261: Secretly Following

"Alright, let's go." Jin Chen released his foot and, seeing Su Jingrui get up, grabbed his other arm and dislocated it with a crisp sound.

"Ahhhhhhh!" Su Jingrui screamed repeatedly, his cries piercing the quiet night, making the scene even more eerie. "What are you doing?!"

He glared angrily at Jin Chen. This seemingly frail man, who looked like he had no strength, turned out to be incredibly ruthless when he struck.

Back in his youth, Su Jingrui had been in countless fights and rarely came out on the losing end. But facing this guy, he had no chance to retaliate.

"To prevent you from escaping, I had to be prepared," Jin Chen said calmly.

"You're crazy!" Su Jingrui cursed, "Hurry up and fix my arm!"

"No can do. Let's go, you're coming with me to see Su Hanyan."

Su Hanyan had just finished washing up and hadn't yet gone to bed when she heard a knock on the door. Given a previous incident, she and Zhu Lin were too scared to open the door or even make a sound.

"Yan Yan, it's me, Jin Chen."

Upon hearing his familiar voice, Su Hanyan finally relaxed. When she opened the door, she saw Jin Chen holding Su Jingrui in front of her.

"Yan Yan!" Su Jingrui's voice was altered by the pain.

"Su Jingrui! Why are you here?" Su Hanyan was surprised, sensing something odd about Su Jingrui. When she noticed his arms hanging limply by his sides, she was even more shocked. "What happened to your arms?"

"Ask him!" Su Jingrui glared at Jin Chen, wishing he could bore holes into him with his eyes.

"He's been following you these days, and tonight he was tailing me. I caught him, and he claims to be your brother!" Jin Chen explained.

"Yes, he's my brother, my third brother!" Su Hanyan confirmed.

"It seems to be true!" Jin Chen nodded, then looked at Su Jingrui. "But why were you secretly following her?"

"I told you, I'm protecting her! Protecting her!" Su Jingrui said irritably. "She was almost hurt, so I've been secretly escorting her! Wasn't I just caught tonight? I saw you lingering and didn't know who you were, so I had to follow and investigate you! Now hurry up and fix my arms!"

"Alright!" Jin Chen agreed.

After two crisp sounds, Su Jingrui's arms were back in place.

He shook them, feeling much better, but his joints still ached. "Damn it! Who do I complain to about this? And you! What's with you and dislocating people's arms?"

Jin Chen smiled lightly, "It won't happen next time."

"Next time!" Su Jingrui kept his distance from him. "Stay away from me, just seeing you makes my arms hurt."

Su Hanyan hadn't expected Su Jingrui to secretly protect her, and she was genuinely moved this time. "Thank you, Third Brother! You don't need to protect me anymore; the danger is over."

"The person who tried to hurt you hasn't been caught yet," Su Jingrui said, rubbing his aching shoulder. "I'll keep an eye on things, don't worry."

"Alright, thank you."

"No need to be polite with family." Su Jingrui waved his hand. "Since things are settled, I'll head back."

"Take care."

"Don't worry." Su Jingrui huffed and left, not forgetting to glare at Jin Chen one last time.

Su Hanyan couldn't believe how much Su Jingrui had changed.

262: No Extra People

"Since he's your third brother, why doesn't he protect you openly?" Jin Chen was genuinely puzzled by Su Jingrui's actions.

He had asked before but never got a satisfactory answer.

"My family situation is complicated. I'll explain it to you in detail when I have time," Su Hanyan said, glancing at the deepening night sky. "It's late. You should go home and rest."

"Alright." Jin Chen nodded. "I have a business trip tomorrow, and I'll be back in a few days. If possible, let your brother pick you up and drop you off at work."

As long as those people were not caught, they couldn't let their guard down.

"Got it. You should go now! Jin Chen, goodbye!" Su Hanyan smiled as she pushed him out the door. "Call me when you have time."

Jin Chen smiled, "Okay."

Back home, Jin Chen received a call from Lu Feifan.

"How about it? Did your girlfriend get stolen away?"

"How could that happen?" Jin Chen leaned against the table, looking at the budding willow branches outside the window. "No one can take away someone I've set my eyes on."

"Show-off," Lu Feifan mocked him.

"Anything else? If not, I'm hanging up," Jin Chen said.

"Why are you so impatient to chat with me? We just started talking, what's the rush?"

"I have an early train for a business trip tomorrow."

"Alright then, good luck. Bye!"

"Goodbye!" Just as Jin Chen was about to hang up, he added, "Thanks! Sometimes your unreliable suggestions do come in handy."

"Which suggestion are you referring to?" Lu Feifan was confused.

Jin Chen chuckled, "Figure it out yourself!"

...

Jin Chen was gone for several days.

After the Qingming Festival, the weather quickly warmed up. A gentle breeze blew, and the city was filled with flying poplar and willow catkins.

The days grew longer.

Su Hanyan worked late today, staying overtime to finish a manuscript so she wouldn't have to go to the factory on Saturday.

She packed up her desk, changed clothes, and was about to leave when the phone on her desk rang.

"Hello, who is this?" she answered.

"Yan Yan, it's Dad! You don't have classes tomorrow, right? I was thinking of coming to see you!"

Calculating the time, she realized they hadn't seen each other since their last meeting. It had been two months, and she had been too busy to visit him.

"Sure, Dad, come over! I'll prepare something good for you tomorrow!" Su Hanyan agreed but added a condition, "Dad, I don't want to see any unnecessary people!"

"Alright, you won't see them," Su Dajiang understood her meaning.

"Little sister, does Third Brother count as unnecessary?" Su Jingrui's cheeky voice came through.

"Yes." Su Hanyan answered decisively and hung up.

The busy tone came through the phone, and Su Jingrui stared at it for a while. "Dad, you see, she still won't forgive me!"

"Rome wasn't built in a day," Su Dajiang said, clasping his hands behind his back as he paced around the room. "You've bullied your sister for years. Naturally, reconciliation won't be easy!"

"Alright, I get it. I won't go, okay?" Su Jingrui hung up, rubbing his still sore shoulder as he sulked back to his room.

...

Early the next morning, Su Hanyan was washing clothes in the small courtyard.

There was an old well in the yard, sealed with cement, leaving only a lever. Pressing it drew up the well water.

263: Kindness of a Child

The clear water filled the cement pool and overflowed onto the ground, flowing along the cracks between the courtyard's green bricks, watering the small grass sprouting from the gaps.

When the wind blew, the grass swayed gently, looking very comfortable.

Su Hanyan wrung out the clothes and was hanging them on the iron wire in the courtyard when she heard someone knocking at the door. She put down her work and went over.

Opening the door, she saw her father, Su Dajiang, who had brought along Su Tong.

As soon as they met, Su Tong broke free from Su Dajiang's hand and ran into her arms. "Auntie, I missed you so much!"

"Tongtong!" Su Hanyan bent down to hug her and kissed her little face. "Why did you come with Grandpa today without telling Auntie in advance?"

"I wanted to surprise Auntie!" Su Tong smiled, grabbing a handful of candy from her pocket. "Brother Zhuzi next door gave me these chocolates. They're imported! Auntie, you have some!"

"This child is always thinking of you," Su Dajiang said, patting Su Tong's head and smiling. "She got this candy from Zhuzi almost half a month ago and only ate one piece, saving the rest for you. She didn't even let her mom have a single piece!"

"Thank you, Tongtong," Su Hanyan said affectionately. "Auntie has everything here. You don't need to worry about Auntie and should eat the good stuff yourself!"

"No way," Su Tong said stubbornly. "I want to save it for Auntie."

"Such a kind heart," Su Hanyan said, feeling very comforted. "Much better than your parents! Come in, both of you!"

Su Hanyan welcomed the grandfather and granddaughter into the house, made tea for her father, and a cup of milk powder for Tongtong. The three of them sat and chatted.

Su Dajiang opened the cloth bag he had brought, which was filled with food: "Hanyan, these are for you!"

The bag was indeed full of food.

There were some rare treats, including frosted persimmons, sweet potato strips, glutinous rice cakes, and sugar-coated peanuts. In addition, there were several pieces of cured meat, a bag of millet, two boxes of luncheon meat, and a few cans of food.

"Dad, did you bring all the food from home? Didn't Mom say anything?" Su Hanyan asked, delighted by these things.

"She wouldn't dare!" Su Dajiang laughed. "I went back to my hometown for Qingming Festival to burn paper for your grandparents. These were prepared by your uncles for the kids. Who else is still a kid in our family if not you?"

"Dad!" Su Hanyan playfully rebuked, "I'm already twenty-three!"

"Yes, a grown woman! We should start looking for a match for you soon! Can't delay anymore; otherwise, you'll become an old maid!" Su Dajiang joked.

"Dad!" Su Hanyan blushed. "I don't need that! I'll decide my own marriage and find my own boyfriend!"

"Alright, once you've found someone, bring him home for Dad to see!"

"Okay."

"Dad, you and Tongtong rest at home. I'll go to the market to buy some groceries! I want you to make braised pork ribs and chicken soup for lunch today!" Su Hanyan said.

"Great! Auntie, I want to eat chicken! I want to eat chicken!" Su Tong clapped her hands excitedly, her eyes full of anticipation.

"No problem!"

Su Hanyan grabbed her basket and went out. Not far from her place was a market that sold everything, including fruits, vegetables, poultry, eggs, meat, and seafood.

There was a stall selling chickens, and if she went late, she wouldn't be able to get any. So, this time, she went straight to the chicken seller and said, "Boss, save a chicken for me! I'll come back for it later!"

264: Ruthless Business

"Alright, alright. But since this is a reservation, you'll need to pay a deposit first. You know how many people buy chickens from me every day. If it's a reservation, there has to be a deposit," the owner said.

"No problem. I'll definitely take the chicken. Pick one for me and weigh it. I'll pay for it now! You can butcher it, and I'll pick it up after I finish shopping," Su Hanyan replied.

"Sounds good!" The owner quickly weighed the chicken and gave Su Hanyan the total. "If you want me to butcher it, there will be an additional fee."

"That's fine."

Su Hanyan handed over the money, and the owner quickly wiped his hands and took it. "Alright, don't worry, this chicken is yours! I won't sell it to anyone else."

"Great. Thanks!"

Su Hanyan went to buy ribs, vegetables, fresh fruits, and a half-basket of eggs. After getting everything she needed, she returned to pick up the chicken she had already bought.

Excitedly, she arrived at the stall and saw two women handing money to the owner, buying a fat rooster.

"Owner, I'm here to pick up my chicken!" Su Hanyan said.

"Oh, what bad timing!" The owner said apologetically. "It's already sold!"

[oh about i butcher you myself]

"What?" Su Hanyan's face changed immediately. "I paid for that chicken, and you promised to butcher it and keep it for me. Who told you to sell it?"

"Sorry, my business is too good! These two girls insisted on having it!" The owner said, looking unapologetic. "Besides, they paid extra!"

"What!! You have no conscience! I don't care, you need to get that chicken back for me, or I won't let this go!" Su Hanyan was furious. "You're a businessman, and you have no integrity!"

"How can I get back something that's been sold?" The owner protested. "How about I refund you?"

Su Hanyan realized the owner was a quick-buck swindler.

"How much did they pay? I'll double it!" Su Hanyan declared.

"Really?" The owner smiled broadly and held out his hand. "Five yuan!"

"I'll give you ten! Now get it back for me!"

"Alright! For ten yuan, I'll get it back!" The owner left his stall and went to chase the two women.

"Hey, girl, is it worth it to spend ten yuan on a chicken? Can't you come back tomorrow? Ten yuan could be used for anything!" a bystander remarked.

"Right? This guy has no morals, cheating people like this!"

"Don't waste your money!"

Other vendors couldn't stand it and advised her not to waste her money.

"Thank you for the advice." Su Hanyan had already made up her mind. "It's okay, I know what to do!"

Soon, the owner returned with the two women.

From a distance, Su Hanyan recognized one of them as Yan Jia. What a small world; who would have thought they'd meet over a chicken at the market?

Dragged back, Yan Jia was furious and kept muttering curses at the owner: "Is this how you do business? I have important guests today, and I need this chicken! I won't return it!"

"Let's just drop it," the other woman suggested.

"Yan Yan, do you still want to win back Jin Chen? If you don't seize this chance to win over his grandparents, you'll regret it!" Yan Jia turned to the owner. "You're shameless! This is the last time I'll buy from you!"

"Please calm down! Talk to that lady over there; she refuses to budge. How about you negotiate? The highest bidder wins," the owner said, pointing to Su Hanyan.

Following his direction, Yan Jia looked over and saw Su Hanyan. She sneered coldly, "Today, I must have this chicken! Not even the King of Heaven can take it from me!"

265: Crushing Her Arrogance

"Jiajia, do you know her?" Yan Yi noticed her cousin's strange expression. "Have you had issues with her before?"

"Yanyan, you don't know, do you? That woman is the one who stole Jin Chen from you. To be precise, she's your rival in love!" Yan Jia said angrily. "Sister, you don't know how arrogant she was that day! Now that you're back, you should crush her arrogance!"

Yan Yi turned her gaze to Su Hanyan and scrutinized her.

[you should back out before u hurt urself girl]

This woman's appearance was indeed extraordinary. Her bright eyes sparkled, her nose was high, and her red lips were delicate. Her attire was also tasteful: a white shirt, jeans, and a brown trench coat, giving her an intellectual look.

Yan Yi had imagined Su Hanyan's appearance countless times in her mind. She had thought she might be pretty but had not expected her to be this beautiful.

Her delicate and attractive features indeed drew attention.

It was no surprise that Jin Chen could fall for such a woman.

Su Hanyan noticed someone was staring at her and looked over, seeing a young woman gazing at her without blinking.

The woman looked like she was either a returned overseas Chinese or someone who had recently come back to the country.

With her black wavy hair, fitted trench coat over a long, floor-length plain dress, and a pair of black ankle boots, she looked stylish both in the current era and even decades later.

Seeing her facial resemblance to Yan Jia, Su Hanyan instantly guessed this must be Yan Yi, the "Yanyan sister" Yan Jia had mentioned many times.

It seemed she had returned from abroad.

Before, Su Hanyan might not have felt much about it, but things were different now. That night, she and Jin Chen had shared a kiss, solidifying their relationship.

She had become Jin Chen's legitimate girlfriend, so seeing his so-called "childhood sweetheart" naturally made her uncomfortable.

Imagine your boyfriend being remembered by someone for so long and possibly not letting go in the future. Would you feel comfortable?

She wasn't sure about others, but she definitely wouldn't!

Their gazes met in midair, silently clashing, engaging in an internal confrontation.

Faced with such an outstanding competitor, Su Hanyan wasn't intimidated.

She feared nothing!

Su Hanyan didn't move an inch, while Yan Yi smiled slightly and extended her hand, saying, "Hello, I'm Yan Yi!"

Yan Jia was stunned by her cousin's actions. Weren't they supposed to be rivals?

Instead of fighting, she was extending her hand in greeting!

"Yanyan, are you crazy?" Yan Jia hurriedly walked a few steps and blocked her.

"Jiajia, I'm not crazy!" Yan Yi smiled. "I know exactly what I'm doing! Please step aside!"

Yan Jia, not knowing what Yan Yi was planning, didn't stop her further.

Su Hanyan didn't believe that this woman, who had always had her eye on Jin Chen, would sincerely shake hands with her.

It was all a strategy!

However, she wasn't petty and decided to see what Yan Yi was up to.

"Su Hanyan!" She briefly shook Yan Yi's hand, like a dragonfly touching water.

"I've heard about you from Jiajia."

"Oh?" Su Hanyan glanced at Yan Jia and smiled faintly. "She must not have said anything good! I don't mind, after all, we're on different sides."