Chapter 369: Chapter 242: Great Demon King Ningning? Her Absolute Contrast (Part 2)

"Really?"

"You don’t think so? My sister kicked me wearing high heels! High heels!"

"Alright, from now on, no one lays a hand on anyone."

"No way. I got hit for nothing."

"Are you ever going to stop?"

Chen Yuan put down the tea leaves he was about to brew. He walked over, scooped Jiangg Yao up in one motion, and slung her over his shoulder. He ignored her flailing and pounding fists, carried her to the bedroom, and tossed her onto the bed.

THUMP.

The fall left Jiangg Yao completely dazed.

"My back..."

"From now on, you stay in the bedroom, and she stays in the living room. Neither of you crosses the line. When the rain stops, you can both get out."

"Why? That’s not fair! She kicked me and choked me! If I hadn’t dodged, she would have even slapped me. Do you have any idea how much a slap can hurt an innocent, sheltered girl like me?"

"If you keep whining, I’ll slap you too. Shut up."

Ever since the two sisters had arrived, they’d been like a pair of high-frequency jammers, either fighting or causing a ruckus. Chen Yuan’s head was about to explode. He didn’t have time to play judge and figure out who hit whom; he just wanted everyone to coexist peacefully for a little while.

He’d been in class all day and was tired and irritable. All he wanted was to spend the evening playing some games and watching a documentary, to enjoy even a moment of peace.

That wonderful fantasy had been completely shattered by these two uninvited guests.

"You... you’re bullying me too? *Sob sob sob...* Why? What did I even do? I didn’t do anything," Jiangg Yao’s tears instantly welled up, shimmering in her eyes. Her lips trembled with grievance. "Everyone’s bullying me... I don’t want to live anymore."

She flopped onto the bed and started crying into the covers.

"I hate you, Chen Yuan... You’re taking her side."

"Cry quieter!"

"..." Jiangg Yao flinched at his suddenly raised voice. With a tear-streaked face, she began to whimper softly. "*Hic... sob...*"

"Here’s your Coke. Just stay here by yourself for a bit."

"Go away. I don’t want to see you."

"Gladly."

Chen Yuan pulled the door shut behind him, fleeing as if from a disaster. That girl, Jiangg Yao, was great in every way, except that she could never be still. To put it bluntly, she was like an overenergetic puppy. When she was sitting quietly, she was cute, pretty, and endearing, but the moment she got moving, she could drive a person insane.

He returned to the living room and let out a long sigh of relief. He grabbed two cups and brought over the hot water as well.

Jiangg Ning, who was sitting gracefully, put down her phone and thoughtfully held out a hand. "Let me."

"Okay."

She skillfully prepared the tea, pouring a stream of boiling water into the cups to give the leaves a quick rinse before steeping them a second time.

The gurgling sound of the tea being poured, set against the backdrop of rain outside the window and accompanied by a fresh aroma, created a sense of peace. It truly made one appreciate how wonderful a quiet life could be.

Without the chaotic Yaoyao to interrupt them, the two of them shared a natural, unspoken understanding.

"I started learning how to brew tea from my mother in the sixth grade. At first, I didn’t know how to appreciate the flavor. Even the best tea just tasted like plain water to me, and I even thought the colorful sodas from the corner store were better."

"Well, you’ve become an expert. I’m completely clueless about this," Chen Yuan said, lifting his cup and taking a small sip.

The fragrance was rich and natural, and the taste was mellow with a sweet aftertaste. It was, in a word, a tremendous pleasure to drink.

"Even though I didn’t understand it as a child, I saw it as a way to please my mother, so I learned it quite diligently. I only started to truly enjoy it after I went abroad to study. In a way, drinking tea is a kind of cultural symbol for us. When you brew a pot of good tea for friends and they praise it, you feel a sense of pride, like you’re sharing your culture with the world."

Jiangg Ning’s voice was soft and pleasant, like a murmur in one’s ear that made you lean in and listen intently.

She crossed one leg over the other. As she spoke and poured the tea, a high heel dangled and swayed from the tip of her foot.

From the mock-neck white shirt she wore after taking off her coat, to the jeans that hugged her shapely legs, down to her shoes, she exuded a rich, womanly charm.

Without Jiangg Yao around, there was nothing to disrupt her sophisticated aura. In this moment, it was easy to see that she had once been an associate professor at a university.

She wasn’t just talented and virtuous; she was pure and elegant, the kind of woman you could admire from afar but never dare to approach disrespectfully. 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

Pale, rich, and beautiful—all these labels converged in one person.

When she walked down the street with her purse, she seemed so distant, so out of reach.

And yet, this was the woman who had somehow crossed paths with him, starting this romance despite their significant age difference.

Listening to her story and gazing at her delicate profile, Chen Yuan found himself lost in thought.

"So," Jiangg Ning said, holding up a freshly brewed cup of tea and winking at him, "Chen, do you feel me trying to win you over?"

Abruptly, Chen Yuan’s cheeks flushed red.

When Ningning decided to flirt, it wasn’t the simple, cutesy act that Yaoyao put on. Who said she didn’t know how? She was an absolute master at it.

An inky darkness filled the living room, pressing in tightly around the corners of the sofa, yet it could advance no further. A soft light fell upon the two of them, a dense cage woven from red threads of fate, piercing through their bodies and binding their heartbeats together. Every single movement was intertwined.

"Aren’t you going to take it?" Jiangg Ning asked softly, her eyes lowered in a hint of shyness.

Chen Yuan instinctively reached for it. But as his hand touched the handle of the cup, his fingers brushing against Jiangg Ning’s, it felt as if a bolt of lightning had generated an unimaginable heat. A convergence of cold and warmth at his fingertips—he remembered he had just been holding the chilled can of Coke.

He jerked his hand back.

"Is it hot?" Jiangg Ning asked again.

"A little."

Her hand reached out tentatively. Her slender, soft fingers tapped his twice before finally resting on top of his hand. Instantly, Chen Yuan felt his hand enveloped in warmth. When he lifted his gaze to meet hers, Jiangg Ning’s bright eyes seemed to speak to him.

THUMP-THUMP—

The sound of his heart pounded in his chest, so clear he could hear it himself.

Ningning was rarely this forward. It seemed she wanted to seize this rare opportunity to be with him without any interruptions.

Chen Yuan suddenly couldn’t bring himself to pull his hand away, even though he knew he should. But in the end, a person’s actions are controlled by their brain. He went against his better judgment, thinking, ’Just a little longer and I’ll pull away... Man, Ningning’s hand is so soft.’

Both of their cheeks were flushed red. A tacit understanding passed between them, and the atmosphere grew intimate.

"Coming to school to find you today... it was my first time attending class with a boy. Back at the university, I saw so many couples who were inseparable, sticking together even in large lectures. I never thought I’d get to experience that feeling myself. It’s quite novel."

"Is that so."

"You don’t believe me?"

"No, it’s just... you used to be a teacher, an outsider looking in... Now... it’s nice for you to experience it."

"So, are you getting the ’campus romance’ feeling? How is it?"

"Well..."

"As long as you don’t mind, I can keep coming with you. Looking back, university life is fleeting. If we can enjoy this excitement and beauty together, it should become a unique memory for us later... We’re eight years apart, and that’s an age gap we can’t erase," Jiangg Ning said, brushing back her long hair, her tone suddenly earnest. "But for you, Chen, I’d even wear a school uniform again, as long as you don’t think I’m being childish... You don’t think so, do you?"

She looked a bit bashful.

’How could I possibly refuse that?’

For a moment, Chen Yuan was stunned, unsure how to respond. He couldn’t bear to say something harsh and hurt Ningning’s feelings, especially when she was being so sincere, but agreeing would go against his own wishes. For a moment, Chen Yuan was caught in a dilemma.

"Never mind. Let’s not talk about this. Let’s have some tea." Seeing his discomfort, Jiangg Ning tactfully changed the subject.

Ultimately, it was just a test, a way to show Chen her sincerity. Forcing him to answer would only be counterproductive.

Jiangg Ning knew that much.

Since fate had been kind enough to give her this opportunity, she might as well make the most of it.

「...」

While the two of them were enjoying their private world outside, Jiangg Yao had been crying by herself for so long that her eyes were red and swollen. She kept turning her head to look at the door, but not a single sliver of light entered the dim room.

Everything around her was a blur...

She desperately hoped Chen Yuan would come in to comfort her, even just a little. If he did, despite her resentment, she would still wipe away her tears and open her arms for a hug...