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Chapter 16
Zhu Xinyue, once a sharp-witted former social worker and a love advisor for her roommates, had witnessed countless couples’ breakups and reunions and read through numerous romance novels filled with love and hate. But when it came to herself, she couldn’t see clearly.
What does he mean by this?
Back at the hotel, after washing up, Zhu Xinyue lay in bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep.
He didn’t want her to be Ji Qingyuan’s date—was it because of Ji Qingyuan, or because of her?
If we analyze according to the foreshadowing in the novel, Ji Linyu and Ji Qingyuan will eventually become enemies. Then the reason why Ji Linyu does not want her to be Ji Qingyuan’s date as the daughter of the Zhu family is a very simple matter—he didn’t want Ji Qingyuan to smoothly enter this circle.
If this hypothesis held, everything would become traceable, like how many in the circle didn’t know Ji Linyu had a half-brother. Even Ji Linyu’s good friend, Zhu Shilang, didn’t know Ji Qingyuan was Ji Linyu’s brother.
This novel primarily focused on the protagonists’ love story, leaving readers to guess at the rest. But since Zhu Xinyue entered this world, everything had deviated from the novel’s plot from day one.
For instance, in the novel, the original protagonist, after a failed confession, was angry at Ji Qingyuan and had a falling out with her family, vowing to sever ties with the Zhu family, not even attending Ji Qingyuan parents’ wedding.
But…
Zhu Xinyue didn’t want to think of Ji Linyu that way.
To her, Ji Linyu represented safety. In the novel and in reality, his presence seemed to solve any problem.
As a brother, how could he not wish the best for his sibling? After all, they were family.
Zhu Xinyue turned over, facing the slightly open curtains, a bit of light seeping through.
It was already dawn outside.
Her phone vibrated on the bedside table.
[Ji Qingyuan: Puppy poking its head out.jpg]
[Ji Qingyuan: Call me when you wake up!]
[Zhu Xinyue: ?]
[Ji Qingyuan: Let’s go have breakfast? *^o^*]
[Zhu Xinyue: Fifteen minutes.]
[Ji Qingyuan: OK!]
Zhu Xinyue couldn’t sleep anyway, so she just got up, changed clothes and washed up.
As soon as she opened the door, she saw Ji Qingyuan already dressed, waiting in the hallway.
“I forgot to bring the charging adapter plug. Do you have one?” Zhu Xinyue asked him naturally, holding her low-battery phone.
Ji Qingyuan, with a “knew it” expression, laughed, “You’re still as forgetful as ever. Don’t worry, I brought two, just in case you forgot. Do you need it now or after breakfast?”
Zhu Xinyue glanced at her phone, seeing only 5% battery left, decided to follow him to his room to charge her phone.
Ji Qingyuan used the room card to open the door. After pushing the door open, she saw Zhu Xinyue still standing at the door and looked at her puzzledly: “Come in.”
Zhu Xinyue shook her head, standing at the door, and handed him her phone.
Ji Qingyuan took her phone, looked down at Zhu Xinyue, and felt that something had changed in the way they got along. His originally happy mood of being needed by her suddenly cooled down.
He doesn’t like change.
Ji Qingyuan took her phone, walked into the room to find a charger, and charged it before returning to the door.
“…Let’s go.”
His tone was low, not as happy as when he first saw her.
Zhu Xinyue glanced at him. Ji Qingyuan now looked like a puppy neglected by its owner, with drooping ears and tail, making one feel sorry for him.
But after working for several years, Zhu Xinyue’s heart had become as cold as the air conditioning blowing directly at her workstation.
It was too early, so there weren’t many people in the hallway. It was just the two of them in the long corridor.
“Xinyue, did I do something wrong to upset you?” Ji Qingyuan looked down at Zhu Xinyue walking beside him, directly addressing the issue.
Directness was good.
It had been a long time since Zhu Xinyue had spoken directly with anyone.
“Why do you ask?” So, she was used to being defensive.
Ji Qingyuan took a deep breath, withdrew his gaze, and looked at the empty hallway ahead.
“We’ve been classmates since kindergarten, until we were separated in high school. You would still bring your wrong answer book to my class and ask me for help. I thought we would always be this close. Later, I took the art exam and got into the film academy, and we would meet in Nancheng during every summer and winter vacation.”
Gatherings… Actually, it wasn’t just the original Zhu Xinyue.
Ji Qingyuan had many friends in Nancheng, and the original Zhu Xinyue was just one of his good friends.
Zhu Xinyue lowered her eyes and softly responded with a “hmm.”
“Do you remember the hotpot restaurant opposite the school? After I got into the film academy, the class monitor and Xiao Nan joked that I would be a big star in the future and would have to hide from paparazzi during gatherings. I could sense their politeness and distance, even if they didn’t say it explicitly, I knew they were drawing a line between us.
“When I drove them home, the class monitor told me that we were no longer in the same world…”
Ji Qingyuan’s voice was choked, as if he were about to cry.
Zhu Xinyue understood.
One fears a brother’s suffering yet also fears a brother driving a luxury car.
The older she got, the more she drifted apart from some of her friends.
She wasn’t doing well after graduation. Standing next to her friends who were doing well, the feeling of loss was so bitter that she had to drink ten cups of espresso to get over it – fighting hardship with hardship.
They reached the end of the hallway where the elevator was, but neither of them pressed the button.
Zhu Xinyue could feel the intense gaze from the person beside her, as if she were being roasted over a fire.
Ji Qingyuan said, “Xinyue, that day you told me that I would definitely achieve my dreams, that my star path would always be bright, and that you would always support me as my number one fan. I one hundred percent believed you were sincere.”
Zhu Xinyue pressed her lips together, not speaking, nor did she dare to look up at him.
“I remember you said your parents divorced early, and whether you were in Nancheng with Aunt Xia or occasionally in Qingyang with your dad, you never felt a sense of belonging. You said you wanted a home of your own. So…” Ji Qingyuan pulled out a key from his pocket and held it in front of Zhu Xinyue.
Zhu Xinyue was stunned, raising her head to look at Ji Qingyuan.
“It has nothing to do with the Ji family. It’s a house I bought before returning to the Ji family. I used the pay from my first film to pay the down payment. The house is in the suburbs of Tianze City, close to the subway.” Ji Qingyuan took Zhu Xinyue’s hand and placed the key in her palm, smiling brightly.
He said, “From now on, when you’re in Tianze City, my home is your home.”
Looking into his sincere eyes, Zhu Xinyue’s heart pounded.
She seemed to understand why the original Zhu Xinyue was so devoted to Ji Qingyuan.
He really did give her a house!
Although strictly speaking, it wasn’t a gift, more like a promise that she could live there. But for a small-time girl without a house or car, currently relying on Zhu Shilang’s card, this was immensely appealing!
Ji Qingyuan, noticing her touched expression, felt a bit embarrassed, rubbing the back of his neck, “Actually, I didn’t want to tell you this now. It sounds like I have an ulterior motive, making it seem like I’m giving you the key to make you be my date. I was planning to tell you after the house was renovated.”
In the novel, Ji Qingyuan also gave the original Zhu Xinyue a house, and later, the original Zhu Xinyue argued with Jiang Rui in that house—this should be the same house.
Zhu Xinyue never doubted Ji Qingyuan’s friendship or sibling-like bond with the original Zhu Xinyue.
But…
“Qingyuan, thank you, but I’m sorry.” Zhu Xinyue apologized, trying to smile, but it looked more like a grimace.
It was the first time Ji Qingyuan saw her with such an expression, making him feel heavy-hearted. He knew he might not like what she was about to say next.
“I don’t know if you ever noticed, even for a moment, that ‘I’ once liked you.” Zhu Xinyue stared at Ji Qingyuan, not wanting to miss any of his reactions.
Ji Qingyuan’s Adam’s apple bobbed, wanting to look away but couldn’t. She was more serious than ever.
Sincere people shouldn’t be let down.
“…We’re like siblings.” Ji Qingyuan clenched his fists, not knowing who he was trying to convince.
Zhu Xinyue understood.
He knew.
He had always known.
“Since you know, you should keep your distance from me and not give me unrealistic expectations. What you’ve done for me, even a boyfriend wouldn’t do.” Zhu Xinyue said.
Ji Qingyuan looked at the bitter smile on her lips, feeling as if he had been punched hard in the chest, his heart aching with countless tiny stabs.
Hadn’t he ever stayed away from her before?
Every time she half-heartedly confessed to him, he would reject her, but she would always come back, clinging to him and crying, asking to make up. He was only human, with a heart of flesh, and they were so close. How could he stay indifferent when she cried so miserably?
Once, twice… every time, he thought this was just their usual way of getting along.
He had gotten used to her coming back to him. Why should it change?
Most importantly, he couldn’t bear to lose her.
What does childhood sweetheart mean?
It means that when you mention one person in their life, you can’t help but mention the other. When old friends meet one of them, they’ll ask about the other. In their memories, there will always be each other’s shadow.
They were inseparable, they were intimate, they had no doubts, and they trusted each other absolutely.
But now, the shadow that had always chased after him was moving forward.
Zhu Xinyue returned the key in her palm to Ji Qingyuan.
“Since we’re like siblings, let’s not do things that are too ambiguous. For example, giving me a house or putting your arm around my shoulders. I don’t like being too physically intimate with the opposite sex. Besides, you’re now a public figure in the spotlight. It’s not good to be too close to the opposite sex.
“Moreover, when you meet a girl you like in the future, how will you explain our relationship to her? Childhood sweetheart? Siblings? Do you think she won’t mind at all? Can you bear to let the person who likes you suffer, and can you bear to let the person you like suffer too?”
Zhu Xinyue had been tempered by society, her edges smoothed out. She was gentle, never raising her voice at others. Now, she was speaking to Ji Qingyuan with emotional reasoning, politely refusing, hoping he would understand.
Ji Qingyuan gripped the key she returned tightly, the teeth of the key pressing deeply into his palm, as if about to break the skin.
Zhu Xinyue stepped forward and pressed the elevator button, facing the elevator, waiting for it to descend from upstairs.
When she turned away, no longer looking at him, Ji Qingyuan stared intensely at the girl in front of him, finding her both familiar and unfamiliar.
Unfamiliar, because he was about to lose her. She was no longer the number one fan always chasing after him.
Familiar, because she was still her. She would still soften her heart. Even when breaking ties with him, she didn’t say anything harsh, even though she knew exactly what would hurt him the most.
“Would things go back to the way they were if we were together?” Ji Qingyuan asked softly.
The descending elevator chimed, opening at that exact moment.
Zhu Xinyue didn’t hear what Ji Qingyuan said clearly, asking, “What did you say?” while glimpsing a familiar figure in the elevator.
Ji Qingyuan grabbed Zhu Xinyue’s wrist, urgently asking, “Can we be together?”
Zhu Xinyue furrowed her brow, about to scold Ji Qingyuan for his nonsense, when a particularly cold male voice came from the elevator.
“Are you coming in?” Ji Linyu’s voice was as cold as ice.
**
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Ayalee[Translator]
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