Chapter 65

Chapter 65

Jiang Yiyan was well acquainted with Wen Mochuan's character and personality from the book, which only added to her anxiety and unease.

To say she felt no attraction towards him would be impossible.

Living under the same roof for over a month, they had built a small family together, focusing all their attention on their daughter Meimei. Although there were times when they seemed distant, there were also moments of warmth.

It is said that feelings grow through daily interactions. Even an ordinary man, if he could coexist peacefully for so long, would naturally develop some affection. How much more so for someone as outstanding as Wen Mochuan.

Occasionally, Jiang Yiyan would feel a bit swayed, imagining what life might be like if she truly became Wen Mochuan's wife, sharing a future as a family of three. But these fleeting thoughts were quickly extinguished once she regained her composure.

From the beginning, her stance remained firm; she did not want to get involved in anything related to the original novel.

After sitting down at the spot chosen by Jiang Xu and Shu Yao, they could see the family of three leaving. Shu Yao, facing them directly, caught sight of the heartwarming scene.

Father carrying the daughter, mother walking beside them. The little girl resting on her father's shoulder, holding her mother's hand. The family of three was incredibly close.

This image was too painful for Shu Yao to bear, so she quickly looked away, her gaze returning to the knife and fork on the table before her, her eyes somewhat unfocused.

Jiang Xu glanced back, then turned around again. With a disdainful tone, he said to Shu Yao, "Don't let unnecessary people affect your mood. Yao Yao, Wen Mochuan is not worthy of you, and neither is Yiyan. Why dwell on the past? It doesn't matter how they live; as long as you're happy every day, that's enough."

Jiang Xu's words provided some psychological comfort to Shu Yao. At least in his eyes, Jiang Yiyan remained the vicious and unreasonable spoiled heiress. This favoritism from her stepbrother made Shu Yao feel better.

"Thank you," Shu Yao said with a gentle smile. The warm sunlight streaming through the window glass illuminated her face, making her look pure and elegant, her voice as serene as ever. "Thank you for comforting me and for your encouragement and companionship. Big Brother, I'm truly grateful." Despite the sadness in her heart, she maintained a faint smile.

Even though this smile appeared bitter to Jiang Xu, seeing her sorrow and forced cheerfulness pained him deeply.

But there were certain things he dared not express easily, fearing that once spoken, their relationship as siblings would be irreparably damaged.

Yao Yao was a pure and innocent woman, like a jasmine flower. Any inappropriate thoughts about her would be considered a desecration. Even he himself hesitated to reveal such feelings.

He wanted to silently protect her, staying by her side.

When the right moment came, he would find a suitable opportunity to confess his feelings.

"Yao Yao, rest assured, even if everyone else betrays you, I won't," Jiang Xu declared solemnly. "I don't care about blood ties or who was right or wrong between you and Yiyan. Even if it was Yiyan's fault five years ago, or if she was also a victim, in my heart, you are always right."

Though Shu Yao found his words irrational, they still resonated with her. Perhaps due to her lack of security, she needed such absolute favoritism.

"Thank you, Big Brother," Shu Yao's eyes brightened, her melancholy replaced by a warm smile.

Jiang Yiyan's break was longer than usual, possibly due to the intense work schedule she had been enduring. Recent changes in her personal life and emotions made it difficult for her to face Wen Mochuan as calmly as before. With matters weighing on her mind, she struggled to focus on work.

.

Thus, she took a break for four or five days without taking on any new projects from Yu Wenlai.

Jiang Yiyan hadn't seen Yu Wenlai in several days either. Since the night she treated him to dinner after finishing her manuscript, they hadn't met again. Even during her break, she preferred not to discuss work, leading to no contact between them.

Although they had known each other for a short time, Yu Wenlai understood her well enough to respect her need for rest. However, given her unusually long break, he couldn't help but reach out.

Holding his phone, he hesitated for a while before finally sending a message.

Jiang Yiyan was reading a novel when a WeChat call notification popped up. Seeing it was from Yu Wenlai, she immediately exited the novel and returned to WeChat.

Yu Wenlai: "What have you been up to these past few days? Haven't seen you requesting any new projects."

Jiang Yiyan hesitated slightly before carefully typing her response: "Still resting. Is there a lot of work on your end? If it's urgent, I can start working again."

Yu Wenlai's small shop was thriving, especially with Jiang Yiyan's contributions. While there were many orders recently, he wasn't the type to exploit his workers. If Jiang Yiyan needed more rest, he wouldn't push her.

Seeing her reply about resting, he didn't mention the workload, instead asking, "Have you been overworking lately?"

He added, "The shop isn't busy. If you feel tired, take your time and rest properly."

Jiang Yiyan's recent fatigue stemmed more from emotional strain than physical exhaustion. With matters on her mind, she couldn't fully immerse herself in work.

The decision she wanted to make was significant for everyone around her. She had always felt detached, an outsider in this world.

But when she crossed over into her current body, she became part of the situation.

She shared unbreakable familial ties with Meimei and Jiang Cheng. Divorce would likely be strongly opposed by these two.

Occupying the original body and enjoying its privileges, she couldn't act recklessly and propose divorce.

But if she didn't divorce, how could she continue living with Wen Mochuan?

Should she tell him everything? Reveal that she wasn't really Jiang Yiyan from this world?

No, such absurdity wouldn't be believed.

This dilemma left Jiang Yiyan deeply troubled.

If Wen Mochuan treated her as a mere roommate, she could tolerate the arrangement. But now, he seemed intent on strengthening their relationship, which complicated matters.

Feeling frustrated, she couldn't concentrate on the novel or even respond sincerely to Yu Wenlai.

"Okay," she replied briefly.

Yu Wenlai waited for a while, only to receive a simple "okay." Feeling a bit disappointed, he decided to change the subject.

"Want to go out for a walk?"

After sending the message, he hesitated for a few seconds before inviting her to dinner: "Last time you treated me, it's my turn now. If you're free tonight, let's have dinner together. You choose the place."

Issuing this invitation, Yu Wenlai mustered up tremendous courage. Because he cared about the outcome, after sending the message inviting her to dinner, he simply placed his phone face-down on the table and didn't look at it again.

However, every thirty seconds or so, he would pick up the phone to check if she had replied. Initially, his heart was tense yet hopeful, but after several checks without any response, Yu Wenlai's initially excited and anxious heart gradually cooled down.

At the same time, he began to reflect on whether his proactive invitation might have been too much. Could it be that she noticed something?

But in fact, Jiang Yiyan simply hadn't seen the message he sent.

While chatting with Yu Wenlai, Jiang Yiyan got up and went to the kitchen. Feng Ma was preparing dinner, so Jiang Yiyan went to the refrigerator to cut some fruit for herself.

While busy in the kitchen, Wen Mochuan returned.

Their relationship now was somewhat delicate. In the past, she could remain calm when he arrived or left, but now she couldn't. Seeing him come back, Jiang Yiyan merely glanced towards the entranceway before continuing with what she was doing.

Meimei, as usual, rushed over to greet whoever came home first.

After changing his shoes, Wen Mochuan picked up his daughter. It seemed like he was interacting with her, but in reality, he was glancing at his wife, who was cutting fruit in the open kitchen.

Seeing that his wife didn't react to his arrival, he didn't go out of his way to disturb her and instead carried his daughter towards the sofa.

Jiang Yiyan's phone was casually tossed into a corner of the sofa. After Wen Mochuan sat down, he felt it under him and realized there was a phone beneath him. Moving slightly to the side, he heard a "ding" from the phone, indicating a new message.

Initially, Wen Mochuan didn't pay attention and had no intention of prying into his wife's privacy. However, the "ding" drew his attention, and once he looked, his gaze remained fixed on the phone screen, unable to move away.