“How is that reason not good?”
Su Nuo did not notice Jiang Jingye’s indifference.
Instead, she slipped into full enthusiasm mode.
“Xu Jiayi may already have a boyfriend now, but as the saying goes, as long as the hoe swings well, no corner is unbreakable!”
“Really! Xu Jiayi definitely has feelings for you! It is just that you two had too little contact before, so she could not figure out your intentions and did not dare to take a step forward.”
“If you regain your footing and stand in front of her in glory to confess, what chance would any other man have!”
Jiang Jingye’s pen paused as he slowly looked up at her.
Their eyes met. Su Nuo thought she had said something wrong and quickly fell silent.
The next second, Jiang Jingye spoke.
“If I confess to Xu Jiayi, what about you? You helped me rise again just so I could be with another woman?”
Hearing this, Su Nuo’s heartbeat skipped two beats.
There was a hint of confusion hidden in the man’s low voice.
And a careful scrutiny of her.
Su Nuo swallowed.
A familiar flush slowly climbed onto her face again.
For a moment, she did not know how to interpret those words.
There seemed to be another possibility hidden inside them.
A possibility she had never dared to imagine.
But he already had the female lead in his heart. It would not work between them.
Su Nuo took a light breath and forced a relaxed smile.
“You do not need to worry about me. As long as you are happy, I am fine.”
Jiang Jingye’s body stiffened slightly, and an inexplicable heaviness sank into his heart.
As if something had quietly burned itself into place.
From childhood to now, no one had ever truly cared about his happiness.
……
After leaving the courthouse, the sun was already tilting toward the west.
The orange sunset filled the streets.
Stretching the shadows of the two walking side by side into thin, long lines.
“Look, we just cleared nearly one million in wrongful debts,” Su Nuo said excitedly, waving the court receipt.
“That means in just one afternoon, we basically ‘earned’ over a million!”
“So next time, do not be afraid of trouble. Every bit we save is money earned.”
She kept chattering as she walked, completely unaware that the man beside her had been watching her face the entire time.
Jiang Jingye listened quietly.
It was like listening to a wind chime under the eaves, each soft sound stirred by the wind.
The wind was warm. Her voice was bright.
For more than twenty years, his nerves had been constantly tense, never allowed to relax even for a moment.
But just like that, without him noticing, they loosened.
It had been too long. Far too long since he had felt such peace.
Even his breathing slowed.
He found himself craving this rare calm.
They walked on.
Unknowingly, they arrived at a real estate agency on the roadside.
Jiang Jingye entered without hesitation.
Su Nuo frowned slightly but followed behind him silently.
Soon, a broker came to assist them.
Jiang Jingye stated his requirements directly.
The broker, seeing his appearance, became very enthusiastic.
He immediately introduced several two bedroom apartments ready for immediate move in.
Two bedrooms, each with separate private space.
If one day Su Nuo truly left, they could part on dignified terms.
Looking at the housing listings on the computer, Jiang Jingye glanced at Su Nuo and noticed her brows tightly furrowed, her earlier brightness gone.
He understood clearly that compared to his former mansion, these places were practically slums. Even so, these two bedroom apartments still cost five to six thousand a month.
After thinking it over, he still felt they should rent a slightly better place.
At least somewhere she could stay for now, giving her time to find a better path.
Just as he was about to speak to the broker, Su Nuo raised her hand first.
“Sorry, we are not interested in any of these.”
She then pulled Jiang Jingye out of the agency.
The broker called after them, “We have better places, do you want to take another look?”
Su Nuo shook her head. “No need, we will look ourselves.”
Jiang Jingye watched her hurried steps, his heart sinking again.
He thought she, used to luxury, simply could not accept such housing, and it was understandable.
“I know you have never lived a hard life, but you still need to look at our situation. Do you even see what kind of houses you were just considering…”
Her complaint still made the self proclaimed unshakable Jiang Jingye feel wounded.
He lowered his gaze and thought that maybe he should just have a farewell meal with her tonight.
That way, they would not part on awkward terms later.
But then Su Nuo said the next sentence.
Pulling him back from the darkness into warmth.
“Through the agency we would need to pay half a month’s rent as commission. Those places were five to six thousand a month. Plus our living expenses, that would cost over ten thousand a month.”
Jiang Jingye’s eyes brightened slightly, the gloom in his heart instantly dispersing.
Her voice continued.
“We cannot only think about this month and ignore how we will live next month. The house cannot be this expensive. We need something cheaper. Come with me.”
They transferred buses twice, moving farther and farther away.
From the spotless asphalt roads of the city center.
Into the crowded streets of the old district.
Then into the bustling urban village.
Overhead wires tangled like spider webs.
The smell of food from nearby restaurants drifted through the alleys.
Electric scooters honked, vendors shouted, neighbors laughed and chatted, all mixing into a noisy but lively atmosphere.
A strong sense of everyday life filled the air, completely different from the high end places he had spent thirty years in, where even breathing felt restrained.
But Su Nuo seemed completely familiar with it.
She led him through narrow alleys barely wide enough for two people to walk side by side.
Walls were lined with potted plants and old cardboard boxes, all traces of life everywhere.
Finally, they stopped in front of an old residential building with peeling walls.
A middle aged woman stood at the entrance with a signboard reading:
“Private bathroom suite, 1200 yuan per month, deposit one month rent three months, minimum six month lease.”
Su Nuo raised an eyebrow and started talking to her.
Soon, the woman took out a key and led them upstairs.
The corridor was dim, with only a small window letting in fragmented light.
The stairs were polished smooth by decades of footsteps.
The air carried the faint damp smell of an old building.
At the top floor, the woman took out the key and unlocked the innermost door.
The room was extremely cramped, with only a double iron bed, a chipped wardrobe, and an old low desk without chairs.
A small bathroom was enclosed in glass in the corner, barely large enough for one person to turn around.
There was no proper kitchen.
The only cooking space was a narrow balcony extending from the window, where a tiny stove barely fit beside an air conditioner and exhaust fan.
Dust floated gently in the light coming through the window cracks.
This place, compared to the mansion they had lived in before, was like heaven and earth apart.
Jiang Jingye looked at Su Nuo, his eyes filled with shock.
He could not believe she could actually accept this kind of living environment.