Chapter 293: Afraid of Melting Even Holding Her in the Mouth

Can't you tell I like you, A Lai...

Can't you tell I like you, A Lai...

I like you, A Lai...

A Lai...

Jiang Lai collapsed onto the bed without even taking off her clothes, the words echoing ceaselessly in her ears, unable to stop for a long time.

She knew.

Ke Zhongyu's different treatment of her could at first be excused as mutual benefit between Party A and Party B, and even used Chongying as a reason, but ever since returning from G Province, such reasons and excuses no longer held up.

Whatever was ready to spill from Ke Zhongyu's eyes—she knew what it was.

She also wanted to be like what her mentor's wife said: like an experiment repeated a thousand times, even if it failed, to still have the courage to start over from the beginning.

But... what if she encountered another "Shen Xun"?

No.

Ke Zhongyu was not the same as Shen Xun.

Comparing him to Shen Xun was not appropriate.

She no longer knew what love was, and who could guarantee that Ke Zhongyu was the correct answer in matters of the heart?

Jiang Lai had insomnia.

Tossing and turning.

Lately, when she couldn't sleep, she would subconsciously touch the carved brass key she wore on her chest.

Even this key was a birthday gift from Ke Zhongyu.

Jiang Lai silently let go.

She turned over and silently told herself to hurry up and sleep—tomorrow Dean Mom and Ping'an were coming over; first go pick them up at the airport, then head to the already-booked hotel, and come here for dinner in the evening; taking advantage of the New Year's holiday, she could take Dean Mom and Ping'an around A City, and once it was a workday, take Ping'an to the hospital for a checkup...

Jiang Lai went through all the arrangements in her mind, but still couldn't fall asleep.

【Good night, A Lai】

A message came through; the phone lit up with a faint glow in the darkness, softly illuminating Jiang Lai's profile.

She guessed it was Ke Zhongyu.

She picked up the phone to look—sure enough.

Jiang Lai stared at her chat interface with Ke Zhongyu, spacing out for a good while.

After thinking it over, she still replied: 【Good night】

The next second, the phone showed the other person was typing.

She just watched.

About three minutes passed, and the other side only sent one line: 【Not asleep yet?】

Three minutes to type three words and a question mark—even the decisive and ruthless wielder of power at Ke Group could have moments this un-smooth.

Jiang Lai thought to herself: so she wasn't the only one with insomnia.

She replied: 【No】

The other side typed for a long time again, then sent six words: 【I want to call you】

Jiang Lai suddenly sat up, quietly staring at those words.

【I'm asleep】

Seeing those words, Ke Zhongyu let out a low chuckle and typed: 【Asleep?】

A Lai: 【Mm.】

Ke Zhongyu happened to be standing on the balcony, looking at the doghouse in the yard where two big dogs were sleeping soundly. He snapped a zoomed-in photo and sent it over.

A Lai: 【How are Da De and Xiao Mu doing lately?】

The smile at the corners of Ke Zhongyu's mouth grew wider as he replied to her: 【Come see for yourself】

A Lai didn't reply again.

He put away his phone too, returned to the bedroom, and instead called his younger sister.

"Brother, my brother! It's three o'clock, I just fell asleep—if this isn't some earth-shattering good news, I will absolutely never forgive you!"

"Send me the riverside video."

His sister's speechless voice came through the phone. "Does it have to be right now? I'm your own sister!"

"Unless you beg me," Ke Zhongying immediately added, speaking extremely fast.

Ke Zhongyu: "Mm, begging you."

To get the video of him and Jiang Lai, what did such a small request matter?

Ke Zhongying: "????"

She glanced at her phone uncertainly, muttering softly: "It's true that my brother is a ball..."

"What ball?"

"Nothing." Ke Zhongying tumbled off the bed. "Since you're begging me, I'll reluctantly transfer the video and send it to you. I'll give you the cloud drive link."

"Mm." Ke Zhongyu hung up the phone, went to take a hot shower first, and by the time he came out, Ke Zhongying had already sent the video link.

He went to the Shufang, turned on the computer to save the video, and created a new encrypted folder named "A Lai," uploading all the photos taken on his phone into the folder as well.

The video was over forty minutes long. Ke Zhongyu quietly watched for over forty minutes, his eyes always fixed on Jiang Lai.

Watching her hair blown by the wind, watching her gently tuck her scarf, watching the fleeting startle when she noticed the camera lens, and the smile she showed when taking the group photo.

Her lips still pressed together, curving upward in a gentle arc, her eyes very bright, her two hands crossed in front of her, her pointed chin buried in the scarf.

Very cute.

Jiang Lai had nothing to do with "cute," but he just felt she was very cute.

When the video played to the point of taking a selfie with the phone, he looked at the phone without looking at Jiang Lai, and Jiang Lai's gaze lingered on him for three seconds.

Ke Zhongyu froze for a moment, stepped back, and continued watching.

After three seconds, he stepped back and continued watching.

This repeated over and over.

After who knows how long, Ke Zhongyu finally let go of that brief three seconds and continued watching onward.

Ke Zhongying actually even captured footage of him and Jiang Lai together.

But it wasn't comprehensive.

The camera's main view was on the ground, with him and Jiang Lai only in the upper-left corner.

He looked, for 2.5 seconds.

It turned out to be only 2.5 seconds, no wonder he felt it was far from enough.

Ke Zhongyu cut out all the footage he wanted separately and placed it in an encrypted folder.

He looked up again, and dawn was approaching.

Ke Zhongyu felt energized, decided to go to the gym first, then wash up and have breakfast, preparing to pick up Director Tang and Ping'an at the airport in the afternoon.

Jiang Lai will definitely go on her own.

Secretary Qian doesn't need to go.

Ke Zhongyu sent a message to Secretary Qian, then continued sweating profusely on the treadmill.

After exercising, he went to eat breakfast when his mother called.

"Good morning, son."

"Good morning, Ms. Nian."

"Jiang Lai wasn't scared by you, was she?"

Ke Zhongyu wasn't surprised that Ms. Nian would know; Ke Zhongying was Ms. Nian's thoughtful little cotton-padded jacket, his leaky port little sister.

"A little."

"You should restrain your temper; it's hard to find someone you like, so cherish, value, and pamper them, understand?"

Ke Zhongyu: "I'm afraid it would melt if I held it in my mouth."

Ms. Nian chuckled: "This matter won't work if you rely on yourself alone; I and your father also need to put in effort. Jiang Lai has had a marriage and family before, so she will definitely consider many factors when choosing a partner."

Ke Zhongyu: "When will you come back?"

Ms. Nian joked: "You're so eager? In a couple of days, perhaps. I and your father had planned to meet with your Uncle Gu here, but who knew he said he'd return for New Year's, and today there's been no movement—he's still in A City."

Ke Fu's voice came over the phone: "He's probably busy; Gu Zhiyan hasn't been bewitched by Ji Lao's granddaughter, has he?"

Ke Zhongyu: "Uncle Gu couldn't possibly fail to investigate Lin Shutong's background."

Ms. Nian agreed, yet wondered: "What's so important in A City that you don't even come back to keep Shiwei company?"

Gu Sen's wife is called Song Shiwei.

Ke Zhongyu, lost in thought: "I'll pay more attention."

Ke Fu asked again: "Gu Yinxue is also there; what's her situation? Has she been trying to get close to you and Jiang Lai?"

Ke Zhongyu thought carefully, suddenly feeling something was off, but couldn't put his finger on it for a moment.

He only mentioned in passing: "The last time I went to G Province with Jiang Lai, Gu Yinxue was there too, showing up early at the Fuli Yuan where Jiang Lai grew up."

"She went to G Province?" Ms. Nian exclaimed in surprise, "Gu Sen and Shiwei have strictly forbidden her from going to that part of G Province; I'll think about whether to mention this to Gu Sen."