<h4><strong>Chapter 140: Phantom n (20)</strong></h4>


    Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions


    Sensing that Lu Jia’er was still highly alerted, Jin Xiangdong could not help but feel frustrated. That being said, he did not show it. Instead, he grinned. “Am I really that terrifying?”


    Lu Jia’er did not look at him and she sounded very detached. “I do not like bothering others!”


    “As you wish!” Jin Xiangdong did insist.


    Lu Jia’er then wanted to return the suit that was used to cover up the stain but Jin Xiangdong refused. “You can give it back to me another day!”


    “It is not necessary!” Lu Jia’er declined again. With that said, she took off the jacket and used her bag to cover up her chest.


    She did not want to be too involved because he was filled with danger. No, to be exact, he brought with him a strong sense of invasion. When she was faced with him, somehow, she would feel afraid.


    Before the sound of her voice died away, Jin Xiangdong had put the jacket back on her, “You can keep the jacket.”


    As Su Han was witnessing this, she felt there was something strange between Lu Jia’er and Jin Xiangdong. Lu Jia’er always appeared to be uninterested in others. However, when she was with Jin Xiangdong, apart from that uninterested attitude, there was a trace of tension. Others might not tell this, but Su Han knew Lu Jia’er too well to ignore it. Naturally, Su Han felt curious.


    Now that Jin Xiangdong had said so, to continue with this seesaw battle would be unnatural. Therefore, Lu Jia’er said, “I will give it back to you after I have it cleaned then.”


    “Sure!” Jin Xiangdong put on a faint smile. A glow of satisfaction shed through the depths of his eyes.


    Since she heard Lu Jia’er was the victim of bag-snatching, Su Han did not let Lu Jia’er go back by herself. Su Han left Jason and apanied Lu Jia’er home.


    Sitting on the passenger side seat, Lu Jia’er took off the jacket that she was wearing inside out. She leaned over to put it on the rear seat. Just now, her nose identally caught a smell of the jacket. That faint smell of cologne somewhat seemed familiar. Lu Jia’er felt her heart skipped a beat.


    At the sight of this, Su Han turned to Lu Jia’er and asked, “Do you really hate Ace that much?”


    “It is better to keep distance from certain people.” Lu Jia’er gave her answer and her tone was uninterested.


    “Is he making you feel nervous?” Su Han asked, with a smile.


    Lu Jia’er refuted Su Han’s idea. “Do you think that is possible?”


    Su Han grinned. “Others may not tell but this is me we are talking about! This is the first time that I ever see you tense around someone!”


    Lu Jia’er was not good at hiding or lying. So, she answered, “I cannot tell. I have a feeling that he is trying to invade my rtionship.”


    “Invade your rtionship?” Su Han was filled with curiosity.


    “It is clear that he likes me!” Lu Jia’er said.


    “To be liked by someone implies that you are charming!” Su Han responded.


    Lu Jia’er shook her head. She did not tell Su Han that once Jin Xiangdong stole a kiss from her and that he did that crazy thing of taking her to a hypnosis session without her permission.


    “I have the feeling that he is the one nning and arranging that bag-snatching!” Lu Jia’er said.


    Su Han’s eyes were wide open in surprise. “Are you getting paranoid? How can that be possible?”


    “I am not being paranoid! It is my instinct!” Lu Jia’er said, with no emotions.


    “Ace cannot be that boring!” Su Han talked in Jin Xiangdong’s favor.


    “Don’t you think that it is too convenient for him and Jason to happen toe to the food court? Isn’t it strange?” Lu Jia’er replied with a question.


    “Jason told us that he came here after us!” Su Han answered.


    “I don’t believe in such coincidences!” Lu Jia’er stated.


    Su Han turned around to Lu Jia’er. “I believe you are thinking too much. After you left just now, Jason told me that he asked Ace toe as well!”


    Lu Jia’er’s eyes flickered when she heard this. Maybe, she was being overly sensitive. Then again, her being so suspicious was all thanks to his previous behaviors. When she met him now, she would be nervous involuntarily.


    “I may have misunderstood him about tonight but he is still very sophisticated. Let’s talk about this jacket. He lent me this jacket and I have to return it someday. That is how he is plotting to have another chance to meet me!”


    Su Han could not help but break intoughter. “Now that you have put it this way, I think you are probably right. Well, from time immemorial, affection is not what sustains rtionships. Tricks are!”


    “Not necessarily.” Lu Jia’er disagreed with the “famous saying” developed by Su Han.


    “I know that your love for Ian is real!” Su Han grinned.


    “Isn’t it a good thing to have undivided love for someone?” Lu Jia’er asked.


    “Yes, it is!” Su Han replied but followed up with a hypothetical question, “Say you never met Ian, would you be attached to Ace?”


    Su Han turned over to Lu Jia’er, very curious about Lu Jia’er’s answer.


    Lu Jia’er gave an answer without hesitation, “No!”


    Su Han was taken aback. “Are you sure?”


    Lu Jia’er replied. “I remember Eileen Chang once wrote: when you meet the right person that you are seeking among tens of millions, when you meet that someone at just the right time while time is infinite, not one second early, not one secondte, there is no word to put it. All you can say is, ‘Hi, you are here.’”


    Su Han smiled. “When Ian hears this, he will be so touched!”


    Lu Jia’er replied Su Han with a gentle smile.


    Lu Jia’er having finished stating her “view of love”, Su Han began to bber about her own. “Do you know why I agreed to be Jason’s girlfriend?”


    Lu Jia’er smiled. “Is it because Jason can fulfill all your fantasy about your Prince Charming?”


    Su Han retired. “It is not like that. He said something that moved me!”


    “What did he say?” Lu Jia’er asked.


    Su Han smiled a smile of pride. “He said, ‘I hear that you are an encyclopedia, I am not asking you to open up all the chapters to me, just the chapter on love, just that one chapter for me and only me, to study with my heart and soul’.”


    “I didn’t know that Jason is so good at picking up girls!” Lu Jia’er chuckled.


    Su Han smiled. “I have heard many lover’s honeyed words but what he said was the most pleasant to my ears.”


    Lu Jia’er giggled. “He sure has given you exactly what you want.”


    “Love is about giving your better half what he or she wants. If that person is not who you desire, you won’t even look at him.” Su Han replied.


    Lu Jia’er put on a faint smile. The little things since she met Ian came to her mind. It was not as romantic as affectionate films, or unforgettable, but she had branded everything he said and every smile on her mind. Just as people say, sometimes, when you met someone, that love wouldst forever; Sometimes, when you were moved and once that affection began, there would be no turning back.


    Two dayster, in a coffee shop.


    Lu Jia’er sat reclined on a couch. She was reading a book and on the coffee table ced a cup of cappino.


    She was not here to be arty. She was waiting for someone. Her previous n was to mail Jin Xiangdong that jacket after she had it cleaned. However, she felt regretful since she did not say any word of appreciation after he helped her get her bag back. Instead, she threw him scornful words and jeering smiles.


    She was not a people person, which was true, but there were rules she would y by. Therefore, even if this was a trick that Jin Xiangdong yed to meet her, she came anyway.


    A momentter, Jin Xiangdong showed up in the coffee shop. He saw Lu Jia’er reading. That view was so appealing that he could not look away. He slowly walked over.


    “What are you reading?” Lu Jia’er heard a voice filled with curiosity. She looked up and Jin Xiangdong’s handsome face leaped into her eyes.


    “A book on psychology!” With that said, Lu Jia’er closed the book and ced it on the table.


    Jin Xiangdong, who had just sat down, saw the title. It was a book on psychology.


    Lu Jia’er gave the bag next to her to Jin Xiangdong. “Here is your jacket!”


    “As a matter of fact, you don’t have to give it back to me!” Jin Xiangdong looked at the bag on the table, grinning.


    Lu Jia’er threw a nce at him. “Then you should have made it clear on the phone an hour ago!”


    Jin Xiangdong looked into her eyes and continued, “But I wanted to see you!”


    Lu Jia’er leaned on the couch. “Now you have. Get straight to the point!”


    Since Lu Jia’er was being straightforward, Jin Xiangdong went straight to the point as well. “Can you be my girlfriend?”


    Lu Jia’er was startled to hear this. She had said something simr to this before, to Ian who had juste back from abroad. She asked him if he could be her boyfriend. Ian’s answer was that he was hard to pursue!


    “No!” Lu Jia’er tly refused.


    “Because you have a boyfriend?” Jin Xiangdong asked.


    “Why are you doing this when you know it?” Lu Jia’er said.


    Jin Xiangdong gazed at him. “Because I fell in love with you at first sight!”


    When he said so, that tenderness in his eyes could drown anyone. Anyone would want to jump into that abyss without hesitation when they saw that tenderness.


    Lu Jia’er clearly was feeling overwhelmed but she acted as if nothing was affecting her and looked away, smiling. “Love at first sight! From the perspective of ssical psychoanalysis, this phenomenon is rted to the Electraplex and Oedipus found in children. Carl G. Jung, who founded school of analytical psychology, believes that ‘love at first sight’ is a phenomenon of projecting our Anima and Animus onto our romantic partner in love. The Schema Theory has it that ‘love at first sight’ happens because that the other party is a match for the “love schema” in our minds. Social cognitive theory believes that ‘love at first sight’ is abination of first impression and Halo Effect.”


    “Professor Lu, you are an expert!” Jin Xiangdong smiled and gave her apliment.


    Lu Jia’er continued, “Even if you do fall in love with me at first sight, that is on you, alone!”


    “Professor Lu, you are right. So, I want to pursue you and turn love at first sight into resonance between two lovers!” Jin Xiangdong stated.


    “Do you think that is usible?” Unknowingly, Lu Jia’er’s expression returned to its uninterested state.


    “Where there is will, there is a way!” a confident smile climbed to Jin Xiangdong’s face.


    But Lu Jia’er corrected him with a smile. “It should be, where there is a will to give up, there is a way out.”