Contractual Cohabitation GL - Chapter 12

No matter what Ye Luochen anticipated, she definitely hadn’t guessed she would hear that sentence.

Her gentle, moon-like eyes slightly widened in surprise, and Ye Luochen froze, unable to give any kind of answer.

“Don’t overthink it!” Jing Xiaonan knew how abrupt her statement was, but deep down, she subtly wanted this effect. However, seeing Ye Luochen’s reaction now, she couldn’t help but worry about the unforeseen impact her words might have: “Actually, this is what I’m thinking. The wealth and influence the Ye family has built over the years are truly vast—not to mention Southeast Asia, it also has considerable influence in America and Europe. The current cooperation with Pengju is simply to expand their reach into Australia. Therefore, if Ye Tiancong wants you back, whether as a canary in a golden cage or a bargaining chip for a future marriage alliance to consolidate family assets, there’s little resistance you can offer.”

Ye Luochen watched her hurried explanation, her gaze gradually softening. Jing Xiaonan possessed a certain kind of charisma that made people instinctively trust and willingly rely on her.

“You are currently responsible for the Australian project, so the Maple Leaf’s influence in Australia will more or less be under your control. However, a crucial step to break free from Maple Leaf’s control over you is to immigrate to Australia.”

“There are four main methods for immigration: Skilled migration is too complex and difficult. Employer-sponsored migration—as the Ye family’s cherished daughter, which company would dare to openly provoke Maple Leaf like that? Even if they dared, why would they need to do so? And as for investment migration, you cannot raise the enormous required capital yourself, and Maple Leaf will not provide it to you. That leaves you with the final path: partner migration.”

With rigorous logic and proficient legal knowledge, Jing Xiaonan outlined the strategy that Ye Luochen had researched for a long time in just a few sentences. However, even this path of partner migration had previously been an impossible route for Ye Luochen. Having lived a simple and austere life for twenty-seven years and barely ever having been emotionally moved by anyone, she was unwilling to escape the tiger’s den only to enter the wolf’s lair. She couldn’t imagine herself becoming some man’s wife one day; even if it were only a marriage in name, she harbored a deep-seated resistance. The day she accidentally saw Jing Xiaonan’s post online, it illuminated a possibility she had never considered.

In fact, she had teased Jing Xiaonan about “seeing through the mortal world” that day on the farm partly because she had once considered becoming a nun, but was ultimately unwilling to give up.

Across from her, Jing Xiaonan analyzed her carefully considered plan while secretly paying attention to Ye Luochen’s reaction. Seeing that her expression showed no resistance, as if she were contemplating her words, Jing Xiaonan continued: “My nationality is Australian. My profession is a lawyer, and I am currently cooperating with Maple Leaf. If you are determined to immigrate through this method, from every angle, I am, in fact, the perfect choice as your partner for immigration.”

Laying out the facts one by one, without adding any personal emotional color or prejudice, Jing Xiaonan finished speaking and remained silent. She crossed her long legs, shifted into a more relaxed posture on the sofa, and drank the cooling English tea.

She slowly sipped it, and even after the cup was empty, Ye Luochen maintained her thoughtful and elegant demeanor, neither stating her opinion nor showing any objection. Jing Xiaonan chuckled, and the last bit of tension she felt vanished with this sudden smile.

In truth, she hadn’t been as composed as she appeared while discussing cohabitation. From the moment she considered the proposal, she felt an inner urge, an urge so strong that it couldn’t be ignored even while she was sitting quietly on the sofa contemplating the matter before suggesting it. The subsequent clear, rational analysis was merely a way to mask that emotion.

Today, she was flustered.

The thought flashed through her mind, but she smiled and temporarily pushed it away. Jing Xiaonan said, amused:

“You, a woman who deliberates over ordering a drink, naturally need to think and rethink a proposal concerning your life’s path. Luochen, you have all the time you need to think slowly. I won’t retract what I said.”

Ye Luochen looked at her, trying to glean a certain answer from the slight smile in her eyes. Jing Xiaonan met her gaze calmly, the prominent lower eyelids beneath her ‘peach blossom eyes’ curved into a gentle arc.

Seconds turned into minutes. Ye Luochen finally turned her face away. Regardless of what she found in those eyes, her expression was still elegant and tranquil, but Jing Xiaonan could sense a subtle shift in her demeanor.

“You mean for me to take my time considering it?” Her pleasant voice revealed little emotion.

“Heh, yes. I don’t want you to think too much all at once. Crying is exhausting. Just relax for the rest of the day, alright?”

Tracing the rim of the cup with her fair, slender fingers, Ye Luochen finally showed her first smile of the day. Her rosy lips parted, and she simply replied: “Alright.”

A certain person, whose mood was clearly brightened, insisted on going back the same way to see the sea. Jing Xiaonan couldn’t argue with her, and in any case, was unwilling to deny her wish, so the two walked back to the beach, one in front of the other.

Ye Luochen stood by the sea with her slender, white arms crossed, quietly gazing at the horizon where the sea met the sky. Her dark hair and the gauze of her skirt lifted with the sea breeze, sketching a beautiful scene.

She just stood there quietly, yet the natural grace she exuded made her more beautiful and captivating at that moment than if she were performing any dance. Jing Xiaonan stood slightly behind her, watching her tranquil profile intently. A sense of yearning, never before experienced, gradually grew in her chest. It mixed with her slightly increased heartbeat, entering her bl00d and being delivered to every cell in her body.

After an unknown duration, a flock of seagulls flew across the front, their cries breaking the spellbinding atmosphere. Ye Luochen turned sideways. The two exchanged a relaxed smile.

“Look, there are two people surfing over there.”

Following the direction Ye Luochen pointed, Jing Xiaonan indeed saw two white, bare-chested men, looking no older than twenty, standing on colorful surfboards, balancing themselves as they rode the waves.

“Surfing feels great. It gives you a sense of conquering nature. Although it can be tiring, it’s truly enjoyable to play.”

Turning her head, Ye Luochen asked with surprise, “You can surf?”

Holding Ye Luochen’s flat shoes in her hand, walking alongside her, Jing Xiaonan chuckled: “Yes, I’m especially good at the part where I fall from the board into the sea.”

Imagining the embarrassing scene she described, Ye Luochen gently shook her head and smiled charmingly.

“Don’t underestimate this skill of mine. I’m not afraid to say that I’ve practiced the process of plunging headfirst into the sea many times. My form, my moves—they are much more heroic and stylish than others!”

Ye Luochen didn’t play along with her smooth-talking, but pursed her lips and gave her a cute eye-roll, yet the expression somehow carried a hint of coquetry.

Jing Xiaonan grinned. When the back of her hand brushed against Ye Luochen’s small hand again, she naturally took her hand. She felt the smooth, jade-like softness in her palm stiffen slightly, but there was no attempt to pull away. The corner of her mouth lifted. She pretended to look calmly into the distance, but her heart was filled with an indescribable mix of tension and excitement. Her heartbeat was erratic. There was an idiom for it… What was it called?

Oh, right! It was called ‘Heart like a pig hit’ (a humorous, literal translation of an idiom for feeling extremely flustered).

Jing Xiaonan nodded gravely.

Calming the nervousness akin to a first-time confession in a first love, Jing Xiaonan couldn’t resist turning her head to look at the beautiful woman beside her. But she saw Ye Luochen raise her other hand, pick up a strand of hair blown by the sea breeze, and casually tuck it behind her ear, her expression calm and at ease, as if she were only holding a small dog’s leash.

Lowering her head, Jing Xiaonan couldn’t help but feel annoyed and defeated. In a slight fit of pique, she deliberately changed their joined hands from a simple grasp to an intertwining of fingers, missing the tiny flash of shyness in Ye Luochen’s eyes.

With their different thoughts, the two quietly walked along this golden beach. Jing Xiaonan’s tall figure complemented Ye Luochen’s graceful form. Lost in their own thoughts, the two were completely unaware of how perfectly matched they looked to others who saw their backs.

They reached the end of the beach, where steps led up to the road. Although Jing Xiaonan’s Porsche was parked not far away, they still had to walk a short distance on the asphalt road. Having grown up in Australia, Jing Xiaonan was accustomed to walking barefoot on grass and streets, but even considering letting Ye Luochen’s delicate skin walk barefoot back to the car felt like a profound sin. Jing Xiaonan bent down, placed the flat shoes she was holding on the first step, and then maintained a squatting position, looking up at Ye Luochen, gesturing that she would help her put them on.

Ye Luochen frowned at her sand-covered feet, took a tissue from her pocket, and tried to wipe them clean before putting on her shoes. However, dry wiping couldn’t remove the sand; it mostly just smeared it around.

Seeing her rub the fair skin of her feet increasingly red, Jing Xiaonan quickly reached out to stop her from continuing the rubbing motion. She picked up the shoes on the ground, then stood up and turned her back to Ye Luochen, bending her knees: “Come up. I’ll carry you back.”

Ye Luochen genuinely wanted to see her expression at that moment, but Jing Xiaonan was so oblivious that she only offered the back of her head. However, from the relaxed tone of her voice, Ye Luochen clearly sensed the person’s happy mood. She hesitated for a moment, then slowly climbed onto the broad yet soft back.

Jing Xiaonan supported her under her knees, walking with a slight stoop and steady steps. After quietly feeling the atmosphere for a while, she spoke again:

“Do you remember the day we rode horses at the farm?”

Ye Luochen knew that Jing Xiaonan didn’t need an answer right now, but still gently hummed in acknowledgment.

“After you fell from the horse, I asked if your foot was hurt. Actually, I was thinking of that classic scene in movies, where the heroine sprains her ankle, and the hero carries her all the way home. When I asked you then, I felt conflicted. Although I would get to carry you, I didn’t want you to be hurt. I never expected that Heaven would reward the kind-hearted, and my wish would be granted today.”

Ye Luochen listened quietly, not replying. But as soon as Jing Xiaonan finished speaking, she felt the hands wrapped around her shoulders tighten slightly.

Not at all bothered by her silence, Jing Xiaonan continued: “I used to only see it in TV shows or trashy novels—the two protagonists walking into the sunset intimately—and I thought the plot was so cliché and vulgar. But experiencing it personally today, I still feel that this feeling is really, really good.”

Carrying Ye Luochen this way, Jing Xiaonan couldn’t see her expression. She just felt the delicate body on her back gradually relax. After a long while, that warm, delicate skin pressed against her exposed neck, and Ye Luochen buried her head in the crook of her shoulder, letting out a soft, faint sigh.