"Uncle Wang, it's alright, I can go upstairs by myself."
Watching Cheng Yongxin's graceful figure disappear into the stairwell, even Uncle Wang's usually serious and rigid face couldn't help but break into a smile. This Miss Cheng was always so beautiful and charming, polite and sweet-talking. Even he, who was usually picky about people, liked her from the bottom of his heart.
Unfortunately, reality is often cruel. Fortunately, Uncle Wang didn't see what Cheng Yongxin looked like after she went upstairs, otherwise he would have been disgusted to the point of vomiting blood by her true appearance.
"Jiang Haozhe!!! You dead man, open the door!!"
The sturdy oak door swung open with a swift and decisive "Foshan Shadowless Kick," and Cheng Yongxin, her face contorted with rage, stormed in like a powder keg ready to explode at any moment.
Whether it was due to the unknown shadows created by being backlit or something else, her once beautiful face now looked gloomy and completely different from her gentle and graceful appearance.
Hmph! Now that Brother Jiang, Uncle Jiang, and Aunt Jiang are all gone, she no longer needs to pretend to be a lady and can settle scores with that person without any worries!
With the force of a sweeping army, she stormed in, and Jiang Haozhe, who was inside the room, turned around in surprise upon hearing the sound—
After a moment of stunned silence, the two stared at each other, then—
"Aaaaaaahh ...
A scream that shook heaven and earth nearly ripped the roof off the Jiang family's house.
Originally, Cheng Yongxin, who was determined to get an explanation and not give up until she saw a ghost, rushed out of the room with her face flushed red, not daring to look back even if she died.
Jiang Haozhe crossed his arms, curled his lips into a wicked smile.
"Miss Cheng, I'm the one who got seen naked! I'm the one who should be calling out!"
"You, you, you... shameless! How could you not wear clothes?!" Cheng Yongxin's face was as red as a ripe tomato, both ashamed and embarrassed, as she yelled at him with her back turned.
"This is my home, and it's in my room. I can wear whatever I want, it's none of your business," Jiang Haozhe said lazily, completely unfazed by the embarrassment of being seen naked.
"Why aren't you wearing any clothes?! You're an exhibitionist!"
"I just finished showering, okay?" Besides, he was wearing something, even if it was just a pair of underwear.
"You took a shower and then didn't put on any clothes? You want to catch a cold from the wind?!"
"Oh? I didn't expect Miss Cheng to care about me so much?! I'm truly flattered..."
"Who, who cares about you!" Cheng Yongxin turned around and yelled angrily, followed by another shout—
"Aaaaaahh ...
"Cheng, you idiot! Did you come to my house in the middle of the night just to imitate a night owl's meow?!" Jiang Haozhe shouted, covering his ears, unable to bear it any longer.
Is this person even a girl? The volume is so loud, it made his ears ring, like hundreds of flies were buzzing around his ears.
"Who, who told you not to put on your clothes yet!" she shouted back defiantly, looking completely justified.
Ugh... After seeing such disgusting stuff, who knows if I'll get a sty tomorrow?!
"You, you need to put your clothes on right now!!"
Jiang Haozhe casually grabbed a pair of sweatpants and a jacket, complaining as he put them on: "Really... I have to be so reserved even at my own home... Okay, tell me, what brings you to my house so late at night?"
Cheng Yongxin cautiously turned her head to make sure he was dressed before striding back in with an arrogant air, looking menacing.
"Hey! Why are you saying all that nonsense in front of people?"
Jiang Haozhe stopped drying his hair, looked up inexplicably, his clear eyes filled with confusion, and he looked utterly innocent. "What nonsense are you talking about? What did I say?"
Still trying to play dumb! She gave a cold laugh, but it didn't matter. Miss Cheng never fought an unprepared battle; she had come prepared all along.
As she hurled the "evidence" at him, Miss Cheng smiled radiantly, her smile as bright as the summer sun.
"What do you mean by this—?"
The deliberately drawn-out ending sounds especially meaningful.
Jiang Haozhe slowly picked up the "evidence of the crime," flipped through it, studied it, and pondered it for a while. Then, he raised his beautiful eyebrows slightly, looking calm and collected.
"Who wrote this article? It's pretty good. You guys, Youluo, really don't know what's good for someone who wastes their life writing gossip and school news..."
"Who's discussing the author of this article with you!" Cheng Yongxin roared through gritted teeth, angrily snatching the school magazine over and flipping through it to a certain page. Then, she "suddenly" spread it out on his lap, pointing her slender finger at a particular line—the movements were swift, agile, and fluid, without the slightest hesitation.
"I'm asking you, what is this?!"
Jiang Haozhe narrowed his beautiful amber eyes, stared at her intently for a while, and then smiled again, "So this is what you mean."
He looked as if he had just woken up from a dream, as if he had suddenly realized something.
"Yes, so that's what I was talking about." Cheng Yongxin smiled insincerely, mimicking his tone in a strange voice, "Thanks to 'this,' I've had an absolutely fantastic day!"
From the moment she received the school magazine, she was showered with attention. Everyone either stared at her with strange looks or whispered behind her back. The slightly bolder ones would come up and quietly ask, "Senior Yongxin, do you really like that President Jiang? If you really like him, we won't object..."
She was furious when she heard that. If she hadn't been mindful of being at school and not wanting to cause any trouble, she would have immediately gone across the street to confront the guy at Nan Zhan!
She really, really hated that guy! She and that Jiang guy could have lived peacefully together, each minding their own business, as long as he didn't bother her. But this guy always had to stir up trouble for no reason… He was asking for it!
"Why are you slandering me for no reason? Did I offend you?" Cheng Yongxin roared angrily, like a dinosaur about to go berserk.
"Slander?" Jiang Haozhe smiled, a gentle, warm, and elegant smile. "Everything I said is true. How could I have slandered you?"
He leisurely picked up the school magazine and read slowly: "According to Jiang Haozhe, who has been her classmate for many years and is now the president of the student council of Nanzhan High School, the Jiang and Cheng families have been on good terms for many years and have a close relationship. President Cheng Yongxin has had a deep affection for the Jiang family since she was a child, and Cheng Yongxin's biggest wish since childhood has been to marry into the Jiang family..."
He glanced at her and rolled his eyes. "Dare you say that my parents and your parents haven't always been on good terms? Do you dare say that you haven't had a deep affection for my family since you were little? And you keep saying you want to marry my brother and the Jiang family. These are all facts. Where have I slandered you?"
"...Even if it's true—" Her face flushed crimson, whether from anger or embarrassment, it was a dazzling red. "But, but you can't say that! If I'm going to marry, I'll marry Brother Jiang. If you do this, people will misunderstand me..."
"Misunderstanding? What misunderstanding?" He glanced at her with a half-smile, his coffee-colored eyes full of interest. "If you dare to do it, you should dare to admit it. What's the big deal, Cheng Huachi?"
Surprisingly, Cheng Yongxin, who always loathed Jiang Haozhe for calling her a "flower fanatic" and would absolutely vehemently refute it, did not refute it for the first time.
Cheng Yongxin silently lowered her head, her naturally curly long hair falling smoothly down, covering her face like rolling waves.
Jiang Haozhe looked at her in surprise, wondering why she suddenly wilted like a frostbitten eggplant. He nudged her half-jokingly, "Hey, Cheng, don't try to act like a lady at a time like this. I don't fall for that."
Unexpectedly, just as he reached out his hand, she turned her body to the side to avoid it. Through the gaps in her hair, two clear tear tracks could be clearly seen on her face.
Jiang Haozhe panicked immediately. This shouldn't be happening! Although his words were always harsh, he and Yongxin had been bickering and teasing each other since they were little. There was no way she would be so angry as to cry over just a few words... This, this is completely not her personality!
"You, you... don't cry... otherwise... you've dirtied my carpet and I'll have to send it to be washed." He said hurriedly, at a loss.
Unexpectedly, his words only made her cry harder, tears falling like beads from a broken string, unstoppable.
"Jiang Haozhe! You big bastard!!" Ignoring her tears, Cheng Yongxin looked up and roared with red eyes.
He knows absolutely nothing and understands absolutely nothing! Yet he dares to say such shameless things!
Does he know that what he calls "no big deal" is more important to her than life itself?
From a young age, she had always admired Brother Jiang. So, how much effort and thought did she secretly put in to become an outstanding woman worthy of him? Others only knew that Cheng Yongxin had unique advantages, and that everything came easily to her, but they never knew how much hard work and effort she had put in...
To excel in her studies, she never dared to slack off for a single day, never indulging in excessive fun even on holidays; to ensure excellent physical education grades, she ran on the treadmill at home every day, running until she was breathless but had to grit her teeth and persevere; she didn't have much talent in music, but she forced herself to learn the piano and guzheng, which she didn't like, just because Brother Jiang could play instruments, so she practiced a piece five times when others practiced it twice... Cheng Yongxin wasn't a genius, but a down-to-earth hard worker. Everything she had was earned through her hard work and dedication. She carefully and diligently maintained everything, using all her strength to uphold the excellent image she had painstakingly built in everyone's minds—all so that others would think she was excellent and worthy of Brother Jiang, who was the most important person in her heart...
But!! He said it was no big deal!! Wasn't that dismissing all her efforts and hard work? Was he completely denying the goal she had pursued since childhood?
"You don't understand anything at all! Brother Jiang is much better than you! He's gentle and considerate, kind to people, more talented than you, and has more class than you. Unlike you! You, you, you... all you know how to do is bully me! You didn't even comfort me when I cried! I, I hate you so much!"
After unleashing all the pent-up resentment she had been holding in, she turned and ran, leaving him standing there dumbfounded, staring blankly at her retreating figure.
"How could I not understand..." His voice was low and his eyes were lowered, his sigh filled with bitterness and helplessness.
“In your heart, your brother is the most important person, and I can’t compare to him in anything… But have you ever thought about my feelings?”
A night breeze swept in, rustling the leaves outside the window, like a long, drawn-out sigh filled with helplessness.
strike
"Yongxin, why aren't you getting ready yet? Time's almost up!"
The person on the sofa remained lying lazily, motionless.
"Yongxin, we're having dinner at your favorite Yipinju restaurant today, aren't you going?"
Her beautiful eyes merely blinked, but remained motionless.
Guan Xinyi finally couldn't stand her daughter's indifference any longer and came over to pat her rosy cheeks. "Yongxin, I told you to get up and get ready. Do you want to go to dinner in your pajamas like this?"
"Mom...can I not go?" The voice was weak and feeble.
"No!" Guan Xinyi forcefully pulled her daughter up from the sofa. "Your Aunt Chen invited our whole family to come. If you don't go, you're disrespecting Aunt Chen. Besides, your favorite Brother Jiang is going too. Aren't you going?"
No one knows a daughter better than her mother. This precious daughter neither idolizes nor likes singers. Her biggest crush is the eldest son of the Jiang family, with whom her family has always had a close relationship. Whenever she hears that the eldest son of the Jiang family is going to a certain event, she runs there faster than anyone else.
However, this time Guan Xinyi was going to be disappointed.
Even though she brought out the most tempting item, Cheng Yongxin only glanced at her mother indifferently, without any reaction, her face completely unmoved.
"Hey, Yongxin, did you hear me? Your favorite Brother Jiang is going too!" Guan Xinyi repeated again, afraid that her daughter hadn't heard her clearly.
"I know." Cheng Yongxin lazily raised her eyes and glanced at her mother, her face full of dejection.
Although the thought of Brother Jiang going was a huge temptation, the idea of that despicable Jiang Haozhe being there completely dampened her enthusiasm.
"Mom, I don't want to go anymore. You and Dad can go by yourselves. Don't worry about me." Pushing Guan Xinyi away, Cheng Yongxin "floated" back to the sofa like a resentful ghost and continued to lie down.
Unable to bear her daughter's self-pity and listless demeanor, Guan Xinyi, having reached her breaking point, unleashed her trump card:
"No matter what, if your mother wants you to go, you have to go!"
Cheng Yongxin may have an eccentric temper, but she is, after all, a descendant of the Chinese nation who values filial piety above all else. So, despite her reluctance, she had no choice but to get up, get dressed, and go out with her parents.
"Oh my, Yongxin, it's been a while since I've seen you, you've grown even more beautiful—" Chen Xiangmei tugged at Cheng Yongxin and chatted on, while looking at Guan Xinyi with envy, "Xinyi, it's so good to raise a daughter, so considerate! Unlike my stupid son who's always out there running around like crazy! We haven't seen him since!"
Guan Xinyi, Chen Xiangmei, and He Jintang are best friends who grew up together. Their friendship is stronger than gold and as solid as a rock. After they all got married, their husbands' families, the Cheng family, the Fang family, and the Jiang family, also became close. The three families always acted like family when they met.
"No way!" Guan Xinyi said with a smile. "I'm the one who's always wanted a son. Just imagine, dragging a handsome son out shopping, how wonderful that would be! I envy you and Jin Tang, your son is so tall and handsome..."
"I'm the one who envies you. Yongxin is so obedient and sensible, unlike my brat..."
Watching the two of them beaming and flattering each other, Cheng Yongxin couldn't help but roll her eyes. She just couldn't stand it!
She sat on the sofa, bored, watching TV, flipping through channels aimlessly, but not really paying attention to anything.
"Yongxin, why are you sitting here watching TV all by yourself?" A gentle, deep voice came from beside her ear, like a soft breeze.
Looking up in surprise, she saw a pair of clear, gentle eyes, and she was speechless: "Brother Jiang... Brother Jiang!!"
When did he arrive? Why didn't I even notice? Did I act rudely just now? Did this lazy posture make me seem unrefined? Cheng Yongxin thought anxiously.
"I heard from Uncle Wang a few days ago that you came to our house. Is there something you need?" Jiang Chenjun asked with a smile.
Brother Jiang is really—so charming! Gazing into those deep yet clear eyes, Cheng Yongxin thought with utter infatuation, "That pig Jiang Haozhe is no match for Brother Jiang at all!"