However, although she did not have the courage to call Lin Xiangyang, Shi Nianhuan had still received the best news she had gotten in days.
Uncle Jiang and Aunt Lin were back.
Aunt Lin had called her, saying that a driver would come to pick her up in the afternoon and take her home to eat that evening.
Shi Nianhuan was still very happy. Although she thought about having to face Jiang Chenyu’s sour expression again, she still agreed cheerfully.
If Uncle Jiang and Aunt Lin were home, Jiang Chenyu would not do anything too excessive to her.
Before Uncle and Aunt went traveling, Jiang Chenyu had never touched her.
That was what Shi Nianhuan thought…
What she did not know was that Jiang Chenyu had truly not touched her before because he simply had no feelings for her.
But after sleeping with her, Jiang Chenyu thought of her every day while working and was deeply troubled.
When the driver came to pick her up, another surprise was waiting for her.
When she opened the car door and saw the person sitting inside, the surprised expression on her face was impossible to conceal.
“Nianhuan.” Lin Xiangyang greeted her indifferently.
Shi Nianhuan came back to her senses, put away the surprised expression on her face, and then smiled and nodded at Lin Xiangyang.
She sat inside the car, leaving only twenty centimeters between herself and Lin Xiangyang.
Her heart began beating faster, pathetically beyond her control.
Shi Nianhuan really wanted to use this opportunity to ask Lin Xiangyang whether what had happened between him and Xia Bing was true.
But the words stuck in her throat like that, and she was too embarrassed to ask.
“Brother Xiangyang…” Shi Nianhuan hesitated for a long time, even the tip of her tongue trembling, but she still spoke cautiously.
Lin Xiangyang finally moved his eyes away from his mobile phone. He turned his head and looked at Shi Nianhuan quizzically.
“That… last night…” Shi Nianhuan tried to organize her words, but she was terribly inarticulate and seemed unable to explain herself clearly no matter what she said.
“Last night?” Lin Xiangyang’s voice was as clear as ever. He indifferently repeated the question, his brows drawing together.
“Mm… I heard Xia Bing say that you two… are together?”
It was a very cautious probe. Shi Nianhuan ground her teeth and steeled herself.
“Oh.” Lin Xiangyang spoke as though he had suddenly understood.
At that instant, a trace of hope rose in Shi Nianhuan’s heart again, as though there was nothing between Lin Xiangyang and Xia Bing, and they had merely happened to run into each other, and then…
“She told you all about it? You little girls really do tell each other everything.” Lin Xiangyang’s next words instantly hurled Shi Nianhuan from heaven into hell.
She opened and closed her mouth, staring at Lin Xiangyang in disbelief.
“What’s wrong?” Lin Xiangyang looked at her and asked.
Shi Nianhuan hurriedly shook her head. “It’s nothing, nothing. You two… are together now?”
“Ah… well, I suppose so.” Lin Xiangyang lowered his head with a faint smile. For some reason, Shi Nianhuan felt that Lin Xiangyang seemed a little strange at that moment, as though he were concealing something.
Shi Nianhuan’s nose stung fiercely, and her eyes instantly filled with tears.
She turned her head to look out the window, forcing herself to hold back all her tears.
I cannot cry, she warned herself inwardly.
She had always thought that a boy like Lin Xiangyang should be a deeply devoted man.
She thought he had loved Momo very much, so even after they broke up, she had never entertained any thoughts about him.
But how long had it been since he and Momo broke up? He was already together with Xia Bing.
Shi Nianhuan was still slightly annoyed. She felt as though she had been deceived. But in reality, whether Lin Xiangyang was with someone or not, what did it have to do with her?
When all was said and done, she was only Lin Xiangyang’s younger sister.
How laughable.
When they returned home, Shi Nianhuan stood behind Lin Xiangyang. She was still somewhat surprised when she saw the people sitting in the living room.
“Nianhuan, what are you standing there for? Come over quickly.” It was Aunt Lin’s voice. She waved and called to her.
Aunt Lin was Jiang Chenyu’s mother. Although she was already over forty, she took excellent care of herself, and there was no sign of the years having left their mark on her.
Aunt Lin treated her very well, just like her own daughter.
Shi Nianhuan smiled slightly, changed her shoes, and walked over.
“Aunt, Uncle, Mom.” Lin Xiangyang also followed her over. With his head slightly lowered, he greeted the people sitting on the sofa.
“Oh!” Aunt Lin smiled so brightly that her face seemed to bloom like a flower.
Shi Nianhuan greeted them somewhat awkwardly. “Hello, Uncle, Aunt, Auntie.”
“You child, come sit beside me.” Aunt Lin reached out and pulled her down beside her, smiling warmly with affection covering her face.
“Your uncle and I came back yesterday, so today we invited your Auntie and Xiangyang over to eat.” Aunt Lin smiled as she spoke.
Lin Xiangyang’s mother sat not far away, wearing a faint smile and possessing an otherworldly air.
Shi Nianhuan nodded with a smile.
Lin Xiangyang’s father was Aunt Lin’s cousin, so Lin Xiangyang was her older brother.
And she and Jiang Chenyu had to call Lin Xiangyang’s mother Auntie.
Lin Xiangyang had always treated her as his younger sister because she was his younger sister, even though she was merely the Jiang family’s adopted daughter.
But Shi Nianhuan was unwilling to treat him as her older brother. Once outside this home, she refused to acknowledge Lin Xiangyang as her older brother.
It was like at school, where her roommate only knew that she and Lin Xiangyang were very close. She had always vaguely indicated that they were childhood sweethearts who had grown up together, but never mentioned that there was another layer to their relationship.
Because Shi Nianhuan did not want to be his younger sister. She liked him.
But she was timid—so timid that she could only keep those feelings buried in her heart.
“Where’s Jiang Chenyu?” After sitting with them for a while, Lin Xiangyang found it boring and stood up to look around.
“Chenyu is upstairs. Go up and find him. We’re old, after all. You young people have more topics to talk about when you’re together.” Aunt Lin smiled as she spoke.
Shi Nianhuan smiled awkwardly. She and Jiang Chenyu certainly had no topics to discuss.
“All right.” Lin Xiangyang agreed at once, then took Shi Nianhuan by the wrist and led her upstairs.
His movements could not have been more natural, flowing together seamlessly like drifting clouds and flowing water.
Shi Nianhuan froze for a moment. Before she could react, she simply let Lin Xiangyang pull her upstairs.
Only after reaching the second floor did a trace of fear slowly rise in Shi Nianhuan’s heart. She did not want to invite trouble for herself by running to Jiang Chenyu and picking a fight.
“Brother Xiangyang, my stomach suddenly hurts a little. You go on by yourself. I need to use the restroom.”
Lin Xiangyang looked at her with concern. “Are you all right? Why does your stomach ache all of a sudden?”
“It’s fine, it’s fine. It’ll probably get better in a little while.” Shi Nianhuan smiled guiltily and waved her hands. As she spoke, she turned around and was about to run toward her room.