Chapter 22
"What is it?" Jiang Yan mumbled, rather reluctantly, for although the task was completed, she could still linger in this world for a while. She could have played around on her own for a few days, but Fu Yan insisted that she meet him.
"What's wrong? Not happy to see your boyfriend?" Fu Yan detected a hint of something and probed her with a half-smile.
Since Jiang Yan was about to leave anyway, she couldn't be bothered to put on an act. Sitting on the soft sofa, she grumbled, "Why do we have to meet in person? Can't we just have an online relationship?"
They both tacitly understood the nature of that rather illusory relationship.
Fu Yan held a cigarette but didn't smoke it, nor did he respond to her words. Instead, he scrutinized her carefully with an enigmatic smile, saying, "It's rare for someone to be more beautiful in person than online."
Jiang Yan took it as a compliment and peeled an orange from the fruit plate on the table.
Fu Yan had seen many fake smiles before and appreciated her candor.
The high-end club he had booked was a place for wealthy scions to have fun, with countless activities on offer. That day, he took Jiang Yan to thoroughly enjoy themselves.
Finally, in a good mood, he sent her back home.
Initially, he hadn't planned it that way. His heart was filled with romantic and affectionate thoughts, and the club actually hid 999 roses.
But upon meeting Jiang Yan, he suddenly had an intuition that the two of them might not end up together. For no apparent reason, a wave of sadness overwhelmed his heart, making the young master feel like he might have fallen ill.
That wouldn't do; how could he pursue the girl he loved if he was sick? Fu Yan suppressed his feelings and spent a carefree day with the girl, then headed straight to a private hospital for a heart examination.
After waiting a few days, the results showed no issues.
Fu Yan dismissed the vague sense of fate as nonsense.
He mustered his courage, hopped into a fire-red luxury car, and rushed to Jiang Yan's rented apartment, where he met her smiling and carrying a bouquet of snacks.
Fu Yan rolled down the window, his face stern, and asked who sent it.
Jiang Yan was surprised, "I bought it myself, a snack bouquet. It looks nice and tastes good too." Her tone suggested she wanted to sell Fu Yan one as well.
Fu Yan's mood improved, and he asked her to get in the car, taking out a bouquet of roses and placing it in her arms.
Jiang Yan was about to leave and didn't want to owe any favors, so she was wary and tried to avoid it, "What are you doing? I don't want it."
"Whether you want it or not," Fu Yan didn't mind, "I want to give it to you, so I will. If you don't want it, you can throw it away later, just don't do it in front of me."
It was the first time the young master Fu Yan pursued someone, and he did it according to his instincts, with a carefree and persistent attitude.
Finally, a message came from the system that it was time to leave.
So when Fu Yan confessed his feelings again, Jiang Yan spread her slender white hands at him and told him, "I'm leaving."
Fu Yan looked at her delicate hands, finding them appealing, and after a moment's distraction, asked, "Where to?"
"I'm not telling you," Jiang Yan smiled sweetly, appearing gentle and adorable.
The young master Fu Yan said bluntly, "Don't give me that. I can follow you wherever you go. Abroad?"
Jiang Yan smiled, "To a place you can't find me. I'm just letting you know that I'm leaving."
"Do you have a terminal illness?" Fu Yan suddenly asked.
Jiang Yan pondered for a moment and said vaguely, "Something like that."
"Have you seen doctors? Have you gone abroad for treatment?" Fu Yan asked a few questions in quick succession.
Jiang Yan thought to herself that she was destined to disappear. She shook her head at Fu Yan.
Fu Yan then understood the situation and grabbed his hair in frustration, "I always felt like I couldn't hold on to you."
After a while, he suddenly reached out and patted Jiang Yan's head. He was usually very restrained, so this gesture seemed rather impulsive.
His attitude was one of consolation, but he said, "At least now I know why you wouldn't accept me. It's because you couldn't bear the thought of me being heartbroken when you leave."
"So, does that mean you like me a little bit, don't you?" Fu Yan asked.
"Maybe," Jiang Yan replied, since Fu Yan had kept her company for so long during the live stream.
"Go ahead and leave. I'll always remember you looking as beautiful as you are now," Fu Yan said.
He meant that for the rest of his life, he would always remember this girl, incredibly beautiful, who made his heart flutter the first time he saw her.
Fu Yan was the only son of the Fu family.
His parents' marriage was solely for the purpose of producing an heir for the two families. Thus, as soon as he was born, they signed a divorce agreement.
Fu Yan's mother immediately flew to Canada to be with her lover, while his father moved into a separate villa.
He was raised by his grandparents from a young age and was tremendously spoiled. As a result, he developed a rather unruly character. At a very young age, he understood the world's impurities and filth, and he too became muddled and tarnished, much like the world itself.
That is, until the day he accidentally handed his phone to Fu Qi, who then found himself a sister-in-law.
Fu Yan took a glance and thought to himself, "The little brat has good taste."
But unfortunately, no matter how long he pursued her, he couldn't win over the girl. Later, the girl told him that she was ill.
She was leaving.
That was fine too.
Fu Yan was someone who appreciated a woman who didn't put him at the center of her world, because at his core, he was a similar sort of indifferent person.
He figured it was alright this way. By not witnessing the girl's death, he could always believe she was still alive, perhaps seeking treatment, or perhaps she had encountered a miracle doctor... Just that they hadn't ended up together.
The ill-tempered young master of the Fu family was rarely saddened, causing quite a stir. But after a few days, the arrogant young master returned to his old ways. However, during occasional leisurely afternoons, he always felt like something was missing, yet he could never find that girl who didn't work hard in the live stream again.
...
Lu Shushu came from a poor background, with divorced parents and an impoverished family, and her father was seriously ill.
When she was young, she envied the people she saw on TV at her classmates' homes the most. They usually looked glamorous and elegant, worrying about love affairs every day, and seemed blissfully happy, making her green with envy.
Later, after gaining knowledge, she realized that those were just performances. But becoming a person on TV remained her obsession.
However, she never had the means to pursue her dream. She worked hard and achieved average results, getting into high school, college, and eventually falling into the trap of job hunting.
Fortunately, she had a roommate who was just like the people on TV, named Lin Jiang Yan.
Lin Jiang Yan was incredibly beautiful and treated her exceptionally well. She often wondered how there could be such a wonderful girl.
Later, she realized that Lin Jiang Yan was her savior during that period of her life.
Luckily, she encountered a turning point in her life and was given the opportunity to act. After that, their contact became less frequent.
Eventually, she achieved great success, becoming a celebrated actress and winning many awards.
But every time she held an award and thought about her acceptance speech, she would remember Lin Jiang Yan, the girl who seemed like a dream.