Chapter 1726: Difficult Brother, Familiar Sister

It was September, and Nanjiang was still lush with green.

The words from Yan Chi about keeping time for her echoed in Jiang Ruan’s ears, settling in her heart. A warm breeze blew from who knows where, making her feel a slight heat in her heart.

Yan Building, inside the elevator

The secretary stood to the side, breaking into a cold sweat. When this female student came over, the front desk indeed called him, but he didn’t expect this misunderstanding to occur. He glanced at the other two people in the elevator out of the corner of his eye.

Jiang Ruan stood diagonally behind Yan Chi, holding a bag with equipment and a box of pastries in her hand. She looked stunning and her demeanor was excellent.

The delicate lotus pink cheongsam was adorned with blue round and emerald-green lotus leaves at the hem, reflecting a few tender lotus flowers. The combination of red and green showed no trace of vulgarity; instead, in the blazing summer, it felt like iced lychee water on white porcelain, making one feel...

Refreshing, sweet.

Cheongsams are clothes that always choose the person. On her, it exuded a youthful allure that was captivating, yet carried an indescribable elegance.

The secretary observed Jiang Ruan, finding her appearance remarkably eye-catching for a female student.

As for Jiang Ruan, she used the reflective surface of the elevator to observe Yan Chi.

He’s really tall.

And indeed, he had little expression.

She truly couldn’t understand why her grandparents and parents always mentioned how considerate and adorable he was.

Yan Chi looked straight ahead, and through the reflective surface, he naturally noticed the gaze from diagonally behind, because...

It was too blatant!

Almost no one dared to scrutinize him so unabashedly.

**

Upon entering the office, the secretary asked Jiang Ruan what she would like to drink, "Tea, juice, coconut water..."

"Coconut water please, thank you." After expressing gratitude, Jiang Ruan looked toward Yan Chi. His office, much like him, was full of design but lacked a living touch, "Senior Yan, where would you like to sit for the interview?"

"The sofa."

Jiang Ruan nodded and then opened her bag, taking out a video camera and a tripod, and began setting up the equipment. A student interview isn’t like the professional media, the equipment is relatively simple.

Once set up, Yan Chi was already seated, so Jiang Ruan aimed the camera at him and began adjusting the lens.

At this moment, the secretary re-entered, delivering a cup of coffee and coconut water before departing.

The office remained as quiet as ever, and the air conditioning was quite strong.

Jiang Ruan focused on the lens, watching Yan Chi pick up the coffee, a small waft of steam rising from the rim, softening his originally hard features into a somewhat misty haze.

He lowered his brows and eyes, sipping the coffee, and in the high-definition lens, it was almost possible to clearly see the coffee go down his throat, his Adam’s apple slightly moving...

Jiang Ruan’s breath caught.

The background was too stark, and his expression was very stiff, so this slightly sensual scene appeared too impactful.

The lens was too clear, pulling his entire face close, the two were obviously at a distance, yet the room was filled with the aroma of coffee, making the distance between him and her seem...

As if it were within reach.

At that moment, Yan Chi suddenly turned to look at the camera, unexpectedly, meeting her gaze.

From Yan Chi’s perspective, he was facing just a machine, but for Jiang Ruan, under the helmet, it was a sudden frontal impact—

A stir and a rush of inexplicable anxiety.

"Are you done?" Yan Chi asked.

"Ready." Jiang Ruan sat across from Yan Chi and placed her pastries on the table, "Sorry for intruding and wasting your time, so I brought some things."

Yan Chi nodded, setting down the coffee, "Just recording some encouraging words for freshmen, is that all?"

"Yes, I’ve also prepared a few questions, you can have a look first."

Although Jiang Ruan wasn’t a professional journalist, she knew that some contents needed to be communicated in advance when interviewing others. She handed him the printed out paper from her bag.

Yan Chi glanced at the prepared interview content on the paper; it was all standard questions, nothing special, and he looked at the person across from him.

Jiang Ruan held the coconut water, yet her fingers instinctively tugged at her skirt.

Her cheongsam didn’t have any side slits, the skirt was knee-length, relatively conservative, but Yan Chi’s office was heavily air-conditioned, and once seated, the wind caught her calves, inevitably making her feel cold.

Yan Chi squinted slightly, he felt that the junior across from him...

Looked familiar.

Yet he couldn’t recall where he had seen her before.

Suddenly asking a girl such a question might be taken as deliberately hitting on her.

While Jiang Ruan was drinking coconut water, she saw Yan Chi suddenly get up; she instinctively stood up too but saw him picking up the suit jacket hanging to the side and handing it to her.

"Senior Yan..."

"Not cold?" Yan Chi glanced at her calf.

Jiang Ruan thanked him and received it, sitting on the sofa, carefully draping his jacket over her legs. With an extra layer of clothing, her legs weren’t cold anymore, and naturally, her body warmed up...

Glancing at Yan Chi out of the corner of her eye, she felt he wasn’t as aloof and indifferent as the rumors said.

"We can start." Yan Chi handed the paper back to her, and Jiang Ruan activated the video function on the equipment.

...

The entire interview process went fairly smoothly.

Jiang Ruan saved the interview material, exhaled deeply, quickly sorted out her equipment, and then glanced at her watch— it was already past eleven o’clock.

"Yan Senior, it’s already noon, so I won’t bother you anymore." Jiang Ruan smiled.

Yan Chi walked over, "I don’t think I know your name yet."

Jiang Ruan: "..."

Because of that misunderstanding, she had confronted Yan Chi as soon as they met, so there was no time for introductions at all.

"Today’s issue was my mishandling. Let’s get to know each other again, I’m Yan Chi." He said, extending his hand.

Jiang Ruan scrutinized his hand. The man was good-looking, even his hand was exceptionally attractive.

Long and slender, with distinct joints. Jiang Ruan didn’t consider herself a hand enthusiast, but attractive things naturally catch the eye, so she reached out, "I’m from the Literature Department, Jiang Ruan."

"Jiang... Ruan?"

Yan Chi examined her and then...

Gently held her hand.

Her hand was cool, whereas his was warm.

With long fingers and a wide palm, it was easy for him to gently wrap her hand in his.

The sudden warmth made Jiang Ruan’s heart feel a surge of heat.

"Jiang Ruan? Which ’ruan’ character?" He looked down at her, speaking from above, his voice a slightly hoarse murmur, as if resonating in her eardrums.

"Ruan as in soft or gentle." She provided the simplest explanation she could.

"It’s already noon, how do you plan to have lunch?"

Jiang Ruan’s campus was quite far. At this hour, she feared only leftovers would be available at the cafeteria.

"I’ll just grab something in the city."

"Today’s misstep was mine, it took up your time. I’ll treat you to lunch as an apology."

"Senior, there’s really no need, I can just have something simple."

"Since you’ve called me Senior, taking care of a junior is only right."

"..."

The next second

The intertwined fingers released, and the warmth that enveloped them disappeared, while cold air once again surged from all directions. Yet Jiang Ruan didn’t feel cold; her palm was instead slightly burning.

Regardless, she inexplicably followed Yan Chi out of the company.

**

Yan Chi had long decided to treat the "junior" for lunch, the restaurant was already booked, located near the company, no need for a car, just a few minutes’ walk.

Jiang Ruan followed closely behind him, attracting quite a bit of attention along the way, but she couldn’t be bothered by that.

She was pondering, after revealing her name, Yan Chi...

Didn’t know her?

Could it be that her name was too common?

Yet not recognizing was actually a good thing. When they met, there was already some misunderstanding, adding in family connections would make things even more tangled.

Moreover...

She certainly didn’t want to call the man in front of her Uncle.

Anyway, after this meal, there likely wouldn’t be much further interaction.

Jiang Ruan pondered in her heart, unaware of what Yan Chi was thinking.

He already felt that this junior seemed somewhat familiar, her eyes always gave him a sense of déjà vu, along with the cheongsam...

Once she introduced herself, Yan Chi immediately recalled.

This was the "sister" he once thought had gotten lost when he was a child.

At that time, he took her out to play, she left with his little aunt, but Yan Chi didn’t realize it, and panicked, thinking the person he brought out had been abducted, only to be a misunderstanding.

This incident left a deep impression on his young mind.

And he was equally deep impressed with this name.

Before, he truly heard from his father that the Si Family’s granddaughter was coming to Nanjiang for studies. The family even called once to invite her for dinner, but she politely declined. His father also reminded him, if he met her at school, to take care of her. However, they were not on the same campus, so they hadn’t met.

Unexpectedly...

After graduation, they would meet in this way. He observed the person to his rear with his peripheral vision.

Probably because the sun was too hot, her face turned as red as lychees.

Jiang Ruan didn’t have a deep impression of the childhood events, but Yan Chi remembered distinctly. He was extremely anxious, thinking he had lost her, whereas she was having fun with his little aunt.

Yan Chi was quite frustrated then, thinking she was heartless, so he stopped taking her out to play.

This also led to the first impression Yan Chi left on Jiang Ruan:

This older brother was too hard to please.

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