“What domineering CEO?” Xu Cheng’an frowned, dissatisfied, “We’re talking about how you don’t love me enough. It has nothing to do with a domineering CEO. Don’t try to change the subject.”
“Okay, okay, no relation,” Chen Jing went along with him, “Then tell me, how am I not loving you enough?”
Xu Cheng’an reached out, his palm pressed tightly against her chest, “Here, I can feel it. The heartbeat in the palm was always steady, unlike him, who would start racing just by being slightly intimate with her.
“Are you sure what you’re feeling is true?” Chen Jing raised an eyebrow and countered, “What if my heartbeat is naturally different, or if what you say is true, are you prepared to divorce me?”
She looked at him with interest, waiting for his response.
She had figured it out: Xu Cheng’an was completely bored and looking to stir up trouble, saying she didn’t love him enough, while secretly feeling happy.
“What was this? This was making a fuss over nothing!”
“Who said anything about divorce!” Xu Cheng’an panicked for a moment. These two words coming from her mouth were more painful than killing him.
He tightened his arms around her waist, pulling her into his embrace, his cold voice tinged with grievance, “Don’t you ever say those words again!”
“Why should I listen to you?” Chen Jing provoked him, lifting her chin and laughing, “You said I don’t love you enough, so why not divorce and let you find someone who loves you more?”
“Shen Ran!” Xu Chengan called out in anger.
Chen Jing stopped laughing, and before he could react, she opened the passenger door, raised her right leg, and slid down, stepping back to avoid his reaching hand. She lightly laughed: “Since you make trouble, I’ll give you space. When you’re done, we’ll talk about the wedding.”
She turned and walked away, straightening her hair and clothes, her back incredibly cool, which made Xu Chengan turn pale.
He hurriedly got out of the car to chase her, anxious he didn’t even close the car door. Taking several steps, he saw her turn right at the corner, but when he rushed over, there wasn’t even a shadow to be seen. The empty path before him mirrored his suddenly aching heart.
His face alternated between pale and blue. He kicked a small stone on the ground, tilted his head back to catch his breath, and remained silent with closed eyes for a long time, a tear sliding down his face.
Chen Jing, hiding in the shadows, peeked out at him and took out her phone to send a text message.
- I’m going back first. You should come back too.
The phone’s notification startled Chen Jing, who immediately muted her phone.
Xu Chengan picked up his phone and looked around, feeling her nearby but unable to find her.
Helplessly, he lowered his head to send a text message.
- Ran Jie, I know I was wrong. I’ll listen to you from now on. Please don’t be angry, okay?
- I’m not angry.
- Then why did you suddenly leave me?
- I just feel we’re too clingy and should separate for a few days to calm down.
- We’re not clingy! We don’t need to calm down, Ran Jie… Please come back, okay? I’ll wait where you just got out of the car. If you don’t come, I’ll wait forever!
Chen Jing was exasperated by his tone. She replied “whatever” and turned back, putting her phone on silent.
Xu Chengan looked at “whatever” on the screen, feeling his heart sink. He hurriedly called her, only to find her phone was off.
Are you treating me like an idiot?
” Xu Cheng’an said, then raised his hand and lightly pushed with his fingertip, sending the phone tumbling down like a kite with a broken string. After three or four minutes, a soft “pap” sound came from below – without looking, he knew it was completely destroyed.
A breeze blew, and Xu Cheng’an gently closed his eyes, anxiously wondering if she truly no longer wanted him.
Only now did he realize how little he knew about her, so shallow that her phone being off and her absence made it seem like she had completely disappeared from his world. No matter how hard he tried to find her, there was no trace of her message.
Thinking about this, tears began to flow again.
Actually, he hadn’t exactly lied to her.
His coldness was real, and his sensitive and fragile emotions were also real, especially when facing her.
Whenever he felt slightly undervalued, his throat would choke terribly, and his eyes would burn uncomfortably.
During the years of being her friend, he had been sad countless times, but he was just better at enduring.
He had never been soft since childhood, never showing weakness to anyone, yet he would drop everything in front of Shen Ran, magnifying his own flaws infinitely. Every time she coaxed and indulged him, meeting her gentle gaze, he was like an addict, wanting to stick to her every moment.
But he had been too clingy, and now she didn’t want him anymore…
Xu Cheng’an gritted his teeth and angrily smashed the wine bottle, shouting, “Liar!”
She had clearly promised to cherish him for a lifetime, said she would love him no matter what his personality, but how quickly she changed her mind!
Xu Cheng’an spent half the night on the rooftop, eventually returning home by himself.
He was just feeling irritable and wanting to cry, unable to contact Shen Ran, so he climbed up to get some air. He had absolutely no intention of ending his life.
He wasn’t stupid. They still had a marriage certificate, so how could she truly not want him?
He just wanted to clear his mind, reflect on his behavior in front of Shen Ran, correct his mistakes, maintain his strengths, and ensure such a situation would never happen again.
One time nearly cost him his life; if it happened again, he couldn’t guarantee he wouldn’t truly end everything…
///
Shen Family Old Mansion—
Shen Yuan answered a phone call, his expression changing instantly: “Who told you to call him?”
The person on the other end was also angry, “Didn’t you say Xu Cheng’an is a psychological wreck who would collapse emotionally if told Shen Ran doesn’t want him? How is it that after talking all afternoon, he’s fine?
Xu Cheng’an was actually lying on the floor by the door, clothes disheveled, with an abnormal red flush on his face, looking extremely miserable.
Chen Jing was both angry and amused.
She tossed her bag on the shoe cabinet and didn’t bother changing shoes. Closing the door, she squatted next to him and touched his forehead with her palm, immediately frowning.
It was too hot.
She quickly held him in her arms, gently patting his face. “Cheng’an? Wake up, you have a fever.”
Xu Cheng’an kept his eyes tightly closed, letting out an uncomfortable groan. Despite being delirious with fever, he still recognized her, reaching out to hug her waist, softly whining, “Ran Jie… Ran Ran… I missed you so much, please don’t leave… Don’t abandon me…”
He began to cry, tears sliding down his flushed cheeks.
Chen Jing was completely focused, struggling to move him to the bed. Sighing, she quickly found a thermometer and brought a basin of hot water to apply a towel to his forehead, changing it every ten minutes. She wiped his hands and ankles with alcohol and occasionally moistened his lips with a cotton swab dipped in warm water. After some time, she finally breathed a sigh of relief when his temperature dropped.
As soon as she relaxed, she collapsed and fell asleep by the bedside.
The next day, when Xu Cheng’an saw Chen Jing, his first reaction was to pinch himself. Until the pain on his arm clearly transmitted to his brain, he revealed a joyful expression, moving closer to her, carefully looking at her sleeping eyes. She had really come back. Last night, he had been in a daze, feeling quite uncomfortable, but vaguely felt someone taking care of him, thinking it was a dream. When he opened his eyes, it was Shen Ran.
