Chen Mo looked up, his expression abruptly shifting.
His entire body tensed, and he immediately took a step back, increasing the distance between himself and Si Yuan.
Noticing something was wrong, Si Yuan followed his gaze and turned around, her eyes shifting.
It was Jiang Wang.
He wore a black silk shirt with the top two buttons casually undone, a lit cigarette held between his fingers, the crimson ember glowing and fading in the dim light.
His eyes were cold and dark.
He narrowed his eyes at Chen Mo, raising an eyebrow slightly as he repeated indifferently, “Well? Speak.”
Chen Mo was completely stunned.
He never expected the person blocking their path would be Jiang Wang.
Not just him—even TY’s current chairman didn’t have the privilege of seeing Jiang Wang whenever he wanted.
As a result, the bravado he had mustered to stand up for Si Yuan instantly deflated.
Chen Mo’s voice tightened as he murmured, “President Jiang.”
Si Yuan pressed her lips together and remained silent.
As expected.
Jiang Wang let out a scornful laugh. “Useless.”
Then he turned his gaze to Si Yuan, tilting his chin slightly, and uttered just one word: “Come.”
Si Yuan had wanted to escape Chen Mo’s pestering anyway, so without hesitation, she followed Jiang Wang as he walked away.
Behind them, Chen Mo slowly closed his eyes, filled with regret and frustration.
What was going on?
Why did the obstacles that appeared whenever he approached Si Yuan keep getting more and more formidable?
Good heavens!
Jiang Wang walked ahead, his steps leisurely.
Si Yuan trailed behind, head lowered as if lost in thought.
She didn’t notice when he suddenly stopped, and the next moment, she collided squarely with his back.
A warm sensation spread, her nose aching slightly as she hastily stepped back.
“Sorry.”
Jiang Wang turned around.
He looked down, his gaze resting on her face, his voice low.
“Next time you run into someone like that, use the same attitude you have when you argue with me and just refuse them. Understand?”
Si Yuan’s fingers stilled. When she looked at him, her eyes still held a dazed confusion from the collision.
After a moment’s thought, she said, “You don’t have to worry about social niceties, but I still do.”
“Social niceties?” Jiang Wang chuckled softly. “There’s more to it than just being polite. You’ve only learned the ‘social’ part—what about the ‘consequences’?”
Her voice was numb, conceding the point. “I know. I’ll learn gradually.”
Jiang Wang stared at her lowered lashes, a hint of impatience creeping into his tone. “What exactly did your brother teach you? You never learn to look out for yourself, only how to accept his boundless kindness, letting him coax you into following him around. And once you’re completely dependent on him, he just steps back and washes his hands of it?”
Hearing Jiang Wang belittle Song Yan stirred resistance in Si Yuan.
Her brother’s kindness toward her wasn’t wrong.
The fault clearly lay with her… that’s how it should be.
Because everyone said she was the one at fault.
“Our relationship isn’t the right context to discuss this.”
Jiang Wang stubbed his cigarette out on a nearby trash can, sparks flaring and dying.
He leaned half a step closer, his breath enveloping her with the scent of tobacco. “What exactly is our relationship?”
Si Yuan’s throat moved slightly, and all those rumors about him suddenly resurfaced.
To Jiang Wang, she probably wasn’t any different from those other women.
If anything, lovers were lovers, and strangers were strangers.
Would Jiang Wang bother meddling in their private lives?
Her hand, hanging at her side, curled slightly. Perhaps from exhaustion, her eyes began to ache.
But she didn’t dare look Jiang Wang in the eye, only hoarsely retorted: “What kind of relationship does President Jiang think we should have?”
The air remained still for two seconds.
Jiang Wang rubbed his fingertips over the lingering warmth from the cigarette butt, his gaze heavy as it settled on the top of her head.
“Si Yuan, when exactly will you learn to stop liking him?”
When exactly will you be able to make room for someone else in your eyes?
Isn’t it enough that you’ve tormented yourself into depression?
Si Yuan didn’t understand his words.
She stood frozen in place, silent.
Because she didn’t know the answer either.
People don’t deceive themselves—deep down, you know the answer.
Before returning to the country, she had indeed thought about never liking Song Yan again.
But Song Yan seemed to have changed.
He wanted to celebrate her birthday, and he would feel upset because of her. It seemed like he cared about her more than before.
Si Yuan could stop liking him.
But she still wanted to be his little sister for life.
So she could only remain silent.
Jiang Wang waited for a long time without getting a response. Seeing her with lowered lashes, avoiding the topic, the smoldering anger in his chest instantly flared up.
She simply didn’t realize that Song Yan didn’t care about her more.
He just couldn’t accept that the backup who had always followed him around might one day slip from his control.
Song Yan would never teach Si Yuan anything useful because he didn’t think it was necessary. Si Yuan didn’t need to live like a normal person; it was enough for her to stay under his watchful eye for life.
So when he saw Si Yuan developing her own consciousness, he began to use threats and incentives, occasionally showing some kindness to manipulate her back under his control.
Si Yuan habitually denied herself. She yearned for familial affection, for Song Yan’s kindness, so it was all too easy to lure her back.
But Jiang Wang could do nothing.
Because he wasn’t the one who had appeared in her life first to brighten her gloomy world.
He wasn’t the one playing the role of savior.
The script he got was just terrible.
Jiang Wang could only fume, his words falling one by one with emphasis: “Si Yuan, I’m angry!”
Si Yuan was stunned by his sudden change in tone.
She looked up, her eyes still clouded with confusion. After a dazed moment, she hurriedly said, “Then… I’m sorry…”
“Stop saying sorry all the time.” Jiang Wang cut her off, his tone leaving no room for argument. “Your brother never taught you, so I’ll teach you now. From now on, don’t thoughtlessly apologize to anyone. If he’s in the wrong, there’s no need to apologize to him; if you’re in the wrong, then he deserves it anyway. Understand?”
Si Yuan blinked.
That seemed a bit unreasonable.
But coming from Jiang Wang, it somehow fit his usual style perfectly.
This time, Si Yuan didn’t argue back as she usually would. Instead, she obediently nodded.
After a moment of silence, she looked up at Jiang Wang again. “Then… since you’re angry now, what should I do?”
Jiang Wang hadn’t actually intended to stay angry with her. Seeing her obediently asking like this, the anger that had flared up earlier instantly subsided by more than half.
His heart softened completely.
He gently tugged at her sleeve, coaxing and persuading: “You don’t need to do this for others, but I’m different. If I’m unhappy, you have to comfort me.”
Si Yuan looked bewildered.
She really had never coaxed anyone before.
But she detected the temptation in Jiang Wang’s tone.
“How do I coax you?””
Jiang Wang didn’t answer. He stepped forward, closing in.
Si Yuan instinctively retreated.
Only when her back pressed against the cold car door did she have nowhere left to go.
The next second, Jiang Wang leaned down, his warm breath enveloping her.
He stared at her flushed lips, his voice hoarse, “Give me a kiss.”