Shoutout to Alinaza for the commission!
Hearing Jiang Se’s reply, Lu Huaiyan pinched her cheek. He didn’t ask why she wouldn’t tell Cen Li the truth, only laughed: “Is that what you told Guo Qian too?”
“Qianqian knows we’re dating.” She glanced at him. “Didn’t you hear her voice message just now?”
“I heard it,” Lu Huaiyan said. “She said I called you ancestor.”
“Right. A hard-to-please and hard-to-serve ancestor.” Jiang Se’s tone was very calm, the kind of calm without any emotion.
Lu Huaiyan chuckled: “Are you going to pull out your little notebook and start keeping score again?”
He turned her body, letting her sit on his lap, and asked: “What’s wrong with me saying a couple things about you? I got dumped out of nowhere, am I not allowed to be a little upset?”
Jiang Se didn’t answer. After a few silent seconds, she suddenly said: “You’ve started smoking again?”
Lu Huaiyan gave a faint “mm”. Leaning back against the cushion, he played with her fingers as he said casually: “I need one addiction to suppress another.”
Jiang Se said nothing.
Seeing her quiet, Lu Huaiyan stopped playing with her fingers. He lifted his eyelids, pulled her by the waist into his arms, and said: “Don’t worry. I won’t smoke anymore.”
Jiang Se knew he wouldn’t.
When he said “a lifetime,” it was a path.
When he said unless he died, it meant this path wouldn’t end.
He meant he wanted to tangle with her for a lifetime.
“Lu Huaiyan, if one day I die first, then this path between us will count as finished.” Her body softened against him, half her face pressing to his shoulder. “You don’t have to stay loyal to me. If you need to walk another path, then walk another path. There’s no addiction that can’t be quit.”
Once someone is dead, who cares about the affairs of the living.
If he insisted on walking this path with her until the end, until life and death parted them, then so be it.
Lu Huaiyan lowered his gaze, raised her face, and quietly looked at her for a few seconds: “Who knows when that will be? And who knows who’ll go first between us? If I die first, are you planning to find another man and walk a few more paths? Jiang Se, I’m not that magnanimous. If I die, don’t even think about forgetting me for the rest of your life.”
Jiang Se didn’t respond.
Silence settled around them.
The only thing making a heavy sound, one loud and one soft, was the Yangtze River not far away, roaring in the moonlight.
The phone rang just then.
It was the food Lu Huaiyan had someone send over. They hadn’t eaten since the afternoon until now, and were already hungry.
Lu Huaiyan pinched her chin and said, “Food’s here for our ancestor.”
And with that, the earlier topic was brushed aside.
The invitation letter Lu Xingqiu sent to Jiang Se was intercepted by Lu Huaiyan.
The old man called Lu Huaiyan angrily the next day, saying that no matter what, Jiang Se should be invited to this recognition banquet.
“Is the reason Sese still won’t accept you because of those rumors about you and Jiayi being arranged to marry?”
Lu Huaiyan was in the office. After sending Jiang Se back to Xinhe Residence in the morning, he had come straight to Lu Corporation headquarters.
In the afternoon, he still needed to take time to go to the manor to see Han Yin. Cen Mingshu’s car was still there, and he needed to help Jiang Se get her car back.
“People from the Cen family will also attend tomorrow’s recognition banquet. Cen Minghong and Ji Yunyi, she doesn’t want to see either of them. And Fu Yun. She was once engaged to Fu Yun, and I don’t want her seeing him either.”
Lu Huaiyan lowered his head flipping through documents, multitasking as he continued to placate Lu Xingqiu: “She didn’t have a happy time in the Cen family. Now she’s finally gotten a bit of freedom, she hasn’t even celebrated her twenty-fourth birthday yet, and your grandson isn’t exactly someone who’s loved by everyone, how could he bring her home so easily?”
When Lu Xingqiu spoke of Lu Huaiyan, the phrase he used the most was “that wolf cub hated by all.”
Now, being choked by Lu Huaiyan’s words, he said, “As long as you know! Fix that rotten temper of yours. Always carrying a cold face, Sese may have a good temper, but she won’t be able to stand you.”
Most of Lu Xingqiu’s impression of Jiang Se came from those two years she frequently visited the old residence.
The girl was young, but had been taught incredibly well, outstanding in every way.
In Lu Xingqiu’s generation’s words, she was the perfect noble lady for becoming the mistress of the household.
Old Master Fu had his eye on Jiang Se early.
His grandson and son always listened to him; even when the grandson died, he could push a supposed illegitimate child to the front for a marriage alliance.
Although Lu Xingqiu was not as impatient as Fu Jingyao, he had indeed thought about settling Jiang Se for Lu Huaiyan once she was a bit older. But later the Fu family beat them to it, and Lu Huaiyan also reclaimed his right to decide his own marriage, so the idea disappeared.
Who would’ve thought that years later, this brat would chase after the girl on his own.
For him to be moved enough that even Jingang knew to call her “miss,” Lu Xingqiu understood Lu Huaiyan was being serious.
Before, when he kept saying he had someone he wanted to marry, Lu Xingqiu thought he was just brushing him off. He had even thought that with that terrible temper, Lu Huaiyan should find someone who had eyes only for him and could tolerate him well; someone like Jiayi was quite suitable.
Now that he knew Lu Huaiyan truly liked someone, he naturally wouldn’t meddle in matchmaking anymore.
After all, if this boy didn’t want to do something, no one could force him.
Hearing the old man praise Jiang Se’s good temper, Lu Huaiyan’s hand flipping through the documents paused slightly. Soon the corner of his lips lifted: “Got it.”
No one knew better than he did how big her temper actually was.
If he dared show her a cold face, the girl would probably bite a chunk out of him to vent her anger.
Lu Huaiyan freed up his lunch break to handle documents. Zhou Qing came in to report, saying Miss Jiang Se had arranged to meet someone for lunch, so there was no need to send food to her specifically.
Lu Huaiyan responded with a hum.
Zhou Qing waited beside him. Hearing no follow-up, he subconsciously glanced at him.
The man was signing with a steel pen, his eyes hidden behind gold-rimmed glasses. Sensing Zhou Qing’s stare, his pen tip paused. He lifted his eyelids slightly, saw Zhou Qing’s expression, and guessed what he was thinking.
“No need to check who she’s eating with.” Lu Huaiyan said lightly. “You don’t need to investigate her anymore.”
Since he promised her he wouldn’t meddle, he wouldn’t do sneaky things behind her back.
Just as she never asked who he was socializing or eating with.
Besides, even if she didn’t say, he could guess who Jiang Se was having lunch with today.
Cen Li’s flight back to Beicheng was today.
—
Jiang Se and Cen Li were eating at a French restaurant in the city center.
The two had come to this restaurant many times. Ji Yunyi had always been strict about food, especially with Jiang Se.
When she was little, in the hottest days, other children could eat ice cream and popsicles, but Jiang Se could only watch from the side, and wasn’t even allowed to show she wanted any.
As for desserts like cake, that was even more impossible. Unless it was a special occasion, she could taste a bite or two; at other times she wouldn’t even see a trace of it.
Jiang Se loved sweets.
So Cen Li would secretly take her out to eat. They came to this restaurant every year, and Jiang Se had a particular fondness for their wheel-shaped cream puffs.
Today, the first dish Cen Li ordered was dessert, and as soon as the main course ended, he had them serve Jiang Se her cream puffs.
“I heard Fu Yun is planning to arrange Zhu Yinlin into C University. I know someone at C University, I’ll send him the video of Zhu Yinlin smoking mar.ijuana and bullying classmates.” Cen Li waved someone over to bring a bottle of rose rock sugar, dropping a piece into Jiang Se’s black tea. “What did Zhu Mingli and her brother do to anger you?”
Jiang Se picked up her knife and fork, slowly cutting into a piece of cream puff drizzled with fresh strawberry sauce.
“On New Year’s Eve she’s the one who drugged me. Butler Yu helped her switch the rock sugar.”
Cen Li froze for a moment, then his expression instantly sank: “You’ve collected evidence?”
“What evidence?” Jiang Se laughed. “But I know it was her. I went to confront her and I’m certain she’s the one who did it. As for Butler Yu, brother, don’t rush to kick him out yet. He used to serve Grandfather personally. When Grandfather passed away, he stole and sold many of the antiques Grandfather kept at hand. The amount must be large. Have someone investigate thoroughly and make sure he spends the rest of his life in prison.”
Butler Yu had watched Cen Li grow up. With Cen Li’s past temperament, he probably would’ve let him off. After all, he had served the Cen family for years, and was half in the grave already. At most he would’ve been forced to return the money, he wouldn’t actually be sent to prison.
But today, he only glanced at Jiang Se and then agreed immediately.
Halfway through dessert, Cen Li put down his knife and fork, and hesitantly asked, “Did you see Ah Yan’s Weibo? Almost everyone who knows us knows he’s pursuing you, even father and mother have heard about it.”
“I saw it.” Jiang Se sipped her black tea, speaking lightly, “Does the chairman want you to act as a persuader to make me go back to the Cen family?”
Over the years, Lu Corporation had developed at a breakneck speed, being one of the first groups to make achievements in the new energy sector, and was now a leading enterprise. Its subsidiaries were also doing remarkably well in other fields, and even the real estate industry, where it started, still performed outstandingly.
If she really married Lu Huaiyan, it would naturally be a great benefit to the Cen family.
The premise was that she was willing to go back to the Cen family.
Cen Li said, “Father does have that intention, but I won’t force you.”
Jiang Se smiled, “Go tell them, over these seven years, my illness hasn’t improved for a single day. How can a patient like me harm others? As long as I’m not better, I won’t accept anyone. While you’re at it, ask them if they really want me back in the Cen family. Aren’t they afraid people will laugh at the Cen family for producing a mentally ill person?”
This meal lasted two hours. When they parted, Cen Li asked Jiang Se whether she would attend Lu family’s recognition banquet and the engagement banquets of the Fu and Zhu families.
Cen Li had returned from Australia just for these two banquets.
Jiang Se said she wouldn’t go, “I have to go to Dr. Gina’s clinic tomorrow to get new medication.”
Upon hearing that, Cen Li fell completely silent.
After sending Jiang Se back to Xinhe Residence, he sat in the car for more than half an hour before leaving, several times picking up his phone to call Lu Huaiyan, but in the end, he gave up.
Lu Huaiyan had once mocked him: “Did you notice, you’re always asking others to take care of her, but you’ve never stood up for her yourself. So, what kind of older brother are you? What kind of position do you have, to thank me for taking care of your ‘little sister’?”
When he saw that Weibo post by Lu Huaiyan, his first reaction was indeed that he could ask Ah Yan to take good care of Sese.
He shouldn’t have done that.
Cen Li let out a long breath.
As an older brother, he should have stood up for his little sister.
From now on, whether Sese married Ah Yan or not, he would never let his father or mother disturb her again.
—
In the afternoon, Lu Huaiyan went to the suburban area to see Han Yin.
Han Yin asked if Sese was upset with him.
Lu Huaiyan shook his head and smiled, “Who treats her well and who doesn’t, that girl knows clearly in her heart. Don’t worry, she isn’t upset with you.”
He poured her a cup of tea, saying, “But in the future, you don’t need to worry about our matters. If she has a disagreement with me, just treat it as youthful whim. Leave it to us to handle ourselves.”
Han Yin knew she had been too anxious.
She was worried that Jiang Se and Lu Huaiyan would be apart, worried her Ah Yan would suffer the pain of being abandoned again.
So she momentarily lost control.
But what she did was unfair to Sese; she shouldn’t morally coerce Sese.
The guilt she felt toward Ah Yan should be hers to repay, not relieved through others.
“I understand. Once you leave, I’ll call and apologize to her.” Han Yin said, “Mom promises not to interfere in your matters anymore. Ah Yan, you promise Mom to treat Sese well.”
Lu Huaiyan smiled at her words and gave a hum.
He didn’t ask what Han Yin had said to Jiang Se that day, nor did he make any verbal promises to treat Jiang Se well.
Being good to someone was never a matter of words for Lu Huaiyan, and that girl wasn’t someone who could be fooled by a few promises.
Lu Huaiyan stayed with Han Yin until dinner was finished before returning to Xinhe Residence.
The entrance code of Xinhe Residence hadn’t been changed, still the same as before. By the time he reached the apartment, it was almost eight o’clock. Jiang Se was leaning against the headboard reading.
The only light in the room shone on where she was sitting.
Her entire figure was bathed in bright light, her skin radiating a translucent white, like pearls in the moonlight.
Lu Huaiyan looked at her, then at the official leather case on the nightstand and the open suitcase in the corner.
He walked slowly toward the suitcase, lightly nudging it with his toes, and said, “Why didn’t you throw it away?”
Jiang Se put down her book, tilting her face to look at him, her gaze clear and calm.
Lu Huaiyan chuckled, half-leaning against the wall, slightly lifting his chin to loosen his tie, letting his eyes peek through the lowered eyelids at her.
“Yesterday when you came out from mother’s place, your eyes kept avoiding me. Was it because she mentioned her suicide?” The man tossed his tie into the suitcase, beginning to undo his cufflinks and belt, speaking unhurriedly, “Don’t take those words to heart, that’s between her and me, it has nothing to do with you. What happened back then doesn’t affect me anymore. You don’t need to carry any burden from what she said. Harden your heart a little, Sese; even if it’s my mother, you don’t need to soften.”
Jiang Se said, “I never felt burdened by what Auntie Han said.” She spoke the truth.
Lu Huaiyan hummed, tossing the removed belt on top of the tie, smiling, “I’ll take a shower first. I’ll come out to hold you afterward.”
He stepped into the bathroom. Soon, the sound of running water came from inside. Jiang Se sat on the bed listening for a while, then stepped barefoot onto the floor and pushed open the bathroom door.
The bathroom was large, with a frosted glass brick wall in the center, hiding the shower behind it.
Thin white steam wafted out from inside.
Jiang Se’s steps were light. When she came around from behind the glass wall, Lu Huaiyan realized she had entered.
She wore a camisole nightdress, lightweight and thin satin, with splashes of water landing on it and quickly sticking to her skin.
They stared at each other for a few seconds.
Lu Huaiyan asked her, “Want to reclaim what we didn’t finish yesterday, the third time?”
The shower splashed down, water flowing along his beautiful, powerful musculature. Jiang Se stepped into the mist, tiptoed, and kissed him.
The warm water quickly soaked her hair, and the slight tilt of her face stirred a wave of dampness.
Lu Huaiyan’s hand covered her face, slowly returning the kiss.
They were like two figures standing in a spring rain, kissing.
A few minutes later, Lu Huaiyan rubbed her rosy lips and asked her: “Did you bring the thing in?”
Jiang Se replied to him: “No need, I took a short-acting contraceptive pill, it takes effect starting today.”
“Why did you take that medicine?”
“To regulate my hormones, my period has been a bit irregular.”
Lu Huaiyan didn’t understand these things, so he confirmed again: “Are you sure we don’t need to use anything?”
After the two of them got together, he had never tried doing it with her without a condom. On New Year’s Eve that night at Hanshan Temple, because he hadn’t brought anything, even if he wanted her, he held back.
He didn’t like accidents.
It wasn’t that he didn’t want to have a child with her, but he knew she simply had no intention of getting married or having kids right now. If an accident happened, she wouldn’t want the child, and he wouldn’t force her to keep the child, and she would be the one who got hurt in the end.
Jiang Se said: “I’m sure.”
She disliked accidents even more than he did, and after she finished speaking she hooked his neck down and kissed him.
Lu Huaiyan turned off the showerhead and lifted her up against the glass wall.
When Jiang Se’s thin shoulders and back touched the glass, she couldn’t help but frown for a moment, then relaxed again and lifted her eyes to look at him.
Lu Huaiyan stood still, lowering his head to kiss her with their breaths pressed together.
S*x, to them, sometimes was the release of desire, and sometimes not.
This time, it wasn’t. For the first time there was no barrier at all, and it was only to obtain a kind of intimacy that only the other could give.
Certain places in the body and soul, only the other person could reach.
Jiang Se breathed lightly and said to him: “My little aunt once warned me, when falling in love, never get involved with those people who, once they fall in love, cling to you endlessly for a lifetime.”
“Then what now?” Lu Huaiyan bit her lower lip bead and kissed it, laughed once, “You already got involved.”
Jiang Se blinked her eyelashes wet from the water, “You’re cold-natured to the bone, otherwise I wouldn’t have gotten involved with you.”
She had originally only wanted a relationship with no outcome.
She thought that when it ended, the two of them would cut things off cleaner than any couple in the world.
But in the end it became like this, flesh tied to flesh, neither able to break away.
Lu Huaiyan bit down along her delicate jawline, “What you fancied at the beginning was clearly my body, you only wanted to sleep with me without taking responsibility.”
Jiang Se didn’t deny it: “This body of yours does fit my aesthetic very much, but—”
Her voice suddenly stopped.
Lu Huaiyan took her earlobe into his mouth and said: “But what?”
“But you’re not the only one who fits my aesthetic, mm,” Jiang Se let out a muffled sound, shot a glance at Lu Huaiyan, and clenched her teeth, refusing to go on.
Lu Huaiyan loosened his strength a little: “Continue.”
Jiang Se took quite a long time before continuing: “On Qianqian’s eighteenth birthday, I watched a very beautiful romance film with her. The male lead fit my aesthetic very well. Those intimate scenes that were natural and beautiful as a painting, Qianqian thought they were beautiful, but I only felt disgusted. It wasn’t until I imagined the man’s face as yours that that disgust finally faded.”
Her feelings toward him had always carried a bit of pathology.
Later, although she was cured, no longer repulsed by other people’s touch, no longer resistant to closeness, and able to watch intimate scenes calmly—
Her feelings toward him remained very special.
She was one month younger than Guo Qian, and when Guo Qian turned eighteen, she wasn’t even an adult yet.
Lu Huaiyan smiled and kissed her eyes, saying: “You were already fantasizing about me that early?”
Jiang Se responded openly with a soft “mm,” her brows and eyes half hazy and half clear: “Lu Huaiyan, it seems I’ve always only wanted you.”
Whether the former pathological her or the current non-pathological her, she had only ever wanted him.
He had appeared at the turning point of her life, carried her almost-shattered self out, and told her: “Cen Se, it’s me.”
Perhaps from that moment on, their lives were destined to be tangled like this, endlessly.
Almost the moment her voice fell, Lu Huaiyan suddenly stopped, lowered his eyes and looked at her quietly.
It had always been him saying he wanted her.
Yesterday in the car he had tormented her so hard, yet still couldn’t get a single “want him” out of her mouth.
If she didn’t want to say something, no method could force a word out.
Under the layer of desire covering the outer edges of the man’s eyes was a deeper surge of emotion unrelated to desire.
As deep as still water, and as scorching as fire burning through the heart.
After a moment, he bent his neck down, pressed his forehead to hers, and said softly: “Mm, I know.”
