When Jiang Chen stepped into the ice cream parlor again, he saw an entertaining scene that his face could not help but reveal a thoughtful expression.
Ayesha in a black dress was sitting at the table. Her original impassive face was now layered with frost.
Across from her, an East Slavic young man was talking to her rather enthusiastically.
“Hey, gorgeous, may I know your name?” The young man with aquiline nose gazed at Ayesha’s eyes in what he obviously deemed as romantic.
Ignored.
“Ahem, I seemed to have seen you somewhere before.”
No response.
Oleg stared at Ayesha in embarrassment. From a gentleman’s perspective, if the other party had clearly expressed no interest, then pestering would only be regarded as cumbersome. But how could he endure it? Towards someone who was remarkably handsome, romantic, and suave like him, would there be someone who would thoroughly ignore him?
He took a deep breath and decided to deliver his ultimate “cool” move.
In one grand romantic gesture, he stood up, genuflected, and stared into Ayesha’s eyes affectionately.
“From the first time I saw you, I couldn’t help but fell irrevocably in love with you, my goddess.”
Most customers in the ice cream shop began to look in their direction. Some young girls covered their mouth in surprise, and some even started to whistle. Proposals (like of marriage) would always be popular, no matter which country you were.
Oleg was indeed attractive and combined with his fit physique, looked every bit of a dashing man from Kane.
However, Ayesha had merely cast a glance at the clock on the wall indifferently.
She had always been indifferent towards strangers especially men. If it wasn’t for Jiang Chen opposition, she would have worn the black cape she usually wore when sniping on their date.
Oleg’s passionate expression was frozen on his face as he was left to stew in awkwardness. If he left, it would look like he was acting in a one-man show; on the other hand, Ayesha was clearly broadcasting an “I’m-too-lazy-to-bother-with-you” expression.
Smiling slightly, Jiang Chen walked forward.
“I’m sorry to have kept you waiting for so long.”
Ayesha’s eyes lit up instantly when she spotted him. She quickly got up and walked to his side and hugged his arm as though no one was around.
“He was pestering me, but I didn’t pay him—” Ayesha explained in a faint voice as she was worried that Jiang Chen might misinterpret the situation.
“I know,” Jiang Chen interrupted her explanation with a smile and rubbed her hair dotingly, “I trust you.”
“Hmm.” Ayesha turned slightly red and lowered her head, fingers unconsciously toying with Jiang Chen’s cuffs.
Oleg was still frozen in the same awkward position, his mouth was twitching uncontrollably. The crowd’s gaze gradually turned from encouraging to that of mockery and sympathy. Regardless of how thick his skin was for flirting with so many girls, his face still betrayed an embarrassed expression.
Disconcerted, he got up from the ground, fixed his collar and walked in front of Jiang Chen.
“Yellow skin? My goddess, how could you like someone—” After seeing Jiang Chen’s face, his contemptuous expression immediately cooled down.
“Why don’t you keep up your gentlemanly pretense until the end? You look like a kid whose candy got stolen,” Jiang Chen sneered.
“I dare you to say that again.” Oleg extended his hand with a vicious smile as though Jiang Chen’s provocation gave him a reason to start a fight. In his eyes, this yellow monkey would not be able to put up a fight.
Ayesha’s eyes flashed a hint of iciness and just as she was about to make a move, Jiang Chen gently squeezed her hand, signaling that there was no need for her to lend a hand.
There was no way that he would let a girl protect him during a date, on the other hand, he was also too lazy to use force. His eyes then scanned his surroundings.
“Ahem, I have enough reason to conclude that this dumbass is sent by Willie society to give me trouble,” he muttered under his breath.
Oleg hadn’t even touched Jiang Chen yet when a middle-aged man sitting on next table vaulted and pushed him against the table in one incredibly swift motion.
“Fu*k, who the fu*k are you?” Oleg, not understanding the situation, struggled to fight back, but he was bound tightly by a middle-aged man behind him.
“I’m the police! Don’t you fu*king move!” The middle-aged man fumbled with the handcuffs and cuffed his hands. “Oleg, right? You are under arrest on account of being a threat to national safety. I hope you can cooperate with our investigation.”
“What!” Oleg shouted incredulously, “I was just trying to pick up a girl. Everyone here can testify.”
Another middle-aged man drinking coffee on the other side let out a sigh and walked in front of Jiang Chen.
“We apologize for giving you a fright. Do you need me to help you with contacting the embassy and arrange for your immediate return?” The middle-aged man in a gray vest looked at Jiang Chen and seemed anxious to depart.
“Thank you very much, but that won’t be necessary. I still have two days left in my vacation. This small mishap would not affect our friendship, wouldn’t it?” Jiang Chen extended his right hand with a smile.
The middle-aged man watched him for half a day before grasping his right hand silently.
[Since you guys had already followed for so long, wouldn’t be a shame to not to use this free “bodyguard”?]
“I hope you have a great vacation. You know, there are still a lot of people working overtime.” The middle-aged man was staring directly at Jiang Chen.
“Of course, I hope you have a pleasant overtime.” Jiang Chen’s smile was especially radiant.
…
After leaving the ice cream parlor, Jiang Chen didn’t take Ayesha to the clothing stores and instead brought her to the movie theater. Although his mansion had a home theater comparable to a movie house, watching here amplified the experience.
Especially when on a date.
The screen was showing <Mission Impossible 5>. Although Jiang Chen had already seen it once, when he asked what movie Ayesha was interested in, she left out all the romance movies and only showed interest in action films.
Anyway, his real purpose was to make it up to her, so he gladly agreed with her choice. Moreover, it would be a total loss if one actually paid any attention to the movie while in the company of a girl.
Holding Ayesha’s little hand, feeling her occasional bout of tenseness and the softness of her hand when she relaxed, he felt his mind was on cloud nine. The movie playing on the screen had no hope of entering his mind.
[I can hold this hand forever!]
After leaving the movie theater, Jiang Chen stretched himself. Seeing Ayesha’s furrowed brows, he gently smiled and asked, “What’s the matter?”
“Umm.” Ayesha stroked her chin and nodded thoughtfully. “I’m just thinking, why do the bullets never hit anyone? Clearly, the villain boss has so many underlings so why does he need to personally fight in the end? His marksmanship was not even that good.”
Jiang Chen was speechless. It appeared that this girl did pay attention to the movie the entire time.
“Ahem, if they got hit with one shot, it wouldn’t be called an action movie anymore. If the antagonist boss doesn’t die in the end, it would then become a series. Overall, it’s nice, isn’t it?”
Hearing this, Ayesha was confused at first, then nodded her head, feeling slightly embarrassed.
“Mhmm.”
…
In the evening, they took a stroll along Dnieper River, feeling the gentle breeze blowing on their face.
Jiang Chen took a peek at Ayesha who was holding on his arm.
The gorgeous face under the lantern light looked serene, her brown hair fluttered in the breeze, and a smile lingered on her lips.
It was such a guileless smile, and it was Jiang Chen first time seeing it on her face.
“Did you have fun today?” he asked, smiling faintly.
Hearing this, Ayesha’s pale face turned slightly pink.
Slightly adjusting her position, Ayesha stuffed her hand into his.
“Hmm,” she whispered but seemed to feel it was not conveying enough of her feelings, so she added, “Very, very happy.”
“That’s good.” Jiang Chen smiled then turned to look at the river. The reflection of the moonlight decorated the Dnieper River’s surface and suffused it with light.
Ayesha gazed at Jiang Chen’s side contour, the eyes that were not good at expressing emotions flashed vulnerability and bewilderment.
“Why?” Ayesha murmured to herself like someone caught in a dream.
“Why?” Jiang Chen looked at her somewhat puzzled.
“I am only someone you picked up from the desert…Obviously, I’m already very happy.”
Recalling the image of her parents in the pool of blood, the drowsiness while inside the truck and being transported to the refugee camp, recalling her past self who had pretty much given up on life, Ayesha suddenly felt herself tearing up.
Just being able to live in a stable country was already a happiness in itself.
“What’s wrong?” Jiang Chen smiled gently and squeezed her soft, little hands a little harder.
“But…that’s why I owe you even more,” she murmured. She put her sandals on the gravel road and looked at her own reflection on the river.
“Did you follow me just because you wanted to pay me back?” Jiang Chen asked with a smile.
A flash of confusion appeared in her eyes, but shortly after she shook her head vigorously.
“No.”
“Then why is it?”
After a moment of silence, Ayesha’s cheek was gradually suffused with heat, the delicate, red lips were conflicted for a good while before finally saying the words that had been brewing for a long time but never got the courage to express, “Because I like you.” She paused and stared into his eyes.
The look of vulnerability gradually disappeared from her eyes.
Hearing this, a warm smile emerged on Jiang Chen’s face.
An answer he naturally expected, but no matter how many times she said it, it would never fail to make his heart raced.
“At first, I felt I owe you a lot and that’s why I asked for this date,” Jiang Chen murmured as he held Ayesha’s hand.
“Owe?” Ayesha asked confusedly. She couldn’t understand Jiang Chen’s choice of words. It was obviously her who owed him a lot.
“That’s right. In my opinion, you’re at your most exciting age, but I have kept you in the mansion and then had been busy with my own affairs and now that I need you, I immediately gave you a gun.”
“I don’t mind being used by you.” Ayesha tenderly squeezed Jiang Chen’s hand.
“People are more or less hypocritical, but that’s not what I am talking about.” Jiang Chen smiled and responded to her affection. He paused before continuing again, “Just now, I suddenly realized that perhaps the real reason was not due to the feeling of I ‘owe’ you.”
Rather, it is the same reason as yours.”
Because you like me.
So I also like you, too.
The two fell into tacit understanding.
In the tranquil and romantic Dnieper River, two figures were locked in an embrace, their lips interlocking with one other.