"Yes, didn't I tell you last time? He's my parents' godson, and I'm his parents' goddaughter. Our parents have a very good relationship, and we've known each other since we were kids," Jiang Yuekai introduced her relationship with Lin Jingchu to Gu Jiang again.
Gu Jiang looked troubled, and after a long pause, he managed a smile. "Oh, he seems very good to you."
"Yes, I'm like his little sister," Jiang Yuekai said. "No different from a biological one."
Gu Jiang wanted to say something but stopped himself. She thought of Lin Jingchu as a brother, but Lin Jingchu didn't see it that way. He wanted to ask Jiang Yuekai if she could keep her distance from Lin Jingchu, but the words caught in his throat.
They weren't a couple yet, so he had no right to make such a request.
Therefore, they should confirm their relationship as boyfriend and girlfriend as soon as possible.
Although Gu Jiang had suggested the date, Jiang Yuekai felt he was somewhat distracted. Whenever she spoke to him, he seemed lost in thought.
So Jiang Yuekai asked him, "Don't you like it here? Shall we go somewhere else?"
"I don't dislike it." After an internal struggle, Gu Jiang made up his mind.
He stopped walking, moved around Jiang Yuekai, and stood facing her. His height of 1.85 meters meant he had to look down to be close to her.
Gu Jiang's expression was more serious than usual. Standing so close to each other made Jiang Yuekai's heart race, and her ears turned slightly red.
It was the first time she had been so close to Gu Jiang. Although there was no physical contact, she was already feeling nervous.
"Yuekai, I want to be your boyfriend right now. Can I?" Gu Jiang asked earnestly, his eyes fixed on her. "I can't wait any longer."
For Jiang Yuekai, the proposal was a bit sudden, but after a few minutes, she gave him her answer, "Yes."
They liked each other, and it was essentially no different from being boyfriend and girlfriend. However, Jiang Yuekai told him, "But we're still young. Before we start university, I might not be able to have too much physical contact with you. Can you accept that?"
Previously, Liang Yufeng had advised her against dating Gu Jiang too early, precisely because she was worried about this. Even though he hadn't said it explicitly, Jiang Yuekai understood.
However, she knew their positions. They were both too young now, and anything more would be irresponsible to each other. Gu Jiang agreed with Jiang Yuekai on this point, "Of course, I can accept that."
What he wanted was simply the legitimate status of "boyfriend." As for intimacy, now that they were together, there would be plenty of opportunities after university or when they started working.
Gu Jiang had excellent upbringing. Influenced by his parents, he had always been respectful of others since childhood. But this didn't mean he was flawless or without personal feelings. For instance, he couldn't be generous towards Lin Jingchu.
Jiang Yuekai and Gu Jiang played in the park until evening. They returned to the city and found a restaurant to celebrate their first day together with a sense of ritual.
During dinner, Jiang Yuekai took a photo that included half of Gu Jiang's body. After posting it on her social media, someone quickly recognized Gu Jiang.
Among them was Lin Jingchu.
After seeing the photo, Lin Jingchu didn't like or comment. Instead, he messaged Jiang Yuekai privately, saying, "Go home early."
It was clearly a concerned, parental tone. Jiang Yuekai smiled as she read it. "Okay, got it, big brother."
Gu Jiang happened to glance at the content on her phone. Jiang Yuekai's contact for Lin Jingchu was "Jingchu Ge," which was easy to recognize.
Gu Jiang was now a bit sensitive to this name. He asked Jiang Yuekai, "Can you promise me something?"
His tone sounded a bit serious. Jiang Yuekai put down her phone and looked at him intently. "Hmm?"
"Although it sounds selfish, this is how I truly feel," Gu Jiang said. "When I see you getting too close to other men, I feel a bit... no, I get very jealous and bothered."
"So, I was wondering if you could try to avoid contact with them?" Gu Jiang said. "I won't be hypocritical; I'll do what I ask you to do as well."
Hearing this, Jiang Yuekai fell into thought. Although Gu Jiang didn't name anyone, who else could it be among the men around her besides Lin Jingchu?
Lin Jingchu wasn't very friendly towards Gu Jiang, and Gu Jiang's attitude towards Lin Jingchu didn't seem much better.
"I understand what you mean," Jiang Yuekai said. "You were unhappy that he drove me here today, weren't you? I'm sorry."
She put herself in his shoes. If another girl had driven Gu Jiang to their date today, she would also find it hard not to mind. She hadn't considered this properly, and an apology was due.
"I don't have much experience, so I sometimes don't think things through, but what you're saying makes sense," Jiang Yuekai promised Gu Jiang. "I'll be more mindful in the future, but our parents are so close that we can't completely avoid meeting."
"Yes, I understand. As long as you don't meet privately," Gu Jiang said. "I'll also do what a boyfriend should do."
Gu Jiang said this very seriously, and Jiang Yuekai believed him. After they discussed this matter, Gu Jiang's mood and state clearly improved.
After dinner with Gu Jiang, they each took a taxi home. As soon as Jiang Yuekai entered the house, she saw Lan Lan and Liang Yufeng waiting for her.
As she was changing her shoes, Lan Lan asked, "Did you have fun?"
"Very fun," Jiang Yuekai sat down. "I have something to announce."
Liang Yufeng's eyelids twitched. The last time Jiang Yuekai said this, she had announced her feelings for Gu Jiang. Now that she was saying it again, Liang Yufeng couldn't help but overthink.
And Jiang Yuekai's next words confirmed his guess, "Gu Jiang and I officially became boyfriend and girlfriend today."
As soon as she said this, before Lan Lan could respond, Liang Yufeng said unhappily, "What did you promise us last time?"
"I remember," Jiang Yuekai was not surprised by Liang Yufeng's reaction at all. She said seriously to Liang Yufeng, "We've only confirmed our relationship as boyfriend and girlfriend. We absolutely won't do anything out of line. Gu Jiang isn't that kind of person either. Besides, if you don't trust Gu Jiang, don't you trust me? I was raised by you."
Jiang Yuekai was very clever and knew best how to please Liang Yufeng. Hearing the latter half of her sentence, Liang Yufeng's expression did indeed soften, but he was still displeased about her dating.
However, Liang Yufeng's point of displeasure was completely different from Lan Lan's. Liang Yufeng was simply reluctant to see his daughter in a relationship. Even if the other person was Lin Jingchu, he would still feel uncomfortable. Lan Lan, on the other hand, felt sorry for Lin Jingchu.
She had told Liang Yufeng that morning that Lin Jingchu seemed like a victim. Now, he looked even more like one.
He personally sent Jiang Yuekai to her date with Gu Jiang, and then, during that date, they established their relationship as boyfriend and girlfriend.
If Lin Jingchu knew, how would he feel?