Ruan Jiujiu was left feeling a bit bewildered by Cheng Jun’s actions.
She had originally thought that Cheng Jun was scared and that’s why he was ignoring her, but now it seemed like something else was going on?
Ruan Jiujiu found it somewhat amusing and asked, “Why are we parting ways all of a sudden?”
Cheng Jun: “…”
The word “immature” was still echoing in his mind, but Boss Cheng couldn’t bring himself to say it. In front of him, Ruan Jiujiu was smiling warmly, showing no signs of displeasure or impatience. She said, “Are you feeling uncomfortable? Don’t overthink it; let’s talk things through.”
Out of the blue, Cheng Jun asked, “Do you dislike me?”
Ruan Jiujiu was taken aback by the question, “Why would I dislike you?”
Very good. Not disliking him essentially meant liking him.
Cheng Jun silently gazed at Ruan Jiujiu. When Ruan Jiujiu couldn’t make heads or tails of the situation, he stood up and walked over to her.
Ruan Jiujiu: “???”
What was he trying to do?
Suddenly, Cheng Jun extended his arms toward Ruan Jiujiu, still exuding a very melancholic aura. He muttered, “Hug me.”
In that moment, Ruan Jiujiu was struck by a strange electric current, and her heart uncontrollably softened. She hugged him back, her attitude shifting from being amused to somewhat tender. Cheng Jun continued to extend his arms, waiting for her gentle comfort. His expression was pitiful even amidst his gloom.
Ruan Jiujiu couldn’t help but chuckle, her eyes narrowing.
Her demeanor softened considerably, and she opened her arms, half in amusement and half in resignation, to embrace Cheng Jun. Her soft body pressed against his, her slender arms wrapped around his back, and she patted him soothingly. Cheng Jun held onto her waist, tightening his grip, burying his face in her shoulder.
Her scent was so pleasant to Cheng Jun’s nose.
Ruan Jiujiu felt like she was almost out of breath from being held so tightly. Her chest pressed against Cheng Jun’s, and the lack of space made it difficult to breathe. Ruan Jiujiu had to remind him, “Alright, let go now. I can’t breathe properly.”
“…” Cheng Jun protested with silence.
In the end, Ruan Jiujiu was firmly embraced. If Mr. Meng hadn’t messaged her asking for her whereabouts, Ruan Jiujiu might have been held by Cheng Jun until eternity.
The tenderness in an embrace was different from a kiss. When two people hugged each other, it was as if they were baring their souls to each other, displaying all their tenderness and emotions without reservation. This kind of unguarded openness could be captivating.
Ruan Jiujiu not only didn’t dislike Cheng Jun in this state, but she actually liked it.
“The food is getting cold; let’s eat.”
When they returned to their seats, Cheng Jun’s melancholic aura had disappeared entirely. He opened his lunchbox, took a bite of the spicy chicken, and Ruan Jiujiu remembered that he didn’t dislike this dish. He slowly savored his meal, and his mood seemed much better with Ruan Jiujiu by his side.
They enjoyed a harmonious meal together for a long time.
Finally, as Ruan Jiujiu wiped her mouth and prepared to leave, Cheng Jun suddenly asked, “What type of men do you dislike the most?”
Sometimes, being straightforward can lead to clearer results. In this regard, Cheng Jun never cared much about saving face. Ruan Jiujiu was momentarily stunned by his abrupt yet direct question.
At first, she was a bit bewildered, not understanding why Cheng Jun would ask such a question. After careful consideration, Ruan Jiujiu replied, “Men who are chauvinistic, selfish, narrow-minded, lecherous, greedy, boastful, and overly ambitious… I guess that’s about it.”
Cheng Jun mentally checked the list and realized that none of those traits applied to him. It was like playing a game with a full evasion skillset, and he had dodged all the traits. This made him unusually happy.
“Oh… and,” Ruan Jiujiu gazed at him with a mysterious look in her eyes, “dogs.”
Cheng Jun: “?”
Ruan Jiujiu: “I’m going back to work now. You keep up the good work.”
The meaning of “dogs” took Cheng Jun a while to figure out online.
He breathed a sigh of relief.
Thank goodness he wasn’t one of them.
…
Jiao Fan was about to get back to work but was suddenly grabbed by Tu Nan, who appeared out of nowhere. Tu Nan looked nervous and whispered, “Do you know what I just saw?”
Jiao Fan: “Are you kidding? I don’t have a third eye.”
“Hey!”
Tu Nan hadn’t recovered his composure yet and was gesticulating wildly, using exaggerated expressions to demonstrate how shocked he had been in that moment. “The boss actually opened his arms like this and waited for the sister-in-law to hug him?” In his mind, the man who had been sitting on a pedestal for years had fallen from the sky in that moment.
Cheng Jun was no longer the strong, seemingly emotionless man without weaknesses!
He had actually voluntarily requested a hug!
Tu Nan found it hard to describe his feelings when witnessing that scene. It was like a lion that had been cared for every day suddenly discovering one day that it had turned into a dog, and not just any dog but one that allowed itself to be trampled upon.
If he hadn’t happened to be passing by and seen the boss and the boss’s wife’s actions through the glass, he might still have thought of Cheng Jun as the cold and cool guy.
Jiao Fan’s mood was equally complicated. They called Fu Zichen again and recounted the situation, adding some exaggeration to it. If they weren’t afraid that the boss would pull them out of the group again, they would have liked to tease him about it.
Tu Nan’s strange expression didn’t subside in front of Cheng Jun, like a child caught misbehaving, he didn’t know whether to speak or stay silent. He paced around, annoying Cheng Jun.
Cheng Jun, who was focused on his work, suddenly spoke without raising his head, his tone gentle and calm. “You’ll be working overtime tonight.”
Tu Nan: “??? Why?” Did something terrible happen?
Cheng Jun’s face bore only a few large words.
Does overtime need a reason?
“…”
Tu Nan returned to his office with a mournful face. The secretary was still there, organizing documents. In a moment of inspiration, he imitated the boss, opened his arms toward the secretary, and with a smile on his face, said, “Give me a hug.”
The secretary looked at Tu Nan expressionlessly as if staring at a dead person. After a long, silent pause, she couldn’t help but mutter a curse.
“Is your brain licked by a donkey?”
On the way home from work, Ruan Jiujiu ran into Gu You, whom she hadn’t seen in a long time.
Since the incident with Xu Biying had ended, they hadn’t had any direct interactions. Xu Biying was now in prison, experiencing life behind bars, and Ruan Jiujiu only hoped that she would come to her senses and stop trying to hatch sinister plans.
Ruan Jiujiu wondered if Gu You had visited Xu Biying in prison. But looking at him in his trench coat, looking handsome and refined, it seemed that he had been doing well recently.
Gu You’s face carried a hint of surprise as he greeted her, “Jiujiu, are you also working late today?”
“Yeah, I’ve been busy lately, and I’m starting a new project,” Ruan Jiujiu replied. Thanks to the positive reception of “Hero’s Journey,” she was gradually gaining recognition, and some companies specifically requested to collaborate with her.
“You’ve been working hard,” Gu You said with a slight smile.
“Work is a mix of pain and pleasure.”
They chatted aimlessly as they walked.
After the incident last time, it seemed that Gu You had gradually become more accepting of her. He no longer appeared deliberately reserved, which genuinely pleased Ruan Jiujiu.
“By the way.”
“Yes?”
Gu You continued with a smile, “I’ve recently met a very nice girl, and coincidentally, she used to play games with us in the same guild. If things go well, I’ll introduce her to you guys in the future.”
Ruan Jiujiu: “Oh!”
Seemingly surprised by Ruan Jiujiu’s reaction, Gu You asked, “What’s wrong?”
“Uh… nothing,” Ruan Jiujiu awkwardly chuckled. She looked at Gu You and said sincerely, “Congratulations, and I wish you both well. She must be a wonderful woman.”
If she wasn’t mistaken, that woman was probably Gu You’s ex-wife from his previous life, according to the story.
It was as if fate had silently guided them back onto their respective paths. The shadow of whether Cheng Jun had died in the past still loomed over Ruan Jiujiu, but now the circumstances were different, and there had been too many changes. There was no trace to investigate.
When a butterfly flapped its wings, it brought about many changes.
Gu You looked at her sincerely and said, “Thank you.”
Perhaps Ruan Jiujiu would never know that her invisible support had accompanied him through a difficult time. Memories were just memories, and now they were both gradually moving forward in their own directions.
At that moment, a seemingly substantial gaze fixed on the two of them.
Ruan Jiujiu shivered involuntarily.
Strange, why did she have the feeling of being watched by a ghost?
Gu You looked ahead and couldn’t help but smile, “Cheng Jun.”
Cheng Jun, who was approaching them, had one hand in his pocket and held Ruan Jiujiu’s hand with the other. He glanced at Gu You with a nonchalant yet warning look, then led Ruan Jiujiu away.
As Ruan Jiujiu hurriedly followed Cheng Jun, she waved to Gu You.
Cheng Jun said, “No looking at him, no saying goodbye to him.”
Ruan Jiujiu asked, “Why?”
Cheng Jun remained silent and tightened his grip on her wrist.
Perhaps it was because of fear of loss.
But as the words were about to leave his lips, he hesitated and said, “What are we having for dinner tonight? I’m hungry.”
Ruan Jiujiu chuckled, “I knew it!”
—
Author’s note:
Jiujiu: I dislike playboys the most.
Cheng Jun: Fortunately, I’m not one.
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