Chapter 277 - 278: Unbreakable

Chapter 277: Chapter 278: Unbreakable

The next day happened to be Sunday, the day Li Jingjing had promised to visit their home.

Early in the morning, Aunt Wang went out and bought a lot of fresh vegetables and meat, seemingly preparing to entertain their guest. CHeCk for new stories on no/v/el/bin(.)c0m

Yang Chen didn't go out of his way to avoid the situation; he stayed downstairs watching TV, waiting for Li Jingjing to arrive. What surprised Yang Chen, however, was seeing Lin Ruoxi wearing an apron in the kitchen, busy with Aunt Wang. It seemed like she was trying her hand at cooking something, although Yang Chen knew Lin Ruoxi's culinary skills were nothing to boast about. He chalked it up to her enjoying herself and didn't think much of it.

Around noon, the doorbell rang.

Lin Ruoxi hurriedly stepped over in her plush slippers and opened the door. She appeared more amiable than usual, greeting Li Jingjing with a smile that conveyed genuine warmth. It was clear she held Li Jingjing in high regard.

Li Jingjing, dressed in a white down jacket, entered the house gracefully. She looked even more mature than before, her teacher-like intellect complemented by a subtle charm.

Yang Chen observed as Lin Ruoxi warmly held Li Jingjing's hand and exchanged affectionate words, a departure from her usual reserved demeanor. Yang Chen found it somewhat incredible how quickly their relationship had progressed. Little did he know, Lin Ruoxi had often secretly learned cooking skills from Li Jingjing.

"Oh, Jingjing, why did you bring things with you?" Lin Ruoxi complained lightly as she saw Li Jingjing carrying a bag of stuff. "We agreed you'd be our guest for dinner today. Why bring things?"

"It's my first time here, so I thought I should bring a little something," Li Jingjing replied with a smile. "I'm sure Sister Lin doesn't lack for anything, but these are just some homemade dry ingredients, good for stewing meat."

Lin Ruoxi smiled gently upon hearing this and took the bag from Li Jingjing, leading her to the sofa in the living room.

"Yang Chen, Jingjing is our guest. Why don't you get up and say hello?" Lin Ruoxi frowned slightly, displeased that Yang Chen had been sitting and watching the news without greeting their guest.

Yang Chen chuckled softly and greeted Li Jingjing, "Welcome, Miss Li."

Upon hearing Yang Chen address her as "Miss Li," Li Jingjing's face turned slightly pale, but she managed a strained smile and nodded.

Lin Ruoxi didn't notice anything unusual and simply thought Li Jingjing was being shy. She said to Li Jingjing, "I'm helping Aunt Wang with cooking. We'll be ready to eat soon."

Li Jingjing hesitated for a moment and then said, "Should I go help too?"

Li Jingjing was about to get up, but Lin Ruoxi pressed her back down. "No need. I promised to cook for you today."

Seeing how insistent Lin Ruoxi was, Li Jingjing smiled and stayed seated without further objection.

After Lin Ruoxi ran back to the kitchen, Li Jingjing and Yang Chen sat on the sofa. Although they were physically close, an invisible barrier seemed to separate them. Yang Chen couldn't help but reflect on how intimate they had once been, and now, he had ruthlessly drawn a line between them. It was painful, but necessary for the sake of Old Li's family; he had to steel himself.

Li Jingjing stared at the TV screen, but none of the news registered in her mind. Her thoughts were a jumbled mess, and her eyes reflected a complicated mix of emotions.

The two sat in silence for nearly half an hour until Aunt Wang and Lin Ruoxi brought the dishes out from the kitchen and called Yang Chen and Li Jingjing to come eat.

Yang Chen turned off the TV and got up to go to the dining table. Li Jingjing, after composing herself, followed and sat down.

Aunt Wang courteously said, "Miss Li, it's your first time here. Don't be shy, please eat more."

"But Brother Yang, have you ever thought that even if you completely cut ties with me and pretend not to know me, can I really live a life that satisfies my parents?" Li Jingjing said with a sorrowful smile.

Yang Chen didn't turn around. Hearing Li Jingjing's words, he fell silent, his mind swirling with memories of her past expressions and smiles.

Since returning to the country and meeting her, from the shy, timid university girl who called him "big brother" to the mature, independent teacher she had become, it had only been a year. Yet, the feelings that had taken root were like a flame in the wind, hard to extinguish.

He remembered walking her home at night, her silently watching him leave from the window.

He remembered accompanying her to a gathering, watching her smile sweetly, enchanted by his singing.

"I only want one love, only want Big Brother Yang to care for me alone, to love me alone. But the one thing I desire the most is also the one thing I can never have, isn't it?"

Yang Chen could still vividly remember that evening bathed in the warm, slanting rays of the setting sun, where the girl's soft, lingering words seemed to echo in his ears, as if they were still whispering to him now.

As Yang Chen was lost in his thoughts, overwhelmed by the memories, he felt a soft, slender body press against his back, and delicate arms wrap around his waist from behind. Li Jingjing buried her face into his back, clinging tightly to him, her voice soft and murmuring as if speaking to herself, "Big Brother Yang, I can't forget. We've been through so much together. You've done so much for me. How can I possibly forget you? How can you choose to cut off my feelings for you like this? I can't forget, even for a day, how you confronted Chen Dehai and Chen Feng for my sake, how you took me shopping and called me your princess. How you sang to me at the party."

Yang Chen wanted to pry her hands away, but he feared that such an action would completely crush her spirit and cause her unbearable pain.

"Jingjing, we need to talk seriously. This isn't about what you want or don't want," Yang Chen sighed.

Li Jingjing suddenly became agitated and shouted, "No! Big Brother Yang, how can you reject me like this?! Have you forgotten that day when you came into my house, and I was taking a bath? You barged in! How can you be so cruel to me now?!"

"Crash..."

The sound of shattering porcelain echoed from the doorway.

Yang Chen jolted back to reality, realizing he had been so lost in his chaotic thoughts that he hadn't heard anyone come up the stairs and approach the door.

Turning around in shock, Yang Chen was stunned.

There stood Lin Ruoxi, her face filled with panic, sorrow, and despair. She covered her mouth with one hand and clutched her apron tightly with the other, tears brimming in her eyes, struggling to hold back.

On the floor lay shattered pieces of a ceramic bowl and scattered fresh fruits, making a mess.

"Sister Lin," Li Jingjing released Yang Chen and, like a child caught doing something wrong, hung her head and moved to the side.

"Ruoxi, we..."

"Don't say anything! I don't want to hear it!"

Lin Ruoxi turned quickly and ran off, the sound of a door slamming shut soon following, clearly indicating she had run back to her room and closed the door behind her.

Yang Chen stood frozen in place for a long time, then turned to look at Li Jingjing, who was silent and seemed to have exhausted all her strength. With a complex expression, he said, "You did this on purpose, didn't you?"