Why is he here? Isn't he afraid that Bai Ningxi will get angry?
Shen Youjin had no idea about his purpose, but if she went downstairs now and ran into him, what should she say to him?
She stood quietly by the window, looking at Li Nanchuan outside.
He was leaning against the car, smoking. The white smoke billowed, blurring his mature and handsome face.
He showed no sign of leaving even after finishing his cigarette. When he looked up, their eyes met across a certain distance.
Shen Youjin's heart skipped a beat. In just a few seconds, it felt like an eternity had passed between them.
She let out a sigh. A few minutes later, Shen Youjin showed up in front of Li Nanchuan with her bag.
"Long time no see," Shen Youjin said in a soft voice with a hint of helplessness. "Why don't you go upstairs?"
Li Nanchuan looked at her. She looked in good spirits, as if she could be happy without him.
"I'm afraid of disturbing you," he said as he handed her the prepared gift. "Congratulations on getting what you want."
Shen Youjin didn't take the gift. Instead, she looked up at him and asked, "Doesn't Bai Ningxi mind?"
"Our relationship is fake, and it will never turn real," Li Nanchuan said in a deep and pleasant voice. "It won't be long before I break up with Bai Ningxi. I'll make it as soon as possible."
Shen Youjin knew Li Nanchuan's character, but love was a matter between two people.
"Li Nanchuan, you saved me once, and I won't blame you for leaving without saying goodbye," she said with a smile. "Let's just let the past go. We should live our own lives."
Li Nanchuan's eyes darkened. "Xiaojin, my feelings for you have never changed."
There were still some things he couldn't say because of his current situation, but once he set his mind on something, he would never change his goal.
Even if he hit a wall, he wouldn't turn back.
"We can't go back," Shen Youjin said seriously. "Even if there was no Bai Ningxi and your family accepted me, our relationship could never be the same as before."
"You left without saying goodbye when I loved you the most. No matter how much time has passed, the scar is still there, and it still hurts when I think about it."
"Even if I forget you, I'll always remember how I loved you. Li Nanchuan, do you understand this feeling?"
He was the first man she had ever loved. No matter how much she didn't want to admit it, there would always be a place for him in her heart. He was special.
Just like the saying goes, people may not remember those who have traveled mountains and rivers to see them, but they will always remember the one they have traveled mountains and rivers to see.
Li Nanchuan was the one she had once traveled mountains and rivers to see, the one she had put aside all her dignity for, the one she had risked everything for!
"I know," Li Nanchuan said, his deep eyes filled with emotions. "But Xiaojin, we can start over..."
"These four words are too heavy," Shen Youjin said as her jade-like fingers unconsciously touched her lower abdomen. "First of all, you should at least be single."
With that, she was about to walk past him, but Li Nanchuan reached out and grabbed her snow-white wrist. "Wait. Can you give me five minutes to explain?"
Shen Youjin looked at him in confusion. "For what?"
"Give me a chance to explain," Li Nanchuan said, his warm and bony fingers holding her wrist. "I'll leave after I'm done. Okay?"
The high-ranking government official, who was unreachable in the eyes of others, was now humbled in front of her.
Shen Youjin pursed her lips and agreed.
The story wasn't very long. Back then, Li Nanchuan had suddenly disappeared because he had encountered an accident while investigating her mother's case. He had been attacked and hit on the head. When he was found, he had lost too much blood and had almost never woken up.
When he was a little better, he was diagnosed with damaged blood vessel walls and a blood clot in his brainstem that was pressing on his nerves.
The professional doctors in this field couldn't return from abroad for a while, so he had to go abroad.
The treatment abroad had been a long and difficult process. The surgery was very risky, and the recovery period had been even longer.
He had wanted to secretly return to China several times, but his family had always found out and stopped him for various reasons.
It wasn't until this year that he had finally regained his position and returned.
This was the first time he had explained the reason for her long wait so clearly, but he also knew that he was too late.
"Xiaojin, I know I've made you wait for a long time, but if you're willing, I'll spend the rest of my life making up for these three years," Li Nanchuan said. He didn't feel relieved after saying these words. Instead, he felt even more burdened. "If you're not willing, I'll always protect you."
Shen Youjin's eyes uncontrollably welled up with tears. She had finally gotten the answer she had been searching for in her dreams.
But why did she feel so sad?
If it had been three years ago, she would have thrown herself into his arms and cried for them to get back together.
But now, after so much time had passed, her heart could no longer grow the same fresh and lively flesh as before.
"Li Nanchuan, it's too late. I'm going home," she said.
Her throat tightened. Before the tears could fall, she quickly pulled her wrist out of his grasp and walked away as if she was running away.
The wind blew her skirt. Li Nanchuan's long arm was still hanging in the air, as if he wanted to catch the wind. But in the end, the wind just passed through his palm even faster.
It wasn't until Shen Youjin's car disappeared from sight that Li Nanchuan came back to his senses. Looking at the gift he hadn't been able to give her, a bitter smile crossed his lips.
This was her favorite collector's edition picture book. He had spent a lot of time and effort finding it, but she hadn't even opened it to take a look.
He got back into the car and rubbed his temples. He felt that his head, which had long since healed, was starting to hurt again.
When he had recovered a little, he took out his phone and dialed a number. "Find someone to keep an eye on Shen Qilin. If he makes any moves, tell me immediately!"
The person on the other end of the phone agreed, and Li Nanchuan then drove home.
That night, there were two insomniacs in the capital.
Shen Youjin lay in bed, tossing and turning like a pancake.
The words Li Nanchuan had said today kept flashing through her mind, playing on repeat like a single song, but she couldn't find the pause button.
She picked up her phone, opened the chat window with Li Nanchuan, typed and deleted the words repeatedly, and then started tossing and turning again.
It wasn't until almost dawn that she finally fell asleep exhausted.
In a daze, a thought suddenly flashed through her mind. She seemed to have forgotten to ask if it was Li Nanchuan who had done something to the Ling family.
Judging from the situation, it was probably him.
But she was just too tired to send him another message.
She slept until nine o'clock. Ling Qiuqiu called to tell her to go to work, and that was when she finally remembered.
Right! She now had her own career to focus on!
She immediately perked up, got dressed, and drove to the studio.
Who cares about love? She still had a five-million-yuan villa to buy!