Since Yang Chen had promised to visit Mr. Li, he naturally wouldn't forget it. Keeping one's word was a quality expected of a man – okay, Yang Chen was once again elevating a small matter to the level of human glory.
As he had no money and didn't want to spend more time with Lin Ruoxi, the cold and crazy beautiful girl, Yang Chen chose to walk home. Luckily, the journey wasn't far, and Yang Chen had an unimaginable amount of stamina. Thus, he arrived home without breaking a sweat.
It was already evening when he got back. Yang Chen took a shower and then opened his wooden chest. He rummaged through it and picked out a light blue shirt with white stripes. He paired it with a classical white short, and after fastening a small button that was slightly askew, Yang Chen checked himself in the mirror, which had a crack on it. Finally, he looked quite handsome.
The room was still permeated with a faint jasmine fragrance, which Lin Ruoxi had left behind. Yang Chen took a deep breath and felt somewhat ridiculous, knowing that tomorrow he would marry a woman he had known for less than a day. However, whenever he thought of Lin Ruoxi's cold, resolute gaze that made his heart freeze and burn at the same time, Yang Chen would develop a strange sense of intimacy towards this incredibly beautiful and somewhat abnormal woman.
Was it to compensate or was it because she was truly so different? Yang Chen didn't know, so he decided to marry her and let time reveal his true feelings towards her.
Mr. Li's home was not far, but since there was no transportation available, Yang Chen had to walk. It took him half an hour to arrive at a traditional residential area in the western part of the city. The surrounding residents were unable to afford new houses, and for generations, they had lived in this preserved ancient southern-style community.
After bypassing a few houses that had already started cooking dinner, Yang Chen knocked on a dark red wooden door.
As soon as he knocked a few times, the door was swiftly pulled open, revealing a pure and vibrant pretty face. "Big Brother Yang, you're here!" she exclaimed.
"Jingjing, it's been a long time," Yang Chen smiled knowingly. He was surprised at how much the girl had changed in the past six months.
Li Jingjing's face was still as delicate and ethereal as ever, with her curved eyelashes, delicate little nose, and lovely little mouth, exuding a typical Jiangnan woman's charm. She was wearing a white short-sleeved T-shirt, and a pair of light blue jeans tightly hugged her shapely buttocks, revealing a pair of slender and beautiful legs.
When Yang Chen's eyes swept back and forth on her body with a mischievous smile, Li Jingjing felt both shy and secretly pleased. She coquettishly said, "Big Brother Yang, come on in, don't just stare."
Yang Chen laughed heartily and said, "Jingjing, you're shy now? Don't worry, your brother won't lose a piece of meat by looking. Are you afraid your boyfriend will get jealous?"
"What? I don't have a boyfriend!" Li Jingjing immediately denied it, her eyebrows slightly furrowed with annoyance.
"Okay, okay...I was just kidding with you." Yang Chen felt helpless. He knew the girl's thoughts very well, but with his dark and tainted soul, how could he corrupt such a pure and innocent soul? So he had always made it clear to Li Jingjing that he was her big brother, and nothing more.
When they entered the Li family's living room, Old Li greeted them with a smile, "Young Yang, they say girls are outgoing, but this child Jingjing just helped her mother cook and ran out like a rabbit when she heard your knock!"
"Dad! Don't talk nonsense!" Li Jingjing blushed again and pulled Old Li to sit down.
Yang Chen smiled and sat down with Old Li. The furniture in the room had been used for decades in the old house, and the red wood paint had faded a bit, but it exuded a simple and ancient aroma.
Under the dim light, summer flies flew back and forth in the room, and the gentle breeze blowing in the hallway made the atmosphere calm and peaceful.
Drinking the clear tea that Li Jingjing had brewed, Yang Chen suddenly felt an unprecedented sense of satisfaction. He gazed at the night sky outside the door, which was gradually filling with stars, and couldn't help but become infatuated.
"Young man, don't show such a disillusioned expression. A bright future awaits you." Old Li sipped his green tea and teased.
Yang Chen snapped out of his trance and smirked, "These days, women like men who are deep and mysterious. I'm just practicing how to be like that."
"Hehe~" Old Li laughed, "Young Yang, others may not know, but I've been with you for over half a year now, and I know the kind of person you are. You're not pretending. If it weren't for something you went through before, how could you like eating lamb skewers on the street for no reason?"
Yang Chen didn't want to say much. Old Li, a person who had experienced the ups and downs of life, naturally could see some things in his heart. But what did it matter? What they thought and who they really were had a huge gap. Some people are destined to be alone because no one can keep them company.
Dinner was sumptuous. Old Li's family specially killed a chicken they raised themselves and made a delicious soup. Fish and crabs were also brought out. For Old Li's economic situation, this was even more extravagant than a New Year's Eve dinner.
"Xiao Yang, eat more. Although it's simple, it's our heart," Li Auntie's face was full of wrinkles, and she was very friendly, as if she was treating her own son.
Yang Chen didn't say much and didn't act pretentious. He ate meat with big mouthfuls because he knew that this was the only way to make the couple truly happy.
Li Jingjing also occasionally picked vegetables for Yang Chen and secretly watched him eat when her parents were not paying attention. When she heard Yang Chen say the food was delicious, her heart was as sweet as honey because she had cooked most of the dishes.
Originally, Yang Chen didn't plan to drink alcohol, but he had not succeeded in quitting smoking and had already drunk some alcohol. He even caused a fuss about getting married. Yang Chen didn't bother to be more particular and drank a few glasses of homemade liquor with Old Li, which made his body feel warm and comfortable.
"Xiao Yang, if you hadn't lent us money in the past six months, our family would probably not be able to get by until now. Now that Jingjing has found a job, you should come to our house often as a guest, and Auntie will cook delicious food for you!" Li Auntie said with a smile.
Yang Chen's face was already red, but his mind was still clear. He asked happily, "Oh, Jingjing has found a job? What kind of job?"
"I was admitted to Zhonghai No.1 Middle School as an English teacher. Because a class teacher gave birth, I am now acting as the class teacher," Li Jingjing smiled calmly.
"Being a teacher... and an English teacher and a class teacher, Jingjing is really not simple," Yang Chen nodded in satisfaction. "The salary must not be low either. Don't forget about your big brother Yang when you become successful!"
Old Li and his wife also laughed proudly. They had a daughter later in life and now that she had a bright future, they were naturally very happy.
Li Jingjing pouted shyly, "Then big brother Yang should come to the school and visit me. Otherwise, how will I think of big brother Yang?"
"Okay, I will definitely come. Zhonghai No.1 Middle School is hard to pass into, right? I haven't been there yet..." Yang Chen smiled and promised.
After finishing their meal, Yang Chen was enthusiastically pulled down by Lao Li to drink tea and play chess. To be honest, Lao Li was not very good at chess and was just playing with Yang Chen who couldn't even play. As for Li Jingjing, she obediently accompanied her mother to clean up the dishes.
After losing a game of chess, Yang Chen felt his stomach churning with the soup, alcohol, and tea he had consumed. He asked Lao Li to wait and hurriedly went to the toilet to relieve himself.
The toilet in Lao Li's house was at the back of the building in a separate little room. After stumbling through a small corridor, the slightly dizzy Yang Chen pushed open the wooden door of the toilet...
"Ah!"
A clear and panicked voice echoed in Yang Chen's ears, causing him to freeze in place. In front of him was the freshly bathed Li Jingjing, completely naked, illuminated by a 40-watt light bulb that wasn't very bright, but was enough for Yang Chen to see her youthful and energetic, snow-white body. Her dark, shiny hair hung down to her waist, and her perky breasts were covered hastily by her hands, but still couldn't conceal their fullness, forming round shapes. Following her smooth and slim abdomen, Li Jingjing's other hand covered the dense rainforest, while her shapely thighs tightly clung to her sexy waist.
Li Jingjing didn't realize that this movement of hers only added to her alluring charm.
Yang Chen was already a bit drunk, and with his accelerated hormone secretion, he couldn't help but swallow his saliva as he gazed upon Li Jingjing's alluring and inexperienced body. A surge of violent desire to possess her suddenly rose within him.