"How could this be... Before, weren’t you... often with her, and on good terms?" Shi Mei looked at him, full of skepticism, "I clearly remember..."
"After that, I was indeed fooled by her," Shi Lingyan slightly lowered his eyes, seeming somewhat annoyed, "Uncle Bai and Aunt Wen are very kind people, truly benevolent. After meeting you, my renewed contact with Bai Yuejie, just superficial interactions and understanding of her, added to her shutting herself away after being diagnosed with heart disease, led me to believe that the incident back then was just a mistake made due to her youthful ignorance."
Indeed, what could a child not even four years old understand?
Perhaps Bai Yuejie had long forgotten that childhood incident.
But Shi Lingyan, who had remembered things from an unusually early age for a child, had an indelible memory of the incident.
"The successive revelations of the truth then made me realize that maybe she wasn’t as innocent as we thought," Shi Lingyan looked down at her, "Your death was part of her scheming, and the fate of your heart after you died was also within her expectations. She was certain that your family would your heart to her, so all she needed to do was to play the part of the pure and kind-hearted girl. Just like before."
Shi Mei was held quietly in his arms, her mind beginning to process his words, "So, you didn’t have a part in what happened back then?"
"If I had known, I would never have let any of this happen," Shi Lingyan looked straight into her eyes, enunciating each word, "Tang Wu, she doesn’t deserve to be mentioned in the same breath as you."
"I missed one opportunity to protect you back then, now, such a thing will absolutely not happen a second time. I won’t let her get another chance to hurt you. I will make her and the organization behind her pay for their actions, and bring the truth to light." Updates are released by 𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭⚫𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘦⚫𝘯𝘦𝘵
Shi Mei was moved by the resolve in his eyes. She paused a second, then another, and quickly turned her head away, "Why should I believe you?"
There was disgust in her tone, but the repulsion and resistance had undoubtedly softened considerably.
Sensing the change, Shi Lingyan was touched and couldn’t help but grasp her hand, stroking over her heart, a smile he couldn’t suppress playing on his lips as he whispered, "Because you love me."
Shi Mei glared at him, "Can’t you have some shame?"
"Isn’t it true?" Shi Lingyan couldn’t help but wrap his arms around her waist, pulling her close, and murmured into her ear, "You love me, you’ve always loved me. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have had the chance to kill me every time, yet always spared my life. If it wasn’t for love, that day you wouldn’t have risked your life to save me, staining your hands with blood."
Shi Lingyan took her hand and gently kissed it, "Even now, because you love me, that’s why you choose to believe me. What I say, in your heart, you believe it, don’t you?"
Shi Mei’s thoughts were completely transparent to him. For some reason, her cheeks felt hot, and she turned away, pushing him slightly, "I do not."
The smile on Shi Lingyan’s lips was irrepressible as he leaned in, "Okay, you don’t."
His lips brushed her ear, leaving a light kiss.
Shi Mei shivered, wanting to pull away, and then she heard Shi Lingyan’s low chuckle.
Her cheeks flushed involuntarily as she turned to feign anger, about to speak, but was caught off guard by another kiss from him.
Shi Mei’s face blushed as she bounced up, clutching her fists and shouting, "Don’t go too far!"
Shi Lingyan’s smile was unstoppable as he raised his eyebrows, "You used to be much worse than this, remember?"