Chapter 12
She hadn’t intended to pry into anyone’s privacy, but Tang Zhen’s voice was too loud, and the street was far too quiet…
Well, regarding Miss Xia’s affairs, Ye Jin wouldn’t deny that she was at least a little bit curious.
As expected, he was rejected.
However, this was within Tang Zhen’s expectations. From middle school until now, how many years had it been? If Xia An had felt even a shred of that kind of affection for him, their relationship would have progressed far beyond where it was now.
“Itās alright. I know we aren’t possible, and I never really thought we were,” Tang Zhen said with a self-deceiving smile. “Don’t feel burdened.”
Xia An looked down at the hand he was holding and said bluntly, “But this makes me very uncomfortable.”
“Don’t go to that place again. Just listen to your ‘brother’ for this once, alright? I’m truly worried about you.” Tang Zhen still refused to let go.
Xia An struggled to pull her arm away, but as a petite woman, she was no match for his strength. “Let go…”
“Come back with me, and then I’ll let go.”
Xia An had a headache. “If you don’t let go, I’m going to scream.”
Tang Zhen was a stubborn man, determined to see it through to the end. “I promised your father Iād take good care of you. I can’t just ignore you…”
Footsteps approached from a distance and finally stopped. Ye Jin stood under a streetlamp behind Tang Zhen and said coldly, “She doesn’t need you to take care of her.”
Xia An looked up, Tang Zhen turned around, and their gazes followed the direction of the voice.
A tall, beautiful figure stood there.
Under the soft, warm orange light, the impression that face gave off remained one of unreachable distance.
Presence is a truly magical thing; some people, even without saying a word, exert an invisible pressure just by standing there.
I’ve met her again. Xia An had thought they wouldn’t have another chance to cross paths.
Tang Zhen was confused, not understanding what Ye Jinās words meant.
Not that Tang Zhen was the only one; Xia An didn’t fully understand either. That was until Ye Jin walked to her side, stood shoulder-to-shoulder with her, and said to the man before them, “My girlfriend doesn’t need you to take care of her.”
“My girlfriend doesn’t need you to take care of her.”
Girlfriend? Tang Zhen stared at the beautiful woman before him with a blank expression, wondering if he had misheard. But judging by the tone and attitude of the other party, her meaning was clearly exactly what he understood it to be.
Tang Zhen was shocked.
And Xia An, at this moment, was even more shocked than Tang Zhen. She looked up at Ye Jin, because she could never have imagined such words would come out of her mouth.
Only Ye Jin looked as if she were simply stating an objective fact in a lighthearted, casual manner, without a hint of unnaturalness.
“Girl… girlfriend?” Tang Zhen widened his eyes and looked at Xia An. “Xiao An, this…”
Xia An and Ye Jin met each other’s eyes.
One second, two seconds…
No explanation was needed. In just a single glance, they reached an impromptu consensus.
“You heard her.” Xia An followed her lead, playing the part convincingly as she said to Tang Zhen, “So, it would be better if we keep our distance from now on…”
Tang Zhen still found it hard to believe. Given his relationship with Xia An, if she had been seeing someone, how could he possibly not know? On second thought, he hadn’t known she was working part-time at a nightclub either. He had always assumed no one knew Xia An better than he did, but in the end…
“I can’t help it; my girlfriend is prone to jealousy.” In front of Tang Zhen, Xia An took Ye Jin’s hand for the second time. She looked up at Ye Jin and asked the President playfully, “Right?”
This look and gesture were exactly like a young girl who had just fallen head over heels in love.
Ye Jin was once again being led by the hand by Xia An. She watched her quietly, neither confirming nor denying, but seeing Miss Xia’s “drama queen” performanceāentering the role in a split secondāmade her want to laugh.
Xia An happened to catch the slight arc at the corner of Ye Jin’s mouth. Even though Xia An saw the helplessness in that smile, she couldn’t help but look twice.
When she smiles lightly, she is just too beautiful.
Xia An smiled even more captivatingly, her peach-blossom eyes seeming to speak for themselves, filled with “sweetness.”
Ye Jin stared into Xia An’s eyes and thought to herself: She really is a good actress.
Although both Xia An and Ye Jin understood they were acting, to Tang Zhen, the scene was as intimate as it could possibly be.
Xia An laughed often, but had she ever smiled at anyone like this?
Tang Zhen looked at the pair of hands tightly clasped together, his expression darkening. He had liked Xia An since high school and had been willing to accompany her silently all this time. How could he not have hoped for an outcome?
Though he didn’t know how long he would have to wait for a response, at least Xia An had always been single. Plus, Xia Heshan supported their union, so Tang Zhen had privately felt he still had a chance.
But now…
Xia An pulled Ye Jin along, ready to leave.
Tang Zhen was unwilling to give up. Ignoring his lack of composure, he blocked Xia An’s path and demanded, “How long has this been going on? Why didn’t I know?”
Ye Jin stepped forward, shielding Xia An, and spoke again. “She is my girlfriend. Does everything have to be reported to you?”
“You…” Tang Zhen was left speechless once more. For so many years, he had made caring for Xia An his responsibilityāeven a habit.
“Sir, if you continue to harass my girlfriend, I believe it will be necessary to let the police handle this matter.” Ye Jin didn’t want to waste any more breath. She turned back and said softly to Xia An, “Let’s go.”
“Mhm.” Xia An replied in a daze. As Ye Jin took half a step to protect her, a warmth surged through her heartāeven if the other womanās actions were merely casual.
This seemed to be the first time Xia An, like a lamb, had let someone else protect her. After all, ever since she was sixteen, she had been independent, striving not to rely on othersānot even her own family.
Following behind Ye Jin, feeling the woman’s hand in hers, Xia An once again felt a burning sensation in her palm.
She walked in a daze.
Xia An, who had always been accustomed to facing everything alone, suddenly felt a mysterious sense of anticipation rise in her heartāan anticipation for the two of them.
