ORCBRB – Chapter 46
Chapter 46
For the sake of the “patient,” Jian Cenyu indeed didn’t argue with Sang Shi'an any further. She turned, took some ingredients from the refrigerator, and placed them on the counter.
She was only wearing a silk pajama set, having changed out of last night's nightgown at some point. She slowly rolled up her sleeves, revealing a section of her fair, smooth forearm.
Sang Shi'an propped her head up higher to get a better view.
Though it was a very domestic task, Jian Cenyu still performed it with extreme elegance. Every angle of her stir-frying seemed precisely calculated, and she plated the food the exact second before it would start to burn.
Perhaps her gaze lingered for too long. After grilling the steak, Jian Cenyu turned to look at her, a subtle, profound meaning in her eyes.
Sang Shi'an grabbed the nearby cup of hot water and lowered her head, playing dead.
Before long, a bowl of beef noodles garnished with small, emerald-green vegetables was placed in front of Sang Shi'an. She tasted it, and the critical words she had prepared found no use. She could only say faintly, “It's okay.”
Even after Jian Cenyu moved in, their kitchen showed almost no signs of use. The housekeeping auntie came every few days to clean and restock ingredients, but the number of times they were used was pitifully small.
The smile on Jian Cenyu's lips was fleeting. She said gently, “Then have a few more bites.”
Sang Shi'an gave a casual reply. As she ate breakfast face-to-face with Jian Cenyu, the atmosphere at the table gradually grew peaceful, becoming somewhat warm and cozy.
Buoyed by this atmosphere, Sang Shi'an's courage grew. She tentatively brought up the topic: “Did you understand what I told you just now?”
“So, I made it very clear to you last night. I only did it to stop you from getting together with my brother. Kitty was a persona I made up; that's not me. Besides, you don't actually like men, right? So you were deceiving me first. If you're still unhappy, I can give you other compensation.”
Sang Shi'an paused, recalling the two kisses that had far exceeded her imagination. Trying to cover her tracks, she added, “Material and financial compensation.”
Jian Cenyu replied, “Mm.”
Sang Shi'an's tense heart relaxed. “So you can't do that kind of thing to me anymore. You and Kitty are over, but you and I never even started, understand?”
Especially doing that kind of thing while treating her as Kitty.
This time, Jian Cenyu didn't answer. Her eyelashes lowered, and the steam rising from the noodle bowl made her face appear somewhat blurry.
The heart that Sang Shi'an had just managed to relax was now on edge again.
Could it be... that Jian Cenyu really has deep feelings for Kitty?
It made sense. Jian Cenyu was usually such a proper person, a perfect model of the Jian family's upbringing in every aspect. Only when facing Kitty did she become emotional, like a living person.
So that's why she kissed her last night after thinking she had lost and then found her again. And the kiss just now was probably another stress reaction from being too afraid of losing her?
If Su Ningyue were sitting opposite her right now, Sang Shi'an might have recommended she see a therapist to sort things out. But she was the cause of Jian Cenyu's stress reaction, which made it all too cruel.
Sang Shi'an took a step back voluntarily and said with considerable annoyance, “Just consider it my debt to you. I'm not an irresponsible person. If you really can't stand losing Kitty, you can look at me a few more times. But you have to face reality. We are not in any kind of romantic relationship. We're just friends, or I'm your younger sister, understand?”
Hearing this, Jian Cenyu showed no trace of dissatisfaction. Instead, she asked, “Then during this time, can you get to know me again?”
The moment Sang Shi'an heard the words “get to know,” she thought of what Jian Cenyu had done last night to make her “get to know” her. She immediately turned her face away and said perfunctorily, “What is there that I don't know about you?”
The light in Jian Cenyu's eyes dimmed again. Sang Shi'an was at a loss and could only try to remedy the situation, “I get it. I'll observe you more.”
Jian Cenyu acknowledged with a sound and lowered her head to continue eating her noodles.
Sang Shi'an's gaze couldn't help but drift toward Jian Cenyu. She ate her bowl of noodles with mixed feelings.
Discovering that Jian Cenyu had fallen for Kitty, wasn't she the one who was heartbroken? How had it turned into her comforting the heartbroken Jian Cenyu?
After breakfast, just as Jian Cenyu was about to help her clear the dishes, Sang Shi'an snatched them up first. “I'm done, I'm done. I can do this myself.”
She hurriedly placed the bowls in the dishwasher and then proactively wiped the table clean.
As if doing so would prevent her from owing Jian Cenyu any more.
Sang Shi'an went straight back to her room to catch up on sleep. When she woke up again, it was already two in the afternoon.
People shouldn't be too idle. Once they have free time, their minds start to wander—for instance, to her strange relationship with Jian Cenyu.
And for another instance, the box of clothes she had dropped in the living room this morning.
Sang Shi'an hurried out of her room and, unsurprisingly, saw that the box had been opened. She didn't know if the clothes inside had been taken out. Jian Cenyu was sitting upright in the study, typing on her keyboard. Her long hair was held up at the back of her head with a claw clip, making her look fresh and capable.
As she got closer, Sang Shi'an noticed that Jian Cenyu had changed clothes again. She was wearing a very formal white shirt.
It looked a bit like the shirt she had worn when changing for her last night.
But the next second, a string of English words that Sang Shi'an didn't understand came from Jian Cenyu's mouth. Her voice was clear and cool, yet extremely rigorous.
Sang Shi'an stopped in her tracks, guessing that Jian Cenyu might be on a video call with someone. She peeked around the screen, showing half her head, and sure enough, she saw Jian Cenyu make a gesture at her.
Sang Shi'an understood and quietly returned to her room first. She turned on her phone, which had been off since last night, and saw a WeChat message from Sang Shiyue sent two hours ago: [Jian Cenyu and her parents are coming over for dinner tonight. You come back too.]
Sang Shi'an thought for a moment. It was probably because Jian Cenyu had told Sang Shiyue last night that they would no longer be pursuing the marriage alliance. Last night was her birthday, so Sang Shiyue must have deliberately waited until today to tell the family.
If the two families couldn't become in-laws, they had to meet soon to prove that their friendship hadn't been damaged.
Then it wouldn't be a treacherous banquet. Sang Shi'an replied with an “Okay” and added a cute sticker.
Thinking of last night's Lamborghini, Sang Shi'an felt her reply was inadequate. She called Sang Shiyue directly and showered him with a free-flowing stream of praises like “good brother” and “best brother,” giving him plenty of emotional validation.
As she was about to hang up, Sang Shiyue asked about when her final exams at school would end.
Sang Shi'an counted on her fingers, “I have three next week, and two scheduled for the week after. But the exam times for Financial Management and Marxist Principles haven't been released yet.”
Sang Shiyue said, “I was originally thinking of having you come to the company when you have time. Mom and Dad have already agreed to let you start taking over those funds and stocks. The dividends from all these years have been saved for you and no one has touched them. There's a lot of paperwork, so it's better to wait until you're completely on winter break.”
Sang Shiyue had mentioned this to her before. They had guests at home yesterday, so Sang Shi'an hadn't asked about it. She didn't expect it to have already been handled.
Originally, as a university student, it didn't make much difference whether they gave her those things now or after she graduated. After all, the family wasn't short on money for her.
But thinking about her recent collaboration with Wen Yansheng, she felt this matter shouldn't be delayed. She stopped Sang Shiyue, “Wait, after the three exams next week, I have five days with no exams. How about I find a day to come see you?”
Sang Shiyue wasn't suspicious. “That works too. The company's lawyers are all here recently. By the time your winter break starts, I might have to send them on assignments abroad.”
Sang Shi'an teased him for a couple of sentences about exploiting people with overseas assignments so close to the end of the year, then hung up.
Just then, Jian Cenyu finished her work and came to knock on her door. “An'an?”
Passing by the walk-in closet, Sang Shi'an tugged at her clothes, making sure she was properly covered, before calmly opening the door. “Are you done?”
Jian Cenyu nodded and gestured for her to follow. “You were looking for those clothes just now, right? The tape on your box came loose after it fell on the floor this morning. I thought it wasn't good to leave them piled on the floor, so I took the liberty of putting them on the sofa.”
As she passed the cardboard box, Sang Shi'an glanced at it and saw that the bottom had indeed split open, so she couldn't say anything more.
“Should I help you find another box for them? Or use a shopping bag?” Jian Cenyu picked up one of the outfits, a vampire cosplay, and turned sideways to ask.
Sang Shi'an remembered how, to match the outfit, she had acted cute on camera, begging Jian Cenyu to bite her. The tips of her ears quietly turned red.
She shook her head, forcibly casting the memory aside, and said calmly, “Just find any opaque bag to put them in. I'll go out and throw them away later.”
Jian Cenyu asked, “You're going to throw these away?”
Sang Shi'an's face grew redder, and she sounded somewhat exasperated. “I already said I'm not the same as Kitty. What are you guessing at now?”
Jian Cenyu's gaze shifted from Sang Shi'an's expressive face to the pile of clothes. Her tone became even gentler. “But you've worn these clothes against your skin. They're clearly women's clothes. If someone with bad intentions were to pick them up, you'd inevitably feel uncomfortable.”
Sang Shi'an was a bit skeptical. “What are the chances of that happening? Don't other girls throw their clothes away like this too?”
Jian Cenyu unfolded the outfit, her hand stroking inch by inch over the gold-dusted light gauze, as if her touch were falling on Sang Shi'an's body.
Sang Shi'an's pupils constricted. She immediately changed her tune, “I get it. I'll just pile them up at home then.”
Jian Cenyu nodded in satisfaction. “I'll find someone to cut them into strips for you another day before throwing them out. Don't donate them.”
Sang Shi'an nodded. “Okay.”
“Or...” Jian Cenyu's voice paused, her tone becoming inexplicably meaningful, “about what I said last night, about letting you get to know me better.”
Sang Shi'an let out an “Ah?” “What does that have to do with the clothes?”
Jian Cenyu said, “I've gotten to know you so many times. Don't you want to get to know me a little better?”
Sang Shi'an said, “That won't be necessary.”
Jian Cenyu reached out and took Sang Shi'an's hand, her voice lowering. “Didn't you say before that you wanted to assimilate me into your vampire clan? I should be able to wear this outfit of yours. It's quite beautiful.”
Her voice was already pleasant to listen to, but especially when she slowed down, it carried a bewitching quality that made one's heart itch. Sang Shi'an was pulled down onto the sofa by Jian Cenyu and nearly jumped back up.
“I only said I wanted to see it back then to fit the scenario! Even if I want to get to know you, I don't need to do it through clothes. I don't want to see it!”
“But the me wearing this outfit would definitely be different from the me you knew before. Just like how your mood when you wear cosplay is completely different from when you wear pajamas. It would reveal many emotions not usually seen. This is also a part of me that you don't know.”
Sang Shi'an held down the vampire costume tightly, not letting herself be talked into it by Jian Cenyu. “This is different, not the same at all! Jian Cenyu, don't even think about tricking me.”
Jian Cenyu smiled. “Alright, our An'an is so smart.”
Sang Shi'an: ...
Sang Shi'an ignored this deliberately coaxing tone and said, “Okay, okay, I'll just assume you're trying to comfort me. I really don't mind anymore, I promise I absolutely won't mind these worn clothes again, alright?”
She turned her face away, pouting slightly in displeasure.
“Alright, then I won't change.” Jian Cenyu knew when to stop.
Sang Shi'an replied with a sound, “I'll put them back in my room first.”
“However,” Jian Cenyu spoke again as she was gathering the clothes, her gaze focused and her tone gentle.
“I kept forgetting to tell you, you were especially beautiful when you wore these clothes back then.”
“That's why I fell for you at first sight.”
Sang Shi'an: ...
Ah!!!
Sang Shi'an suddenly tackled Jian Cenyu, clapping a hand over her mouth. “You're not allowed to talk anymore!”
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