Chapter 140: Boyfriend, Are You Still Angry?
Jin Yan Ting had also asked her to accompany him to social events for work before, and Lian Li didn’t think much of it.
Although this time was longer, it didn’t represent anything. She knew very well that Jin Yan Ting didn’t like her.
Lian Li: 「A secretary needs to avoid suspicion, a younger sister doesn’t.」
Jin Shi Yue watched this message with cold eyes, his face expressionless.
His girlfriend seemed unaware of how cherished she was.
When had the Eldest Young Master Jin ever brought a female companion to an important event? His ex-girlfriend, with whom he had a passionate past, was only taken to circles of influential families.
Given Jin Yan Ting’s status, could the people he met privately and secretly be ordinary individuals? Even Zhong Yang and Pei Qingji would find it difficult to meet them.
If she were merely a younger sister, Jin Yan Ting wouldn’t introduce Lian Li to others.
Admittedly, Lian Li was outstanding enough to handle shrewd elders and indirectly bring benefits to Jin Yan Ting.
But apart from benefits, their relationship was definitely not simple.
As the saying goes, a man spending money on you doesn’t necessarily mean he loves you, but a man who doesn’t spend money on you definitely doesn’t love you.
Jin Yan Ting’s willingness to fulfill Lian Li’s requests proved nothing. He was wealthy and powerful; it was reasonable for him to spend money to nurture talent.
The problem lay in the timing.
For the wealthy and powerful who lacked nothing in terms of money, time was often the most important thing. The more time he spent on someone, the more he cared about them.
Over the many years, Jin Yan Ting had spent a great deal of time with Lian Li.
Now, his calling Lian Li away was simply to keep her firmly by his side, lest she be snatched away by ferocious wolves.
*
Lian Li’s eyes were focused, her fair fingers quickly tapping the screen. Suddenly, Jin Yan Ting’s voice came from the side: “Do you know Ah Yue?”
Lian Li’s fingertips paused slightly, and she looked up at him, “I met him at Brother Zhong Yang’s gathering.”
She wasn’t lying.
Jin Yan Ting’s gaze swept over her mobile phone and Jin Shi Yue’s chat interface. Lian Li knew he couldn’t see it, so she remained calm and composed, not turning off the screen.
Turning it off would imply guilt.
With Jin Yan Ting’s observational skills, he wouldn’t miss any of her subtle movements.
“Are you close?” Jin Yan Ting asked.
These simple two words contained complex and volatile crises.
Lian Li’s expression remained unchanged: “We’ve played a few games together.”
She hadn’t answered directly, also concealing certain things, such as the number of intimate encounters.
Jin Yan Ting looked at her for several seconds, his eyes calm and unfathomable, as if scrutinizing, or perhaps wanting to look at her more.
Finally, Jin Yan Ting lowered his gaze, not pressing further about her relationships with other men, even if that man was his own brother.
He understood her and trusted her.
Lian Li had excellent composure and wasn’t afraid of intense questioning. She went to the mansion in the morning and the villa in the afternoon, and communication was extremely smooth.
At 3 PM, the bodyguard and driver took her to the Grand Theater.
Lian Li got out of the car, entered through the main entrance, walked through the long corridor, and took out her mobile phone, noticing that Jin Shi Yue had asked where she was at exactly 3 PM.
Lian Li thought for a moment: 「Are you angry because I left with Jin Yan Ting?」
His girlfriend was incredibly dense when it came to feelings. It had been six or seven hours, and she was only now realizing he was angry.
Jin Shi Yue was so amused he almost laughed. He typed back with his slender fingers: 「What do you think?」
Lian Li: 「He’s my brother.」
Jin Shi Yue: 「Your brother from a different mother and father.」
Lian Li stared at the words “brother from a different mother and father” for six or seven seconds before calling him.
Jin Shi Yue snorted coldly, his voice indifferent: “Is something wrong?”
… The Eldest Young Master was truly angry.
Lian Li patiently chose her words to explain: “He’s my brother, he helped me, and now I’m helping him as a way to repay his kindness.”
There was silence on the other end of the line.
Lian Li added, “I used to accompany him to various events for work, it was just a standard procedure.”
“It’s not appropriate for a female secretary to go with him, and a male secretary doesn’t have the gender advantage. As his younger sister, attending with him shows respect and gives face to the other party, making me the most suitable candidate right now.”
Jin Shi Yue sat back in his office chair, leaning back loosely, listening to her as he twirled a pen in his hand.
Not hearing a response, Lian Li appealed to his sense of morality: “You don’t want me to be ungrateful and abandon family affection, do you?”
This was the first time she had explained so much to him.
Jin Shi Yue narrowed his long, narrow eyes slightly, a faint smile playing on his lips.
Lian Li smiled and nodded at a Grand Theater staff member passing by, as a greeting, then continued unhurriedly:
“The sunglasses are a gift for you.”
She slowed her pace, glanced at her phone, and confirmed they were still on the call, asking, “Are you still angry?”
His girlfriend was coaxing him so nicely, Jin Shi Yue found it amusing and wasn’t angry at all.
What was there to be angry about?
He couldn’t find any reason to be angry.
A pleased smile spread across Jin Shi Yue’s lips as he parted his thin lips: “I’ll come to your concert tonight.”
Coming to see her was tantamount to forgiving her.
Lian Li indulged him: “Mm, then be careful, Jin Yan Ting will be there.”
Perhaps due to male competitiveness, Jin Shi Yue never referred to Jin Yan Ting as “brother” in front of Lian Li, as it would make him seem inferior.
She tacitly avoided saying “your brother” almost entirely.
Jin Shi Yue hummed in response, lazily and indifferently, not angry.
After hanging up, Lian Li blinked her long, curled eyelashes very slowly.
It was a good thing she hadn’t delivered the gift last night; it had a new purpose today.
With one item serving multiple purposes, Lian Li was in a good mood, and her practice session for the afternoon piece was quite efficient.
The concert that evening still started at 7:30 PM. The instruments were already set up on the Grand Theater stage, and the 270-degree audience seats were full.
Because Lian Li disliked private bookings, Jin Yan Ting never booked out the venue when he came to her concerts.
Jin Yan Ting was dressed in an expensive suit, as if he had just come from work. He sat in the front row, in the center seat, with a dignified and elegant beautiful woman to his left.
That beautiful woman had a unique aura and striking features. Even with Jin Yan Ting beside her, her captivating presence was in no way diminished.
Lian Li’s hair was styled into a side braid, casually draped over her left shoulder. A purple embroidered scarf was entwined in her hair, and her slender fingers gracefully and skillfully drew the cello.
The piece she was performing was a cello composition titled 《Sorrow》 by Taiwanese musician Xu Jialiang.
A soft beam of light fell upon Lian Li, as if she were covered in a thin layer of dawn light, the first pure, bright, and dazzling ray of light at the moment the morning sky fully brightened.
Jin Shi Yue sat in a hidden corner, gazing at the radiant girl on stage. A smile involuntarily curved his lips, and his eyes were tinged with unrestrained joy.
She truly knew how to shine.
Lian Li was immersed in the music, unaware that someone was staring intently at her.
As the performance reached its finale and the melody gradually slowed, she raised her eyelashes and scanned the audience, her gaze meeting those dark, deep eyes.
On stage, she was enveloped by applause and spotlights; below, he was amidst darkness and a surging crowd.
Their eyes met, as if a passionate flame erupted, setting the barren land ablaze with vibrant life.
A moment later.
Lian Li stood up to bow and returned backstage with the musicians. As she reached the entrance, she inexplicably paused, looking up towards the spot where she had just seen him.
It was empty.
Where had that man gone?
