Chapter 5: Stop Worrying About Things That Don't Matter

He didn’t look up; he simply locked his phone and stood to leave without so much as a glance. The woman hurried to block his way.

“Mr. He! Um… I’m Ren Yishan, the eldest daughter of the Jian family. I’ve heard of your reputation in our circles and came especially to offer you a toast.”

Every word fell on Li Jingche’s ears with a surreal absurdity. His gaze swept the room, eventually settling on the He siblings who were making peace signs at him from across the hall—

Congratulations to He Jiangyu for willingly handing over his own identity.

Li Jingche cleared his throat, his gaze finally dropping. Ren Yishan was quite pretty, especially with that oval face—beauty held in reserve, the very image of a well-bred lady.

Quite unlike Jian Qing.

Jian Qing was the type who wielded her beauty like a weapon. In her own words, if beauty were a crime, she’d have been sentenced to death. Her brows and the bridge of her nose spoke of a certain ferocity, and with those red lips, she was the very picture of a femme fatale.

A pity, really—she had the face of a siren, but in some ways, her mind was tightly wrapped up instead of her feet.

She’d dated Xiao Yunchen for years. The man made the first move, even undressed in her bed, but she would always bolt.

These were things Li Jingche didn’t know, but it hardly mattered to him.

He composed himself. Hearing she was from the Jian family, his tone softened somewhat.

“I don’t drink. What do you need?”

Ren Yishan glanced at the empty wine glass in his hand and smiled behind her hand. “Mr. He, you’re so successful at such a young age. I’ve always hoped for a chance to meet you.”

“The Jian family… don’t you have a daughter named Jian Qing?”

“She’s my younger sister,” Ren Yishan added. “My sister is proud and doesn’t like occasions like this.”

“Oh? Then what kind does she like?” All-male model parties? The kind where everyone warns her to be careful?

Clearly dissatisfied, Li Jingche narrowed his eyes.

Ren Yishan sensed his interest in Jian Qing and felt uneasy. She glanced toward Xiao Yunchen, who was chatting with some debutante and made no move to help, so she could only look away in frustration.

“My sister isn’t fond of crowds. Besides… I’ll be the one taking over the Jian family business. I hope we’ll have the chance to work together, Mr. He.”

Ren Yishan, Jian Qing. Weighing those two names, Li Jingche could tell who was genuine and who was not.

“Mr. He, could I have your contact information?”

“I don’t use cell phones.”

Li Jingche set the empty wine glass atop the phone in her hand and walked off, disappearing into the crowd. Before he left, he grabbed a young girl by the arm and led her out.

He bundled the girl into the car and stared at her for a long moment before she sweetly clung to his arm, wheedling,

“Brother~ my dear brother~”

“Your real brother is still abroad.”

She pouted and fell silent.

“Li Shuang, the man who was talking to you—what’s his relationship with Ren Yishan from the Jian family?”

Li Jingche got straight to the point. He’d noticed Ren Yishan’s every nervous glance toward that man.

“Brother, if you want to talk about that, I’ll have to crack some sunflower seeds and give you the full scoop.”

As she spoke, Li Shuang took the sunflower tray from Qin Jin and recounted the entire “Burning Winter” saga of Jian Qing, Xiao Yunchen, and Ren Yishan.

Qin Jin drove, occasionally sneaking worried glances at Li Jingche—he’d have liked nothing more than to clamp a hand over Li Shuang’s mouth.

Sister, please, look at your brother—he’s about to shatter!

Li Jingche’s face alternated between shadow and light under the passing streetlamps. When he heard that Jian Qing and Xiao Yunchen had known each other for over twenty years, he cut Li Shuang off, took a deep breath, and spoke:

“Why would you talk to a scumbag like Xiao Yunchen? What, are jerks more attractive?”

He’d never been in a relationship, but in his mind, it was just like business—one shot, one success.

Only, Jian Qing was a tough nut to crack.

By comparison, for all his cunning, he was almost naive.

“Not at all,” Li Shuang waved her hands. “I haven’t met Jian Qing, and today was the first time I met Ren Yishan, but I’ve heard all about Xiao Yunchen. He’s slept with plenty of women—mostly drawn in by his looks. The Xiao family isn’t what it used to be, so he’s using his face to drum up business. Isn’t that just a new type of male courtesan?”

She added, “Actually, brother, your mouth is a lot like Xiao Yunchen’s. But don’t worry, I’m no fan of incest.”

“Second Miss!”

Qin Jin slammed the brakes. At last, they’d arrived.

He turned around, smiling. “We’re here—you can get out now.”

Li Shuang was startled, clutching her heart. “Qin Jin, you scared me! Why so loud?”

She turned to her brother, her smile sweet. “But, brother, let me just remind you: don’t waste your time worrying about nonsense—focus on the person you like. Don’t worry about me and Xiao Yunchen. We’re just playing around. Don’t be fooled by his broken engagement with Jian Qing and his relationship with Ren Yishan—he’s just as much a player as ever. You, on the other hand, should start considering your own love life. Didn’t Mom try to introduce you to—”

“Li Shuang!”

Li Jingche’s rebuke nearly made her collapse as she got out of the car. “Don’t be mad, brother, I was wrong, I was wrong, okay?”

He looked down at her, the air around him chilling.

He was about to speak when his phone rang.

Instantly, both Qin Jin and Li Shuang breathed a sigh of relief—the former sneaking peeks as Li Jingche answered, the latter watching openly, cautiously studying her brother’s face.

On the other end, a woman’s voice was soft as water:

“Come over and keep me company. The two idiots next door are so loud in bed I can’t sleep.”

His expression tightened, his voice hoarse. “That’s moving a little fast.”

“Just think of it as your probationary period.”

He pressed his lips together, hung up, and got out of the car.

Li Shuang, startled, backed away to find a path to sneak back into the villa, but the butler, catching on, closed the door before she could.

The next moment, Li Jingche opened the driver’s door and told Qin Jin to get out.

Qin Jin trembled, exchanging glances with Li Shuang; neither spoke a word.

Before driving away, Li Jingche said, “Li Shuang, don’t get too close to Xiao Yunchen. Even if you’re just playing, don’t get yourself caught up. If word gets out, you’re the one who’ll get hurt.”

“But my brother would never let me get hurt, right?”

“…”

“Oh, whoever ends up with you is going to be so lucky. My brother is so gentle… I mean, so handsome, I wonder who’ll manage to catch you.”

Li Shuang was the type who couldn’t resist poking the tiger after petting it, and seeing her brother’s mood ease, she piled on the flattery. But “gentle” was a word she just couldn’t say.

Still, with Li Jingche, this approach worked—when it came to those he cared about, he didn’t need anyone to give him an out; he’d find his own.

But when they arrived at the Jian family villa, Jian Qing not only refused to give him an out, she pushed him off a cliff.

Uncle Qian had heard from Jian Qing that there’d be a guest tonight, and at this late hour, it couldn’t be anyone proper. But the young lady of his own household was to be indulged, no matter what.

So, when he welcomed Li Jingche inside, Uncle Qian cautioned, “Behave yourself. Don’t look where you shouldn’t, don’t say what you shouldn’t.”

Then he handed Li Jingche a bulging envelope. Remembering something He Jiangyu had said earlier, Li Jingche tucked it away.

But as soon as he stepped inside, he saw Xiao Yunchen pinning Jian Qing against the wall.

Jian Qing, never one to hold her tongue, provoked people as the mood struck, without care for place or occasion.

Chin lifted, she taunted, “What, isn’t Ren Yishan enough for you? Looking to play Burning Winter? Or are you providing a call service—Ren Yishan just left, and you can’t wait to crawl into my bed?”

Uncle Qian coughed, and Jian Qing and Xiao Yunchen turned toward the intruder.

The latter raised an eyebrow and barked, “And who’s this bastard?”

Li Jingche’s expression didn’t flicker. He stepped forward, shielding Jian Qing behind him, towering over Xiao Yunchen.

“The leading man of Burning Winter.”

Jian Qing: …

She thought she’d found someone obedient and money-minded; instead, she’d found a taciturn man with a hidden wild side.