ORCBRB – Chapter 47
Chapter 47
On the way home, Sang Shi'an was on pins and needles.
While waiting at a red light, Jian Cenyu received a call from Jian Zhihuan, urging her to get there sooner. She answered briefly and, as she hung up, noticed Sang Shi'an's gaze. “An'an, is there a flower on my face?”
Caught red-handed, Sang Shi'an blushed. “I wasn't looking at you.”
Jian Cenyu asked her, “You haven't eaten since you woke up at noon. Are you hungry?”
Sang Shi'an said, “My stomach isn't hungry.”
Jian Cenyu turned back, and the moment their eyes met, Sang Shi'an felt her stomach protest. She subtly pursed her lips.
Before the next intersection, Jian Cenyu turned on her signal and went to a nearby private bakery to buy a small cake.
But she didn't start the car right away. Jian Cenyu placed the cake box under the windshield and leaned over. Sang Shi'an immediately grew nervous and glanced outside the car. “Don't get handsy in public.”
Jian Cenyu smiled inexplicably. “So it's okay if it's not in public?”
“Don't twist my words,” Sang Shi'an said.
“What I said at home just now was from the heart,” Jian Cenyu said seriously. “I wasn't lying to you.”
‘I kept forgetting to tell you, you looked especially beautiful when you wore those clothes back then. That's why I liked you at first sight.’
Sang Shi'an couldn't believe Jian Cenyu dared to bring this up again. She stared at Jian Cenyu for three seconds, then parted her lips coolly. “Anyone would like someone wearing those clothes. Have you never been to a comic convention?”
Jian Cenyu shook her head. “I haven't, but I…”
Sang Shi'an immediately unbuckled her seatbelt and pushed the door open to get out.
There was a subway entrance nearby. On weekends in Yancheng, traffic was congested from morning till night, but there weren't many people at the subway security check. Hearing footsteps chasing after her, Sang Shi'an slowed down before the security checkpoint, letting others line up ahead of her until Jian Cenyu grabbed her hand.
“Slow down, I almost couldn't catch up to you.”
Without turning her head, Sang Shi'an walked straight to the entrance gate. The footsteps behind her stopped. Jian Cenyu was watching and following the sticker instructions to open her Alipay QR code.
The thought that Jian Cenyu had been abroad for four years and this might be her first time taking the subway since returning, not yet accustomed to the country's ever-changing technological advancements, made Sang Shi'an unable to hold back a “Pfft.”
Jian Cenyu gave her a helpless look.
“I used to buy tickets.”
Sang Shi'an pointed to the ticket machines that had been moved to a remote corner. “You can go there too.”
If Jian Cenyu walked away, Sang Shi'an might actually run off. Jian Cenyu consecutively tapped “allow authorization” in Alipay, and finally, the entry QR code popped up. After scanning the code and walking through, Jian Cenyu breathed a sigh of relief, walked to Sang Shi'an's side, and took her hand. “Sorry, it's been a while since I've been to a subway station.”
They were at a station that served as a junction for several subway lines. Afraid that Jian Cenyu would get lost, Sang Shi'an only glanced once before letting Jian Cenyu hold her hand.
She said coolly, “Behave yourself.”
Jian Cenyu nodded sincerely and held her hand even tighter. “I won't cause you any trouble.”
This was clearly meant to provoke her. Sang Shi'an retorted with cold sarcasm, “The young lady of the Jian family is truly different. What an eye-opener.”
Jian Cenyu chuckled softly and said, “Yes, An'an has grown up and can even take care of me now. I remember when Line 12 was first built, your family was invited for a trial run, and I was the one who carried you on.”
Sang Shi'an was speechless.
What ancient history was this?
When they were kids, a three-year age gap meant a significant height difference. Back then, she had complained that the subway seats were too cold and insisted on being held by Jian Cenyu. She never expected it to be brought up so many years later.
This comment shut Sang Shi'an down completely. After boarding the subway, she quietly stared out at the dim underground tunnel.
As they passed the Convention and Exhibition Center station, the subway car jolted slightly. Jian Cenyu wrapped an arm around Sang Shi'an's shoulder and asked, “Were those clothes bought at the comic convention at the exhibition center last time?”
Sang Shi'an didn't deny it. “Yes.”
“The girl who sold me the clothes was wearing a cat costume. I saw you glance at her several times and thought you liked her.”
Jian Cenyu rubbed Sang Shi'an's shoulder. “You're spreading rumors.”
Sang Shi'an knew it, but hearing it from Jian Cenyu's mouth, she still couldn't suppress the corner of her lips from turning up.
Then she heard Jian Cenyu whisper in her ear, “I saw you smiling so happily back then, that's why I looked at her a few more times. After all, your attitude towards me was so distant at the time.”
Newly boarded passengers quickly filled the car. The train started moving again. After confirming there was no one she needed to give her seat to, Sang Shi'an continued to sit comfortably. “Well, we were living under the same roof, and you had been abroad for four years. Who knew if you'd turn into some kind of perverted female tenant? I had to be on guard.”
Jian Cenyu chuckled. “...Is my character that bad in your eyes?”
“How would I know? We've only been living together for a few months.” Sang Shi'an hummed lightly, then deliberately added, “After all, Cenyu Jiejie would fall for someone just because of a cat video from an unknown source.”
Jian Cenyu turned to look at her in disbelief, gently pushing Sang Shi'an's head. “I wasn't joking about that.”
Sang Shi'an was completely unaffected. “Mhm, of course I know you like Kitty.”
Jian Cenyu's gaze fell, moving from Sang Shi'an's shifting eyes to her slightly parted lips, then back to her eyes, watching her quietly without a word.
The subway was filled with the buzz of conversations. Sang Shi'an suddenly met this gaze, and her hand instinctively tightened. “...What, when I offered to compensate you before, you were the one who said no. There are so many people here, I'm warning you, assault is illegal.”
“You know I like Kitty, huh?” Jian Cenyu lowered her voice.
Sang Shi'an unconsciously swallowed. “Isn't that already in the past—”
Jian Cenyu seemed to agree. “Forget it. You're hungry, so you should talk less. You'll get hypoglycemia again.”
Sang Shi'an looked at her for two seconds, and seeing nothing unusual, she replied dryly, “Oh.”
The subway station was a ten-minute drive from the Sang family home, and even taking a shortcut on foot wouldn't take twenty minutes. But Sang Shi'an was delicate and had called the family driver before getting off the subway.
When she arrived home, her car pulled in just behind Sang Shiyue's. She went over to probe Sang Shiyue about their parents' reaction, but he grabbed her. “Why do I feel like it's not me who's breaking off the engagement, but you who's about to be interrogated by Mom and Dad? Is your brother's drama that entertaining?”
Sang Shi'an said guiltily, “I just want to help put in a good word for you two later.”
Sang Shiyue smiled leisurely. “No need. Just go and rest.”
Her sincere offer slighted, Sang Shi'an pushed him away and went to find Jian Cenyu.
Sang Shiyue glanced at Sang Shi'an, a playful smile on his lips. “You're so old, why haven't you changed your childhood habits? If your Cenyu Jiejie doesn't marry me, she'll have other suitors. What will you do then when you can't even get through her front door?”
Sang Shi'an's eyes widened, and she hissed at him, “None of your business!”
Sang Shiyue crossed his arms and looked at Jian Cenyu. “Didn't you hear everything that night? You should really change that temper of yours. No wonder the person you like doesn't like you back. All you can do is pine from afar.”
Sang Shi'an shouted, “Mom—”
Sang Shiyue immediately covered her mouth, pointing at her several times with his other hand. “Sang Shi'an, you can't do that.”
Sang Shi'an's eyes were defiant as she glanced down at his hand.
Sang Shiyue let go and made a gesture of surrender. “You win. I won't say any more.”
Watching Sang Shiyue's retreating back, Sang Shi'an couldn't help but burst out laughing.
The cold wind rushed into her throat, and Sang Shi'an coughed from laughing so hard, until a hand patted her on the back. Only then did Sang Shi'an belatedly realize that Jian Cenyu had also heard their conversation.
Sure enough, the first thing Jian Cenyu said was, “That older brother you like, have you mentioned him to your brother too?”
“Yeah.” Sang Shi'an's voice grew heavier. “Didn't I tell you before? Did you think I was lying to you?”
“You said before that you've known this person for many years, that he's older than you, and that he's likely getting married soon.” Jian Cenyu listed off everything Sang Shi'an had said, one by one.
Sang Shi'an: “...Mhm.”
As she finished speaking, Jian Cenyu unexpectedly reached out and turned her by the shoulders to face her.
Sang Shi'an suddenly found herself face-to-face with Jian Cenyu's direct gaze and heard her say, “Why do I feel that, aside from the gender I initially assumed, all the other conditions match me perfectly?”
Sang Shi'an almost instinctively opened her mouth to deny it, but Jian Cenyu pressed a finger to her lips. “If you inhale any more cold air and start coughing, you won't be able to bear it.”
Sang Shi'an's throat did hurt a little. The temperature outside was too low, and every word she spoke felt like a knife cut.
She held her breath until they were inside and she had taken off her coat. Then, she mumbled as she kicked the side of Jian Cenyu's shoe, “Jian Cenyu, don't be so narcissistic.”
In the living room, Sang Shi'an's mother was chatting with Jian Cenyu's father. Seeing the two of them, she waved them over.
“Where's Dad?” Sang Shi'an looked around but didn't see him.
Ren Li explained, “He went to the neighboring province for a meeting. The leadership team over there just had a complete overhaul.”
The rest didn't need to be explained.
“Do they have a grudge against our family?” Sang Shi'an probed.
“Not at all, otherwise I wouldn't have stayed home.” Ren Li had always been in charge of Shengyu Corporation's legal affairs, handling everything from every contract in the CEO's office to major economic disputes and stock market operations.
Sang Shi'an's father could easily pass the CEO position to Sang Shiyue, but they still hadn't found a suitable successor for the legal department.
Sang Shi'an linked her arm with Ren Li's and said with exaggerated praise, “I just knew that with Mom around, something like that would never happen.”
Ren Li glanced at Jian Zhihuan and Jian Cenyu sitting beside them and scolded her with a smile, “We have guests.”
Sang Shi'an immediately sat up straight and greeted, “Uncle Jian.”
Then she asked, “Where's Auntie Luo?”
This time, it was Jian Cenyu who answered. “Mom went to Australia to recuperate. There's a dedicated medical team there, and the environment is better.”
Jian Cenyu's mother had a chronic kidney condition and couldn't have a second child after giving birth to Jian Cenyu. This was why the old-fashioned Old Master Jian, despite having handed Jian Corporation over to Jian Zhihuan, had still indulged his grandson Jian Zhenyang's actions all these years.
Jian Corporation, like many family businesses, was in an awkward transitional period of power. If Jian Zhihuan had built Jian Corporation from scratch, the rightful heir would be Jian Cenyu.
But he had taken over from Old Master Jian, and the company's shares were scattered among his brothers. If Old Master Jian left all his remaining shares to Jian Zhenyang, it was hard to say who would be in charge of Jian Corporation next. Jian Zhihuan valued family ties, but he was also trying to keep the old man stable.
That was why he had readily agreed when the old master proposed the marriage alliance.
Perhaps in his view, the marriage would benefit both families and help Jian Cenyu secure her footing and gain more leverage within Jian Corporation.
But whenever Sang Shi'an thought about how Old Master Jian's original intention for this marriage was for Jian Zhenyang's sake, all other benefits were chewed up and swallowed, leaving only a belly full of anger.
It was a good thing Auntie Luo had been sent to Australia to recuperate, saving her from having to deal with these frustrating matters.
With the two families gathered here today, the topic of the marriage alliance was unavoidable. Since neither of the younger generation was willing, Ren Li, being a smart woman, skipped right over it and started talking about the cooperation between their two companies.
“I heard Cenyu's research paper was accepted by Nature. How are the clinical trials going? Are they proceeding smoothly?”
Jian Cenyu was noncommittal. “Theoretically, it's already a success. Clinically, even with the relevant reagents, cancer can't be cured that quickly. We still have to wait.”
Ren Li nodded. “Even a fever can keep you in bed for a week. A full recovery from such a major illness certainly needs time for verification. China has a population advantage, and many pharmaceutical companies just rest on their laurels. Even if they just replicate the formulas of original drugs developed abroad, the population base is large enough to sustain a company. Cancer has always been a difficult problem for the medical community both at home and abroad. Once there's a breakthrough, the potential is immeasurable. You had great foresight and ability to start researching this area early on.”
Jian Cenyu smiled and accepted the floral tea Ren Li handed her. “You're too kind. I only started researching this because I happened to follow my mentor's project in the UK.”
Ren Li greatly admired Jian Cenyu, to the point that she didn't even see her as a junior of Sang Shiyue's age. She affectionately patted the back of Jian Cenyu's hand and said, “If you ever run into any trouble, you can always come to me.”
For an entrepreneur to tell a researcher, who was constrained by her family business and preparing to strike out on her own, that she could come to her for help was a tacit understanding. Jian Cenyu smiled humbly and replied, “Thank you, Auntie Ren.”
At this, the look on Jian Zhihuan's face as he looked at his daughter became even more complicated.
Sang Shi'an took all this in and secretly sent a message to Sang Shiyue on her phone: [What do I do? I feel like Mom is about to adopt Cenyu Jiejie as her goddaughter. Uncle Jian's face is turning black.]
Sang Shiyue gave her a helpless look and replied on WeChat: [This is Uncle Jian's own problem. He can't let go of decades of brotherly affection. It's good to put some pressure on him. Otherwise, who will Jian Corporation listen to in the end, Jian Cenyu or Jian Zhenyang?]
Sang Shi'an: [If Jian Zhenyang really gets propped up by Grandpa Jian, you'll lose a lot of money, right?]
[I saw those collaborative projects when I looked at the financial statements last time.]
Sang Shiyue: [That's none of your business.]
Sang Shi'an said matter-of-factly: [If you lose money, won't it affect my stock dividends? Will you make up for the money I lose?]
Sang Shiyue: [Sure.]
[I'll add it to your dowry.]
Sang Shi'an: ...
She lost, she lost. She'd rather not have the money.
When the time was right, dinner was served. The portions for each dish were small, but the plates and bowls were all exquisite. During the meal, the conversation turned to Sang Shi'an's studies, and Jian Zhihuan asked if Sang Shi'an had any plans to study abroad.
Sang Shi'an's independence was abysmal. The reason she had fought so hard to get into Yanjing University was because she couldn't bear the hardship of going overseas. She immediately looked to Sang Shiyue for help.
Sang Shiyue put down his chopsticks, toasted Jian Zhihuan, and said, “Finance is one of Yanjing University's strengths, and its QS ranking is among the top in the world. If she were to go abroad, she'd have to choose from places like Harvard, Stanford, or Oxford. But going for a master's degree might make it difficult to adapt to the Western academic background and teaching models. And please don't laugh, but our family is quite worried she'll fall for a foreigner and never come back.”
Sang Shi'an retorted, “I'm not that love-struck.”
Sang Shiyue shot her a look, almost blurting out the story of her unrequited love.
Ren Li smoothed things over with a smile. “That's up to her. If she's willing, going abroad for a few years would be good. Just like Cenyu, she came back after a few years and has become such a grown-up young woman. I wonder when our An'an will ever mature.”
Jian Cenyu looked at Sang Shi'an, her gaze meeting Sang Shi'an's. She smiled faintly and said politely and with praise, “She's very outstanding at school. If she maintains her current grades, along with the activities and competitions she participates in, her chances of getting into Harvard are not small.”
Hearing this, the smile on Ren Li's face grew even wider, filled with pride for her child. “Is that so? I've been a negligent mother. Her father and I were just talking before his business trip, saying that An'an doesn't seem very interested in this major or the family business.”
After she spoke, Sang Shi'an blinked slowly, neither agreeing nor refuting.
Ren Li looked at Jian Cenyu. “I think she gets along better with you. Cenyu, would it be convenient for you to mentor her during the winter break?”
Jian Cenyu looked at Sang Shi'an with a questioning gaze.
Sang Shi'an's eyes darted around, so she simply lowered her gaze.
Jian Cenyu took the opportunity to say, “I do have to go to Jian Corporation during the winter break. If An'an is willing, I can take her along to familiarize her with the company's operations.”
Sang Shi'an tightened her grip on her spoon, understanding the deeper meaning behind her mother's words. She said expressionlessly, “We'll see when the time comes.”
After dinner, Sang Shi'an went to the fridge to pick out some fruit. When she came out, she saw that everyone had been called into the study by her mother. The door was left ajar, intentionally for Sang Shi'an.
As Sang Shi'an reached the doorway, she heard Jian Zhenyang's name mentioned again. Just as she was about to listen more closely, she ran into Jian Cenyu, who was coming out to answer a call.
Sang Shi'an moved aside, but Jian Cenyu pulled her upstairs.
All the way into her room.
The phone's ringing had stopped on the stairs. As the door closed, Sang Shi'an was still concerned. “Aren't you going to answer your phone?”
Jian Cenyu opened her phone and swiped to the call log.
It was an unknown number from overseas.
“It's not important.”
Sang Shi'an was puzzled. “Then why did you come out?”
Under the faint light of the phone screen, Jian Cenyu's pupils looked exceptionally dark. Sang Shi'an understood almost instantly. “You came out to find me?”
Jian Cenyu's tone was slightly weary. “Yes. My father seems to still want to push for the marriage alliance. Your brother should be hiding out soon too.”
Jian Zhihuan had managed Jian Corporation for so many years; he wasn't a blindly filial person. It was unlikely he would push for the marriage after Jian Cenyu had already refused.
It was also a matter of face.
The only explanation was that he had encountered something even more troublesome that would make him lose face.
Anger welled up in Sang Shi'an. “Did Jian Zhenyang and the others do something to affect the entire company again? No wonder my mom just suggested I go to your place for an internship during winter break to be a mascot.”
Hearing her describe herself like that, Jian Cenyu couldn't help but laugh. “It is a bit tricky. The company has two bank credit lines that are about to expire and need to be repaid.”
It was impossible for the finance department not to have prepared for this in advance. With a little thought, Sang Shi'an figured out the key point. “The funds that were originally prepared were misappropriated?”
“Jian Zhenyang lost money gambling overseas and was detained. My uncle, anxious to save his son, used a sum of public funds with my grandfather's permission.”
Sang Shi'an couldn't help but curse. “Right. You can't exactly have the police arrest your grandfather.”
Jian Cenyu nodded. “That's the logic.”
“Why are relatives so much trouble?” Sang Shi'an frowned tightly. “Why do you guys always have to clean up Jian Zhenyang's messes? Can I hire someone to dump him on a deserted island?”
Jian Cenyu chuckled softly again. The phone's auto-lock timed out, and the light vanished, plunging them into darkness.
Sang Shi'an turned to find the light switch but was stopped by Jian Cenyu grabbing her wrist. “You can't do that. Confining someone against their will is illegal.”
The warmth of her palm traveled through the delicate texture of her skin. Sang Shi'an thought to herself that the police couldn't do anything if he was overseas. And what she thought, she said.
“So An'an cares about me this much? You got into a fight for me last time, and now you're willing to hire a hitman for me. How should I thank you? How about I offer myself to you?”
The last two words, ‘how about,’ carried a rising inflection. At such a close distance, her voice was inexplicably husky, impossible to escape.
Sang Shi'an swallowed with difficulty and said, “I was joking. It would be such a waste of money to buy an island for a scumbag like Jian Zhenyang.”
“That's true. It's not necessary for Jian Zhenyang.” Jian Cenyu's other hand loosely circled Sang Shi'an's waist, pulling her closer. The voice that fell by Sang Shi'an's ear was even softer. “But I appreciate the sentiment of your concern for me.”
Sang Shi'an stood up straight, using her other hand to search for the room's light switch, and said perfunctorily, “Mhm, my mom was just praising you. Considering we've known each other since we were kids, if your research really makes money, remember to give me a chance to invest.”
Jian Cenyu replied, “Mhm.”
“Don't you mind the dark? Let me turn on a light first.”
“Why turn on the light? Don't you think this feels a lot like having an affair?”
“Jian Cenyu, are you treating me like Kitty again? This is my house, don't talk nonsense.”
“Mhm.” There was a smile in Jian Cenyu's voice, as if she was in a very good mood. And because of Sang Shi'an's words, the hand that had been loosely holding her tightened, pulling Sang Shi'an into her embrace.
With the lights off, Sang Shi'an's vision was blocked. She could smell the warmth from Jian Cenyu's body, and even the faint, elegant scent of her perfume became ambiguous.
Jian Cenyu suddenly called her name in a deep voice, “An'an.”
If Sang Shi'an still didn't understand this tone after being kissed twice, she would truly be an idiot.
She immediately pushed Jian Cenyu away. “This is my house, don't you dare try anything.”
Before Jian Cenyu could speak, Sang Shi'an had already fumbled her way further into the dark room, not even having the mental energy to turn on the light.
She thought to herself that Jian Cenyu had finally been normal for a whole day, and now her post-breakup syndrome was acting up again. When would she ever fix this habit of treating her like Kitty?
Before Jian Cenyu went abroad, she had tutored Sang Shi'an in this room countless times and had stayed over many nights. She was no less familiar with the room's layout than Sang Shi'an. She quickly caught up and grabbed her.
Caught off guard, Sang Shi'an stumbled forward, pulling Jian Cenyu down onto the bed with her. Before she could react, she was flipped over and her lips were captured in a kiss.
Sang Shi'an hadn't expected Jian Cenyu to actually do this. “Hey, you—”
Before she could finish, her lips were pressed tight again. Jian Cenyu expertly parted her teeth, her tongue tangling with hers, the scorching heat pressing against her tongue, grinding slowly.
Sang Shi'an's hands were pinned down. Unable to bear it, she raised her leg to kick. It seemed to connect solidly with Jian Cenyu's calf, and Jian Cenyu let out a soft, muffled sound of endurance. Sang Shi'an immediately dared not move again.
Jian Cenyu took the opportunity to press Sang Shi'an down firmly once more.
By the time she came to her senses, her lips were already wet and sticky from the kissing, constantly being caressed, sucked, and then melting into a lingering entanglement.
Faint wet sounds spread across the bed. Sang Shi'an had gone completely soft, her pinned legs having almost no strength left for a second attempt at resistance. Only one thought crossed her mind—she hoped her family wouldn't come looking for her right now.
“Ah… Jian Cenyu—” In all her life, Sang Shi'an's first real kiss had been just last night. She really couldn't handle this kind of overly intimate kiss from Jian Cenyu.
Furious, Sang Shi'an opened her mouth to bite. Jian Cenyu let her bite down, her jaw tightening, as if betting that Sang Shi'an wouldn't dare to use real force. Unhurriedly, she found an opportunity to hook Sang Shi'an's tongue again, kissing her in a way that was airtight, tangling and pulling, extremely possessive.
In a pause between kisses, Jian Cenyu tilted her head, brushing aside the strands of hair that had fallen by her lips, and resumed kissing in a more comfortable position, their bodies pressed even closer together.
“Jian Cenyu… you're not allowed, you're so mean…”
“You're right. Now this feels more like we're having an affair,” Jian Cenyu's voice was moist, laced with delighted laughter.
“You…”
Jian Cenyu didn't give Sang Shi'an much chance to curse. The kiss descended again, the ambiguous sounds continuing. The hand holding Sang Shi'an's wrist loosened, gently rubbing her palm to soothe her, and the kiss slowed, taking on a tender quality.
Sang Shi'an couldn't quite withstand this kind of kiss. Every caress felt like it was licking her heart. Sang Shi'an's entire worldview was about to be licked away. Their hot breaths mingled, exchanged between them, and the physiological pleasure made her whole body tingle unbearably.
Sang Shi'an was defeated once again, holding back tears as she crumpled the fabric on Jian Cenyu's shoulder.
The kiss lasted a long time. When it ended, Jian Cenyu caressed Sang Shi'an's face, her long fingertips brushing past the moisture under Sang Shi'an's eyes. “Why are you crying again?”
Sang Shi'an held it in and held it in, the grievance unspeakable. The faint moonlight from the window illuminated her moist, tightly pressed lips, as if she were about to burst into tears at any second.
“I told you not to treat me like Kitty. If you keep doing this, I'm really going to get angry.”
Sang Shi'an's voice was already hoarse from the kissing, and her fierce tone had no deterrent effect whatsoever.
It was at this moment that Jian Cenyu finally, belatedly, understood the reason for Sang Shi'an's awkwardness.
All day long, Sang Shi'an had been trying to differentiate herself from Kitty. Jian Cenyu had initially thought it was just because Sang Shi'an was thin-skinned and didn't want to admit she had done those things, nor did she want her to bring them up again.
But now, Jian Cenyu realized that didn't seem to be the case.
She asked tentatively, “Do you think I'm treating you as Kitty?”
Sang Shi'an sniffled. “What else?”
Jian Cenyu felt she was getting closer to the answer. She asked again, “So you keep emphasizing that you're not Kitty because you think I'm treating you as a substitute for Kitty, and that's why you're angry?”
It sounded a bit strange, since ultimately, Sang Shi'an and Kitty were the same person. But when it came to love, there was no room for even a grain of sand. Even if the substitute was oneself, it was absolutely unacceptable.
Besides, Sang Shi'an was Sang Shi'an. She couldn't possibly change her own preferences and personality to become Kitty just to win over Jian Cenyu.
“You and Kitty have already broken up. This isn't a divorce; it doesn't require both people to agree. Don't try to trick me.” Sang Shi'an's mind was working quickly now, and she warned word by word, “Jian Cenyu, don't even think about using me as a substitute for Kitty.”
The fog in her mind finally cleared at that moment. Jian Cenyu slowed her breathing. “What if I told you that ever since I found out Kitty was you, I have never once confused the two of you?”
Sang Shi'an poked Jian Cenyu's chest. “Didn't you only find out it was me after you broke up and checked Kitty's real name on WeChat? You had already confessed to Kitty and gotten together. Don't tell me you fell out of love and into love with someone else in one night? Who are you trying to fool?”
Jian Cenyu didn't correct Sang Shi'an's words. She looked deeply at her, suppressing her pounding heart. “You can interpret my previous liking as admiration. After all, I had never seen Kitty's face, nor did I know her in real life.”
Sang Shi'an's eyelashes fluttered visibly fast. “Then you're such a player.”
Jian Cenyu said, “Just think of it as me not having many friends at school, being disliked by you at home, and when Kitty confessed to me, I just couldn't bear to refuse.”
Sang Shi'an was reluctantly satisfied, but she didn't forget to mock her. “Ah, you're so pitiful.”
Jian Cenyu smiled and didn't argue.
“But…” After a moment, Sang Shi'an said faintly, “But didn't you break off the engagement with my brother specifically for Kitty?”
Jian Cenyu was speechless.
Jian Cenyu felt that once she concealed the fact that she knew Kitty was Sang Shi'an from the beginning, the lies she had to tell just kept piling up.
But if she told Sang Shi'an the truth—that she knew all along—Sang Shi'an would probably be so mortified that she would cut off all ties with her.
Her silence made Sang Shi'an think she had caught her. She reached out and started shaking her shoulders. “The engagement, huh? Tell me, explain yourself.”
Unable to take Sang Shi'an's shaking, Jian Cenyu suddenly lowered herself again.
Meeting her gaze, Sang Shi'an's hands trembled. She thought: Is Jian Cenyu going to kiss me again?
“You—”
But Jian Cenyu only met her eyes at close range and recited in a calm voice, “Because a certain someone insisted I give her a gift that no one else could give, pretended to kiss me by mistake, and on top of that, I don't know how many times she ‘tripped’ on her sprained ankle and fell into my arms over a few days. If I didn't make things clear with Sang Shiyue, I was worried that certain someone's ankle would get genuinely injured.”
‘Certain someone’ shrank back and fell silent.
Jian Cenyu saw Sang Shi'an's bright red ear tips and smiled. “If I wasn't willing, have you ever seen anyone get close to me and do those things?”
Sang Shi'an mumbled a small “mhm, mhm, mhm,” continuing to avoid Jian Cenyu's gaze.
“I didn't originally plan to make things clear with you so soon, but I was afraid you'd overthink things. I also realized I'm not as restrained and rational as I thought. I really couldn't hold back anymore.”
What she ‘couldn't hold back’ referred to was something Sang Shi'an's still-moist lips knew best.
“Although you and Kitty are the same person, I have never confused you two, nor will I treat you as a substitute for her after losing her.”
“Sang Shi'an, I was serious when I said I hope you can try to get to know me better.”
“I'm currently single, have no bad habits, and am not bound by any family-mandated marriage alliance. You know my only past relationship history. My family situation is a bit messy, but I will resolve it as soon as possible. We've known each other for many years, and I believe I understand you better than most people and can take good care of you.”
With every sentence Jian Cenyu spoke, Sang Shi'an's heart beat a second faster.
It gradually became deafening.
“Since I have so many similarities with that older brother you like—”
Jian Cenyu lowered her head, her gaze devout.
“Stop liking him. Try to like me, okay?”
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