Chapter 276 She is not a person who is passionate about relationships.

Chapter 276 She is not a person who is passionate about relationships.

Buzzing—

The phone rang.

When she saw that it was Su Zhu calling, Jiang Ruan suppressed her many questions and made an excuse: "Su Zhu is calling me, I'll go answer the phone."

"Okay." Ye Yanzhi replied in his usual relaxed tone.

Jiang Ruan grabbed her phone and ran away.

The instant the door closed.

Ye Yanzhi gritted his teeth and took out his phone to send a long message to Su Zhu.

Are you out of your mind?!

Why did you have to ruin my plans at this time?

[I just didn't tell you beforehand once, and you treat me like this?!]

Because he was extremely angry, Ye Yanzhi typed with great force, as if he wanted to punch through the screen and run over to beat her up.

Su Zhu didn't pay any attention to his messages. At the moment, she was watching a movie and chatting with Jiang Ruan with her phone aside: "How have you been lately?"

Jiang Ruan replied, "It was quite fulfilling."

"Are you not available to answer the phone right now?" Su Zhu noticed that her voice was a little soft.

Jiang Ruan was in her master bedroom at the moment: "It's convenient."

Su Zhu spoke like that: "Then why do you sound like you're having an affair?"

Jiang Ruan asked seriously, "Have you ever had an affair?"

"Ms. Jiang Ruan, do I need to remind you? Normally, you would only respond to my question with silence." Su Zhu knew her daughter quite well. "Are you asking me something because you feel guilty and want to hide it from me?"

Jiang Ruan: "..."

Jiang Ruan coughed lightly: "Is it that obvious?"

Su Zhu popped a piece of fruit into her mouth: "Very obvious."

Jiang Ruan fell silent.

Before today, she always thought Ye Yanzhi liked Su Zhu, after all, the two often bickered like a pair of bickering lovers.

Although Ye Yanzhi had said he was gay a long, long time ago, she just thought it was a lame excuse he made up so Su Zhu wouldn't realize his feelings for her. After all, she had never seen him get close to any other man in all these years.

Aside from his "rumored boyfriend" in high school.

"What could possibly require so much thought?" Su Zhu hadn't even watched the movie; her gossip-loving heart was burning brightly.

Jiang Ruan: "Ye Yanzhi confessed to me."

Su Zhu: "And then?"

Jiang Ruan frowned slightly: "Aren't you surprised?"

Su Zhu remained calm: "What's so surprising about that?"

“He…” Jiang Ruan paused, then realized something and a guess formed in her mind, “You know?”

Su Zhu was quite frank: "I know."

Jiang Ruan: "When did this happen?"

Su Zhu: "It wasn't long, I only found out after you got married. That guy hid it very well!"

Before that, she had unwavering faith in him.

And then what happened?

This kid is really putting on a good show.

Jiang Ruan felt a mix of emotions. She had considered a million possibilities, but she never imagined that he liked her, since he and Su Zhu had a better chemistry.

"Don't feel guilty," Su Zhu said. "He's always been carefree, so even if he's rejected, it won't affect him much. You just need to follow your heart."

...

At lunchtime.

The atmosphere at the dinner table was strange.

Jiang Ruan sat with Sui Sui, and Ye Yanzhi was sitting directly opposite her.

Jiang An noticed the strange atmosphere between the two groups, but didn't think much of it, assuming it was just something between the two children.

After lunch, Jiang Ruan had thought things through. She went to the study with Ye Yanzhi, pursed her lips, and then spoke: "Yanzhi..."

"Don't say anything yet!" Ye Yanzhi quickly said.

Jiang Ruan: "?"

"Let me guess what you're going to say." Ye Yanzhi's expression was no different from usual. "Are you planning to reject me?"

"Mm." Jiang Ruan nodded.

"I'm so handsome, don't you feel even a little bit tempted?" Ye Yanzhi leaned closer.

Jiang Ruan truthfully replied, "I've always considered you a friend."

Ye Yanzhi said nonchalantly, "Well, it seems I'm still not charming enough."

“It’s not that you’re not charming enough.” Jiang Ruan tried her best to minimize the hurt. “It’s my own problem. Once I categorize someone in my heart as having a certain relationship, my life is basically set.”

She is not a person who is passionate about relationships.

The only one, Huo Zhizhou, was the one who passionately entered her world, frankly saying that he admired her, liked her, and loved her.

It gradually warmed her heart, which had never been emotionally volatile, until she accepted him, liked him, loved him, and finally agreed to let him into her world.

But such a thing will only happen once in a lifetime.

Even after she divorced Huo Zhizhou, there was no room for anyone else in her world.

"What if we had played house since we were little?" Ye Yanzhi asked again, "and every time I saw you I would say that I would marry you when I grew up, would our ending have been different?"

"Don't romanticize the path we haven't taken." Jiang Ruan didn't dwell on those hypotheticals. "It's also possible that we'd argue every day and wouldn't even be friends anymore."

Ye Yan paused.

After thinking about it carefully, he nodded: "That's true."

Xiao Jiang has always been a bit more mature than them. If he really did that, he might think he was just a little kid and then look down on them.

"Yan Zhi." Jiang Ruan takes these kinds of things very seriously. "Thank you for your kind words, but I'm sorry."

"Don't be so serious!" Ye Yanzhi tried to ease the atmosphere, still wearing that cheeky expression. "I should thank you for your refusal."

"Hmm?" Jiang Ruan asked, puzzled.

"If you hadn't refused, I probably wouldn't have been able to end this unrequited love that has lasted for more than ten years." Ye Yanzhi didn't want to make things difficult for her, and he didn't want her to have any burdens in her heart. "To be honest, sometimes I can't even tell if it's love or just a long-standing obsession."

Jiang Ruan: "?"

Jiang Ruan asked, "Why?"

"I can't quite put my finger on it, it's just a feeling." Ye Yanzhi looked like he was thinking seriously, then asked her, "Can we still be friends? You wouldn't be so heartless as to reject me and then stab me in the back, would you?"

Jiang Ruan pursed her lips: "No."

"That's good then." Ye Yanzhi nodded. "At least you have some conscience."

The matter passed easily with Ye Yanzhi's relaxed conversation, and the two seemed to have returned to their previous state.

Ye Yanzhi knew he really had no chance. Other girls might be rejected once, twice, or three times, but by the fourth time they would be moved by his sincerity, persistence, and dedication. But Xiao Jiangjiang wouldn't be like that.

From the very first rejection, she had already sentenced this person to death in her heart.

Her actions were ruthless but decisive.

That evening.

He invited Su Zhu out.

After learning that he had confessed to Jiang Ruan, Su Zhu flew to Haicheng, not for any other reason than to watch the drama unfold.

Jiang Ruan was unaware that Su Zhu had also come. After seeing Ye Yan off, she continued to immerse herself in her work. During this time, Sui Sui came to see her, saying, "Mommy."

"Hmm?" Jiang Ruan asked.

"Did Uncle Ye confess his feelings to you?" Sui Sui overheard later.

He knew it was wrong to eavesdrop on adults' conversations.

But... I just want to know what Uncle Ye and Mommy talked about.

Jiang Ruan gently patted his head, her words as tender as ever: "Yes, but Mommy refused. It's fine if you're just friends with him."

Sui Sui pursed her lips.

From one perspective, he wants his mother to be happy and hopes she can find someone she loves and who loves her in return.

But I can't help but wonder, if Mommy is going to be with someone else, will she have a younger brother or sister? And if she has a younger brother or sister, will Mommy love him less?