Walking by Your Side

Just as she was about to reach out and grasp Jiang Chen’s long, pale hand, in the next moment, he changed direction and picked up the cup of coffee instead.

Ye Mian blinked in confusion.

She awkwardly lifted her eyes and saw Jiang Chen’s brows lowered, calmly sipping her coffee, a gentle smile playing on his lips.

…Not to mention, he looked quite distinguished.

Ye Mian began to feel grateful that she hadn’t foolishly reached out earlier and made a fool of herself, though she couldn’t help but feel a faint twinge of disappointment. She muttered under her breath, “Didn’t you just say you didn’t want to drink it?”

And she recalled Jiang Chen being a bit of a neat freak.

Without any sign of disgust, Jiang Chen finished her coffee. He then casually inverted the empty cup onto the saucer, his gaze fixed on Ye Mian as his cool, calm voice spoke gently, “I’m seeing if this coffee can keep you full enough to skip breakfast all morning.”

…

Though his tone was subtly sarcastic, Ye Mian found herself inexplicably unable to get angry.

Jiang Chen lifted the now lukewarm shredded chicken porridge, stirred it a few times, and handed it to her. “Eat.”

Then he picked up the medicine box and half-crouched by the bedside, carefully unwinding the gauze wrapped around her ankle, one layer at a time.

His eyes were lowered, and his long fingers moved with delicate care.

Clearly, he wasn’t very experienced at this sort of thing. Removing the bandage without hurting the wound required patience and precision.

Silently, Jiang Chen peeled off the gauze and applied the ointment.

Ye Mian held the porridge, staring blankly.

The air around them grew thinner, even the chirping insects outside seemed to fall silent.

When his fingertip brushed against her skin, bringing warmth, Ye Mian suddenly became aware of her heart pounding uncontrollably, so fast she feared he might hear it.

She thought back to when she was first reborn — she had been afraid of this man.

He was too distant, on an entirely different plane.

He could appear in newspapers and on television, always dominating the headlines with his exceptional abilities.

A height she could never reach no matter how much she looked up.

Yet now, here he was, standing patiently before her, stooping to change her dressing with utmost care.

When he finished, Jiang Chen carefully inspected the bandage, making sure it was secure before letting go.

The gauze was wrapped neatly, layered without any part feeling overly thick, yet firm enough to prevent loosening.

But his fingers were stained with iodine and ointment.

He showed no sign of displeasure, calmly heading to the bathroom to wash his hands clean.

Seeing that Ye Mian hadn’t touched her porridge, he raised an eyebrow. “Not a single bite? You don’t like porridge?”

Ye Mian hesitated, then quickly lowered her head and scooped a spoonful, mumbling, “No, I’m not picky.”

Her cheeks flushed with guilt. She truly wasn’t picky, and the porridge was quite tasty.

But beauty can be distracting.

She nearly got dazzled by Jiang Chen’s presence.

Unfortunately, such things defied reason.

In the spacious bedroom, Jiang Chen sat at the edge of the bed, a laptop resting on a wooden table in front of him. He stared intently at the graphs and icons displayed on the screen.

Ye Mian tried to glance over during breaks in eating, but the content seemed unique to Jiang Chen’s software.

As an outsider, she couldn’t make sense of it.

Since he was her boyfriend now, Ye Mian felt she could ask openly. Choosing her words carefully to avoid offense, she said, “Jiang Chen, what… exactly do you do now?”

She didn’t feign ignorance about his job.

His demeanor, lifestyle, and everything about him clearly didn’t suggest a typical employee.

Jiang Chen’s expression softened, measured and unhurried as he answered, “Investment.”

“Oh.” Ye Mian nodded in understanding. Indeed, in today’s world, it was no longer easy to make a fortune through simple business.

But she also knew investing wasn’t easy.

There was no fixed blueprint; it required unique foresight and professional insight — judgment and execution both indispensable.

Even occasional success involved great risk.

Many investors couldn’t endure the wild swings in their assets and ended up desperate.

Few could survive the high-stakes financial game intact.

Jiang Chen’s fingers tapped lightly on the keyboard. Seeing Ye Mian’s question but no further inquiries, he fell silent for a moment, then his expression gradually grew serious.

“Ye Mian, there are some things I think I should tell you clearly before we start.”

It was the first time she had seen him so solemn, and she straightened up, nodding earnestly. “Okay, go ahead.”

Though she appeared calm, her heart raced. She even began to fear he might be having second thoughts, unwilling to be with her after all.

His eyes were like the night sky. Noticing her unease, his voice softened as he revealed a harsh truth.

“Being with me means you’ll face certain risks. I might one day lose everything.”

“I will try my best to prevent that day from coming. If there’s anything you want, just say the word. I’ll do my best to provide.”

As he spoke, his hand toyed with the Buddhist beads hanging on the bedrail. “But if that day really comes, I’ll give you what’s rightfully yours. I hope you’ll tell me then and think of yourself first.”

His ash-gray eyes watched her quietly, while a cool mountain breeze whispered outside the window.

Ye Mian fell silent, then looked up at him in disbelief. “Is that all you wanted to say?”

Jiang Chen paused, then nodded.

He truly wanted to give her the best, and hoped she would be wise enough to protect herself should he fall.

A little selfishness in a girl was quite alright.

Besides, looking out for oneself was no selfishness at all.

Ye Mian stood frozen, her mind racing.

What did he mean?

Why was he talking about losing everything and parting ways when disaster strikes?

What was this “what’s rightfully yours” — money?

Wasn’t this just keeping a pet canary?

Why were these big shots so lacking in confidence nowadays?

Regardless of whether he would lose everything or not, why should she be the one to leave?

She wasn’t after his money!

As if he had no money, she wouldn’t be with him.

Loving Jiang Chen had nothing to do with money.

Ye Mian slowly lifted her head, her mind a whirlwind, and answered the question seriously.

“Jiang Chen, you still don’t understand me.”

She kept her gaze steady, trying to appear calm and aloof.

“I might be the one person in the world who secretly hopes you will fall from grace. I won’t leave you.”

Jiang Chen didn’t expect such words. He tilted his head, puzzled, meeting her eyes.

Ye Mian added, “If that day ever comes, don’t worry — I can take care of you.”

After saying this, she felt unsatisfied, suspecting the chance might be slim.

So she added, “You probably don’t know, but I’m also working very hard behind the scenes, doing everything I can to be by your side.”

…

Dear readers, I’ve been a bit ill these past two days, so additional updates might come early or late at night.

(End of chapter)