Admittedly, Lin Yizhou was quite pitiful.
A child caught in the cracks of a fractured family.
But everyone has their own standing, and Jiang Liuyue’s logic was simple.
The person she needed to win over in this world was Song Hanzheng, so she was on his side—no room for negotiation, no need for hesitation.
She shook her head apologetically.
Her voice was calm and clear, unhurried as she said,
“Your grievances and dissatisfaction should be shared with your father. As for me, I can’t be that listener.”
“Nor will I offer you any comfort.”
She was blunt, almost cold.
Like someone who, faced with a person knocking on the wrong door, politely points them in the right direction and then closes the door—clean and decisive.
Lin Yizhou froze.
His long, narrow eyes widened slightly as he looked her up and down.
It was as if he were getting to know Jiang Liuyue all over again.
She sat beside him now, yet it felt like a transparent wall stood between them—so close, yet utterly unreachable.
His lips trembled faintly, a trace of color draining and then rushing back.
In a low voice, he said, “No, you’re not like this.”
“What am I like? Gentle? Kind? People have many sides, Lin Yizhou.”
Jiang Liuyue looked into his eyes. There was no mockery or anger in those almond-shaped eyes.
She said frankly,
“Maybe you should think about whether the version of me you like is real, or just the Jiang Liuyue you’ve endlessly perfected in your imagination.”
After saying this, she excused herself and switched seats with another actor beside her.
Her movements were crisp and swift, without so much as a spare glance at Lin Yizhou.
She was cutting ties with him—cleanly, completely. Since she had promised Song Hanzheng, she would follow through.
Lin Yizhou not only trembled at the lips but shook slightly all over.
His fingertips clenched and relaxed, relaxed and clenched.
Yet oddly enough, he wasn’t discouraged by Jiang Liuyue’s rejection. On the contrary, he grew more excited.
That excitement wasn’t anger, wasn’t sadness.
It was the feeling of a obsessed person, groping through darkness for a long time, finally catching a glimpse of light.
It was because of his brother that she rejected him so bluntly and coldly. If she were his girlfriend in the future, wouldn’t she be wholeheartedly devoted only to him, ignoring other men?
A dark gleam flickered in his eyes.
That light shone eerily bright.
Jiang Liuyue never expected that her act of cutting ties would only make Lin Yizhou cling more stubbornly.
That evening, after the group dinner ended.
Jiang Liuyue hadn’t drunk much—she had only touched her lips to the wine in her glass before setting it down. She grabbed her bag, ready to hail a cab home.
A voice came from behind her.
“I can give you a ride.”
“No need.” Jiang Liuyue sidestepped, instinctively putting distance between them.
Lin Yizhou let out a soft laugh.
The smile held no malice, yet it sent an inexplicable chill down her spine.
“What are you afraid of? Even if I hurt my brother, I’d never hurt you.”
Jiang Liuyue’s heart jolted.
Wait, what did that mean?
He still wanted to harm Song Hanzheng?
It felt like there was something hidden in Lin Yizhou’s real personality—a hint of venomous cruelty.
Just then, a familiar blue sports car honked twice, pulling up to the curb. Its headlights flashed in the darkness.
The window rolled down slowly, revealing Cen Yuan’s devastatingly handsome face and his trademark insufferable grin.
Under the streetlight, his peach-blossom eyes glimmered.
With a laugh, he said, “Sister-in-law, I’m here to pick you up from work.”
Jiang Liuyue was taken aback, her brow furrowing slightly.
Her gaze was tinged with undisguised suspicion.
“How did you know I was here?”
Cen Yuan’s eyes twinkled as he cast a glance at Lin Yizhou behind her, then leisurely flashed his phone.
His tone was casual.
“Hanzheng is on a business trip out of town and can’t make it back anytime soon, so he sent me to get you.”
Jiang Liuyue found it odd.
Just yesterday, she’d told Song Hanzheng that Cen Yuan seemed to be up to no good, possibly trying to poach her. Even if Sun Hao had been sent to pick her up, it would have made sense. Why send Cen Yuan of all people?
It didn’t add up, unless Song Hanzheng had some other reason… or Cen Yuan was lying.
Still, the priority now was to avoid any further entanglement with Lin Yizhou.
She nodded, opened the car door, and was about to bend down and get in when Lin Yizhou’s voice came from behind.
“Cen Yuan, long time no see.”
Cen Yuan gave him a lukewarm smile, barely a twitch of his lips in acknowledgment.
Then Lin Yizhou spoke again, his tone casual and nonchalant.
“I have a friend who saw you shopping with Sister Feile at the mall this morning, looking at diamond rings. Are you two getting married?”
Jiang Liuyue’s movements paused.
She cast a sidelong glance at Cen Yuan.
Could it be that Li Feile, having seen Song Hanzheng give Jiang Liuyue a diamond ring, got spurred into dragging her flunky Cen Yuan to look at rings early that morning?
That would be just like Li Feile—if you had it, she had to have it too. Even if the rings came from different people, she couldn’t lose in style.
When he caught Jiang Liuyue’s look, Cen Yuan initially thought nothing of it—but under the weight of that gaze, the composure on his face slowly began to crumble.
What remained underneath was awkwardness, embarrassment, and a complete loss for words.
The whole thing was actually quite simple.
Li Feile’s birthday was coming up, and she had called him to demand a birthday gift: specifically, a diamond ring.
Cen Yuan was used to it. Over the years of pursuing Li Feile, he had always given in to her every request. Besides, money wasn’t an issue for him—how much could a few gifts cost?
So he went along with her.
But no matter how much Li Feile browsed, she couldn’t find anything she liked. She circled the counter again and again, muttering under her breath, “Why don’t they have this style?”
Cen Yuan was a little puzzled. He accompanied her through several stores, from the first floor to the third, from one jewelry shop to the next, until his feet ached.
Growing impatient, he said, “Are we buying something or not? If not, I’m going back to rest.”
His tone wasn’t harsh—just a little annoyed, at most.
But Li Feile’s temper flared even bigger. She made a scene right on the spot, scolding him relentlessly until he was driven away.
In the past, Cen Yuan would have endured it. After all, he had been chasing Li Feile for so long—what kind of bad temper hadn’t he put up with?
But while being yelled at by Li Feile, for some reason, the image of Jiang Liuyue’s sly expression from last night suddenly surfaced in his mind.
The way she tilted her head as she looked at him, that cunning smile lingering on her lips, calling him a “simp” over and over.
Then he looked at Li Feile again—her face twisted in anger, acting like a spoiled princess who took everything for granted.
Suddenly, it all felt dull.
He ignored the shouting and screaming behind him, turned around, and walked away without a single backward glance.
As luck would have it, he then received a call from Song Hanzheng, asking for help with some business.
Cen Yuan wasn’t particularly interested at first. He hummed vaguely, “What’s up? I’m pretty busy, little master here…”
“It’s about Liuyue.”
He immediately changed his tune. “Well, I’m not that busy after all. Of course I’ll help a brother out!”
