The Sickly Younger Brother's Substitute (21)

"Rent it again? Won't I have to pay two rents for a month? I don't want to be someone who treats money like dirt. Coincidentally, there's still a guest room at home, so Xia You can just stay with me from now on."

Xie An found a comfortable position, resting her head on Lin Jing Yan's lap, seemingly unaware of anything amiss.

"After all, you're of different sexes. Is it safe to live together like that?"

This could be considered living together in some sense, couldn't it? Lin Jing Yan's hand, hanging by his side, unconsciously clenched into a fist, then slowly relaxed. He tried to remain calm, subtly attempting to change Xie An's mind.

"What's unsafe about it?"

Xie An felt that Lin Jing Yan was a bit too tense. She wasn't an idiot; she had already assessed the level of danger before making her decision.

"He lives at school, and his academic schedule is heavy, so he won't necessarily come back often. He can do his own laundry and cooking, so I don't need to interfere much, just occasionally provide some living expenses. It's even more economical than raising a dog or a cat."

She reached out and pinched Lin Jing Yan's face, pretending to be annoyed: "Or do you not trust me, worried that I'll make a move on that kid? Lin Jing Yan, your thoughts are very dangerous, you know!"

After letting Xie An vent for a while, Lin Jing Yan finally took her wrist, pressing his slightly flushed cheek against her palm and rubbing gently.

"Don't be angry, I'm just worried about you. After all, he's a strange man who's about to live in the same house as you."

Despite saying that, the worry and jealousy in Lin Jing Yan's heart did not dissipate at all because of Xie An's words. The pressure and anxiety were like a thick, sticky glue, clinging tightly to his veins and nerves.

Seeing Lin Jing Yan's reaction, Xie An's EQ finally rose a little. She suddenly excitedly hugged Lin Jing Yan's neck, pulling him down.

"I know, you're jealous."

Their noses touched. Lin Jing Yan looked deeply into her eyes, seeing his own pursed lips reflected in her dark pupils.

"Yes, I'm jealous."

He saw no need to deny this. His usually cold voice finally revealed a few hints of grievance and unwillingness.

"Little Star is so cute."

Xie An deliberately used the nickname "Little Star," which Lin Jing Yan had misheard from "Xing xing" (wake up) when he was drunk last night, to tease him and see if he remembered anything. Clearly, Lin Jing Yan hadn't lost his memory after getting drunk. Hearing Xie An call him that, his face immediately flushed, and he buried his face in her shoulder.

After a long while, Xie An heard his voice, slightly hoarse, sounding like he was pouting, yet also deliberately enticing: "I want to kiss you, is that okay? This time, I won't make it swell, I'll be careful."

A man's words cannot be trusted, especially when he is consumed by desire.

After a while of entanglement with Lin Jing Yan, by lunchtime, both could only head to the restaurant with unusually red lips. When they arrived, Li Cheng and Wang Yong had not yet come.

Lin Jing Yan poured tea for Xie An, still preoccupied with Xia You's matter, but the annoyance had largely dissipated after their kiss. He didn't want to miss any opportunity to be alone with Xie An. After Xie An returned to Yan City, even if he secured the endorsement contract for the jewelry company, it would still take a few days for the process to be completed.

"I don't have classes this afternoon, so I can take you for a walk. If your legs are uncomfortable, I can carry you."

With available labor, it would be a waste not to use it. Xie An kissed Lin Jing Yan's face: "You're working hard for me."

Lin Jing Yan couldn't bear Xie An's intimacy. Any kiss was like kindling to him, requiring great effort to suppress.

"It's what I should do."

Touching the cheek Xie An had just kissed, he lowered his gaze, gently caressing her hand, his face still maintaining an ethereal, unworldly appearance.

Wang Yong and Li Cheng entered together. Xie An immediately withdrew her hand from Lin Jing Yan's and stood up to greet them. Lin Jing Yan also stood up to greet them. The four sat down together.

"Jing Yan, why is your lip cut? If the endorsement goes smoothly, you'll be on camera in a few days. I'll take you to the hospital later to get it checked!" Li Cheng reacted strongly, his face showing pain as if the wound were on his own lip.

Xie An felt no psychological pressure at all. She also pretended to look at Lin Jing Yan in surprise, echoing Li Cheng: "Yes, how careless."

*How wicked.*

Under the table, his slender fingers intertwined with Xie An's hand. Lin Jing Yan, as if in punishment, squeezed her hand tightly, yet his face remained aloof: "It's probably just internal heat. No need to go to the hospital, a little ointment will fix it."

Xie An propped her chin, smiling at him: "It seems you have quite a lot of internal heat. Drink more chrysanthemum tea."

"Exactly!" Li Cheng, unaware of the subtle flirtation between the two, immediately called the waiter to bring a large pot of chrysanthemum tea, intending for Lin Jing Yan to drink his fill.

Wang Yong stroked the few thinning strands of hair on his head, his expression difficult to read, trying to steer the conversation back to business: "Miss Xie, Li Cheng has sent you Jing Yan's information. Have you received the email?"

Quickly taking out her phone, Xie An scrolled through the content and replied to Wang Yong: "Yes, I have. On Monday, I'll combine this information with the previous plan and send it to you. If you don't see any problems, you can directly contact General Manager Chen."

"Alright, once this is done, I'll give you two days off, I promise." Keeping his word was one of Wang Yong's few good qualities.

"Thank you, General Manager Wang." Xie An toasted Wang Yong with a glass of wine.

Li Cheng, seeing that things were progressing, also toasted Wang Yong, then clinked glasses with Xie An: "Brother Yong, when will General Manager Chen's side respond? So Jing Yan and I can prepare."

"These two days are holidays. The plan will be sent on Monday, so the results might come as early as Wednesday morning, or as late as next Monday." Wang Yong took a bite of beef, looking at Li Cheng: "General Manager Chen values this plan highly. It's a big contract, so it needs to go through many stages of review and meetings. Caution is natural."

Li Cheng smiled as he poured wine for Wang Yong: "Yes, yes."

The banquet ended, and the four left the restaurant together.

"Miss Xie, are you really not coming back with me?" Wang Yong asked.

"No, I rarely get to leave Yan City, so I want to explore a bit more."

"Alright then. Yan City isn't close to An City. If you take a bus to the station, it'll take over an hour to get back to the county. Don't play too late; it's not safe to go home late." After all, she was an employee under his charge, and after half a month of business travel, Wang Yong still gave Xie An a few words of caution.

"I know, thank you for your concern, General Manager Wang."

Li Cheng insisted on taking Wang Yong to the bus station. As an agent for so long, he had mastered the principles of dealing with people: "Brother Yong, let me take you to the station; it'll save you taxi money."

Wang Yong politely declined a few times, then got into the car. Li Cheng walked towards the driver's seat, seeing Lin Jing Yan still standing blankly next to Xie An, feeling helpless: "Jing Yan, what are you spacing out for? Let's go, the bus station passes An University, I'll drop you off at school."

"Brother Cheng, today is Sunday, I don't have classes, so I'm not in a hurry to go back. I can take a walk with An... with Xie An."

Li Cheng looked at Lin Jing Yan's flushed earlobes, feeling something ambiguous, but before he could investigate, Wang Yong spoke up: "That's fine. Miss Xie is a girl after all. In an unfamiliar place, I'm relieved to have Jing Yan accompany her. Same old saying, don't play too late."

Since Wang Yong had said so, Li Cheng didn't ask further. The car started. Li Cheng looked in the rearview mirror and saw Lin Jing Yan quickly grab Xie An's hand. Wang Yong's car window was still open, and he also saw the scene. The two silently exchanged glances, then instinctively looked away, both feeling a little awkward.

Xie An and Lin Jing Yan... when did they develop feelings for each other?