Don’t Ignite It chapter 86
Difficult to Escape Blame: Xu Zhan × Ruan Sen (15)
Ruan Sen’s expression changed.
He had never wanted to enter into marriage, or more precisely, he didn’t even want a stable romantic relationship. That was the initial reason he had hastily proposed a sponsorship contract when he first met Xu Zhan. Sponsorship was just an excuse; he wanted an easy way out of relationships. But now, Xu Zhan was taking this relationship seriously, and he found himself wanting to reconsider.
With his young and handsome appearance, Ruan Sen exuded a wild and rebellious aura. Just a glance at him and you’d know he wouldn’t settle down, and he’d break countless hearts.
Yet, he said to Aurora, “I want to give it a try. I won’t make any grand promises that we’ll be together forever, but I want to make an effort for him.”
Ruan Sen’s eyelashes fluttered slightly, and he continued, “I’ve seen a failed marriage with my parents, and I know how bitter it can be when loyalty turns into lies. I was born into wealth and luxury, and I don’t need to shackle myself. Many people are willing to be with me, enjoying a day of pleasure. But now, I feel like it might be nice to wake up to the same person every day, and that person might just be Xu Zhan.”
Aurora’s gaze held complexity. She lightly said, “You really like him. Hearing you say this makes me wonder if the world is ending tomorrow.”
They were childhood friends, having shared their first cigarette by the pool, messed up their French teacher’s motorcycle together, and even given gifts to a homeless man by the street. She understood Ruan Sen better than anyone. So how could she not see the excitement in his eyes when he mentioned that person? She had only seen that kind of almost happiness once before, on the day Ruan Sen’s mother had come specifically to celebrate his 18th birthday. On that day, Ruan Sen had been obedient, concealing his rebelliousness and appearing like a gentle and well-behaved honor student, a soon-to-be adult gentleman.
She fell silent for a while and continued, “Let’s go with your plan. The engagement can be canceled, but it’s better to take it slow. I don’t know who your lover is, but I hope he happens to be someone your grandfather would like.”
With a hint of sarcasm in her tone, she added, “Love can be quite remarkable. Even a playboy like you can be smitten.”
Ruan Sen chuckled and leaned on the railing, his gaze tender. At this moment, he seemed like an ordinary young man in his twenties.
“To be honest, I hadn’t expected it to be like this initially,” he said. “But he’s a very sincere person. He loves me so much, he doesn’t care about anything else. He thinks I’m just a poor guy from a troubled family with only my appearance to please people. Yet, he still loves me and wants to be with me. But if I reject his love and don’t agree, he might leave me.”
“But I don’t want to lose him.”
This was the result of his thoughts throughout the flight.
The most important reason he decided to talk to Aurora was that he didn’t want to lose Xu Zhan. Was he confident about their future together? Maybe not. But the thought of Xu Zhan letting go of his hand, never opening the door to that seaside villa again, never kissing him, hugging him—it was more painful than drowning.
Aurora rolled her eyes in exasperation.
Men.
She shook her head, no longer interested in this guy who seemed to have lost his mind.
But she stood up, adjusted her beautiful dress, and casually ruffled Ruan Sen’s hair.
“I wish you happiness,” she said with a smile to Ruan Sen. She didn’t resemble her usual cheerful and sweet self, instead, her face appeared mature and composed, with a touch of subtle tenderness. “Liking someone is actually quite nice, but I hope the person you love won’t let your love go to waste.”
She placed her hand on Ruan Sen’s shoulder.
Ruan Sen’s expression subtly changed. He reached up and held Aurora’s hand, looking up at her.
Perhaps it was because he had found love for himself that he thought of the issue that had once troubled him. He knew that Aurora secretly admired someone. He had initially thought it might be his elder brother, but it didn’t quite fit because Aurora didn’t show any particular behavior towards him. But Aurora was not someone who was obsessed with love. Love was nice, but not a necessity to her. Having a playmate to enjoy life with was just as good, just like he had once been.
So in the end, he didn’t ask anything else, just said, “Thank you for your good wishes.”
On his last day at home, Ruan Sen met with his mother and then took a plane back to China.
The day before his departure, he messaged Xu Zhan, informing him of his arrival back to China.
“Can you pick me up at the airport?”
He sent the flight arrival time.
Xu Zhan agreed.
On the plane, he fell into a half-dreaming, half-awake sleep, dreaming of himself turning back into a child, holding his mother’s hand in the hospital. In reality, his mother didn’t have any incurable illness; she just needed some care due to her frail health.
When he woke up, he felt melancholic for a long time because he hadn’t told his mother about the person he had fallen for, even though she knew his engagement with Aurora was just a convenient shield. However, he didn’t dare to tell his mother that he had fallen in love with someone and wanted to have a genuine relationship with that person. He was afraid of stirring up her painful memories, afraid of meeting her brown eyes, and afraid of her asking him if he understood the meaning of commitment.
But all these thoughts dissipated when he got off the plane and saw Xu Zhan. Xu Zhan was still obedient and didn’t come inside the airport to pick him up. Instead, he patiently waited outside. Ruan Sen spotted Xu Zhan from a distance, standing next to a white Bentley. The weather was still cold, and Xu Zhan wore a black-gray wool coat, gray trousers, and a colorful thin scarf around his neck, making him stand out on the street.
They had only been apart for a few days, but it felt like a century. The winter streets were dull, with trees becoming withered and yellow. Xu Zhan stood there, the only bright spot.
Ruan Sen silently stood there for a while before slowly walking over. When he was halfway there, Xu Zhan noticed him, subconsciously smiled, and waved at him. Ruan Sen couldn’t help but smile too.
He quickened his pace, running over to Xu Zhan. Without saying anything, he enveloped Xu Zhan in a warm hug. Xu Zhan was startled and looked a bit flustered, his nose turning red from the cold. Ruan Sen couldn’t resist planting a kiss on Xu Zhan’s nose.
“I’m back,” he said tightly holding onto Xu Zhan.
It was only at this moment that he felt his drifting heart finally landing, heavy and stable. He still wore the jade bracelet that Xu Zhan had given him, with its emerald green beads that had absorbed his warmth over time.
Xu Zhan also gazed at him, his eyelashes trembling slightly. Even though Ruan Sen hadn’t said anything yet, his presence, his kiss, and the jade bracelet on his wrist had already conveyed everything.
Slowly, Xu Zhan also wrapped his arms around Ruan Sen, his nose inexplicably feeling a bit sour. “I’m glad you’re back.”
Author’s Note:
Finally, I’ve written up to this point. Why did I rewrite from the beginning? It’s because I wanted to explain the changes in their relationship. This was the plotline I had in mind when I started writing, as I mentioned in the preface. Their story is more about misunderstandings, recklessness, and melodrama, but it also has genuine feelings.
So, it won’t be as complicated as the story of Xia Yu and Lu Zhao. If it weren’t for my ruthless meddling as the author, this should have been a sweet and romantic story of finding true love through a sponsorship/ sugar daddy relationship.
P.S. Just a reminder, in the story, it’s currently New Year’s Day, and the events afterward will lead to their separation. However, they will eventually reconcile; it won’t be a catastrophic ending.