Chapter 30: You Can't Escape Me If You Expose My Little Father

The next morning, Si Yao had already left home and returned to the academy before Fang Zhiyue got up.

Afterwards, the two of them tacitly agreed not to mention what happened that day again.

As if it was just a dream.

It's winter again, and Yunzhou City is experiencing a rare heavy snowfall.

Yunyin Academy gave students a holiday early and allowed them to go home.

Si Yao returned to Jingshui Lane but did not see Fang Zhiyue.

She had just put her luggage into the house.

Then I heard rustling noises coming from the gate of the courtyard.

Si Yao immediately turned around and walked out. As soon as he opened the door, he saw Fang Zhiyue being supported by Shi Qi and Zhao Ling.

She frowned instantly, "What's wrong with my cousin?"

When there were outsiders around, she always called Fang Zhiyue like this.

"Judge Si is at home..."

Zhao Ling greeted with a smile.

On weekdays, when Si Yao was at home, he would sometimes go to the market with Fang Zhiyue, and the two became familiar with each other.

"The roads were slippery on this snowy day, and Xiao Fang accidentally fell and twisted his ankle."

She took the initiative to explain.

Then he handed Fang Zhiyue over to Si Yao.

Without lingering for long, he said, "Since Mr. Si is home, I won't stay any longer. There's no one watching over there, so I have to go back quickly."

"By the way, thank you Mr. Si for guiding my daughter Xiaoru's studies last time. When she came home yesterday, she told me that the teacher praised her in class."

She turned and left happily, with a kind look on her dark face.

"Sister Zhao, you're too polite. You've been taking care of my cousin for over a year now. It's nothing more than a small favor."

Si Yao smiled at her and watched her leave.

After everyone was completely out of the alley, her eyes fell on Fang Zhiyue.

"How can you be so careless, little father? Come, I'll help you back to the house."

When he turned around and accidentally caught a glimpse of the fish in Shi Qi's hand, he casually said, "Is this fish another gift from Sister Zhao? Ever since my father met Sister Zhao, there has never been a shortage of fish in our house."

Fang Zhiyue's heart skipped a beat when he heard this.

He asked Shi Qi to take the things in first.

Soon, only he and Si Yao were left there. "Sister Yao, don't overthink it. Sister Zhao gave you this fish as a thank you for guiding her daughter, Xiaoru, last time."

"Why are you in such a hurry, little father..."

Si Yao helped him through the hanging flower gate.

Her expression remained gentle and kind, "I know Sister Zhao is a good person."

She opened the door and let him sit on the couch.

I knelt on one knee in front of him and held his ankle. "Come, let me see where you sprained it. If it's serious, it's better to ask a doctor to come and take a look."

Before Fang Zhiyue could react, she had already taken off his shoes and socks.

So we lit a charcoal stove in the room, which made it quite warm.

"I, I'm fine. I'll be fine after a few days of rest. Sister Yao, please stand up quickly."

His toes, which were exposed to the air, couldn't help but curl up a few times, as if he wished he could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.

"Little father, don't move—"

Si Yao firmly grasped his ankle and looked at him with a frown.

Fang Zhiyue froze on the couch instantly, feeling a little afraid of Si Yao.

He could only quietly remind her, "...Sister Yao, this is not polite. You should stand up immediately."

How could a man's feet be looked at so casually by others? If someone else saw it, they would probably accuse him of being unfaithful to his husband.

Fang Zhiyue felt really ashamed.

Si Yao seemed to be torturing him on purpose, pinching his feet and examining them carefully.

It took a long time before he stood up. "Fortunately, it's just a little red and swollen, no bones or muscles are injured. The streets have been blocked by heavy snow these days, so please don't go out. Just tell me if there's anything wrong."

"You, you don't have to go to the academy?"

Fang Zhiyue hadn't been alone with Si Yao like this for a long time.

In addition, Si Yao has grown a lot taller over the past year, and the childishness between her eyebrows and eyes has completely disappeared. She has become a mature and charming woman.

Every time he saw her, he couldn't help but feel a little nervous.

“I’m not going…”

Si Yao replied calmly, "It snowed so heavily that the academy closed early. I'll be staying home for the next few days. I'll be waiting to go to the capital to take part in the Spring Examination next spring."

"I-I see."

Fang Zhiyue nodded.

He was speechless for a moment and sat there somewhat stiffly.

However, Si Yao did not leave as quickly as usual.

Instead, she sat down next to him.

Her dark eyes fell on him, "Little Father seems to have become quite distant towards me over the past year or so, but what did I do wrong? Little Father, why don't you tell me and I'll change."

"...Why are you suddenly saying something like that..."

Fang Zhiyue was caught off guard and smiled at her with the corners of his lips raised: "...I just feel that you are getting older now, and you can no longer be as casual as before. Even if we declare ourselves cousins, we should avoid suspicion. Otherwise, it will affect your future marriage..."

He lowered his eyes to avoid hers.

Si Yao said, "Is that so? I thought my father was blaming me for what happened a year ago."

This was the first time she had mentioned this in such a long time.

Fang Zhiyue's eyes suddenly widened, and he continued reluctantly, "...Sister Yao, why did you suddenly bring this up? It's been so long, I'd already forgotten about it."

"Did my father really forget?"

Si Yao spoke softly.

"Forgot, forgot..."

Fang Zhiyue didn't understand why she suddenly became like this.

He just kept his head down.

Si Yao suddenly pinched his chin and made him raise his head. "Now that I'm free today, can I tell you what I didn't finish saying? You've been avoiding me for so long, and I haven't had a good conversation with you in a long time."

"Sister Yao, don't do this!"

Fang Zhiyue pushed her hand away out of stress.

He stood up and moved away from her.

But he forgot the injury on his ankle for a moment and staggered forward.

Si Yao caught it with his hands, held his thin waist and pressed it onto his legs.

She rested her chin on his shoulder and said, "Why are you panicking, little father? It seems that you already know what I want to say, right? You have guessed my feelings for you, right?"

"...Sister Yao, have you been drinking? Why are you talking nonsense?"

Fang Zhiyue's back was stiff as if he was sitting on pins and needles, and his little face turned pale.

He didn't know why Si Yao suddenly went crazy.

"Little father, do you know how hard it has been for me over the past year? But I don't want to scare you."

Si Yao started talking to himself, "Every time I see my father avoiding me, I almost go crazy. I don't want to be so distant from him anymore."

"Yao, Sister Yao..."

Fang Zhiyue was so frightened by her that he was speechless.

He just kept pushing her, "You, don't do this..."

"What else?"

Si Yao moved away from his shoulder, and her dark and deep eyes looked into his eyes, as if she wanted to swallow him into her stomach.

For the first time, the black eyes filled with love and desire were exposed nakedly in front of Fang Zhiyue.

"Are you going to continue pretending not to understand, little father?"

Fang Zhiyue was shocked by her eyes.

Some incoherent words: "Sister Yao, you are drunk, you are not sober now, let me go quickly."

He sat weak and helpless on her lap, his eyes flushed with fear, tears hanging in the corners of his eyes.

Si Yao raised her fingers and wiped the corners of his eyes gently, her voice gentle: "I'm not forcing you, little father. I just hope you won't avoid me anymore. When I win the top spot in the imperial examination next spring, we can get married, okay?"

The words seemed to be a negotiation, but in fact they left no room for Fang Zhiyue to say no.

"Sister Yao..."

Fang Zhiyue looked at her in disbelief, his voice trembling: "I am your father... How can you say such things..."

"But you are a fake, and outsiders only know that we are cousins. No one knows that you are my little father."

Si Yao reasoned with him and didn't think this was an obstacle between them.

She stroked his hair and chuckled, "Besides, even if it's true, so what? Do you think that can stop me from getting you, little father?"

"You're crazy..."

Fang Zhiyue bit his trembling lips and turned his head away.

Si Yao firmly pinched his chin, asked him to turn around, and continued to laugh: "Didn't my father know that I was a lunatic a long time ago? I gave you the opportunity to leave the Si family, but it was my father who didn't want to leave. So, now you have to endure all this."

"Sister Yao, please don't make the same mistake again... If you let me go, everything will be back to normal..."

Fang Zhiyue persuaded her, just hoping that she would return to normal.

"It's too late, little father."

Si Yao suddenly turned him over so that his back was against her chest. One hand wrapped around his waist, and the other slid down his shoulder until it rested on the back of his hand, interlocking their fingers.

"Father, do you still remember the Chen family who lived next door to us in Xingyu Village? That young man from the Chen family invited me to the Old Temple. Actually, I knew from the beginning that he had bad intentions. I deliberately brought Mr. Qin with me, and he didn't drug me. I took it myself..."

"You, why are you doing this?"

Fang Zhiyue's body froze in her arms and he spoke in disbelief.

Si Yao leaned over to his ear and laughed maliciously, "Who made my father stay with that Chen family husband all day long? He even became depressed because of him. I don't like him drawing my father's attention away. Only by doing this can you stay away from that Chen family husband."

"you……"

Fang Zhiyue was so shocked by her dark thoughts that he was speechless.

"Oh, and your uncle and cousin..."

Si Yao continued, "That night your cousin drugged me, but I didn't actually fall for it. He just wanted to get closer to my little father. That kiss was wonderful. I still remember my little father's fragility and inability to bear it..."

"Stop talking!"

Fang Zhiyue couldn't bear to listen any longer, and his face was full of shame.

His face flushed red as he glared at her angrily: "You, you are shameless."

She actually had abnormal thoughts about him at that time.

Si Yao acted as if she was oblivious to his accusations and leaned over to kiss him, but she didn't care when Fang Zhiyue dodged her.

She kneaded his fingers, "And that thief from the neighboring village who bullied my husband? He was actually caught by the county government that night. I found the one who showed up at home later. I just wanted her to scare my father so that he would come to Yunzhou with me."

"You, how could you do this..."

Fang Zhiyue never knew this.

He couldn't believe it.

"So, little father, please don't ever talk about going back to the past with me. We can't go back, and it's impossible for us to go back."

She is determined to get him!