Chapter 17 The Escaped Rabbit "Entering a man's room late at night, you know..."
The first thing I felt was warmth, a warmth that made me drowsy.
Her hands and feet were cold. She hugged him from behind, and a comforting warmth spread through her limbs.
Lan Jia pressed her nose against the back of his neck, careful not to disturb him, even her breathing was cautious. Although it was of no use.
Meng Cenjun woke up quickly, or perhaps he hadn't slept at all. He didn't fly into a rage as expected; his tone was unusually calm and indifferent: "Let go."
In just a moment, she was overwhelmed by those two light words, unable to breathe, shrinking back and hugging him even tighter, as if he were a lifeline.
"Yi Lanjia, do I have to say it a second time?"
Lan Jia's voice was weak and on the verge of tears, "Brother... I don't want to be alone, please don't send me away, okay?"
After the words were spoken, a long silence followed, followed only by a frustrated sigh.
Meng Cenjun got up, turned on the bedside lamp, and grabbed her arm with one hand: "Get up, let's talk."
Lan Jia trembled with fright, and he pulled her up weakly, making her kneel in the quilt without daring to utter a sound.
"Do you know what you're doing? It's only been a few days since I last mentioned you, and you've already forgotten everything?" He reached out and grabbed her chin. "Look at me."
“Yi Lanjia, you’re twenty years old. Going into a man’s room and getting into his bed late at night, do you know what that means?”
She understood that he thought she was shameless, but she still couldn't help but retort in a low voice, "You're not just anyone, you're my brother..."
He sneered coldly, "You only remember you have a brother now? You've always treated me like I'm just decoration? You never listen to a word I say, never believe a word I say, you just ignore me completely?"
"How about you take charge from now on? I'm completely at your wit's end with you."
She stared at his lips as they moved, knowing they weren't nice words, and shook her head frantically.
"Then tell me, when did I teach you to cause trouble outside?"
It finally happened. Lan Jia gritted her teeth and retorted, "That's because he deserves to be taught a lesson."
"Yi Lanjia!" Seeing that she still showed no remorse, Meng Cenjun rebuked her in a deep voice: "Nothing is a reason for you to hit someone."
"Brother, I can't stand them talking about you like that!" Lan Jia's eyes immediately turned red; he didn't understand her predicament at all.
"I don't care, and I don't care about any reasons." He said coldly, pinching her chin until it hurt. "Wrong is wrong. Using such a low-level method is incompetent and stupid!"
She was scolded so badly she could barely open her eyes, and two streams of tears fell like broken strings, dripping onto his hand, but she still refused to admit defeat: "Yes, I am stupid, I am foolish, but no matter how stupid I am, I cannot stand by and watch others hurt my family like that!"
"Still talking back?" Meng Cenjun was furious. Did she even realize that this would damage her reputation?
Lan Jia glared at him, stubbornly biting her lip until it turned white. Did he even know how much pain she felt when she heard those words?
He will always accuse her without any reason!
I hate his condescending parental attitude the most!
Her anger and resentment flared up like a burning haystack. Lan Jia, emboldened by some unknown source, shoved his hand away, stood up from the bed, and hissed, "I don't need your help anymore! In your eyes, I'll always be a fool, a burden, a parasite who can't live without you! Since I can never satisfy you, you might as well stop wasting your time on me."
She clenched her jaw, trembling, "I'm telling you, starting today, I'm going to go out and work, I'm going to earn my own money, I'm going to be independent! I'm going to be self-reliant!"
"Since you look down on me, I'll prove you wrong! Meng Cenjun, I'm not someone who can't live without you!"
After uttering those harsh words, she still felt unsatisfied. She looked around, grabbed a pillow, and threw it at him. He blocked it with his hand and glared at her angrily.
Lan Jia's face contorted with grievance, but unfortunately, her expression was hardly menacing. She glared at him fiercely, but fearing he would retaliate, she immediately took off running, slamming the door shut with a deafening roar as she left.
Seeing her figure disappear like a fleeing rabbit, Meng Cenjun couldn't help but furrow his brow wearily.
He's making a foolish mistake again.
When will I finally grow up?
The next day, the news spread throughout the Yi family's household that the brother and sister had finally started another cold war.
The three-day rule is inescapable; everyone has become accustomed to it and is even more cautious at work.
Lan Jia, unusually, didn't sleep in and sat at the dining table early in the morning, munching on bread. Meng Cenjun came downstairs, glanced at her casually, picked up a financial magazine from the table and started flipping through it while waiting for the coffee to be made.
She angrily smeared peanut butter all over the toast, folded it, tore it apart, and swallowed it in one bite, as if venting her anger.
Aunt Ming brought over two bags. Seeing the brother and sister sitting far apart on opposite sides of the Milky Way, she smiled and asked Lan Jia, "Miss, these bags are all new. Do you want the white one today, or this golden brown one with ebony?"
Lan Jia kept staring at Meng Cenjun, chewing her words and mumbling a reply that was neither here nor there: "Anything is fine."
Knowing that Lan Jia was going out today, Aunt Ming thoughtfully checked and packed all the loose items, and also tidied up Lan Jia's coat and shoes, and notified the driver to come over in advance. She had worked for the Yi family for eight years and had no children of her own, so she spent most of her time around Lan Jia, and gradually developed a motherly affection for her, getting used to taking care of her trivial matters and enjoying it.
Meng Cenjun finished eating quickly, straightened her cuffs, put on her coat, and walked out without giving her a single glance.
Not to be outdone, Lan Jia puffed out her cheeks, downed the milk in one gulp, and rushed toward the door.
"Aunt Ming, I'm leaving!"
Still missed it, Meng Cenjun's car sped away, and Lan Jia stomped her foot angrily, blaming him for always being ahead of her.
But then she realized how ridiculous she was; the other person didn't care at all, and she didn't know what she was fussing about.
She suggested going to work, but he didn't ask a single question. Did he think it was nothing serious and dismiss it? Or did he really take her angry words from yesterday to heart and not want anything to do with her?
Meng Cenjun, what a stingy person!
Lan Jia pulled down her sunglasses in a flash, covering most of her face.
A black sedan pulled up in front of her; the driver had arrived.
Lan Jia leaned back in the seat, dejected, and gave a place name.
The production team of "Twins" has issued a notice that filming will begin this afternoon. Lan Jia's costume department needs to go there early to set up and prepare. It's a low-budget production with a small crew, and most of the actors are relatively unknown. The male lead, however, is somewhat recognizable, having had a brief period of popularity in a period drama. Lan Jia casually scrolled through the messages. The costume team's group chat was finally active. Team leader Xu Xinwen was arranging the day's work, and a string of replies came in, indicating that the message had been received. Lan Jia also sent an emoji.
She took a deep breath. It was her first day at work. She was nervous, but also full of enthusiasm.
The car gradually drove away from the city center, going further and further away.
Lan Jia exchanged a glance with the driver in the rearview mirror.
A new face, is he/she new here?
She couldn't help but take a few more glances at him. He was a big man with thick eyebrows and a broad face. His serious expression was intimidating, as if he was used to making that expression. His brows were furrowed deeply.
Is he really the driver?
They looked more like vicious robbers.
Was he sent by a business rival to kidnap her?
Should she jump out of the window and run away now?
Lan Jia's mind was filled with terrifying images, so she quickly told Aunt Ming. After asking around, she learned that there really was such a person, and she was finally able to relax.
"What's your name?" she asked, clearing her throat.
In the mirror, the driver looked at her and said respectfully, "Miss, I am Zuo Tai. I will be your driver from now on."
She looks older than her age, but her voice is quite young.
"Hmm..." Lan Jia didn't have much to say, but casually praised, "You drive well, almost as good as Uncle Chen."
Last year, she obtained her driver's license in the United States. She doesn't want to recall the process; the bitter tears she shed could probably soak a shirt. Later, when she drove alone, she had several accidents. Minor scrapes and rear-end collisions were nothing compared to the frequent traffic tickets.
Having caused trouble and panicked, all she knew was to call Meng Cenjun immediately, completely disregarding the time difference. She was woken up by his phone several times in the early hours of the morning, and he probably got annoyed too, strictly forbidding her from touching the steering wheel again.
Looking back now, I realize how pathetic I was.
She will never ask Meng Cenjun for help again!
The thought of him makes me sulk again.
Lan Jia looked out the window and said nothing more.
The car drove for more than an hour, arriving at an urban village. Low, weathered residential buildings stood everywhere, with tangled wires used as natural clotheslines, completely ignoring the danger. Garbage cans along the way were overflowing, and several stray cats stood on them. Seeing the car approaching, they were not afraid at all, their bright green eyes staring at her through the car window.
Lan Jia withdrew her gaze, and facing this completely unknown territory, she began to feel uneasy.
The film crew's new location is a residential building, where filming has already begun. Lighting technicians and cameramen are carrying equipment into the building, while another group is busy unloading props and moving them upstairs. In the sweltering summer heat, the morning sun was already scorching. A large crowd had gathered outside the building, including local residents who were just watching the spectacle, but mostly fans who had received advance notice and were waiting to stake out the location.
There were two girls, wearing pleated skirts and leather shoes, carrying fluffy Disney plush backpacks, looking like college students. One of them, wearing a pink bow tie, unscrewed a mineral water bottle and gulped it down, exclaiming how hot it was: "We've been waiting so long, when is An Chen finally coming?!" An Chen is the male protagonist.
Another person in a blue collar tie took out a small fan and handed it to her, comforting her: "Wait a little longer, the announcement has already been sent out in the group, Brother Chen is always dedicated, he will definitely not be late."
Not long after, a car drove in from the narrow street. Pink-Tie, with her sharp eyes, quickly patted her companion on the shoulder: "Look, could that be Brother Chen?"
As soon as he finished speaking, the people around him heard it and started to stir, crowding around him.
As his companion pulled him along, the man in the blue tie stared intently at the car, wondering: "That's a top-of-the-line luxury car! When did An Chen become so high-profile?"
With phones and cameras ready and flashes poised to go, the car door slowly opened amidst the stares of the crowd, revealing a slender leg clad in black satin flats. A snow-white hand then reached out, gripping the edge of the door and gradually straightening up.
Lan Jia, who had no intention of getting involved in a farcical incident, stood on the stone road, staring blankly at the group of people.
Author's Note: We have a small argument every two days, a big one every three days, but the more we argue, the more we love each other! [Heart]
Next up is my sister's part-time job story~
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