She was right in the middle of being stunned when Yi Wenze walked out and called Jia He’s name.
She turned her head to look at him. The door hadn’t closed yet. The chatter of people coming and going with toasts seemed like clamorous background noise while he simply stood before that backdrop looking at her. Having drunk some alcohol, his pitch black eyes seemed to be veiled by a layer of shimmering glow as he looked at her like that.
In that split second, she finally understood why she liked him.
It was because of his eyes that were always so focused. As long as he was looking at you, there wouldn’t be any other shadow.
“Leaving already?” Wu Zhilun looked at him in surprise.
Yi Wenze walked over, “You keep at it. I’m taking Jia He back.” Then very naturally he grasped her hand. Jia He suddenly recalled Tian Chu was still in the bathroom so coming out now and bumping into her would be too awkward. Hence she simply raised her head to look at him, “Let’s go quickly ba.”
Before he even spoke, Wu Zhilun had already quirked up the corners of his lips to say softly, “Do you know the words behind ‘make hay while the sun shines’?” Jia He only felt a buzzing in her head. She truly wished to stuff him back into that room and completely destroy all evidence.
Luckily Yi Wenze didn’t display any interest at all. He faintly smiled and pulled the hat down over Wu Zhilun’s head, “Drink less.”
Wu Zhilun smiled and gave him a push. Lowering his head to look at Jia He, “Although Ze graduated in Architecture, he has quite a financial brain. Rest assured he absolutely won’t need you to raise a family and pay off debts.” After speaking, he extended a hand to tweak the hat brim at an angle, very dashingly circling past Yi Wenze to head into the room.
Even when in the car, Yi Wenze still didn’t ask about the meaning behind Wu Zhilun’s words.
Yet Jia He felt somewhat preoccupied. She kept recalling Tian Chu’s words from the bathroom. While inside, she had retorted back in self-defense so she naturally cooked up a bunch of reasons to strengthen herself. But those words, weren’t they precisely fleeting thoughts that would occasionally flash through her brain? In the end there still were doubts and puzzlement. In the end there still were unease and bewilderment.
She suddenly sorrowfully discovered that all along, she had actually been preparing herself for being dumped.
There was some accident up ahead that had congested traffic into a huge mess. Drivers continuously alighted to take a look while others fiercely honked their horns, impatiently urging them to hurry up. Jia He felt it was very noisy so she tried turning up the music volume but it still couldn’t drown out the clamor from outside. After some time, it was actually Yi Wenze who asked first, “Something on your mind?”
Alright, have to come clean. Ask directly when in doubt.
She struggled internally for a bit before finally speaking up, “I was thinking, why do you like me?”
There was probably someone asking this same question in another corner of this city. Its frequency of appearance was second only to “I love you” and “let’s break up”. Most people would ask repeatedly, wanting confirmation of just how much they were loved, and would keep asking what you thought was good about me and why did you fall in love with me. But she truly wanted to know why Yi Wenze who had been surrounded by all sorts of outstanding women for over 10 years would like her instead.
This circle was too pretentious.
Jia He had assumed he would seriously ponder it for a while. Yet surprisingly he simply smiled and took a look at her, very slowly saying, “According to normal standards, you have a very harmonious family plus a decent career that allows you to buy property and cars on your own…”
Jia He gaped at him, wishing she could fling open the door and flee for her life. What blasted restaurant was this with such awful soundproofing…
So the entire room had heard it?!
But unfortunately, he swiftly appended the last line very soon, “In case I go bankrupt from failed investments in the future, perhaps I could depend on you to support the family and pay off debts.”
The clamor outside and the quiet inside the car were like fire and ice extremes. She felt alternating hot and cold flushes. Not daring to look at him anymore, she only felt utterly humiliated all the way to Siberia.
“It was Tian Chu who called my phone deliberately to let me overhear it on purpose.”
……
So only he had heard it?
She heaved a sigh of relief yet her heart didn’t loosen up. Rather it sank even more.
So it turns out… their relationship was still this good.
Traffic had resumed up ahead. Successive cars started moving. It didn’t seem to be a good time for talking.
Her line of sight drifted from his side profile to the steering wheel before thoroughly drawing back in. In the end, she still couldn’t resist softly saying, “Looks like I was a bit jealous.”
Silence. Very quiet. He didn’t say anything.
The seat belt felt somewhat tight, causing her a little discomfort. Jia He reached out a hand to loosen it a bit then straightened up, staring fixedly at the traffic up front. Was she being too upfront? Even saying she was jealous now… It wasn’t until they turned onto another road that Yi Wenze picked up his phone to fiddle with it for a bit before casually handing it over to her.
He couldn’t be joking ba? Giving me spot checks?
Jia He blankly looked at him, not expecting this sort of reaction. She didn’t dare take it. Only then did Yi Wenze laugh and say, “Take a look.”
That smile was very warm. There happened to be a streetlight flashing by outside which traced out a streak of white light between them.
She hesitated for a while before finally taking the phone to lower her head for a look. The bluish screen displayed recently called numbers, a very very long list with nothing more than the two words of “Jia He”.
“I don’t usually like making personal calls. If it’s work related I’ll mainly just take calls,” he looked seriously at her, “like this, do you feel better?”
How could she feel better? Jia He’s eyes were tearful.
He was being so frank, didn’t that just make her seem narrow-minded…
Then that very magnanimous person continued saying another line, “I rarely cross paths with her for work. If it really bothers you, I can directly forward her calls to Ah Qing’s phone.”
This was going overboard ba… She hadn’t even been this decisive towards Gu Yu!
If it was really done like this, wouldn’t she become the malicious county official who set fire?1
“No need. That’d be too hurtful.”
“You are very important to me.” He laid down the definition.
He didn’t use “more” important so there was no comparative intention at all.
With that simple four words, she promptly surrendered on the spot, “Really no need. I… I’m not that narrow-minded.” But she didn’t even have the nerve to finish saying this as she gave her nose a little sniffle and automatically fell silent.
The hotel wasn’t very far away.
The two intentionally left separately to avoid drawing notice. Since it was late, there were only a sparse few people around. Jia He sat down and handed over her ID card. Yi Wenze sat down beside her. The receptionist registering Jia He snuck a peek at the computer by her side and very softly said to her, “You’re in the room next to Yi Wenze’s. So lucky.” Excitement sparkled in her eyes. Jia He could only pretend to be surprised as she softly said, “Really?” That young girl vigorously nodded before swiftly helping her finish up, pushing the ID card and room key card towards her, “Wait for him to stand up before you head over. You’ll definitely be able to take the same elevator up.”
Such an enthusiastic recommendation really… Jia He awkwardly thanked her.
Naturally, Ah Qing had booked adjacent rooms for them.
“I still have some matters to deal with tonight.” He helped her properly set down her luggage.
“That works out great,” Jia He hastily took out her laptop from her bag, “I’ve also got stuff I need to do so let’s each mind our own business ba.” Then she swiftly took out the mouse and charger, rapidly plugging them in to demonstrate she really wasn’t lying.
Only after seeing her press the power button did he then thoughtfully say, “I didn’t expect my girlfriend would be such a workaholic.”
Jia He gloomily looked at him, “Isn’t it because of you for suddenly coming to Tianjin when I haven’t even figured out what to tell Director Liu yet.”
“It’s fine. I’ll tell him.”
Jia He ah-ed, “Forget it. I’m very diligent. I can’t keep using you as an excuse to slack off.”
“He sent me a script and kept saying he wanted to meet in person,” Yi Wenze went to pull the curtains for her. “I can give him a call to have him come over directly ba.”
Oh right…
Jia He instantly gazed at him full of adoration. The Monday meeting would definitely get cancelled like this.
“You’re not allowed to say I’m your girlfriend.”
There actually wouldn’t be any issue revealing it in the circle but thinking of cooperating with Director Liu for a few months, it’d still feel awkward.
Yi Wenze helplessly said, “Are you planning to completely hide me away?”
Jia He looked at him ardently, “I’ll announce you once I break 100,000 for viewership.”
He smiled with head shakes, “Get Alun to sign you for the next drama.” He walked back from the window side and swept a look at Jia He’s computer desktop, faintly smiling once, “Buy me a public identity.” Jia He followed his line of sight to take a look before her face flushed red. She hastily shut her computer and pushed him forwards, “Forget it. I should still rely on my own efforts. Hurry and go ba. It’s very late.”
He walked to the door yet suddenly halted there to quietly watch her for a while. Then he lowered down to give her a goodnight kiss.
It was very light contact. His lips were somewhat hot from the alcohol and still carried that rich aroma of wine.
She clearly really disliked people who got drunk yet because it was him, she instead felt it was fragrant. Her heart thumped frantically as she closed her eyes and very naturally responded. Love was a strange thing. At the beginning there would always be endless passion and impulsiveness, continuously getting closer, continuously testing the boundaries, only thinking of getting even closer. Wondering if they could possibly get even closer until when could they be satisfied… The central air conditioner gave off soft humming sounds. She was circled in his embrace like this with her back against the wall until he was first to pull back and say softly, “Sleep earlier ba.”
Her eyes were somewhat chaotic as she stared at him and softly asked, “You still haven’t told me why do you like me?”
Alright she admitted her memory really was too good… She was truly too curious and also very insecure. She didn’t dare let him make public appearances and didn’t dare reveal him to people around her because she was afraid he was merely recalling her on a spur of a moment. Once the freshness faded he would then disappear without a trace. She wasn’t someone suited for flash romances yet it was precisely because it was him that caused her to deliriously plunge right in.
But she truly didn’t have any confidence.
In grasping such a person.
The nearby eyes gradually turned gentle. He said, “Actually I’m not very good with words.”
She looked at him in puzzlement.
He rested his forehead against hers, “So don’t ask everything all at once. Leave some chances for me ba.”
She still didn’t understand and even started feeling lost.
“Save these words for when I propose ba.”
Very soft words yet it was so clear.
The first time in her life someone had said “propose” to her. And this person also happened to be the one she had always liked. Someone she shouldn’t have had any connection with… It was only a brief conversation yet it successfully sealed off all thought processes.
Until there was a clear click when the door completely shut. Jia He still leaned against the wall not even daring to breathe.
Leave a Reply