【New Red Mansion】Perfect World

Episode 427 Extra 1: Li Hanlan & Jia Yuanchun

Secret love means: being afraid that he knows, and also being afraid that he doesn’t know.

What’s even more frightening about secret love is that he actually knows it but pretends not to know.

Friendly reminder: The longer the ambiguous period lasts, the harder it is to establish a relationship.

The Li family is known for its romantic talents, a fact that no one can refute. Furthermore, the Li family is somewhat of a collector, as evidenced by Madam Li's fondness for collecting porcelain and tableware. Li Shuirong enjoys collecting all the trinkets Lin Pin'er gave him. And Li Hanlan enjoys collecting all handwritten and drawn sketches, which is why Ye Shuyan misunderstood him as having a crush on Lin Pin'er.

In fact, the reason why Jia Yuanchun was able to enter Li Hanlan's heart was because she never said such words. Because she understood Li Hanlan, she would not slander the person she liked.

Li Hanlan is just a simple fan. He likes Lin Pin'er just as a fan likes an idol, and it has nothing to do with love between men and women.

Jia Yuanchun also had another advantage, rare among women: she was very tranquil and enjoyed a quiet life. It wasn't just a superficial tranquility; she was also very capable of doing detailed work—like helping Li Hanlan organize his various manuscripts.

Li Hanlan's private residence - Liyuan.

In early spring, everything comes back to life. New buds have sprouted on the branches of the trees in the garden, and some rare plants on the ground have been covered with protective covers over the winter, but the protection has now been removed.

It was a little after ten on a weekend morning, and Jia Yuanchun was wearing a khaki tweed blazer and white wide-leg pants. A small tea table was set up under the porch in front of the garden. Freshly brewed tea was steaming, adding a touch of dynamism to the entire garden. She was concentrating on a thick, ancient book, her hair neatly tied back.

Li Hanlan slowly approached, but she didn't even notice, which showed how focused she was on reading.

"Aren't you afraid of the cold sitting here in the wind?"

After hearing Li Hanlan's voice, Jia Yuanchun slowly raised her head from the book, smiled at first, and then shook her head: "It's not cold, it's very comfortable to have some sunshine."

Li Hanlan looked at her face and was distracted for a moment. Then he walked closer and took a look into the steaming teapot. Jia Yuanchun had already stood up to bring a chair and also brought a woolen cushion to make it neatly for him.

"Would you be so kind as to try the spring tea I brewed?" Jia Yuanchun said slowly, her face slightly flushed from having just moved a chair, but she maintained her usual rhythm. Jia Yuanchun had fair skin, which looked pink and translucent in the sunlight. The small mole on the tip of her nose was delicate and lovely, and her facial features were the kind that were attractive and elegant.

Li Hanlan sat down on the chair she had brought and looked around at the buildings in the garden. Just after he had looked around, the cup was already filled with hot tea.

He took a sip of the teacup and asked, "Do you know which university cafeteria has delicious food?"

Jia Yuanchun pondered for a moment, then spoke in a flurry of words, "The cafeteria at the Agricultural University is pretty good. If you want noodles, I recommend trying the sesame noodles at Gongsan. Remember to have someone bring back some yogurt from their pastry section... The flour and milk they use are all organic and pollution-free. I quite miss their korui..."

Li Hanlan immediately pulled out his phone and arranged for someone to buy it. The atmosphere between the two returned to a quiet state. Jia Yuanchun continued to flip through the ancient book in her hand, occasionally looking up information on the laptop next to her.

To Jia Yuanchun, Li Hanlan was an unattainable existence, and she did not dare to hope for his love at all.

He chose me to marry, perhaps to get Madam Li's shares? Or maybe it was because I had taken care of his daily life for a long time and he was used to being with me.

This was probably the case. Although Jia Yuanchun had been transferred to the Ministry of Culture and Li Hanlan had a new secretary, that new secretary was only responsible for some matters during working hours. Most matters outside of working hours were still handled by Jia Yuanchun herself.

At one point, Jia Yuanchun felt like she was working two jobs. When she was at work, she had to take care of her own work. Occasionally, she had to worry about Li Hanlan's questions about what to eat, drink, and wear, and she had always done a good job.

"I'll buy you a fawn. It'll arrive in a few days. I'll let it roam freely in this garden. Last time I went to Lin Pin'er's place, she said you envied the animals in her garden. I know you like quietness, and fawns happen to be quiet too, so they'd be perfect for you."

Jia Yuanchun was extremely surprised. She closed the book in her hand and looked up and asked:

"Have you seen the drawing of the starry sky deer I drew yesterday?"

Li Hanlan took in her surprised expression, picked up the teacup and took a sip to hide the gradually curving corners of his mouth. It seemed that she liked his arrangement...

He had liked Jia Yuanchun for a long time, ever since they first met. First, he liked her elegant temperament and quiet demeanor. Then he liked the way she painted on tissue paper. Then, he also liked her drawings, her cats, and the way she dressed...

If it weren't for her uncle Jia She drugging her, Li Hanlan might not have had any contact with her. He was taught this way since he was a child. He couldn't show his likes on his face, and he wouldn't eat more than one bite of his favorite dish because he couldn't be picky and needed a balanced diet.

No matter what kind of paintings he likes, he cannot express it, because his liking may become a tool for others to get ahead.

He couldn't show his affection for someone, because he had to guard not only against political enemies but also women who might admire him, or people who might sacrifice others for their own selfish interests...

All of this would cause trouble for Jia Yuanchun in the future. Li Hanlan remembered every one of them, including Jia She. If he wanted to deal with Jia She, he would have to wait until the matter was almost forgotten, when Jia Yuanchun no longer needed to rely on the Jia family. After Jia She was dealt with, he would not be able to associate himself with Jia Yuanchun and would not seek revenge on her.

Li Hanlan remembered all those who had bullied her and eliminated them one by one. He had actually come back from the future many times, and each time his relationship with Jia Yuanchun had ended badly. He felt that he had indirectly killed her many times.

Only this time, this time he carefully concealed his secret love, hid his true feelings, and smoothed out the corners of his mouth that were about to curl up. How difficult was this? Would it be more difficult than protecting her?

In fact, at the Chrysanthemum Banquet last year, Madam Li had already told Jia Yuanchun that she was the one Li Hanlan loved the most, and asked her to come back and look through the brocade box in his desk.

But Jia Yuanchun didn't open the box. She was waiting. If Li Hanlan hadn't confessed his feelings, she would never have looked through the box. She would have always pretended not to know anything and would have stayed by Li Hanlan's side forever, enjoying the peaceful years.