Young Master's New Friend

Han Qingshan could not help but feel his heart soften when he heard Jiang Yingyue's soft-spoken and gentle voice. The reason eluded him, but this voice touched his heartstrings. He quickly nodded his head.

"Of course I meant it," he said with a serious expression on his face. "I feel that I can learn so much more about life from being your friend. I also feel that you are a great person to befriend, so why should I not go with my hunch?"

Jiang Yingyue was surprised. She narrowed her eyes as she looked at Han Qingshan. Was this man serious? She could not help but wonder what exactly was happening.

However, she had always wanted a friend, but she could not befriend girls out of the fear that they would get too close and unmask her. Boys, on the other hand, had always treated her as if she was the plague, so finding a male friend had been impossible for her as well.

She had always felt slightly lonely, and she also felt regretful that this by proxy would mean that Jiang Fengmian lived his life alone. He had been such a wonderful person who deserved to have a good friend, but she could not change the fact that she had a great secret to keep; one that no one was ever allowed to know of.

Just as she realized that she might be able to find a good friend, her heart started beating erratically. She was extremely happy and excited about the prospect.

A slight blush crept onto her cheeks, and she looked rather bashful. It was an expression that reached straight into Han Qingshan's heart, and the man in question could not help but stare at the younger girl in front of him.

Jiang Yingyue said no more. Seeing that she did not object, the smile on Han Qingshan's face turned warmer. He could not help appreciate the appearance of the other sitting there, slowly eating the strawberry cheesecake as if it was the most delicious meal she ever had.

Han Qingshan understood that Jiang Yingyue came from a poor background. It was obvious that she did not get to eat sweet things very often, if at all, especially some as delicious as the ones made in this cafe, which was famed throughout the entire capital for their cakes and coffees.

"We can come here as many times as you want," Han Qingshan said, with a smile so great it reached his eyes. He too enjoyed the strawberry cheesecake, but not as much as seeing his newfound friend enjoying it.

In fact, he found that this new friend of his was extremely pleasing to the eyes. He was very curious about her and her reasons behind having a fake ID, but he did not want to chase her away or corner him out of the blue, so he stayed silent about the background check he had done on him.

He had, of course, requested the cold man to look out for more details and information, but the latter had not returned with any results yet. It was quite surprising that such poor people could hide a part of their past, but it seemed that they had done something rather substantial to hide it.

Jiang Yingyue finished the cake, and took care of the fresh strawberries last, slowly enjoying its taste. She loved strawberries, but it was almost impossible to get her hands on them at a reasonable price.

Seeing her happy expression, Han Qingshan rested his head in his arms and the smile on his face also intensified.

"I am sorry for almost killing you before," he sighed, realizing that his apology that day had been rather rushed because he was panicked and focused on having Jiang Yingyue be sent to the hospital for a check-up.

Now that they were friends, and since they were still seated in front of one another, it was the perfect time to sincerely apologize.

"It's fine already," Jiang Yingyue waved her hand at him to show that she really did not mind.

She had been cursing him for god knows how long already, but this time he had protected her, so all her anger had dissipated.

Although she was indeed a commoner, she still had her pride and dignity. To have this Han Qingshan protect her dignity was indeed something that made her feel grateful towards him.

Not to mention, he had bought her a slice of cake. As a foodie, it was obvious that it made her opinion of him rise drastically.

When she finished her drink and cake, Han Qingshan got up from his seat, and together they went back to the car.

"Let me drive you home," he said, curious to see in what kind of living conditions this gal and her family lived in.

Jiang Yingyue just assumed that he was being friendly, so she flashed him her trademark smile and nodded her head.

"Then I will have to trouble Young Master Shan," she said gratefully. This way she could save on the bus fare.

Hearing her refer to him as Young Master Shan, Han Qingshan frowned. "Just call me by my name directly—Han Qingshan."

"Is that not a bit too intimate?" Jiang Yingyue could not help but ask, but Han Qingshan somehow really wanted this younger woman to call him by his name directly, so he quickly shook his head.

"I don't have that many real friends," he started explaining. "Now that I have found someone who has not befriended me because of my social position, I hope you will approve my request."

Jiang Yingyue was not used to being close to anyone anymore, as she never had any friends since her transformation, so she could only frown slightly. Did friends really refer to each other with their given names? She did not know or remember, but it was not like she would lose anything by using his name. So if he was not embarrassed, why should she be?

"Okay, Han Qingshan it is then," she readily agreed. Han Qingshan felt a flutter in his chest as he heard her say his name like that. He could not help but wonder if this Jiang Yingyue was like a white sheet of paper, completely inexperienced with social relationships. Although she seemed somewhat experienced and mature, their interaction so far had proven that she really didn't know how to interact with friends.