Chapter 690 - 239: Does He Love Me? (3)

"Then what do you see in him?" Jie Jingshan asked curiously.

In terms of family background, the Gao family can’t compare to the Qiao Family, and in terms of looks, Gao Qiang isn’t as handsome as Fourth Brother.

"’See in him’?" Xu Jiali shook her head and said to Jie Jingshan, "Jing Shan, you should be asking what I love about him."

"I’m young. I don’t understand love," Jie Jingshan said, looking at Xu Jiali with an air of pure innocence.

Qin Mei’s mouth twitched. ’When Jing Qi gets sly, she’s just as cunning as Jie Jingchen.’

’Qin Mei had to admit, Jing Qi was young. But she couldn’t agree that the girl didn’t understand love. Even a fool could see how Jing Qi felt about her crush. Jing Qi was a bit precocious; if left unchecked, she would definitely start dating too young.’

’Jing Qi had used that phrase "what do you see in him" on purpose. She was being deliberate.’

Xu Jiali hesitated for a few seconds. ’Okay, Jing Shan is still young,’ she thought. ’It’s too early to be talking about love with her.’

"What do you love about him?" Jie Jingchen asked out of the blue.

"I love him for loving me," Xu Jiali replied.

Jie Jingchen pressed his lips together, his gaze fixed on Xu Jiali. A sharp, cold glint shone from his amber eyes.

Qin Mei suddenly felt that Xu Jiali’s approach to love was a bit too casual. ’Does she really reciprocate just because someone loves her?’

’Then again, maybe that’s just her attitude toward love. It’s actually quite nice in its own way—to love so simply and clearly.’

A smile flickered in Qin Mei’s eyes as she asked nonchalantly, "And what if he stops loving you?"

Jie Jingchen sat on the sofa, one leg crossed over the other, his gaze scrutinizing Qin Mei.

Qin Mei had voiced the question on everyone’s mind. Grandma and Jie Jingshan both turned to Xu Jiali in unison, waiting for her answer.

Xu Jiali flicked her curly hair back and said with utter confidence, "He won’t. He said he’ll love me for a lifetime."

"’A lifetime,’" Qin Mei murmured. ’Couples in the throes of passion will say anything. Call them vows if you want, but they’re really just empty promises.’ She then said aloud, "Only one lifetime? And here I was thinking he’d love you for three lives and three worlds. I guess his love for you isn’t as eternal as you imagined."

"PFFT." Jie Jingshan couldn’t help but let out a laugh. Grandma’s and Jie Jingchen’s faces were contorted as they clearly struggled to stifle their own laughter.

Xu Jiali’s expression stiffened. She retorted, "That ’three lives and three worlds’ stuff is obviously just something people say to be sweet. It’s hard enough to meet, know, and love someone in this one lifetime out of a sea of people. Three lifetimes? Is that even possible?"

Jie Jingchen chuckled sarcastically. "How level-headed. It seems you haven’t been completely blinded by love after all."

"I’m not talking to you. You clearly have something against my boyfriend." Xu Jiali turned her head away from Jie Jingchen and looked at Qin Mei. "Xiao Mei, has Jing Chen ever told you he’d love you for a lifetime?"

"Does he even love me?" Qin Mei blurted out.

"..." Everyone was speechless.

"Can’t you feel whether I love you or not?" Jie Jingchen asked, his face cold as he ground out the words.

’He had never made a beautiful vow like loving her for a lifetime, that was true. But he *had* told her he’d fallen for her, and she never responded. He thought she had felt his love, but now she was questioning it. It was a knife to the heart.’

Feeling guilty, Qin Mei didn’t dare to meet his gaze. She said weakly, "Sorry, your love is too subtle. I can’t feel it."

Jie Jingchen felt even more crushed. ’He’d already told her. How was that subtle? Did she really not feel it during their... "deep exchanges" at night?’

’If he didn’t love her, would he find her so irresistible?’

"Granddaughter-in-law, after how cozy you two were in the living room yesterday, you’re calling his love ’subtle’?" Grandma couldn’t resist speaking up for her eldest grandson.

Qin Mei covered her face and buried her head against the sofa cushion. Realizing this made her look guilty, she quickly sat up straight, assuming a prim, ladylike posture. She flicked her hair and prepared to deny everything. "Cozy in the living room yesterday? What are you talking about? We were just sitting there, having a perfectly normal conversation."

Qin Mei assumed that only Grandma had walked in on her and Jie Jingchen’s intimate moment. She had no idea that Jing Qi and Grandpa had also seen them.

"A normal conversation?" Grandma shot Qin Mei a sideways glance and smirked. "Does a ’normal conversation’ usually involve you almost crippling my grandson with a kick?"

"Grandma." Jie Jingchen looked at his grandmother, his deep voice laced with a hint of pleading.

Grandma’s heart went out to her grandson; she had to help him save some face. Even though there were no outsiders present, she decided to drop it. She lifted her teacup and took an elegant sip.

Jie Jingshan sat quietly beside Xu Jiali, playing with the frills of her princess-style dress. Xu Jiali’s curiosity, however, was officially piqued. "Auntie, what was that about almost crippling your grandson?"

She recalled seeing Qin Mei helping a strangely walking Jie Jingchen upstairs yesterday. ’Didn’t he just sprain his ankle?’ she wondered.

"What time is it?" A menacing look flashed in Jie Jingchen’s eyes.