Yi Ling straightened up on her seat. There was an innate murderous intent in Lu Yi that always scared her. Only Yan Huan would like a man who is as emotionless as a rock. Of course, only Yi Ling would like a giant bear like Lei Qingyi.
“What?” she lifted her chin, putting on her best act. Even if she was scared, she wouldn’t let it show.
“We kept it from you for your own good,” said Lu Yi airily. “What could you do even if we told you?”
“I…” Yi Ling tried to retort. She should have at least been informed about it.
She didn’t want you to know. Lu Yi looked up and stared right into Yi Ling’s eyes.
“You two grew up together. You should know her personality better than anyone.”
“She wants you to have a good life, which is why she passed you to the Lei Family, and to Lei Qingyi. She believes that you have already found your happiness, and even if something happened to her, she hoped that you can continue to live well.”
“If you really mean her well, then…” Lu Yi gave a slight smirk. “Pretend that you know nothing. Can you do that?”
Yi Ling grabbed at her clothes weakly and dropped her head. For a moment, she said nothing, then tugged at Lei Qingyi’s sleeves.
“Let’s go back.”
“Okay,” said Lei Qingyi, rising quickly, eager to bring Yi Ling home. He turned and nodded at Lu Yi with a look of gratitude.
Lu Yi shut the door after sending the couple off. He had lost all hints of sleepiness, so he placed his laptop on his lap and checked for updates on Serene City.
The rescue effort was still ongoing, but there hadn’t been any survivors for the past two days. Still, the rescue refused to give up, grasping at any chance of finding survivors.
The post-earthquake Serene City was slowly recovering in its traffic and other aspects. Life went on as the days passed by. Supplies were being delivered steadily, many people were donating, and many people did what they could to help.
He typed the words “Yan Huan”. It was the top search at the moment. Her representative picture was no longer that beautiful shot of her, but the simple and most unglamorous one he had taken of her, which also happens to be the most beautiful picture of the year.
He propped himself up on the table with one hand.
He gazed at the woman below the picture, scouring her face for some kind of answer. Yet he found nothing. He knew nothing about her.
He set the laptop down, walked to the door, and opened it, where he found a bottle of milk.
The nanny hired by Yan Huan had been in charge of the milk for the past few days when they weren’t at home.
He bent down and picked it up, then walked to the kitchen and split the milk into two servings, one for him and one for Yan Huan. The nanny would be here soon to prepare breakfast.
The door creaked open as Yan Huan walked out of the room yawning and sleepy.
Rubbing her eyes, she walked to the kitchen.
Lu Yi walked out and stood before her.
Yan Huan rubbed her eyes, eyes that were still groggy from sleep.
She reached out and hugged Lu Yi’s waist tightly.
“Aren’t you going to sleep more?” Lu Yi wrapped his arms around her shoulders tightly, so that she wouldn’t walk into anything and hurt herself again. The wounds she currently had would already take forever to recover.
“I wanna go to the toilet,” said Yan Huan, rubbing her eyes. She couldn’t walk anymore. In Serene City, she was a hero that didn’t lose out to any man, but she was only a little woman at home.
“Let’s go,” said Lu Yi, taking her hand. Yan Huan was still rubbing her eyes. “But I want to sleep.”
“Go to the toilet, then sleep.”
He opened the washroom door, got in, and stood still after Yan Huan got inside.
“Why aren’t you going out?” Even though Yan Huan was sleepy, she wasn’t sleepwalking or daydreaming, so she was fully aware of Lu Yi’s existence. Why’s he staying here? To smell her pee?
“I’ll wait for you to finish,” Lu Yi lifted her chin. “So that you don’t fall asleep here.”
“I won’t,” Yan Huan pouted. She had to pee. After a night’s worth of dreams in which she desperately searched for toilets, she couldn’t hold it in any longer.
“Well, go on then,” said Lu Yi after some time. She wasn’t moving. Could she have fallen asleep again? But her eyes were open despite the sleepiness in them. She was definitely awake.
“Embarrassed?” Lu Yi pinched her face.
Yan Huan sat on the toilet but couldn’t make herself pee. Even couples can’t look at each other peeing, right? It was too private of a matter.
“Fine, fine. I’ll go out,” said Lu Yi, seeing himself out before Yan Huan’s bladders burst.
His little woman was still shy.
There was the flushing of the toilet, and out came Yan Huan who had washed her hands from the force of habit.
The bandage on her hand was soaked.
She showed her hands to Lu Yi with an innocent look.
“I totally forgot, and…This just happened.”
Lu Yi shut his eyes and drew a deep breath, holding back the urge to give her a good beating. He considered tying her hands up.
All that ointment had gone to waste. Who was the one that complained about the pain when he applied the ointment? Now she would have to endure the pain again.
Lu Yi got her seated and went for the first-aid box. He carefully unwrapped the bandage on Yan Huan’s hand, which was completely soaked by now. Was she washing her hands or the bandage?
“How did such a clean freak get so dirty in Serene City?”
“That’s different,” protested Yan Huan, kicking off her shoes and putting her feet on Lu Yi’s legs. This was a new posture she had unlocked, a posture that didn’t hurt.
“What’s the difference?” asked Lu Yi as he carefully dabbed the ointment onto her wounds with a cotton swab.
“If everyone’s dirty, then I wouldn’t mind getting dirty,” Yan Huan yawned. When in Rome, do as the Romans do. “But now’s different. I want to be clean now. I’m not a pig after all.”
Her fingers stung. It was uncomfortable and sometimes painful, but sleepiness was still prevailing. Had it not been that painful, she would already have fallen asleep.
She kicked at Lu Yi’s tummy once in a while. It was soft and comfortable. Despite all his muscles, his tummy was still soft. It felt nice to kick.
Lu Yi poured some ointment onto the swab and looked up, only to find her enjoying herself with her new activity.
After a while, Yan Huan got tired of it and stopped.
