Chapter 36: Secrets, Suspicion, and Slow-Burning Love
When Ruan Xian and Jiang Yan appeared at the same time, the atmosphere immediately turned tense. Sensing it, Ruan Jing quickly sent the three children off to the garden to play with Edward. She had barely gathered her thoughts when a sharp sound cut through the air.
A slap.
Ruan Xian had struck Jiang Yan across the face.
The moment froze, heavy with awkwardness.
“Sis, what are you doing?” Ruan Jing asked, stunned.
“What did I do?” Ruan Xian shot back coldly. “Ask him what he did.”
Ruan Jing frowned slightly. “Mom will be back soon.”
Ruan Xian glared at her sister for a long moment before turning sharply and heading upstairs without another word.
Ruan Jing hesitated, then turned to Jiang Yan. “Are you alright?”
“It’s fine,” he replied calmly. “She’s never liked me.”
“My sister has always been straightforward,” Ruan Jing said softly, trying to ease the tension. “She doesn’t mean harm. She’s probably just been preoccupied lately. Please don’t take it to heart.”
Jiang Yan turned his head, meeting her gaze. “She said I was the one who reported Grandpa’s matter.”
His tone was steady, but something deeper flickered in his eyes.
Ruan Jing froze. It took her a moment to find her voice. “How is that possible?”
He gave a quiet, almost amused chuckle. “I know you’re suspicious, Jing. If I said it wasn’t me… would you believe me?”
She looked at him steadily. “Whether I believe it or not doesn’t matter. What matters is that you don’t betray your conscience.”
With that, she turned and called the children back inside.
Back in her room, Ruan Jing sat on the sofa for a long time, lost in thought. Something didn’t sit right with her.
Her aunt had left home years ago because their grandfather opposed her relationship with a man who had been to prison. If she remembered correctly, that man was Jiang Yan’s maternal uncle. He had later died in a hospital.
Around that same time, her aunt had brought Jiang Yan from the countryside and adopted him.
At the time, Ruan Jing had assumed it was an act of defiance—her aunt trying to spite her grandfather. But now… another possibility crept into her mind.
Revenge?
It sounded absurd. Life wasn’t a drama.
And yet, the unease lingered.
The next day passed in a blur of routine. By evening, Ruan Jing drove to meet Zhao Qiyan.
He was already there.
As she approached, he stood and pulled out a chair for her. “I chose this place,” he said. “I wasn’t sure if you’d like Japanese food.”
“It’s fine,” she replied, though her mind seemed elsewhere.
Zhao Qiyan noticed but didn’t press. They ordered quietly, and for a while, neither spoke.
Eventually, he broke the silence. “What’s wrong?”
He lifted his glass, taking a slow sip before speaking again. “Come to my place tonight.”
She looked up, surprised.
“Today is my birthday,” he added.
Ruan Jing blinked, then quickly said, “Happy birthday.”
He smiled faintly. “I’ll ask you for a present later.”
Guilt crept in. “I’m sorry. Yesterday… because of Jiang Yan—”
Zhao Qiyan gently interrupted her, pressing his forehead lightly with his hand. “Let’s order.”
She paused, puzzled, but didn’t continue.
Later that night, he drove her home as usual.
Just as he turned to leave, Ruan Jing reached out and grabbed his hand.
He stopped.
“Stay,” she said softly.
He didn’t turn around.
Ruan Jing stepped closer and wrapped her arms around him from behind. “I sleep better when you’re here… I haven’t been sleeping well these past few days.”
If she could have seen his face, she would have understood how deeply her words affected him.
A man like Zhao Qiyan—one who had endured countless hardships—possessed immense strength. But that didn’t mean he was immune to loneliness or disappointment.
In that moment, all his frustration melted away.
He turned, took her hand, and followed her upstairs.
They ran into Miaomiao on the stairs.
The girl froze, staring wide-eyed, completely speechless.
Ruan Jing called her name, but she didn’t respond.
Zhao Qiyan smiled lightly and ruffled her hair as he passed.
Inside the room, he pulled Ruan Jing into his arms and kissed her.
She tried to remain composed, but when he lifted his head and looked at her with those deep, steady eyes, something inside her gave way completely.
The next morning, Ruan Jing woke up to find him still asleep beside her.
For a moment, she simply stared.
Then she rubbed her temples, picked up his phone to check the time—it was just before eight.
A knock sounded at the door.
She quickly dressed and opened it.
As expected, Miaomiao stood there, grinning. “Good morning, second cousin!”
“Good morning.”
“I’m looking for Qiyan. Is he here?” she asked innocently, trying to peek inside.
“I’ll ask him for you when he wakes up,” Ruan Jing said, blocking the doorway.
Miaomiao pouted. “Second cousin, you’re so protective! Can’t I even take a look?”
“No. Go brush your teeth and come down for breakfast.”
After sending her away, Ruan Jing turned back—only to find Zhao Qiyan already awake, leaning against the headboard, watching her with a faint smile.
For a moment, she didn’t know what to say.
“You should take a shower first,” he said gently. “I’ll wait.”
She nodded and went.
When she came out, refreshed, he said quietly, “I have to go to the research institute today. I have an appointment at eight. I might not have time for breakfast.”
“I thought you quit that job?”
“They asked me to come back,” he said. “I’m interested in the project.”
She glanced at the time, suddenly feeling a little guilty. “I’m sorry… I shouldn’t have asked you to stay last night. Next time, tell me if you have plans.”
He laughed softly, a hint of mischief in his voice. “Do you think I’d neglect one thing for another?”
Her face flushed.
Their relationship grew steadily after that—quietly, naturally.
Ruan Jing, once reserved, found herself slowly opening up. Zhao Qiyan, in his own subtle way, was changing her.
At work, a colleague approached her after a meeting.
“I heard the people from the Chinese Academy of Sciences are coming again this afternoon. Apparently, one of the lecturers is very popular—handsome, talented, a returnee. The female staff are quite bold these days.”
Ruan Jing flipped through her files. “Is that so?”
“Do you want to go?”
“No, I have other plans.”
“You’re really not interested in anything,” the colleague teased.
“Is that related?” Ruan Jing replied with a faint smile.
That afternoon, she ended up passing by the lecture hall anyway.
It was packed.
She stood at the doorway, watching.
On stage, a senior professor spoke, while beside him sat Zhao Qiyan—dressed sharply, exuding a quiet authority.
It was hard to reconcile this composed, distant man with the one who had whispered to her earlier, “I miss you.”
Her face warmed.
That night, he drove her home again.
At the door, Ruan Minghui happened to see them.
“You know Zhao Qiyan?” he asked, surprised.
“Yes.”
Ruan Minghui was silent for a moment before saying, “Back in school, he was unforgettable. Some people are just… exceptional. He’s one of them.”
Ruan Jing smiled faintly.
Even Minghui found it hard to believe—of all people, she was the one standing beside Zhao Qiyan now.
And perhaps, for the first time, she realized just how deeply he had entered her life.
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
Comments
Post a Comment