Chapter 133: A Sudden Bit of Gossip

She had always been aware of Jiang Ling’s feelings for her, yet she had consistently and clearly rejected them.

Taking another breath, Mu Yinyin said helplessly, "I’m sorry, Jiang, but I can only ever see you as an older brother. I truly don’t have any romantic feelings for you, and there is no possibility of anything happening between us. I’m sorry."

Jiang Ling’s eyes flickered, and his heart seemed to ache. Even though he had expected such a response, he couldn’t help but ask again, hoping against hope for a pleasant surprise.

He truly loved Mu Yinyin; he had loved her for many years. Even when she was married, he couldn’t control the feelings in his heart, but he had his principles and chose to keep his distance, never disturbing her life or her family. However, since learning of her divorce, his heart had once again become impossible to contain.

He had managed to hold back for so many days before speaking to her, which he considered a testament to his own self-control, but she was just so remarkable. Yet, the two "I’m sorrys" she uttered in succession felt like a sharp blade, piercing straight into his heart and leaving it bleeding.

Jiang Ling sighed uncontrollably. "Yinyin, I don’t expect you to agree right now, and I don’t want you to reject me either. Can you just give me a chance?" Even now, he was still holding on, trying to get her to give him a chance.

Mu Yinyin’s expression was complex, but she still shook her head. "I’m sorry, I won’t be with you. We are friends, and we are like siblings." She said no more. Her attitude was exceptionally firm.

Jiang Ling lowered his eyes in disappointment, looking as if all vitality had left him in an instant. Mu Yinyin sighed helplessly in her heart before slowly speaking again. "Jiang."

Jiang Ling looked up at her without saying a word.

Mu Yinyin pursed her lips. "Don’t limit yourself to me. You have a wonderful life ahead of you. Look at the world outside; there are actually many other great women."

Jiang Ling’s gaze shifted, and he immediately spoke up. "Yinyin, do you feel that way because you don’t want to hold me back given your current situation?"

Mu Yinyin opened her mouth to speak, but Jiang Ling cut in again. "Yinyin, I have never once thought that your divorce matters. In my eyes, you are the most outstanding and the most perfect person. No other woman could ever replace your place in my heart. I have never cared about your past; I only care about being a part of your future. Yinyin, I cannot fix my gaze on anyone else, because the light in my eyes is only you."

Mu Yinyin remained silent. Every one of his words was articulated with utter clarity. Though his tone was steady, she could clearly feel the sincerity in his voice. Yet, she could not give even the slightest response to that sincerity. Even though she was single now, and even though she could technically start a relationship, she did not want to. Aside from having no romantic feelings for him, she also did not want to delay Jiang Ling’s life.

She turned her head away, no longer looking at him. Jiang Ling’s eyes dimmed instantly. He knew from her expression that she remained unmoved—that she still wanted to draw a clear line between them.

"Yinyin..."

"Jiang, I’m sorry. I really only see you as a friend, as family. I have no romantic feelings for you—not now, and not in the future. Because I could never have romantic feelings for my own brother."

Jiang Ling’s face turned even paler, and for a moment, he couldn’t find the words to respond. Mu Yinyin had made herself so clear that anything he said would be futile.

"Sigh..." He let out a weary breath, momentarily at a loss for words. Mu Yinyin also fell silent, feeling that saying anything more would be useless. The two sat across from each other in silence. The living room was incredibly quiet.

Ten minutes later, sensing that just sitting there was not a solution, Mu Yinyin looked at him. "Shouldn’t you... go back and get some rest?"

Jiang Ling’s eyelashes trembled, and he finally stood up. "Alright." It was a single word; he said nothing else. Because everything he wanted to say was not something she wished to hear. He sighed and rose slowly.

Mu Yinyin remained on the sofa, her gaze fixed on him.

Jiang Ling stood straight and looked at her, his eyes complex. "Then, you get some rest too. If you need anything, call me anytime. Please don’t distance yourself from me just because I said these things today, okay, Yinyin?"

Mu Yinyin’s eyes flickered, and she nodded. "You will always be my brother."

Jiang Ling’s eyelashes fluttered. He forced a faint smile before speaking softly. "Right."

With that, Jiang Ling turned and left without looking back. He was afraid that if he looked back at Mu Yinyin, he wouldn't be able to bear leaving, and more than that, he feared her impatience.

Soon, Jiang Ling was gone, leaving Mu Yinyin alone. She relaxed slightly, leaning back against the sofa with a helpless sigh. She felt truly distressed by what Jiang Ling had just said. She didn’t want to hurt him, but this was the only way; she couldn't reciprocate his feelings, and she couldn't be with him. If she didn't make a clean break now, it would only make things harder in the future.

Ultimately, she whispered an apology in her heart and cleared her mind.

The night grew deeper. Many people in the country had already entered their dreams, but some remained wide awake. Fu Siye was one of them. He still hadn't forgotten what happened at the restaurant earlier that day. His expression was incredibly dark, grim enough to drip with gloom.

Inside the presidential suite, he was alone at his desk, seemingly working, but he was in no mood for it. He irritably set down his fountain pen.

His phone suddenly rang, drawing his attention. Fu Siye frowned and answered.

"What is it?" His voice was icy.

The person on the other end paused, taken aback for a moment before replying, "Whoa, what’s wrong? Did you eat gunpowder today?" Although Fu Siye hadn't said anything unusual, they were brothers of many years; Dai Sen naturally knew that Fu Siye was extremely displeased. If it were anyone else, they would have regretted calling him at this hour, but Dai Sen wasn't afraid. Instead, he was more curious about what could have possibly made Fu Siye this irritable. He was eager to gossip.

Fu Siye’s brow furrowed, his expression darkening further. "Do you have a point or not?" It was clear that if Dai Sen didn't get to the point, he was going to hang up.