CHAPTER 150: CHAPTER 149: IF YOU HAVE THE GUTS, BITE ME

Their eldest brother is not at home, he went out for research with He Chen, so Jiang Tianrui subconsciously thought Jiang Yuan went to call the police, but didn’t expect this foolish girl to run off to find Liu Jitong.

Liu Jitong is just a business partner with them, not even considered a friend, how did she dare to go find him?

What if he doesn’t come?

Wouldn’t that be a waste of time and awkward?

He hadn’t thought much about this issue before, but the more he thought about it now, the more something seemed off. It was clear there was something between Jiang Yuan and Liu Jitong that he didn’t know.

But he watches Jiang Yuan every day, when did they have something going on without him knowing?

Jiang Tianrui was truly puzzled, his face full of confusion.

Jiang Yuan choked on a mouthful of rice, took a large gulp of water, and poked at the rice in her bowl sheepishly.

"I didn’t think about it that much at the time..."

Jiang Tianrui continued to press.

"If you didn’t think that much, how did you come up with the idea to find Liu Jitong?"

Jiang Yuan didn’t dare to look into Jiang Tianrui’s eyes, her ears quietly turning a little red.

"I, I just thought he’s tall and imposing, more capable of holding the fort..."

As she said this, Jiang Yuan suddenly seemed to think of something and abruptly looked up at Ye Manman.

"Besides, doesn’t he have a good relationship with He Chen? He Chen isn’t here, if the brother’s wife is in trouble, the brother would of course help, right? Anyway, it’s not like we were really going to fight, just to scare people."

"The eldest brother isn’t here... If he were, I would’ve definitely gone to him."

The more Jiang Yuan talked, the more confident she became, even the redness in her ears gradually faded, and she was able to face Jiang Tianrui’s suspicious gaze head-on.

Although what she said made sense, Jiang Tianrui still found a loophole.

"Then how did you know where Liu Jitong was? You’ve never been to the Liu Family Farm."

Jiang Yuan had proudly raised her chin, but now suddenly deflated again.

Seeing this, Jiang Tianrui continued his relentless pursuit, pretending to threaten with a chopstick held horizontally across Jiang Yuan’s neck.

"Come clean quickly, leniency to those who confess, severity to those who resist."

The first time Ye Manman met Jiang Tianrui, she thought he was a rather mature and shrewd character. It turned out he was smart, but far from mature, clearly pretending to be mature initially.

The more she interacted with him now, watching his daily interactions with Jiang Yuan, the more Ye Manman felt Jiang Tianrui was quite childish, definitely not mature.

"I followed you once, secretly, so I know where the farm is, okay?"

Jiang Yuan evidently decided to come clean, directly confessing, which left Jiang Tianrui thunderstruck.

"If you wanted to go, just go, why follow secretly? It seems sneaky, did I ever say you can’t go? Didn’t, right?"

Jiang Yuan pursed her lips, "I just suddenly felt like visiting, what’s wrong with that? If you can, bite me then?"

"I!"

Jiang Tianrui’s eyes widened, a bit frustrated.

"Be honest with your brother, Jiang Yuan, do you have feelings for Liu Jitong? Do you like him?"

"Do you know he’s several years older than you? He was already in elementary school when you were still drinking milk. It’s not that you’re not suitable; it’s just clear he’s not interested in you, can’t you see? Among everyone you could like, why someone like him?"

His tone was unpleasant, and Jiang Yuan’s temper flared up, arguing back.

"What’s wrong with someone like that? What did he do for you to talk about him like that? You’re saying as if he’s some terrible person, don’t forget if he hadn’t brought people over, you’d still be held up at noon."

"That’s not what I meant."

"Then what do you mean? By saying that, you’re implying he’s no good, right? What business is it of yours who I like? Who asked for your opinion?"

Jiang Yuan was a little angry, and Jiang Tianrui was momentarily at a loss for words, opening his mouth but not knowing what to say.

He glanced pleadingly at Ye Manman, who was watching the scene unfold, and Ye Manman got the message, soothing the agitated Jiang Yuan to sit down.

"Alright, alright, sit down, no need to get so worked up, here, have a sip of hot water to calm down."

Ye Manman’s tone was calm, easily soothing people, and Jiang Yuan, who always listened to her, obediently sat down.

But she still turned her head away, refusing to look at Jiang Tianrui in her anger.

Ye Manman carefully pondered the meaning behind Jiang Tianrui’s words and considering Liu Jitong’s attitude towards Jiang Yuan lately, she understood what he was worried about.

Giving him a reassuring look, Ye Manman slowly spoke.

"Actually, I feel like the age gap isn’t a big issue, it’s not like it’s over a dozen years, six or seven years is still okay, as long as there are no communication barriers or generation gaps, dating is completely fine."

When she said this, Jiang Yuan’s ears clearly perked up, and her expression improved noticeably, but Jiang Tianrui frowned deeply, intensely questioning her choice of words with his eyes.

Ye Manman ignored him and continued, "Your brother isn’t concerned about this issue, he’s worried that because Liu Jitong is significantly older than you and more experienced, he might just see you as a little girl and not actually want to date you, and that could hurt you, he’s just worried about you getting hurt."

"After all, men like him easily attract the admiration of young girls. To Liu Jitong, he must have encountered more than one girl who liked him over the years, and since you have business collaborations, you would have normal interactions."

"So if he hasn’t shown any intentions of pursuing you but is still polite and nice to you, then maybe it’s just..."

Ye Manman also didn’t want Jiang Yuan to get hurt emotionally. Earlier, when she noticed Jiang Yuan’s interest in Liu Jitong, she even tried to encourage their interaction, but Liu Jitong always behaved just ordinarily.

Although he was polite to Jiang Yuan, his words and actions always conveyed that Jiang Yuan was just a young girl, and he never looked at Jiang Yuan with affection.

Familiar with what a man’s loving gaze looks like, Ye Manman was more certain Liu Jitong truly only saw Jiang Yuan as a regular business partner and a little girl.

However, she didn’t want to state it too bluntly as that would be too hurtful.

The atmosphere suddenly became very quiet, almost stifling.

Jiang Yuan couldn’t hide her emotions on her face, and her current expression looked terrible, though she knew they were right.

Because every time Liu Jitong looked at her or spoke, his gaze was always like a brother’s.

Jiang Yuan had two brothers who spoiled her, so she understood well what Liu Jitong’s gaze meant. Although he was always gentle and polite, helping immediately when she asked, he really only saw her as a little sister.

Even when talking with others about her, Liu Jitong only referred to her as "that little girl," never mentioning her by name.

It’s as if, in his eyes, she really was just an ungrown little girl.

The clearer her thoughts became, the more hurt Jiang Yuan felt, her expression stirring empathy.

Even though they didn’t want her to get hurt, it’s better to face the truth early rather than love deeply only to find out he only saw her as a sister. If things reach that point, there’s still the option of forcing yourself to move forward.

Ye Manman approached her and gave her a comforting hug.

"It’s okay, liking someone isn’t wrong. The probability of meeting someone you like who also happens to like you back in this world is already small, and anyway, this is all just speculation. You haven’t even expressed your feelings, no one knows the outcome yet."