Chapter 296: Chapter 296: Better to Fail as Friends Than to Miss Out

Meng Jiahe turned her head and walked away briskly, showing through her actions that she was angry unless he made a proper apology.

“Is it just because of what I said… does it really bother you that much?” Shangguan Yuan’s eyes drooped, feeling somewhat uneasy; did Ah He really look down on him that much?

“Shouldn’t I be bothered?” Meng Jiahe looked back at him once, then walked even faster.

Shangguan Yuan didn’t dare respond and continued to follow her from a distance.

Although Meng Jiahe was angry, she also remembered many good things about her friend Shangguan Yuan, like how he helped fix the tap at her house, getting all soaked.

He even tried to cook when she accidentally cut herself chopping vegetables, although the end result was that her pots and pans were wrecked; but his initial intention was good.

And there were many other things.

Most importantly… the feeling of having someone to walk home with genuinely gave her a sense of security.

Originally because she had no money, she bought a house in a relatively remote location that required a long walk, and which was desolate with sometimes broken street lights–though lately, they had hardly ever been broken and were always lit.

Now, even though she could afford to move, she had lived there for so many years that she had grown accustomed to it; that place felt like home, and she didn’t really want to change, so she kept living there as is.

Shangguan Yuan followed behind at a steady pace. As the sky gradually darkened, he was the one who eventually compromised.

“If you don’t like it, I won’t talk nonsense anymore. I know I’m not worthy of you; I shouldn’t pair us together. Don’t be angry anymore.”

Hearing this inexplicable speech behind her, Meng Jiahe stopped and turned around.

“What do you mean you’re not worthy of me? Please, you are an undefeated big-shot lawyer; if anything, I’m not worthy of you.”

“You don’t think I’m unworthy of you, then why are you angry…” Shangguan Yuan couldn’t help feeling relieved inside; he was glad she didn’t despise him.

“We’re friends, you… it’s one thing for you to flirt around outside, but what do you mean by saying those ambiguous things to me? How are we supposed to get along after that?”

As Meng Jiahe spoke, she couldn’t help her cheeks turning red, admitting that she was indeed someone who couldn’t take a joke and didn’t like it when Shangguan Yuan talked to her with that playboy demeanor.

Listening to her, Shangguan Yuan’s brow furrowed. He prided himself on his integrity, a clean man to this date; how could he be portrayed as a playboy by Meng Jiahe?

“Clarify, when have I ever flirted around outside?”

“You… stop pretending, who asked you to be so careless? Chatting ambiguously with women regardless of the occasion; my house isn’t soundproof, you were chatting in the living room, and I could hear it all clearly from the kitchen!”

Meng Jiahe felt totally uneasy, feeling like their current situation was like she was interrogating him.

But Shangguan Yuan’s chats with those women were truly vulgar, one moment calling someone my ‘sweetheart,’ and the next, calling another ‘dear,’–it was greasy.

Shangguan Yuan suddenly laughed. He pulled out his phone, opened WeChat, and handed her the less than ten contacts he had.

“Ah He, look for yourself, other than you and Qiaoqiao, my WeChat has only men and family members. Even clients, I clean them up regularly after each case, how could I possibly be seen by you as a man who freely flirts with women?”

Meng Jiahe saw his contact list was indeed so clean that it surprised her, leaving her somewhat puzzled.

And her contact was still at the top, labeled with ‘A Ah He.’

“But… but I heard you calling someone else ‘sweetheart,’ ‘dear,’ and even saying ‘if I miss you, I’ll come over to accompany you.'”

Shangguan Yuan couldn’t help but laugh out loud, “You must be referring to the chats between me and my brother.”

Shangguan Yuan then opened the chat page labeled as ‘Shangguan Nuoruo.’

The texts from the other side were concise, while Shangguan Yuan always replied with voice messages.

Shangguan Nuoruo: “Mom and Dad are asking about your whereabouts.”

Shangguan Yuan: “Voice message–Please don’t tell, I don’t plan on going back yet.”

Shangguan Nuoruo: “God bless you, I haven’t seen you in a long time.”

Shangguan Yuan: “Voice message–My dear, my sweetheart, I’m begging you, you’re my heart, if you miss me, come over and be with me, don’t say anything you shouldn’t.”

“My brother, my biological brother, the person himself.” Shangguan Yuan added that last part specifically to convince his beloved girl, knowing the name L would sound reliable.

Meng Jiahe: “…” How embarrassing!

“If you don’t believe me, I’ll call him right now,” Shangguan Yuan said as he opened his contacts, ready to dial.

Meng Jiahe, frightened, immediately reached out to grab his phone, “Stop, stop, I believe!”

The moment she got the phone and confirmed the call hadn’t gone through, she relaxed a lot. If Shangguan Yuan had really made the call and asked his brother some ridiculous questions, wouldn’t it seem like she was… checking up on him?

It was clear they were not that familiar with each other.

“In the future, if you have any misunderstandings about me, don’t hold them in; feel free to ask me,” Shangguan Yuan dropped his lazy tone and spoke earnestly.

He stood straight, losing the casual demeanor he usually carried.

“Even if you’re innocent, you can’t just flirt with me; listen to how people in the company are gossiping about us, even Qiaoqiao, who has memory issues, thinks so!”

Meng Jiahe felt somewhat helpless as she spoke; she had tried her best to explain, but no one believed her.

“It wasn’t flirting. I’ve been hearing what people in the company have been saying all this time,” Shangguan Yuan hung his head as he looked at her.

“Then you…” Suddenly, Meng Jiahe couldn’t understand the man in front of her anymore. Her heart raced, recalling all the Mary Sue and domineering CEO drama plots in her mind.

“I’ve responded too, I told them, still pursuing, and if I succeed, I’ll treat everyone to wedding candies.”

Shangguan Yuan’s firm and powerful voice resonated clearly in the silent night, the moonlight softly lighting the road.

Meng Jiahe’s heart had never pounded this fast; she stood there dazed, her mind blank, unsure of how to face the moment.

Shangguan Yuan had always been like a needy best girlfriend supporting her, and now he suddenly… confessed, leaving her struggling to adjust.

“Ah He, my brother has loved Sang Qiao for three whole years. He’s been too busy, afraid of not managing both hospital duties and romance, also scared that he might lose even a friend, so he never confessed his love; that became his forever regret, and he will wonder all his life if he had confessed, whether he could have been the one with Sang Qiao.”

“So, I don’t want to follow in his footsteps, even if we can’t remain friends, I don’t want to miss out. Will you give me a chance to take care of you?”

Bathed in hazy moonlight, the streetlights along this stretch of road weren’t very bright; it emboldened Shangguan Yuan to confess his love openly, appearing calm.

His hand, holding the phone, was so tense that it seemed nearly ready to crack the case.