Chapter 13

Although Lu An was sloppy, he always knew how to please his elders. His lips curled into a smile. The words he said were not proper, but they were also flawless. At the same time, Jin Nian heaved a sigh of relief. The second their eyes met, Jin Nian felt as if she had returned to the summer after the college entrance examination. Lu An wanted the two of them to go to the north together, but she secretly changed her choice without Lu An’s knowledge, so the two of them went their separate ways. After the acceptance letter was sent, Lu An came to Jin Nian’s house in the middle of the night. He also had the same cold gaze and deep eyes, which made her hair stand on end. Jin Nian wanted to explain, but a powerful figure flashed across her mind. She could only grit her teeth and remain silent. Jin Nian had never seen Lu An so angry before. Lu An pursed his lips and took a few deep breaths. In the end, he pointed at her nose and said, “Jin Nian, you’re really something.” That night was the first time Lu An had gotten angry at her. She still felt uneasy when she thought about that and could not forget about it. It was also from then on that their relationship gradually faded.

Today was Jin Nian’s engagement day, but she did not mention anything to her best friend. She had handled this matter poorly. Even though they had not been in touch for years, they could not lose their friendship. The relatives of her maiden family squeezed into the elevator. Tan Siyun was holding Lu An’s hand and chatting happily. Even Jin Chengwen occasionally chimed in from the side, looking very surprised. Jin Nian heard Lu An sigh and his trademark low and hoarse voice: “Aunt Yun, I’m really a little sad. You did not even tell me about the engagement party?”

“Aren’t you always in Toronto?” Tan Siyun smiled dryly.

“I’m back now,” he laughed.

“Your relative?” Qiao Ranran whispered into Jin Nian’s ear. “Your parents’ eyes lit up when they saw him.”

“No.” Jin Nian shook her head. “My childhood friend, Lu An. ”

Qiao Ranran excitedly grabbed Jin Nian’s hand and shook it a few times, “F**k! This is the childhood friend you were talking about. You never said he was so handsome!”

“You’re exaggerating.”

“I’m exaggerating? You should really go to the optometrist department. What kind of aesthetic do you have!”

Jin Nian and Lu An had been playing together since they were very young. Jin Nian’s grandmother and Lu An’s grandmother were mahjong friends. Every time they met to play mahjong, they would let the children play together. That was how the two of them met. Jin Nian was not as thoughtful as she was now when she was young, and Lu An had a bad temper since he was young. However, the two of them rarely quarreled, let alone bicker. The two of them were born in the same year, and Lu An was a few months older than Jin Nian. From elementary school to high school, the two of them had been in the same school. They were classmates, good friends, and also like siblings. However, Jin Nian had never called him brother, and Lu An would never admit that he had such a stupid sister. After reaching puberty, the two of them were not as intimate as they were when they were young. There was even a long period of time when the two of them only greeted each other indifferently.

Strictly speaking, Lu An should be of mixed heritage. He was a quarter German, so his facial features were exquisite. He was born in Hong Kong and lived there until he was four years old. Later, his parents divorced and he returned to Binhai City with his mother. He only returned to Hong Kong to visit his grandparents during winter and summer vacations. Jin Nian had watched Lu An’s face grow up and was used to it. She had never thought of measuring Lu An’s handsomeness, so she naturally would not be impulsive. It was just that it was rare to see someone as arrogant as Qiao Ranran so agitated. “I’ll help you ask him if he’s single.” Jin Nian found it funny.

Qiao Ranran shook her head.

“What’s wrong?”

“He’s not someone I can handle. I don’t like to be led by the nose by others. I prefer younger men,” Qiao Ranran said. “They’re easier to handle.”

As they spoke, the elevator door beside them slowly opened, and Jiang Qingchi walked out. Jiang Qingchi was planning to go downstairs to pick up Jin Nian. He wanted to greet his future mother-in-law, Tan Siyun, but he saw her talking to a young man in high spirits. The man’s back was facing Jiang Qingchi. He was tall, and he did not see what he looked like. Jiang Qingchi walked up to Jin Nian and held her hand. “You arrived just now?” Jin Nian felt a little embarrassed. Although they had just met this morning, her identity seemed to change after today. She felt a little embarrassed with so many relatives around her.

Jiang Qingchi was no longer as dispirited as he had been in the morning. He was dressed in a well-tailored suit and looked calm and imposing. “You look very beautiful today.” Jiang Qingchi reached out and tucked the stray hair on Jin Nian’s shoulder behind her ear. Jiang Qingchi was a reserved person and rarely said anything nice. Today was a surprise.