Reincarnation: Trying to pretend to be ordinary, but it turns out it's really impossible.

Su Ningning and the others quietly made their way back to their dorm room carrying packing bags. As soon as they looked up, they saw Lin Jiajia sitting at her desk.

Suddenly, I felt a little uneasy, and I stopped in my tracks.

Lin Jiajia raised her eyes, a half-smile playing on her lips:

"It seems you had a great meal tonight."

Lin Zhixia was the first to break down, and quickly smiled apologetically and waved her hand:

"It's alright, it's alright, the taste is really good... No wonder your restaurant is so popular, it really has the talent."

Lin Jiajia was both angry and amused, and waved her hand helplessly:

"Alright, stop joking around, everyone go wash up and go to bed."

Her forced calm, yet her eyes betrayed a deep-seated unhappiness, was all too obvious.

The group exchanged glances, and Xu Shuyao couldn't help but speak softly:

"Jiajia, I feel like... your fiancé actually cares about you quite a bit."

Judging from the way he treated you last night, it doesn't seem like he's indifferent to you.

Lin Jiajia's smile vanished instantly, and her tone turned cold:

"You think you've been fooled by him? People in the underworld are the best at pretending. He doesn't like me at all; he already has a girlfriend."

Lin Zhixia immediately came closer, looking puzzled:

"Who told you he has a girlfriend? He told you himself!"

Lin Jiajia was silent for a few seconds, her fingertips clenching slightly:

"It wasn't him, it was his younger brother Ji Yunheng who told me."

"When we first got engaged during the Lunar New Year, I was actually... happy."

He's so good-looking, I actually quite like him. Then his brother came looking for me...

Her voice was low and self-deprecating:

"Tell me his brother already had someone he liked and they'd been dating for a while."

They were going to get married without me.

"I ruined their relationship, and he even told me that even if his brother marries me, he won't break off his relationship with that woman."

The dormitory fell silent.

Su Ningning frowned, Xu Shuyao looked distressed, and even the usually carefree Lin Zhixia had a sullen face.

After a long pause, Lin Zhixia finally managed to utter a sentence:

"What a jerk! Since he's so shameless, why don't you just date a few younger guys and we'll even things out?"

"It's just an arranged marriage anyway, so relax and don't take it to heart. Just think of it as finding a pretty decoration!"

Lin Jiajia gave a soft "hmm" and leaned back in her chair, feigning nonchalance.

That's what I think.

But she knew the truth in her heart.

Thinking about it is one thing, but being able to do it is another.

Those feelings of affection that were hidden for many years in youth are not something that can be truly let go of just like that.

For the past month, Lin Jiajia has almost started to wonder if she's hallucinating.

Ji Chongyan appears with an absurdly high frequency, almost rain or shine, without fear.

No matter how cold her face was or how harsh her words were, he acted as if he didn't see it and continued to linger in front of her every day.

They bring milk tea one minute, dessert the next, and say strange things every now and then.

Lin Jiajia wondered several times if this person was possessed by a ghost.

The little thrill she thought she could suppress surged more fiercely than before as he drew closer day by day, and she couldn't calm down at all.

Until this day, he appeared in front of her again.

Lin Jiajia has become numb.

Ji Chongyan's gaze softened, and he asked her in a gentle voice:

"Jiajia, what style of wedding do you prefer? A lawn wedding, a castle ceremony, or a minimalist, niche style? It's all up to you."

The moment the word "wedding" hit her, the last trace of nonchalance on Lin Jiajia's face vanished, and her expression turned icy cold.

She suddenly remembered what Ji Yunheng had said back then.

If it weren't for this business marriage, the person standing beside him this year, getting married, wouldn't be her, but the person he cherishes most in his heart.

His current kindness and attentiveness towards her are merely a facade, a performance for the sake of his elders and business dealings, a pretense for everyone else.

Her heart ached with a bitter taste, but she forced it down.

Lin Jiajia forced a smile: "Anything is fine, just arrange it however you like, you decide, I have no objections."

A simple sentence, yet it spans thousands of miles.

Ji Chongyan remained silent for a few seconds, a wave of self-mockery washing over him. He suddenly felt that forcing her into a marriage was somewhat despicable.

However, for a whole month, he put aside all his pride and dignity, and abandoned his usual aloof and arrogant demeanor.

Following the methods in my friend's guide, I clumsily and earnestly tried to get close to her, doing everything I could to get near her.

He did everything he used to despise, abandoning all his pride.

No matter what he did, Lin Jiajia remained extremely cold to him, always keeping an insurmountable chasm between them.

He grew increasingly panicked, a growing unease creeping into his heart. He racked his brains but couldn't figure out where the problem lay.

He really didn't want to lose her.

The only solution he could think of was to use this wedding to completely bind her to his side.

Feelings can be cultivated slowly, and intentions can be proven gradually, as long as she becomes his wife.

As long as they spend every day together, he'll always find a way to make her like him.

Before he could think of a reply, he heard Lin Jiajia say calmly:

"Our marriage is just a business arrangement. You can decide these things yourself. Don't force yourself to come to me again."

"You should spend more time with your girlfriend; I don't mind."

"Now that you've agreed to the marriage, I will no longer concern myself with your affairs."

The word "wedding" was like the last straw that broke the camel's back, causing Lin Jiajia to finally snap and explode.

Ji Chongyan's body temperature instantly dropped to freezing point, the air pressure around him suddenly became heavy, and his deep eyes surged with rage and disbelief.

He stepped forward, grabbed Lin Jiajia's wrist, and gripped it with almost uncontrollable force:

"Who told you I have a girlfriend? What business marriage? You completely ignore everything about me and mind your own business? Is that how you see me? Is that how you view our marriage?"

He humbled himself and approached her with all his tenderness, only to be met with such a profound misunderstanding from her. His heart felt as if it were being violently squeezed, filled with both pain and anger.

Lin Jiajia's wrist ached from his grip, and her pent-up grievances and anger finally erupted. With red eyes, she roared back:

"Then what do you expect me to do? Just stand by and watch you two-time each other?"

Knowing you have a girlfriend, why would you pretend nothing's wrong and get engaged and married to you?

Knowing I'll end up badly hurt, should I still foolishly continue to love you?

"I don't!" Ji Chongyan practically roared. "Who told you I have a girlfriend? I don't! I've never had a girlfriend!"

"I've never had a girlfriend in my entire life, I've only ever loved you, and I've only ever loved you!"

The resounding words struck her ears, and Lin Jiajia froze instantly, all her crying and anger ceasing abruptly.

She stared blankly at Ji Chongyan in front of her. His eyes were red, and his expression was one of extreme seriousness and genuine anger, without the slightest falsehood.

The tears that had been welling up in her eyes for so long could no longer be held back and rolled down her cheeks one by one.

Ji Chongyan's heart softened suddenly, and his anger vanished instantly, leaving only overwhelming heartache.

He hurriedly released her wrist, reached out and gently stroked her cheek, tenderly wiping away her tears with his fingertips.

"Don't cry, Jiajia," he said in a very soft, yet panicked voice.

"Who told you all that nonsense? I've never had a girlfriend, and I've never had another girl in my life. Don't listen to what others say. Can't you give me even a little bit of trust?"

Lin Jiajia felt a lump in her throat, and her once firm conviction began to waver in the face of his earnest appearance.

She frowned, her eyes blurry with tears, and looked at him, her voice choked with sobs and aggrieved:

"It was your own brother who told me. He's your own brother, so how could he lie?"

"Ji Yunheng!"

Ji Chongyan gritted his teeth and shouted those three words, a chilling glint in his eyes.

He suppressed his anger, his gaze fixed firmly on Lin Jiajia, his tone extremely solemn:

"Jiajia, believe me, I really don't have a girlfriend. I've never lied to you."

I don't know why he said those things to you. Wait for me, I will definitely find out.

"How about I give you an explanation?"

Looking at the sincerity in his eyes, Lin Jiajia slowly nodded.

Seeing that she agreed, Ji Chongyan felt a little relieved. He didn't want to wait a moment longer, so he turned around and left quickly to return to the Ji family.