Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
This was probably the main reason why he had not contacted her in the past year.
After leaving Imperial College, he returned to Jiangcheng and learnt how to manage the company from his father. At the same time, he prepared for his postgraduate entrance examination.
That day, he initially wanted to call Xiao Qi, but because both contacts contained the word âXiaoâ, he accidentally dialed Xiao Xueâs cell phone number instead.
That was when he realized that his number had been blocked.
If he hadnât dialed the wrong number, he wouldnât have known that he had been blocked.
Looking at his WeChat account, he realized that he had also been blocked.
Ye Xue was stunned for a moment. She raised her head to look at Jiang Yu, eyes filling with doubt. âI didnât block your number and WeChatâ
Jiang Yu pressed, âYou think Iâm lying to you?â
Ye Xue explained, âNo, thatâs not what I meant. I really didnât block your phone number and WeChat.â
Jiang Yu took some time to process her words. He understood Ye Xue too well: she was the worst at lying. âThen who blocked it?â
Ye Xue didnât know who had touched her phone. She suddenly thought of Zhou Yizuo. He had used her phone. Could it be him?
But she could not say anything without any evidence.
The sky was dark. The lights in the car were off, and neither of them spoke.
Jiang Yu turned his head to look at Ye Xue. With the streetlights by the roadside, he could only see an outline of her face. They had not seen each other for a year, but she was still very thin. He had felt it when he hugged her just now.
He let go of the hand that was holding the steering wheel and leaned closer to Ye Xue.
Realising the closeness of their bodies, Ye Xue body could not help but stiffen. As Jiang Yu came closer, a familiar scent followed, and she forgot to breathe.
Jiang Yu unbuckled her seatbelt for her. When he returned the seatbelt, the distance between them narrowed. He lowered his eyes to look at Ye Xue and inhaled her familiar scent of milk.
When he was in his first year of university, he realized that as long as he was close to Ye Xue, he could smell the faint, sweet fragrance of milk.
And this faint sweetness attracted him all the time, making it difficult for him to resist kissing her.
He didnât know if this was due to her alluring fragrance, or if he had a strong desire to kiss her deep in his heart.
As he got closer, the fragrance became stronger. The moment their lips touched, Jiang Yuâs rationality had long been thrown to the back of his mind.
Jiang Yu had never wanted to kiss someone so badly. During the past year, he had missed Ye Xue terribly, but he had tried to suppress the desire to look for her.
His phone number and WeChat had been blocked. He was no longer qualified.
This sentence had been repeated countless times in his mind.
He suddenly thought of Zhou Yizuo again. Ye Xue liked Zhou Yizuo. They were dating.
How could he kiss her?
His senses returned to him immediately.
He sat up straight and tried to calm down his exhilaration.
The sudden kiss stunned Ye Xue. She was still in shock after Jiang Yu released her lips.
âI justâ¦â Jiang Yu thought for a while, but he couldnât think of an excuse to explain why he suddenly kissed her.
âIâm heading back first.â When Ye Xue recovered, her face was still red. She didnât know how to face Jiang Yu. She hurriedly opened the car door and ran out.
The rain outside was already much lighter. If she ran faster, she wouldnât get wet.
However, her coat was wet. The moment she got out of the car, a bone-piercing cold breeze hit her. It was so cold that she shivered.
Jiang Yu responded quickly. He pushed open the car door and got out. He took large strides and caught up with Ye Xue. âXiao Xue, wait.â
Ye Xue stopped and waited, thinking Jiang Yu had something to say.
Jiang Yu took off his coat and put it on her. Then, he turned around and returned to the car.
With the coat, Ye Xue didnât feel so cold anymore. She saw that Jiang Yu was only wearing a white shirt, his slender figure very long under the lights.
When Jiang Yu returned to the villa, Fu Tingyan had already finished his meal and drunk two glasses of wine.
Seeing that Jiang Yu not only returned late but also without his coat, Fu Tingyan couldnât help but sigh. âI thought itâll be a quick ride? If you had come home any later, I would have stayed overnight to watch the door for you.â
Jiang Yu sat down at the dining table. He picked up his chopsticks with one hand and took a sip of wine with the other. Thinking of what had just happened, he put down his wine glass again.
âWill she not come to work tomorrow?â
Fu Tingyan looked up and asked, âWho wonât come to work?â
Jiang Yu said, âXiaoxue. Sheâs my employee now.â
âThat means that you two are fated.â Fu Tingyan took a sip of wine and continued, âAre you afraid that Ye Xue wonât come to work tomorrow? I donât think so. Ye Xue is a very serious person, both in the way she treats people and works. Donât worry.â
âNo, I justâ¦â Jiang Yu didnât know what to say.
Seeing that Jiang Yu had something to say, Fu Tingyan put down his wine glass. âWhat happened to you?â
Jiang Yu said, âI couldnât resist and kissed her just now.â
Fu Tingyan couldnât help but laugh. âSo thatâs the reason for your anxiety. Well, it is possible that Ye Xue wonât come to work. Maybe.â
Jiang Yu pursed his lips. Why couldnât he resist earlier?
He had resisted kissing her a year ago, but he couldnât resist it a year later?
Fu Tingyan advised, âDonât think too much. Youâll know when you go to work tomorrow.â
Jiang Yu thought about it and agreed. He would know when he went to work tomorrow. He took a sip of wine and glanced at Fu Tingyan across from him. âYou really donât like women?â
Fu Tingyan said, âWho said I donât like women?â
Jiang Yu said, âDidnât you come out to your family? Why are you still going to that bar?â
âI came out because I was chasing Bo Ye. As for the bar, I just went to the wrong place. After I went in, I realized that it wasâ¦â
Fu Tingyan picked up his glass and took a sip of wine. âIâm quite disgusted.â
Jiang Yu didnât quite understand. âWhat about you and Bo Ye?â
Fu Tingyan paused and chuckled. âPerhaps I just wanted a breath of fresh air.â
Jiang Yu looked at Fu Tingyan. Having been brothers since young, how could he not understand?
Fu Tingyan wanted to forget, but he couldnât. It was like a thorn in his heart; from time to time, it would hurt. It might seem insignificant, but the pain was excruciating.
Yet there was nothing he could do but pretend that everything is fine. That this was just an interlude in his life. What he needed, was to ignore and eventually forget him.
Ancient City of Wind and Moon
She had come to the ancient City of Wind and Moon several times, but most frequently during winter.
She didnât tell Chao Yan that she was coming.
Her memory had recovered a little, and she had some impression of the general location of the Shayan Manor.
She brought Xiao Jiu and Ye Luo to look for it, as she knew that Boss was very familiar with Chao Yanâs scent. He would know.
They walked south from the ancient City of Wind and Moon for about two hours before they saw the shadow of the manor.
After walking for about ten minutes, a drawbridge appeared in front of them.
After crossing the drawbridge and walking for another five minutes, they arrived at the gate of the manor. There were three big words written on the plaque: Chao Yan Manor.