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墨書 Inktalez
“Yan, how did you know I've always wanted to buy a house here?” In a riverside villa, Ruan Shengyu had been enamored since she stepped inside. The architectural style, the interior design, and the view outside the window all showcased the buyer's thoughtful intentions.
After having Ruan Shengyu's luggage set down, Jin Chengyan instructed the staff to leave. Now, the spacious villa was left with just the two of them.
Ruan Shengyu had been recuperating in the hospital for a long time after her previous wrist-cutting incident. Liu Mingzhang had sent her numerous supplements and ensured that the doctors took good care of her.
So, after half a month, Ruan Shengyu had returned to her former self!
She looked around the villa, admiring the cool-toned curtains, modern sofas and furniture that were clean and sleek, and the polished floor that shone like a mirror… everything was just as she envisioned her ideal home.
“You must have prepared a dance room, right?” Ruan Shengyu asked with a hint of teasing.
Jin Chengyan stood beside the sofa, smiling silently.
It had been a long time since Ruan Shengyu had seen that expression; it was a unique smile that Jin Chengyan wore when he was being indulgent. She used to take this smile for granted.
Some things are only cherished after they are lost.
Ruan Shengyu glanced at the doors of several rooms downstairs and walked over to casually open one.
In the past, Ruan Shengyu had studied dance. She worked hard and hoped to become an outstanding dancer one day. However, after losing her parents and with her brother wanting to sell her for money, she had no choice but to start working early.
So much had happened afterward; if it weren't for Jin Chengyan, she probably wouldn't even know where she would be or what kind of dirty job she might be doing now.
Sure enough, upon opening one door, she found a spacious dance room with an entire wall of mirrors, stretching bars, floor-to-ceiling windows, and white curtains!
If she opened the windows and let the river breeze lift the white curtains while she danced inside, it would create such a beautiful scene.
She walked in and turned on the speaker, the sound of Tchaikovsky's "Swan Lake" filling the air. As a ballet dancer, she instinctively rose onto her toes upon hearing the music.
Imagining herself on stage, dressed in a white swan costume.
How beautiful it was; everything felt more wonderful than before!
But unexpectedly, Jin Chengyan suddenly snapped the music off with a loud click.
The music stopped, and Ruan Shengyu slowly lowered her feet, looking at Jin Chengyan in confusion. Didn't he want to watch her dance?
"You just recovered; there will be plenty of time to dance later. There's no rush," he explained, which made sense.
Ruan Shengyu smiled gently and walked over, taking Jin Chengyan's arm. "Then you should dance with me. We’ve never properly danced together. You have no idea how envious I feel when you attend banquets and dance with other women."
In the past, at those commercial banquets, it was inevitable that celebrities would be invited, and Ruan Shengyu was a frequent guest.
Jin Chengyan only attended when he had no choice, which made encounters unavoidable.
Dancing with others involved a mix of sincerity and pretense; Jin Chengyan understood this well. Now, as Ruan Shengyu brought it up again, he felt as if it were from a different lifetime.
His hand rested on her waist while her hand lay on his shoulder.
There was no music, but the steps were etched in their hearts. They moved in sync as they took the first step together and then spun…
Ruan Shengyu slowly leaned her head against Jin Chengyan's shoulder, listening to the strong rhythm of his heartbeat.
“A Yan, it feels so good right now,” Ruan Shengyu softly spoke.
No matter whether Jin Chengyan was Qiao Nuo's husband or not at this moment, as long as he was by her side, and she was the one accompanying him, she felt incredibly happy.
Why is it that after experiencing so much, one realizes that the best person has always been right beside them?
Jin Chengyan looked at his expressionless reflection in the mirror, holding in his arms the person he once desperately wanted to possess. Now, it was just like this.
“Then stay here and enjoy yourself,” Jin Chengyan said, gently stroking Ruan Shengyu's back as they danced silently in the studio.
……
“Miss Qiao, seeing is believing. Do you really think you’re happy occupying a man who doesn’t love you?” Liu Mingzhang spoke to Qiao Nuo from inside the black car, his tone carrying a hint of admonition.
Qiao Nuo's gaze fell on the villa not far away. Through the floor-to-ceiling windows, she saw a man she knew all too well holding a woman she despised!
Jin Chengyan, how can you expect me to trust you? You asked me… to have your child! You said you wanted to be with me for a lifetime, yet here you are, embracing Ruan Shengyu? Why are you with me at all? Is it just because Ruan Shengyu was defiled and your male ego couldn’t handle it? So while you indulge in pleasure with me, you're also having a spiritual romance with Ruan Shengyu?
Qiao Nuo withdrew her gaze and calmly looked at Liu Mingzhang.
“I don’t understand what you mean by bringing me to see this at your age! Since you're getting older, you should be doing what someone your age ought to do! Like enjoying your twilight years at home! Oh, right, you took Ruan Shengyu as your goddaughter; I guess it's because there’s no one left to carry on your family line!” Qiao Nuo said without missing a beat.
Even though she knew that this person was someone whom even the Jin Family had to treat with caution, Qiao Nuo couldn’t remain calm at that moment!
Qiao Nuo was just speaking her mind; she had only seen people in their twenties or thirties engaging in such pursuits. At Liu Mingzhang’s age, still getting involved in such matters—wasn’t that just disrespectful?
Liu Mingzhang never expected Qiao Nuo to be so audacious. He cleared his throat awkwardly, but his expression remained cold. He cast a satisfied glance at the couple inside the villa.
"You don't need to be angry; the facts are right in front of you. If I were you, I would leave quickly while you still have some dignity. Otherwise, you might end up as a discarded wife of a wealthy family. Is that an experience you want to try?"
Qiao Nuo had no interest in being a discarded wife of a wealthy family. She glanced at the car door, which was locked from the driver's side. The driver and the person sitting in the passenger seat were both large and intimidating, much like A Shan's men, making escape quite difficult.
"You've shown me what I needed to see; can you let me go now? After all, I’m still the Jin Family Young Mistress. Once you become Jin Chengyan's father-in-law, it will be easy for you to do whatever you want with me! But right now, if anything happens to me, don’t forget that Jin Chengyan will ensure you have a life to live but no chance to escape!" Qiao Nuo just wanted to leave this place as quickly as possible; even one more minute with Liu Mingzhang made her uncomfortable.
"What's wrong? Do you want to go in and take a look? If I were you, I wouldn't be so clueless. Not only would you lose face, but it might also speed up your journey to becoming a discarded wife!"
"If you don’t open the door, I’ll smash your car!" Qiao Nuo shouted angrily, pulling out the phone that Jin Chengyan had given her, adorned with a circle of diamonds. She was ready to use it to smash the car—whether it would be a stroke of luck for the car or for her phone was anyone's guess!
With her phone pressed against the window, she was resolute. If Liu Mingzhang didn’t open the door, she would smash it! Let’s see whether her phone or the car window would break first!
Liu Mingzhang watched Qiao Nuo’s hand and fully believed that if he didn’t open the door, she would indeed smash it!
He signaled to the driver, who promptly unlocked the car.
Qiao Nuo couldn’t wait another moment; she immediately opened the door and got out!
The black sedan drove away instantly, clearly leaving this place for Qiao Nuo.
She stood behind a one-meter-high bush. In reality, if Jin Chengyan just looked up instead of focusing on the person in his arms, he would see Qiao Nuo standing outside.
Qiao Nuo stared at the two people inside and realized she could no longer cry! After enduring blow after blow, her fragile heart had been shattered and rebuilt into something incredibly hard. She no longer felt anything towards Jin Chengyan’s actions.
She stared for two minutes before walking away indifferently.
In January, the weather by the river was cold, and the biting wind made Qiao Nuo feel as if her bones were frozen together. Her hands were icy as she clutched her bag, her gaze fixed solely on the road ahead.
As long as she could walk away from this riverside path, things would warm up a bit, and she could start a new life?
Qiao Nuo didn’t know; all she felt was that her vision was blurring, everything became unclear, and she knew nothing at all!
Later, she couldn’t recall how she made it back to her small apartment from the riverside. She felt chillingly cold all over. She stepped into the bathroom, turned on the heater, and let hot water flow while still dressed, standing under the showerhead.
The hot water cascaded down from the showerhead, soaking through her icy clothes until it finally touched Qiao Nuo’s skin. It took a long time before she began to feel warm again.
In her mind, it seemed she could still see Jin Chengyan holding Ruan Shengyu.
But what came to her thoughts was how Jin Chengyan had held her just the day before, repeatedly talking about wanting to have children with her, wanting to touch her. She had turned him down time and again, and he hadn’t seemed angry at all.
Eventually, whether it was Jin Chengyan or Qiao Nuo, they both found this back-and-forth to be quite enjoyable. He never insisted that she must have his child, and she didn’t firmly refuse him either.
Later on, he held her while they slept. She listened to his steady breathing and felt the warmth of his embrace!
But now, Qiao Nuo sat under the showerhead, hugging her own arms.
It wasn’t that she wasn’t heartbroken or that she wasn’t sad; it was just that she didn’t want to show that sadness outside.
Don’t think Qiao Nuo was strong; in fact, she was weaker than anyone else and needed comfort more than anyone realized. They had no idea how devastating that scene had been for Qiao Nuo!
Ah, holding that woman who wanted to kill Qiao Nuo!
Qiao Nuo took off her soaked clothes and changed into a clean outfit, wrapping her hair in a towel as she emerged from the bathroom.
The air conditioning in the room was running at full blast. Qiao Nuo rummaged through the drawer and found Qiao Chen's passport along with all his identification documents.
Then, she began searching online for the information she needed.
...
Late at night, Jin Chengyan's phone rang just as Qiao Nuo had settled into bed. She hadn’t returned to Jin Mansion that evening, thinking that Jin Chengyan wouldn’t be back either, so he wouldn’t even notice her absence.
When she answered the call, she was surprised to find it wasn’t Jin Chengyan on the other end.
“Aunt-in-law, Uncle and I just got back to Jin Mansion. Why aren’t you here?” Chu Yuxiu’s childish voice came through the line. Sometimes he sounded like a little adult, and other times just like any kid his age.
Hearing Chu Yuxiu’s voice eased Qiao Nuo’s previously tense demeanor.
“I’m at my own home. Why are you still awake so late?” Qiao Nuo wouldn’t let her frustration with Jin Chengyan spill over onto the entire Jin family.
“Aunt-in-law is at her own home... Uncle and I just returned from the hospital. We went to see Grandpa, and now we’re home. We didn’t see you there!”
Qiao Nuo couldn’t help but scoff internally; Jin Chengyan really had his schedule well planned out. He could go from Ruan Shengyu’s place to pick up Chu Yuxiu and then head to the hospital to visit Jin Zhongshu!
Was he particularly skilled at playing both sides like this?
“It’s late, you should get some rest. You’ll see me tomorrow,” Qiao Nuo said, feeling a bit tired and lacking the energy to continue the conversation with Chu Yuxiu.
“Hey, Jin Chengyan, why did you take my phone? I was talking to Aunt-in-law!”
“Chu Yuxiu, this is my phone, okay? If you want to call Aunt-in-law, use the landline!”
“But I don’t even know Aunt-in-law’s mobile number!”
Qiao Nuo listened to the back-and-forth on the other end of the line, feeling a fleeting urge to hang up and escape Jin Chengyan’s voice.
However, he was already speaking to her through the phone.
“Are you at Qiao Chen’s place?” Jin Chengyan’s voice was soft, likely to avoid being overheard by Chu Yuxiu.
Qiao Nuo didn’t know how to respond to Jin Chengyan; she could only remain silent.
Sensing her unusual quietness, Jin Chengyan asked, “What’s wrong? Why aren’t you saying anything?”
Taking a deep breath, Qiao Nuo replied, “It’s late. I’m going to sleep.”
At that moment, the call ended. Qiao Nuo turned off her phone and threw it onto the floor, relieved not to see it anymore.
She couldn’t face Jin Chengyan so calmly. She didn’t understand how he could be so composed around her while holding Ruan Shengyu one moment and speaking so gently to her the next.
Jin Chengyan, which version of you is the real one?
Qiao Nuo burrowed under the covers, forcing herself to think of nothing and quickly fall asleep, believing that everything would be resolved in time.
Half an hour later, Qiao Nuo still hadn’t managed to sleep; the only sound in the room was the air conditioning humming softly.
Today, the southern weather was particularly cold. Even with the air conditioning on, it was hard to feel warm. In the past, she would feel no chill when sleeping in Jin Chengyan's embrace, but now, alone in bed, the air conditioning offered little comfort.
Suddenly, a rustling sound broke the silence, sending Qiao Nuo’s heart racing.
Who could it be?
Qiao Chen?
But how could Qiao Chen return at such a late hour? He should be busy with winter break classes and wouldn’t have any reason to come back!
Could it be… a burglar?
She had chosen to live here initially because of the cheap rent. Even after she and Jin Chengyan got together and her finances improved, Qiao Nuo never considered moving out.
Partly because she lived in Jin Mansion while Qiao Chen stayed at school, they rarely returned home. There weren’t any valuable items inside, so moving didn’t seem necessary.
Qiao Nuo also didn’t want to give up this place; it had always been a home for her and Qiao Chen. No matter what happened with Jin Chengyan, she could always return here.
However, she had overlooked the fact that the neighborhood wasn’t very safe!
Cautiously, Qiao Nuo got out of bed. She remembered there was a fly swatter in the room. Although it wouldn’t be much use against a real intruder, she couldn’t just let herself be at their mercy!
But she heard voices coming from outside the room.
"Wow, Uncle, what kind of place is this? It's so small... Are you sure Aunt-in-law really lives here?"
"You talk too much; I shouldn't have brought you along!"
"What do you mean? Aunt-in-law must be mad at you, that's why she's gone back to her parents' house! When my mom and dad argue, my mom also goes back to her parents'!"
"I really don't know what your parents are teaching you!" It seemed necessary to have a serious talk with Jin Mengli about how to educate Chu Yuxiu!
Hearing the conversation outside, Qiao Nuo finally felt relieved.
So it was Jin Chengyan who had come.
Jin Chengyan was here!
How did he get here?
Qiao Nuo put down the fly swatter, turned on the light in the room, and as she was about to open the door, the person outside opened it at the same time, and they met at the doorway.
Jin Chengyan felt like they were finally face to face.
Qiao Nuo, however, felt like they were meeting again.
"Wow, Aunt-in-law, I see you! I've missed you so much!" Chu Yuxiu exclaimed, opening her arms and tilting her head, asking for a hug.
Qiao Nuo's gaze lingered on Jin Chengyan for just a second before she lowered her head to look at Chu Yuxiu. Seeing that he wanted a hug, she crouched down and picked him up.
The little guy was dressed lightly, wearing only a down jacket over a sweater, without a scarf or gloves. His small face was flushed from the cold, likely because he had walked up from downstairs.
When Qiao Nuo glanced back at Jin Chengyan, he was still in his suit and shirt, topped with a coat, much warmer than Chu Yuxiu.
Doesn't this man know how to take care of a child?
With this demeanor, how could he even think about having kids?
“Come inside quickly; it must be really cold out there.” The outside room had no heating, so Qiao Nuo could only bring Chu Yuxiu into the room.
“I rushed over to see you. If I was late, Uncle wouldn’t have brought me,” Chu Yuxiu replied. Indeed, just moments ago, when Jin Chengyan learned that Qiao Nuo was here, he immediately grabbed the car keys to leave. However, Chu Yuxiu wanted to come along but had just gotten home and taken off his clothes to prepare for a bath, so he could only throw on the quickest outfit.
Qiao Nuo silently glanced at Jin Chengyan but said nothing more.
Jin Chengyan closed the door behind them, blocking the cold air from coming in. “You should hurry to bed; it’s so cold here. If you don’t want to change clothes, should we go back to Jin Mansion?”
Even someone as emotionally dull as Jin Chengyan could sense that Qiao Nuo was a bit displeased with him at that moment.
“I don’t want to change clothes.” After saying this, Qiao Nuo took off Chu Yuxiu’s jacket and guided him to the bed before following him there herself.
Memories flooded back to that time in the hospital when Jin Chengyan was injured. Chu Yuxiu had come to visit but arrived late and ended up having to sleep in the hospital. The domineering Jin Chengyan had insisted that Chu Yuxiu be sent to another room, claiming that even though Chu Yuxiu was just a child, he couldn’t sleep in the same bed as Qiao Nuo.
Now, as soon as Chu Yuxiu climbed onto the bed, just as expected, Jin Chengyan swiftly took off his jacket and draped it over him.
"Why do you have to climb into everyone's bed?" Jin Chengyan shot a displeased look at Chu Yuxiu.
"But I'm cold! You didn't give me any clothes to wear. I'm going to tell my mom, your sister, that you're bullying me! You say this is something a girl shouldn't do, but I'm going to tell her anyway!" Chu Yuxiu seemed genuinely frightened by the cold, even preparing an escape route for herself.
"Jin Chengyan, why are you arguing with a child? If it bothers you so much, let Chu Yuxiu sleep in the bed, and I'll go outside!" Qiao Nuo declared as she got up from the bed.
Having just finished her shower, Qiao Nuo was wearing only a short-sleeved shirt and long pants, which was really too little for winter!
Seeing this, Jin Chengyan's irritation evaporated instantly.
In fact, he hadn't been that angry to begin with. He quickly said, "Qiao Nuo, put on some clothes. What if you catch a cold?"
"But I want to catch a cold too!" Chu Yuxiu said pitifully.
Jin Chengyan felt like he might explode from frustration. If he had known that meeting Chu Yuxiu at the hospital would lead to this, he might have thought twice about bringing her along. Who knew that seeing a child would make Qiao Nuo want one of her own?
He never expected the child to be so... troublesome.
In the end, Jin Chengyan found a compromise: they had two blankets—one for Chu Yuxiu and one for Qiao Nuo.
They decided not to return to Jin Mansion after all.
Jin Chengyan couldn't quite understand how he had given in so easily after Qiao Nuo mentioned not wanting to wear clothes.
Could it be that Qiao Nuo was just in a particularly bad mood today?
But just a few days ago, she was perfectly fine!
Jin Chengyan shook his head, wondering if Qiao Nuo's period had arrived. This seemed to explain why Qiao Nuo was in a bad mood.
However, after taking a look around, there was no space for him on the bed! Where was he supposed to sleep?
“Qiao Nuo, where am I supposed to sleep?”
Qiao Nuo glanced at Chu Yuxiu, who was sleeping on the other pillow. This little guy was truly handsome, inheriting all the best traits from both his mother and father. When he grew up, he would undoubtedly be an exceptionally good-looking young man.
“Outside,” Qiao Nuo replied indifferently.
“Outside?” Jin Chengyan exclaimed in disbelief. “There’s no air conditioning outside!”
“Or you could go back to Jin Mansion; no one is stopping you,” Qiao Nuo said lightly as she gently patted Chu Yuxiu's back. The little guy seemed very tired and quickly fell asleep—he was out in just a second!
Jin Chengyan stood by the window, looking at the distant Qiao Nuo, who seemed so unapproachable. “Are you... on your period?”
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