spring bite mark

Chapter 18 True Love
Yan Changye, who had just taken over the family business and was so busy he didn't even have time to eat, would always put down everything he was doing and just quietly watch the girl until she left, before instructing Ning Xinyue:
"Throw all this stuff away."

He paused for a moment: "Let's pick some first. If any of them are written by Jiang Manman herself, give them to me."

However, after three months of processing thousands of love letters, not a single one came from Jiang Manman.

In the fourth month, Jiang Manman finally stopped sending love letters.

She's in love with Xie Yuheng.

During that period, the chairman's office felt like a powder keg, with a perpetually tense atmosphere. The usually aloof, elegant, and carefree young master of Beijing's elite circles was listless and radiating an aura of restlessness.

Jiang Manman reappeared in the chairman's office a month after she started dating.

She carried the delicate little cake and placed it on Yan Changye's desk, her eyes smiling.

"I made this cake myself, you should try it."

Yan Changye, like a leopard that had been restless for days, was suddenly calmed down, his agitation dissipated, and he lazily raised an eyebrow: "What, you made me a cake, aren't you afraid your wife will be jealous?"

Jiang Manman blinked: "No way, he made it with me. The one you're holding, he did the decorating himself."

Yan Changye suddenly fell silent, his gaze turning cold.

Then, he casually shoved the cake into Ning Xinyue's hands, who was standing next to him.

Jiang Manman was momentarily stunned.

Yan Changye's voice was cold and indifferent: "I want to eat cake. Xinyue will make it for me. You already have a boyfriend, so it's better to keep your boundaries with me."

Jiang Manman's gaze shifted between him and Ning Xinyue, then she hesitated, "You two..."

Ning Changye gestured for Ning Xinyue to leave.

Then, he casually smiled at Jiang Manman: "Haven't you heard that since my junior year of college, I've had a white moonlight living in my heart?"

Jiang Manman paused for a while before gently asking, "So, your white moonlight is Xin Yue?"

Yan Changye did not answer directly, but only clicked his tongue meaningfully: "Guess."

Outside the door, Ning Xinyue's heart skipped a beat.

She knew, of course, that she wasn't that prince's ideal woman, and she could also guess who was.

But how many marriages between wealthy families are based on love? After that day, she took advantage of the opportunity that Yan Changye casually threw out and began to consider herself his white moonlight, becoming the most popular socialite for a time. Later, after acting for so long, she even started to believe it herself.

Later, she accompanied Yan Changye to a banquet, where she met Jiang Manman and Xie Yuheng.

The man's features were cold and aloof, like snow, sculpted from ice and jade, radiating a dazzling light that seemed out of place with his surroundings. Yet, he possessed a noble status, requiring even the heads of several powerful families to fawn over him.

He was impatient with the maneuvering. Amidst the clamor of the crowd, his jade-like hands held Jiang Manman's hand from beginning to end. Only when he looked down at Jiang Manman did his cold eyes soften with a tender and lingering affection, like ice and snow melting.

In that instant, Ning Xinyue suddenly understood why Yan Changye, who was always arrogant and domineering, didn't fight for it.

Both are from wealthy and noble families, and both possess stunning beauty. How can he compete with them?
That night, no one knew how excited Ning Xinyue was. She saw with her own eyes that in a corner of the banquet, the starlight in Yan Changye's eyes flickered as he looked at Jiang Manman, but when Xie Yuheng gently lowered his head to kiss Jiang Manman, the starlight in Yan Changye's eyes completely disappeared.

Ning Xinyue thoughtfully approached Yan Changye, her gentle voice offering solace to his troubles. Yan Changye, however, continued drinking, seemingly oblivious to her presence, but didn't try to shoo her away. At the banquet, the unsuspecting socialites, watching the two almost touching heads in their seemingly intimate state, were consumed by jealousy.

That was the first time in Ning Xinyue's life that she felt she was just one step away from becoming the mistress of the Yan Group.

But even a single step can become an insurmountable barrier.

She basked in the envious and admiring gazes of others every day, but apart from the cake Jiang Manman made and the ambiguous intimacy at the banquet, Yan Changye and she had no other private relationship. Later, for some unknown reason, Jiang Manman suddenly broke up with Xie Yuheng.

A year later, the head of the Xie family conglomerate, whose personality had drastically changed, arrived in the capital. The wealthy families of the capital wanted to please him, but they struggled to find a way.

While Yan Changye was away on a business trip abroad, Ning Xinyue subtly conveyed a message to the wealthy families she sought to cultivate a relationship with:

"Jiang Manman is Xie Yuheng's favorite."

Her intention was simply to push Jiang Manman towards Xie Yuheng once again, thus thwarting Yan Changye's plans.

But she never expected that, after watching Jiang Manman being sent to Xie Yuheng's room, it was Yan Changye who came out in the morning.

With just that one simple sentence, she brought Yan Changye and Jiang Manman together, but plunged herself into an abyss...

……

World Hotel.

As soon as Yan Changye got out of the car, Shen Zongqian reported to him: "The Ning family has given their reply, choosing to marry the second young master of the Liu family."

"Understood," Yan Changye replied calmly.

He returned to his hotel suite, just as Jiang Manman's meeting ended, and the hotel delivered a sumptuous lunch.

"Shall we continue this afternoon?" Yan Changye casually pulled out a chair for her.

"No, that's enough. Let's leave some room for maneuver; maybe we can meet again at the top." Jiang Manman looked very pleased, clearly having gained a lot.

Yan Changye hummed in agreement, his eyes flickering slightly: "Then shall we go home this afternoon? You haven't watched the movie I mentioned last time with me yet."

Jiang Manman glared at him, not wanting to say anything.

Yan Changye opened the lunchbox and glanced at it with disdain: "The food is so-so. Let me take you to Juzhenlou Restaurant. They just had a batch of seafood flown in."

"Just eat whatever you like," Jiang Manman sighed. "I really don't want to move. I used up a lot of mental energy this morning."

"It's alright. You rest for a bit, and I'll have the chef from Juzhenlou bring the ingredients to your door." Yan Changye put away the lunchbox. "I can make do, but my wife should be pampered and pampered; she can't be made to do anything less."

Jiang Manman nodded: "Okay, I'll take a nap. Wake me up when dinner is ready."

She changed her clothes and got into bed, but soon a bed collapsed next to her, and Yan Changye followed her in.

“Madam,” he said softly, drawing closer to her and embracing her, “why don’t you ask me where I just went?”

“You’re in charge of the Yan family, so it’s normal that you’re so busy that you don’t see anyone all year round. I think you have too much free time.”

Yan Changye picked up a strand of her hair and played with it between his fingers: "I'm just infatuated with your beauty, Madam!"

Jiang Manman gave a perfunctory "hmm".

Yan Changye observed her expression: "Ning Xinyue has returned to the country."

Jiang Manman looked surprised: "Really? Then how about we have a meal together?"

Yan Changye sighed softly, a hint of disappointment in his voice: "Are you sure you want to have dinner with her?"

(End of this chapter)