiao Cen, thank you for your hard work."
"After I leave, everything in the Yi family will belong to you and Lan Jia."
"Actually, I didn't mean to..."
“I know that taking over the company was not your wish. I had no other choice but to delay you for so many years.”
“If you decide to leave in the future to do what you want, I will definitely not stop you. In my heart, I have long regarded you as my own grandchild. What Lan Jia has, you should also have.”
"But I am too old now, and I have no time to take care of many things. Lan Jia is fickle and unable to hold the fort. I am afraid that the hard work of several generations will be ruined by my hands."
The lack of successors is a hidden danger, the old man told him wearily.
Having weathered half a lifetime of storms, losing her parents, her husband, and her only daughter, she still had to struggle to maintain this vast business in her later years. Every time she closed her eyes at midnight, she felt utterly exhausted and wished she could just end it all.
But the thought of her daughter's precious bloodline felt like a mountain of burden, a ties that bound her to her flesh and blood. She needed to pave every step of her daughter's future before she could finally let go with a clear conscience.
Meng Cenjun frowned, unsure whether he sensed her unspoken desire to keep her or considered another possibility he didn't agree with.
Knowing the formidable nature of this elderly man, he did not make a hasty promise, but instead answered indirectly: "I believe you already have a solution."
The old lady sighed, but her words carried a hint of sincerity: "It's not that I'm making this decision unilaterally, but everything must be considered in the long term. Lan Jia's future marriage must be beneficial to the family."
Almost immediately, two words popped into Meng Cenjun's mind: marriage alliance.
Since Lan Jia has no interest in business, her future husband will inevitably have to take over her responsibilities, help her manage the complicated matters, and prolong the life of the family business.
This means that she will completely lose the right to choose her partner at will.
He suddenly felt a sense of desolation and heaviness. "So what are your thoughts?"
"Until Lan Jia's major affairs are settled, Xiao Cen, I still need to ask you to take care of everything."
"She's young and playful, so it's inevitable that she'll feel resentful about this. If necessary, I hope you can help me restrain and mediate."
"Regarding marriage, Lan Jia's wishes must be taken into account," he said in a deep voice.
"Of course."
The old lady revealed a knowing smile.
"I already have someone in mind."
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