1280 That Past Was Too Far
Most importantly, Jian Ai had never treated Jian Changsheng as her father. There was no need to mention it when she didn’t know in the past. Even if she knew now, she didn’t think too much about their new relationship.
To her, Jian Changsheng was just the CEO of the Jian Group. If she had to admit that they were related, it would only be a competitive relationship.
Therefore, Jian Ai didn’t care who Jian Changsheng’s son was. She was willing to be close to Jian Yichen because of Jian Yichen himself. It had nothing to do with anyone else.
Otherwise, she wouldn’t have to think about Jian Changsheng. Just thinking about Jian Yiyi gave her a reason to hate Jian Yichen, but Jian Ai wouldn’t do that.
When Lin Yi heard Jian Ai’s answer that she had a good relationship with Jian Yichen, he couldn’t help but feel jealous. Moreover, he rarely saw her meet Jian Yichen a few times. Could it be that their relationship improved because they went to the capital together?
“Isn’t he Jian Yiyi’s brother?” Lin Yi subconsciously muttered.
Jian Ai stopped reading and turned to look at Lin Yi in amusement. Lin Yi quickly said, “I mean nothing else. I just think you don’t like Jian Yiyi. Why did you become friends with her brother?”
“Jian Yiyi is Jian Yiyi, and Jian Yichen is Jian Yichen. He’s not Jian Yiyi’s accessory,” Jian Ai said.
Moreover, just because she became close to Jian Yichen didn’t mean that she had to be close to Jian Yiyi. What was there to contradict?
The circle was different, so there was no need to forcefully integrate.
Lin Yi also knew this logic. His words were just a little quick, so he couldn’t help but nod.
Because of this, Lin Yi felt even more threatened. He already felt inferior in front of Jian Ai, so every time a boy with good conditions appeared beside Jian Ai, his sense of danger would deepen.
Especially someone like Jian Yichen. When school first started in Year One, Jian Yichen caused a huge commotion in school. Lin Yi still remembered Xia Qinghuan saying that he was outdated because of Jian Yichen.
Although he didn’t care what school beau title the girls gave him, he had to care this time since it concerned Jian Ai.
As if sensing Lin Yi’s low pressure, Jian Ai couldn’t help but sigh. “Lin Yi, I think you’ve changed.”
Jian Ai said this.
During this period, Jian Ai had wanted to have a good chat with Lin Yi more than once, but Jian Ai had no experience in handling relationships. She couldn’t think of anything else to say besides rejection.
She didn’t want to hurt Lin Yi verbally.
Lin Yi looked at Jian Ai hesitantly, as if he didn’t understand why she suddenly said this.
Jian Ai pursed her lips and looked at Lin Yi. “I think you’ve become a little… sensitive in the past few months?”
Jian Ai frowned slightly when she said this. Then, she shook her head and denied it. “It’s not that you’re sensitive. It’s just that I feel a strong pressure from it. In short, you’ve changed from the past.”
“Changed from the past?” Lin Yi frowned and smiled. He looked at Jian Ai and said, “Because I didn’t like you in the past.”
Jian Ai: “…”
Lin Yi said this easily, but to Jian Ai, it was like a thousand kilograms of burden.
She knew she was the reason Lin Yi had changed so much.
“Lin Yi, if it’s because of me, I think there’s no need.” Jian Ai gritted her teeth and said in a low voice, “You’re not worth changing for anyone. In the past, you were sunny, carefree, warm, and talkative. That was an especially important shining point on you. Only then would you be good.”
“Because of me, I feel your caution, your paranoia, and even your… inferiority complex?” Jian Ai looked at Lin Yi seriously and tried her best to think of words to minimize the damage. Then, she continued, “I don’t know if my feelings are right, but these are my real feelings. You’re so outstanding. If you become like this because you like me, I’ll feel guilty. Do you know that?”
Hearing Jian Ai’s words, Lin Yi panicked a little because the feeling Jian Ai mentioned was also his own.
However, Lin Yi didn’t expect that his mental activity had infected others. Even Jian Ai had completely noticed it.
“Jian Ai, you’re right. The more I know you, the better I think you are. I’m not worthy of you!” Lin Yi whispered.
Lin Yi even felt that other than his family background being superior to Jian Ai’s, everything else about him was not worth mentioning. His family background was not something he could choose. It was something his parents brought him, and it had nothing to do with him.
As such, Lin Yi felt he was useless.
Jian Ai shook her head helplessly and looked at Lin Yi. “People can’t be compared because everyone’s lives are different. Their choices are also different. There’s no comparison.”
“As long as you’re kind enough, motivated, and sincere enough, you can be worthy of anyone.”
“Including you?” Lin Yi looked into Jian Ai’s eyes and asked sincerely, “Do you think I’m worthy of you?”
“Of course!” Jian Ai said without thinking, “Of course you’re worthy of me. What’s there to be puzzled about?”
However, in the next second, Jian Ai felt she had to make things clear. “But Lin Yi, you still have to understand that being worthy is one thing, but feelings are another! There are too many people in the world who are worthy of me. It’s impossible for me to be with these people just because they’re worthy. Relationships are between two people. It’s your business if you like me. I don’t think I have the right to tell you not to like me because relationships are emotional. If everyone could remain rational about relationships, I wouldn’t have said so much to you today.”
“You’re very good, and I’m very happy and honored that you like me. But Lin Yi, I can only say that I liked you before. We missed each other, right?”
Lin Yi looked at Jian Ai with a slightly pained expression. Even though there were ten thousand voices in his heart telling him not to ask, he still asked, “So you can’t go back to the past?”
At this moment, Jian Ai looked at Lin Yi’s expression and felt a sharp pain in her heart. She had always felt that being liked was an exceptionally blissful thing. Now, she understood that happiness had to be built on mutual feelings.
With her relationship with Lin Yi, rejecting him made her feel like a sinner.
However, in the end, Jian Ai nodded. “I’m sorry, Lin Yi. That past is too far away for me!”
So far that… she could no longer grasp the feeling and temptation of liking him once.
