Having an ex-girlfriend of one’s spouse be one’s own younger sister is something that would probably be unsettling for anyone.
Yan Xun understood this.
Just like he understood why Lin Ran didn’t like him when he was young.
When Lin Ran lost his legs and became disabled, his beloved parents adopted a healthy child.
The once unique love and affection were directly taken away by half, or perhaps even more. If Yan Xun were in Lin Ran’s place, he would also feel sad, angry, and frustrated.
Emotions are inherently possessive, and love and affection are only different in their expression, not in essence.
So Yan Xun understood Chu Tingyun’s feelings. He straightforwardly asked:
“Chu Tingyun, are you jealous?”
“……”
Chu Tingyun’s eyelashes trembled slightly, and his entire body seemed to freeze suddenly.
At that moment, he didn’t know whether to be surprised by Yan Xun’s action of lighting his cigarette or by the direct question.
Yan Xun didn’t like smoking.
He didn’t like cigarettes, didn’t like alcohol, didn’t like forced sexual activities.
But ironically, Chu Tingyun did all the things he disliked.
So Yan Xun’s dislike for him was perfectly normal. Moreover, this was something Chu Tingyun had long ago told him directly—
[I don’t like you, Mr. Chu.]
[I like women, like Jingshu, who is your half-sister.]
[I have had a crush on her since the first year of high school, for many years.]
[And we are already planning to get married.]
At that time, Yan Xun’s rejection of Chu Tingyun was simple, clear, and direct.
His feelings for Jingshu were the same.
For three years in high school and four years in college, Yan Xun liked Jiang Jingshu for a total of seven years. Even when he proposed divorce three months ago, it was still these words.
But now, the other person was asking him if he was jealous.
Jealous…
At this moment, Chu Tingyun suddenly realized he had made a significant mistake.
Perhaps it was the sudden change in Yan Xun’s attitude after his amnesia, or the repeated recording of “Can you not divorce?” in his phone, or perhaps the active probing and approaching by Yan Xun over the past month.
Or maybe it was the kiss the night before, which was not rejected, or the helpless smile when agreeing to compete for the bouquet…
In short, all of these had made Chu Tingyun lose his caution.
He was too impatient.
The changes the other person had made were merely based on pieces of truth assembled into a lie. He thought that Yan Xun had once liked Chu Tingyun, and now everything he did was to restore the most desired happy family.
But Chu Tingyun had not yet woven this lie perfectly, like a spider’s web tightly binding Yan Xun, stripping away all the young man’s desire and strength to escape. He was already eager to tear the web open to kiss the person inside.
Chu Tingyun had entered the company at twenty and had fought his way up for more than a decade, almost working year-round, finally sitting in this so-called position of power.
In the business world, he had seen too many cunning prey and shrewd opponents. He had faced setbacks but never truly been defeated.
Experienced hunters often possess ample patience.
Chu Tingyun prided himself as an excellent hunter, but he was always impatient with Yan Xun, leading him to often act impulsively and regret later. As a result, he kept stumbling, ending up bruised and battered.
This time he had learned enough lessons and vowed not to repeat the mistakes.
“……”
Chu Tingyun closed his eyes, looking down to avoid the young man’s gaze.
“You’re overthinking, Yan Xun.”
At this moment, they were very close, separated only by a thin mist, but Yan Xun felt like there was even more invisible barriers between them, like an impenetrable wall.
The man’s brow furrowed slightly, his slender fingers gently flicking the ash from the cigarette and then extinguishing it without taking a puff.
The last bit of swirling smoke obscured the darkness in Chu Tingyun’s eyes.
He said, “I just don’t like people from the Jiang family.”
The man’s tone was indeed cold.
And the people from the Jiang family he mentioned probably included Yan Xun’s once deeply loved ex-girlfriend.
“I see…”
The seemingly intimate distance between them suddenly widened, and Yan Xun sat back in the passenger seat.
Blended family relationships are always sensitive and contradictory. As an adopted child, Yan Xun might not fully understand, but he could at least empathize somewhat.
He gently stroked Chu Tingyun’s lighter, fell silent, and didn’t continue questioning.
The car started and drove back.
Originally, they had set out for a joyful date, but the atmosphere on the way back was heavy and oppressive.
An hour later, the car entered the neighborhood and stopped downstairs.
Chu Tingyun said, “I need to go to the Jiang family’s place. I won’t be coming back tonight.”
Yan Xun was startled and then said “Okay.”
He didn’t ask anything else, unfastened his seatbelt, and was about to get out of the car. At that moment, Chu Tingyun’s voice came again from behind.
“If you don’t want to, you don’t have to go to tomorrow’s wedding.”
“……?”
Yan Xun paused, turned to look at him, his eyes clearly showing some surprise.
Chu Tingyun, however, did not look at him and had little expression on his face, as if he had just said something insignificant.
He held the steering wheel with one hand, his knuckles tightening and then relaxing.
Chu Tingyun seemed to have completely sorted out his emotions at this moment. He turned his head and smiled at Yan Xun, just as he did when they first met at the café.
He was the same confident and calm Mr. Chu, handling everything with ease.
“It’s okay if you don’t go. My father just asked me to have someone show up.”
“……”
Yan Xun didn’t respond immediately but quietly observed Chu Tingyun for a few seconds.
When they first met at the café, he only felt that his fiancé was indeed good-looking, graceful, and elegant.
Moreover, his smile was particularly charming, making it hard to look away.
But for some reason, facing this smile again, Yan Xun felt that Chu Tingyun seemed a bit sad.
“But……”
Yan Xun asked him,
“Then what should I use to compensate you for your glasses?”
“……”
This response was quite unexpected.
Just like the initial question about whether he could or could not, Chu Tingyun hadn’t anticipated that Yan Xun would give a third answer.
The young man answered him—
“Chu Tingyun, don’t you want the bouquet?”
“……”
The car fell into silence. The man’s smile faded, and he didn’t speak for a long time.
He thought that even if Yan Xun now knew he had once been involved with Jingshu, he probably still didn’t realize the true crux of the matter.
That was, in the motive behind Chu Tingyun asking Yan Xun to attend the wedding and compete for the bouquet to make up for the glasses, how much hidden jealousy and malice were mixed in.
So foolish.
So easy to deceive.
No wonder things never went well, clearly never losing a fight, but always getting bullied.
Chu Tingyun didn’t speak, so Yan Xun took it as tacit approval.
“Give me the address of the wedding. I’ll be there on time tomorrow morning.”
“…… No need.”
Chu Tingyun turned his head and lightly exhaled,
“I’ll come pick you up tomorrow morning.”
Yan Xun was slightly taken aback and smiled, saying “Okay.”
Chu Tingyun then turned back and suddenly said,
“Yan Xun, I’m hungry.”
“…… Huh?”
This sudden change in topic left Yan Xun momentarily confused.
“But aren’t you going to Jiang’s place for dinner tonight?”
Chu Tingyun’s action paused for a moment, then quickly thought of an answer: “No, my stomach isn’t good. I need to eat now.”
In short, Chu Tingyun insisted on going upstairs to have Yan Xun prepare food for him. He said it was just to fill him up a bit, but in the end, he ate until full before driving away.
An hour later, he returned to the Jiang family’s place.
In name, this was also Chu Tingyun’s home.
But he was thirty-three this year, and his time living in the Jiang family had barely been two years.
The large traditional Chinese mansion was now brightly decorated with wedding ornaments, but to him, it was not warm, and it still made Chu Tingyun feel unfamiliar and repugnant.
He paused, suddenly loosened his tie, and walked into the hall with a very casual demeanor.
Inside, the room was brightly lit, and the heavy, elegant wooden table was filled with dozens of exquisite dishes, but no one had touched them.
Upon entering, Chu Tingyun glanced around rudely.
The main seat was occupied by his father, Jiang Shenghai. His hair was slightly graying, and his face was stern and imposing.
The woman sitting next to him was his father’s second wife, also his stepmother—Chen Wanqing.
The woman was well-maintained, with fair skin and a slender, graceful figure, looking in her fifties but appearing to be in her forties. She was dressed in an elegant dark blue qipao, looking very gentle and kind.
Jiang Yuheng was sitting properly like a child, completely different from his casual demeanor in the mall in the afternoon.
But Jiang Jingshu’s seat was empty; she was not there.
Noticing his gaze, Chen Wanqing explained,
“Your sister will be wearing a wedding dress tomorrow, so she’s not having dinner tonight.”
She smiled and waved to Chu Tingyun,
“Come on, we’ve prepared a lot of dishes you like tonight.”
Jiang Yuheng also stood up and called out “Brother.”
Chu Tingyun didn’t respond, turning to go upstairs.
“Stop.”
Father Jiang frowned and called out:
“Come and have dinner.”
Chu Tingyun turned back, smiling and said, “Sorry, I’ve already eaten at home.”
Here, “home” naturally referred to his home with Yan Xun.
Chu Tingyun knew exactly how to provoke his father.
Sure enough, the next moment, Father Jiang slammed his chopsticks down.
“What home! This is your home!!!”
Father Jiang was so angry that his neck turned red:
“I think you’re infatuated with that man. What marriage between men! They can’t even have children. It’s completely against the heavens!”
Chu Tingyun had probably heard this kind of talk a hundred times. He responded nonchalantly:
“The civil affairs bureau has stamped our marriage. We’re in the same household registration book. If you’re so capable, go to the civil affairs bureau and shout about going against the heavens!”
“……”
Father Jiang was stunned for a moment, then veins appeared on his forehead. He was so angry he was almost losing his breath.
“A while ago, didn’t someone say they wanted a divorce? Why hasn’t it happened yet?!”
“Tsk, you old fool, what do you know?”
Chu Tingyun casually took out a cigarette and lit it, looking relaxed. At that moment, his peripheral vision caught a glimpse of a fluttering skirt upstairs.
The man’s eyes flickered slightly, and he suddenly smiled, raising his voice intentionally.
“We’re just having a lovers’ quarrel. A quarrel at the head of the bed… it’ll be reconciled at the foot of the bed.”
