This answer was far from flawless.
But after all, she was the only one Li Beicheng had loved for so many years...
Li Beicheng closed his eyes, as if forcing himself to believe Yan Shuirou's words.
His gaze, dark and sharp, moved away from Yan Shuirou, and without turning his head, he slammed the door as he left.
In the room, Yan Shuirou trembled at the loud sound of the door closing, her fingertips pressing deeply into her palm.
Ever since she and Li Beicheng had fallen in love at first sight, apart from the first few days when Yan Xiaye had just been imprisoned five years ago, he had never been so indifferent to her.
After so many years of acquaintance and love, her heart was not so fragile that it couldn't accept any change.
She just couldn't accept that every change in his attitude towards her always related to Yan Xiaye.
That same night, Li Beicheng returned directly to the old residence.
Throughout the long night, he dialed Yan Xiaye's mobile phone over and over, yet still received no response.
As dawn approached, Li Beicheng sat on the sofa, his eyes closed in feigned sleep, until someone tiptoed over to cover him with a blanket; only then did he reach out and accurately grasp their slender arm.
The anger dissipated in an instant.
So her indifference was nothing more than a façade and a pretense, and her acting was so convincing that even he was nearly deceived.
But the more this was the case, the more it proved her care.
His tightly pursed lips relaxed, and Li Beicheng spoke in a hoarse voice, "Yan Xiaye, how dare you not return home at night? Who were you with last night!"
"Young Master, I am not the Young Madam..."
A fearful voice interrupted his thoughts.
Opening his eyes to see the blushing and flustered maid, Li Beicheng released her hand with disgust, flipping the blanket off as he stood up and cast his gaze towards the whitening horizon, feeling more irritable and gloomy, "Has the Young Madam not returned yet?"
......
When Yan Xiaye regained consciousness for the second time, it was to the enticing aroma of rice.
She stared at the unfamiliar ceiling for a full five minutes before realizing she had left prison, and this place was not her room in the old house.
Sitting up with a faint pain at her temple, Yan Xiaye glanced down at the men's shirt covering her body, just long enough to hide her buttocks, her mind going blank.
She vaguely remembered that last night, someone nearly... that it was Li Yuntang who saved her. After that, she could recall nothing.
Swallowing nervously, Yan Xiaye crawled out of bed, expertly folded the blanket into a block, and tiptoed toward the door.
Outside the room, the scent of rice was even more intense, causing her stomach to growl exaggeratedly.
Her gaze passed over the simply and stylishly decorated living room and landed on the tall figure in the open kitchen.
The morning sunlight, misty as a thin veil, poured into the room, and in the play of light and shadow, his every move was a spectacle, making it impossible for her to look away.
Come to think of it, this was her first time seeing him in such a casual home setting.
"You're awake."
Hearing the door slide open, the man who had been facing away turned around, just in time to catch her rubbing her stomach with reddened cheeks, looking at him with a naive and guilty face.
The shirt that belonged to him hung loosely on her body, not only failing to conceal her exquisite curves but accentuating her remarkable Qingmei and youthfulness. Her skin was porcelain white, legs slender, as though her time had frozen five years ago.
It was no wonder.
Any girl, in the prime of her life, cast into prison for five years...
"Good morning, Li... Uncle." Yan Xiaye awkwardly looked away, hesitantly stepped forward, wracking her brain for a subtle approach, "About last night..."
"You got drunk last night. To keep the Old Madam from worrying, I didn't take you back to the old house."
"Then, the clothes on me..."
"The lady next door helped you change."
Realizing that nothing had happened the night before, Yan Xiaye secretly breathed a sigh of relief, hurrying to receive the exquisite plate from Li Yuntang's hands, "Thank you for taking me in, I can handle the cooking."
Li Yuntang was caught off guard by her action, and didn't let go of the plate he was holding.
Their eyes met, and their fingertips touched.
Yan Xiaye tensed up as if electrified and quickly retracted her hand, stammering an apology, "Sorry, I'm so sorry!"
Li Yuntang remained motionless in his original posture, his deep gaze scanning over her face. He raised an eyebrow and stated the fact, "It seems like you're very afraid of me."
"Not at all, why would I be." Turning her gaze away guiltily, Yan Xiaye peeped at the boiling rice porridge, forcibly changing the subject, "Is there anything I can help with?"
He hummed meaningfully and offered the plate, "The dining room is on your left, the first room."
Throughout breakfast, Yan Xiaye was very proper apart from being internally surprised that Li Yuntang could cook.
She breathed very lightly, part out of clumsiness when alone with a man, and part for fear of disturbing the rare tranquility.
On the other hand, Li Yuntang put down his spoon and opened the conversation for her, "The job Beicheng arranged for you isn't suitable. If you don't want to work at Li Corporation..."
"It's nothing." Remembering the huge gambling debt her father owed, Yan Xiaye lowered her eyes, "I'll be careful next time, to not let this kind of thing happen again."
She made it sound easy.
But both he and she knew well that she had no power to decide whether such events happened or not.
Yan Xiaye paused, then smiled serenely, "Uncle, thank you."
She knew Li Yuntang could help her, but she didn't know what she had to offer in exchange for his help.
Better to recognize the reality early on than to demean herself by asking.
Seeing the stubborn refusal in her eyes, Li Yuntang didn't press further, his voice deep and magnetic as a whisper, "Yan Xiaye, the bone marrow you donated saved the old man's life; you don't need to be so formal with me."
Yan Xiaye's heart skipped a beat, but she shook her head with a bitter smile, unwilling to take credit for the deed.
After the meal, she took the initiative to wash the dishes, then made a vague excuse and took her leave.
Before leaving, she secretly took the shirt she had worn, planning to wash it thoroughly before finding an opportunity to return it.
As the door closed gently, the apartment fell silent once again.
After a while, the stunningly handsome man at the dining table lifted his hand to finish the tea left in his cup, his long dark lashes veiling the probing thoughts in his eyes, and he smiled faintly, almost imperceptibly.
Getting into a taxi at the foot of the apartment building, Yan Xiaye hesitated for a long time before giving the address, gazing out of the window at the rapidly passing scenery with a gloomy expression.
Half an hour later, the taxi came to a steady stop at the side of the road.
Yan Xiaye got out, looking at the completely unfamiliar villa neighborhood in front of her, and rang the doorbell at the address Li Beicheng had given.
Immediately, there was a response from inside, accompanied by the caring and worried nagging of a middle-aged woman, "Shuirou, why are you only just getting back, do you want to worry Mom to death... Xiaye?"
"... Mom."
Face to face with her unexpectedly appearing younger daughter, Mother Yan's warmth turned into awkwardness.