Chapter 278: Unbreakable
The next day happened to be Sunday, the day Li Jingjing had promised to visit their home.
Early in the morning, Aunt Wang went out and bought a lot of fresh vegetables and meat, seemingly preparing to entertain their guest.
Yang Chen didn't go out of his way to avoid the situation; he stayed downstairs watching TV, waiting for Li Jingjing to arrive. What surprised Yang Chen, however, was seeing Lin Ruoxi wearing an apron in the kitchen, busy with Aunt Wang. It seemed like she was trying her hand at cooking something, although Yang Chen knew Lin Ruoxi's culinary skills were nothing to boast about. He chalked it up to her enjoying herself and didn't think much of it.
Around noon, the doorbell rang.
Lin Ruoxi hurriedly stepped over in her plush slippers and opened the door. She appeared more amiable than usual, greeting Li Jingjing with a smile that conveyed genuine warmth. It was clear she held Li Jingjing in high regard.
Li Jingjing, dressed in a white down jacket, entered the house gracefully. She looked even more mature than before, her teacher-like intellect complemented by a subtle charm.
Yang Chen observed as Lin Ruoxi warmly held Li Jingjing's hand and exchanged affectionate words, a departure from her usual reserved demeanor. Yang Chen found it somewhat incredible how quickly their relationship had progressed. Little did he know, Lin Ruoxi had often secretly learned cooking skills from Li Jingjing.
"Oh, Jingjing, why did you bring things with you?" Lin Ruoxi complained lightly as she saw Li Jingjing carrying a bag of stuff. "We agreed you'd be our guest for dinner today. Why bring things?"
"It's my first time here, so I thought I should bring a little something," Li Jingjing replied with a smile. "I'm sure Sister Lin doesn't lack for anything, but these are just some homemade dry ingredients, good for stewing meat."
Lin Ruoxi smiled gently upon hearing this and took the bag from Li Jingjing, leading her to the sofa in the living room.
"Yang Chen, Jingjing is our guest. Why don't you get up and say hello?" Lin Ruoxi frowned slightly, displeased that Yang Chen had been sitting and watching the news without greeting their guest.
Yang Chen chuckled softly and greeted Li Jingjing, "Welcome, Miss Li."
Upon hearing Yang Chen address her as "Miss Li," Li Jingjing's face turned slightly pale, but she managed a strained smile and nodded.
Lin Ruoxi didn't notice anything unusual and simply thought Li Jingjing was being shy. She said to Li Jingjing, "I'm helping Aunt Wang with cooking. We'll be ready to eat soon."
Li Jingjing hesitated for a moment and then said, "Should I go help too?"
Li Jingjing was about to get up, but Lin Ruoxi pressed her back down. "No need. I promised to cook for you today."
Seeing how insistent Lin Ruoxi was, Li Jingjing smiled and stayed seated without further objection.
After Lin Ruoxi ran back to the kitchen, Li Jingjing and Yang Chen sat on the sofa. Although they were physically close, an invisible barrier seemed to separate them. Yang Chen couldn't help but reflect on how intimate they had once been, and now, he had ruthlessly drawn a line between them. It was painful, but necessary for the sake of Old Li's family; he had to steel himself.
Li Jingjing stared at the TV screen, but none of the news registered in her mind. Her thoughts were a jumbled mess, and her eyes reflected a complicated mix of emotions.
The two sat in silence for nearly half an hour until Aunt Wang and Lin Ruoxi brought the dishes out from the kitchen and called Yang Chen and Li Jingjing to come eat.
Yang Chen turned off the TV and got up to go to the dining table. Li Jingjing, after composing herself, followed and sat down.
Aunt Wang courteously said, "Miss Li, it's your first time here. Don't be shy, please eat more."
Li Jingjing smiled quietly, appearing calm and composed.
The table was laden with an impressive array of dishes. Without much talking, Yang Chen dug in, eating heartily.
Lin Ruoxi, noticing Yang Chen enjoying the meal, felt a sense of joy. She tasted a bit of each dish herself and found the flavors quite satisfying.
At that moment, Yang Chen mumbled through a mouthful of food, "Aunt Wang's cooking is always so good. It's no wonder I'm eating so fast; I can't stop."
Aunt Wang chuckled, "Son-in-law, I didn't make today's dishes."
Yang Chen froze, looking surprised at Lin Ruoxi. "Ruoxi darling, did you make all of this?"
Being called that in front of Li Jingjing made Lin Ruoxi blush, feeling a mixture of shyness and annoyance. She replied, "Why, can't I?"
Yang Chen was genuinely impressed, "You've improved so much in such a short time?"
Lin Ruoxi, a touch of pride in her voice, said, "It's just cooking. I've had a few lessons from Jingjing. As long as I take it seriously, it's not that difficult."
A warm feeling stirred in Yang Chen's heart. This woman had secretly taken cooking lessons from Li Jingjing without telling him. Though a bit silly, it was endearingly cute.
No wonder she had grown so close to Li Jingjing so quickly; they had become master and apprentice in the kitchen.
"Lin-jie is very talented. I didn't actually teach her much," Li Jingjing said at the right moment, complimenting Lin Ruoxi. However, there was a hint of bitterness in her eyes. Seeing the intimate interaction between Lin Ruoxi and Yang Chen was evidently hard for her to bear.
Half an hour later, lunch was over. Yang Chen, pretending to yawn a few times, excused himself under the guise of taking a nap and went upstairs to his bedroom. In reality, the occasional glances filled with silent reproach from Li Jingjing had left him feeling uneasy.
Lin Ruoxi gave him a disapproving look, "All you do is eat and sleep."
Seemingly addicted to housework, Lin Ruoxi followed Aunt Wang into the kitchen to wash the dishes and tidy up, leaving Li Jingjing to watch TV in the living room.
Li Jingjing sat obediently on the sofa for a while. After a few minutes, as if making a firm decision, she took a deep breath, stood up, and walked towards the stairs.
Making her way to the second floor, Li Jingjing stopped at the door of Yang Chen's bedroom and knocked lightly. "Knock, knock."
After a moment, the door opened. Yang Chen hadn't gone to bed yet; he was still wearing a thin sweater. Seeing Li Jingjing standing at the door, he didn't know what to say.
Li Jingjing's beautiful face was etched with sorrow as she looked at Yang Chen pitifully, "Brother Yang, may I have a few words with you?"
Seeing the sadness in her eyes, Yang Chen's heart softened. He stepped back, allowing Li Jingjing to enter the room, then turned away, avoiding her gaze. "Say what you need to say."
Li Jingjing entered but didn't close the door behind her. Her voice, tinged with sobs, said, "Brother Yang, do you really have to be so heartless?"
"It's not about being heartless. I believe this is the best decision. You know what your father said, and I think you understand as well," Yang Chen sighed. "You're a good girl, I know that. But you also have your parents. They wouldn't want to see you like this."
"But Brother Yang, have you ever thought that even if you completely cut ties with me and pretend not to know me, can I really live a life that satisfies my parents?" Li Jingjing said with a sorrowful smile.
Yang Chen didn't turn around. Hearing Li Jingjing's words, he fell silent, his mind swirling with memories of her past expressions and smiles.
Since returning to the country and meeting her, from the shy, timid university girl who called him "big brother" to the mature, independent teacher she had become, it had only been a year. Yet, the feelings that had taken root were like a flame in the wind, hard to extinguish.
He remembered walking her home at night, her silently watching him leave from the window.
He remembered accompanying her to a gathering, watching her smile sweetly, enchanted by his singing.
"I only want one love, only want Big Brother Yang to care for me alone, to love me alone. But the one thing I desire the most is also the one thing I can never have, isn't it?"
Yang Chen could still vividly remember that evening bathed in the warm, slanting rays of the setting sun, where the girl's soft, lingering words seemed to echo in his ears, as if they were still whispering to him now.
As Yang Chen was lost in his thoughts, overwhelmed by the memories, he felt a soft, slender body press against his back, and delicate arms wrap around his waist from behind. Li Jingjing buried her face into his back, clinging tightly to him, her voice soft and murmuring as if speaking to herself, "Big Brother Yang, I can't forget. We've been through so much together. You've done so much for me. How can I possibly forget you? How can you choose to cut off my feelings for you like this? I can't forget, even for a day, how you confronted Chen Dehai and Chen Feng for my sake, how you took me shopping and called me your princess. How you sang to me at the party."
Yang Chen wanted to pry her hands away, but he feared that such an action would completely crush her spirit and cause her unbearable pain.
"Jingjing, we need to talk seriously. This isn't about what you want or don't want," Yang Chen sighed.
Li Jingjing suddenly became agitated and shouted, "No! Big Brother Yang, how can you reject me like this?! Have you forgotten that day when you came into my house, and I was taking a bath? You barged in! How can you be so cruel to me now?!"
"Crash…"
The sound of shattering porcelain echoed from the doorway.
Yang Chen jolted back to reality, realizing he had been so lost in his chaotic thoughts that he hadn't heard anyone come up the stairs and approach the door.
Turning around in shock, Yang Chen was stunned.
There stood Lin Ruoxi, her face filled with panic, sorrow, and despair. She covered her mouth with one hand and clutched her apron tightly with the other, tears brimming in her eyes, struggling to hold back.
On the floor lay shattered pieces of a ceramic bowl and scattered fresh fruits, making a mess.
"Sister Lin," Li Jingjing released Yang Chen and, like a child caught doing something wrong, hung her head and moved to the side.
"Ruoxi, we…"
"Don't say anything! I don't want to hear it!"
Lin Ruoxi turned quickly and ran off, the sound of a door slamming shut soon following, clearly indicating she had run back to her room and closed the door behind her.
Yang Chen stood frozen in place for a long time, then turned to look at Li Jingjing, who was silent and seemed to have exhausted all her strength. With a complex expression, he said, "You did this on purpose, didn't you?"