My Angel, My Guardian (GL) - Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Setting down another generous portion of Jingchun’s favorite dishes into her bowl, Mingxi didn’t stop until the bowl was overflowing. Jingchun didn’t protest at first, but finally put her bowl down and shook Mingxi’s hand gently, signaling she had had enough.

After dinner, Jingchun took charge of the cleaning and dishes while Li Mingxi headed to the study to continue working on a business proposal. Once finished in the kitchen, Jingchun returned to her room. After a moment of hesitation, she steeled her heart and locked the door from the inside. From this day forward, she told herself, Mingxi must not enter her bedroom again; she had to maintain a distance.

In the study, Mingxi worked until her eyes grew heavy with exhaustion. She stood up, intending to shower and then hold Jingchun close for a good night’s sleep. However, when she found the bedroom door locked, a chill ran through her heart. The coldness of the handle chased away both her sleepiness and the warmth in her chest. Inside the room, hearing the faint sound of the handle turning followed by a soft, resigned sigh, Jingchun shook her head helplessly. She was the Li family’s adopted daughter, Mingxi’s sister in name, and she was disabled. How could she be with Mingxi? How could she become a burden to her?

Mingxi raised her hand to knock, but her strength failed her, and her hand dropped uselessly. Let her rest, she thought, the long flight must have exhausted her. With that, Mingxi turned back to her own old bedroom—a room she hadn’t slept in for fourteen years. She never expected to return here, let alone realize that this might be her permanent sleeping arrangement from now on. Jingchun’s actions tonight were a clear signal: it was time for Mingxi to return to her own space.

Mingxi tossed and turned, unable to sleep, while on the other side of the wall, Jingchun remained awake the entire night.

“Sis, time for breakfast.”

Mingxi stood outside the door of their formerly shared bedroom and knocked gently. Before long, Jingchun emerged, already fully dressed.

“Sis, breakfast is ready. Go ahead and eat; I’m going in to pack some clothes.”

Masking her emotions, Mingxi walked into the room and opened the wardrobe. Though she hated leaving this room, she understood there were things beyond her control. She could save a company from the brink of bankruptcy, but she couldn’t force Jingchun to accept her feelings. Now, she could only do two things: first, wait for Jingchun to open her heart; and second, give her the time and space to see her own feelings clearly.

“Sis, Mommy and Mama are traveling the world. I don’t know when they’ll be back, but they sounded very happy when we last spoke,” Mingxi said while packing her suitcase. Jingchun didn’t respond; she knew Mingxi wasn’t looking at her, so whether she nodded or gestured, it wouldn’t be seen. She chose silence.

“Go eat, Sis. I’ll leave once I’m packed. Or are you worried I’ll steal some valuables?” Mingxi joked.

Jingchun frowned. Even though she knew it was a joke, she hated hearing it. What “valuables” did she have? Everything she owned was given to her by Mingxi. Without Mingxi’s insistence, the Li family would never have adopted her. Everything she was, she owed to Mingxi.

“Sis, I’m just kidding!” Mingxi saw the frown and immediately realized she had overstepped. Clutching her clothes, she explained herself.

“Don’t make jokes like that again,” Jingchun signaled sharply.

Mingxi nodded in apology, cursing her own loose tongue. She knew Jingchun’s deep-seated insecurities and self-depreciation, yet she had still been careless. For years, she had tried to change Jingchun’s mindset—to make her see that she didn’t “owe” the Li family anything—but she had never succeeded. Jingchun viewed their upbringing as a debt of gratitude.

Mingxi walked up to her, her expression serious. “Sis, please stop thinking that way. You are a part of this family. No one here needs your ‘gratitude.’ Mommy once told me she was so proud of you. She used to watch your performances and tell everyone with pride, ‘That’s my daughter.’ So, regardless of how I feel about you, this home is yours. Whether as the eldest daughter of the Li family, my future girlfriend, or the Li family’s daughter-in-law, this home is always yours. Please, I beg you, stop feeling like you owe us.”

Mingxi had said these words countless times, but Jingchun never truly took them to heart. This time was no different. Jingchun gave a faint nod and turned toward the dining room. Mingxi sighed and carried her clothes back to her own room.

Just then, her phone rang. It was Ying Jia’en.

“Aiai-jie, what’s up?” It was rare for Jia’en to call about business on a weekend.

“Any plans today? If not, how about a BBQ in the suburbs?” Jia’en suggested.

Mingxi thought for a moment. A BBQ sounded good; it would get Jingchun some fresh air, and it had been a while since they had hung out as friends. “Sure. Time and place?”

“Lele and I are downstairs at your place. We’ve got the gear and the food. Just bring yourselves.”

An hour later, two cars pulled up by the roadside. Jia’en and Xiao Zetong unloaded the grill and marinated meats while Mingxi helped. Soon, smoke drifted into the air. While Jia’en and Mingxi manned the grill, Xiao Zetong sat with Jingchun to chat and enjoy the scenery.

“Jingchun, how long are you planning to rest this time?” Zetong asked while eating a sausage.

“I don’t want to go back out for a while,” Jingchun signaled.

“Jingchun, you know how Mingxi feels about you. And I can tell you don’t really see her as just a sister. Why keep pushing her away?”

Jingchun’s eyes drifted toward Mingxi, who was busy grilling fish balls for her. “I’m not good enough for her,” she signaled, looking down.

“Not good enough? You’re a world-renowned pianist, a graduate of a top conservatory, a straight-A scholar. In what world are you not good enough?”

Jingchun offered a helpless, bitter smile. “I’m not ‘whole.’ Being with her would only cause her trouble. Besides, I’m the adopted daughter. If we were together, people would gossip.”

Before Zetong could argue, Mingxi walked over with a smile. “Sis, here you go.”

Jingchun took the fish balls and ate quietly. Zetong sighed inwardly. When will she ever let go of this knot in her heart?

“Mingxi,” Jia’en said while flipping meat, “Don’t blame me for moving you to Guangqiang. No one else could revive that company. I’ve called Shen Jingwen back from the overseas branch to assist you. She’s on a plane now and should report to the CEO’s office on Monday.”

Mingxi nodded. “Aiai-jie, even though Guangqiang is a subsidiary of Nitian, I want 100% authority. I don’t like reporting every decision to HQ. If you trust me, give me full autonomy.”

“No problem. You can sell the place for all I care!” Jia’en laughed.

Having grown up together, their trust was absolute. Besides, the Li family held a 10% stake in Nitian; Mingxi would never do anything to harm the company. The two shared a smile, a silent understanding passing between them.