novelraw Chapter 449 - 366: Have We Met Before?
Chapter 449 - 366: Have We Met Before?
Chapter 449: Chapter 366: Have We Met Before?
"I said, he’s already gone! It happened the year after he broke up with Leng Mo! That’s why she asked me, and I kept silent!"
"Because before he left, he met me once and told me that if I ever ran into Leng Mo, I should never tell her anything about him!"
"This way, Leng Mo would just think that he’s unreachable, and at least she wouldn’t feel overly heartbroken and sad!"
He wished he could tell Leng Mo to stop waiting, stop looking. That person would never appear again!
But sadly, he couldn’t. The Leng Mo he encountered now was a completely different person from who she was years ago!
Facing the last trace of light in Leng Mo’s eyes, the final shred of her obsession, he could only pretend to be nonchalant as if he knew nothing!
He couldn’t imagine, once Leng Mo found out the news that the person was gone, whether she would still have the courage to keep living—or if she would merely exist like a walking corpse.
For a moment, the three of them fell silent. It was a sorrowful story.
The person she’d been endlessly searching for and longing for had already left this world years ago. All the love, hate, and grudge became insignificant with his departure.
But the one searching for him didn’t know. She was still foolishly, quietly looking and waiting for someone who would never show up!
"Was that why they broke up back then?" After a while, Leng Ning asked softly.
Jin Yichen shook his head: "I don’t know much about the specifics. After high school graduation, I went abroad with my dad, and my contact with him became sporadic. When I saw him again, I found out he was already terminally ill, beyond treatment."
"As for his breakup with Leng Mo, he only said it was because of him. Since he knew he wouldn’t live long, why waste her time..."
Li Si clenched her fingers, listening quietly. It turned out everyone had their own story, but Leng Mo’s story was a bad one. She felt a pang of sorrow and pity.
Jin Yichen felt it was necessary to emphasize, "This matter has been weighing on my heart for a long time. Before returning to the country, I had mentally prepared that Leng Mo might eventually come to me to ask about him. But I never thought she’d end up like this. Seeing her as she is now makes it even more impossible for me to say anything."
"So, the two of you knowing is enough. Whatever happens, don’t ever tell her!"
"No need for you to worry! My sister-in-law and I understand the severity of this! Sigh! I just keep wondering, why is heaven so unfair sometimes?" Leng Ning lowered her eyes and sighed.
As much as birth, aging, illness, and death are natural parts of life, when tragedy falls upon someone close to you, it still leaves you emotionally shaken.
Li Si sighed too, only wishing that somehow, he could have a chance at rebirth.
Jin Yichen glanced at Li Si, "Xiao Ning calls you sister-in-law, so I’ll call you sister-in-law as well! Sister-in-law, haven’t we met somewhere before?"
Li Si looked at him closely, puzzled, and shook her head: "No! I’ve only seen your photo."
Jin Yichen was startled, immediately turning to Leng Ning!
"Photo? What photo?"
Leng Ning’s cheeks flushed as she tugged at Li Si’s clothes, "Sister-in-law?!"
The photo was one she had secretly taken!
Back when they first got to know each other, she sat across from him pretending to look at her phone while secretly snapping the shot!
Li Si also realized she’d let something slip. Seeing Leng Ning’s embarrassed little expression, she couldn’t help laughing, "My fault! I said it wrong!"
For a moment, the atmosphere lightened considerably!
Even a faint smile appeared on Jin Yichen’s face, "Honestly, sister-in-law! I don’t know why, but the first time I saw you, I felt so familiar and warm, almost like you remind me of someone!"
"Maybe I just have one of those faces," Li Si replied, finding him quite pleasant as she interacted with him.
Compared to Lei Ming, the man before her was clearly a better match for Leng Ning, dependable! She gave him a mental thumbs-up!
Leng Ning rolled her eyes at him, "Your attempts to bond are so weak! Are you about to say next, ’We must be one big family’?"
"Exactly! How do you know me so well? You’re surely my dear girlfriend!" Jin Yichen nearly clapped in admiration; he had truly planned to say that!
"Get lost!" She rolled her eyes dramatically at him again.
Just then, Jin Yichen’s phone rang. He pulled it from his pocket and answered. Turned out, it was his friends, wondering why he hadn’t returned and asking him to come back for drinks.
Leng Ning gestured for him to go ahead and rejoin, saying she and Li Si would leave first.
But Jin Yichen wouldn’t let them. He informed his friends over the phone that he had something to attend to and would meet them another day!
"Let’s go! Meeting sister-in-law for the first time, we’ve got to share a meal no matter what! After all, she’s part of Xiao Ning’s family!" Jin Yichen stood up, "But let’s change the venue!"
"Wow! You sure know how to leave an impression! But too bad, today you won’t get the chance! My sister-in-law and I already ate! If you really want to invite us, plan for another day!" Leng Ning teased him, her chin held high.
Li Si chimed in, "That’s right! We’ll have a meal together another day! For now, you and Xiao Ning can go grab something else to eat! I need to head back—I bet the little one at home is getting hungry!"
At Li Si’s mention, Leng Ning immediately remembered how long they’d been out. If not for the earlier delay, they would’ve been home by now.
Especially upon thinking about the pitiful, teary-eyed face of Little Buding if they got home late, she felt a pang in her heart.
"Sister-in-law! It’s all my fault! Otherwise, we’d be home by now! No, I’ll go back with you!" Leng Ning insisted on accompanying Li Si.
"Sister-in-law! I’ll take you both home!" Jin Yichen quickly offered, having heard from Leng Ning about her brother’s son. He’d entirely forgotten amidst the conversation!
Li Si shot a look to stop the two trailing behind her. Gently, she persuaded, "Xiao Ning! Listen to me! I’ll drive myself home. Let your boyfriend take you later. Come on now, be good!"
She then turned to Jin Yichen with a smile, "There will be plenty of chances in the future, so today’s not an issue! You take good care of Xiao Ning!"
Leng Ning and Jin Yichen finally saw Li Si off to her car at the hotel entrance. As her car drove away, Jin Yichen didn’t immediately take his eyes off it.
Leng Ning pouted, pretending to be upset: "Still watching! Be careful your eyes don’t pop out!"
If it weren’t her most beloved sister-in-law, she’d definitely be jealous!
Jin Yichen chuckled and ruffled her hair, "I think I catch a whiff of jealousy?"
"Nonsense!" Leng Ning would never admit it. Okay, maybe just a teeny-tiny bit.
Jin Yichen grinned cheekily, "Xiao Ning! Is your sister-in-law really not from Beijing?"
His eyes were full of doubt. Why did she feel so warm and familiar?
The earlier conversation had clarified that she hadn’t been abroad and had only come to Beijing recently, meaning there was no reason for their paths to have crossed!
Yet why did this feeling persist?
It was truly bizarre!
"No need to lie to you about that! My sister-in-law’s hometown is North City. She only came to Beijing in her sophomore year of college! By then, you were abroad—probably chasing some foreign girls!"
Thinking about it, Leng Ning felt a little disgruntled.
Jin Yichen suppressed his grin and raised his right hand solemnly, "I swear to the Chairman, back then, I was still a virtuous young man!"
"Get lost!" But the grin tugging at Leng Ning’s lips betrayed her mood. After all, he was a few years older than her; having had girlfriends was entirely normal!
Everyone had a past. That she could accept. (To be continued. If you enjoy this story, feel free to visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote with recommendations and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile readers, please visit m.qidian.com to continue reading.)