Pampered by Short-Lived Bigshot-Chapter 977 - 582: Confession Rejected? The Last Bit of Stubbornness (Second Update)

Chapter 977: Chapter 582: Confession Rejected? The Last Bit of Stubbornness (Second Update)

Jiang Jinsang didn’t feel the baby’s movement, and hid his disappointment as he entered the kitchen. But as soon as he left, Tang Wan felt the child in her belly move again.

She pursed her lips:

What’s with this kid? Doesn’t like his own father?

"Actually, fetal movement isn’t that regular. It’s normal not to feel it." Tang Wan followed him into the kitchen and immediately changed the topic, "Fifth brother, do you think it’s really impossible for Zeyan to like Xixi?"

"I don’t know." Jiang Jinsang didn’t dare to speak too definitively.

"Ever since they started living together, I think Xixi already feels like she’s in a relationship. I’m a bit worried about her."

"I can understand her."

"What can you understand?" Tang Wan laughed.

"When I used to live at your house, I didn’t know what you were thinking back then, but it seemed to me that I had already fallen in love."

"..."

Tang Wan’s ears turned slightly red, and she coughed lightly. They were clearly talking about Ruan Mengxi and Qi Zeyan’s relationship, so how did it suddenly become about him? "Xixi seems lively, but she’s actually very fragile inside, and somewhat insecure."

"Insecure? You really can’t tell." Jiang Jinsang only saw her bold side.

"She used to be a bit chubby and didn’t have many friends. At school, many people gave her nasty nicknames. The kind of rejection from kids, the malice in their words, might be naive but is so purely cruel. There was a time when she almost had no friends."

Jiang Jinsang only knew Ruan Mengxi used to be very chubby but didn’t know about anything else.

"She doesn’t have many friends, so once she likes someone, and that person is good to her, she’ll be a hundred times better to them, she’ll like them more intensely." Tang Wan pursed her lips, "She’s like this, quite likely to get hurt."

...

Jiang Jinsang didn’t say anything further.

**

Meanwhile, in the apartment

Ruan Mengxi returned from the supermarket and made a few simple home-cooked dishes.

Once everyone was seated, the old man Qi naturally sat at the head of the table. Seeing the table full of dishes, he grinned broadly, "Xiaoruan, thank you for your hard work. I came uninvited and yet you had to be busy for half the day."

"You usually take good care of me, and I’ve dined at your house too. Please try my cooking." Ruan Mengxi was open and not bashful, endearing herself to the elders.

"Alright, I’ll try it." The old man smiled as he took a piece of beef, which was stewed very tenderly, just right for the elderly, "Xiaoruan, do you usually cook for yourself at home?"

"If it’s just me, unless it’s the weekend, I usually eat at the company cafeteria. The food is delicious and not expensive."

Ruan Mengxi’s words were a subtle compliment to the old man, even though she was praising the company cafeteria, which was his family’s.

The old man enjoyed the meal very much, but Qi Zeyan, with matters on his mind, found it tasteless, while Xiaozhu ate nervously.

After the meal, Ruan Mengxi also cut some fruit for the old man.

"A girl really knows how to take care of people." Grandpa Qi laughed, "Zeyan staying at your place for so long must have been quite a bother for you. I gave you a break to let you rest, but it seems this kid disrupted it."

"Don’t worry, I’ll take him home in a bit."

Ruan Mengxi could roughly guess that with Grandpa Qi’s visit, Qi Zeyan wouldn’t be able to continue staying with her.

Even though she nodded and smiled at the mention, she couldn’t hide her disappointment.

This slight emotion didn’t escape the old man’s eyes, prompting him to frequently glance sideways at the person beside him:

You rascal, you almost caused a good girl to wait in vain.

"Today’s visit was a bother for you, so I won’t stay any longer. Next time, you come to Grandpa’s house, and I’ll treat you to a meal." After saying this, Grandpa Qi stood up smiling.

"You’re leaving already? Stay a little longer."

"I’ve eaten too much tonight, I’ll have Xiaozhu accompany me on a walk to digest it. Zeyan, pack your things, I’ll wait for you downstairs."

Grandpa Qi’s intentions were clear, giving the two of them space to clarify things.

...

After Grandpa Qi and Xiaozhu left, it was just the two of them in the house again. Ruan Mengxi glanced at Qi Zeyan, "Since it’s hard for you to move around, let me help you pack your things."

Saying that, she went into the guest bedroom, helping him take out the clothes from the wardrobe, preparing to pack them separately.

Qi Zeyan limped into the bedroom, leaning against the wall, looking somewhat lazier in posture and colder in expression than usual.

Though he wasn’t someone like Jiang Jinsang who always spoke with a smile, he had a good temperament. Except for work or when something happened, he rarely showed this kind of expression.

Since returning from the supermarket, Ruan Mengxi felt uneasy.

Perhaps it was a woman’s intuition; she sensed that something was going to happen tonight.

She smiled with pursed lips, turning her head to look at him, "Boss, do you also want to take your toiletries?"

Qi Zeyan stared at her intently, recalling everything that happened lately. Their relationship had indeed crossed some boundaries, and he wasn’t completely unaware of Ruan Mengxi’s feelings towards him. But seeing her act calm, he suddenly felt a bit helpless.

He squinted his eyes, lowering his gaze to look at her: "Ruan Mengxi."

With a serious expression, Ruan Mengxi’s heart suddenly sank, and his every word that followed seemed to strike heavily on her heart.

"You like me."

The tone was entirely sure, leaving nowhere to hide her thoughts.

Facing those eyes as dark as ink, despite being prepared...

At this moment, she still felt her heart pounding like a drum.

Violently, it throbbed hard.

She kept a smile on her face, seemingly without awkwardness at her thoughts being exposed. Her smile was beautiful, so it was now. The light fell into her eyes, bright as starry rivers. She looked at him...

Focused, serious, yet very eager.

She simply stopped adjusting his clothes but did not deny his words.

Zeyan stared at her. He had expected many scenarios if they broke the ice, such as her avoiding, denying, or refusing to communicate.

But he hadn’t expected her to admit it so openly, which left him a bit stunned.

He lowered his eyes to study her, his back still against the wall. "When did it start?"

"Last year, I guess, when you first took me out to socialize."

Zeyan frowned slightly, remembering someone trying to toast her, and he helped her out.

That was a long time ago.

But Ruan Mengxi still remembered the feeling and flutter when he held her hand. 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

Ruan Mengxi looked at him, her heart pounding like a drum. She could even feel her throat tighten as she found the courage to speak, "Zeyan..."

This was the first time she called him by his name, making him pause.

"What do you think of me?" she bit her lip and asked cautiously.

"You’re a good girl."

Ruan Mengxi gave a barely noticeable nod; this was clearly a ’nice girl card’ he was offering.

But since everything had already been laid out, she was determined not to give up without a fight. So, she endured the trembling in her teeth, looked up at him, and asked with a smile:

"Since you think I’m a good girl, why don’t we give it a try? Let me be your girlfriend."

Zeyan didn’t want to hurt her, so he gently handed her the ’nice girl card.’

But he didn’t expect her to be so insistent on getting an answer.

"We’ve lived together for so long, and we get along well, no conflicts. We have pleasant interactions, share some common topics, and can talk to each other..."

"I think we’re quite suited for each other. Why don’t you consider me?"

Zeyan knew she was bold, but he hadn’t expected her to be so persistent. With anyone else, he would have been straightforward, but with her, he didn’t know what to do.

He hadn’t imagined that breaking the ice would lead to this.

Now that it had come to this, Ruan Mengxi had no reservations, her voice softened, pressing low in her throat:

"Zeyan, I’m serious. I really like you. Let’s give it a try. Can we?"

Her tone carried a plea, slightly humble.

This was the greatest courage Ruan Mengxi could muster, but the person opposite her remained silent.

...

Only now did Ruan Mengxi understand the torment of each second passing. As time elapsed, her fervent heart gradually cooled. She bit her lip hard, suddenly feeling like a clown.

If he had any feelings for her, he wouldn’t be so silent.

He probably found this troubling.

After who knows how long, Zeyan finally spoke hoarsely, "Ruan Mengxi, you know I pulled you closer to approach Tang Wan. And you two are best friends, which makes it a bit awkward..."

"If we were to be together, you should know how people outside would talk."

"You should know how they would describe you. It’s not fair to you."

Ruan Mengxi softly hummed in response, her eyes slightly warm. She didn’t know how much effort it took to hold back her tears, "I understand your point now. You don’t have to continue."

Zeyan had been watching her, "Ruan Mengxi..."

"I’ve packed your toiletries already." She finished speaking, giving Zeyan no time to react, and turned to walk out of the guest room, directly heading to the bathroom.

She bit her teeth tightly, her eyes slightly red, having a sense of escaping in panic, but her back was stubborn, maintaining her posture.

Zeyan rubbed his hair, exceedingly annoyed.

Soon she came out of the bathroom, shoving his toiletries into a bag, along with his clothes, stuffing them in without care, without folding them.

The clothes being stuffed haphazardly, inevitably running out of space, the more she packed, the more agitated she became, and the less patience she had for his clothes.

Zeyan swallowed nervously, suddenly a bit scared...

Would she turn around and slap him?