Actually, there are many ancient buildings in Beijing that are hundreds or even thousands of years old, but Yanbo has seen many of those. Instead, he feels a different kind of charm when he looks at these arcade buildings.
"No wonder your dad is willing to put so much effort into maintaining this place."
Yan Bo and Tong Xiaohuai had not known each other for long, but he was certain that for Tong Xiaohuai, Tongjia Village was more of a responsibility.
That makes sense, though. What beautiful eighteen-year-old girl would want to spend all her time fighting and killing? Who would want to hang out with a bunch of rough men all the time and have to outwit and outmaneuver them?
“My dad has no choice. Other uncles and cousins have many descendants, but on my dad's side, it seems like he's always been the only son. Well, in my generation, it's just me, the only girl. My dad hasn't said anything, but my cousins used to always tell him, ‘Xiao Huai is just a girl. When she grows up, she should marry a rich man and enjoy life. There's no need for her to work so hard to keep up this business.’ Now, they don't say anything openly, but secretly, they're always finding fault with me.”
Yan Bo accompanied Tong Xiaohuai on a long tour of Tongjia Village, spending most of the time listening to Tong Xiaohuai complain.
At this time, most people in Tongjia Village were working outside, and the surroundings were quiet. Apart from the two people talking in hushed tones and the occasional barking of a dog, there were only the sounds of footsteps that were scattered yet rhythmic.
"What did your dad say? Or did he say he's been kept in the dark all along?"
Yan Bo wasn't sure if Tong Xiaohuai would mention these things to Boss Tong.
After all, she seemed like such a stubborn person, and she wouldn't easily tell others that she was in pain.
“He had long anticipated this day, after all, those were brothers who had grown up and fought alongside him for decades. He didn’t insist, saying that if I felt it was a burden, he would find someone else to take over the responsibility.”
Tong Xiaohuai himself, wouldn't you like to hand over the responsibility of Tongjia Village to someone else?
However, looking at the Tong family now, apart from Uncle Ming and a few other older ministers, most of the others are brave but lack strategy, and the very few who are both brave and resourceful harbor ulterior motives.
Although Tong Xiaohuai disliked being constrained, she couldn't bear to watch Tongjia Village decline. Therefore, she could only rely on Uncle Ming and other supporters to gradually build her prestige and consolidate her power.
As they walked, they found themselves at the edge of the rehearsal space. It was early autumn, and a gentle evening breeze was blowing. Walking into this open space, they felt an indescribable sense of comfort.
Tong Xiaohuai led Yan Bo into the audience seats and chose a seat facing the main playground.
After sitting down, no one rushed to start a conversation, because even just sitting side by side under the quiet night sky had a unique romance.
The current trend and progress have greatly exceeded Yanbo's expectations.
I thought that taking her home after dinner was the biggest unexpected bonus.
Unexpectedly, I was able to stroll with her in the night, listening to her complaints and troubles.
Yan Bo was still savoring the unexpected surprise when he suddenly heard Tong Xiaohuai say, "Yan Bo, I want to apologize to you."
Her tone was also indifferent, making it impossible for him to discern her emotions.
Yan Bo paused for a moment, then turned to stare at her.
At this moment, a crescent moon hung in the sky, its light pale. The spotlights on the playground were a bit far away, and sparse tree shadows swayed gently around them.
In the dim light, Yan Bo could only see her delicate profile, but he couldn't make out her expression.
"How come I didn't know you'd done something to betray me?"
Tong Xiaohuai turned her gaze away from the empty playground and looked at him intently.
"Actually, I initially just wanted to use you to help me catch up on my studies. I also heard that you have a lot of influence in L City, so I thought that if I had a friend like you, I could ask you for support if anything happened."
Tong Xiaohuai's honesty surprised Yan Bo.
However, he already knew all of this!
"Fool, what's there to apologize for? Relationships between people are based on mutual benefit. If I don't even have any value to be used, then I should feel sorry for myself."
As Yanbo spoke, he reached out and touched her head. He often wanted to do this to her, but most of the time, he didn't dare to.
Because he wasn't very familiar with her, he was afraid she would reject him.
"It is my greatest honor to be used by you!"
His gentle words, like a warm breeze, entered her ears, and his large hands gently stroked her hair, a warm current rippling across her head.
She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but couldn't utter a word; she could only stare blankly at him.
For a fleeting moment, she even felt a sense of wonder at how fortunate she was to have met such a gentle and tolerant man as Yan Bo.
Yan Bo did not flinch from her gaze, which was filled with complex emotions, because he saw two clusters of light flickering in her eyes.
Those two beams of light gave him hope and emboldened him. He gently moved his large hand from her hair to her face, his fingertips touching her cool, delicate skin.
"Skin as smooth as cream," was the comment that suddenly popped into Yan Bo's mind.
When his fingertips brushed against her cheek, Tong Xiaohuai trembled slightly, and even her heart trembled slightly because of this tremor, as if winter snow fell on a withered branch, the wind blew, the snow fell, and the withered branch trembled a few times.
Reason told her to dodge, but in reality, she just silently winked at him.
Under the cover of night, her eyes shone particularly brightly. Yan Bo was momentarily stunned by the brilliance in her eyes.
As he stroked her face, seeing that she did not show any obvious resistance, his fingers gently slid from her chin across her cheek and stopped at the corner of her eyebrow.
The two gazed at each other in the dim moonlight, and in the silent playground, one could faintly hear the pounding of their hearts.
An ambiguous atmosphere lingered between the two, yet neither dared to break the silence.
This was the first time Tong Xiaohuai had been so close to a member of the opposite sex, and she felt as if her heart was about to jump out of her chest.
She wanted to hide, but her body and all her senses were completely beyond her control. She just stood there, dumbfounded, listening to the powerful, drum-like pounding of her heart in her ears.
In my eyes, there was only his face, which appeared even more handsome and dashing under the hazy night sky.
His eyes seemed to be filled with deep affection, making it impossible for her to resist or escape.
All I wanted to do was recklessly immerse myself in his tenderness and affection.
However, it took Yan Bo quite a while before he finally moved his lips.
"I wish I had the ability to be of use to you for a lifetime!"
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