Seeing the boy about to fall, Yan Xiaye quickly ran over and just managed to catch his soft little body in her arms, "Are you alright, did you hurt yourself anywhere?"
With such close proximity, she could see even better how delicate and handsome the boy's features were, dressed in a cute, smart cream-colored suit, he truly looked like a little prince out of a fairy tale.
The little boy in her arms was not the least bit scared or shy and blinked his big eyes at her with a smile, "I'm fine, Yunduo is a brave boy who doesn't fear pain."
After speaking, he twisted his toddler head back to glance behind Yan Xiaye, "Daddy, you were a step slower than pretty sister!"
Yan Xiaye chuckled, put down the child, and turned around, only to bump unexpectedly into a pair of deep, night-sky like dark eyes.
Under the warm afternoon sun, a stunningly handsome man stood tall in front of her.
She only had to tilt her head slightly to kiss the man's sexy Adam's apple.
Startled, she retreated hastily in a panic, lost her balance and began to fall.
Just as she braced herself to endure the pain with her eyes closed, a cool and distant fragrance passed by her nose.
Through the thin fabric, the heat from the man's palm burned her slightly cool skin.
She opened her eyes in shock and caught sight of the man's long, well-jointed hand casually brushing past her waist as his magnetic, deep voice resounded next to her ear, "Be careful."
Her breathing became involuntarily choppy.
She came back to her senses a moment too late, rapidly lowering her head to hide her discomposure, and politely took a step back.
"Thank you."
Seeing that she dared not look at him any longer, the man's mouth slightly curved, his eyes flashing with profound meaning, "Hmm."
Yan Xiaye was dumbstruck, sneakily glancing at the aloof and deep man, wondering if she had misheard.
Although not every 'thank you' gets a 'you're welcome', but what did 'Hmm' mean?
Was he dissatisfied with the sincerity of her thanks, expecting her to continue the conversation?
As Yan Xiaye agonized over the meaning behind his gesture, Li Beicheng approached from not too far away.
He was very dissatisfied with Yan Xiaye's behavior in front of Ya'er and had intended to come over and continue intimidating her, but in front of the man, all he could muster was respect, "Younger Uncle."
Only then did Li Yuntang shift his gaze away from Yan Xiaye, his expression cool as he nodded slightly.
Li Family's second master, Li Yuntang.
He left the Li Family and set up his own enterprise at the age of twenty and is now the CEO of an international investment bank, the dream lover of many ladies in Jiangcheng.
Years had passed since their last meeting, but the aura of this man was still suffocatingly overwhelming.
Li Beicheng was already impressive, but compared to his younger uncle Li Yuntang, who was seven years his junior, the difference was vast as the heavens and the earth.
Yan Xiaye hadn't expected him to have a son already.
Yan Xiaye thought to herself that if this news got out, it would certainly shatter countless hearts in Jiangcheng.
"Xiaye, you have suffered these past years, good child, come inside with grandma,"
The Old Madam's affectionate voice interrupted Yan Xiaye's train of thought.
Yan Xiaye's heart skipped a beat, and as she lifted her eyes, she clearly saw Old Madam's white hair.
Five years had quietly passed, and her grandmother looked much older than she remembered.
Given the Li Family's wealth and influence, the only thing that could cause Old Madam such worry, apart from her imprisonment, was nothing else.
A wave of sorrow surged in her heart, and Yan Xiaye stepped forward to support Old Madam's arm, her voice unintentionally choked with tears, "Grandma, I'm sorry, I..."
"It's good that you came back safely. Grandma knows very well what kind of child you are, and the past is the past. Let's not talk about those unhappy things."
The Old Madam said with emotion as she patted Yan Xiaye's hand gently and took out a handkerchief to wipe the corners of her eyes, "Right, Grandma had some new clothes made for you according to the fashion magazines. I'm not sure if you'll like them, but you should go back to your room, take a bath, and rest. If there's anything else you want, just tell the butler to buy it."
Yan Xiaye also knew how inappropriate her clothes were at the Li family's house and nodded her lips as she prepared to leave, only to be blocked by a small figure who looked up at her with a clear childish voice, "Pretty sister, thank you for saving me just now."
Seeing Little Yunduo's serious and handsome little demeanor, the sad atmosphere was swept away, and everyone couldn't help but laugh in silence.
Yan Xiaye's eyes also warmed a bit.
According to Li Beicheng's family hierarchy, she should be the little guy's older cousin by marriage.
However, she currently had no desire to acknowledge her marital status with Li Beicheng and simply bent down and chuckled, "You're welcome. My name is Yan Xiaye, and just calling me pretty has no benefits for you."
"Then... then can I call you Yanyan?" Little Yunduo quickly came up with the idea and tiptoed as he sought approval from Li Yuntang, "Daddy, what do you think about Yanyan?"
"That's fine."
"Very well."
Two voices spoke up at the same time.
Yan Xiaye was slightly startled, obviously knowing that Li Yuntang was affirming Little Yunduo's taste in nicknames, yet the ambiguity in the words still made her heart tremble slightly, sensing the subtlety.
Before she could turn around and sneak a peek at Li Yuntang's expression, Li Beicheng spoke first, showing his gentleness and consideration as a good husband, "Xiaye, go back to your room first. I'll come and see you later."
In haste, Yan Xiaye nodded and agreed, fearing that if she stayed any longer, she would not be able to hide her hatred for Li Beicheng.
Behind her, the man's gaze was deep as the abyss, watching her flee in panic.
...
Back in the room she shared with Li Beicheng, Yan Xiaye closed the door, dragged her tired body, and collapsed onto the sofa.
After gasping for a brief moment, she eagerly picked up the phone and dialed the number she knew by heart.
The moment the dial tone stopped, she said in a hoarse voice, "Huang Qian, it's me..."
"Sorry, the number you have dialed is unavailable..."
Yan Xiaye's pupils suddenly shrank. Undeterred, she tried again, only to receive the same cold response.
Since the moment she had left prison, too many things had not gone as expected.
Whether it was the threats carefully planned by Li Beicheng or the reality of being unable to contact Huang Qian, her head felt like it was splitting, and she couldn't catch her breath—a tremendous sense of powerlessness gripped her heart like a shadow.
Even when she had been in prison, she hadn't felt the future so riddled with uncertainty.
The phone slipped from the palm of her hand. As her mind wandered, she inadvertently locked eyes with a pair of eyes peeking through a crack in the door!
Her heart skipped a beat, and Yan Xiaye frowned, "Who's there!"
The eyes immediately disappeared, followed by the distinct sound of a child's light footsteps receding.
Yan Xiaye rushed to open the door and looked out, just in time to see Ya'er sobbing and throwing herself into Li Beicheng's arms, "Daddy, she was mean to Ya'er, I don't want her to be my mommy!"
"Ya'er, be good. Your mommy is just not used to her new role yet. We need to give her some time," Li Beicheng said while patting Ya'er's head, his stare dark and brooding as he looked at Yan Xiaye, "Don't worry, with Daddy here, no one will dare to do anything."
"No, I just don't want her..."
"Alright, Daddy and Mommy have things to talk about. Go and play with Yunduo."
Li Beicheng handed Ya'er off to a passing maid, his expression cold as he stepped forward and kicked open the room door in front of him, which had just been shut with a bang.