Chapter 5

Zhu Shilang arrived a bit late and noticed the awkward atmosphere between the two, but he didn’t probe further. Instead, he started lecturing Zhu Xinyue.

“You said you were doing fine, but look at where you’re living!”

Zhu Xinyue leaned against the car while her bodyguards hurriedly moved her belongings. She took the scolding quietly.

Being scolded was good; it made him realize how poorly she was living outside the Zhu family, making him pity his younger sister even more.

Zhu Xinyue played a little trick. It wasn’t just to show determination to Ji Linyu as she claimed; she intentionally let Zhu Shilang see her current situation, hoping to make him feel sorry for her. Afterward, she planned to make some requests that he wouldn’t be able to refuse.

She knew very well how to adapt her speech depending on the person she was speaking to, which was essential for someone in her position.

Zhu Xinyue actually wished Zhu Shilang would scold her even harsher to make her look even more pitiful, stirring up his guilt.

“You have a mansion but won’t live in it, choosing to stay in this old rundown place. How can you not appreciate Cheng Er? At least he wouldn’t let you live here!”

Zhu Shilang looked around at the environment and grew even angrier. He even pulled Ji Linyu into the argument.

“Linyu, don’t you think so? What’s wrong with Cheng Er?”

Zhu Xinyue lifted her head and looked towards the dark figure. He seemed to glance at her and then turned away.

She thought he might defend this “Cheng Er” she had never met before, but instead, he coughed lightly and said, “Cheng Er… isn’t very tall.”

Zhu Xinyue blinked and glanced at Zhu Shilang.

“Rounded up, 175 is considered above average height,” Zhu Shilang said.

It was widely known that rounding up one’s height to 175cm was as deceptive as claiming an income of less than 100,000 yuan.

Zhu Xinyue muttered quietly, “I’m already 1.7m when wearing high heels.”

“If you care about the height difference, you can wear flats in the future, and he can wear lifts,” Zhu Shilang didn’t see the problem.

But Zhu Xinyue thought it was a big issue. She turned to Ji Linyu, seeking solidarity. “He’s already taking away my right to wear high heels even before we’re together. What if we actually get together?”

Ji Linyu nodded and looked towards Zhu Shilang with her.

Zhu Shilang’s gaze shifted between the two, wondering when they had become so united.

“Anyway, you’re unfamiliar with life in Tianze City. If something happens, you won’t know who to turn to. Come home with me. If you don’t like Cheng Er, there’s still Lin San. There are plenty of eligible bachelors around your age, so take your time to choose,” Zhu Shilang paused.

Zhu Xinyue hesitated but didn’t ask Ji Linyu for help again. Instead, she lowered her head in disappointment and reluctantly got into Zhu Shilang’s car.

Seeing her like this made Zhu Shilang uncomfortable. He adjusted his mood and turned to Ji Linyu.

“Linyu, thank you. Thanks for sticking with us and dealing with this until so late.”

Ji Linyu lowered his gaze and saw the sulking girl inside the car, recalling her words, “I don’t like you anymore.” His mood was complex.

“Earlier, when I mentioned her staying at your place temporarily, just forget I said that,” Zhu Shilang glanced at his watch. “It’s too late now. I’ll take her back to the hotel first, and we’ll head back to Qingyang tomorrow afternoon. We’ll meet up again when we have time.”

Ji Linyu twitched his mouth, the word “okay” swirling on his lips before he swallowed it down.

The window rolled down, and Zhu Xinyue stuck her head out, trying to reach Ji Linyu by tugging at his sleeve and gesturing with her finger.

Ji Linyu thought she had something to say to him, so he approached the car, bending down closer to the window.

This distance allowed Zhu Xinyue to see his features clearly.

Unlike the cold look in his eyes when they first met, now his gaze towards her held a hint of patience.

“Mr. Ji, do you think Cheng Er, as my brother mentioned, would make a good husband?” Zhu Xinyue asked Ji Linyu for his opinion.

As a good person like him, he shouldn’t want to push her into a pit. His evaluation would be more objective. If Cheng Er was decent enough, she wouldn’t mind getting to know him.

After all, she was currently single and had no one she liked.

Ji Linyu leaned on the car roof, looking down at the girl leaning against the car window.

With her head tilted slightly up, she waited for his answer.

Considering their family backgrounds, the Cheng family was indeed a suitable match, but…

According to Ji Qingyuan’s standards for her prospective spouse being looks-oriented, Cheng Er might not meet her standards.

Ignoring appearances, judging solely by character and abilities, Cheng Er could only be considered average at best. Even Mr. Cheng said he would be lucky to maintain the family business.

Ji Linyu imagined Cheng Er standing next to Zhu Xinyue and frowned, his hand on the car roof curling into a fist.

He straightened up and glanced at Zhu Shilang. Zhu Shilang kept signaling him with his eyes, urging him to say something nice and persuade her.

Ji Linyu lowered his head again and met Zhu Xinyue’s clear eyes.

She wasn’t seeking his help this time, just his opinion. It seemed like if he said something positive, she would seriously consider including Cheng Er in her choices.

“Are you sure you don’t like me anymore?” Ji Linyu’s voice was barely audible, spoken in a tone only they could hear, addressing Zhu Xinyue.

Zhu Xinyue nodded.

She admitted that she had been blinded by money at first, but she had learned her lesson. She wouldn’t confess rashly next time!

Ji Linyu paused and then asked, “Do you want to stay in Tianze City?”

Zhu Xinyue vigorously nodded.

The male lead was still in Tianze City!

Ji Linyu seemed to compromise with someone in his mind. He closed his eyes briefly, then walked towards Zhu Shilang.

With his back to Zhu Xinyue, he discussed something with Zhu Shilang.

After a while, Zhu Shilang returned to the car with a smile on his face and knocked on Zhu Xinyue’s window.

“Xinyue, you can stay here, but you have to listen to your brother Linyu and stay at his place. Is that okay?”

Zhu Xinyue’s eyes lit up. She turned to where Ji Linyu was, waving towards the dark figure.

“Thank you, Brother Linyu!”

The figure, originally headed towards his own car, paused at her words, then quickened his pace.

Lishan Villa District.

Never in her wildest dreams did Zhu Xinyue imagine she would move into her brother’s house earlier than the male lead Ji Qingyuan.

When Zhu Shilang left, he left his spare card with Zhu Xinyue, ruffled her hair, “I’ll talk to Dad about this. If you’re tired of playing outside, just come home. Remember to take me and Dad off the blacklist. If I can’t find you next time, I’ll let Brother Linyu send you straight back to Qingyang. Got it?”

Zhu Xinyue nodded vigorously, clutching his spare card, unable to hold back her tears.

Boohoo, now she is also a rich person!

It had been a day full of ups and downs. Zhu Xinyue was assigned to a guest room. After freshening up a bit, she fell asleep.

In her dreams, the memories of the original owner became clearer.

She had a long, long dream, where she stood from the perspective of a third person and saw the memories of “Zhu Xinyue” in the novel.

At five, her parents divorced, her brother stayed with her father, and her mother took her back to Nan City, meeting the male lead Ji Qingyuan.

For the original owner, her parents’ divorce and moving to a strange place where she was bullied by unfamiliar children, suddenly a sun-like boy appeared, drove away her bullies, and introduced her into his circle of friends, teaching her every word of the southern dialect, telling her they were friends from then on.

Since then, Ji Qingyuan was no longer “Ji Qingyuan” to her; he was her lifesaver, her redemption.

No one could resist such a warm sun that not only shone on her but also on everyone else.

Upon waking up, Zhu Xinyue touched her eye corners, feeling tears there. She wasn’t sure if they belonged to the original owner or to herself.

Having dreamed this dream, Zhu Xinyue felt like she had experienced a couple’s journey.

For the sake of the original owner, Zhu Xinyue would do her best to fulfill her wish to guard Ji Qingyuan’s path to success.

Because she had a rather late night yesterday, Zhu Xinyue woke up around noon.

Her bodyguards had placed the items she ordered online at her room door.

The first thing Zhu Xinyue did after getting up and freshening up was to unpack her package and learn how to wear contact lenses.

Lishan Villa District was where the wealthy and famous of Tianze City lived, with each house standing far apart and having its unique design.

Ji Linyu’s home consisted of a main building and an auxiliary building. Both hosts and guests lived in the main building, while villa staff resided in the auxiliary building. In front of the building were a private swimming pool and a garden meticulously maintained by a professional gardening team.

It wasn’t advisable to wear contact lenses for too long the first time. Zhu Xinyue took them off shortly after putting them on, standing on the balcony in the sunlight to relax her eyes.

She spotted a white car approaching on the main road, eventually stopping in front of the main building.

The sunlight was dazzling, so Zhu Xinyue shielded her eyes with her hand and squinted down.

A man with light blond hair got out of the car. She guessed it was Ji Qingyuan.

Following behind him was a chubby man with a beard, chattering away.

“This reality show has completed one season with high ratings and a good reputation. If you take on this show now, it can maintain your popularity until your drama airs. Ji, what do you think?”

Ji Qingyuan stood at the doorway, waiting for his bodyguards and assistant to unload his luggage, and replied to his agent, “Let me think about it.”

“What’s there to think about? Reality shows have scripts. You just need to follow the script. The director and producers are all my friends, and besides, you’re the second son of Jin Huan Group. Just have your brother throw some money around, and you’ll be the investor. With your brother backing you, who would dare to embarrass you on camera?”

Ji Qingyuan took off his sunglasses, folded them, and tucked them into his chest pocket.

“There are a lot of seniors on the guest list. I’m just a newcomer in terms of seniority. Whatever I say could easily be misinterpreted.”

“You’re the most popular one there, and your fans are powerful. Who would dare embarrass you in front of the cameras?” the agent insisted.

Ji Qingyuan shifted his gaze, not keen to continue this conversation. He caught sight of a figure on the second-floor balcony and looked up.

His agent followed his gaze towards the second floor.

She was wearing a simple white dress, and her long black hair was blown by the wind and tucked behind her ears. When the wind stopped, she lowered her eyes and looked down at the two people below. Her eyes were extremely calm, and she looked at them no differently than she looked at the flowers and plants on the roadside.

Meeting their gazes, she smiled slightly and waved at them gently.

Like a soul wandering outside the world, looking at the vastness of the world, seeing the equality of all beings, and peacefully allowing everything to happen.

At one moment, they saw divinity in her.

A benevolent divinity.

The agent’s eyelids twitched wildly. He realized that his career might have more outstanding achievements besides Ji Qingyuan. He couldn’t suppress his joy in his voice: “Who is she?”

Ji Qingyuan snapped out of his reverie and, just like he had introduced “Zhu Xin Yue” to others before, he told his agent, “Her name is Zhu Xin Yue. We grew up together since childhood, we are…”

The word “siblings” almost slipped from his lips.

He heard himself change course and said softly, “Childhood sweethearts.”