Volume One, Chapter 19: I've Already Cut in Line

“Lu Jinye!” Jiang Li could no longer hold back. This man’s words were so harsh that she had once pitied him for being ill. It seemed she had been hallucinating because of her own sickness.

Lu Jinye wore an expression that seemed to say, “What can you do to me?” The curve of his lips made him look somewhat provocatively annoying.

Lin Xunan laughed magnanimously, seeming unconcerned by his nonsense. “Just now, hearing President Lu’s way of addressing her, it seems he and our Xiao Li were university classmates?”

Our Xiao Li?

A deep darkness flickered in Lu Jinye’s eyes. He took a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, lit one slowly, then inhaled deeply.

With the cigarette held between his right fingers, he tapped lightly, almost imperceptibly, against the side of his thigh. His words dripped with sarcasm.

“It seems the two of you have progressed quite rapidly. Miss Jiang may be especially attractive to men.”

Jiang Li clenched her hands tightly, her face flushed, though it was unclear whether from anger or anxiety.

“Xiao Li is indeed in high demand, so much so that I feared being beaten to the punch and came to line up immediately.”

“I wonder what President Lu, as a university classmate, thinks? Also here to queue? Then you’d have to stand behind me.”

Though his tone was sincere and his smile polite and suave, Jiang Li detected a trace of hostility beneath.

Lu Jinye, of course, noticed it too. He raised one brow mockingly. “Quite the coincidence—I may have already cut in line.”

Jiang Li’s eyes flickered with confusion. Cut in line? For what?

Lu Jinye strolled over to stand less than a meter from them. Using his right hand that held the cigarette, he pointed faintly to the spot behind her ear.

His expression was playful and provocative. “President Lin hasn’t noticed? This place here belongs to me.”

Jiang Li instantly realized he meant the mark he left on her that night—there was one just behind her ear. She instinctively raised her hand to cover it, her expression flustered yet playful.

Each harbored their own thoughts, and silence fell between the three.

Jiang Li’s mind raced—her relationship with Lu Jinye was at most accidental, and this was only the third time she’d met Lin Xunan. She wondered if he might think her careless and unprincipled.

Lu Jinye and Lin Xunan’s expressions diverged as time ticked by, Jiang Li’s face growing increasingly unpleasant.

After about ten seconds, Lin Xunan suddenly sneered.

He cast a heavy glance at Lu Jinye, sizing him up without restraint. “And then?”

Lu Jinye frowned but said nothing.

“President Lu, this is the 21st century, not some feudal superstition-ridden old society.”

“You don’t mean to say you still have that virginity obsession, using it as a measure for women?”

Lu Jinye’s brow furrowed deeper, expecting Lin Xunan to retreat after such a remark.

After all, their family enterprise, serving the country, required a suitable, supportive family match; their standards for a daughter-in-law were undoubtedly high.

But he hadn’t anticipated Lin Xunan would say something so blunt.

Jiang Li was even more shocked. Lin Xunan—he actually spoke so plainly and showed no hint of conservatism.

Men all wish for the women they court or marry to be pure.

Especially a family like his, whose demands would be stringent.

She knew Lin Xunan was pursuing her, but she had refused once before, and he knew it.

Yet he showed no sign of giving up.

Whether rescuing her from Shen Ye’s home or inviting Master Duan to guide her, he had shown nothing but sincerity.

Jiang Li was just an ordinary woman—she couldn’t deny she was touched.

Moreover, today, amidst Lu Jinye’s merciless words, Lin Xunan had continuously stood up and fought for her.

She looked at him gratefully.

Sensing her gaze, Lin Xunan turned and smiled gently at her, his right hand habitually resting atop her head, stroking it softly.

The coldness in Lu Jinye’s eyes finally melted away, transforming into a fierce blaze of anger.

“Very well, it seems President Lin is determined to have her.”

He dropped his cigarette, twisted his toes vigorously, and stepped past the two of them.

As he passed, his tone was calm, void of any emotion. “Then President Lin had better be careful. Your Chairman Jiang here is most skilled at discarding others’ true feelings.”

Jiang Li’s heart tightened abruptly, a long-withheld bitterness surging forth.

She breathed shallowly, fists clenched tightly, struggling to suppress the urge to cry.

Lin Xunan, turning around, saw this very sight.

Jiang Li’s hands trembled slightly, her eyes reddened and swollen, misty with tears that refused to fall.

“You okay?”

His voice was as gentle as ever. Jiang Li didn’t understand why someone she had been with for four years could end up seeming like an enemy.

Yet just days ago, he had heard the tenderness in Lu Jinye’s voice.

She shook her head and, when she spoke, her voice unexpectedly choked with emotion. “Thank you.”

He did not press further, nor was it necessary.

Even a blind man could see the unusual nature of Jiang Li’s relationship with Lu Jinye. His repeated mention of university classmates suggested their connection dated back to college.

But Lin Xunan did not mind; he was confident.

The Koenigsegg’s door opened, and Jiang Li felt the cold breeze brush past her, her heart gradually calming.

At the foot of the apartment building, Jiang Li glanced at Lin Xunan, who had not uttered a word, and decided it was time to speak honestly.

“Xu... President Lin, I think it’s necessary to have a proper talk.”

Lin Xunan raised an eyebrow. “So formal? You even called me President Lin. What do you want to say, Chairman Jiang?”

Jiang Li caught the dissatisfaction in his tone but could not care at the moment.

“Thank you so much for taking care of me these days. I’m also really glad you found Master Duan to guide me.”

“I understand what you want very well, but I really can’t start a new relationship right now. I’m very sorry.”

She lowered her head, avoiding his gaze.

Lin Xunan was silent for a long while. When he spoke again, his voice carried an unusual chill.

“I remember saying before, I know what your goal is. I never forced you to immediately accept my pursuit, nor have I ever asked anything unreasonable of you, right, Chairman Jiang?”

Jiang Li nodded slightly, still keeping her head down.

“So what’s the reason that makes you so anxious to reject me now? Is it Lu Jinye?”

This was the first time Jiang Li heard Lin Xunan speak with such a tone—cold and somewhat aggressive.

“Not answering? Or unable to deny it?”

Jiang Li felt her bottled-up grievances peak at this moment. She didn’t know how to explain.

Two large tears slid down, dropping onto her camel-colored coat, instantly soaking a small wet patch.

She heard a sigh above her head, then a warm hand was gently placed again atop her head.

“Xiao Li, you don’t need to carry a burden. Liking someone and striving to pursue her is a beautiful thing.”

“I know you’re not in the mood for love right now. Whether it’s Shen Ye or Lu Jinye, the hurt they caused you won’t be forgotten in a short time.”

“In fact, you don’t need to pressure yourself so much. Whether it’s Shen Ye or Duan Rui, to me they’re trivial matters, hardly worth the effort.”

“You can accept me with peace of mind, and of course, you can refuse. But I will try again.”

Jiang Li finally looked up at him, her delicate face stained with tears that hovered but did not fall, her nose and eyes flushed red like a little kitten that had been harshly treated.

Lin Xunan’s heart skipped a beat. He smiled resignedly.

“Believe me, whether you accept my pursuit in the end or not, all of this is my own will.”

Seeing Jiang Li about to speak, he cut in before she could. “Naturally, I’m telling you this now also to stir your compassion when you’re at your most vulnerable, to make you let your guard down around me.”

Jiang Li laughed out loud, amused by his honesty.

This time, she looked at Lin Xunan earnestly and nodded playfully. “I understand, Senior Brother Xunan. I’ll relax around you a little.”