Liu Duo sat beside him, looking at the side of his face with her chin resting on her hands. “Oh.”
She wondered, Yang is so different in the bed and out! Here he is, obviously holding in his desire, but once he gets in the bed he wants it real bad. He’s definitely subverted my impression of men like him!
Ye Yang caught her staring at him but didn’t react. He gave her a sideways glance. “Not scared?”
There was a scar on the side of his face Liu Duo was looking at. The exposed gash wasn’t deep, but it wasn’t shallow either.
Liu Duo was stunned at first but soon grinned. “No.”
She reached a hand out to touch the scar on his face. “This mark tells the story of the time you tried to save your father, why would it be scary? I think it makes you look quite handsome, and brings out the manliness in you. I like it!”
She could tell it must have hurt a lot at that time. But because he was Yang, he probably endured it without a word.
Ye Yang didn’t reply when he heard her say so. He turned around to watch the stove, entranced by the fire, his thoughts unknown.
For a moment, there were only the sounds of the fire crackling in the kitchen. Ye Yang had his eyes on the stove while Liu Duo had hers on him.
Liu Duo thought he didn’t believe her. She held his arm and repeated what she had said, seriously, “Yang, I mean it. I don’t find it scary!”
He felt the pressure on his arm and turned around to look at her again. He could pick out the seriousness in her eyes. It’s not that he didn’t believe her, but her words evoked a memory from long ago which he didn’t plan on revisiting.
“It’s good that you’re not scared.”
He got back to watching the fire and added more firewood into the stove. But his mind was active. Little Duo, even if you were scared of me, I wouldn’t let you leave my side. Because now, other than my three brothers, my heart beats only for you!
Liu Duo rested her head on Ye Yang’s arm as she stared into the fire. She stayed quietly by his side.
It was a while before Ye Yang lowered his gaze and spoke to the woman so close to him. “Little Duo, the water’s hot now.”
He was reminding her to get her change of clothes ready.
Then he stood up to get an empty bucket. He would fetch hot water for her.
“Oh.” Liu Duo nodded and got up too.
At that moment, Ye Ling came in through the kitchen door with an empty bucket. “Yang, the water’s hot now, right? I have a bucket here.”
“Ling, you came at the right time. Yang’s about to get one.” Liu Duo laughed at him.
Ye Ling laughed too.
Then, Liu Duo went to get her change of clothes and prepare for her bath.
Both Ye Liu and Ye Mo were chatting in the house. Whatever they were talking about, it made Ye Mo’s ears flush really red.
Ye Liu saw Liu Duo and whistled at her. “Little Duo, come have a chat.”
Liu Duo took one look at them and went upstairs. Instincts told her that these two must be exchanging secrets again.
She got her change of clothes, went down to bath, and returned upstairs. That was how the day basically ended.
Back in her room, Liu Duo had just finished brushing her hair when she remembered Ye Ling had not taken his medicine after dinner, because he hadn’t brought it with him.
She rushed over to Ye Ling’s room on the third floor.
Perhaps Ye Ling had taken the medicine himself, but Liu Duo was restless. She needed to ask.
She knocked on the door. “Ling, are you asleep?”
It was already dark outside. The three brothers were still downstairs washing up.
“Not yet,” Ye Ling replied when he heard her.