Little Jiang Chen and the Cactus

Unlike her previous half-playful teasing, as she lifted her gaze, she could see the man's restrained, detached, and vaguely ocean-deep eyebrows and eyes.

Her heartbeat accelerated slightly.

It felt as though she could catch the scent of alcohol on the man even across the screen.

So... how does one coax a jealous man?

Does Jiang Chi even need her to coax him?

"Jiang Chi, you are the best-looking, most wonderful person in the world." Ye Mian thought for a moment and still said, "There is no one better than you, so don't worry."

Jiang Chi paused, lowering his gaze to meet the young woman's reassuring eyes.

In the deep of a March spring night, she earnestly claimed that there was no one better than him in the entire world.

Such an affirmative statement logically should have been the hardest to believe.

He gave a low chuckle. "Am I a good person?"

In truth, he had never considered himself a "good" person.

The young woman gazed at his face, her pair of pretty almond eyes clean and clear, as if silently asking:

Are you not a good person?

Jiang Chi's gaze was cool. His hand holding a cigarette bypassed the edge of the desk and pressed the burning tip out in the ashtray. Answering his own question, he said gently, "Mm, I am."

...

Ye Mian pondered, wondering how that troublemaker Zhou Yu could have possibly complained.

Fearing that he might harbor deep misunderstandings, she still recounted the entire conversation she had with Fu Ziheng today, including all the big and small events that had occurred, repeating them all to Jiang Chi.

Throughout this, Jiang Chi quietly listened to the young woman speak, occasionally taking sips of the hangover-relief lemonade.

Three minutes passed.

Jiang Chi's phone rang.

The message content popped up from the top of the video interface—a text sent by Lin Shan.

Only the very first few words were visible.

[Boss, when picking up Miss Ye today, I saw Dong...]

Jiang Chi merely glanced at it, then calmly reached out and tapped to open the message.

[Boss, when picking up Miss Ye today, I saw Dong Yulian following by Miss Ye's side. According to people at the school, they had an argument, and Miss Ye seemed to have cried.]

His gaze lingered on the words "have cried."

Though he was still wearing a gentle and amiable smile on the surface, his gaze sank.

Gloomy, cold, and heavy, his aura resembled that of a stormy winter day.

Yet Ye Mian did not notice his subtle actions, sensing only that Jiang Chi's mood had soured in an instant.

Having just finished recounting the last matter, she paused, blinked, and asked, "Jiang Chi, what's wrong with you?"

Jiang Chi did not answer her question.

Instead, he swiped open the message interface and relaxed the fingers that had been supporting his chin.

His profound gaze met hers, his voice carrying a slight rasp as he asked in return, "Finished?"

Ye Mian blinked. "Mm."

Beneath the moonlight, he clearly caught the very last trace of red lingering at the outer corners of the young woman's eyes—faint enough that had he not looked closely, he might have missed it entirely.

Jiang Chi took a deep breath, and after taking a moment to calm the turmoil within, he asked softly, "Did Dong Yulian come looking for you? Did you cry?"

Ye Mian knew this matter could not be concealed. Lin Shan's boss was Jiang Chi, not her; he would definitely report it to Jiang Chi.

There was no escaping it, so she nodded.

"That did happen."

Jiang Chi asked, "Why didn't you tell me?"

Ye Mian pulled a tissue from the desk, giving a dismissive wipe to the corner of her eye, and said indifferently,

"Because it's no big deal. She just showed up for a bit and ended up getting yelled away by me."

Although Ye Mian had been very angry just moments ago.

She truly did not think much of the incident.

Nor had she ever planned to complain or tell tales.

A disgusting person like Dong Yulian could indeed provoke the baser instincts in people.

Still, she hadn't come out on the losing end.

What she was actually afraid of...

was that Jiang Chi might do something to Dong Yulian.

That was the worst-case scenario that Ye Mian could never accept.

Therefore, before Jiang Chi could ask further,

she quickly spoke to him with a serious expression, "Jiang Chi, what she's doing is wrong, and she might not stop after once or twice, but don't get too angry. She can't accomplish anything. Next time you see her, just hide, or call the police, okay?

Don't let her bully you, and don't just endure it—send her off to a detention center."

She spoke quite fluently, almost in one breath, her tone heavy and laced with persuasion, clearly outlining what steps should be taken to deal with Jiang Chi.

Anyway, as long as it wasn't murder or breaking the law, any option counted as a solution.

After talking on and on by herself for quite a while, Ye Mian received no response from Jiang Chi.

She lowered her gaze to meet his eyes through the screen.

His eyes were deep and shimmering, currently lowered slightly, their pale color veiling whatever emotions lay beneath.

Perhaps due to his temperament, Jiang Chi was unlike anyone else in the world. Much of the time, Ye Mian could not guess his thoughts; his aura forever resembled a traditional ink wash painting of a rain-soaked mountain forest, hiding intricate details within that stirred an intense desire to explore.

After two seconds, Ye Mian heard him say softly, "Mianmian, I'm sorry."

Ye Mian lifted her gaze, sluggishly registering that Jiang Chi was apologizing to her, and a pang of sorrow tugged at her heart: "You haven't done anything to be sorry for."

Jiang Chi gave a faint smile, his eyes cold: "It's the affairs in my world that have intruded upon your life. I promise to handle it properly and not let her disturb you ever again."

The March spring air carried the fresh scent of grass and trees, stirred by a cool breeze. Ye Mian couldn't quite describe the feeling in her chest.

Yet she knew that Jiang Chi genuinely wanted to protect her well.

She also knew that his words implied danger.

Recalling the final scene of seeing Jiang Chi in her past life,

she said:

"I'm not afraid of this kind of interruption, nor do I need anything drastic done. She hasn't done anything truly outrageous, and if she comes again, I can handle it myself.

Jiang Chi, I'm just worried about you. I don't know what you're doing abroad right now, and I won't pry or ask, but can you promise to keep yourself safe? Don't touch the law, don't put yourself in danger. There's always a better way to solve any problem."

She phrased it as tactfully as she could.

In truth, she had no way of laying the matter completely bare.

Jiang Chi was far too intelligent, possessing eyes that could see through far too many things. When confronting this topic, she had to be extremely careful.

Within the screen, Jiang Chi raised his hand to light a cigarette, the burning tobacco sending up a thin layer of haze.

He had never been good at refusing any request from the young woman.

After a long while, he said in a low voice, "Alright."

No matter what it was, he said alright.

...

That same night, Ye Mian lay in bed.

Thunder and rain roared outside the window throughout the night. She tossed and turned, replaying Jiang Chi's single word of agreement over and over in her mind.

So, he really had agreed to her request, right?

It was only in the dead of night that she finally drifted into a hazy sleep.

Perhaps due to her tumultuous emotions, she once again dreamed of things from long before her past life.

Back then, Jiang Chi was still just a young boy.

He had stood right downstairs at her home, placing a tall cactus beneath her window.

Ye Mian had been somewhat afraid to look at his face because it bore numerous scars.

The young boy hadn't minded at all, merely saying in a quiet voice, "I'm going away on a long trip. Can I borrow your window sill to let my flower get some sun?"

Ye Mian didn't like cacti; they were far too prickly.

The young boy's pot of sharp spines was especially intimidating.

Yet she hadn't refused his request.

Gradually, she had grown accustomed to the splash of green before her window.

Yet one day later on, that cactus had vanished.