Standing Next To You-Chapter 291: Jealous?

Bei Sangyun tilted her head in confusion.

Suddenly, Zhong Cheng pulled her strongly, causing her to fall into the pool with him.

Water splashed everywhere, and Bei Sangyun yelped in surprise as half of her body submerged. She was about to scold Zhong Cheng when she heard rustling behind her.

Instinctively, she turned around and saw Fei Chuan walking towards them with long strides. His face was dark and cold, emanating a menacing aura.

Zhong Cheng, feeling intimidated, gulped and whispered, "Boss, don’t let him kill me, okay?"

Bei Sangyun blinked in surprise.

Fei Chuan approached the pool where they were, and without a word, he jumped in. His white shirt became wet and clung to his body, but he didn’t seem to care. Positioning himself between Zhong Cheng and Bei Sangyun, his menacing gaze locked onto Zhong Cheng. "...Soaking isn’t actually bad," he said, his tone sharp.

Zhong Cheng’s expression paled: ’I’m dead’

Bei Sangyun remained silent, her mind processing the unexpected turn of events.

’...This actually works?’

Zhong Cheng coughed awkwardly. Having helped his boss and regained her trust, he felt it was time to make a swift exit.

"Lin Sunji looks lonely over there. I should join her," he said, laughing awkwardly as he hurriedly left, eager to escape Fei Chuan’s menacing gaze.

Left alone in the pool, neither of them spoke for a while.

Bei Sangyun was really dumbfounded. It was hard to convince Fei Chuan to bathe in the hot spring, but he changed his mind without a word.

Zhong Cheng’s words echoed in her mind.

Does it mean...he...has feelings for her?

While Bei Sangyun remained in a daze, Fei Chuan suddenly moved as if to leave. Instinctively, she reached out and held onto his arm to stop him.

"Where are you going?" she asked.

Fei Chuan glanced at her hand on his arm. "...To change. My clothes are wet," he replied.

"But since you’re already wet, why not stay a little longer? This hot spring is sourced from a nearby volcano. Not only does it soothe muscles and benefit the skin, but it’s also a rare experience. When will you ever get the chance to soak like this again?" Bei Sangyun suggested, hoping to persuade Fei Chuan to stay a bit longer. She knew his reserved nature, and he might not come back to experience this relaxation again if he left now.

Fei Chuan didn’t respond, but he also didn’t leave.

Bei Sangyun felt a wave of relief wash over her. The two of them leaned back against the edge of the pool, quietly soaking in the warm water. Steam rose, creating a fog that partially obscured their view.

The warmth of the water eased Bei Sangyun’s tired muscles, helping her to relax. With Fei Chuan, her source of comfort, beside her, Bei Sangyun felt her body and mind gradually relaxing, allowing her to let down her guard.

She scooped up some water in her hands and found herself enjoying the experience of soaking in the pool. All she had associated with hot springs before were unpleasant memories she didn’t want to dwell on. She couldn’t help but share her thoughts with Fei Chuan.

"The Lin family also owned many hot springs that were much more glamorous than this one. But I think this place is better than all of them," she said, breaking the silence between them.

Fei Chuan glanced at her, his expression still somewhat guarded.

"I have many unpleasant memories with water, so hot springs were my least favorite. But thanks to you, they aren’t anymore," Bei Sangyun confessed, her fingers trailing through the water as she poured out her feelings. "It’s not the water that’s the problem, but the person I’m with."

The menacing look in Fei Chuan’s eyes finally eased, though he still wore a frown. "Then did you find it fun with Zhong Cheng too?" he asked.

Bei Sangyun looked at him with a hint of amusement dancing in her eyes. "What part of me do you think was having fun with him? Are you seriously... jealous of Zhong Cheng?" she teased.

Fei Chuan was taken aback. When did he start feeling jealous?

Seeing his clueless expression, Bei Sangyun let out a small sigh. It seemed Zhong Cheng was right – Fei Chuan was one of those male leads who were clueless about their own feelings.

But despite that, it made her happy. The fact that Fei Chuan had jumped into the pool for her sent butterflies fluttering in her stomach. It seemed that her goal to marry him was finally within reach.

Fei Chuan noticed the small smile playing at the corner of her lips and finally let go of the heavy feeling in his chest. The irritating presence of Zhong Cheng was no longer on his mind.

Perhaps it was the warmth of the hot spring that relaxed him, or maybe it was Bei Sangyun’s opening up about her feelings first that caused him to let down his guard and reveal his true emotions as well.

"I don’t like bathing with other people. But if you want someone to bathe with you, don’t ask anyone, even if it’s Zhong Cheng. Ask me instead," he admitted.

"But I did ask you earlier, and you rejected," Bei Sangyun pointed out.

Fei Chuan avoided her gaze, his cheeks tinged with a faint blush. "That doesn’t count," he muttered.

He would rather endure bathing with other people than watch her in a pool with someone else. That scene... it was just too intimate and irritating in his eyes.

The smile on Bei Sangyun’s lips widened even more. She couldn’t resist teasing him further. "So you’re not avoiding me anymore?" she quipped.

Fei Chuan was suddenly reminded of what he was trying to push out of his mind, and his ears turned red. He looked away, murmuring, "I’m not avoiding you on purpose."

"Then why can’t you look at me?"

"Because you..." Fei Chuan was at a loss for words as he continued, "...because you brought that... that ’thing’...," He paused. He can’t even say ’that’ word.

"What are you going to use it for? We haven’t even kissed properly, but you’re..." But you’re already thinking of making babies.

Fei Chuan stuttered and couldn’t finish his sentence.

*****

The past:

The first time Bei Sangyun attended a pool party was when she was eleven years old. It was Lin Xiaoni’s birthday, and the ten-year-old celebrant wanted to have a pool party with her friends.

As a new addition to the family, Bei Sangyun was naturally invited.

Bei Sangyun had only experienced swimming in rivers and was thrilled at the prospect of swimming in a pool after seeing pictures of them.

However, due to needing to catch up on many lessons she had missed since birth, Bei Sangyun had been bombarded with lessons and tutors. She was exhausted and longed to play, but couldn’t. Despite not particularly liking Lin Xiaoni, she welcomed the opportunity to take a break from her hectic tutoring schedule.

With the assistance of Butler Xin and Maid Ye Zhai, Bei Sangyun managed to attend the pool party.

But the pool party she was expecting was very different from reality. None of the kids swam, as they were all preoccupied with fawning over Lin Xiaoni.

Instead, they played a tea party.

Unable to contain her disappointment, Bei Sangyun asked if they were allowed to swim. Lin Xiaoni and Lin Sunji overheard her and decided to play a cruel prank.

They told Bei Sangyun that the swimming part would begin shortly and encouraged her to change into her swimsuit.

Unsuspecting, Bei Sangyun hurriedly changed, filled with excitement. However, upon her return, she found that none of the other children had changed into their swimsuits; instead, they were all staring at her.

Without a word, they pulled her toward the edge of the pool and pushed her in, plunging her into the pool filled with ice cubes.

As Bei Sangyun struggled in the freezing pool, the other children laughed and began pelting her with buckets of ice. Every time she attempted to climb out, they bombarded her with more ice, preventing her escape.

Bei Sangyun endured half an hour of freezing cold before the children grew tired and stopped.

Meanwhile, Lin Xiaoni and Lin Sunji merely laughed as they watched Bei Sangyun shivering in the pool.

From that day on, whenever Bei Sangyun encountered a pool, she couldn’t help but feel a chill run down her spine.

The excitement she once felt about swimming vanished, replaced by apprehension.

Unfortunately, this wasn’t the end of Bei Sangyun’s unfortunate experiences with water.

In the second month of Simon’s arrival, the siblings insisted on visiting the Lin family’s famous hot spring. As the host, Bei Sangyun had to accompany them.

However, the two siblings played a cruel prank on her.

Sophia tricked her into taking off her clothes while submerged in the hot spring and then threw them away, while Richard eyed her like prey.

She remained in the hot spring for almost twelve hours, unable to come out because she was naked. Fortunately, a cleaning lady passed by and discreetly handed her a robe.

Since that incident, Bei Sangyun avoided going near water.

However, that trauma paled in comparison to the other traumas she would later endure. It was buried among the others as time passed.