Chapter 39: It Was Never That Difficult

Lin Jie chuckled softly and said, "Why should I be happy? And why would I be cold toward you?"

"Happy, because you've met such a beautiful woman. As for why you're cold toward me… well, you know the reason yourself."

Lin Jie pondered. Perhaps he had been distant with Su Jiamu, but the reason was certainly not because of Ye Mo. Yet, Su Jiamu was stubborn in her belief that Ye Mo was the cause.

The truth was, he no longer wanted to care so much about Su Jiamu's affairs. When passion burns too brightly, even the slightest coolness feels like cold indifference.

Su Jiamu stared defiantly at Lin Jie. She could see that he didn't harbor much affection for the beautiful woman, so she convinced herself that Lin Jie was merely trying to provoke her.

But what good would it do to provoke her? What benefit would Lin Jie gain from it?

Was he really not afraid that she might leave him forever?

"I don't understand," Lin Jie murmured.

He truly didn't understand. He never had.

"How could you not understand? You're just pretending!" Su Jiamu snapped.

Lin Jie cast her a mocking glance before turning to continue up the stairs. "If all you want to talk about is this nonsense, then there's no need."

"Lin Jie, do you really think this is nonsense?" Su Jiamu bit her lip and asked through clenched teeth.

"Meaningless," Lin Jie replied, looking down at the worn steps as he ascended them slowly, one by one.

"Fine, meaningless," Su Jiamu echoed, quickening her pace to overtake him. As she passed, she shot him a fierce look. "Do whatever you want."

Lin Jie didn't respond, continuing his slow ascent. His hand gripped the old, creaky railing. Soon after, the sharp slam of a door echoed through the still night.

Lin Jie paused, a wry smile tugging at his lips.

...

The next morning, when Lin Jie went out to buy breakfast, he happened to bump into Su Jiamu's mother on his way upstairs. She started with some small talk about the family, before casually steering the conversation toward his relationship with Su Jiamu.

Lin Jie smiled and shook his head, assuring her that there was no conflict between them.

"Well, that's good to hear," Su's mother said, her face lighting up with relief. "Over the years, I've come to see you as my own son. If there's anything wrong with Jiamu, you can always talk to us... Be patient with her."

"Of course, Auntie."

"Oh, by the way," Su's mother suddenly dropped her voice conspiratorially, "the girl who came back with you last night—is she the same one you went out with before?"

"Before?" Lin Jie frowned in slight confusion.

"Yes, remember? I saw you two going out together the last time. I even asked Jiamu if she was your girlfriend."

Now it all made sense. No wonder Su Jiamu had called him so late that night.

"She's not my girlfriend," Lin Jie answered.

From then on, Su's mother, like many middle-aged women, happily played matchmaker, eagerly hoping that Lin Jie would end up with Ye Mo.

Lin Jie understood their generation's well-meaning intentions. They genuinely wanted the best for him, without harboring any petty schemes, such as knowingly trying to pair him with Ye Mo despite his feelings for Su Jiamu.

They were, after all, looking out for him like family.

But sometimes, even the most sincere goodwill can arrive at the most inopportune moments, and it can cut deeply.

After saying goodbye to Su Jiamu's mother, Lin Jie didn't spend the rest of the day lazily scrolling through his phone on the living room sofa as usual. Instead, he used the early morning to resume his workout routine.

It had been a while since he last exercised, and his strength had noticeably waned, though thankfully not beyond recovery.

After completing his strength training and cardio, Lin Jie checked the time. It was almost time for his driving lessons.

After freshening up at home, he informed Wu Fei of his plans and wasted no time heading to the driving school.

"You're here?" Wu Fei greeted him with a smile when Lin Jie arrived.

"Yes, I am."

Seeing Lin Jie glance around, Wu Fei chuckled. "She's still on her way. You'll have to wait a bit."

Lin Jie laughed lightly. "I wasn't looking for her."

Wu Fei smirked and shot him a knowing look, as if to say, Yeah, right.

The expression made Lin Jie uncomfortable. "Shall we start without her?"

"Let's wait for her. What's the point of you starting alone? Besides, if you go first, I'll have to teach everything twice," Wu Fei replied, dismissing the suggestion.

"Fine, we'll wait."

Fortunately, Ye Mo didn't keep them waiting for long. She soon got out of a car, and Wu Fei honked the horn to get her attention. Once she saw them, he drove over to pick her up.

"Good afternoon, coach," Ye Mo greeted cheerfully.

"Good afternoon."

Lin Jie sat in the front passenger seat, glancing out the window. He only briefly turned to look at Ye Mo, but when their eyes met, she beamed a dazzling smile at him.

"Good afternoon!"

"Good afternoon."

"Hehe."

"What are you two laughing at?" Wu Fei, driving them to the practice field, couldn't help but tease them when he heard Ye Mo's giggles and saw Lin Jie's feigned indifference.

"Nothing, just saying hi," Ye Mo replied.

Wu Fei, knowing it was something between the young pair, simply smiled and let it go. Upon reaching the practice field, he received a message on his phone and told Ye Mo to take the driver's seat while Lin Jie stayed in the passenger seat.

"I've got something to handle. You two practice for now. Lin Jie, keep an eye on her from the passenger side," Wu Fei said before stepping out.

Lin Jie blinked in surprise. "Uncle, where are you going?"

"There's an issue with the driving license. I need to sort it out," Wu Fei explained.

Lin Jie's expression turned skeptical. He had a feeling his uncle was just looking for an excuse to slack off.

But in a way, it was better this way. Without the coach watching their every move, they could drive more freely and without the usual tension.

"Alright, coach."

Once Wu Fei left, Lin Jie reclined his seat back and put his hands behind his head, settling into a leisurely position.

"Sis, turn on the AC."

"The coach told you to watch over me. How are you supposed to do that lying there?" Ye Mo said, a bit exasperated.

"Relax, sis, I trust your skills," Lin Jie replied.