Chapter Sixty: He kissed the corner of her lips.
She looked down at her reflection in the porcelain shards, but her mind was filled with images of her parents' faces before they died.
Suddenly feeling lost, Xu Lin was like the last straw that broke the camel's back.
She'd had enough.
He was fed up with Xia Zhi's endless schemes and Yan Mingshen's harassment.
I'm fed up with being pushed into the abyss time and time again.
She finally understood why her mother chose to hang herself in front of the room of her beloved.
She hated him, and she hated herself; her pride wouldn't allow her to live in such a state.
"Xiaoxiao, open the door."
Xu Bozhou's voice came from outside the door, filled with suppressed urgency.
Su Xiao didn't move, but gripped the porcelain shard even tighter, its sharp edge piercing her skin.
It's no use, she thought to herself over and over again.
"I'm saying it one last time, open the door."
He slammed his fist on the door, making a loud "bang" sound.
"If you don't open the door, I'm kicking it down."
Su Xiao finally raised her head and looked towards the door, her voice hoarse, uttering each word slowly and deliberately:
"Xu Bozhou, if you dare to kick down the door, I will hate you for the rest of my life."
Xu Bozhou, standing outside the door, froze, his fingertips still on the door panel, the force instantly dissipating.
The sound of footsteps faded into the distance.
Su Xiao's heart sank little by little. She hugged her legs and buried her head in her knees. She should die with the gallery, forever shining with the title of genius.
As she was thinking, she suddenly heard footsteps outside the door, and then the doorknob clattered to the ground.
The door was pushed open from the outside.
The corridor was dark, and Xu Bozhou stood at the boundary between light and shadow, his figure elongated and his outline indistinct, with only his fox-like eyes shining in the darkness, like obsidian soaked in water.
He was holding a screwdriver in his hand, and his dark blue apron hung loosely on his body, looking terribly out of place with his expensive shirt.
"Su Xiao, I didn't kick the door."
He knelt down in front of her, his knees almost touching hers.
Su Xiao instinctively shrank back, but he hugged her tightly.
His embrace wasn't particularly warm; the crisp scent of cedar and the faint aroma of freshly cooked porridge mingled together, strangely causing her tense body to relax slightly.
"Uncle..."
"I'm here." Xu Bozhou rested his chin on the top of her head, his voice as soft as a sigh.
He knew what she was sad about; after all, they were the same kind of people.
Su Xiao's tears finally fell, landing on his shirt and leaving a small wet patch.
He tilted his head slightly, lowered his head and kissed away the tears that had fallen on her cheek. His movements were very gentle, restraining the emotions surging in his heart. He slowly moved down and gently touched the corner of her mouth.
The kiss was so light and restrained, yet it was more heart-stirring than any passionate entanglement.
She buried her face in his shoulder, tears streaming down her face, like a lost child who had finally found a place to rest, letting her emotions collapse in his arms.
"Let's eat."
He touched her hair, subtly took the porcelain shard from her hand, and handed it to Xu An, who was waiting nearby.
Xu Bozhou got up and picked her up in his arms. The girl's body was still cold from standing up from the ground, but she obediently leaned against him and did not struggle anymore.
On the steps leading downstairs, Xu An hid the porcelain shards and followed at a distance.
The living room lights were on, casting a warm glow that illuminated the dining table.
The porridge in the clay pot was still steaming. Su Xiao was placed on a chair by him. Looking at the familiar side dishes on the table, she felt as if she had been transported back to her childhood.
She and Xu An, one wanting to paint and the other wanting to be a big star, refused to cook. Xu Bozhou would always cook for them with a sour face, never holding back his words, but he kept learning more and more recipes.
"Try it."
Xu Bozhou ladled out a bowl of hot porridge for her and handed it to her.
The porridge was at the perfect temperature, soft and glutinous, with a subtle aroma of rice. As it slid down my throat, it felt like a warm current flowing into my empty stomach.
The three of them sat around the table, the only sound the soft clinking of bowls and chopsticks. The despair that filled their hearts seemed to melt away with the warmth of the bowl of porridge.
*
As soon as Yan Mingshen arrived at the old house, he saw Chen Huai with several bodyguards in black smashing things to pieces on the third floor.
Ancient books were scattered all over the ground, and even Zhou Manyun's most treasured sandalwood dressing table was chopped in two with an axe.
"Chen Huai, who gave you the right to run wild in our Yan family!"
Yan Mingshen clenched his fists, his tone as cold as ice.
Chen Huai turned to look at him, his face expressionless: "Our master said that if the Yan family can't manage their own people, he doesn't mind doing it for them."
The bodyguard being held down had his head down, and his body was still covered in wet blood, clearly indicating that he had just been disciplined.
Yan Mingshen's gaze darkened, and the anger in his chest burned so badly that his lungs ached, yet he could not vent it.
Since Xu Bozhou dared to do this, he must have enough evidence. If things really escalate, the Yan family will be the ones who suffer.
"Take them away."
Chen Huai didn't look at Yan Mingshen again. After giving instructions to his subordinates, he glanced at the mess on the ground.
"Oh, right, this is a 'return gift' from our master to Madam Zhou."
After saying that, Chen Huai led his men and the bodyguard away, leaving Yan Mingshen standing at the top of the stairs, his face so gloomy it could drip water.
Just then, a servant's startled cry came from downstairs: "Madam! Madam, what's wrong?"
Yan Mingshen's heart tightened, and he hurried downstairs, only to see Zhou Manyun being supported by a maid. She was so angry and anxious that she fainted.
Xia Zhi frantically called for the doctor to come over, looking at Yan Mingshen for help.
"Ming Shen... Mom forced me to do this, I'm a victim too..."
"victim?"
Yan Mingshen sneered and approached her step by step, his tall figure casting a shadow that completely enveloped her.
"You pushed Su Xiao in front of that madman Xu Lin, and you still dare to call yourself a victim? Xia Zhi, do you really think I'll believe your nonsense?"
Xia Zhi was forced to retreat repeatedly, her back hitting the wall, and tears instantly welled up in her eyes:
"I did it all for you, Mingshen! I was afraid of losing you, afraid you'd be seduced by that woman Su Xiao! She's a troublemaker, only I truly love you..."
"Smack!"
The crisp sound of a slap echoed in the empty living room. Xia Zhi covered her face, looking at Yan Mingshen in disbelief, and her tears fell even more fiercely.
"You hit me? Yan Mingshen, you actually hit me for Su Xiao's sake?"
"I......"
Yan Mingshen's hand was still frozen in mid-air. He looked at the clear handprint on Xia Zhi's face and felt a moment of regret.
Despite their many years of friendship, Xia Zhi really went too far this time.
Xia Zhi covered her face and cried hysterically:
"Yan Mingshen, you bastard! I've followed you for so many years, and you actually protect that bitch! What else can Su Xiao do besides seduce people!"
She did everything for the Yan family.
Back then, Zhou Manyun insisted on eliminating the Su family, and in her attempt to win over Zhou Qingmo, she was almost tortured to death in bed by that man.
She endured so much hardship just to marry him, and he actually hit her...
Yan Mingshen looked at the hysterical woman in front of him and felt both unfamiliar and disgusted.
He couldn't understand how that seemingly gentle and harmless girl could have become so vicious.
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