IF Storyline • High School (Second Part) – I Like You
However, Shang Lu just smiled, obviously not very concerned, and could understand: “The engagement has been canceled, and the Jiang family was eager to distance themselves from us. It would be strange if they came.”
Chi Yan learned about this when having dinner at the Shang’s a few days before, but at this moment, he still find it a bit hard to believe: “Aren’t you sad? Didn’t you like him a lot?”
“I don’t know… can’t say for sure.” Shang Lu was actually not very certain about her past feelings. She continued, “I don’t know if I liked him before, but I don’t like him now.”
After saying this, Shang Lu felt something was not right.
Even if she didn’t have friends… she was still a girl, so why was Chi Yan always discussing emotional issues with her?
Originally, she didn’t think much about it, but now it suddenly felt awkward.
Shang Lu looked at Chi Yan, and her expression suddenly became complicated. She asked, “Are you very concerned about the relationship between me and Jiang Yi?”
Chi Yan didn’t know why he suddenly avoided her gaze and replied, “You two are my friends, it’s normal for me to ask, right?”
“Lies.” Shang Lu looked at Chi Yan, reached out to turn his head, and said, “If it’s the truth, why can’t you look at me?”
After being caught lying, Chi Yan felt a bit guilty, so he didn’t resist and met Shang Lu’s gaze directly.
Looking at the somewhat strange expression on his face, Shang Lu’s initial speculation, which was one or two points, now rose to three or four points. She asked tentatively, “Could it be that you like…”
At this moment, Chi Yan felt so nervous that he seemed to have forgotten to breathe.
She figured it out?
Should he admit it?
When Shang Lu mentioned the crucial point, she saw Chi Yan’s expression, which could be described as ‘stiff.’ Her speculation that she was only 30-40% confident of, now had a certainty of 70-80%. She slowly said, “Well, if it’s not because of liking, you wouldn’t always help him clean up the mess and take care of me.”
Chi Yan lowered his head, desperately suppressing the urge to smile.
He didn’t expect Shang Lu to perceive his feelings so early.
She seemed surprised but not rejecting.
Thinking of the messages Jiang Yi sent him these days, Chi Yan felt a vague unease; he could see that Jiang Yi’s attitude toward Shang Lu had changed.
Chi Yan looked at Shang Lu, reached out, held her hand, and spoke with a gentle yet restrained and uneasy tone, asking, “So, what do you think?”
Shang Lu looked at Chi Yan holding her hand, and his palm was warm, seemingly a bit sweaty.
Shang Lu understood; he must be nervous.
After all, it’s not easy to talk about such things.
Although she felt shocked and a bit of incomprehensible loss, she would still support Chi Yan!
So, Shang Lu held Chi Yan’s hand even tighter, wanting to give him encouragement and support. She said, “Don’t worry, I don’t like Jiang Yi anymore. Seeing that you’ve been good to me, I will bless you two.”
Chi Yan : “?”
Chi Yan’s expression stiffened. His brain, which could rightfully be called a genius, stopped working at this moment. Even the simple act of speaking suddenly became difficult. He could only ask, word by word, “Bless us?”
“Yes.” Shang Lu nodded, raised Chi Yan’s hand, and waved it in the air, saying seriously, “Go for it!”
The next moment, Shang Lu felt Chi Yan’s hand slip away from hers, and both of his hands grabbed her face.
Chi Yan smiled, but it was obvious that he was angry.
His hands held Shang Lu’s face, pulling it to both sides, gritting his teeth, he said, “I don’t like men.”
“I know, I know.” Shang Lu quickly responded, then looked at him somewhat aggrieved, “…it hurts.”
However, Chi Yan didn’t let go, only saying, “I didn’t use much force.”
He knew how much force he applied.
Sure enough, Shang Lu stopped complaining about the pain. She admitted her mistake honestly, “Sorry, I was just guessing. Your shy appearance made me think too much.”
This was Chi Yan’s response to Shang Lu.
Although the girl was slender, there was still some soft flesh on her face, and her skin was extremely delicate. The feeling of fingertips touching was exceptionally good.
Chi Yan originally just wanted to teach her a lesson, but he couldn’t help but pinch her for a while. When he released his hand and saw the faint red marks on the girl’s fair face, he felt a bit regretful and asked, “Does it hurt?”
Shang Lu shook her head and asked him back, “Didn’t you see that I was lying to you?”
It’s not like she’s a porcelain doll. Pinching like this didn’t hurt at all, she couldn’t feel anything.
Seeing that Chi Yan was still staring at her face, Shang Lu took out her phone and looked at it. When she saw the red marks, she said, “It’s okay, my skin is like this. It’ll be gone in a minute or two.”
“Oh.” Chi Yan responded like that, feeling a bit uneasy in the not-so-spacious room.
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.
The voice of the maid sounded respectful, “Miss, Young Master Jiang is here and wants to see you.”
Shang Lu was a bit surprised, unable to understand Jiang Yi.
She also knew Jiang’s parents. Since the engagement had been called off, there was no way they would let Jiang Yi come over.
There was only one possibility, and that was Jiang Yi wanting to come on his own.
After all, it was a funeral, and if he wanted to offer condolences, the Shang family couldn’t stop him.
Shang Lu replied to the maid, “I know, you can go out first.”
The door was closed.
Chi Yan looked at her and asked, “Are you going to see him?”
“Anyway, I can’t avoid it.” Shang Lu got up and walked outside. At the moment when her hand gripped the door handle, she couldn’t help but look back at Chi Yan and asked, “Aren’t you going? Your relationship seems pretty good.”
Chi Yan didn’t need to think and directly replied, “My relationship with Jiang Yi is not as good as you think.”
The words ‘gossip’ were written all over Shang Lu’s face.
Chi Yan casually found a reason, “We don’t have much in common, and we haven’t been close recently. We’re not as familiar as you think.”
This made Shang Lu’s eyes widen a bit, and she blurted out, asking, “Really?”
“Why would I lie to you?” Chi Yan also stood up, with a reluctant tone, “Well, since I have nothing else to do, I’ll accompany you.”
When Jiang Yi saw Chi Yan appearing behind Shang Lu, the hand hanging at his side involuntarily clenched.
Other guests around were chatting, and no one noticed this corner.
Shang Lu directly asked, “Just say it if you have something.”
This question left Jiang Yi unable to answer; he didn’t have anything to talk to Shang Lu about.
He couldn’t directly ask, “Why haven’t you come to see me lately?” Saying that would make Jiang Yi feel pathetic.
But when he saw Chi Yan, he couldn’t control his emotions and asked, “Why are you two together?”
The topic was successfully diverted.
“What’s it to you?” Chi Yan retorted directly, mocking, “Do we need to submit an application to you when we meet?”
Jiang Yi immediately felt embarrassed, but he couldn’t offend Chi Yan.
Shang Lu tugged at Chi Yan’s sleeve and said, “Don’t speak like that.”
Shang Lu looked at Jiang Yi, showing a gentle smile, “Jiang Yi, thank you for attending my father’s funeral. You’ll probably be scolded when you go back, right?”
Seeing that Shang Lu still spoke to him so gently, Jiang Yi’s attitude softened a bit, and he replied, “Just a few reprimands, nothing major.”
“That’s good.” Shang Lu seemed relieved, then continued to ask, “Your parents should have told you, our engagement has been canceled. From now on, you are you, and I am me. I won’t bother you anymore.”
Jiang Yi frowned.
He asked, “Are you sure?”
Shang Lu thought he didn’t believe it and sincerely bowed to Jiang Yi, saying, “I know you don’t like me. I don’t know how I’ve been obsessed with you like a demon these years, causing you a lot of trouble. I’m really sorry. Please rest assured, it won’t happen again in the future.”
Jiang Yi’s gaze fell on Shang Lu and scrutinized her several times. His expression changed, but in the end, it returned to indifference, saying, “Alright, as you said.”
He was somewhat angry and didn’t linger here. He turned and walked in another direction.
Since he was already here, leaving midway would be disrespectful. Therefore, Jiang Yi didn’t leave but prepared to go outside for some fresh air and return when the formal proceedings began.