Jiang Yuli’s home wasn’t far from the company – clearly the standard arrangement for a workaholic.
Su Lingyu stood in the entrance hall, watching as Jiang Yuli took a brand new pair of pink women’s slippers from the shoe cabinet and placed them before her.
Pink. Very cute.
And completely new.
This meant that probably no other girls had visited here before.
“Thank you, Uncle,” Su Lingyu said softly.
Jiang Yuli nodded and walked in first.
Su Lingyu changed into the slippers and followed closely behind.
The sprawling apartment spanned over four hundred square meters, but contrary to her expectations of cold, stark black-and-white decor, it featured a modern minimalist style.
Lush green plants were visible everywhere, paired with white sofas that created an exceptionally warm atmosphere.
“Huh?” Su Lingyu’s gaze was instantly drawn to an object on the coffee table.
It was a bubble gun.
Curious, she picked it up and pressed the trigger toward Jiang Yuli’s direction.
A stream of transparent bubbles floated lightly toward him.
“Uncle,” she blinked mischievously, “you don’t have children, do you?”
“No,” Jiang Yuli answered straightforwardly.
No children, yet there was a bubble gun in his home, placed in such a conspicuous spot.
Could it be… that Jiang Yuli played with it himself?
Wow.
Su Lingyu felt like she had discovered some incredible secret –
The outwardly aloof and abstinent CEO actually harbored a childlike heart in private!
She enthusiastically pressed the trigger several more times.
More bubbles emerged, enveloping Jiang Yuli’s surroundings.
Through these transparent, dreamlike bubbles, she watched him leisurely remove his shirt, revealing his upper body covered with scars.
Her eyes involuntarily fell upon his well-defined pectoral muscles and clearly sculpted abdominal muscles.
Wow.
Three words popped into her mind: Male Bodhisattva.
Even Shen Qiao had never shown her such a sight.
This was like a battle-damaged version of her uncle – the visual impact was overwhelming.
She never expected Jiang Yuli to have such an impressive physique hidden beneath his clothes – the standard “double-door” build!
Red beans grow in the south, uncle outshines male models!
Although she had been in a relationship for a year, she had never encountered this “incubus” level before.
It was hard to say whether he did it intentionally.
But at this moment, Su Lingyu felt more heartache than anything else.
A poor soul whose mother died early, whose father showed no affection, whose brother offered no love, sent abroad alone since childhood.
Call him cold and unfeeling? If he had grown up in an environment filled with love, who would become heartless for no reason?
“I’ll go change first,” Jiang Yuli’s voice interrupted her thoughts.
“Go ahead, go ahead,” Su Lingyu waved her hand.
Watching him leave, she picked up the bubble gun again to play with it.
Bubble gun… bubbles… did they have anything to do with her?
Though thinking this way might seem a bit narcissistic.
Jiang Yuli soon returned.
He only wore black shorts, his sturdy upper body bare, carrying a first aid kit.
“Uncle—” Su Lingyu’s gaze fell upon his scarred legs, gasping in shock, “You said you were badly injured, but I never imagined it was this serious!” Your legs are covered in wounds!”
Jiang Yuli, you’re really something for enduring this!
“Sit down, sit down quickly!” She urgently pulled him to sit on the sofa.
Though his body was in pain, Jiang Yuli felt a hint of sweetness in his heart.
“If I had known you were injured this badly, I should have been even fiercer back at the Shen residence! How could Grandpa Shen hit you so hard?” Su Lingyu said indignantly, “Anyone who didn’t know better would think you’re not his biological son!”
Looking at the bruises covering his legs and body, she suggested, “Should we take a photo and send it to Grandpa Shen? Let him see how harshly he hit you. Maybe he’ll feel sorry for you.”
“He won’t feel sorry for me.” Jiang Yuli’s voice carried a tone of desolation.
Su Lingyu silently withdrew her hand holding the phone. “Let me apply medicine for you. Remember not to get it wet.”
“Mm.”
Because her brother Su Huainan liked boxing and often got injured, and she had always been clingy since childhood, she had become quite skilled at applying medicine.
She carefully tended to his wounds.
“How many times did Grandpa Shen hit you before I arrived?” The more she looked, the more her heart ached. “This is too cruel, absolutely too cruel! He doesn’t deserve to be a father!”
Growing angrier the more she thought about it, she unconsciously applied more pressure with the cotton swab.
Jiang Yuli hissed in pain.
Su Lingyu quickly pulled her hand back, speaking with a hint of defiance, “Uncle, if you don’t dodge next time you get beaten, I won’t consider dating you.”
“Hm?” Jiang Yuli looked up at her.
“Because you’re too foolish! You don’t even know how to avoid being hit.” She tried to put on a fierce expression. “I don’t want our future children to inherit such foolish behavior.”
“Alright,” Jiang Yuli agreed readily, “I’ll listen to you. Next time, I’ll definitely dodge.”
“One or two hits would be one thing, but you didn’t dodge even after being hit so many times…” Su Lingyu simply couldn’t understand. “I really don’t know what goes through your mind…”She simply stopped working and sat down on the nearby sofa.” “Do the rest yourself!”
“Okay.”
Su Lingyu picked up the bubble gun again, pressing the trigger repeatedly as if venting her frustration.
Romantic bubbles drifted through the air, and… her peripheral vision accidentally glanced sideways, causing her ears to instantly burn red.
Jiang Yuli was rolling up the edge of his shorts to apply medicine to his upper thigh.
That location… she really couldn’t help with that.
Su Lingyu quickly stood up and hid by the floor-to-ceiling window, pretending to admire the scenery.
Outside the window, the outline of Hundred Rivers Tower was clearly visible.
How many nights had Jiang Yuli stood here alone like this, gazing at that tower named after his elder brother?
Just imagining that lonely, desolate figure was enough to evoke a heart-wrenching sense of solitude.
Hundred Rivers Tower—Shen Baichuan.
The company was named after the eldest son, while the younger son had been sent away at eight years old and now had to endure such severe beatings.
The distinction between loved and unloved was painfully clear.
Jiang Yuli…
He was truly pitiful.
“Pao Pao.” His voice came from behind.
Su Lingyu turned around and saw Jiang Yuli pulling on a white T-shirt.
He said, “I prepared a gift for you.”
Su Lingyu walked toward him, politely saying, “How could I accept that? It’s not a holiday or special occasion, and my birthday is still more than half a month away.”
“A breakup gift.” Jiang Yuli’s tone was flat.
Su Lingyu: “…”
Typical of him.
She followed him with quick, small steps.
Hm?
The breakup gift was in the room?
Uh… Countless scenes from novels and TV dramas instantly flashed through Su Lingyu’s mind.
The gift he mentioned… could it be himself?
That wouldn’t do!
He currently smelled strongly of medicine—absolutely unpleasant.
She had this condition where after being separated for a long time and reuniting, she wanted to hug the person, but only if they were clean and fresh.
Jiang Yuli pushed open a room door. “I heard from your brother that you like opening blind boxes, so I casually bought some.””
The scene in the room made Su Lingyu widen her eyes: three large shelves surrounded a low coffee table in the center, which was covered with a white carpet. The shelves were densely packed with various brand new, unopened Blind Boxes.
Was this what he called “bought a few casually”?
Did Jiang Yuli have some misunderstanding about the meaning of “a few”?
A sweet smile bloomed on her face: “Uncle~ These things couldn’t have been gathered in just a day or two. You’ve been preparing for a long time, haven’t you~”
“Mm.”
“But I hadn’t broken up with Shen Qiao before,” she tilted her head, full of curiosity. “So what reason were you originally planning to use to give these to me?”
“Wasn’t going to give them.” Jiang Yuli answered simply.
Su Lingyu grew even more puzzled: “You wouldn’t give me gifts even for my birthday?”
Jiang Yuli stood at the doorway, his gaze gentle as it rested on her: “For your birthday, these gifts wouldn’t be worthy enough.”
After all, the value of Blind Boxes lies in whether one can complete the collection and whether one can draw the Hidden Edition.
He might not fully understand all of a girl’s preferences, but he knew deeply that he had a giving personality.
He was a cold and uninteresting person, with little attachment to the world, finding it difficult to derive happiness from himself.
But he wanted Su Lingyu to be happy.
If his efforts could bring a smile to her face, he would feel supreme happiness.
“They’re worthy! They’re worthy!” Su Lingyu quickly expressed her stance. “Opening Blind Boxes is my favorite pastime!”
She rubbed her hands together excitedly, “Uncle, you should go rest first. I’m going to start opening my ‘breakup gifts’ now!”
With the Blind Boxes in hand, she couldn’t wait to shoo him away.
Jiang Yuli didn’t say anything, just quietly watched her focused expression as she opened the Blind Boxes from the doorway for a while.
Only when his phone rang outside did he gently close the door and quietly leave.
And Su Lingyu, immersed in the immense joy of opening Blind Boxes, didn’t notice that her own phone was ringing.