Chapter 630 - 413: Ningning Offers a Kiss

"It’s too windy outside. It made them red," Jiangg Ning said, blinking as she met Chen Yuan’s questioning gaze.

He put down his teacup and turned to look outside.

He distinctly remembered not feeling any wind when he was talking with Ji Hai outside just a moment ago. How could it have gotten windy so quickly...

’It’s actually gotten windy?’

Before he could figure it out, Jiangg Ning spoke up.

"Today... you’ve worked so hard, Chen. You’ve been running around for me all day, even neglecting your own business."

Chen Yuan watched Jiangg Ning stand there, looking a little awkward. Her eyes were full of sincerity, and her flushed cheeks made her seem embarrassed, though he couldn’t tell if it was from the formality of thanking him or for some other reason.

"Ningning, don’t use those polite phrases on me that you’re used to saying to friends and elders. ’Thank you’ is too formal. Isn’t your business my business? If I don’t step up and act like a boyfriend now, when should I?" Chen Yuan shrugged and then grinned at her.

As the saying goes, adversity reveals true character.

Only when two people in love go through hardship together can they see the true color of each other’s souls.

That’s why a love that hasn’t been tested by trials is usually not strong. The slightest storm can tear a couple apart.

Aside from her family issues, Jiangg Ning’s life had always been smooth sailing. She had never suffered financially and had rarely experienced the helplessness of having to humble herself and beg for help.

When people are helpless, girls especially need someone to lean on.

If a girl’s support in childhood is her father, then as an adult, the greatest happiness is having a dependable partner by her side.

With someone like that, no matter what happens, you’ll always have peace of mind.

That’s why Jiangg Ning was so moved this time.

Although she didn’t say much, she had seen everything Chen Yuan did throughout the day. If she had once complained that he was just trying to act tough, that he hadn’t grown up and was far from mature, then today she could say she had witnessed a world of change in him. He was transforming from a boy into a man.

His shoulders were no longer so boyish.

These changes were subtle, only visible after going through real-life events. This was the source of Jiangg Ning’s complex feelings; she had noticed this transformation.

"Anyway, your performance today really impressed me. I believe what you said," Jiangg Ning said, lowering her long eyelashes shyly. "...I believe that no matter what, you’ll provide a good life for the person you love and take on the responsibilities of a family."

She walked over to him.

"Really?" Chen Yuan scratched his head, rather embarrassed.

The sudden praise made him feel quite bashful.

Suddenly, a fragrant scent wafted over as Jiangg Ning sat down next to Chen Yuan. She nervously glanced around and saw that the housekeepers were all busy with their own tasks.

Jiangg Ning nervously clutched the hem of her clothes, then quickly tilted her face up and gave Chen Yuan a fleeting peck on his left cheek.

Caught completely off guard, Chen Yuan froze instantly.

"Um... you should go take a shower on the second floor. Ms. Liu will have clothes ready for you. Then... sleep in my room tonight... I... I have something else to do." After kissing him, Jiangg Ning hurriedly stood up, her steps as light as a fawn’s as she darted past Chen Yuan.

She went straight upstairs.

Leaving only the sound of her receding footsteps.

If one looked closely, not only her cheeks but even her earlobes were flushed red. Her retreating figure looked flustered.

"Hey, wait..."

Chen Yuan wanted to say something more, but in an instant, Jiangg Ning had gone through her door and vanished.

He was left standing there in a daze for a while. After a long moment, he finally rubbed his cheek. The spot her soft lips had touched still seemed to hold a faint warmth.

Very quickly, after the initial shock wore off, Chen Yuan felt his breathing become rapid and ragged, as if brilliant fireworks were exploding in his head.

"Ningning actually kissed me..." Chen Yuan muttered to himself.

Then, he couldn’t help but clench his fists, every cell in his body cheering with joy.

’How much effort did it take to earn a kiss like that?’ He recalled the lovely look on Jiangg Ning’s face, like ice melting in the spring.

Instantly, he was grinning from ear to ear.

Amidst his excitement, however, a sense of melancholy surfaced in Chen Yuan’s heart, and he sighed with emotion. Jiangg Ning was truly a person whose stubbornness could be frustrating. After all he had done, after all they had been through together, he had only just managed to change her perception of him by a tiny bit.

This long road seemed to have no end in sight.

’How long will I have to walk it?’

Outside the window, the night had grown deep.

...

"Sir?"

As Chen Yuan was spacing out, a kind voice suddenly called to him.

He turned his head and saw the housekeeper, wearing an apron, standing beside him.

"What is it?"

"The eldest miss asked me to prepare some clothes for you. I put them in the bedroom on the second floor," she said, raising her hand to point. "It’s the room at the very end of the hall after you go up the stairs."

"Okay, thank you," Chen Yuan said politely.

But when he turned back, the housekeeper hadn’t left. Instead, she stood there, curiously studying him.

Chen Yuan gave her a strange look.

"We’ve never had a male guest stay over, so I couldn’t find any suitable clothes right away. It wouldn’t be right to give you the driver’s spare clothes, so I prepared a bathrobe for you. You can make do for one night. I’ll wash and dry your clothes in a bit, so they’ll be ready to wear tomorrow. Just put them in the basket in the bathroom after you change."

"Okay, I’ll remember that."

"Sir, where are you from?" the housekeeper asked in a low voice, sitting down on the sofa.

The housekeeper was very curious about this young man, who seemed almost too young. To her, at least, he was quite handsome.

Since he was staying in the eldest miss’s room, his status was self-evident.

In all her years, this was the first time she had seen Jiangg Ning with a boyfriend. This was a rarer sight than discovering a new continent.

’But he’s just so young.’

Whether it was out of genuine concern or pure gossip...

The housekeeper was dying to get some information.

"Qishui," Chen Yuan replied, having nothing to hide. "I’m in Lanjing now."

"What year were you born?"

"I was born after 2000."

"I knew it. You don’t look very old, sir, and you have an air of nobility about you. You must be the son of a prestigious family," the housekeeper said, her face all smiles. She had high emotional intelligence and knew how to flatter people.

Chen Yuan had never seen himself as having any "air of nobility".

"Not at all, not at all," he said, waving his hands dismissively.

"How long have you and the eldest miss been together, sir?"

"Uh... it’s been over a year now."

"What does your family do?"

"Well, how should I put it... a bit of everything. There are teachers, investors, people in the energy sector... it’s a real mix."

"Wow, so it’s a large conglomerate?"

Having lived in Mingzhu City and met many people, this housekeeper was no country bumpkin. She could tell at a glance that the clothes Chen Yuan was wearing were expensive. Based on that alone, her guess about his background was not without reason.

Having gathered some information, the housekeeper was naturally very satisfied.

You could say she had watched the two sisters grow up. Even the acerbic Jiangg Ruxue would never be sharp-tongued with the housekeepers, because they were among the few who treated people with genuine sincerity.

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call them elders.

After so many years, feelings had naturally developed.

"I’ve been with the Jiangg Family for over twenty years, ever since the eldest miss was just over a year old. When she was little, she couldn’t even walk and I had to carry her everywhere. In the blink of an eye, she’s grown into such a fine young woman..." Ms. Liu sighed, then suddenly looked up, realizing she had been asking questions for too long. She quickly stood up. "I won’t disturb your rest, sir. The other housekeepers, the drivers, and I live in the back courtyard. We live in the back courtyard! We generally don’t come over unless there’s a reason. If you need anything, just call for me."

"Oh, okay, I understand," Chen Yuan said, nodding, though he didn’t immediately grasp her meaning.

After she left.

’Live in the back courtyard... why did she repeat that?’ he wondered, concentrating for a moment before it suddenly dawned on him. "Ooooh~"