A bowl of clear soup noodles lay before them, topped with a poached egg, two leaves of bok choy, and sprinkled with chopped scallions; the colors vibrant, the aroma enticing, and the taste lingering delightfully in the mouth.
Within moments, the two of them had finished their two bowls of noodles. Yun Ya gave a thumbs-up: "Brother Yan, that was delicious."
"Cut the flattery; I’m still waiting for your explanation," said Yan Song as he took the bowls and turned to the kitchen.
While Yan Song was washing the dishes, Yun Ya suddenly hugged him from behind, resting her face on his back and rubbing it like a kitten.
"Back then, Yuesheng kidnapped me, then Pei Qinghan appeared and decided to send me back. That’s when we encountered the assassin. Yun Shu sent the assassin to kill me. It was Pei Qinghan who risked his life to save me. If it hadn’t been for him, you might not have seen me today..."
Yan Song placed the last clean bowl in the cupboard, turned around to look at Yun Ya, "So, ten years ago that night, you and another man went through life and death, and I, I had no idea about any of it..."
"Brother Yan~" Seeing the pain and self-reproach in his eyes, Yun Ya couldn’t help but feel her heart squeeze.
Yan Song suddenly pulled her into his embrace, "There won’t be a next time; I won’t let anyone hurt you again."
Yun Ya, what kind of family did you grow up in for your own grandmother to want to kill you when you were so young? The more he learned, the more his heart ached. The source of thɪs content is novᴇlfire.net
What had she endured over those years?
"Why did your grandmother... Yun Shu, want to kill you?" Yan Song suddenly asked.
It was difficult for Yun Ya to speak. To talk about her and Yun Shu’s enmity would inevitably lead to the revelation of her origins. What would Brother Yan think then? Would he find her disgusting?
"She had a grudge against my paternal grandfather. She hated everyone from the Ji Family, tried every means to annihilate us. Even though I am her biological granddaughter, she was mad. To her, familial ties meant absolutely nothing."
Yan Song had not expected such a story. His heart ached as he held her tighter, "It’s okay now; it’s all in the past. I will protect you from now on."
Yun Ya closed her eyes, "Brother Yan, I wanted to maintain my innocence and kindness in front of you, but sooner or later you will find out my true nature. Deep down, I am cruel, selfish, domineering, and obsessive. Do you like someone like me?"
What kind of courage must one possess to describe oneself in such a way?
Having been together for so long, how could Yan Song not know her character? Yes, she was hypocritical, her mask always impeccable; she was cruel, never soft toward the wicked; and she was domineering, possessing a strong desire to own him. But that was only in front of others.
In front of him alone, she would show her genuine smile. In his eyes, she was kind, pure, and naive... his little angel. Thus, the one he loved was precisely this version of her.
"I love you, every part of you," said Yan Song as he turned his head to kiss her lips, melding all his words into this tender kiss.
Eventually, they lay down on the large bed, and Yun Ya, exhausted from the day, drifted into a deep sleep.
Yan Song watched her sleeping face, kissed her forehead, covered her with the blanket, got out of bed, and walked to the window.
He hadn’t imagined that Yun Shu had been wanting to kill Yun Ya all along. What kind of vendetta did she have with the Ji Family that she would go as far as to kill her own granddaughter?
Yan Song couldn’t fathom what hatred could twist a woman to such an extent. He had to resort to Yun Ya’s explanation that the woman was insane.
Because she was insane, she acted without restraint. With Yun Ya living in such a house, treading on thin ice amidst constant danger, he needed to deal with this woman before leaving, for how could he possibly rest easy otherwise?
His thoughts turned to Pei Qinghan, to the entanglement he had had with Yun Ya ten years ago; his heart churned with restlessness. Twice he could only helplessly watch Yun Ya being saved by another man. As a man, he truly couldn’t let that go.
Yan Song was considering leaving, but each time he glanced at the sleeping Yun Ya on the bed, his feet wouldn’t move. Irritated, he raked his fingers through his hair and pulled out his phone to call Zhuang Xiyue.
The phone rang for quite a while before being answered, Zhuang Xiyue’s hoarse voice coming through clear signs of what she had just been doing.
"Something came up tonight; I won’t be coming back, and sorry for interrupting you and dad," he said swiftly before hanging up.
Zhuang Xiyue: "That kid, why isn’t he coming back again? He’s really driving me up the wall." With that, she prepared to get up.
Yan Nanmo lifted a hand and patted her pert bottom, "Focus, will you? Our son is all grown up; he knows what he’s doing. You just stop fussing over him so much."