Trending Topics

“I just saw your interview at the corner store today. I shamelessly squeezed in front of their TV and sat outside for over an hour.”
“It was freezing cold today. If I hadn’t worn my thick cotton-padded jacket, I might have turned into an icicle.”
“My face turned bright red from the cold. To thank the owner, I bought two huge bags of snacks—I can’t even finish them all.”

After each sentence, there was a brief silence on the other end of the line.

Ye Mian was feeling down, so she escaped from under the covers to breathe in some fresh air before crawling back in to continue speaking.

“So next time, you have to tell me directly, okay?”

The girl’s voice was clear and bright. Though it carried no hint of grievance, the content of her words still sounded pitiful.

A black Rolls-Royce was parked in front of the villa. The driver stepped out and opened the door, letting in a gust of cold wind that shattered the warmth inside the car.

The chill was truly bone-piercing.

Jiang Chen imagined the girl crouched in front of the television, and his gaze softened profoundly.

His tone was gentle, tinged with concern.

“Did you catch a cold?”

“No, I’m fine. I took a hot shower as soon as I got back.”

Ye Mian curled up under the quilt. Her eyes glanced sideways at something, and she suddenly smiled.

“What are you laughing at?”

Jiang Chen asked as he stepped out with a long leg, then turned and sat down in the wheelchair the driver pushed over. The entire movement was unhurried yet carried an air of casual, lazy nobility.

On such a cold day, his pale fingers pinched his phone, the bones reddened by the cold. His eyes held a kind of indulgent warmth.

Ye Mian cradled her phone, smiling. The screen glowed brightly in the dark cocoon of the quilt. “I’m looking at the trending topics—your trending topics.”

“Mine?”

“Yes, the clip of your interview went viral. Wow, it’s already number two in the heat rankings.”

Ye Mian’s voice was filled with delight. The topic was immensely popular, with almost everyone spouting cheesy love lines as if competing.

Of course, there were occasional sour comments in the live chat, mocking Jiang Chen as a privileged pretty boy who relied only on his family background.

Several times, Ye Mian wanted to retort.

But the comments rolled by so fast that before she could fully read one, it was already buried in the vast sea of posts.

Jiang Chen didn’t pay much attention to it. Since the girl was watching, he casually asked, “What are they saying?”

“Wait, I’ll read some for you!”

Ye Mian cleared her throat and selected a few amusing comments to share.

“How does this finance tycoon not go bald? Am I just narrow-minded?”
“The handsome guy is freezing at minus eight degrees, but my love for you remains steadfast.”
“Boss, I had an exam today, but couldn’t answer a single question. So I filled the paper with your name, and I got a perfect score because the teacher said loving someone is never wrong.”
“...”

The night wind howled wildly across the villa’s front yard.

Jiang Chen entered the living room, took off his coat, slowly poured himself a cup of tea, and sat on the sofa, holding his phone to listen to the girl’s rambling.

The chill in his aura gradually softened.

No matter how low the temperature outside, the girl’s voice was like dry firewood igniting into a dazzling, warm blaze.

“I’ve thought long and hard about how to express my feelings for you clearly within a limited word count. If I’m too verbose, readers might miss the point. If I’m too concise, they might misunderstand. So I have to choose my words carefully to explain my experience clearly: You are truly beautiful.”

Ye Mian laughed at her own words while reading, then took a sip of water to soothe her dry throat. She suddenly realized Jiang Chen had been silent all along.

She wondered if her sense of humor was too low or if Jiang Chen was busy, so she hesitantly asked, “Jiang Chen, are you listening?”

The room was silent. The faint voices of elders chatting outside drifted in. Then Jiang Chen’s voice came.

“Mm, I’m listening.”

His voice carried a subtle chuckle, as if to prove it, and he pronounced every word deliberately: “I must choose my words carefully to express my feelings for you. You—are—truly—beautiful.”

He enunciated the last four words of the cheesy line with charm, his naturally seductive tone clear and precise.

The soft, tender girl’s love confession sounded even more sincere coming from his lips.

Ye Mian’s heart skipped a beat.

Wrapped in darkness, she kicked her legs joyfully, waving her hands happily before turning over to lie on her pillow and slowly said, “You’re really beautiful too!”

But honestly, looking at Jiang Chen in the video, Ye Mian felt a strange sensation.

On one hand, she thought Jiang Chen hadn’t changed—he had always been exceptionally gentle with her, the kindest person she had ever met.

Yet on the other hand, he had changed—becoming capable and reserved… finally earning the respect of many, but seeming even more exhausted.

How could anyone work nonstop without getting tired?

Ye Mian felt a pang of tenderness. No longer as joyful as before, she smiled softly and asked, “Jiang Chen, the New Year is coming. Can you take a few days off?”

“Hm?” Jiang Chen chuckled quietly. “You miss me?”

Ye Mian was momentarily stunned but answered honestly, “I do, but don’t come.”

“Why not?”

Ye Mian frowned, incredulous that he would ask such a thing.

“Your foot injury hasn’t healed yet. You need plenty of rest and shouldn’t be wandering around.”

Jiang Chen took off his glasses again, rubbed his aching brow, and replied in his usual clear, calm voice, “Alright, I’ll rest. Thanks for caring, little Ye Mian.”

Though he said that, a meeting memo still lay beside him, waiting to be dealt with after the call.

The girl’s concern came with action. Knowing Jiang Chen had been busy all day and probably hadn’t eaten properly,

Ye Mian asked for his address.

She ordered a bowl of pork bone porridge from a private restaurant nearby through a food delivery app. It was pricier but guaranteed clean and hygienic.

When the porridge arrived, Jiang Chen was urged by her to drink half a bowl.

Seizing the moment,

Ye Mian sent Jiang Chen the photos she had taken of the small bridge and river scenery.

The warm porridge radiated comfort as Jiang Chen opened the chat. He glanced at the photos.

It was as if a distant evening breeze swept around, carrying the gentle sound of flowing water by the river and the rustic charm of the countryside, spreading softly through the enclosed space.

He paused, looking out the floor-to-ceiling window at the bare tree trunks and the exorbitantly expensive artificial rockery fountain—clashing starkly with the stunning town view, and somehow displeasing to the eye.

He blamed it all on the girl.

It seemed only where she was could there be such a radiant and warm atmosphere.

A magnetic charm that no amount of money could buy.

It was especially enchanting.

But he couldn’t abandon everything and run away.

He had known since childhood—

A worthless person had no right to protect anyone.

(End of chapter)