Chapter 9: I Will Protect You in This Life

After quietly listening to Lin Anan’s story, Jiang Xincheng finally understood the truth about why Sister Anan had broken up in his previous life, and the reason she never dated again later on.

So Sister Anan had been hurt so badly during her first love. Toward the man who hurt Sister Anan, Jiang Xincheng felt a strong hate rising in his heart.

If it weren’t for him, Sister Anan wouldn’t have been so lonely and sad later, and she wouldn’t have always dragged him here to eat spicy hot pot and drink.

“But although I was betrayed by him, it wasn’t me who got dumped—it was him. He kept calling this afternoon, wanting to get back together, but I turned him down every time,” Lin Anan said angrily, refusing to admit that she was the one who got dumped, still trying to keep a bit of pride at this point.

Watching Lin Anan’s forced proud expression, Jiang Xincheng’s heart ached. The always strong and capable Sister Anan from his past life actually had such a helpless and vulnerable side.

Even though Lin Anan’s face showed no trace of sadness, through her bright, sparkling eyes, Jiang Xincheng could clearly see the hidden pain and sorrow.

After all, it was her first love—a romance that lasted from high school through college. Lin Anan wasn’t yet the incredibly strong Sister Anan from his past life who had endured much pain; she also had a weak side. How could she face the betrayal of her first love calmly?

If she could have brushed it off, she wouldn’t have been alone by the little river after 10 p.m., or so self-destructively suggested going to a hotel with him.

Fortunately, at this moment in this life, when Sister Anan was heartbroken and desperate, he had been reborn and was by her side.

Jiang Xincheng took a deep breath and suddenly felt incredibly grateful. He hoped that in this life, Sister Anan wouldn’t end up alone past thirty like in his previous life, eventually dying to save him.

“Why aren’t you saying anything? Do you think my story is ridiculous, and my situation is laughable?” As if noticing Jiang Xincheng’s odd behavior, Lin Anan frowned slightly and glared at him angrily.

Jiang Xincheng smiled and opened another bottle of beer, placing it in front of Lin Anan. “If what you went through today is laughable, then what happened to me today is just shameful.”

“What do you mean by that?” Lin Anan asked in surprise.

Jiang Xincheng gave a bitter smile. “Three hours ago, I went out for a drink with my dorm buddies. On the street, we ran into my girlfriend—or rather, my ex-girlfriend. We broke up three hours ago.”

“Ah…” Lin Anan gasped. “Why did you break up? Did she do something wrong too?”

Jiang Xincheng nodded. “When we saw her, she was kissing a rich, handsome guy right on the street. Then my dorm buddies grabbed that guy and were about to beat him up.”

“But at that moment, she grabbed me and told my buddies to let the rich, handsome guy go, or she would kill me. She called me a worthless loser with no money or skills, saying I deserved to be betrayed. After that, we broke up, or you could say she coldly dumped me.”

“Ah…” Lin Anan gasped again, her bright eyes fixed on Jiang Xincheng without blinking. She wanted to say something but couldn’t find the words; she wasn’t good at comforting people.

After a moment, Lin Anan suddenly rushed out of Aqi’s Spicy Hot Pot shop. Just as Jiang Xincheng wondered what she was doing, she quickly returned.

She carried a Jimei Roast Chicken and a Jimei Smoked Duck in her left hand, and a case of beer in her right, setting them heavily in front of Jiang Xincheng. “Misfortune brings strange bedfellows. I thought I had it bad, but I didn’t expect your day to be even worse than mine. So I’m treating you to drinks.”

“And also, don’t take what I said earlier to heart. You’re a good man, not the kind of scum who takes advantage of others. You’re different from those beasts.”

Seeing the concern on Lin Anan’s face, Jiang Xincheng felt warmth in his heart. He opened a bottle of beer. “Alright, then tonight we drink until we’re drunk. Get drunk, sleep it off, and tomorrow we’ll forget all those cheating bastards. We’ll find better ones later. Two-legged people are everywhere—it’s the three-legged toads that are rare.”

“You’re right,” Lin Anan said, pleased with Jiang Xincheng’s words. She smiled, took the beer he offered, and downed it in one go. “I like a man like you. I’m Lin Anan, a freshman at the Finance and Economics College. What about you?”

Hearing Lin Anan’s words, Jiang Xincheng’s eyes grew somewhat dazed. In his past life, it happened like this too—drinking at their first meeting, then Lin Anan telling him her name.

But unlike his past life, that happened a few years later. He had just been beaten up by Liu Ping, and Lin Anan happened upon them, stood up for him, and dealt with Liu Ping.

Afterward, Lin Anan took the bruised Jiang Xincheng to Aqi’s Spicy Hot Pot shop to eat and drink, comforting him and telling him not to be sad. She even brought him to her side and looked after him for years after that. But in the end, Lin Anan was destroyed because of Jiang Xincheng.

But in this life, everything had changed. In the past life, Lin Anan had comforted him and helped him resolve his troubles. In this life, he was comforting Lin Anan and helping her resolve her troubles.

He owed Sister Anan from his past life, and in this life, Jiang Xincheng would pay it back bit by bit.

Jiang Xincheng’s eyes grew slightly moist. He smiled and finished the beer in front of him. “I’m Jiang Xincheng, a freshman at the College of Computer Science and Management. I’m eighteen this year. And you?”

“You’re only eighteen? So young! I’m nineteen. From now on, you have to call me sister,” Lin Anan said cheerfully, her beautiful eyes smiling into slits.

Jiang Xincheng nodded. “Okay, then I’ll call you Sister Anan from now on. Hello, Sister Anan.”

After forty years, saying “Sister Anan” again nearly brought tears to Jiang Xincheng’s eyes.

Lin Anan hadn’t expected Jiang Xincheng to actually call her “Sister Anan,” and it felt so natural and familiar, as if he’d said it many times before. She grew even happier and handed a piece of duck meat to Jiang Xincheng’s mouth. “Xincheng, little brother, you’re so well-behaved. Your sister is treating you to some duck.”

Hearing Lin Anan’s babying tone, Jiang Xincheng smiled wryly but still ate the duck meat. He continued drinking and chatting with Lin Anan, helping her release her sadness and pain.

The alcohol content in beer was low. After drinking for half an hour, they were only slightly tipsy.

As Lin Anan poured out her worries and sadness to Jiang Xincheng, her mood got better and better, unlike in her past life when she couldn’t let go.

With Jiang Xincheng’s decades of life experience to guide her, it was hard for Lin Anan to stay stuck in her misery even if she wanted to.

Just as they were chatting happily, Lin Anan, who had been smiling and drinking with Jiang Xincheng, suddenly stood up. She stared coldly at several people running over from the distance. “What are you doing here? Didn’t I tell you? The next time you see me, get lost immediately. Don’t bother me again.”

Jiang Xincheng frowned and looked at these people.

The one in front was about his age, tall and sturdy, with handsome features—much better-looking than him. Right now, he was looking at Lin Anan with concern. “Anan, where have you been? I’ve been looking for you all afternoon, worried something happened to you. I’m glad you’re okay, otherwise I would never forgive myself.”