bestfiction Chapter 326 Can we only be friends?
Chapter 326 Can we only be friends?
He kept his head down, the halo of light illuminating half of his body, the warm halo enveloping his profile, his eyelashes casting delicate shadows, making his whole being appear much softer.
For a moment, Jiang Manxi was mesmerized.
He called her... Manxi?
Zeng Yichen didn't receive a reply from the person beside him, so he turned his head and met her stunned gaze.
He immediately realized that he might have lost his temper and offended the other party.
"I'm...I'm sorry, I didn't mean anything by it...If you don't like it, I'll still call you Jiang Man..."
“I like it!” Jiang Manxi retorted without hesitation.
The volume increased by several decibels, startling Zeng Yichen who was being interrupted.
Realizing the three words she had said, coupled with her enthusiastic tone, Jiang Manxi's face immediately turned bright red.
She lowered her head, looking very shy, and her voice became much softer.
"I...I mean, it's fine to call you that, we...we're friends, right...?"
Zeng Yichen pursed his lips, "Mmm..."
He hesitated. He really didn't know what right he had to call her friend now.
What makes him worthy of having a friend like her?
But meeting the girl's expectant gaze, he finally nodded.
"Yes... we're friends."
For some reason, Jiang Manxi felt uneasy after hearing this answer. She lowered her head again and muttered to herself:
"Can we only be friends?"
Zeng Yichen was taken aback. He had heard it, but he subconsciously avoided it, pretending not to have heard it.
And then they remained silent for a long time.
It wasn't until the nurse came to give Zeng Yan his routine care that he recovered.
Seeing this, Zeng Yichen also wanted to follow them inside. He turned back to Jiang Manxi and said,
"Thank you for today. You should go back now. I will never forget this kindness."
Jiang Manxi hesitated, looking at Zeng Yichen's face as if she was mentally preparing herself.
Seeing that she seemed to have something to say, Zeng Yichen didn't urge her, but simply asked:
"what happened?"
The next second, Jiang Manxi took two steps forward and, to Zeng Yichen's astonishment, reached out and hugged him.
The warm touch suddenly came close, and Zeng Yichen's whole body froze instantly.
He could clearly smell the faint floral scent in her hair, soft and sweet, which seeped into his heart through his nostrils, making his already erratic pulse even more erratic.
Several times he was so impulsive that he wanted to reach out and hug her tightly, but his fingertips, which were only two or three millimeters away from her back, gently fell back to his side.
He could not ignore that line, the line he dared not cross.
She could only turn her head away in restraint, only to meet her mother's surprised gaze from not far away.
"……mom."
As soon as he finished speaking, Jiang Manxi released him instantly and turned to look in the direction he was looking.
I had already seen Jingying in the courtroom last time, but I didn't have a chance to speak with her.
Who knew this reunion would be such an awkward moment?
Jingying looked somewhat flustered, wondering if she had come at the wrong time.
"Aunt...Auntie." Jiang Manxi bowed at a 90-degree angle nervously.
Jingying realized what was happening, forced a friendly smile, and stepped forward.
"hello."
At the same time, she looked at Zeng Yichen, her eyes clearly filled with doubt.
Only then did Zeng Yichen snap out of his inexplicable sense of loss. He coughed and introduced himself.
"Mom, this is Jiang Manxi, she's my... friend."
Upon hearing this, Jingying understood perfectly; she could tell that the word "friend" wasn't entirely sincere.
Jingying glanced at Jiang Manxi again. Having been imprisoned for 20 years, Jingying didn't recognize people very well, and she didn't immediately think of the Jiang family, a top-tier family in Beijing.
But she could also see that Jiang Manxi exuded an air of wealth and that her clothes were all very expensive.
I think it must be a friend of Yichen's from before. However, it is truly a blessing for Yichen that they are still willing to continue to associate with him.
"Miss Jiang." Jingying smiled, though she was genuinely a little embarrassed.
Given their current situation, they really don't have anyone presentable enough to entertain guests.
Jiang Manxi could naturally tell that, judging from the insulated box Jingying was carrying, she must have come to deliver food to Sister Anlian again.
"Well..." she said to Zeng Yichen, "I'll be going now."
Zeng Yichen nodded. "Be careful on the road."
"Hmm~" Jiang Manxi replied, then politely smiled and said goodbye to Jingying before 'running away'.
As he watched her retreating figure, the light in Zeng Yichen's eyes grew dimmer and dimmer.
"She's a really nice girl, is she your girlfriend?" Jingying's sudden question interrupted Zeng Yichen's thoughts.
He paused, then shook his head weakly.
"Mom, she is the daughter of the Jiang family."
Jingying was stunned for a moment, then immediately realized what was happening.
"Jiang Sheng's daughter?"
“Well,” Zeng Yichen chuckled self-deprecatingly, “So, there’s no possibility between us.”
Upon hearing this, Jingying felt a pang of pain in her heart, a mixture of ache and joy.
Now she understood why her son was so disappointed.
She could tell that Yichen was also clearly attracted to the girl, but she also understood their family's current situation. Even if the girl was just an ordinary wealthy family, they might not be able to accept Yichen.
Not to mention the Jiang family...
Seeing that his mother seemed to have caught his low spirits, Zeng Yichen took a deep breath and tried to appear relaxed.
"It's okay, Mom~ Your son is so handsome, what are you worried about?"
Jingying was instantly amused by him and gently slapped him on the hand.
"Never serious."
Only then did she remember the insulated food container she was holding, and she handed it to Zeng Yichen.
"Take it inside and give it to your sister-in-law."
She knew An Lian didn't want to see her.
When An Lian was mentioned, Zeng Yichen's expression became even more somber. He then recounted how his sister-in-law had just gone to Peking University to find Ji Ran and fainted after returning.
Jingying was shocked and immediately pushed the door open. She saw the thin, small figure sleeping on the cot and felt very sorry for him.
Even if she had to ask for help, it should have been the mother who did it, but the child carried it all on her own shoulders.
Such a good girl, ruined like this.
If I were An Lian's biological mother, I would definitely hate the Zeng family to the core.
“I’ll take care of her,” Jingying said, her tone not one of negotiation.
Zeng Yichen was taken aback, and subconsciously wanted to refuse, "I..."
“You’re a man, it’s inconvenient for you,” Jingying refused outright.
Zeng Yichen was speechless; he really couldn't refute that.
Then Jingying seemed to remember something, "Is the Professor Ji you just mentioned the girl who sat next to you in the courtroom that day?"
The girl was as beautiful as a fairy. Not only was her face flawless, but her temperament was also ethereal and captivating, as if she were born with a mark that kept strangers at bay.
She was quite friendly to Yichen, though her actions were impatient, you could tell she cared.
Zeng Yichen was taken aback, then hummed in response. Fearing his mother might misunderstand Ji Ran, he quickly added,
"She didn't mean to not help."