Zhao Louyue was quickly pondering his next move in his mind, and his silence cast an invisible chill over Jiang Shen. Having embarrassed Zhao Louyue, it seemed unlikely they could even remain friends in the future.
Despite everyone outside calling him “Brother Zhao,” no one thought Zhao Louyue was easy to deal with, and Jiang Shen felt the same. Zhao Louyue had been extremely kind recently, but Jiang Shen had outright rejected him. No matter how patient he was, it should have run out by now.
“Ah, okay.” Zhao Louyue’s voice was low and warm, without a hint of anger or irritation.
Jiang Shen looked up at him.
Zhao Louyue slowly said, “You can’t force these things. I respect you.”
Jiang Shen immediately began analyzing this statement. It was a light and polite response, without any of the tugging Jiang Shen had imagined. Zhao Louyue was a dignified person, able to accept things so calmly. Besides being able to pick up and let go, perhaps his interest in Jiang Shen was just a small, literal interest, so thin and clean that it could be retracted at any time after being rejected.
Jiang Shen found it hard to describe this feeling, like stepping into thin air on what seemed like a solid floor. It was quite good, Jiang Shen thought. He paused and asked, “So, are we still friends?”
“Of course.”
It was just one failure. Although Zhao Louyue was disappointed, his foundation was unshaken. If Jiang Shen were someone easy to pursue, Zhao Louyue wouldn’t have been making trouble for himself all this time.
Jiang Shen smirked self-deprecatingly. He had already decided that Zhao Louyue’s words were just pretty words to save face for both sides.
Returning to the hall with Zhao Louyue, Jiang Shen’s earlier good mood vanished. He stayed for half an hour before making an excuse to go upstairs.
Zhao Louyue glanced at him while sipping tea.
Fu Cheng sat down beside him.
Zhao Louyue: “…”
“Alright then,” Zhao Louyue said, “I’ll let you laugh at me.”
Fu Cheng paused, guessing what had happened, “Did you fail to confess?”
“No,” Zhao Louyue sighed, “Duan Chaosheng, that idiot, let it slip, and Jiang Shen heard it.”
“And then?”
“Jiang Shen said to be friends.”
Fu Cheng blinked, not understanding.
“I don’t think Jiang Shen is completely indifferent to you. Where did it go wrong?”
“Let me guess,” Zhao Louyue said, holding a teacup and leaning on the sofa, following Fu Cheng’s words, “Maybe it’s Yu Bai, that airhead, who made him afraid of relationships, or maybe the timing is wrong. I wasn’t ready. If it weren’t for Duan Chaosheng, I could have kept it a secret for a while longer. Hey, do you think it’s my problem…”
Fu Cheng made a pause gesture.
Zhao Louyue fell silent, waiting for a long time without hearing him speak, frowning, “What?”
Fu Cheng was exhausted, “Is the whole world wrong except for Jiang Shen?”
“Liking him is my business, of course, he’s not wrong.”
Fu Cheng raised an eyebrow, “Aren’t you upset about being rejected?”
“Then you’re underestimating my feelings,” Zhao Louyue said lightly.
This left Fu Cheng speechless.
Zhao Louyue, having grown quickly from various suppressions and disdain, relied on what? Once he set his mind on something, he would pursue that goal relentlessly. In hindsight, Fu Cheng recalled the way Zhao Louyue used to watch Jiang Shen from afar.
In the dim light, his gaze was particularly clear and bright.
It was admiration, a fervent desire for possession.
Yet, even so, he could suppress it for two years, waiting for Jiang Shen to break up with Yu Bai. Even if Jiang Shen defined them as “friends,” Zhao Louyue was still quite pleased despite his disappointment.
“If it doesn’t work, you should use some tactics,” Fu Cheng suggested, “Back then, the Yu family used benefits…”
Zhao Louyue waved his hand.
“Forget it, it’s not worth discussing with someone who’s never been in a relationship.”
Fu Cheng: “…Have you been in one?”
“I had a crush!” Zhao Louyue said confidently, as if it were something to be proud of.
Fu Cheng got up and left.
Crazy!
After Fu Cheng left, the smile on Zhao Louyue’s face faded. The tea spread across his lips and tongue, carrying a slight bitterness.
In truth, Zhao Louyue felt quite sorry for Jiang Shen.
His expression just now, avoiding yet cautious, as if a simple “we don’t need to be friends” would make him retreat pale and resolute, pretending not to know each other in the future. Thinking of this, Zhao Louyue couldn’t help but recall Fu Cheng’s words, perhaps Jiang Shen wasn’t entirely uninterested in him.
Of course, even if he wasn’t, they could create something out of nothing.
Jiang Shen was a strong, stubborn person, refusing to lose control, keeping his true feelings locked away, loving himself enough yet lacking a sense of security, afraid someone would open the box and trample on it.
It’s hard for him to be the active party in a relationship.
No big deal, Zhao Louyue quickly comforted himself.
Upstairs, Jiang Shen’s heart was a mix of emotions.
He lay on the bed without turning on the light, staring at the patterns the moonlight cast on the ceiling.
The scene in the bathroom kept replaying in his mind, and Jiang Shen couldn’t help but review and ponder it.
Jiang Shen couldn’t understand what he was doing, how was he any different from Yu Bai back then?
Jiang Shen had only taken a small step on his planned path, constantly accumulating experience, always ready to be kicked out of the company by Jiang Wenze. Then he would take control on his own, without having to return to Yuwei Village and be pointed at by Jiang Wenze, without having to wobble anxiously on the tightrope of being the “real or fake young master.”
Jiang Erkun and Wang Xiuyu didn’t want to leave there, and Jiang Shen couldn’t let go either. He had drafted a development plan for Yuwei Village half a year ago, just waiting for implementation.
Jiang Shen had too many things to do, and before that, he had no thoughts of romance.
To put it bluntly, Jiang Shen was stingy with “love.” He hadn’t received much and didn’t want to give it away casually. Yu Bai had mentioned this issue when they broke up, and Jiang Shen hadn’t refuted it.
But Zhao Louyue…
Jiang Shen’s heartbeat was a bit off, and he had to turn to suppress the impulse tinged with “regret.”
The noise downstairs gradually faded, and his phone vibrated several times, probably messages from Cong Gaoxuan. Jiang Shen didn’t check them, just lay there with his eyes open for most of the night, only falling asleep when dawn broke.
But it was a light sleep, waking up inexplicably every now and then.
Jiang Shen wrapped himself tightly in the blanket, feeling very cold.
He slept until ten-thirty in the morning, intermittently hearing the sounds of joking and playing outside. He got up and sat quietly for a while, looking out the window. It was raining, and then he slowly got out of bed to wash up.
Usually, Jiang Shen was quite efficient with these things, but today he couldn’t muster the energy.
A sharp pain throbbed in his temples, and Jiang Shen felt annoyed. Hadn’t he already refused? What was he still struggling with?
He went downstairs and had just sat at the dining table when Zhao Louyue and Fu Cheng came in from the backyard with a few others, all wearing raincoats, and two of them carrying buckets.
Jiang Shen’s body tensed slightly.
Fu Cheng gave him a meaningful look, and Zhao Louyue wanted to greet him, but seeing Jiang Shen keeping his head down, clearly in a resistant posture, he held back.
The group was going to check out the cabin behind the mountain, and until they left, Zhao Louyue didn’t say a word to Jiang Shen.
Indeed, continuing as friends was quite a joke.