Ever since Jiang Cheng got together with Wen Xiao, his fa at B University has grown even larger, especially after the rumors that the ga company he and Han Fei founded made a fortune.
Although there were many rumors that he climbed the ranks through a woman, one couldn’t help but feel jealous. Fortunately, he was aloof and often hung out with people who understood him. Thus, his personal reputation wasn’t greatly affected, but Wen Xiao was gradually finding it hard to bear. She didn’t want others to think poorly of her taste.
But these negative emotions were not sothing she would show in front of Jiang Cheng, so he didn’t notice. Gradually, Wen Xiao got him involved in more social events, and she said that attending these parties would help expand the company’s business. So, Jiang Cheng couldn’t refuse, but after Wen Xiao left, he felt he could finally be himself again.
Jiang Cheng has been feeling very conflicted lately. He felt ashad—he had accepted Wen Xiao’s feelings, yet he would always wonder if he should break up with her once they were apart. Wen Xiao was so fond of him, and she had worked so hard to make him laugh, but he felt incredibly stifled.
Although he longed for the warm, sunny environnt Wen Xiao had been brought up in and liked her lively and cheerful personality, he was also willing to change according to her wishes. However, deep down, he still preferred a quiet life free from scheming and socializing, devoting his heart to the gas he loved.
But he knew that since he had decided to start a company, socializing would be inevitable in the future. He also knew Wen Xiao was doing what was best for him, and it was for this reason that he felt ashad of the relief he felt when he was away from her.
Jiang Cheng sighed for the first ti in his life, feeling so lost and unsure of what to do.
anwhile, Jiang Yi was also scheming to spread so information about Jiang Cheng to Wen Xiao, as he couldn’t stand the thought of Jiang Cheng being more successful than him in the future.
Jiang Yi was a ticulous and intelligent man. He guessed if he resorted to any underhanded tactics, Wen Xiao might actually end up liking Jiang Cheng more. So, he went straight to Wen Xiao and frankly disclosed his identity.
"You’re saying you’re Jiang Cheng’s older brother? How co he never ntioned you to ?" Jiang Yi was also a notable figure at B University, and Wen Xiao had indeed heard of him, which made her puzzled as to why he would co looking for her.
Jiang Yi was just as handso as Jiang Cheng, but their personalities were polar opposites. Especially when faced with strangers, apart from those Jiang Cheng recognized, he was usually expressionless and could even be called indifferent and irritable. But Jiang Yi was gentle and courteous to everyone, making each person he talked to feel esteed.
Due to her upbringing, Wen Xiao had a way of judging people. She could tell that Jiang Yi might not be as perfect as he seed, but looking into his eyes, she still felt very comfortable. This made her wonder what kind of environnt could produce two brothers with such different personalities.
"My relationship with Ah Cheng isn’t that great," said Jiang Yi as he took a sip of his coffee, speaking of it as though it were a very ordinary matter. "I’m not here today to wedge between you and Ah Cheng. I just want you to know that if you really have accepted him, you should keep him away from Ye Qiu in the future."
When Wen Xiao heard the na Ye Qiu, the smile at the corners of her mouth stiffened: "What do you an?"
At this mont, Jiang Yi recounted a story: "You may not know this, but Ah Cheng was not born to my mother. When I was one year old, his mother ca with him, demanding that my mother step aside. Although my father had made mistakes, he still loved my mother and naturally would not let Ah Cheng’s mother succeed, so he gave that woman so money and sent her away, but Ah Cheng was left behind."
He sighed as he spoke, as if he was imrsed in sorrow, which piqued Wen Xiao’s curiosity even more about the subsequent events. "Then what? How did Ye Qiu’s mother beco your stepmother? What does this have to do with keeping Ah Cheng away from Ye Qiu?"
"After all, Ah Cheng is my father’s biological child. Although my mother didn’t like him, he stayed in our family, but from that mont on, my mother grew more resentful toward my father, and her health declined. She passed away a few years later."
Jiang Yi’s ambiguous account made Wen Xiao suspect whether his mother’s death had sothing to do with Jiang Cheng, but upon putting herself in the shoes of soone whose husband’s illegitimate child was always around, she felt she would lose control too. Therefore, when she looked at Jiang Yi again, it was with sympathy.
Jiang Yi, as if unaware, continued with a sorrowful tone: "After mother died, father directed his emotions at Ah Cheng, believing it was Ah Cheng who caused her death. As a result, Ah Cheng grew up without fatherly love, developing a very reclusive and rebellious personality."
Listening to this, Wen Xiao could already picture the helplessness and grievances of a young Jiang Cheng, which made her feel compassion.
"Then, within two years, Aunt Luo married my father with Ye Qiu in tow. Perhaps due to the loss of her father at a young age, Ye Qiu also beca very reclusive and introverted after coming to our house. Living under the sa roof for nearly ten years, she and Ah Cheng, both reclusive individuals, hardly ever spoke."
But Wen Xiao recalled the warm and natural atmosphere whenever Jiang Cheng and Ye Qiu t, and pressed on: "Then how did they go from not talking to how they are now?"
"It was during a sumr holiday four years ago when Ye Qiu started showing concern for Ah Cheng. Seeing that he was skipping dinner, she began making him late-night snacks. Gradually, they beca closer. Those snacks were so exclusive to them that even , his older brother, was not allowed a bite. Later, when father and Aunt Luo felt their behavior wasn’t appropriate for step-siblings, they planned to educate them, but they were countered by Ye Qiu’s threat to move out and her and Ah Cheng’s promise to never cross the line of sibling affection. After that, the two hardly ca ho except to sleep. To tell you the truth, father and Aunt Luo are still worried to this day that sothing inappropriate has happened between them. So, I ca to remind you—if you really like Ah Cheng, you should keep him away from Ye Qiu."
Seeing that Jiang Yi didn’t seem to be lying, Wen Xiao couldn’t help feeling a bit jealous. She believed Jiang Yi wasn’t deceiving her. The way he spoke didn’t seem like that of a liar, and what benefit would he get from lying to her?
The main thing was, from their very first eting, she indeed felt a threat from Ye Qiu, even though Ye Qiu had deliberately distanced herself during her relationship with Jiang Cheng. But whenever there was sothing good or when a decision had to be made, Jiang Cheng always thought of Ye Qiu first. She couldn’t believe it when he said there was nothing between them!
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