Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
Lu Yang sat in a chair and stared intently at the man blow-drying her hair in the mirror. He had an outstanding temperament, a high nose bridge, thin lips, and a hint of sheepishness in the corners of his eyes.
His fingers ran through her hair with his slender knuckles.
He played with her long hair with his fingers, and the scorching wind was blowing through it. This warmed up Lu Yangâs head. Her concentration gradually waned as she stared at the two people in the mirror reflection, and she felt herself giving in tentatively.
Jiang Yanzhou turned the hairdryer switch upward with his thumb, and in the instant the noise of the blow dryer stopped, Lu Yangâs thoughts returned.
Jiang Yanzhou held the hairdryer, resting his chin lightly on her shoulder, and met her gaze in the mirror. âYouâve been tired all night. Rest well and see you tomorrow morning.â
Lu Yang yawned gently at the mention of being tired. âIâm busy in the morning.
How about noon?â
âWhat are you busy with?â
âI will be busy sleeping.â
Jiang Yanzhou was slightly taken aback and mused inwardly, âBusy sleeping? Isnât that just oversleeping?
Jiang Yanzhou curved his lips, put down the hairdryer, and stretched out his long arm to gently embrace her as she stood up.
âGoodnight,â he smiled. âSee you tomorrow at noon.â
âYeah⦠Goodnight.â
After finishing her nightly routine, Lu Yang lifted the covers and slipped into bed. She turned off the lights and quickly fell asleep.
As the last light turned off, Jiang Yanzhou went downstairs and drove away. He was greeted by two individuals standing with their arms crossed, one tall and one short, when he entered.
Zhao Yanshu narrowed his eyes and exclaimed, âA man returning home late must have something fishy going on!â
Jiang Jinsheng imitated him and stated, âUncle, there must be something suspicious since you arenât home at this hour!â
Jiang Yanzhou was at a loss for words.
âTell us, what have you been secretly doing lately?â Zhao Yanshu interrogated. Jiang Jinsheng chimed in, âWe will be lenient if you confess now.â
Jiang Yanzhou tugged at his collar and glanced coldly at Jiang Jinsheng. He was not angry, but firm. âJiang Jinsheng, go to bed.â
Jiang Jinsheng pouted. âFine.â
Just as Jiang Jinsheng was about to obediently go back to bed, he heard Zhao
Yanshuâs voice full of panic. âD*mn! Whatâs on your neck?!â
Jiang Yanzhou glanced at him, and Zhao Yanshu immediately shut his mouth, also urging, âXiaoshi, go back to your room and sleep.â
Jiang Jinsheng looked confused but obediently went back to sleep.
He mused inwardly, âAnyway, Sister Yang said I am just a child and should be sleeping at this hour. Hmph! Itâs all because of my uncle. He came back so late and made me worried. Now I canât fall asleep.â
He murmured, âSister Yang is good, while my uncle is badâ¦â
Compared to Zhao Yanshuâs surprise, Jiang Yanzhou remained calm.
âYou wouldnât be cheating behind Sister Yangâs back, would you?â Zhao Yanshu couldnât believe it. âI never expected you to be this kind of person. Itâs so disappointing! â
Jiang Yanzhou was rendered speechless.
Atter a moment or distress, znao yansnu stared at mm Indignantly. âYouâre not worthy of our Lu Yang!â
âIsnât she?â Zhao Yanshu was not in a good mood. âDoes anyone else have a sister as gentle and kind as Lu Yang? No!â
Jiang Yanzhou didnât want to explain to him, nor did he need to explain. He planned to go upstairs but was stopped. âYou think what youâre doing is justified?â
âI donât need to justify myself to you.â
Zhao Yanshu was about to get angry but suddenly felt that he hadnât said anything wrong. He hesitated for a moment and reluctantly said, âYou have no shame, yet you act so self-righteous!â
Jiang Yanzhou coldly glanced at him. âWatch your words.â
Zhao Yanshu, feeling frustrated, pressed on, âWho exactly are you hiding? Could it be⦠Lu Yang?â
Jiang Yanzhou finally spoke up. âWho else could it be apart from her?â
Zhao Yanshu surmised inwardly, âD*mn! D*mn it! This man actually has a secretive side! Wait⦠That mark⦠doesnât look ordinary at all.â
The more Zhao Yanshu thought about it, the more unbelievable it seemed. He asked cautiously, âWas she on top?â
Jiang Yanzhou ignored him.
Zhao Yanshu followed him upstairs, feeling overwhelmed. âIn the world of binaries, Lu Yang is definitely a 1!â
Jiang Yanzhou was rendered speechless.
âSister Yang is truly admirable!â
While Zhao Yanshu kept on rambling, Jiang Yanzhou lowered his head to look at his phone and turned around. âIâm going to check on Lu Yang. Do take care of
Xiaoshi.â
After saying that, he walked out of the door with long strides.
Zhao Yanshu couldnât figure it out and wondered, âDidnât he just come back? Why did he leave again?â
Late at night, the road was less crowded, making it even quieter and amplifying the sense of anxiety.
Jiang Yanzhou clenched the steering wheel tightly, and his veins bulged. He gradually accelerated the car.
After tidying up the dining table and kitchen, he took a glance at the crystal table before leaving. It seemed like he saw her bracelet there.
She must have been so tired tonight, just a while ago she messaged him asking if he had seen her bracelet. She must have had a nightmare and woken up.
The car came to a stop.
Jiang Yanzhou hurriedly went upstairs, entered the password, turned on only one light, and picked up the bracelet.
There was a glass on the dining table.
There was nothing there before he left.
It seemed like he hadnât been gone for long when she woke up.
Jiang Yanzhou held the bracelet in his hand, walked quietly to the front of her room, and tentatively reached out to twist the doorknob.
The door was unlocked.
The room was tightly covered by the curtains, with no light whatsoever. He opened the door, and the light from outside seeped in through the gap.
Jiang Yanzhou gently stroked Lu Yangâs hair with his hand and took her hand out, putting the bracelet on for her. He tenderly kissed the back of her hand.
After placing her hand back down and tucking her in to keep her warm, he couldnât help but raise his hand and lightly touch her lips with his fingertips, feeling their softness. n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
After a while, seeing that her breathing was steady, he prepared to leave.
But at that moment, his soft and warm hand was grabbed.
Lu Yang frowned and slowly opened her eyes, her voice slightly nasal, âJiang
Yanzhouâ¦?â
Jiang Yanzhou turned around, feeling somewhat guilty. âDid I wake you up?
Lu Yang, still half asleep, looked at him and said, âArenât you going back?â âI was just about to go back.â
âYou can sleep in Mingyuâs room, or maybe a nearby hotel.â Lu Yang did not look at his expression, so she didnât notice the subtle hint of perplexity in his confusion
âNo⦠Mingyu is coming back tomorrow to pack things up, so you cant stay in his room. Forget it⦠do whatever you want, Iâm tired,â she continued, closing her eyes again, pulling the blanket, and going back to sleep.
But soon, she opened her eyes again. Her voice, still half-asleep, was soft and gentle like a feather, scratching at oneâs heart.
âYanzhou, I canât sleep. Do you have a way to make me fall asleep?â Even though she was tired, her sleep was intermittent.
He whispered, âShould I read you a poetry collection that you like?â
Lu Yangâs brain froze, unable to think or move, and she hesitantly responded, âOkay.â
Jiang Yanzhou gently pulled a chair, sat up straight, lowered his voice, and began reciting, âI offer you lean streets, desperate sunsets, the moon of the jagged suburbs.â
His voice flowed naturally, occasionally pausing, like a refreshing wine.
Lu Yangâs eyelids grew heavy, and she gradually fell asleep.
âI can give you my loneliness, my darkness, the hunger of my heartâ¦â
His voice turned into intoxicating incense that filled her dreams, driving away the nightmares, leaving only beautiful dreams.
âI am trying to bribe you with uncertainty, with danger, with defeat.â
The sky began to brighten, and the morning light streamed through the windows, illuminating the living room.
Lu Mingyu entered with breakfast in hand and called out, âYangyang, Iâm back.â
No one responded.
The room was so quiet that even the sound of a falling needle could be heard.
Lu Mingyu placed the breakfast on the table and dialed Jiang Yanzhou on his phone.
On the other end, Jiang Yanzhou had just returned home and was preparing to take a shower. When he saw the incoming call, he paused for a few seconds before answering.
âJiang Yanzhou, why isnât my sister at home? Are you sure you safely brought her back?â Lu Mingyu sounded nervous. âThere are many bad people these days, and someone as ethereal as Yang Yang is in danger. Are you sure you brought her back?â
âI brought her back. She should still be asleep. Be careful with your words,â Jiang Yanzhou replied.
âI brought her back. She should still be asleep. Be careful with your words,â Jiang Yanzhou replied.
He had left half an hour ago, and she was still sound asleep.
âSleeping?â
âYes.â
Lu Mingyu looked at Lu Yangâs bedroom door, which was closed. He didnât open it, nor would he rashly do so. âAre you sure? Donât wait until Yangyang goes missing for forty-eight hours before realizing it.â
With another question, Jiang Yanzhou became a little uncertain. âIs her coat still on the couch?â
âYes,â Lu Mingyu replied.
Jiang Yanzhou continued, âWhat about the white slippers at the entrance?â âNot there,â Lu Mingyu answered.
Lu Yang was wearing white slippers yesterday, and if they were not at the entrance, it meant they were still in her bedroom.
Jiang Yanzhou reassured Lu Mingyu, saying, âSheâs still sleeping. Donât disturb her. â
Lu Mingyuâs tense heart finally relaxed. He sighed and spoke earnestly, âI have a flight this afternoon, so Iâll trouble you to take care of Yangyang for me these days. â
âOkay.â
âI can trust you. Right, Jiang Yanzhou?â Lu Mingyu was somewhat worried. Men are often careless when taking care of their younger sisters, and he feared they wouldnât be thorough enough.
Jiang Yanzhou didnât bother with his question. After a while, he reluctantly responded, â⦠Yes, you can.â
Lu Mingyu walked to the balcony and eagerly shared his experience, âIf Yangyang is in a bad mood, gets angry, and scolds you, just endure it. Then make her a cup of tea or something sweet to win her over with love.â
Jiang Yanzhou was speechless..