Don’t Ignite It chapter 84

Difficult to Escape Blame – Xu Zhan x Ruan Sen (13)

Ruan Sen wore the string of emerald beads as he boarded the plane. He had rented the entire aircraft for his return journey, and the cabin was quiet and serene. He had claimed he needed rest, and no one disturbed him.

There was a fruit platter and desserts on the dining table. He had just eaten a grape, which was quite sweet, but he found it sour compared to the grapes Xu Zhan used to peel for him.

Xu Zhan.

That name echoed in his mind, and he felt a tug at his heart.

He hadn’t said anything to Xu Zhan just now. After Xu Zhan’s frank confession, he had acted like a qualified scumbag, showing no emotion and maintaining a blank expression, making it impossible to discern his feelings.

As their parting moment approached, he should have given Xu Zhan a kiss.

But he hadn’t. The more he thought about it, the more he felt it was inappropriate.

Xu Zhan hadn’t asked for it either. He had simply smiled somewhat helplessly, adjusted the collar of his coat, and said softly, “Take care on your journey.”

He nodded without making any promises to return or express missing Xu Zhan, then turned and walked away.

And now, he silently touched the cold emerald beads on his wrist, and his heart throbbed loudly.

He closed his eyes, trying not to think too much for the moment. By the time he spent more than a dozen hours on the plane and landed, it seemed that everything related to China had been left behind in the clouds.

He was no longer the kept boy nurtured by Xu Zhan, the young and reckless Ruan Sen who was idle and aimless.

He was the youngest son of the Qin family, one of the heirs of the TROY Group.

Even though he didn’t particularly like this identity.

As soon as he got off the plane, he saw someone coming to greet him. The person had a face similar to his, tall in stature with broad shoulders, exuding an oppressive aura just by standing there. He quietly called out the name on his passport, “Qin Sheng.”

Qin Shaoyuan, his eldest brother, ten years his senior.

Ruan Sen wasn’t particularly pleased. “Stop calling me that. I’ve told you I don’t like that name.”

Ruan Sen was chosen by his mother, and he preferred that name.

Qin Shaoyuan gave him a cold look but didn’t bother much with his disobedient brother.

On the way back to the Qin family mansion, Qin Shaoyuan said, “You’ll meet Grandfather later. Dad and Shaoyu will join us for dinner tonight. Mom won’t be coming. If you miss her, go find her yourself.”

Ruan Sen pursed his lips and didn’t respond.

Qin Shaoyu was his elder sister. They had always had a contentious relationship, arguing from childhood to adulthood. But after a long time without seeing each other, they would bring gifts for each other when they met.

However, after a while, he heard Qin Shaoyuan say again, “Aurora will also come tonight. It’s been a long time since she last saw you. You two should catch up.”

Ruan Sen suddenly felt like he had been pricked.

The emerald bead on his wrist suddenly stung his skin.

Aurora was his childhood friend, and they had a good relationship. Their mothers were close friends, and Aurora used to spend summers at his house. She would tease him for not being as fast at swimming as his brother.

Then they got engaged as a matter of course.

Aurora admired the kind of man Ruan Sen’s elder brother was. She said his brother had an indescribable sexiness, but in the end, she became his fiancée.

Ruan Sen suddenly felt really terrible. There was a hint of provocation in his tone as he said, “Why do you care so much about my relationship with Aurora? It’s none of your business. If you like to meddle in other people’s affairs so much, you should get engaged yourself. If you’re willing, Aurora would be more than happy to break up with me and be with you.”

Qin Shaoyuan was used to his brother’s erratic behavior. He casually took out his iPad from the back seat of the car, lowered his head to read the documents his secretary had sent him, and said lazily, “If I were you, I’d be embarrassed. Your fiancée doesn’t love you at all, which means you have no charm.”

Ruan Sen gave a cold laugh. “Who cares?”

He said it as if he wanted to get married in the first place.

The Rolls-Royce slowly entered an estate. After getting out of the car, Ruan Sen first went to see his grandfather. As the most favored grandson, he received special attention.

Qin Rongxin was already in his seventies, but he was still lively. He smiled and asked his youngest grandson, “How was your vacation?”

Ruan Sen, or rather Qin Sheng, flashed Xu Zhan’s clear and dignified face in his mind and said softly, “It was good.”

He presented the gifts he had bought from China to his grandfather. Qin Rongxin squinted his eyes and noticed the beads on Ruan Sen’s wrist. He raised an eyebrow slightly. “Where did these beads come from? They’re quite nice.”

He stared at Ruan Sen and said, “Doesn’t look like something you’d buy.”

Ruan Sen blinked and replied calmly, “A friend gave them to me and said they suited me.”

Qin Rongxin chuckled and didn’t ask any further. It was normal for young people of his age to have their own secrets.

He changed the subject and showed Ruan Sen his newly acquired antique painting.

Ruan Sen couldn’t appreciate it, but as he stood next to the landscape painting, he thought that Xu Zhan would probably like it if he saw it. He had this thought, and his expression softened.

In the evening, lights gradually lit up in the Qin family mansion, and other late-returning residents also arrived home one after another.

Ruan Sen indeed saw Aurora, who was by his elder sister Qin Shaoyu’s side. She was a typical Italian beauty—warm, vibrant, strikingly attractive, with an elegant figure. When she saw him, she hung onto him, and the earrings on her ears jingled incessantly. Her mature and charming perfume discreetly filled the air, almost overwhelming.

Ruan Sen furrowed his brow and pushed her away. “Don’t come too close; your perfume is suffocating.”

He had gotten used to Xu Zhan’s subtle scent and couldn’t stand the strong and rich perfume.

Aurora laughed heartily and then ruffled his hair again.

Qin Shaoyuan stood beside them, arms crossed, watching the playful interaction between the two with a naturally cold and aloof demeanor. He looked more like a guest than Aurora. He appeared distant and composed.

Ruan Sen made eye contact with him and, as Qin Shaoyuan was talking to Qin Shaoyu, he suddenly chuckled.

Aurora looked at him strangely. “What are you laughing at?”

“Nothing,” he replied lazily. “I just feel that you look good with anyone but me.”

Aurora wrinkled her nose and then burst into laughter. She adjusted her long hair, imitating Ruan Sen’s way of speaking. “Funny, I feel the same way.”

She intimately held Ruan Sen’s hand and sweetly said, “But getting engaged to you is pretty good. We’re both scoundrels, and we can mutually benefit from each other without any responsibility to each other.”

Ruan Sen didn’t argue. After all, when they got engaged, that’s what they had agreed on. He was only twenty years old at the time, and Aurora was twenty-one. Getting engaged was advantageous for Aurora’s status within the family. He had warned her in advance, as a staunch advocate of not getting married, that he would never enter the institution of marriage. Engagement was okay, but marriage was out of the question.

Aurora had agreed, and she seemed quite pleased.

But now, as he looked at his childhood friend, he whispered, “But suddenly, I don’t want to be a scoundrel anymore.” 

 “I want to be responsible to someone and cherish them”