Chapter 58
‘Teach Shu Xiao how to pursue me’.
Ji Ting was stunned. At first, she wanted to refute, she hadn’t done that, how could she? But the next moment, looking at his handsome brows and eyes, she pressed her lips together and followed up on his question, “Meng Jia asked you if you’ve ever had someone you couldn’t forget. Was that person not Shu Xiao?”
Finally, the question was asked, and her heart tightened slightly.
All the doubts, guesses, and unease hidden in her heart now focused on the man in front of her. Tan Yucheng had his hand resting on his thigh, and when he suddenly heard the question, he was momentarily stunned.
He looked at Ji Ting and was silent for a few seconds, then said, “Is this why you taught Shu Xiao to pursue me?”
Ji Ting looked at him quietly.
She did not answer immediately. She wanted to know more than just this. She asked, “So, is it her?”
Tan Yucheng looked into her eyes. Some of the inner feelings he had never exposed began to show. He did not want to lie to her.
In a low voice, he said, “It used to be.”
It used to be.
Ji Ting’s heart tightened, but her expression did not change. She pressed her lips together and said, “So, I asked you if you’ve ever had any regrets or unfulfilled matters. You said you had. Then the person who causes you regret should also be Shu Xiao, right?”
Tan Yucheng lowered his gaze and met her eyes in silence.
Not denying meant admitting.
Ji Ting placed her hand on her crossed legs and looked up at him, “So, this is why I’ve been doing these things.”
“We all think that you and Shu Xiao will definitely get back together.”
Tan Yucheng raised his eyebrows upon hearing this, and the next moment, a smirk appeared on his lips as he pinched her chin. “You? You really have quite the imagination.”
Ji Ting was caught off guard by his grip on her chin. Tan Yucheng leaned in slightly, bringing their faces closer together, their breaths mingling. His dark eyes intensely locked onto hers as he said, “The past is just that—past. I don’t deny it, but that lingering sense of regret and the shadow that once crossed my mind but has gradually become unfamiliar.”
“Is she really significant?”
Ji Ting was stunned.
This man was more aware of his own heart than anyone else. It was as if the black umbrella, now tilted, was something he carried with him to the end. He did not leave it behind or discard it; he faced directly the fact that Shu Xiao had deceived him and betrayed her promises. Unlike Fu Yan, who in his anger and pain threw things into the trash can only to retrieve them later, Tan Yucheng faced it head-on.
He allowed Shu Xiao to disturb his mind for a period of time and to make him feel regret.
His life had been smooth and successful. Everything he desired seemed to come effortlessly. Despite having his own company to take over, he chose to dive into the computing industry he loved without hesitation. He helped Fu Yan establish a company and invested in its continuation. He opened restaurants and camps he enjoyed, and many girls pursued him throughout high school and university.
His life was a smooth sail, and everything he wanted came easily.
Only Shu Xiao was an exception, a presence that stirred some emotions in him, and that was only natural.
For him, Shu Xiao was part of the past.
Seeing her stunned expression, Tan Yucheng pressed his fingers against her chin and said, “Aren’t you the same?”
“What?” Ji Ting came back to her senses and looked into his eyes.
Tan Yucheng gazed at her beautiful eyes, a hint of reluctance in his own. “You’ve had someone you liked too.”
Ji Ting was taken aback.
What was he talking about?
A few seconds later, she realized what he meant. She looked at his sharp features and finally nodded, “Yes.”
At that moment, she almost said it out loud.
But Ji Ting held back, both out of hesitation and self-protection.
Tan Yucheng clenched his teeth and sighed lightly.
The room fell silent.
They maintained their close posture, his tie hanging loosely, the collar slightly open and their faces very close. Tan Yucheng lowered his gaze slightly, then said, “So now it’s my turn.”
Ji Ting lifted her eyes. “Hmm?” she responded.
Tan Yucheng raised his eyes again and locked his gaze with hers. “Have you considered me?”
Ji Ting’s heart skipped a beat.
She opened her mouth. “Consider you for what?”
“To start a new relationship.”
Ji Ting’s heart raced wildly in her chest. She and he were in close proximity, unable to hide anything. She feared that he might notice her quickened heartbeat. Since last night, everything felt unreal. She wondered if she could continue to move forward with him. The path ahead was not just a simple friendship; they would face many challenges together.
Whether or not to take this path is not just a simple matter between the two of them; these thoughts kept swirling in her mind.
Tan Yucheng noticed her silence and his expression grew colder.
Just like the time he made her choose between him and Lu Hai, her hesitation had frustrated him then. Now, she is still the same.
He decided to be patient.
His voice was cold and low: “What’s the matter? Is it hard to choose between me and Lu Hai, and between me and Long Kong?”
“Or should we just put everyone in, and I’ll line them up?”
His sarcastic tone broke all of Ji Ting’s thoughts. She looked up and met his eyes. Tan Yucheng’s lips curved slightly, “He gets Monday, Wednesday, and Friday; I get Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. And I’ll give you a day off.”
Ji Ting could hardly believe it and snapped, “What are you talking about?”
Tan Yucheng didn’t respond.
Ji Ting glared at him, her thoughts confused. She pushed his hand away and stood up, but Tan Yucheng’s arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her back down onto his lap. Ji Ting tried to move, turning to glare at him. Tan Yucheng held her waist tightly with one arm and prevented her from leaving with his other hand.
His voice was hoarse: “Give me an answer, and I’ll apologize.”
Ji Ting really wanted to kick him, yank his tie, and yell at him. In the end, she didn’t. They were stuck in a standoff for a long time.
Finally, Ji Ting said, “I really need more time.”
Tan Yucheng looked at her for a few seconds.
His voice was lazily low, “Fine.”
“Reject him first, and I’ll give you time.”
Ji Ting realized he was talking about Long Kong. She met his gaze and said, “Turning from friends to lovers is never within my scope. I don’t intend to agree with him. But rejecting a friend also requires skill.”
Upon hearing this, Tan Yucheng raised an eyebrow and watched her in silence for a long time.
Ji Ting looked at his expression, still wanting to say something. She knew in her heart that she and Long Kong were unlikely to have any new developments. She looked quite serious. After observing her for a while, Tan Yucheng leaned back slightly and said, “Come over here.”
Ji Ting was startled. Since she was already forced to sit on his lap, where could she move? Hesitating, he raised his eyes to signal her. Ji Ting’s face turned red, and instead of following his cue, she turned her body around. Tan Yucheng’s eyebrows lifted slightly, and then he directly embraced her waist from behind, burying his face in her neck.
His voice was very low: “This works too.”
He wanted her to sit facing him.
But she ended up with her back to him.
“Can I kiss you?” Tan Yucheng asked in a low, husky voice, inhaling the scent from her collar.
Ji Ting’s ears flushed slightly as she turned her head to look at him, saying, “Don’t push your luck.”
Tan Yucheng met her gaze.
He chuckled softly.
“That’s precisely pushing your luck.”
“How about we go back to a stage where we’re more than friends but not quite lovers, and then smoothly transition into a new status? This time, no one can call a stop.”
Ji Ting was stunned.
She opened her mouth to speak, but Tan Yucheng pressed his hand against the back of her head and, maintaining the position, sealed her lips with his.