His dark eyes betrayed no emotion, but his tone was exceptionally gentle.
“Haven’t you been eating properly?”
Jiang Bainian was wrong about Shen Yue. For the past few days she had been out, she had been eating well for all three meals. Especially the meals prepared by Sang Fan. Shen Yue, who was usually a picky eater, had her habits cured. Every day she ate until she was full. So when Jiang Bainian said she had lost weight, she didn’t believe a single word.
Jiang Bainian moved closer, closing the distance between them. He comfortingly took the girl’s cool hand, his voice dropping low.
“Why aren’t you talking? Are you still angry with me?”
Wasn’t that obvious?
Shen Yue ignored him, her anger practically written all over her face.
Jiang Bainian was the one who spent the most time by her side. Therefore, on many occasions, she unconsciously revealed her childish side in front of him, perhaps without even realizing it herself.
Jiang Bainian’s hands were broad and large, easily capable of engulfing her entire hand. He lowered his head, a deep chuckle rumbling from his chest. His dark, thick eyelashes cast a light, indifferent shadow beneath his eyes. His voice was low and slow, with a hint of seductive charm.
In front of Shen Yue, he never displayed the composure of someone in a high position. Instead, he was gentle and patient, always the good-tempered Brother Bainian.
“Brother admits he was wrong. Brother was in the wrong. Won’t you not hold it against me?”
He was very good at admitting his mistakes. He lowered his head slightly, his entire face almost reaching Shen Yue’s. He didn’t feel ashamed or anything of the sort saying these words, and Shen Yue was clearly accustomed to this side of Jiang Bainian.
Later, he felt sorry for the driver in front, wishing he could just turn deaf.
Shen Yue’s eyelashes trembled slightly. Though she still didn’t speak, her subtle demeanor softened imperceptibly.
Jiang Bainian’s voice softened even further. “For the past few days, I’ve been keeping it a secret from your parents. Yueyue, if you don’t come back, what am I supposed to do?”
Shen Yue still didn’t speak.
Jiang Bainian looked down at her, his eyes deep and dark, filled with a fragmented gentleness.
“Yueyue.”
He wanted a response.
Shen Yue’s hands slowly clenched into fists, and she said in a very small voice, “Liar.”
Jiang Bainian’s brows furrowed.
“You’ve had people covering for me all this time, haven’t you?”
Jiang Bainian’s brows slowly relaxed.
He coaxed her in a very gentle tone, “I was worried about you. I wasn’t at ease.”
He said, “I wanted to bring you home, but I was afraid you wouldn’t be happy.”
“I don’t want you to be unhappy.”
He was willing to take a step back, allowing Shen Yue to escape his protection and fly towards a broader sky. But the outside world was full of dangers, and the girl was so fragile. Even the slightest thing could cause her harm. This had kept him in a state of anxiety.
There was no other way.
Truly, there was no other way.
Shen Yue lowered her head. Her dark, soft hair fell to the side of her face, forming a stark contrast with her snow-white skin.
Finally, Shen Yue softly said.
“I’m not angry anymore.”
This made Jiang Bainian sigh with imperceptible relief.
“Yueyue is being sensible now,” Jiang Bainian’s voice was deep and gentle, as if he were coaxing a fragile piece of porcelain. “How about I take some time these next few days to take you out to play?”
Shen Yue nodded.
Jiang Bainian’s mood improved at a visible rate. He spent the entire journey chattering about trivial matters into Shen Yue’s ear. Fortunately, his voice was pleasant to listen to; otherwise, it would have been quite annoying to listen to for too long.
Shen Yue didn’t interrupt him. She listened quietly. Her dark, soft hair fell to both sides, obscuring half of her beautiful, delicate face. Her long, dense eyelashes fluttered like raven’s feathers, casting a faint shadow.
His slender, fair fingers tucked a strand of her hair that had fallen to the inner side behind her ear. Her eyes were like a deep lake, and one glance from him would draw you into its depths.
Finally, one sentence fell clearly into Shen Yue’s ear.
“Yueyue, I’m very happy.”
Shen Yue couldn’t maintain her composure any longer. The soft, vibrant curves of her lips couldn’t help but curve upwards, her dimples appearing and disappearing.
She turned her head away, remaining silent, but instead clasped Jiang Bainian’s hand.
Alright.
As long as you’re happy.
—
Jiang Bainian took Shen Yue abroad to play for a month. Just as he had said, he canceled all his work and even turned off his phone. He accompanied her, and they had a wild time.
Later, it was Shen’s father who called Shen Yue before he accepted this trip.
This trip undoubtedly brought them closer, and Shen Yue also had a lot of fun.
Upon returning to the country, as soon as they deplaned, Jiang Bainian went straight to the company. If nothing unexpected happened, he might be staying at the company for the next few days.
Shen Yue felt heartache. Jiang Bainian, in turn, comforted her, reminding her that the company’s early stages were the most difficult, and he had already endured them. These things were nothing to him.
Later, Shen Yue discovered that she had actually gained weight!
Shen Yue stared at the scale beneath her feet. Her weight had never exceeded ninety catties. Yet, in this short month, she had reached ninety catties!
She pinched her cheek. It seemed she had indeed gained a little weight.
So, Shen Yue immediately called Jiang Bainian.
Jiang Bainian answered instantly.
“Yueyue, what’s wrong?”
His steady, gentle voice came through the phone. Even through the screen, one could feel the man’s eyes must have been extremely gentle at that moment.
Shen Yue announced very seriously, “I have something very important to tell you.”
Jiang Bainian, influenced by her tone, couldn’t help but ask nervously, “What is it?”
Shen Yue held the phone. “I’ve gained weight.”
She paused, as if to make the matter seem even more important, and added, “I’ve gained eight catties.”
The person on the other end seemed shocked by this news. After a long silence, the man’s muffled laughter came through, soft and numbing.
It was like coaxing a child.
“Yueyue, you’re doing great. Keep it up.”
Shen Yue couldn’t take it anymore and quietly asked, “Can you please speak properly?”
Fearing she might disturb Jiang Bainian’s work, Shen Yue hung up the phone after only a few words.
On the other side, the major shareholders watched as the usually meticulous, indifferent, and composed old fox broke into such a saccharine smile. It was quite unsettling.
—
Sang Fan, having performed excellently in the previous few days of training, earned a spot in the national team. However, during the closed-door training, his situation took a sharp downturn.
Due to various physical reasons, he couldn’t keep up with the training pace.
Finally, the coach kept him back for a talk.
“Sang Fan, has something been going on recently?”
Sang Fan wore swimming trunks and a towel. He wasn’t very pale, but the dark circles under his eyes were obvious. His eyes were also bloodshot from lack of sleep. His handsome face conveyed visible fatigue and gloom.