The sky gradually grew dark by the time Liu Jingyi calmed down. She sat on the couch and wiped away any tears left in her.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to show you such an embarrassing scene."
She was ashamed of herself. She didn't know why she reacted the way she did in front of a stranger.
Yue Ling smiles at the girl. She reaches for a handkerchief inside her coat pocket and hands it to Liu Jingyi.
"Crying is a natural part of life. You should never feel the need to apologize or feel embarrassed about it."
Liu Jingyi nods her head and takes the handkerchief. She felt like crying again due to Yue Ling's caring words but held herself back.
She didn't want to be a nuisance for her savior.
"Thank you. I will never forget your kindness."
Yue Ling sighs inside. She turns her head and looks in the direction of Liu Shan.
"Do you have the things?"
Before arriving at the police station, she had asked Lin Hui to contact the assistant regarding a minor task.
Liu Shan nods his head once with a huge grin. He points with his thumb in the direction of the front door.
"It's in the car. I'll go get it."
As he walks away, Yue Ling looks at Liu Ye, Liu Jingyi, and Jianan. She felt relieved that their father could not harm them anymore, but another part of her felt heavy-hearted.
The new path for these children will obtain happiness, but the pain they accumulated over the past years of abuse will continue to follow them.
She can only hope that time will heal them and make them see life in a new way, along with putting their trust in others again.
Her hand raises, and she pats Jianan on the head. She doesn't say a word to him but looks at the man of the house.
"Tian, can I speak with you in private?"
Lu Tian had not once made a sound since he and his wife entered their home. He stood at the side and patiently waited.
When he heard her call to him, he leisurely nodded his head. He turns away from the living room and walks towards the stairs.
Yue Ling follows after him, and together, the couple headed for the second floor.
They didn't go into their bedroom but entered the study room they shared.
Yue Ling watched as Lu Tian walked over to his desk and sat down. She didn't know why, but his sudden quietness made her feel nervous.
"It's fine."
Before she could even utter a word, Lu Tian's deep voice beats her to it. His usually cold eyes softens as he gaze at her with warmth, and his words continued.
"I don't mind it."
Yue Ling stared speechlessly at the man. Her eyes blinked a few times before she gave him an incredulous look.
"I haven't even said anything. How can you already answer me?"
She crosses her arms over her chest and eyes slightly narrow. She made sure not to blink as she didn't want to miss any of his facial expressions.
Lu Tian lets out a small chuckle. He gazes at his wife with an innocent face and lightly pats his left leg.
"You're my wife. As your husband, I have to understand you."
Yue Ling's cheeks flushed a shade of pink at the way he called her his wife. However, she pursed her lips and walks over to him.
She shamelessly sits down on his lap, facing the side. She also didn't forget to give him a matter-of-fact expression.
"Future."
She stated in correcting him and leans her shoulder against him.
"I am your future wife, and you are my future husband."
Lu Tian nods his head like an obedient child. He places his arms around her and rests his chin on her shoulder.
"Either way. We are going to be husband and wife."
His words enter her ears, and she looks at him, making him smile. He sighs and strokes the side of her arm.
"You want to let them stay here for a while, right?"
Yue Ling moves away from him but only to put enough distance so she could see him better.
"Do you have superpowers? How can you read my mind?"
She found it weird for him to bluntly answer and doubted him. However, he really did understand her.
"I told you. As your husband, I have to understand you."
He pulled her towards his chest and held her in his arms.
"If you want them to stay, they can."
From his observation in the living room, he had already known what was on her mind. If she didn't plan to let the children stay, she would have chosen a different location instead of their home.
Yue Ling was surprised to know that he knew what she was going to say. However, this made her happy at the same time.
He's the only one who understands her. She had asked to speak in private because she didn't want Liu Ye, Liu Jingyi, and Jianan to be sad if he had said no.
She smiles like a little girl and nestles in his arms.
"It's only temporary. Once I find them a good place, I'll bring them there."
Lu Tian answers with a faint mm. He held his wife in his embrace and closed his eyes to savor this sweet moment.
He still needs to tell her that he is going to City Z in the morning. However, he can hold it off until later.
"Hey, What's that?"
"This? This here, my brother is confidential."
"Confidential? I want to see."
"Hey! If I show you, I will have to kill you."
"What? Why?!"
"Because it's confidential. Duh!"
Just as Yue Ling and Lu Tian remained in each other's embrace, the distant chattering of Liu Shan and Xu Long brought them back to reality.
Yue Ling chuckles at the two assistants' way of having a conversation. She sits up on Lu Tian's lap and looks at the door.
"Seems like Liu Shan is back. We should go downstairs."
She stood up but didn't see the slight frown that appeared on Lu Tian's face. He glares at the door as if his murderous eyes could reach the two assistants and slap them across the face.
How dare they take away his sweet moment with his wife?
However, since his wife had gotten up, he could only get up himself.
Downstairs in the living room, Liu Shan had returned with five shopping bags in either of his hands, making a total of ten. Each bag had the word De L'amour stamped on the side.
Xu Long stares with curious eyes at the bags. He walks around Liu Shan in a circle and stroke the invisible beard on his chin.
"Hmm… confidential, you say. Interesting… very interesting."
He takes a peek inside, but Liu Shan moves the bags in another direction before he can catch a glimpse. His face scrunches with disbelief, and he looks at the assistant.
"Why are you so annoying? Besides, I'm willing to let you kill me, so just show me already."
The corners of Liu Shan's mouth curl up into a wicked smile. He raises his arms and shows the bags at him.
"You want me to show you? Here, I'm showing you."
"…"
Xu Long stood stupefied by his words and behavior. Lin Hui watched from the side and felt embarrassed that the two men were the ones he considers his brothers.
He (Lin Hui) heaved a long sigh and stood up from the couch. He walks over to Liu Shan and takes the bags in the man's left hand.
"Quit fooling around."
He turns away and walks back the way came from but pause to look at Xu Long.
"Don't get your hopes up too much. It's only clothes."
Hearing this, Xu Long was beyond stupefied and at a loss for words. He stares at Lin Hui for a long minute, then slowly turns his head to Liu Shan.
"Is everything alright?"
Behind the two men, Yue Ling asked as she came down the stairs. She heard their conversation but didn't want to put Xu Long in an awkward position.
Xu Long wanted to tell his lady boss that Liu Shan was being mean to him but the moment he opened his mouth, the man secretly elbowed his rib.
He sounds a sharp groan and swallows his words.
"Ah, it's nothing."
Liu Shan interrupts and places his arm around the assistant's shoulder. He raises his other arm to show his boss the bags.
"Lin Hui already came for the first half. Here's the other half."
He grins with a carefree expression and hands the remaining five shopping bags to Yue Ling, who took them.
As she walks away to the living room, Lu Tian takes the bags from her. She smiles at him and lets him carry them for her.
Liu Shan watched the couple get further away before turning his attention back to Xu Long. He sees the man's face had turned red from his elbow and chuckles.
"Bro, you good?"
Xu Long glares at the perpetrator of his pain. He inhales a deep breath and grabs the man's waist.
He attempted to pinch Liu Shan but was unable to grab any fat on the man's body. This angered him more, and he punched the man's waist.
"You… bastard."
Liu Shan snorts a groan at the sudden pain, and Xu Long sneers with satisfaction.
"Bro, you good?"
He (Xu Long) mockingly throws the question back at Liu Shan, causing him (Liu Shan) to laugh.
"You, bastard."
Xu Long laughs with him and nods his head a few times.
"Mm, mm. I'm also a bastard."
He held Liu Shan up, and together, they made their way back to the living room to join the others.
