On the first day of the new year, with Xian Family's fame in the country, many politicians and businessmen come with their families to pay their respects around eight o'clock in the morning. According to Xian Family rules, there was no need to cause trouble for the younger generation and force them to accompany the elders. Xian Zihao, as the CEO of the Xian Group, was a popular figure in the business world, so he had to accompany Old Man Xian.
Therefore, Jiang Ruolan took this opportunity to stroll around the garden behind the Xian Family Residence. She accidentally saw Jiang Yijun standing motionless at the end of the old garden.
She paused and slowly walked over. "Yijun, didn't grandfather invite you to accompany him? He wants to make a public announcement to the world about his long-lost grandson and at the same time announce your identity as a member of the Xian Family. Why didn't you go?"
Jiang Yijun only looked at her as if he saw something ethereal from the way she walked. As she got closer, his dark eyes became focused, and he fixed his gaze on her.
"What's wrong? Is there something on your mind?" Seeing his silence, Jiang Ruolan smiled and punched him on his shoulder out of habit. "Stinky brat, why did you act that way with your sister? Don't forget, I watched you grow up. Even though you are the grandson of the Xian Family, you are still Jiang Yijun who was beaten by me."
After Jiang Ruolan said this, she paused before saying in an awkward tone, "Err … It should be Xian Yijun. Now that the Old Man wants you to recognize your ancestors, I should start calling you by the surname Xian."
Without waiting for his response, she took off the hand that had just landed on his shoulder.
However, when she took her hand back, her wrist was suddenly gripped by Jiang Yijun. He tightened his grip on her, not letting her go.
A gust of wind blew past and lifted the long hair on Jiang Ruolan's shoulders. The faint pink mark covering her neck was clearly seen by Jiang Yijun, yet she still did not realize it.
Jiang Ruolan only saw Jiang Yijun staring at her neck and the force of his grip on her wrist was strong.
"Yijun, what are you doing? Let go! This is the Xian Residence, don't act recklessly! Let go."
She lifted her other hand to push him, but he still held her tight. The emotion in Jiang Yijun's eyes was something Jiang Ruolan had never seen before.
He was like an enraged lion.
"Yijun." Jiang Ruolan immediately realized that she couldn't win, so she immediately wanted to scold him. However, out of the corner of her eyes, she noticed that Cui Liuxian was standing on her room's balcony. She was holding the withered flower pot and was looking straight at them.
Panic flashed across Jiang Ruolan's heart. Although Cui Liuxian was sometimes very brainless, she had a very vicious mind. If she saw this scene and started to make it worse, let alone Yijun and her, even the whole face of the Xian Family will be ruined by these presumptuous rumors!
She became anxious and began to struggle hard. "Xian Yijun! Release me!"
Her voice was cold and repulsed, unlike before, and the fear and anger in her eyes finally made Jiang Yijun's gaze tremble. He slightly released his grip.
As soon as her wrist was free, Jiang Ruolan hurriedly took two steps back. She rubbed the red marks on her wrists. When she looked up again, he saw that Cui Liuxian was no longer there. Her heart was hanging in her throat.
Jiang Ruolan suddenly felt a cold sensation assaulting her body. She shuddered.
"Isn't the weather too cold for you to stand outside?"
Jiang Yijun noticed that she was shivering and rushed forward to take off his jacket to give to her, but the jacket was thrown away by Jiang Ruolan.
Jiang Yijun held the jacket casually and looked at her angrily. "What are you doing?"
Jiang Ruolan also felt that she had gone too far. However, in the Xian Family, there's Cui Liuxian, who was eager to stir up trouble. To prevent it from affecting everyone and prevent Jiang Yijun from being criticized the moment he returned to the Xian Family, Jiang Ruolan decided to keep her distance.
"Yijun, from the moment you walked into the Xian Family's gate, you should know that from now on, I am no longer the sister you depend on." She said calmly.
"So what? No matter what happened, you are still my sister! You don't have to push me away like that!"
Jiang Ruolan frowned, "Then, tell me, do you really consider me as your sister? We are not related by blood and between you and me, there is an even more terrible shackle! Moral shackles! I think you should know better than I did. Xian Zihao is your brother, so I–"
"Enough!" Jiang Yijun interrupted her with a deep voice. He was angry, but at the same time, he tried to restrain his temper. Suddenly, Jiang Yijun laughed, but his laughter was full of helplessness. He tightened his grip on the jacket and the cracking sounds from his joints could be heard loudly.
"I understand." He said coldly.
With that, he left without looking back.
"Yijun …"
Jiang Ruolan's heart ached. This was her little brother, whom she had spent twenty or so years with from morning to night. The most important person in her life during the seven most lonely years of her life, the only support in her life, as well as the reason and motivation for her survival. How could she not feel the pain?
Everything in the past was slowly leaving her.
**
Many politicians gathered at Xian Residence. After a few hours of socializing, Xian Zihao drove to the city center in the afternoon for an emergency meeting.
Jiang Ruolan decided to stay at Xian Residence, but she was currently in a terrible mood because of what had happened this morning. She spent the entire day alone in her room, unwilling to speak to everyone. Even when Nanny Cheng came to bring her some fruit, she sat quietly by the bed without saying a word.
"Ha ~ I guessed it right!"
Cui Liuxian suddenly opened the door and walked into Xian Zihao's room with a smile on her face. She looked left and right, memorizing how the room look likes. It looked like Cui Liuxian had never entered Xian Zihao's room before this.
It was rare for Xian Zihao to leave his room unlocked and as Cui Liuxian looked around, the resentment in her eyes seemed to have increased a bit.
"Get out." Jiang Ruolan didn't even bother to look at her as she quietly sat there without raising her head.
Cui Liuxian smiled and glanced at her. "What's wrong? Are you upset? I noticed it last night, your relationship with Jiang Yijun is already unusual but no one trusted me when I brought it out. Jiang Ruolan, you're not an idiot, how can you not notice how similar your brother looks with Zihao? I heard that in the month after you left, you lived with Jiang Yijun. Did you look for him whenever you wanted comfort?"
After she said that, Cui Liuxian suddenly walked over, bent down, and smiled innocently at her. "How is it? Compared to Zihao's skill, whose technique is more satisfying? Tsk tsk, Jiang Ruolan, your taste is quite good."
"I told you to get out, do you hear me?" Jiang Ruolan raised her head and stared at Cui Liuxian indifferently. Her eyes were full of unbearable coldness.
"What is it? Are you angry that your dirty scandal has been exposed? I thought you had some tricks up your sleeve, but it turns out you're just a bit of a fox. It is not enough to have an incest lover in the same bed as you, you even want to climb up to the Xian Family. No wonder Bingqing said that you've been scheming since you were young!"
*PAH!*
A strong and shocking slap landed on Cui Liuxian's face. She covered half of her face in shock. Cui Liuxian glared at Jiang Ruolan in disbelief. "You dare to hit me?"
"Do you believe me or not, if you don't scram now, I will make you walk upside down." Jiang Ruolan glanced at her calmly.
