278: Chapter 278 Being Deceived

On February 5th, as the sky was just beginning to lighten, Jiang Ye's zeekr x was already carrying Su Ning and her suitcase, packed to the point of nearly bursting, towards the airport.

In the passenger seat, Su Ning's mood felt like a rollercoaster, full of ups and downs.

The thought of being separated from her beloved Brother for a full 20 days, only able to communicate through the cold screen of WeChat, made her unbearably anxious.

As everyone knew, Jiang Ye in online mode was extremely emotionally unstable—sometimes fiery and responsive in seconds, sometimes icy and aloof, making one ponder.

With her limited skills, she couldn't handle him at all. She was terrified that this twenty-day 'long-distance relationship' would freeze out the hard-earned bit of 'ambiguity' they had cultivated.

But then, thinking of the bank card in her bag containing a hundred thousand in 'wages' and another hundred thousand as a 'year-end bonus,' she couldn't help but rub her hands together excitedly.

Two hundred thousand!

A senior in college who earned two hundred thousand from just half a year of internship!

She could already picture herself during the New Year, casually and 'unintentionally' revealing a sense of superiority in front of her many aunts and uncles, old classmates, and friends.

As long as she successfully proved the money was earned legitimately (mainly proving she hadn't sold herself), the stage for showing off would be infinitely vast!

To be honest, in her over twenty years of life, Su Ning had never looked forward to class reunions and visiting relatives as much as she did now!

Of course, to ensure Jiang Ye maintained a sense of 'freshness' and 'longing' for her during these twenty days, Su Ning had specifically prepared a backup plan.

Just before leaving, she pulled Jiang Ye into her room and, pointing at everything in the room, declared solemnly:

'Brother! While I'm gone, I'm entrusting everything in my room to your 'care'! From the quilt and pillows, to the socks and slippers, right down to every single item hanging in the wardrobe... well, you know! You... you can use them as you please! Just... just remember to wash them for me after you're done!'

After saying this, Su Ning's cheeks flushed slightly as she imagined Jiang Ye sleeping with her pillow every night, wearing her...

Ahem, wearing them probably wasn't likely yet; Brother probably hadn't gotten that perverted...

Hmph! Anyway, the feeling of being surrounded by her own scent must be amazing!

Jiang Ye looked around the room filled with a girlish atmosphere, stroked his chin, feeling utterly unperturbed inside.

It wasn't a 'gift,' so there was no cashback to earn; nor were they 'warm' items just taken off her body, so they couldn't complete any tasks.

Apart from adding a bit of housework burden, they were completely useless.

However, considering Comrade Xiao Su was about to go home for the New Year and was feeling excited, Jiang Ye didn't make any more teasing remarks to mess with her mood. He just smiled and nodded:

'Alright, got it. I'll make sure to wash them spotless, so you won't be able to tell a thing when you get back.'

————

9:15 AM, Domestic Departures Hall, Taoxian Airport.

Su Ning stood at the check-in counter, slowly handing her ticket and ID card to the staff.

Once the formalities were settled, she pulled her suitcase and walked towards the security gate, looking back every few steps.

Seeing Jiang Ye not far away, hands in his pockets with a 'hurry up and leave' expression, she paused, pressed her lips together, and that mix of parting sorrow and the impulse to 'cause some trouble before leaving' surged up in her again.

Should she...

Let go of her suitcase and rush over to give him a passionate kiss?

Or jump up, wave vigorously, and shout 'Brother, wait for me to come back!'?

That's how they always do it in TV dramas!

Just as this thought popped into her head, her phone vibrated with a 'buzz.'

She picked it up to see a WeChat message from Jiang Ye:

['Hurry up and go! Don't do anything useless! If you dawdle, the readers might think it's foreshadowing, a setup for tragedy.']

Looking at the words on the screen, Su Ning's face instantly darkened. Her earlier romantic notions were utterly shattered.

She stuffed her phone back into her bag with annoyance and muttered under her breath, 'No sense of romance! Dog man!'

Hmph! What's he acting all high and mighty for? She, Su Ning, had a temper too!

The next second, she lifted her chin, straightened her posture, instantly switching back to the aloof-girl demeanor Jiang Ye had first seen at Wanda Apartment—with a touch of haughtiness and a 'don't touch me' aura—swiped her ticket briskly through the security gate, and didn't even look back once.

Watching her back disappear into the end of the corridor, Jiang Ye shrugged and turned to leave the airport.

With the drama queen sent off, there were only five days left until the Little New Year in the north, and the countdown to Ye Cheng's return to her hometown in County had also entered its final four days.

————

February 6th, Friday, Sunny, -19℃ to -11℃, Northwest Wind Level 3, Air Quality Excellent.

Inside the Starbucks on the first floor of MixC City, Jiang Ye and Ye Cheng each held a cup of hot Americano, taking small sips.

'Cheng Cheng...'

Jiang Ye put down his cup, tilting his head as he looked at Ye Cheng. 'How come I remember your last period was in mid-January? It's only the beginning of the month, and you're having it again? Are you trying to fool me?'

'The last time was when you helped Gu Yanchen 'confess' to me, that was January 5th.'

Ye Cheng glanced at him, gently blowing on the steam rising from her cup. 'I'm always very regular, basically at the beginning of every month. If you don't believe me, I can let you 'check' when we get back?'

Jiang Ye immediately raised his eyebrows, waving his hands repeatedly with a serious expression. 'Cheng Cheng, how can you say that? How could I not believe you? Do we not even have that basic trust between us?'

As he spoke, he shifted his tone, revealing a bit of 'helplessness.' 'But then again, my mom taught me since I was little to always listen to my girlfriend. If you insist... insist on me checking, then I...'

'What a character!'

Ye Cheng pinched his arm in annoyance. 'I'm done with you! I've really realized I've been taken for a ride by you!'

'Taken for a ride? What ride?'

'It was agreed I'd join your harem for a million a month. But it's been two months now, and even if you add everything up, it's barely over five hundred thousand, with nearly half of it spent on you! And the most crucial thing is!'

The more she spoke, the more she felt shortchanged, her eyes full of accusation. 'It was clearly supposed to be a harem, so why are you only messing with me? Last night, after Little Su finished her shower, she even took the initiative to go borrow a hairdryer from you, and you—you really just lent her the hairdryer.'

'Shallow!'

Jiang Ye scoffed disdainfully, speaking righteously. 'What I value is the collision of souls, the harmony of spirits, the depth of emotion! Physical contact without emotional depth, what's the point of that... Wow! Beauty!'

Before he could finish, his gaze was drawn to a girl who had just walked into Starbucks.

The girl was about 165 cm tall, with a well-proportioned figure. She wore a gray long down jacket, black leggings that showed off her legs, and a pair of petite ankle boots.

She had her hair in twin tails, a bit of baby fat on her face, big eyes, and looked utterly adorable.