Chapter 226: Taking Advantage of Vulnerability, Confession
“Not used to changing places?” Jin Yan Ting’s gaze fell on her face, his voice gentle.
“No, it’s just that I rarely see you eating outside of Wan Yi Hua Fu,” Lian Li said.
The right corner of Jin Yan Ting’s lips lifted slightly, a hint of a smile appearing: “I thought you liked Wan Yi Hua Fu as much as I do.”
Wan Yi Hua Fu was where she first stayed, and also the place where they spent the most time. There was a peach tree they planted with their own hands, and she would personally climb the tree every spring to prune its branches.
Upon hearing this, Lian Li didn’t think much of it, simply recalling her childhood, and smiled faintly.
Professor Lu Huier lived in an area filled with highly respected big shots. When Lian Li used to visit Professor Lu Huier’s home, she would also encounter Jin Yan Ting.
Aside from matters of the heart, Jin Yan Ting had done nothing wrong by Lian Li. She wouldn’t resent Jin Yan Ting because of that unrequited affection.
In fact, he hadn’t hurt her emotionally either; it was all her own wishful thinking, mistaking his liking for her.
Now, Lian Li knew her place and understood the situation clearly.
Because of Lian Jingcheng, Jin Yan Ting kept her by his side, raising her like a younger sister. Since she was his sister, if her brother was dating or being ambiguous with other women, she would either turn a blind eye or wholeheartedly support it.
She couldn’t control him.
She had no status, no reason, and certainly no right.
…If Jin Yan Ting had ever hurt her, Lian Li wouldn’t have had good feelings for him.
She didn’t have Stockholm Syndrome.
Jin Yan Ting subtly appraised the young girl sitting upright.
Studying mathematics required complete focus. She rarely let her hair down, but today she had tied it up with a Givenchy headband in a simple yet elegant style.
She seemed as gentle and calm as before, but her clothes and jewelry were vastly different from the past.
Her past style leaned more towards simple elegance, but now it was slightly more vibrant and flamboyant, with traces of another man evident everywhere.
Perhaps Lian Li hadn’t realized it yet, but Jin Shi Yue had great ambitions. He wanted not just her heart, but everything about her.
The headband on her head, the clothes she wore, the necklace around her neck, the wristwatch on her wrist, the shoes and socks on her feet… unconsciously, they were all imbued with Jin Shi Yue’s aura, continuously sending a strong signal to the outside world:
She was his.
She was his cherished treasure, carefully protected.
She was the only victor who could share his glory.
Jin Yan Ting’s mood was extremely complex. He unconsciously clenched his fingers, the veins on the back of his hand bulging due to the force of his grip.
Lian Li lowered her eyes to her mobile phone, her fingertip sliding upwards as she looked at her chat history with Jin Shi Yue.
Their most recent chat was two days ago. She didn’t know what he was busy with; he hadn’t even sent a message.
When she asked Li Shuangjie, Li Shuangjie said that Mr. Jin’s matters involved major secrets, and she didn’t know anything. Her mission was to protect Miss Lian and ensure not a single hair on her head fell.
After hearing this, Lian Li immediately pulled at her hair and said to Li Shuangjie, “It did fall, two strands.”
Li Shuangjie’s lips moved. Estimating that she had never encountered someone who looked for trouble like this, she remained silent with a blank expression.
Zhong Yang’s company’s newly developed game was a hit abroad. At a celebration banquet he held, Lian Li attended and asked him if he knew what Jin Shi Yue had been up to lately.
Zhong Yang shook his head cryptically.
Don’t let his usual flippant demeanor fool you; he was actually very shrewd. Born into the Zhong Family and influenced from a young age, he wasn’t just a rich kid who only knew how to eat, drink, and play. In his teens, he grasped market trends and, without relying on his family, founded a game company, which is now a leading powerhouse. During graduation season, many students from Jing University would scramble to get into his company.
Lian Li tapped her keyboard, wanting to ask where Jin Shi Yue had disappeared to, but it felt a bit ominous, so she deleted it.
The car drove directly into the courtyard of the Chinese Garden Villa. Facing the swan lake, with its elegant pavilions and towers, it was ancient and refined, exuding immense opulence.
This was Lian Li’s first time here. She hadn’t known before that Jin Yan Ting had this place.
The villa’s butler, Uncle Jiang, had been waiting for a long time. Seeing them, he bowed appropriately and greeted them: “Mr. Jin, Miss Lian.”
Mr. Jin.
This made Lian Li feel a bit dazed.
Jin Yan Ting’s gaze swept over the mobile phone in her hand, and he asked gently, “Is your phone out of battery?”
Lian Li snapped back to attention: “No, it still has a lot of charge.”
Jin Yan Ting walked towards the restaurant: “Xiao Li hasn’t dined with me in a long time.”
There was nothing unusual in his words.
“School has been busy,” Lian Li put her mobile phone into her bag, her voice calm. “You were abroad, and I went to Taiwan. Our schedules didn’t overlap.”
Jin Yan Ting didn’t respond. Lian Li couldn’t discern his expression, only feeling it was as usual.
In the restaurant, a private chef specializing in official cuisine was cooking today. An expensive, clean tablecloth was spread on the dining table, with fresh flowers placed in the center as decoration.
Lian Li looked at the lilies and jasmine in the vase, and her eyelids twitched inexplicably again. That strange feeling resurfaced.
Uncle Jiang instructed for the dishes to be served.
Lian Li sat at the dining table, wiping her hands with a warm towel, and glanced at Jin Yan Ting opposite her.
Today, he was wearing a solid-colored suit with a tie clip that had a subtle pattern. His face was sharp, and he looked very elegant and distinguished.
She recalled that Jin Shi Yue rarely wore a tie. He usually wore a suit jacket, casually unbuttoned, over a finely made shirt. His upright, taut physique, coupled with his nonchalant laziness, made him appear dashing and unapproachable.
After the chefs finished serving the dishes, Jin Yan Ting opened a bottle of vintage red wine and poured her a glass. Lian Li found it even stranger.
Jin Yan Ting never let her drink before, much like a protective older brother worried about his younger sister going astray. Why had he suddenly changed?
Lian Li asked, “Brother, is there something good you’re celebrating?”
“Do you remember when you came with me back then?” Jin Yan Ting asked in return.
“I remember. August 17th.”
After saying this, Lian Li suddenly realized that today was August 17th, exactly ten years.
She was immediately surprised.
“Ten whole years,” Jin Yan Ting looked at her gently, his tone as soft as flowing water. “So, do you think this day should be celebrated?”
“It should be celebrated. Thank you, Brother, for taking care of me for ten years.”
Lian Li raised her wine glass and smiled, clinking it with his. The sound of glass colliding was crisp, like a chime striking Jin Yan Ting’s heart.
His lips pressed together slightly, and he lowered his gaze without revealing his emotions.
That pitiful girl who was drenched in the rain under the same roof back then had, at some point, drifted further and further away from him.
As Lian Li slowly cut her steak, she heard Jin Yan Ting call her: “Xiao Li.”
“Brother,” Lian Li responded obediently.
“How are you and Ah Yue?” Jin Yan Ting asked.
Lian Li thought he was casually asking, like he used to inquire about her studies, and replied, “We’re doing well.”
“Doing well, how well?” Jin Yan Ting pressed further.
Lian Li paused her actions, looked up at Jin Yan Ting, and was utterly confused by his question.
Jin Yan Ting took a sip of the mellow red wine and said to her in his usual gentle voice, “It would be better if you broke up with Ah Yue. ‘Doing well’?”
