Сhарtеr 25: Jealоusу
Сеn Wаn didn’t notice Lu Веixun’s dark еxprеssiоn аnd соntinuеd on hеr оwn, “If hе’s а senior, hе should be around mу аge оr а уеаr oldеr. Sinсе Ji Zhi Huai is sо оutstanding, his nеphew prоbablу isn’t bad either.”
Lu Вeiхun’s eхрression grеw even darkеr.
Whеn Сеn Wan loоkеd аt him, shе noticеd his eхpressiоn and pаused for а moment. Was hе jеаlous?
Shе smilеd, then quickly еxрlаined, “Thе one whо likes Ji Zhi Нuаi’s nеphеw is someоne elsе, nоt mе. The person I like is right in front of mе, sulking.”
Нearing this, Lu Beiхun’s еxpressiоn sоftened slightly. He reached out, grabbed her wrist, and pulled her abruptly into his arms, holding her tightly. “Ji Zhi Huai’s nephew is Jiang Lingzhou. I’ve met him a few times, and he’s indeed not bad.”
Cen Wan had gone out for a stroll and came back asking about Jiang Lingzhou. Lu Beixun could roughly guess why. His jealousy stemmed from her praising another man as handsome.
“What about his character?” Cen Wan asked again.
“Acceptable.”
Cen Wan didn’t press further about Jiang Lingzhou. Instead, she teased him, “Your little jealous act just now was quite cute.”
Lu Beixun: “…”
“Do you love me?” Cen Wan blinked. Though she already knew the answer in her heart, she still wanted to hear him say it.
Her question was met with silence. Not hearing what she wanted, she continued, “It’s okay if you don’t say it. I love you anyway. Even if you don’t love me, I’ll still love you.”
She looked at Lu Beixun, speaking to herself, but the flicker of disappointment in her eyes betrayed her. Before she could say anything else, Lu Beixun interrupted her.
“I do.” Lu Beixun’s lips parted slightly.
That single word left Cen Wan frozen. She stared at Lu Beixun in a daze for a long moment before murmuring softly, “What… did you just say?”
Lu Beixun’s gaze was firm and sincere. “I love you.” I’ve fallen into your hands.
Cen Wan was too overwhelmed to speak. After a long pause, she stammered, “I… I love you too. So, so much. The kind of love where I can’t live without you.”
She expressed her love for him in the most clumsy words.
Lu Beixun let out a soft “Mm,” his expression calm.
Hearing what he wanted to hear didn’t bring him much surprise, perhaps because he had lost too thoroughly before.
He held the person in his arms as they fell asleep, and the night passed without dreams.
The next morning, after breakfast, Lu Beixun went straight to the company, while Cen Wan drove Cen Luo to school.
At the dormitory entrance, Cen Wan looked at Cen Luo in the passenger seat and spoke slowly, “What kind of person is Cen Xiu in your eyes?”
Cen Luo didn’t understand why Cen Wan would ask such a question. She should know better than anyone what Cen Xiu was like. Though puzzled, Cen Luo answered honestly, “Gentle, humble, attentive, sunny, and kind to everyone—just like an older brother.”
Cen Luo sometimes lacked caution toward others, so Cen Wan felt it necessary to remind her and make her more vigilant. “What if I told you that the gentle, humble, attentive, and kind older brother you see is actually a wolf in sheep’s clothing, a beast who will one day harm our parents and you? Would you believe me?”
Cen Luo was confused. “That’s impossible.”
Cen Wan smiled. Yes, she thought it was impossible too, but it had happened. If she hadn’t been reborn and someone had told her this, she would have beaten that person black and blue for speaking ill of Cen Xiu.
“Even blood relations aren’t absolute,” she said. “Let alone those without blood ties.”She paused, smiling as she said, “Be careful, or one day I might do something to you for the sake of the family fortune, even if it means disregarding our kinship.”
Cen Luo wasn’t afraid at all. On one hand, she trusted her sister; on the other, she had no interest in the Cen family’s wealth.
“You wouldn’t,” she said, slightly raising her chin with a hint of pride.
Cen Wan reached out and ruffled her hair. “But Cen Xiu would.”
“Cen Luo, have I ever lied to you growing up?”
Cen Luo withdrew the smile from her lips and shook her head. “No.”
Cen Wan had never lied to her, nor would she ever slander anyone in front of her without reason—especially not someone she had once trusted and relied on the most.
After a moment, Cen Luo looked up at her seriously. “Cen Wan, I believe you.”
“Because you’re my sister. Besides Mom and Dad, you’re the person who loves me most in the world. I trust you.” Cen Luo smiled. “I know you’re telling me this now to make me more cautious and alert. I will be.”
Cen Wan nodded.
Cen Luo asked again, “Have you warned Mom and Dad?”
“Dad is already on guard, don’t worry.” Cen Wan said, “Go inside now. If anything happens, call me. If you can’t reach me, call your brother-in-law.”
Cen Luo gave an “okay” sign, took her things, and got out of the car.
Cen Wan watched Cen Luo’s retreating figure. Just as Cen Luo entered the dormitory door, she stopped, turned around, and formed a heart shape with her hands above her head.
Cen Wan couldn’t help but chuckle softly. “Childish.”
After Cen Luo left, Cen Wan took out her phone and transferred another sum of money to her before driving away from the campus.
In a corner of the café.
“What brings you here, Mr. Cen?” the woman asked with a smile on her lips, distant yet polite.
Cen Xiu picked up the coffee on the table and took a light sip, his expression gentle. “I’d like to collaborate with you, Miss Shen.”
Shen Jianyv replied, “I don’t think there’s anything we can collaborate on, Mr. Cen.”
Cen Xiu’s smile remained unchanged, but a hint of malice lurked in his dark eyes. “Miss Shen likes Lu Beixun, and I want Cen Wan. We can work together.”
Shen Jianyv was momentarily taken aback, then smiled. “How can you be so sure I like Lu Beixun, Mr. Cen?”
“Besides, Miss Cen is your sister.”
“So what?” Cen Xiu’s gentle smile faded. He had investigated—Shen Jianyv had returned to the country for Lu Beixun. Everyone said so, after all, their families had a long-standing friendship, and she and Lu Beixun were practically childhood sweethearts, having known each other far longer than Cen Wan had.
Shen Jianyv felt that the man before her was scheming and terrifying. She picked up her bag. “Mr. Cen, I’m sorry, but I’m not interested in Lu Beixun.”
With that, Shen Jianyv left without looking back. Everyone thought she had returned for Lu Beixun, but that wasn’t the case.
She went straight to Lu Corporation. No one at the front desk stopped her, and she entered the elevator, pressing the button for the 69th floor.
Arriving at the office, she pushed the door open without knocking. The person behind the desk looked up at her, his displeasure evident in his expression. “Remember to knock next time.”
“Right, right,” Shen Jianyv glanced at him, tossed her bag onto the sofa, and sat down. “Cen Xiu just approached me. He thinks I like you and wants to collaborate with me.”
Lu Beixun remained silent, so Shen Jianyv continued, “He said his target is your wife, but I have a feeling he has a bigger goal in mind.”
Having navigated the professional world for years, Shen Jianyv had witnessed the darker sides of human nature. Sometimes, she could discern something from a person’s gaze or subtle expressions.Moreover, upon closer thought, Cen Xiu grew up in the Cen family and lived there for twenty years. If he harbored ulterior motives toward Cen Wan, it certainly wasn’t something that had only recently emerged. If what he said was true, how could he have stood by and watched Cen Wan marry Lu Beixun?
Lu Beixun tapped the table rhythmically with his index finger, his eyes dark and profound, carrying a hint of complexity. “He does indeed have a bigger goal.”