Chapter 153: The Sadness That Flows Like a Reversed River
Lin Wan Ning hurriedly strode out of the restaurant. [All the restaurants inside the mall don’t have bathrooms, by the way.]
As she stepped outside, the redness on her cheeks finally started to ebb.
It seemed that as long as she was not in front of Dragon Brother (Luò Ào Tiān), it was much easier not to blush like an awkward tomato.
She cast a quick glance back at Dragon Brother, noticing he was already busy selecting ingredients and getting ready to grill some meat—probably for her. A slight smile curled at the corner of his lips, and his steps became lighter and more carefree.
No worries if brother isn’t dating anyone; Wan Ning can just stick around and be his little shadow…
With that, she took the escalator upwards, floating in her own thoughts.
What greeted her was a neatly parted slicked-back hairdo.
The hair was obviously carefully groomed—especially that middle part revealing a distinct scalp line that was way too obvious.
The escalator ascended slowly, revealing a man in a crisp, spotless outfit, his face free of any smudges or wrinkles—except for that confident smirk playing on his lips, and he even held a rose delicately in his hand.
He seemed to be scouting the surroundings, searching for something. The next moment, his eyes lit up.
His smile grew even wider: “Sure enough, everything’s predestined. Amongst the crowd, I saw you at a glance!”
He casually flipped his hair, only to realize—wait—his hair didn’t move at all. He dumbly laughed at himself. “Almost forgot—I changed my hairstyle to something more fashionable today.”
Holding the rose in one hand and slipping the other into his pocket, he headed towards the figure a short distance away.
“Wan Ning!” His voice was deep, with a slightly hoarse, bubbly tone that made everyone around glance his way.
Facing the crowd’s attention, Ye Liang Chen sported a charming smile, one hand in his pocket, swaggering forward with an irresistible, slightly mischievous aura.
Hearing her name, Lin Wan Ning instinctively stopped and turned around.
That moment’s glance and soft smile—they hit Ye Liang Chen like a giant hammer, pounding fiercely at his heart.
His body stiffened unconsciously. He shook his hair again, even though it didn’t budge, and that was okay—his little dose of flair couldn’t be missing.
Lin Wan Ning frowned slightly. Her eyes fixed on his smiling mouth, slicked-back hair, and that rose in his hand. Her brief doubt: does she remember him?
“Long time no see,” Ye Liang Chen quipped softly, tipping his head in a gentlemanly nod.
“Who are you?” Wan Ning’s brow furrowed—she was not in the mood for someone trying to lift her skirt immediately.
Ye Liang Chen raised the rose to his nose, sniffing deeply, then grinning with a crooked smile: “The moment you said that, we already know each other!”
He handed her the rose.
Wan Ning’s face was as cold as ice. She stared at the rose he had just sniffed—no thank you, no delighted reaction, just icy disdain.
“Interesting, huh?” he teased lightly.
“If you’re trying to flirt, sorry—not interested,” she shot back with a cool, detached tone, dripping with unspoken rejection.
Without waiting for her reply, she turned to leave; her reason of going to the bathroom was gone, replaced by a desire to get away from this annoying person and return to Dragon Brother.
“We might have a misunderstanding. Are you really not curious how I know your name?” Ye Liang Chen called after her, his tone calm but with a hint of mischief.
Wan Ning’s pace didn’t falter. “Not interested.”
Ye Liang Chen only smiled, knowing her personality well enough. No challenge, no fun.
Life should have challenges—they’re what make it perfect. He relished that feeling.
He turned to watch her disappear into the restaurant, then subtly held the rose under his nose again, taking a deep, deliberate sniff.
Then, he sauntered inside after her.
“Come back and try it. I didn’t add chili since I wasn’t sure if you could handle it,” Dragon Brother greeted Lin Wan Ning happily, placing the grilled meat on a plate before her.
Looking at the delicious food, her earlier annoyance melted instantly. “Thanks, Bro.”
“Call me Bro already, no need for thanks or not,” Dragon Brother said casually while grilling more meat.
“Yummy! You try some too,” Wan Ning used her chopsticks to pick a piece, placing it on Dragon Brother’s plate. “Eat more.”
“See if there’s anything else you want. Pick what you like, and I’ll grill it for you,” he said with a grin.
“Okay.” Wan Ning stood up, smiling softly—completely different from her icy demeanor just moments ago.
Suddenly, her grip tightened on the rose in her hand, snapping it with a clean break. A wave of sadness washed over her, tears slowly streaking down her face…
“Shameless, absolutely shameless…”
Ye Liang Chen couldn’t believe what he’d just seen.
His body trembled uncontrollably as he staggered backward.
“Are you alright?” The restaurant waiter looked at the suddenly tearful young man and instinctively asked.
Ye Liang Chen smirked bitterly, a self-mocking smile curling his lips: “Do you know what ‘Sadness flowing backwards into a river’ means?”
Before the waiter could answer, he spoke again, voice thick with emotion: “No one understands how I feel right now. My heart’s already shattered. The person in front of me? Just a walking corpse.”
He clenched his fists tightly, staring unblinkingly at the distant pair, bitterness filling his heart—who could possibly understand this pain?
He had calculated everything meticulously, was only one step away from success—just take Wan Ning, and everything would be perfect.
But why? Why was Dragon Brother here? Why was he dining with Wan Ning?
He closed his eyes slowly, squeezing out the last tear, then forced a smile—this time, truly genuine.
“Justice is unfair, treating all things as pawns. My forbearance towards you isn’t for nothing—what I get in return is only your greed, Dragon Brother. Do you really think I dare not hurt you?”
“Fine, don’t blame me then!”
He pulled out his phone and snapped several photos of Dragon Brother and Wan Ning.
“I refuse to believe that Hu Yu Ying and Li Qing Xue, seeing how you play with their feelings, won’t see your true evil nature.”
“I refuse to believe that Lin Wan Ning, once she finds out you’re two-timing, won’t despise you.”
In his past life, he had defeated you once; this time, you could only be my defeated opponent!
Ye Liang Chen was truly furious at this moment.
Like standing at a cliff’s edge—step back and you fall into the abyss…
