Chapter 131: Chapter 131

After noon, the sun tilted westward.

This Western restaurant boasted a dark-toned ambiance, and when the sunlight wasn’t too strong, the private room appeared a bit dim.

With the lights on, the faint warm yellow light wrapped in a linen lampshade was still not very bright, making each other’s faces look as if covered by a layer of mist, expressions unclear.

Fu Jichen felt the urge to smoke creep up, and he shook out a cigarette from the pack. To avoid triggering the smoke alarm, he had to stifle the urge, holding the cigarette filter with his fingers, turning it around with a low voice: "Is it because of what the second young lady of the Xu Family said? I told you, I won’t marry her sister."

Shen Jianian laughed softly, shook her head, and said, "No."

The matter of whom he would marry in the future was not something she could influence; after all, that person would never be her.

Fu Jichen looked at her with eyes full of confusion; had he not been good enough to her? Why did she want to leave him?

Shen Jianian lowered her eyes, her thick eyelashes like butterfly wings, fingers clutching the white napkin on her lap, and spoke slowly: "When I learned of Ah Che’s accident, I started to waver, harboring thoughts of retreat. On the day I attended his funeral, seeing his mother living a life worse than death made my heart ache. Later, I went to the cemetery to see my parents buried there. My parents only had me, and they poured all their love into me. I thought, if they were still here, they wouldn’t want to see me living a life consumed by hatred. When they were alive, the words they said to me most often were, ’Little Nian, grow up happy.’"

Shen Jianian raised her head, tugged at the corners of her lips: "I want to live simply and happily, the burden of revenge is too heavy."

"Aren’t you happy with me?" Fu Jichen’s expression was gloomy, his jawline tightened, and in the dim light, it seemed a bit frightening.

Shen Jianian did not answer.

Was she not happy beside him?

She couldn’t deceive herself. Introspectively, it was he who pulled her out of the endless mire. Without him, she would have long become Qin Zhongtian’s plaything, treated in unimaginable ways.

No matter what his motives were or whether he had genuine feelings, at least he indeed treated her well, buying her beautiful dresses, dazzling jewelry, and expensive violins, even better than her days as the eldest young lady of the Shen Family.

Fu Jichen’s gaze was fixed tightly on her, not ignoring her reference to Pei Che in those words, calling him "Ah Che."

She really couldn’t forget Pei Che after all.

Pei Che died, and her heart died with him, so she was drawing the line with him, wasn’t she?

The words she’s telling him now, were they brewed on the day Pei Che died?

"What if I refuse?" Fu Jichen crushed the cigarette between his fingers, losing his composure, his eyes full of surging anger, "Have I not told you? This transaction started with you, but when it ends, is not up to you to decide."

He had indeed said this once, when Pei Che went to Yicheng to find her.

Shen Jianian released the crumpled napkin, the previous words having exhausted all her energy, her mind becoming more and more dizzy, unable to find a single word of rebuttal.

Silence spread in the private room.

Shen Jianian lay down on the table, her face buried in her arms, for a long time, her voice as faint as a mosquito: "Then what do you want me to do?"

Fu Jichen leaned back in the chair, his gaze on the top of her head, the coldness and anger in his eyes slowly ebbing away, saying only: "Stay by my side."

Shen Jianian showed no response to his words.

Fu Jichen had enough patience to wait for her answer. When the waiter came to clear the plates, he waved them away, continuing to wait in silent stillness.

As if intending to wait until the end of time.

He checked his watch, a quarter of an hour had passed, and he pulled Shen Jianian over by the arm, and she fell softly into his embrace following the pull. It was then he realized she had fallen asleep sometime, her flushed cheeks imprinting the pattern of his shirt sleeves.

Fu Jichen’s face darkened somewhat, yet he was helpless.

Xu Jingyi finished her meal with friends, took some beautiful photos together, and uploaded them to social media, and then they planned to go shopping at the mall.

As they stepped out of the private room, a girl next to Xu Jingyi nudged her elbow, speaking in a hushed voice: "Jingyi, look, your brother-in-law."

Xu Jingyi had been looking down, rummaging through her bag. Hearing this, she lifted her gaze forward.

Not far away, a tall, slender man carried a girl horizontally in his arms, and the corridor ceiling light cast a moonlit glow on his broad, stable shoulders, exuding a sense of security.

In the words of the Internet, he was "brimming with boyfriend power."

Xu Jingyi took a quiet breath, involuntarily quickening her steps to follow. From the side-rear angle, she could see Fu Jichen looking down at the girl with infinitely tender eyes, along with his gentle, protective actions.

She couldn’t convince herself that it was the attitude one should have toward an insignificant person.

Clearly, Fu Jichen cared a lot about that girl.

So what about her sister?

After leaving the private room, Fu Jichen quickly noticed someone following behind but couldn’t be bothered to address it, striding out purposefully.

Once outside the rotating glass door, the valet drove the car up to him, got out to open the passenger seat door for him.

Fu Jichen bent down and placed the passed-out Shen Jianian inside, pulling the seatbelt across and fastening it.

The valet handed him the car keys with both hands.

Fu Jichen accepted the keys, got into the driver’s seat, started the car, and drove back to Yunding Palace.

Upon getting out, he was still holding Shen Jianian, fortunately, Cheng Jin heard the noise and opened the door ahead of time, sparing him the trouble of freeing a hand.

Seeing Shen Jianian asleep in his arms, with her unusually flushed face, Cheng Jin thought she might be ill and asked with concern, "Is Jianian okay?"

"She’s drunk." Fu Jichen entered the house, kicked off his shoes, and changed into indoor slippers.

Cheng Jin paused, a bit amused, and asked quietly, "Shall I make some hangover soup?"

"She didn’t drink much, she’ll be fine after sleeping." Fu Jichen glanced at the person asleep in his arms, his tone light.

In her current state, even if the hangover soup was made, she wouldn’t be able to drink it.

Cheng Jin promptly went over to press the elevator’s open button, waiting for Fu Jichen to enter with her, and then helped press the button for the third floor before stepping out as the doors closed.

Fu Jichen entered Shen Jianian’s room, releasing her to fall onto the bed.

Even cushioned by the soft, thick duvet, Shen Jianian was startled awake, her eyes opening to survey her familiar room, bringing her some relief.

Suddenly, a dark shadow loomed over her, causing her eyelids to flutter with surprise.

Persistent on the words left unanswered in the restaurant’s private room, Fu Jichen asked her again: "Will you still leave me?"

The alcohol dissipated within her, making Shen Jianian far less lucid than before. It took a while before she comprehended his words, raising her arms to wrap around his neck.

His short, coarse black hair on the back of his head tickled and scratched her palms.

Shen Jianian vigorously shook her head, feeling her mind muddled like paste, the more she shook, the more confused she became.

Fu Jichen refused to let her off easily: "What do you mean by shaking your head? I want to hear you say it aloud."

Shen Jianian wished to speak, but her heart failed her. She resembled a fish washed ashore, mouth opening only to exhale, unable to form words.

Her hands slipped weakly from his neck, landing on the comforter, her eyelids blinking slowly as if too tired but stubbornly holding on.

Unwilling to let go, Fu Jichen lowered his head, his large hand supporting the back of her neck, pressing his thin lips to her soft lips.

Perhaps too familiar with his kiss, Shen Jianian instinctively responded even without a clear mind.

Her initiative struck a chord within him, what he intended as a brief taste became uncontrollable. Fu Jichen encircled her slender waist with one hand, almost enveloping her within his grasp.

A sultry breath dispersed around the large bed, heating the room steadily.

Feeling dizzy, Shen Jianian sensed her body plummeting, never reaching the ground. It was a sensation both exciting and insecure, making her cling tightly to the sole piece of driftwood she could grasp.