Han Haoxuan remained silent, his back still turned to Ruolin.
“I will be with you all day for every birthday from now on. But this year, can I ask you for an hour off? Mr. Han?” Ruolin began to ask in a deliberately pleading tone.
"Okay, I approve..." Han Haoxuan finally softened, turned around, hugged Ruolin back, and held her tightly in his arms. "Ruolin, it's not that I don't trust you, but I've suddenly lost confidence in myself. Mu Jingyan met you before me, and he was the one you fell deeply in love with during the best years of your youth. And now, even though we're together, you're still the first person he thinks of when he encounters difficulties. Obviously, he still has ulterior motives towards you. So, I'm afraid that one day, I will lose you."
"How could that be? Amu wouldn't like me, he's never liked me. Between us, it was completely one-sided love on my part. It couldn't be called love. Besides, when I told him you proposed to me, he even gave me his blessings!" Ruolin never imagined that Mu Jingyan would like her.
"That would be good. However, I still hope you have as little involvement with him as possible, preferably... no involvement at all."
"He and I are very good friends, and I owe him a ton of money. How could we not be involved? Haoxuan, I think you're overthinking it. Are you just too tired lately and starting to imagine things?"
"Give the money back to him, and I'll pay it off for you."
“No need. I don’t want you to bear my burden. I don’t want my love to be surrounded by money or interests. I want my love to be equal, pure and transparent. Besides, the way things are now, in your mother’s eyes I’m already a typical ‘Cinderella who depends on the prince,’ and I don’t want her to look down on me. I will work hard with my own hands to earn money and then pay back all the money I owe Amu.”
"But seeing you working so hard really breaks my heart. Touch here." Han Haoxuan placed Ruolin's hand on his chest.
"I'm not a paper doll, I'm not that fragile."
"So you were in the hospital bed for several days last time?"
"That was an accident... Okay, I promise you, I will take good care of myself from now on."
"Um……"
Han Haoxuan wanted to help Ruolin but always felt helpless, which made him quite frustrated. He advised her to find a higher-paying job, but she said she wasn't interested in other types of work and was very grateful for the editor-in-chief's kindness, so she didn't want to change jobs. He offered to help her pay off her debts, but she didn't appreciate it, saying that it would make their relationship unequal.
If he were to marry her immediately and make her his official wife, Han Haoxuan, he could help her openly and honestly. After all, when husband and wife are of one mind, their strength can break metal! She probably wouldn't refuse that way.
But he can't marry her now because he hasn't settled things with his parents yet. His father is so angry he doesn't want to see him, and his mother says she'll only acknowledge him as her son if he breaks up with Ruolin.
"Ruolin... I'm sorry..." Han Haoxuan couldn't help but feel guilty and ashamed when he thought about not being able to marry Ruolin for the time being.
"Uh...why do you say that?" She's the one who asked for leave tomorrow, so shouldn't she be the one apologizing?
"I can't marry you right now. You have to wait for me and wait for me to convince my parents."
"It's okay, I'm still young, there's no rush to get married."
"Ruolin..." The more Ruolin pretended to be indifferent, the more Han Haoxuan felt guilty.
Chapter 56
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The next day, after agreeing on a time and place with Mu Jingyan, Ruolin couldn't refuse Han Haoxuan and agreed to let him drive her there, but promised to wait for her obediently in the car so as not to interfere with her private chat with Mu Jingyan.
This is a restaurant with an elegant ambiance called "Welcome Guest Pavilion". Ruolin found Mu Jingyan on the second floor.
"You're here!" Mu Jingyan said as he stepped forward and hugged Ruolin, just like lovers reunited after a long separation.
Ruolin was stunned for a moment. Just as she was about to break free, she heard Mu Jingyan say with a smile, "We have to act like it's real, otherwise it will be easy to be exposed. This is a rehearsal."
"Oh, is that so?" Ruolin breathed a sigh of relief. That explains it! How could Mu Jingyan possibly have any improper thoughts about her?
"Besides hugging and cuddling, what else do lovers do?" Mu Jingyan released Ruolin and then asked her seriously, "You have experience in dating, why don't you teach me a few tricks!"
"Huh? You're not telling me you've never been in a relationship?" Ruolin was incredibly surprised.
"Yes, it's really shameful to say. I didn't know what love was before, and I had no heart for it. But one day, when I finally realized that I had fallen in love with someone, she was already in someone else's arms."
"What a pity! Who is so lucky to have won the favor of the most handsome boy in our class?" Ruolin asked curiously.
Just as Mu Jingyan was about to say "It's you," Wang Wei walked over to them, and Mu Jingyan swallowed back the words that were about to come out.
Wang Wei dressed very innocently this time, looking like a high school girl.
Ruolin thought the girl was pretty and couldn't help but sigh in her heart that Mu Jingyan was not good at enjoying women.
"Hello, I'm Wang Wei." Before Mu Jingyan could introduce them, Wang Wei took the initiative to extend her hand and introduce herself to Ruolin.
"Hello, my name is Shen Ruolin," Ruolin replied.
During the meal, whether intentionally or unintentionally, Mu Jingyan would frequently serve food to Ruolin and even ladle soup for her, acting as a model boyfriend.
"This is your favorite cured meat, eat more." Mu Jingyan said, looking at Ruolin with deep affection in his eyes.
"Yes, you should eat more too." Ruolin assumed Mu Jingyan was just acting and played along.
At this moment, Wang Wei felt very uncomfortable, as if she were superfluous, and she felt very uneasy watching it.
She used to love the hero-saves-the-damsel-in-distress trope on TV, and she also admired the heroes in those stories. In her mind, Mu Jingyan was her hero. She felt that their three chance encounters were enough to prove their extraordinary fate, and she wanted to hold onto it tightly. Who knew he would have a girlfriend? At first, she thought it was just an excuse, but when the facts were laid bare before her, she had no choice but to believe it.
"Watch your sleeves..." Ruolin was wearing clothes with wide sleeves, and when she was picking up food, she was about to touch the food, so Mu Jingyan quickly grabbed her sleeves.
Ruolin wanted to say "thank you," but then she remembered that saying thank you between lovers might seem too formal, so she just smiled and remained silent.
"Here, let me pick up some food for you." Mu Jingyan picked up the dish and then directly brought his chopsticks to Ruolin's lips. Ruolin didn't move at first. Wasn't this too inappropriate? Ruolin didn't want to cooperate with such an ambiguous gesture.
"I'll eat it myself," Ruolin insisted.
"Come on, just one bite," Mu Jingyan insisted. He didn't know if he was too immersed in the role or if he was just playing himself, but his expression looked too serious, not like he was acting at all.
Ruolin could feel the strange gaze from Wang Wei sitting opposite her. She felt that this stalemate couldn't go on, so she simply opened her mouth and ate the food that Mu Jingyan brought over.
"Is it delicious?" Mu Jingyan asked softly.
"Mm," Ruolin replied.
"I like bok choy, you can give me some too." Mu Jingyan's words shocked Ruolin. What was he talking about? Making such a request was too unreasonable! Be careful, or I'll expose your true colors! Ruolin glared at Mu Jingyan, meaning, "That's too much! Don't push your luck, or I'll quit."
"Oh, right, I just remembered I have something urgent to attend to later, so I'll have to go now. You guys continue eating." Wang Wei couldn't bear to watch this sweet scene any longer, so she turned and left after saying that.
"Hey, Amu, do you know I almost punched you just now? You were way too into your role, making such an outrageous request!" As soon as Wang Wei left, Ruolin clenched her fists, pretending to punch Mu Jingyan.
"If I didn't do that, could we act like a couple? Would she have given up so quickly?" Mu Jingyan chuckled dryly.
"Didn't you say you didn't know what couples should do? You seemed quite skilled at it just now."
"They've all been shown on TV before; I just performed well on the spot."
"Alright, I won't say any more. My mission is complete, I have to go. Han Haoxuan is waiting for me downstairs!" With that, Ruolin picked up her bag, left her seat, and ran towards the stairwell at almost breakneck speed.
"Ruo Lin..." Mu Jingyan hadn't given her the gift or confessed his feelings yet, and could only watch Ruo Lin's figure disappear from sight.
As Ruolin went downstairs, she saw Han Haoxuan's car still parked near the restaurant waiting for her. A complex mix of emotions welled up inside her—a touch of gratitude mixed with guilt. Although she had helped Amu, she had promised Han Haoxuan that today was his special day, yet she had made him wait downstairs for so long.
After getting on the bus, Ruolin noticed that Han Haoxuan had suddenly become taciturn, unlike when he first arrived who was so talkative.
Ruolin didn't ask why, because she knew Han Haoxuan was always very jealous, and he was probably still upset that she had made Mu Jingyan wait for her earlier.
"You stingy guy!" Ruolin laughed at him.
"I doubt there's another man in the world more magnanimous than me."
"A megalomaniac."
Han Haoxuan chuckled lightly but did not respond.
"Did you smoke just now?" Ruolin asked Han Haoxuan.
"Um."
"Didn't you say smoking is bad for your health? Why do you still smoke?" Ruolin questioned. Under her supervision, he had almost quit smoking and rarely smoked anymore.
Han Haoxuan didn't say anything and turned on the air conditioner.
Only God knows what Han Haoxuan just witnessed!
He was getting bored waiting in the car. He checked his watch and realized he had been waiting for an hour. He decided to go upstairs to pick up Ruolin and remind her that it was time.
However, as soon as he arrived on the second floor, he saw a scene that shocked him to the core—his beloved woman, Shen Ruolin, was opening her mouth to receive a dish from the man he had always hated!
At that moment, Han Haoxuan wished he were blind, or that he was seeing things wrong.
But from his angle, he could see it all clearly: Ruolin, wearing the light blue cardigan he had carefully chosen for her, was smiling broadly as she ate the food that man had served her with his chopsticks! Good heavens! Wasn't this an indirect kiss? They were actually feeding each other!
He was about to explode, wanting to rush forward and yell at them as "shameless scumbags," but he held back. He didn't believe that their intimacy last night was fake, nor did he believe that Ruolin's claim of loving him was false. He told himself, "Stay calm, stay calm, Ruolin must have her own reasons." But another voice said, "Who knows what reason there is for having ambiguous behavior with men other than her boyfriend?"
Later, reason told him that today was Ruolin's birthday, the first birthday he had spent with her. No matter what, he wanted to make her happy, not angry, and certainly not make her cry.
So, in the end, Han Haoxuan managed to suppress his emotions, walked downstairs without saying a word, returned to his car, took out a cigarette, lit it, and tried to relieve his suppressed feelings.
Although Han Haoxuan had opened the window before Ruolin returned, and the smell of smoke in the car had already faded, Ruolin, with her sensitive nose, still managed to smell him smoking.
"Are you smoking because you're in a bad mood? What's wrong?" Ruolin asked.
Han Haoxuan slammed on the brakes, bringing the car to a stop. Then he grabbed Ruolin and kissed her passionately. The kiss wasn't sweet, nor was it as gentle as usual; it was like a storm, coming so suddenly that it caught her off guard. Ruolin even felt that Han Haoxuan wasn't kissing her, but rather gently biting her.
He kissed her fiercely and forcefully, as if he wanted to devour her. He kissed her so hard that she couldn't breathe and forgot herself.
Ruolin didn't know what was wrong with him. She wondered why he was acting so strangely today. He was jealous sometimes, but never this intensely! Could it be...? She didn't dare to think any further.
Chapter 57
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The kiss, which had been like a storm, finally ended, and Ruolin was able to catch her breath and breathe some fresh air.
"Ruolin, when you went to the restaurant just now..." Han Haoxuan looked at Ruolin with a strange gaze as he spoke, a gaze that gave Ruolin a chill. She was terrified that he would say he had followed her upstairs, and her heart was in her throat. Although she and Mu Jingyan hadn't done anything shady, their actions looked quite intimate, and it was hard to guarantee that Han Haoxuan wouldn't be jealous.
Han Haoxuan continued, "A close friend of mine called and told me his fiancée passed away. I knew her too. The thought of two people in love not being able to be together, of such a young, beautiful life just vanishing like smoke, really upset me. That's why I reacted so erratically just now. I'm sorry, Ruolin… I'm just afraid of losing you. I want us to cherish every day." Han Haoxuan reached out and gently smoothed Ruolin's slightly disheveled hair. Today was her birthday, and he couldn't mess it up. He had to stick to the original plan and give her a perfect birthday filled with sweet memories. So, he had to lie, he had to endure it.
"I didn't expect you to be so sentimental." Ruolin smiled awkwardly, a huge weight lifted from her heart.
After that, as if nothing had happened, Han Haoxuan continued driving to the villa by the sea.
D City is a coastal city with beautiful scenery. Han Haoxuan rented a villa by the sea in advance for Ruolin's birthday.
It was already night when we arrived at the villa.
The villa is luxuriously decorated, with warm yellow lighting that creates a cozy and romantic atmosphere.
Ruolin gently pushed open the window, and a salty, damp smell immediately rushed in.
The night view was beautiful; the vast sea shimmered with dappled lights, and a gentle breeze created tiny ripples. Where the sea met the sky, a thin mist seemed to hang in the air, creating a hazy, indistinct expanse.
The white curtains were lifted by a corner in the wind, rising slowly before gently falling back down, like a dream.
Casting her gaze upon the vast sea, Ruolin's heart suddenly felt distant. At that moment, the world seemed to fall into an ethereal silence, which she found captivating.
Suddenly, a pair of hands wrapped around her waist, and Ruolin was startled. This person's sudden appearance seemed to shatter her clear mind at that moment.
It was obvious who the visitor was.