Chapter 222: About Her, He Had a Lot He Wanted to Promise |
The room was very quiet. This was the first time Lin Yilin had ever communicated with Su Muzhi like this.
She had originally thought that tonight, she would be humiliated by Su Muzhi's sharp and vicious words, left battered and bruised, then shrink under the covers and secretly cry alone.
It was hard to imagine that Senior Su, who always had a smile on her face and loved to make fun of others, had this side to her.
“Senior, what about him... does he know?”
After thinking for a moment, Lin Yilin asked again.
“He knows. I never planned on hiding it, just like him—he never hides anything from me.”
Su Muzhi squinted her eyes as she lay on the bed, her voice carrying a bit more ease.
“If it's treated in time, can it get better?”
“If it could, my parents would have taken action much earlier.”
Lin Yilin looked at Su Muzhi's youthful face on the bed. It was hard to imagine that someone just over twenty was already thinking about death.
What did Senior Su mean by “old age”? When exactly was that?
Ten years from now? Thirty years from now?
Was this what they meant by “a beautiful woman with an ill-fated life”?
“Then... what exactly do you mean, Senior?”
“You don't have to worry about me. Just go ahead and be with him boldly.”
“But Senior, you're the one in his heart, right?”
“That's right. You're the fake girlfriend, I'm the real girlfriend!”
Su Muzhi turned her head, raised an eyebrow, and looked at Lin Yilin.
“Don't joke around at a time like this!”
Lin Yilin was a bit annoyed and wanted to secretly hit Su Muzhi with a pillow but didn't have the courage.
“Hehe, just leave this kind of thing to him. You just go ahead and love freely. These worries are all his own fault anyway.”
Su Muzhi lay on the bed and rolled over.
“How could I not care about how the person I like feels?”
“That's something he should be thinking about. You just turn all your sadness and troubles into anger and dump it on him.”
“Wouldn't that make Senior an emotional trash can?”
“Hehe, because that way his guilt will be a little less.”
Lin Yilin pressed her lips together and didn't ask what Su Muzhi meant by “guilt.” She grabbed her hair, her little brows furrowed.
After a long moment, she suddenly flopped onto the bed, burying her face in the pillow: “I don't care anymore! I don't care anymore! You and Senior can handle whatever relationship you have yourselves!”
“I'll just handle my own relationship with Senior.”
Su Muzhi watched her reaction and chuckled.
“Then let's leave it at that for now.”
Lin Yilin didn't reply.
If only Senior Su had been a bit meaner to me, if only Senior had lied to me a little. It's not like I'm hard to bully or hard to deceive.
But the two of them just had to be like this, making it impossible to hate them.
And I'm angry, but I don't even know who to be angry at.
Thinking this, she suddenly asked again: “Can I go find Senior tonight and talk to him?”
“If you're asking, then no.”
Su Muzhi looked at Lin Yilin, her eyebrow raised.
Do you have to ask? Couldn't you just sneak off without telling me? She's doing it on purpose just to annoy me.
“Hmph... Senior's disapproval doesn't count. I'm still going to find him.”
Lin Yilin was now very clear.
She and Senior Su were two parallel planes, non-interfering! And Senior was the plane that intersected with them!
Yes! That was it!
“Hehe, Xiao Yilin, is that a challenge?”
“...Does it sound like one?”
“What do you think?”
Su Muzhi glanced at Lin Yilin and sighed helplessly: “If you want to find him, I think you'll see him as soon as you open the door.”
“What do you mean?”
“Do you really think he'd feel comfortable letting the two of us share a room? He's probably crouching by the door right now, waiting for you to run out crying.”
“...Maybe it'll be Senior Su who runs out crying.”
Lin Yilin pursed her lips.
Su Muzhi chuckled.
Such a hard mouth.
“Hehe, then I'll run out crying. He'll comfort me at night, and then I'll badmouth you a little, make myself look all pitiful. When it gets late, guess what we'll be up to?”
She said with a smile.
“...I can do that too!”
Lin Yilin said, her face flushed, not knowing why she was blushing.
“Hehe, go find him. Have a good talk with him.”
Su Muzhi withdrew her gaze and said flatly.
“Then... what about you, Senior Su?”
Lin Yilin asked.
Su Muzhi squinted her eyes, thinking about those restless feet during the foot bath: “Me? I'm going to see who else dares to covet my inheritance.”
“Inheritance?”
“Hehe, when I die, Jiang Linyuan will be my greatest inheritance. Xiao Yilin, you're the first in line to inherit, okay?”
“What the hell! Don't say such unlucky things!”
Seeing that Su Muzhi really didn't care at all, Lin Yilin went to open the door.
As soon as she poked her head out, she saw Jiang Linyuan standing to the side.
Senior Su had really called it.
She thought dazedly.
“Hm? Surprised to see me? I came out to pick up a delivery order.”
Jiang Linyuan said.
“Hehe, my husband is so cute when he's being dishonest.”
Su Muzhi also walked over, smiling as she looked at him.
“What husband! You two aren't even married yet!”
Lin Yilin stood between them, puffing out her cheeks angrily.
“Hehe...”
Su Muzhi just smiled.
Seeing the two of them like this, Jiang Linyuan understood.
Xiao Su, I'm definitely going to cure you in the future. The prisoner's sentence isn't up yet. How can the executioner leave so early?
“Are you two planning to go out?”
Jiang Linyuan asked.
“I'm going to find that girl named Zhang Juntang.”
Su Muzhi looked at him, smiling, thinking about those restless little feet during the foot bath.
It wasn't Lin Zhu, it wasn't Xiao Yilin. It had to be you.
Hehe, I'm starting to remember. The first time we met, her attitude was a bit off.
“Looking for Juntang?”
Lin Yilin was very surprised, combining it with what Su Muzhi had just said. She blinked her big, dark eyes: “That's unlikely. Juntang has hardly ever interacted with Senior.”
“Hehe...”
Su Muzhi just smiled.
Even if she had interacted with him, with Xiao Yilin's personality, she wouldn't have noticed.
Jiang Linyuan looked at Su Muzhi, thought for a moment, and didn't ask further.
Xiao Su had definitely noticed that Crazy Little was off. I had already turned her down. Let Xiao Su go and cut off her hopes.
“Then is Xiao Yilin coming along to find Zhang Juntang?”
He asked again.
Lin Yilin blushed: “I came to find Senior.”
Jiang Linyuan was stunned for a moment, then said: “Want to take a walk?”
“Mm.” Lin Yilin nodded.
“Hehe, give me your room card. I'll wait for you in your room.”
Su Muzhi said with a smile.
Jiang Linyuan handed her the card and then asked: “Need me to bring anything back?”
“Just don't bring Xiao Yilin into the room.”
“I'm not going in there!”
Lin Yilin shouted, her face red.
And I'm not letting Senior and Senior Su share a room either!
The two of them left the hotel, walking along a tarmac road lined with bare trees. What kind of trees they were, he had no idea.
“Senior Su told me a lot just now.”
Having had her first drink of alcohol tonight, she was now enjoying the comfortable night breeze, which blew away some of her drunkenness. Lin Yilin's voice was a bit more lively than during dinner.
“I bet she said you don't have to care about my feelings, and even less about hers, and that you should just do what's in your heart.”
Jiang Linyuan had his hands in his pockets, looking up at the sparse stars in the night sky.
“You guessed that right.”
Lin Yilin was a bit amazed, then added: “And about her heart condition.”
“She told you that too?”
“Why does it sound like it's something special?”
“No, I just can't figure out why she would tell you that.”
A heart condition was a weakness for Xiao Su. She was an extremely strong-willed person and generally wouldn't bring it up on her own.
Because mentioning it was almost like showing vulnerability.
“Looks like Senior doesn't understand Senior Su that well, huh?”
Lin Yilin turned her head to look at Jiang Linyuan.
The night wind blew through his hair. His Adam's apple was quite nice to look at.
“Girls are like poetry. No matter how many times you read it, you always find new insights.”
Jiang Linyuan's voice carried a hint of a smile. After speaking, he turned to meet Lin Yilin's gaze: “Even someone as easy to understand as Xiao Yilin has things I don't understand.”
A car drove by on the road, its headlights illuminating them.
“Like what?” Lin Yilin asked.
“What would happen if I deceived you... I don't want to know.”
“What's the reason?”
“Why would I need a reason?”
Jiang Linyuan shook his head.
“Senior is a coward. Afraid of making girls angry?”
Lin Yilin said.
“Yeah, I'm a real coward. Afraid of making girls angry, so I can only think of ways to make them happy.”
Jiang Linyuan sighed, as if he truly regretted his own cowardice.
“You haven't made me happy.”
Lin Yilin put on a serious expression, her face taut.
Jiang Linyuan glanced at her and found her looking back at him.
They stared at each other. It was just a coincidence, but because of their relationship, they willingly believed it was fate.
“Really not happy?”
Jiang Linyuan asked.
Lin Yilin looked away. In her peripheral vision, not far away, the sound of people was lively and bustling.
“If I wasn't happy, I wouldn't have walked out alone with you, Senior.”
She said, stopping in her tracks: “Senior, do you have enough courage?”
“Besides making girls like Xiao Yilin angry, I don't think there's much to be afraid of.”
Jiang Linyuan said.
“Hmph. Then Senior, you need to work hard to make me happy. If I get angry, I'll eat people!”
“Xiao Yilin the monster?”
“That's right! I'm a sea monster from Southern Fujian. I specialize in eating men named Jiang Linyuan who stand in front of me and make girls cry!”
“My apologies, my apologies. I'm actually a monster too, Your Majesty. Could you please not eat me?”
“Then be my little minion!”
Lin Yilin tilted her head back, a smile spreading across her face. It was as bright as a crescent moon.
They walked a few steps and noticed a firelight coming from the square not far away.
“What's that?” Jiang Linyuan asked.
“Probably a molten iron fireworks show.”
“Do they have that in Southern Fujian too? Isn't that from Yuzhou?”
“Yuzhou's is the most famous, but it's everywhere. Putian's molten iron fireworks show is also pretty famous around here.”
“When I think of Putian, the first thing that comes to mind is shoes.”
“Then let's refresh that stereotype!”
Lin Yilin grabbed Jiang Linyuan's hand and ran towards the crowd.
There were a lot of people watching the molten iron fireworks show. Some were holding up their phones to record, others were on video calls.
“Senior, have you seen a molten iron fireworks show before?”
Lin Yilin looked at the sparks flying in front of her and turned to Jiang Linyuan.
“No.”
Jiang Linyuan looked at the scene before him.
The craftsman swung his arms, iron flowers burst into full bloom, a meteor shower of stars fell from the sky, scattering a burning galaxy.
There was a lake behind them, so there was no particular safety concern.
“Then I bet Senior Su hasn't seen one either.”
Lin Yilin smiled at Jiang Linyuan.
“So, at this moment, I'm the only one.”
Jiang Linyuan turned his head.
The firelight dyed her thin white coat a surreal color, like the afterglow of a setting sun, thick as unbreakable syrup.
She covered her mouth with her hand and smiled beautifully: “Senior, in my life, there is only one Jiang Linyuan.”
“In my life, there is only one Lin Yilin.”
Jiang Linyuan said.
Looking into his eyes, Lin Yilin continued: “But there's only one Senior Su too.”
“So, can you promise not to let the only girl in your life cry, Senior?”
Jiang Linyuan stared into her eyes. Within them flickered the firelight.
The brilliant blazing tree of silver flowers, the interweaving crowd, the dazzling flashes of light.
The world was a stream of color, the scenery breathtaking. Everything, everything was romantic and warm.
“I can.”
He nodded, his voice utterly serious.
Lin Yilin smiled and placed her hand in Jiang Linyuan's.
Where the two of them stood, the winter night was no longer cold, and the chill wind was no longer bleak.
“Senior.”
Her voice was very soft, nearly drowned out by the noise of the crowd.
“What's wrong?”
Jiang Linyuan could feel her hand tightening on his, her fingernails digging deep into his flesh.
As if in accusation, as if in fear.
“Senior, even though I'm being good now, if I lose my temper in the future, I might hit people.”
“That's a blessing I deserve.”
“Are you a masochist or what!”
Lin Yilin turned her head, lifted her foot, and lightly stomped on him before pulling it back.
It didn't hurt at all.
“Maybe I am.”
Jiang Linyuan said.
Lin Yilin looked at him like this, alternating between anger and amusement. She pulled her hand away, puffed out her cheeks, let out a long breath, and held out her pinky finger: “Hold hands.”
“Weren't we just holding hands?”
“That was me grabbing yours. This time, you do it...”
She turned her head away, her flushed profile outshining the firelight. Her voice was like a mosquito's hum: “If Senior takes the initiative, I'll only give you my pinky finger to hold.”
Jiang Linyuan smiled and hooked her pinky finger with his own.
The two of them stood like that under the firelight.
The dark sky was filled with flying sparks, brilliant and radiant.
Cheering from the crowd echoed around the square, carried into their ears by the wind.
The wind was gentle, and the night was gentle too.