The warm autumn sun seeped through the window, casting a soft glow on the floor, filtered by the lush camphor trees outside. A gentle breeze rustled the leaves, creating dancing specks of light reminiscent of ripples on a lake.
A young girl, her face youthful and delicate, lounged on the dark bed, clad in a British-style school uniform. Her pleated skirt barely concealed her thighs. With her fair, slender hands cradling her face, she flipped through a teenage manga. Her legs hung off the bed, their ivory skin striking against the dark backdrop.
"Archer, done with your math?" The girl turned a page, yawning lazily, eyes glistening with sleep.
She was definitely feeling drowsy.
Ignoring her, the boy at the desk continued, his voice gentle, almost teasing, "What's on your mind?"
Flipping another page, the girl glanced at his back, her voice soft and playful, "You know, don't you?"
"Do your own thing." The boy paused, his fingers resting on the desk. When he turned, sunlight framed his features. "You barely passed the last math test. Pay attention, my little scholar."
The girl's fair complexion wrinkled into a pout, adding a hint of baby fat, making her look adorable. With a reluctant "Oh," she went back to her manga, her legs swinging absentmindedly.
As her skirt rode up, more of her thighs peeked out.
A quick glance made the boy's ears turn pink. He hurriedly resumed writing, using it as a distraction.
After a while, he coughed softly, resigned yet somewhat compromising, "Read for a bit, I'll help you with math after. No copying homework."
No response from behind.
Was she mad?
Panicked, Archer turned, only to find Jaan Nian asleep on the bed. Sunlight kissed her cheeks, her hair turning into a warm golden hue.
The whole scene felt like a real-life manga.
"What a sleepyhead."
Archer muttered, covering the girl with a blanket, then sat by her side. He gently poked her cheek, hoping she'd dream sweetly, preferably about him.
...
The dazzling scene flashed by, and the next scene was at the airport lobby.
The large screen displayed various flight information, with the flight from Beicheng to New York scheduled for 2 p.m. in the afternoon.
Amidst the bustling crowd, the atmosphere was filled with a sense of departure. The sound of rolling luggage wheels seemed to echo with a hint of lament. A young couple embraced each other, the girl tilting her head up, her watery eyes filled with reluctance: "Remember to eat on time when you arrive in New York, dress warmly in the cold weather, take care of yourself, don't make me worry while I'm in China. I'll wait for you!"
Archer caressed her face, his amber eyes showing more reluctance than hers: "I really want to pack you up in my suitcase and take you to New York."
Jaan Nian giggled at his teasing, taking a step back on tiptoe, hands behind her back, gazing at him affectionately: "Then you should take me away."
"Uncle and Auntie will chase us to New York and kill me."
"They won't, they're so good to you."
"Jaan Nian, wait for me..."
Wait for me, and we'll be together, never to be separated.
I want to make you the happiest girl in the world, I want you to wear a pure white wedding dress and marry me, hand in hand, side by side, supporting each other until old age.
...
"Jaan Nian, Jaan Nian, wake up, we're almost there. You're not waking up even after I call you, are you dead?"
The grating voice was filled with impatience, as if the person was about to take action if the sleeper didn't wake up.
Jaan Nian's eyebrows twitched slightly, slowly lifting her eyelids. What met her gaze was the annoyed face of Yin Shuyao, her water apricot eyes almost spitting fire, full of irritation.
Rubbing her sore forehead, Jaan Nian gradually regained consciousness, realizing that she had fallen asleep on the way, having had a long and chaotic dream.
In the dream, there was the seventeen-year-old Jaan Nian and the eighteen-year-old Jaan Nian.
It had been four years since Archer went to New York.
And they hadn't seen each other for over a year.
The last time Archer returned to China, her father had a heart attack. They only met briefly in the hospital, without time to talk properly.
If it weren't for her father's illness, she would have gone abroad with Archer three years ago, becoming a couple admired by everyone, waiting only until the legal marriage age to hold hands and enter the marriage hall.
However, things took an unexpected turn...
Jaan Nian couldn't help but imagine what it would be like when they met again. With unresolved hatred between them, only mutual torment remained, and they could never go back to the way things were before.
She didn't want to hate Archer, but reality left her with no choice.
A single tear slipped silently from the corner of her eye. Jaan Nian wiped it away, pretending that nothing had happened, and moved her stiff body, turning her head to look out the window, her misty eyes filled with bitterness.
She didn't know when, but a fine mist began to drift outside, covering the clean window with fine raindrops, creating a hazy view. Neon lights along the street reflected on it, resembling an illusory dream.
How she wished she were still in the dream, never to wake up.
Then she would still be the carefree Jaan Nian, the pearl in her parents' palms, the treasure held in Archer's hands.
"Don't daydream, wake up quickly, and don't think you can get away with messing up tonight's event." Yin Shuyao raised her voice, her sharp words piercing through Jaan Nian's reverie, interrupting her fantasies.
The autumn in Yicheng was much warmer than in Beicheng, but it couldn't warm Jaan Nian's heart.
She hugged her bare arms, not responding to Yin Shuyao's words.
Being ignored repeatedly, Yin Shuyao became even more irritable, mocking her mercilessly: "Jaan Nian, let me remind you, you're no longer the high and mighty young lady. I advise you not to act like a lady, lower your posture to please Mr. Qin. With Mr. Qin's status as a wealthy businessman, if he's happy, he can wave his hand and take back Lingyue Group from the Pei family. Did you hear what I said?"
Lingyue Group was the Shen family's company.
"I heard." Jaan Nian didn't want to engage in pointless arguments, responding indifferently.
Her attitude was as cold and indifferent as calm lake water, without the dismay Yin Shuyao expected. Naturally dissatisfied, Yin Shuyao snorted, taunting her: "Your parents are dead, penniless, and you don't even have a penny. I really don't know where your sense of superiority comes from. If it weren't
YOU ARE READING
Rose manor（玫瑰庄园酒店）
RomanceOn a night of heavy rain, Shen Jianian's clothes were in tatters, and he knelt down under the man's suit pants in embarrassment. His raised face was as pale as paper, and his lips trembled as he begged: "Help me..." Under the black umbrella, the man...
