Chapter 8: He was the first to be defeated

The three of Cheng Yiyang knew that Yang Xichen liked Haitang from the way he looked at her. Asking was just for confirmation.

They didn’t expect Yang Xichen, who was usually impatient with girls, to be moved by mortal desires.

However, this girl named Haitang was indeed beautiful, and the two of them looked very pleasing to the eye and were a perfect match.

At this moment, Haitang was listening to Jiang Ruoni with divided attention, and at the same time, she had already guessed her identity as the older sister of her childhood friend, Jiang Xingrui.

Although she and Jiang Xingrui were childhood friends, this was her first time meeting Jiang Ruoni.

Three years ago, when she came to Beidu, Jiang Ruoni was still in the army in another province. Before that, Jiang Ruoni had always stayed with her grandparents in Beidu.

Regarding the misunderstanding with Jiang Xingrui, she didn’t know what Jiang Xingrui had said after returning to Beidu.

But Haitang felt a sincere closeness from Jiang Ruoni, rather than just putting on a show.

With this question in mind, after finishing dinner and saying goodbye to everyone, as the car drove on the way home, Haitang finally spoke, “Brother Xichen, Sister Jiang is Jiang Xingrui’s sister, right?

How come she doesn’t seem to know what happened to Jiang Xingrui in Dahuai Village?”

“Sister-in-law’s relationship with her family is quite strained. The reasons for this involve her private affairs, and I can’t say much.

She now lives alone and basically doesn’t go back to the Jiang family, so she doesn’t know about Jiang Xingrui’s affairs in Dahuai Village.

However, she is not as easily fooled as Jiang Xingrui, and she won’t deny a person’s character based on just one-sided words.

So even if she knew about Jiang Xingrui’s affairs in Dahuai Village, she wouldn’t stand on the moral high ground to accuse you.”

After Yang Xichen explained, he turned his head to look at Haitang, then looked back at the road ahead.

But the expression on his face clearly struggled for a moment before he spoke, “Are you still angry with Jiang Xingrui about what happened back then?”

Haitang shook her head, “He and I are childhood friends. Even after he returned to Beidu with his parents, we kept in touch.

This also means that we knew each other’s situation through letters.

But when my aunt framed me, he chose to believe my aunt. It would be a lie to say I wasn’t angry.

But the anger was only temporary. I can’t control a person’s thoughts, even if that person is my childhood friend.”

Hearing Haitang define her relationship with Jiang Xingrui as childhood friends, Yang Xichen immediately asked, “Then if he later realizes that he misunderstood you and comes back to make amends, would you accept it?”

“No.” Haitang said these two words without any hesitation. After a pause, she continued to explain, “The trust between us is gone, that’s one thing.

Secondly, his personality is very upright, but too upright, he will subconsciously stand on the moral high ground and condemn others.

And my personality is that if someone plots against me, I will definitely plot back.

But Jiang Xingrui cannot tolerate this kind of thing.

This also means that Jiang Xingrui and I will become strangers.”

Listening to the little girl’s clear and transparent words, and confirming that she had no romantic feelings for Jiang Xingrui, Yang Xichen’s mood couldn’t help but soar.

Then, without missing the opportunity, he badmouthed Jiang Xingrui, “Hearing what you said, I’m relieved. You may not know, but I’m on Jiang Xingrui’s blacklist.

Among the children of the compound, he dislikes me the most, always saying that I have no bottom line in doing things, like to associate with some unsavory people, and am not worthy of being a soldier of the people.”

Hearing this, Haitang frowned and retorted angrily, “Whether you are worthy of being a soldier of the people is not up to him to say.”

Looking at her angry and cute appearance, Yang Xichen’s heart softened, and the hand holding the steering wheel kept tightening, desperately restraining himself from pinching her little face.

Then he changed the subject to divert her attention, “How is the fairy tale coming along?”

“I’m inspired, and it’s going well. I should be able to finish writing it all tomorrow.” And Haitang opened the floodgates, talking about the related settings of the fairy tale she was currently writing.

Yang Xichen drove while distracted, occasionally offering a suggestion or two, and unknowingly arrived home.

Because of Yang Xichen’s suggestion, after returning home, Haitang plunged into the bedroom and devoted herself to writing the story.

Yang Xichen cut the remaining watermelon from the afternoon into pieces, removed the seeds, put them in a bowl, and took them to Haitang.

Afraid of disturbing her writing, Yang Xichen returned to the living room, didn’t turn on the TV, and picked up a military-related book to read.

About an hour later, around 8:30, he got up and came to the door of the master bedroom, seeing that Haitang was still writing at her desk.

Since it wasn’t too late yet, Yang Xichen didn’t disturb her.

After sitting back in the living room, he thought of the incident last night when he lost control in the bathroom because of Haitang’s fragrance, and decided to take a shower first today.

After he took a shower, washed the clothes he had taken off, and came out of the bathroom, Haitang happened to be holding the bowl that had contained the watermelon, coming out of the bedroom.

She looked at Yang Xichen wearing a military green vest and shorts, her eyes lingered on his powerful and beautifully contoured arms, reluctant to look away, and suddenly wanted to paint.

Yang Xichen’s ears turned red and hot from her straight gaze.

Unable to withstand her gaze, he took the lead in surrendering, diverting her attention and saying, “Tangtang, it’s getting late, go wash up.”

After speaking, he quickly entered his bedroom, which was connected to the balcony.

After he hung up the clothes, he took the basin and went to the bathroom, only to find that the bathroom door was closed and there was the sound of running water inside.

Afraid of letting his mind wander, Yang Xichen quickly took the basin and returned to the bedroom, and found a book to open, using it to divert his attention.

Haitang, who had finished taking a shower, didn’t know Yang Xichen’s torment, and went back to the bedroom to sleep soundly, without any dreams until dawn.

In the morning, she made scallion pancakes and cooked porridge. The scallion pancakes were crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, with the aroma of scallions and wheat intertwined, making them extremely delicious.

Yang Xichen ate two and a half pancakes and a large bowl of porridge all by himself.

Haitang had a small appetite, only ate half a pancake and a small bowl of porridge, then propped her chin with her hands and watched Yang Xichen eat with relish, feeling an unprecedented sense of satisfaction in her heart.

After eating and drinking his fill, Yang Xichen asked Haitang while cleaning up the dishes, “I’m going to Grandma’s to pick vegetables later, do you want to come along?”

Haitang shook her head, “No, I can finish the fairy tale this morning, I’ll stay home and continue writing the story.”

Yang Xichen didn’t force her, cleaned up the kitchen, and drove away alone.

In the afternoon, Haitang, accompanied by Yang Xichen, dropped the envelope containing the fairy tale into the mailbox.

After that, she devoted all her attention to making clothes.

The fabric that Yang Xichen brought back turned into beautiful dresses or shirts.

On the fifth day after Haitang submitted her manuscript, Yang Xichen was temporarily called back to the army.

In the morning, Haitang was stepping on the sewing machine to make clothes when the phone rang. She quickly stopped her work and got up to answer the phone.

It was Editor Yang from Huaxin Publishing House calling. The manuscript she had submitted had been accepted, but Editor Yang wanted to meet her.

Haitang left a note for Yang Xichen, put on her satchel, and happily went out.

Because the bus stop outside the family building didn’t have a direct bus to the publishing house.

Haitang needed to transfer buses. While waiting for the bus she needed to take at the bus stop, another bus stopped at the station.

As soon as the door opened, a little boy rushed down from the bus and threw himself into her arms, saying, “There are kidnappers, save me.”