"Why...why did you tell me?" Her voice was dry, not understanding why her heart suddenly tightened. She should be happy, shouldn't she? But why did she feel no joy at all, only shock?
Taking a deep breath, Jiang Haozhe opened his eyes again, his expression returning to its usual calm. He took a few steps back, keeping a distance from her, as if to draw an eternal dividing line.
“Jiang… Haozhe?” Cheng Yongxin looked at him in confusion. Why was his expression so calm? And there was a hint of sadness in that calmness. For some reason, his indifferent expression made her feel a pang of heartache…
"...I just wanted to tell you that I don't want to see you regretting what you missed... Seeing you like that makes me very sad..." His voice was soft and faint, as if it melted into the air the moment it left his lips.
Jiang Haozhe gave a bitter smile, his dark eyes silently gazing at her, clear as spring water, yet conveying a profound sense of bitterness.
"You say that we guys are slow to understand, which is why girls suffer. But do you know that girls' slowness can also cause boys pain, and even deeper and heavier pain than girls'?"
Cheng Yongxin stared at him dumbfounded, completely bewildered by what she meant.
Jiang Haozhe gazed at her silently. A cool autumn breeze swept from behind him, ruffling his hair. His white trench coat fluttered in the wind like a pair of pure white wings. He looked like a fragile glass sculpture about to shatter in the wind. The faint smile on his lips was so gentle it was heartbreaking. His smile was so ethereal, so melancholic yet so beautiful, that just looking at it made one feel overwhelmed by a tidal wave of sorrow.
A sudden, ominous premonition washed over Cheng Yongxin, as if she would never see Jiang Haozhe again after he spoke his mind. She hurriedly said, "Wait, wait a minute, you..."
However, before she could stop him, he had already spoken with a smile.
"I've always liked you, you idiot."
Proposal
"Excuse me—is Jiang Haozhe here?"
"Jiang Haozhe? He went to the library."
"Um, is Jiang Haozhe here?"
"Jiang Haozhe? Huh? He was just here... He probably went somewhere else."
"Aunt He, I am Yongxin."
"Oh, Yongxin, it's so rare for you to call my cell phone. What's up?"
"Um... Aunt He, is Jiang Haozhe with you...?"
"Xiao Zhe? Xiao Zhe isn't with us. Why don't you call home and see if he's there?"
"I understand, thank you Aunt He, goodbye Aunt He."
Sullenly putting down the phone receiver, Cheng Yongxin felt somewhat disappointed, but even more so, resentful!
That guy surnamed Jiang should die!
Since the day he confessed to her, she hadn't seen him for two whole weeks. At first, she was a little worried that it would be awkward if they met again, but—she didn't even have the chance to be awkward with him! Who knows if Jiang Haozhe was deliberately avoiding her? Anyway, she hadn't seen a single hair of his head. She even swallowed her pride and went to Nanzhan to look for him, only to be disappointed time and time again.
What does this mean?! It feels like she confessed her feelings to him, and he rejected her! Even though he ran away, she feels like she's been dumped…
She didn't understand why she cared so much about him. Although she cursed him in her heart again and again, cursing him for leaving without explaining himself, for not being a real man, for being indecisive and coy like a woman... the more she cursed him, the stronger the feeling of loss in her heart became, so strong that she couldn't shake it off.
"I know I shouldn't be bothering you at this time."
That day, his smile was like a flower by the water, gentle yet desolate, unlike his usual sarcastic smile. It seemed sincere, yet it made people feel very sad.
“I know you like my older brother, and you’ve liked him for so many years. I just wanted to tell you because… I’ve liked you just as much ever since you started liking my older brother…”
He smiled faintly and walked away from her sight. She only remembered his smile, so warm and gentle, blending into the calm breeze and clouds around him, disappearing into the sunset's misty peaks, never to return...
Since I met him, he had never smiled at me so gently. His expression was always cold, and his smiles were cold laughs—cold observations followed by cold mockery. He had always been so cold, seemingly observing his surroundings without any emotion. But why, then, was he able to smile so gently at that moment? Warm and gentle like the rising sun—
After hesitating for a while, Cheng Yongxin finally couldn't resist. She grabbed a coat and rushed out the door.
"Miss, where are you going so late?" Hearing the door open, the nanny, Xiao Hui, quickly chased after her and asked.
"I'm going to the Jiang family's house across the street, I'll be right back!"
With that last sentence, Cheng Yong rushed into the night without looking back.
He was nowhere to be seen at school, nor was he with Aunt He or the others. He wasn't answering his phone at home either. What was he up to? Never mind! She was going to ring the Jiang family's doorbell until it broke, she was going to force that guy to come out!
Ding-dong—Ding-dong—
The doorbell rang, and she could hear it clearly even from outside, but no one answered.
There's no way no one's home! She raised an eyebrow. That guy must be home! There's no way he wouldn't be back this late!
She reached out and pressed again—
Ding-dong—Ding-dong—
Aren't you going to open the door? Fine, let's see how long he can hold out!
She pressed it again and again and again—
"Singing the Heart?"
The door finally opened, and with a hint of surprise, a male voice suddenly rang out.
Cheng Yongxin hurriedly looked up, about to start cursing, but when she saw who it was, she froze: "...Brother Jiang?"
"Sorry, I was taking a shower and didn't hear it." Jiang Chenjun was only wearing a bathrobe, and his hair was still dripping wet. It looked like he had just finished showering and rushed to open the door when he heard the doorbell.
"I...I...um, I need to talk to Jiang Haozhe about something..." Cheng Yongxin said softly, her weak voice sounding particularly pitiful in the cold air.
“Xiao Zhe is staying at a classmate’s house today and won’t be coming back.” Jiang Chenjun raised an eyebrow in surprise, then noticed her lips, which were turning slightly purple from the cold, and quickly invited her in. “No matter what, come in and have something to drink to warm up. If you catch a cold, how am I supposed to explain it to Aunt Guan?”
The warm, yellowish light, the steaming hot cocoa, and the indoor heating finally warmed Cheng Yongxin's stiff body. Holding the cup with both hands, she sipped the hot cocoa slowly, feeling a warm current flowing through her body, as if her body and mind were warmed together.
"Are you feeling better?" Jiang Chenjun came out of the kitchen with a cup of coffee and asked her with concern.
"Hmm, much better." Cheng Yongxin looked up and gave him an innocent smile. Jiang Chenjun sat down next to her with his coffee, the close proximity making her feel nervous.
"Um, Brother Jiang, why don't I see anyone else?" She deliberately looked around to calm her racing heart.
"Oh, Lao Wang went back to his hometown for the holidays, my parents went to a charity gala, Yang Ma has already finished get off work, and Xiao Zhe is staying at a classmate's house, so I'm all alone."
A lone man and a lone woman alone in a room... Cheng Yongxin hurriedly shook her head, trying to dispel the filthy thoughts that had just crossed her mind. What was she thinking?! How could she even have such an idea!
"Oh, I see..." she replied cautiously, somewhat afraid to look up at him. "Then, why don't you go on a date with your girlfriend, Brother Jiang? It's rare for you to be able to leave work on time."
This is the tragedy of being a corporate decision-maker. Although they hold great power and make a lot of money, holidays and normal working hours are luxuries for them. Cheng Yongxin understands this feeling deeply because her father was like that.
Jiang Chenjun smiled faintly, a smile tinged with melancholy, making him appear somewhat lonely and forlorn. "...I broke up with her."
It felt as if a million tons of explosives had suddenly exploded in her head; Cheng Yongxin was momentarily unable to react.
"Why...why?" she pressed. Everything seemed fine when she ate with Brother Jiang last time; he seemed so happy then...
"Relationships... are beyond our control." Jiang Chenjun's expression was calm, seemingly unwilling to discuss the matter further. He changed the subject: "By the way, Yongxin, you came all the way here to see Xiaozhe today—did something happen?"
"Huh? Actually, it's nothing." She gave an awkward laugh, answering his question, but her mind was still reeling from the shock of the news she had just received, and she didn't come to her senses for a long time.
Brother Jiang... he actually broke up with his girlfriend. Did Jiang Haozhe tell her this on purpose because he already knew about it? Shaking her head, she tapped herself. She told herself that she was going to settle accounts with him, so how could she be moved again?
"Singing of the Heart".
"Hmm?" Raising her head, Cheng Yongxin saw the eyes she had once longed for most, and her heart skipped a beat. She lowered her head somewhat embarrassedly.
“If—I mean, if—” Jiang Chenjun paused, as if considering the most appropriate way to put it, “If you have something on your mind, you can tell Brother Jiang, and Brother Jiang is willing to help you share the burden.”
Although Cheng Yongxin already knew Jiang Chenjun's warm and sunny nature, she felt incredibly guilty. (This is followed by an unrelated website address: , a provider of million-level bundled resources.)
"Actually, it's not my problem, it's a good friend of mine." At this point, it's necessary to hear other people's opinions, so Cheng Yongxin decided to change the protagonist to ABC. "My friend has always had someone she really likes, but that person doesn't know. And then a guy who's always been just a friend of hers confessed to her that he likes her. And this guy is like a brother to the person my friend likes... uh, you know, the kind of friend who's extremely close. Brother Jiang, what do you think my friend should do?"
So that's how it is—Jiang Chenjun stroked his chin, a thoughtful smile appearing on his face.
It seems that the silly boy finally confessed to Yongxin. No wonder he came back in a huff that day, only said "Don't hurt her" and ran away without looking back. Moreover, he has been acting strangely and mysteriously lately. With this connection made, all the doubts are resolved.
Luckily, he's smart, otherwise, wouldn't such a great opportunity have slipped away? His dejected expression just now must have been incredibly convincing. Now, if he just puts in a little more effort, there'll be a good show to watch from here on out!
With these thoughts in mind, Jiang Chenjun secretly crossed his hands behind his back to show that what he had said before and after was a lie he had to tell out of necessity, and that God should not take it seriously.
"Brother Jiang?" Seeing his strange smile, Cheng Yongxin looked at him with some concern, not understanding why he suddenly laughed.
Suddenly realizing he had revealed too much of his inner emotion, Jiang Chenjun quickly suppressed his wicked smile and put on a gentle and harmless face. "Actually, I don't think your friend needs to worry so much."
"ah?"
“Look, if your friend’s friend can muster the courage to confess, why can’t your friend do the same? Maybe the other person is interested in her too, so she’ll make a choice then.” Jiang Chenjun said gently, smiling at Cheng Yongxin. “Although it’s inevitable to get hurt in relationships, it’s better to have a short, sharp pain than a long, drawn-out one. Maybe your friend can end up with the person she likes, which would be a good thing for your friend’s friend as well.”
Haha, if it were that simple, it would be so boring. Let him make it more fun!
As the saying goes, "The fragrance of plum blossoms comes from the bitter cold." Without enduring the bitter cold, how can one smell the sweet fragrance of plum blossoms? Similarly, without experiencing hardship, how can one know the preciousness of love?
"Huh?" Completely unprepared for Jiang Chenjun's words, Cheng Yongxin froze, her mind racing for a long time before she managed to find her voice again, "But, but, I forgot, I forgot to mention, that... my friend's crush has a girlfriend, how can that be—"
“Why not? It’s all about dating. As long as you’re not married, everyone has a chance. Besides, you can get divorced after marriage. Your friend is single, and they might break up any day. As long as they truly like each other, there’s nothing wrong with it,” Jiang Chenjun said with a knowing smile.
What does that mean? Cheng Yongxin was increasingly confused by what Brother Jiang was saying. The more she listened, the more she felt he was implying something. Could it be that Brother Jiang already knew she had always liked him? So he was referring to him?
No way—
This sudden realization made Cheng Yongxin's face turn bright red, like a cute red tomato.
"What's wrong?" Jiang Chenjun pretended not to understand, looking at her with concern, "Yongxin, why is your face so red? Do you have a fever?"
He reached out to touch her forehead, but she avoided his touch.
"No, it's nothing, it's nothing, I'm perfectly fine, perfectly fine!"
Cheng Yongxin waved her hands frantically, but felt terrified: How did Brother Jiang find out? When did he find out? She had been kept in the dark for so long; she felt like a complete fool!
Jiang Chenjun knew what she was thinking, of course. Yongxin was never one to hide anything; everything was written all over her face, making her obvious. She should learn a thing or two from her icy-faced younger brother. Although Jiang Haozhe wasn't particularly complicated, sometimes even he, as his older brother, couldn't figure out what was on his mind.
He had long noticed that Yongxin had a special feeling for him. After all, he wasn't oblivious; he was always perceptive of the people and things around him. So, when he realized that Yongxin liked him, he didn't mind. He also liked Yongxin quite a bit, though only in a familial way. Of course, Yongxin herself didn't realize that her feelings for him were actually a kind of attachment to an older brother, or to put it bluntly, a brother complex. It was like a little girl not wanting her things to be taken away from her. However, because she had always claimed to like him since childhood, this feeling had become a habit. She just habitually liked him. Although she would understand sooner or later, he wouldn't point it out now.
He had finally found a chance to see his icy-faced brother's expression change, how could he let it go so easily?
"Yongxin." Gently holding Cheng Yongxin's hand, Jiang Chenjun told himself that he had to be more professional now, as success or failure depended on this moment!
"W-what?" Cheng Yongxin, who hadn't reacted yet, stared blankly at him, looking into his extremely serious eyes, and was a little confused.
Jiang Chenjun's brows furrowed slightly, his face filled with sorrow and loneliness. "Do you hate Brother Jiang?"
"Dislike?" Cheng Yongxin was dumbfounded. When did she ever say she disliked Brother Jiang? She liked him so much, how could she possibly dislike him?
"I...I don't dislike you."
Brother Jiang... how, how did he suddenly become so—so... she couldn't quite put her finger on it, but she could clearly sense the subtle, ambiguous atmosphere that permeated between them.