Chapter 110

Chapter 110

People who didn’t know Liang Jing couldn’t have cared less about the other people in the trending photo. In the age of the internet, netizens had seen everything. Being gay wasn’t exactly some rare spectacle.

But those who did know Liang Jing all sighed when they saw that photo.

After all, Liang Jing had met Yun Li through a blind date. Everyone at his workplace knew he’d found himself a gentle, virtuous girlfriend, and they’d all heard him brag that he would be settling down by the end of the year.

If he didn’t like women, yet still planned to marry one…

The more they thought about it, the more horrifying it became.

Because Jiang Yourong had created several alternate accounts and commented from the perspective of Liang Jing’s friends, exposing the fact that he had a girlfriend, the matter-which originally hadn’t attracted much attention-suddenly caught fire thanks to a few hot comments.

When Jiang Baichuan asked her about it, Jiang Yourong was completely justified. “I didn’t spread rumors. I was stating facts! That scumbag dared to do it, but he doesn’t dare admit it?”

Jiang Baichuan wasn’t trying to blame his sister. He was just worried that now that the matter had blown up, Liang Jing might go looking for Yun Li.

To ensure Yun Li’s safety, Jiang Baichuan went straight to her shop after work to keep watch over her.

It was the middle of winter, and Yun Li couldn’t very well let him stand outside in the cold wind. She could only invite him in and bestow upon him a pair of scissors so he could help with the work.

Jiang Baichuan was naturally more than happy to oblige, his eyes curving with his smile.

Yun Li glanced at him a couple more times.

This man really was ridiculously good-looking.

There weren’t many customers today, so Yun Li had plenty of free time, but she didn’t want to close up and go home too early.

If Yun Meilan hadn’t been at home, perhaps she would have gone back early.

Outside, the north wind howled. Inside, the air was filled with the fragrance of flowers. The record player spun with soothing Western music, and as Yun Li tended to the plants, she hummed along softly for a few lines.

Jiang Baichuan turned to look at her. No one knew how long he watched, but when Yun Li turned around and saw the expression on his face-seven parts appreciation, three parts intoxication-the corner of her mouth twitched. “Did your soul leave your body?”

Jiang Baichuan smiled. “Your voice is lovely.”

It was the first time Yun Li had heard him praise someone so directly. She steadied her breathing and lifted her chin. “So you’re into voices, huh?”

Jiang Baichuan didn’t answer. He turned back and continued trimming branches with focus. After he was done, he slipped both hands into the pockets of his coat and silently walked over to Yun Li’s side, watching her fuss over the plump little succulents.

When she looked up at him in confusion, his voice came out low and lingering. “I’m not into just any voice. Whether I’m into voices or not, I don’t know. I just happen to love everything connected to the person I like.”

Yun Li’s hands paused. The watering can was still tilted downward, and water gurgled out of the spout, spilling onto the floor before she finally snapped back to herself and glared at him.

Jiang Baichuan raised his brows in delight and very consciously went to get the absorbent mop to clean the floor.

The more she made those little expressions at him, the happier he became.

Yun Li wasn’t in a hurry to go home, and he was naturally pleased. That meant he could spend more time alone with her.

Later, when no customers had come in, Jiang Baichuan saw that Yun Li still showed no intention of tidying up and heading home, and the smile in his eyes deepened.

The two of them sat facing each other. Jiang Baichuan chatted with her casually. “You knew from the start that Liang Jing didn’t like women?”

Yun Li was stunned, but she soon lowered her lashes and gave a soft, “Mm.”

This was the first time the two of them had seriously talked about this matter.

Jiang Baichuan thought she would say more, but she didn’t.

“You knew what kind of person he was, and you still dared to be with him.” Jiang Baichuan’s magnetic voice was very low. The brow that had been slightly raised earlier was now knitted together, and he even looked a little angry. “Yun Li, you were pushing yourself into a fire pit.”

“I know.” Yun Li’s tone was flat. She had originally wanted to gloss over it lightly and not mention it, but when she looked up and saw Jiang Baichuan’s expression, she couldn’t help choking on her words.

Jiang Baichuan’s face darkened even more.

Yun Li pressed her lips together slightly. “If I didn’t get together with him, my mom would never let me have a day of peace. In any case, he doesn’t like women and doesn’t like me, so I wasn’t afraid he’d do anything out of line to me. I agreed to be with him and pretended to be kept in the dark. We used each other. In exchange, I got some quiet. I didn’t lose out.”

Jiang Baichuan: “…”

“You knew from the beginning that he was a liar?” Jiang Baichuan’s breathing rose and fell. He just couldn’t swallow his anger.
How was that not a loss?

That bastard Liang Jing could so much as brush her clothes and Jiang Baichuan would feel like she’d been taken advantage of.

Let alone the fact that if Yun Li wanted to put on an act, she would inevitably have to come into contact with him.

Yun Li shook her head. “After we got together, I guess. On the surface, he kept saying how satisfied he was with me, but whenever it came to physical contact, he would unconsciously resist me. That was when I started to notice.”

Jiang Baichuan: “…”

Seeing his expression turn even uglier, Yun Li couldn’t help laughing. “You weren’t happy when I didn’t tell you, and now that I have, you’re still not happy. Jiang Baichuan, you’re pretty hard to coax.”

“Then are you willing to coax me?” Jiang Baichuan’s gaze burned. If one listened closely, his voice even held the faintest tremor, a nervousness that felt like he was about to confess at any second.

Yun Li’s eyes were clear and bright. Their gazes met, and neither of them was the first to look away.

Jiang Baichuan didn’t want to let the moment slip by, so he added, “I’m actually not that hard to coax. Why don’t you try?”

Maybe it was because their hearts were beating too fast. The temperature inside the restaurant had been just right, but now both of them felt warm all over.

“Before I met you, I really did think I might just let my life go on like this. Liang Jing would never like me anyway, so we’d just keep pretending every day and live our own separate lives. But after I met you…”

She stopped there, leaving Jiang Baichuan itching for more.

“After you met me?” he pressed.

The smile in Yun Li’s eyes slowly settled, and she suddenly grew serious. “After I met you, I suddenly felt like… maybe this world isn’t that terrible after all.”

She had never truly been herself. But at some point, she didn’t know exactly when, she began wanting to truly live for herself, just once.

She wanted to happily bring her close friends home for a meal, to drink and sing at home, to get drunk and sleep straight through until morning without worrying about Yun Meilan’s feelings.

She wanted to love someone, to taste what it felt like to like and to be loved. She wanted to freely and joyfully do the things she liked.

If Liang Jing hadn’t happened to see Jiang Baichuan tugging at her and then completely lost it and fought with her, she might still not have figured out how to take that step.

Maybe people just needed a little push.

After that push, all the things she had buried deep in her heart, the things she wanted to do but never dared to do, suddenly came spilling out. Only when Yun Li looked back did she realize that taking that step hadn’t been so difficult after all.

Jiang Baichuan’s breathing softened slightly.

Yun Li continued, “I know you came over to keep me company because you were worried Liang Jing would come looking for trouble. But I know exactly what kind of person he is. After something like this, he won’t have the face to come looking for me, and he won’t show up in front of my mom again.”

There was no real deep hatred between her and Liang Jing. They had merely used each other.

As for Jiang Baichuan catching him on a date with a man, that could only be called his bad luck.

Yun Li looked at Jiang Baichuan, and the smile in her eyes grew clearer bit by bit.

After this, not only had the resentment in her heart dissipated, things between her and Liang Jing had truly come to an end.

This time, it was a real, clean break.

Even if Yun Meilan brought it up in the future…

No. Yun Meilan would never bring it up to her again.

That was what made Yun Li happiest.

“What are you smiling about?” Jiang Baichuan stared straight into her eyes.

Yun Li shook her head, met his gaze, and asked, “So, President Jiang, have you been coaxed?”

Jiang Baichuan fell silent for a moment, and his heart skipped a beat.

A man had to have some backbone. Jiang Baichuan gave a soft scoff. “You haven’t coaxed me at all.”

“Don’t push your luck. Let’s go.” Yun Li got up and was about to grab her bag and head home. Jiang Baichuan followed beside her, and when she walked out toward her own car, he grabbed her and tried to stuff her into his.

Yun Li called out, “Jiang Baichuan!”

“Coax me one more time.” The wind was blowing straight at them from this direction, making them both shiver from the cold. Jiang Baichuan held her by the shoulders and pinned her against the car door, leaning in to shield her from the wind as he continued, “Yun Li, you know this. If you don’t coax me, there’s no way I’ll be able to sleep tonight.”

“If I can’t sleep, I’ll go wait downstairs at your place. I’ll wait all night, wait until you coax me…”

“In your dreams.” Yun Li blinked, then grabbed his face and turned it to the side, refusing to let him look at her.

Jiang Baichuan’s breath was scorching. He turned his head back and fixed his gaze on her.

His eyes were filled with excitement and anticipation.