“But if we were to keep count, I think I’ve visited you more recently, right? Qingsi can’t compare to me.”
You Yi nearly could not withstand the heat any longer. He gained some sense of clarity when he heard Yue Tingfeng.
Yue Tingfeng inclined his head, looking into You Yi’s glazed eyes. He gave the bottled water to the other man. “You’re impressive, being able to stay here for so long without getting heatstroke.”
You Yi took the bottle and wrested the cap open, drinking half the bottle in one go. He poured the rest of the water over his head. Lucidity washed over him.
“It looks like you know everything,” Yue Tingfeng said.
You Yi did not reply.
“Since you liked my mother-in-law, you should understand this: Qingsi is her only daughter,” Yue Tingfeng continued. “I don’t care what you want to do, but don’t drag her into it, and don’t hurt her. If you do, I’ll kill you. I don’t care if you are the big boss or the little boss in the You family.”
“I won’t drag her into anything,” You Yi answered. “You’re with her now. You better stay by her side, take care of her.”
Yue Tingfeng’s lips pressed into a thin line. “You don’t have to tell me that. I’ll definitely protect my own woman, the future bearer of my children.”
“You better remember what you said,” You Yi warned coldly. “If you mistreat her, I’ll make sure you suffer.”
“Thank you for being so concerned about my woman, but I won’t let that happen. From what I see, you’re intent on doing something; otherwise… you’ll go dead with madness.”
“It’s none of your business.”
Yue Tingfeng’s lips quirked into a mirthless grin. “Geez. I don’t care. You’re not my father-in-law. However, let me tell you that whatever happened that year isn’t as simple as it seems. There’s a lot of complications going on in the background. I’ve always been investigating why Mrs. Nie was abandoned and then set up for death, but I can’t find a proper breakthrough. Otherwise, I would have exacted revenge for her a long time ago, before you came along.”
You Yi stayed silent, brows drawn together into a frown.
“I don’t have much to tell you anyway. You folks from the You family spell bad news. If you really care about Qingsi’s wellbeing, you better stay away from her.”
Yue Tingfeng stalked off with a wave of a hand after he finished talking.
“Mom, I’m going,” he tacked on at the last minute. “Do catch up nicely with your old friend. I’ll see you next time.”
You Yi pondered over Yue Tingfeng’s words. What other secrets lay within the year Qiuping died?
…
It was over five o’clock when Yue Tingfeng hurried back home from the suburbs. He bought some barbecued meat along the way.
At night, he coaxed Yan Qingsi and Mrs. Yue into having a few bottles of beer together.
Mrs. Yue had a low alcohol tolerance, so their housekeeper took her to bed once she finished eating.
Then Yue Tingfeng dragged Yue Tingfeng into their room, a salacious smile on his face. He locked the door behind them.
He wheeled around and lunged forward, pulling Yan Qingsi into an embrace. “Didn’t you say that you wanted to eat me? Come on.”
“I’ve just eaten. I’m a little full,” Yan Qingsi said.
“Then it’s time for a little exercise to digest all that food.”
Yan Qingsi’s lips twitched amusedly. This b*stard had no shame. “Did you really think that I’m that animalistic?” she heard Yue Tingfeng say as their limbs tangled. “I’ll make sure you sleep well tonight.”
Yan Qingsi grinned.
At night, Yan Qingsi thought that she could sleep, but her brain was wide awake again. “Yue Tingfeng, how long will you love me for?” she asked.
“I don’t know,” he mumbled sleepily.
Yan Qingsi did not reply. She silently turned over to her side so that her back faced Yue Tingfeng. She should have known—
Strong arms clamped around her waist. She leaned into the warmth of his chest. “Because I don’t know when I’ll die,” she heard him say.