The Woman I Was Flirting With Turned Out To Be A Chaebol Heiress - Chapter 25

“By the way, I remember my sister is coming home today. Looking at the time, it should be about time. Teacher, why don’t you stay and have a meal with us?”

“Today?”

Li Nianyi felt a bit surprised.

Dai’s eyes curved slightly at the corners, and her sweet voice explained to Li Nianyi

“This is a rule from my mother. Even if my sister is rarely home, she must come back at least once a month to have a meal with the family.”

Li Nianyi quickly waved her hand. She was a person who knew her limits but couldn’t help secretly grumbling about the many rules of wealthy families.

“This is your family’s gathering; it wouldn’t be appropriate for me to join.”

But Dai affectionately hooked her arm around Li Nianyi’s, half pouting as she said, “It’s not that exaggerated. Besides, I’ve always hoped that you and my sister would end up together. If you two are together, wouldn’t that mean we’re family?”

Li Nianyi didn’t respond. She always felt that Dai was overly enthusiastic about her.

“All this talk is too early. The future is uncertain,” she said, subtly pulling her arm away.

Faced with Li Nianyi’s rejection, Dai could only regretfully see her out. But just before leaving, they heard the voice of the butler, Xiao Ze.

“Madam has returned.”

Immediately after, the dull sound of low heeled leather shoes striking the smooth white marble floor echoed, filling the space with an inexplicable sense of oppression.

For the first time, Li Nianyi saw this Mrs. Wu in reality.

Her hairstyle seemed a bit old-fashioned; she wore a black striped suit dress, silver-rimmed narrow glasses, and around her neck hung a simple yet dazzling diamond necklace.

Despite her gentle appearance, Li Nianyi didn’t dare to look too long at her face.

“Mother, you’re home early today.”

Dai’s voice was full of surprise. Perhaps she wanted to grasp Mrs. Wu’s hand as she did with Li Nianyi earlier, but in the end, she only took one or two steps closer, restraining herself.

Li Nianyi had never seen Dai like this before completely losing her usual poised composure, like a gentle and beautiful black cat waiting for her owner’s affection.

Mrs. Wu said nothing but gave a shallow “hmm” and then shifted her gaze to Li Nianyi beside Dai. At that moment, Li Nianyi felt a prickling sensation on her back.

“Dai, is this your guest?”

The woman’s voice was low and deep, like polished black pearls slowly brushing over skin, giving Li Nianyi goosebumps.

“This is the Chinese tutor I mentioned to you earlier, Li Nianyi.”

Dai pulled Li Nianyi in front of her and introduced her to Mrs. Wu.

“Auntie, hello.”

Li Nianyi greeted politely but distantly. Honestly, the strange oppressive atmosphere made her want to escape immediately.

“But your sister has been spending a lot of time with the teacher recently.”

Upon hearing this, Li Nianyi immediately tensed up. Were these things really so casually disclosed in front of elders? She tugged at Dai’s sleeve slightly.

Such a small movement didn’t escape Mrs. Wu’s eyes, and she smiled faintly.

“Since she is your child’s friend, she should stay and have dinner with us.”

Looking at that face, Li Nianyi hesitated to refuse and could only stiffly nod.

Had she known this would happen, she wouldn’t have stayed so long.

Fortunately, Jiang Ji came back soon. Although they had a similar “argument” not long ago, at this moment, she was the only person who could give Li Nianyi a moment of relief.

“Nian Nian? How come you”

Jiang Ji was late as usual, but when she took off her coat and entered the dining room, she found someone unexpected sitting at the table.

“Sis, you finally came. We were waiting for you.”

Dai invited Jiang Ji to sit beside Li Nian. Jiang Ji’s expression was not good, but since she always wore a cold face, it didn’t seem strange. She sat down stiffly and met Mrs. Wu’s eyes with an investigative look.

“Miss Li is not only Dai’s teacher but also your friend. I invited her to stay for dinner. Any problem with that?”

“No… just didn’t expect mother to care so much about my private life.”

This remark was somewhat unreasonable, and the atmosphere at the table suddenly became silent.

Jiang Ji lowered her eyelids, sensing the woman’s nervousness beside her. Under the table, she tightly held Li Nianyi’s hand.

Her thumb gently rubbed the back of Li Nianyi’s hand, trying to convey: It’s okay, I’m here.

This meal was extremely uncomfortable for Li Nianyi. Even the exquisite delicacies tasted bland and dull.

They occasionally chatted about their group’s business, but beyond that, there was no small talk.

It was unimaginable how Jiang Ji had endured living in such an atmosphere for so many years. If it were her, she might have gone mad long ago.

Li Nianyi couldn’t help but glance at Jiang Ji, who was eating seriously, her eyes void of emotion, as if she had long gotten used to this environment.

At that moment, she suddenly understood why Jiang Ji only dared to call her a friend.

This coward.

After the silent meal ended, Jiang Ji held Li Nianyi’s hand and left, leaving only one sentence behind: “Have you eaten? I’ll take her home.”

Yet when leaving, Li Nianyi could still feel the gaze following her like a shadow, from someone unknown.

Once outside that door, she instantly felt the air move, and her whole body relaxed. She half-joked:

“So this is a wealthy family’s dinner? The food is indeed rich, but the feeling is so uncomfortable.”

She patted Jiang Ji’s still-holding hand, “Luckily, you’re here.”

Jiang Ji looked at the somewhat forced smile at Li Nianyi’s lips and sighed softly.

“But in the end, I still made you get involved in all these complicated matters.”

At that moment, Li Nianyi noticed Jiang Ji’s hand trembling.

She was scared.

Li Nianyi didn’t know what she was afraid of.

Then, to Jiang Ji’s surprise, Li Nianyi embraced her tightly.

It was a very tight hug, Li Nianyi’s arms sinking deep into the fabric of the expensive coat, causing wrinkles.

Jiang Ji was stunned for a moment before wrapping her arms around Li Nianyi’s neck, burying her head in her neck like a person dying of thirst in a desert suddenly finding water.

Perhaps this woman’s scent really had a healing effect, otherwise how could she instantly feel relaxed?

“But Jiang Ji, I want to understand you the whole you. Your family, your upbringing, everything I never took part in, your past days… Jiang Ji, I’m not dragged into this, I want to actively see your world.”

“You might regret it.”

“…I want Pudding and Huahua to come, let’s go to your place.”

Li Nianyi avoided that topic. Honestly, Jiang Ji’s passive attitude annoyed her. She had already taken the initiative so much, yet Jiang Ji kept avoiding. Why did this woman presume she would regret it? Didn’t she even have the courage to try?

Today, Jiang Ji didn’t ride her motorcycle. Instead, a black Porsche was parked at the door. Maybe this was the real Jiang Ji; the motorcycle was only when she was with Li Nianyi.

The car ran smoothly on the road, but the two were silent all the way, the atmosphere suddenly returning to how it was in the restaurant.

Jiang Ji knew she said the wrong thing, so she dared not speak again.

People like her only brought trouble to Li Nianyi and made her unhappy.

“Jiang Ji, I want to listen to music.”

The quiet air was suddenly broken when Li Nianyi called her name. Jiang Ji was momentarily stunned.

“What do you want to listen to?”

“Give me your phone… never mind, I’ll get it myself.”

The phone was in Jiang Ji’s trouser pocket. She was driving and couldn’t take it out, so Li Nianyi’s palm brushed her leg and pulled the phone out.

Jiang Ji silently cursed herself for having disgusting thoughts at all times.

Li Nianyi fiddled for a while, connected the phone to the car’s Bluetooth, and the stiff atmosphere slowly eased with the music.

Beside her, she hummed softly with the melody.

“So you keep scattering, I keep picking up, we travel on a distant road day and night for each other’s passion…”

Li Nianyi’s voice was beautiful, like a bitten grape.

So lovely, I like it!

Jiang Ji didn’t know what expression was on her own face, but the faint smile at the corner of her lips revealed her feelings. She was always poor at hiding emotions in front of Li Nianyi.

The car stopped in the underground garage; the Bluetooth disconnected, the music stopped, and everything seemed to return to the starting point, but something might have quietly changed.

This was Li Nianyi’s second time entering Jiang Ji’s residence. The fish tank was placed in the most conspicuous place in the living room. The decoration was delicate, with a color tone that was a dreamlike blue, as if from a fairy tale where mermaids lived.

The entire house’s decoration combined couldn’t match the warmth brought by this one fish tank.

“Just two little fish, yet you gave them a seaside villa to live in.”

Li Nianyi leaned closer to the fish tank, marveling.

“I want them to live comfortably.”

Jiang Ji secretly moved closer to Li Nianyi. From the opposite direction, the fish tank seemed like a natural frame. Their faces wavered slightly with the water’s ripples, making it look as if they had truly entered another world.

“My god, it swims so fast!”

Li Nianyi followed the fish’s movement with her finger, her gaze drifting right, unexpectedly colliding with Jiang Ji’s eyes.

She was watching the fish, and she was watching her.

The water cast a faint blue tint on Jiang Ji’s profile, beautiful enough to make Li Nianyi reluctant to look away.

After a long moment,

“Jiang Ji, I don’t believe you don’t understand what I mean.”