When Mo Yinhe had her trapped in the Force Field Protective Shield, she heard him stroking her belly and saying, "Baby, it’s the scent of your dragon hormones. That delightful, captivating aroma... I would never mistake it for anything else in my life. Even with my eyes closed, I’d know it’s you."
Si Mingjing felt a headache coming on just thinking about it. The most pressing matter was to make her escape. She had to return after her estrus period had passed so Mo Yinhe’s keen nose wouldn’t detect her.
After getting up and ready, Si Mingjing went to find Granny Ye. She even had a ready-made excuse.
She would simply say the Song Family was throwing her a recognition banquet.
To her surprise, Granny Ye flat-out refused to let her leave.
"You foolish child, what recognition banquet? This is obviously a trap."
Si Mingjing, of course, knew this.
But Granny Ye thought she was naive and felt the need to warn her.
"You have no idea! The Song Family put on quite an impressive show at our house last night. From their tone, it’s clear they don’t consider you one of their own. How could they possibly be throwing you a recognition banquet? They failed to harm you last night, so they must be planning to embarrass you at the banquet. You must not go!"
A surge of warmth filled Si Mingjing’s heart; she was grateful that the old lady was looking out for her in every way. But she said, "Granny, even if it’s a trap, I must attend. If my family is holding a recognition banquet for me, I can’t find a reason to refuse."
As soon as she heard this, Granny Ye understood the difficulty of Si Mingjing’s position. Her heart ached for her even more as she looked at her.
"My dear child, you have it so hard. Alright then, I will accompany you. We’ll also take Xiaobai with us. That child may be tactless, but he’s fiercely protective of those he cares about. With him there, no one will dare to bully you. Tell me, is the recognition banquet in the afternoon or evening?"
"In the evening," Si Mingjing replied, a sense of foreboding washing over her.
Indeed, the old lady said, "Then there’s still time. After Xiaobai finishes school, we’ll all go and back you up."
Si Mingjing was acutely aware that Granny Ye had her best interests at heart, and she definitely couldn’t refuse her kindness.
Instantly, Si Mingjing nodded respectfully. "Thank you, Granny. I’ll go to the mall then, to buy a decent outfit."
In any case, she had to find an excuse to leave.
Granny Ye said instead, "What good clothes can you find at the mall? There’s no time to have anything custom-made now. Luckily, your figure is similar to my granddaughter’s. Her dressing room is never short of gowns for various occasions. Come, I’ll take you to choose one."
Granny Ye was impetuous. As she spoke, she was ready to pull Si Mingjing along to pick out a gown. The problem was, Granny Ye’s granddaughter lived in the same villa as Mo Yinhe.
Si Mingjing’s head throbbed.
How could she dare to set foot in the villa where Mo Yinhe lived, especially now?
"Granny, isn’t this... a bit inappropriate?"
"What’s wrong with it? My granddaughter adores Xiaobai. Since you’re Xiaobai’s lifesaver, never mind gowns—even jewelry and handbags are yours for the picking. Don’t believe me? I’ll call my granddaughter right now, and you’ll see if she’s stingy."
Saying this, Granny Ye called her granddaughter, putting the call on speakerphone.
Even through the phone, they could hear Ye Siyuan’s generous voice. "Granny, tell Miss Si to choose whatever she likes! I’m busy with an international ballet performance and can’t get away right now. But once I’m free, I’ll definitely come back and thank Miss Si properly."
Si Mingjing was on the verge of tears, utterly speechless.
After hanging up, the old lady looked at her, her face full of affection. "You heard that, didn’t you? Our family is very easy to get along with. You shouldn’t feel like an outsider. Come on, come with me to pick one out."
How could Si Mingjing possibly go? She was trying her best to avoid Mo Yinhe! Unless... he wasn’t at the villa?