Chapter 51#
“On what grounds, can you know nothing?”#
About what…?
Jian Yunchen frowned in confusion, blinking at him.
Qin Mu withdrew his hand, the pink fingerprint on Jian Yunchen’s cheek. A smile slowly flowed in his eyes, his rough fingertip gently brushing over the mark: “So tender?”
After that small patch of skin was rubbed, the other’s warmth seemed to linger on it, rapidly igniting countless heat that began to spread outwards.
He tilted his head, his ear tips red as he dodged Qin Mu’s teasing.
Jian Yunchen pursed his lips and changed the subject: “So, do I win or do you win now?”
The long eyelashes, trembling slightly, were clearly exposed under Qin Mu’s gaze. He hooked his lips: “So concerned? What request do you want me to fulfill?”
“No—” Jian Yunchen looked up, unexpectedly meeting those teasing eyes. The words of refusal that were on the tip of his tongue were swallowed back. He spoke again: “Of course I’m concerned. Opportunities to have Young Master Qin fulfill a request are rare.”
Qin Mu chuckled, “Tell me, what do you want?”
Jian Yunchen leaned forward a little, his eyes staring straight at him. The words he spoke were bold and direct: “Anything is okay?”
“See if you have the guts to ask for it.”
Qin Mu’s eyes darkened slightly, the smile on his lips slowly fading.
Jian Yunchen opened his mouth, but before he could speak, he was interrupted by Jiang Yunhan’s sudden arrival.
The backstage was open, but Jian Yunchen was in a secluded corner. If Jiang Yunhan could appear here, he could only have been looking for him specifically.
Jian Yunchen’s gaze suddenly turned cold. He glanced sideways, his eyes falling on the trophy in Jiang Yunhan’s hand. The near-extinguished resentment in his heart surged again. He spoke with a cold tone and impatient expression: “Something wrong?”
Qin Mu, who had his back to them, also turned his head to look at Jiang Yunhan, who was frozen in place.
Jiang Yunhan looked at the ambiguous posture of the two in front of him and the intimate atmosphere. His steps faltered slightly. He suppressed the awkwardness welling up in his heart, forced a smile, and walked forward: “Xiao Chen…”
“I have something I want to discuss with you.” He looked up at Qin Mu.
This was the first time the twin brothers had stood before him. Qin Mu looked at them curiously from side to side. Qin Mu did not hide his scrutinizing gaze, appraising them frankly. This unspoken scrutiny quickly ignited the anger that had been building in Jian Yunchen’s heart.
He crossed his arms, adopting a distant demeanor: “You can make your own decisions about your own matters. You’ve come to me to discuss?”
Jiang Yunhan pursed his lips, his fingertips tightening around the base of the trophy. He didn’t want to be misunderstood and hurriedly explained: “Xiao Chen… that’s not what I meant. I saw that you care a lot about Teacher Huo Er. He wants me to learn from him. I thought, maybe you also…”
“Heh.” A cold laugh interrupted his unfinished words. Jian Yunchen’s expression completely darkened, and the hatred in his heart secretly fermented. His gaze towards Jiang Yunhan was dark and chilling, like a coiling venomous snake.
He took a step forward, grabbed Jiang Yunhan’s collar, and said in a sinister tone: “Jiang Yunhan, are you pitying me?”
“No…” Jiang Yunhan’s collar was tightly gripped, forcing his face upwards. He subconsciously clenched the trophy in his hand.
He wanted to say that he didn’t mean it that way, that he just didn’t want this matter to damage their already fragile relationship, and that he wanted Jian Yunchen to get his wish. But these words of explanation, swirling around his mouth, were completely blocked by the other’s gloomy expression.
“You want to say it’s not like that?” Jian Yunchen tilted his head slightly, forcing himself to meet Jiang Yunhan’s eyes, and sneered: “You want to say you’re not pitying me, not giving me charity?”
“You think that if you throw away something you don’t want at me, I should be grateful?”
Jiang Yunhan’s face drained of color. He just kept shaking his head, looking at him almost pleadingly.
“Jiang Yunhan.”
“Do you know what I hate about you the most?”
Jian Yunchen didn’t wait for him to reply. As if to vent his malice, he saw the other’s flustered, pale face. The gloom in his heart didn’t lessen; instead, it grew and grew, showing signs of an impending deluge: “I hate your self-righteousness, I hate your deliberate attempts to please, I hate your ignorance.”
“On what grounds, can you know nothing?”
Your kindness makes my hatred seem unreasonable.
As the words fell, Jiang Yunhan was completely speechless. The strength in his hands loosened, and the trophy he had been holding tightly was abruptly dropped to the ground, creating a barely visible crack.
However, this outpouring of emotion did not bring Jian Yunchen the satisfaction he had expected. Instead, more unpleasant emotions churned in his chest. He wanted to say more shameful and dirty words, to strike Jiang Yunhan’s fragile heart. It was as if only by seeing the other’s pain could his own damp and cold soul feel a little better.
Before he could speak again, Jian Yunchen’s vision suddenly darkened.
A solid, warm chest pressed against his back. Cool palms completely obscured his vision. Jian Yunchen’s grip loosened, and he was turned around and held tightly in an embrace.
Large hands gently stroked the top of his head. The familiar and reassuring scent filled his nostrils. His restless soul was continuously soothed and slowly settled back into his body.
“That’s enough.”
Qin Mu’s casual voice rang out, lightly brushing aside the sharp conflict between them.
“Let’s end the idle chat here. I’ll take the person first.”
He didn’t even ask for anyone’s permission, and took Jian Yunchen away from the scene on his own.
Jiang Yunhan was left standing there, watching the receding figures of the two, his beating heart filled with bitterness.
The taken-away Jian Yunchen sat quietly in the passenger seat, not asking where they were going. The confrontation just now seemed to have drained all his energy, leaving only an empty shell. He stared blankly out the window, the continuously receding scenery flashing through his eyes.
He could endure targeted attacks, fear, difficulties, and schemes. The only thing he absolutely could not accept was the timidity, the flattery, and the deliberate approach that always flickered in Jiang Yunhan’s eyes.
This made him feel that his hatred was unreasonable.
To hate someone who knew nothing, perhaps the only person in the Jiang family who tried to accept and welcome him.
It was powerless.
The weak, impotent hatred kept pulling him apart. The more he saw the clumsy attempts at kindness in Jiang Yunhan’s eyes.
The more it made his own hatred seem particularly despicable.
The car stopped.
Qin Mu got out first, circled to the other side, opened the car door for him, and extended a hand.
Jian Yunchen’s gaze paused, falling on that hand with well-defined joints.
His fingertips curled, his heart moved, and he placed his hand on it.
It wasn’t until he was led to sit down that his consciousness gradually returned. Only then did he realize where he was.
The wind from the rotating wings of the aircraft poured in through the open cabin door, blowing his hair and the hem of his clothes into disarray. The tall buildings gradually shrank into blurred black dots. Looking down from above, the streets he was once so familiar with slowly became tiny and indistinct, moving further and further away from him.
As they ascended, Jian Yunchen’s heart beat faster and faster. The feeling of weightless suspension followed him like a shadow. He subconsciously tightened the straps on his body.
At that moment, Qin Mu’s voice sounded close to his ear, making his heart completely lose its rhythm.