Chapter 20: I Want You

An incident that didn’t cause much of a stir didn’t affect the mood of the two of them.

When they reached the end of Liyuan Street, Jiang Se held a cup of milk tea and took out her keys to unlock the door.

Due to the festival, “Wangchuan” would stay open all night without closing, and there wasn’t a soul in the yard at this time.

Jiang Se went inside and turned on the lights. Lu Huaiyan’s gaze shifted from her back and slowly surveyed the surroundings.

“Do you usually live here?”

“No, this is my parents’ place. I rented an apartment for myself.”

“Where is the apartment?”

Jiang Se walked inside the house, nonchalantly saying, “It’s nearby. Want something to drink?”

“No need to get me anything,” Lu Huaiyan didn’t follow her in. He kept his hands in the pockets of his coat and stood in the middle of the yard, gazing at a tree by the wall. “The candied osmanthus you mentioned taking up the mountain that day, is it from this tree?”

The osmanthus tree was sensitive to the cold, so Jiang Chuan had wrapped its trunk with straw mats, tied with red ribbons, half of which fluttered in the wind.

The persimmon tree on the other side still had fruit on it. The orange-red fruits were hung with lights, and under the dim yellow light, the persimmons, covered in light snow, seemed to glow.

Jiang Se responded with a faint “Mm” and walked over to the middle of the yard, standing beside him to admire the glowing persimmons in the winter night.

“These few persimmons are the ones I asked my father to leave behind. My room’s window faces this persimmon tree. I like being able to see these persimmons as soon as I open the window.”

Lu Huaiyan followed the direction of the persimmon tree and found the room and window Jiang Se had mentioned. The pinewood window was tightly closed.

“I thought you didn’t live here.”

“I don’t usually,” Jiang Se replied calmly. “But since it’s my room, even if I don’t live here, it’s still my space. I can do whatever I want with it.”

Lu Huaiyan lowered his eyelids slightly and glanced at her sideways.

“My mother once considered staying in Tongcheng for another two years.”

Without any preparation, he suddenly brought up Han Yin, his gaze on her neither heavy nor light, almost as if he was just making small talk.

Jiang Se calmly met his eyes and smiled, asking, “And then?”

“When I asked her why, she said it was because she wanted to spend more time with me, but soon, she changed her mind. She decided to follow the original plan and leave Tongcheng as soon as spring started next year. Do you want to guess why she changed her mind?”

Jiang Se lowered her eyes, took a sip of her milk tea, slowly swallowed, and casually said, “Because I told Aunt Han that you brought me a gift from Europe and invited me to come see the gift.”

Lu Huaiyan let out a light laugh.

After he found out about this from Jiang Se, Han Yin called him that same day to ask if the “Red Luan Star” was Se Se.

“Don’t try to fool me, you’ve never invited a girl yourself,” Han Yin, usually so calm, sounded unusually eager, “Se Se said she really liked the gift you brought back, it was something you picked out especially for her, wasn’t it?”

Lu Huaiyan had never tried to hide his thoughts about Jiang Se. He immediately smiled and responded, “Didn’t I say I’d tell you once things were more certain? Acting too soon might scare her away.”

His words were almost an admission.

“Got it. I promise I won’t be a hindrance to you,” Han Yin said genuinely happy. “You used to be impatient with everyone, and you had no patience with Se Se either. You’d look annoyed even when asked to fold a few clothes. And also, your grandfather had mentioned so many times that Se Se was a suitable match for an arranged marriage, but you never listened. Who knew, after all these twists and turns, it would still be her.”

When it came to matters involving Jiang Se during childhood, Lu Huaiyan didn’t remember much—except for the incident when she fell into the water. As time went on, however, his recollections became clearer.

He remembered a time when Jiang Se would always follow Cen Li to the Lu family’s house, and every time she saw him, she would greet him politely with “Huaiyan Gege.”

At that time, she was only sixteen or seventeen years old, acting extremely well-behaved. Despite not liking Peking opera, she always accompanied her grandfather to the theater, showing a level of expertise in the art. Her behavior charmed the old man, who often considered settling her as his granddaughter-in-law. During that time, Lu Huaiyan almost never returned to the old house.

Later came her coming-of-age ceremony. On that day, when she came down the stairs wearing the Fu family’s antique bracelet, her engagement to Fu Jun became an unspoken truth among their circle.

Probably to avoid suspicion, she no longer came to the Lu family’s house. In the following years, both were busy with their own lives, and apart from occasionally crossing paths at banquets, there was little interaction between them.

However, after moving to Tongcheng, they ended up meeting more frequently than they had in the past few years.

Some meetings were coincidental, while others were orchestrated by him.

He knew full well that if he didn’t take the initiative, this girl wouldn’t make her way to him.

“Why did you change your mind again?” Lu Huaiyan asked, his gaze unwavering. “Wasn’t it because you wanted to delay the old district redevelopment by asking my mother to stay a bit longer? Are you unwilling to use my mother, or did you suddenly realize that there’s someone more suitable than her for you to use?”

He spoke with a slight smile on his lips, his tone casual, and it was hard to tell whether he was angry or amused.

Jiang Se’s dark eyes quietly met his.

The night wind caused the snow that had settled on the branches to fall, and the red ribbons behind him fluttered. Her clear eyes gained a hint of color in the dim light.

Since he had asked about the cheongsam shop on the phone, she knew some things couldn’t be hidden anymore.

Of course, she wasn’t planning on keeping anything from him.

A person as smart as he was could notice even the smallest traces. It was better to face him directly, without trying to conceal anything.

Jiang Se didn’t rush to answer his question. Instead, she asked, “Lu Huaiyan, that day at Han Mountain Temple, you said you were getting to know me again. So now, do you know me?”

As she looked at him, her small face tilted slightly upward, her lips, moistened by warm tea, held a bright red hue. When she smiled, it formed a very beautiful curve.

“If I didn’t know you, how would I let you come to my room in the middle of the night? And how would I come here to find you as soon as I got off the plane?” His Adam’s apple slowly moved as he spoke, his voice soft. “I know better than anyone that the current you is Jiang Se, not Cen Se.”

“And after you know me?” Jiang Se took two steps forward, leaving only an arm’s length between them. She looked up at him insistently, asking, “What do you want to do?”

Lu Huaiyan lowered his eyes and smiled. He quickly raised his gaze again. “Don’t you know what I want to do? Or should I make it more obvious?”

The wind seemed to grow stronger, and the snowflakes continued to fall.

After entering the house, Jiang Se removed her scarf, but the cold snowflakes that had settled on her neck made her shiver unexpectedly.

She seemed to be particularly sensitive to the cold.

Her nose and lips had turned a bright red from the cold.

Jiang Se lightly raised her hand and brushed off the snow from her neck.

The snowflakes fell slowly, and the sound of them hitting the ground was soon replaced by another sound. A warm breeze filled with the scent of sandalwood wrapped around her.

Lu Huaiyan draped his coat over her shoulders. His hand slid inside the collar of the coat and slowly brushed her black hair out of the collar. His hand didn’t touch the skin on the back of her neck, but Jiang Se could almost feel the warmth in his palm.

His eyebrows lightly furrowed, and then she heard him say, “Your hair has grown a bit longer since last time.”

Those words reminded Jiang Se of the scene in the Junyue parking lot, where a few strands of her hair had gotten caught on someone’s shoulder due to static electricity.

She looked up.

Lu Huaiyan was also looking at her. After brushing her hair out of the collar, he tugged at the sides of her coat, gently pulling her toward him.

He lowered his head, his nose brushing against hers, and their gazes met.

“Although I know you understand everything in your heart, I still think I should make it clearer,” the man’s jet-black eyes gleamed like a concealed blade. “Have you heard from my mother? The old monk at Han Mountain Temple said that my Hong Luan star would be activated this year. Jiang Se, you are that Hong Luan star, and I want you.”

When he said he wanted her, his voice was calm, his expression unmoving, as though nothing in the world could disturb him.

Yet, it was his deep, dark eyes that betrayed the slightest hint of inner turmoil.

It was that same feeling of silent intrusion.

Jiang Se didn’t look away from his gaze. Her dark eyes locked with his, almost as though she were testing how much truth there was behind his words.

Lu Huaiyan couldn’t help but smile at her probing look. “Let me tell you a secret. You asked me why the Lu family is getting involved in the Tongcheng project, but the real reason lies with you. You resist me, but at the same time, you seem quite fond of your family here in Tongcheng. Coincidentally, the two Cao brothers have their eyes on your family. I needed to create some value for myself to establish a ‘connection’ with you that would make you less resistant. So, I made the decision for Lu family to step in.”

That night, after Cao Xun had left with Jiang Se and Jiang Tang, Lu Huaiyan went to the 27th floor, where he formally informed Cao Xun that the Lu family would be joining the Tongcheng project.

At that time, Cao Xun’s palm had been injured by Jiang Tang, with blood still seeping from the wound.

He squinted his eyes at Lu Huaiyan. “Wasn’t Mr. Lu uninterested in this project? What made you change your mind?”

“I’m not sure why you’re concerned about my change of mind, Mr. Cao. Since you weren’t satisfied with the previous contract, let’s draw up a new one. But this time, the Lu family will be an additional partner,” Lu Huaiyan casually glanced at Cao Xun’s still-bleeding hand and spoke in the same indifferent tone. “Also, I suggest you manage your younger brother well. I don’t like the way he looks at Jiang Se.”

Because Lu Huaiyan had his eyes on Cao Liang, Cao Xun was determined to send him away.

This conversation with Cao Xun was kept from Jiang Se, but it was indeed because of her that he decided to act on the Tongcheng project.

He was always like this: when he set his sights on something, he acted without hesitation.

Jiang Se, looking at him through the lens of her glasses, smiled softly and said, “This huge project, just to establish a ‘connection’ that won’t make me resist you? Aren’t you afraid of losing everything?”

“Don’t worry, I never make a losing deal,” Lu Huaiyan let go of her and stood up straight. He gently brushed the snow off her shoulders and smiled. “And this investment has brought me a huge surprise.”

As he spoke, he took a step back, resting one hand on the stone table beneath the tree, his eyes fixed on her as the snow continued to fall.

His posture was relaxed, but it caused a slight shiver in Jiang Se’s heart.

She looked at him deeply. “What kind of surprise?”

Lu Huaiyan tilted his head slightly and looked at her with a more comfortable demeanor.

Without his coat, he was left in just a thin shirt, the cold wind fierce and the snow falling in flurries, yet he appeared unaffected by the chill. The snow on his shoulders was left undisturbed, collecting into a dark stain on his clothes.

“Although I don’t know your true purpose in coming to Tongcheng, it must have something to do with the cheongsam shop at No. 39, Jinxiu Lane,” he said, his gaze seeming to pierce through her. “Jiang Se, has this cheongsam shop become a ‘connection’ that ties you and me together now?”

Was this the surprise in his eyes?

Jiang Se’s gaze didn’t waver. She continued to look at him, silent.

“Sort of, yes. The only person who can make the cheongsam I want is the original owner of the shop. Until the cheongsam is done, no one can touch that shop. Of course, the main reason is that it’s meant to belong to me in the first place.” She raised her lashes, the smile disappearing from her lips, and stared at the snowflakes floating in the air. Each word she spoke was deliberate and cold, “And my things, no one can touch, not even your Lu family.”

Her voice was cool—not the kind of soft, sweet tone that could warm someone’s heart, but the kind that pushed people away when she wasn’t smiling, like a forcefield of detachment.

Lu Huaiyan heard the distance in her words, the indifference. She was obsessively attached to that cheongsam shop, yet her feelings were strangely cold, as if it was something that belonged to her but also something she utterly loathed.

He silently watched the snowflakes that had settled on her dark lashes, his mind drifting back to the way his eyes had touched her eyelashes earlier, like shadows merging with the light.

It was as though her eyes absorbed all the light, leaving nothing behind.

He suddenly said, “Jiang Se, you can use me however you want.”

Jiang Se blinked and turned her gaze toward him.

The man smirked slightly. “You know very well that you can’t hide your schemes from me, you can hide from my mother. Yet you still choose to test my boundaries. Now, let me tell you where my limits lie.”

He took a step closer to her, raising his hand to gently wipe the snow from her eyelashes with his thumb. As he gazed into her onyx-like eyes, his voice was slow and deliberate. “You can’t bear to use my mother, and if you really did, it wouldn’t bring you any satisfaction. It’s better to exploit me to the fullest. Jinxiu Lane, the cheongsam shop, or in a few days, the Cen family’s New Year’s Eve banquet. If you want, I can ruin all of it.”

To use him, she couldn’t avoid him, flee from him, or resist him.

She needed to get close.

The closer she wanted to exploit him, the closer she had to get to him.

He spoke with the same tone—polished and distant, his voice deep and magnetic, carrying an unhurried cadence. His words, though soft, couldn’t be ignored, each one heavy as though it could make a person’s heart beat out of their chest.

The moment his words ended, Jiang Se thought she heard the sound of fireworks.

At first, she thought it was just her imagination.

Tongcheng had banned fireworks for years, only allowing them during major holidays like New Year’s and the Spring Festival when the government arranged the displays. On nights like Christmas Eve, the most fireworks that could be seen were a few small firecrackers set off by children in secret.

She lifted her eyes, and to her surprise, it was indeed fireworks.

Against the night sky filled with snow, the dazzling light illuminated every snowflake, turning the snow that fell from the sky into fleeting stars.

The fireworks lasted for about ten minutes, and soon, the smoky snow-covered area lit up again, this time with a glowing apple. After a few breaths, the apple morphed into a rose.

Jiang Se’s thoughts drifted to the candied apple that Jiang Ye had bought for her. She couldn’t help but glance at Lu Huaiyan with a shared understanding, her lashes fluttering slightly.

He had not once looked at the fireworks.

Even as the drone light show concluded, his gaze remained focused on her, unwavering.

Amid the sudden fireworks and drone performance, the sounds of laughter and shouting rose from the banks of the Fuchun River.

Faint voices were heard shouting with exaggerated force: “Which domineering boyfriend is this cruel? Don’t you guys think about letting us single dogs live?!”

In the midst of the noise, they silently exchanged glances.

Their eyes met with the same coldness.

After a few moments, Jiang Se spoke first, “Assistant Li has worked hard.”

“…”

Lu Huaiyan chuckled softly.

For the first time in his life, he thought about doing something romantic for a girl, and yet, in front of him, she complimented another man.

There was no trace of sentiment or fluttering feelings, just a calm, almost detached air, as if he were an outsider.

He remembered Li Rui’s confident words, declaring that any girl would definitely like it. At this moment, Lu Huaiyan felt that he should be angry.

But in reality, he only lowered his gaze and smiled.

When he lifted his gaze again, all traces of amusement disappeared, replaced by a professional tone as he said, “But Assistant Li didn’t do this well. Whether it’s the fireworks or the performance, you didn’t like either. Even the candied apple he got for you doesn’t compare. I was going to deduct his overtime pay, but since you think he worked hard, fine. You’ve saved his overtime pay for him.”

Jiang Se replied, “The candied apple was something Xiao Ye bought for me; I didn’t care much for it.”

She turned and walked toward the nearest persimmon tree, standing under it and gazing at the reddest fruit. After a moment, she looked back at him, “Lu Huaiyan, I’ve accepted this hypotehtical peace apple you gave me. I’ll return a frozen persimmon to you. Will you eat it?”

She said she accepted the peace apple he gave her.

Lu Huaiyan raised his eyes to catch her gaze.

The girl, draped in his coat, stood under the tree, looking at him with a sharp, yet gentle gaze. Her features were striking, and her look toward him felt like a frame from an old film, slow and lingering.

His gaze lingered in her eyes for two seconds. Lu Huaiyan stood up and walked toward her, smiling faintly as he replied, “I’ll eat it, of course. Because of that frozen persimmon, Assistant Li’s overtime pay will be doubled tonight.”

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