If I push this one more time, I'm really leaving. (Chapter 102)
On their last night, Yan Tingnan drove her to a very remote, wild lake.
The lake water is azure, reflecting the snow-capped mountains and starry sky, a beauty that seems otherworldly.
On the open ground by the shore, tents had been set up, a campfire was burning brightly, and meat and vegetables were roasting on the rack, filling the air with their aroma.
There was no one around, only the sound of the wind, the water, and the crackling of sparks.
The campfire crackled, casting shadows of the two figures.
The meat skewers sizzled and dripped oil over the fire, their aroma mingling with the scent of burning pine wood, filling the crisp air.
Su Ruan, wrapped in a thick wool shawl, sipped her hot milk tea as she watched Yan Tingnan flip the skewers.
This man always inadvertently reveals a down-to-earth side that is inconsistent with his status.
Yan Tingnan handed her a skewer of grilled yak meat that was crispy and fragrant.
"Try it, but be careful, it's hot."
Su Ruan took it, took a bite, and found it crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, with just the right amount of seasoning.
Her eyes lit up, and she nodded.
"tasty."
The two sat side by side on folding chairs, watching the starlight dancing on the lake.
Yan Tingnan himself didn't touch it, but opened a can of beer and took a big gulp.
His Adam's apple bobbed, and his profile was outlined in a deep, striking way by the firelight.
"Back to Beijing tomorrow."
His voice was deep and resonant, carried by the night breeze, brushing past her ear.
Su Ruan took a bite of meat and nodded.
"Yes, it's time to go back."
"SoftVoice has a ton of work to do, and Shengsheng can't handle it all by herself."
He turned his head to look at her, his gaze softening as it reflected the firelight.
"SoftVoice will continue to invest and allocate resources to Qingyan."
"Go ahead and do what you want to do."
"I will clean up my engagement with the Lin family and won't let you get a single stain on it."
"But when we get back, we'll have to keep our relationship a secret for a while."
He turned to look at her, the firelight flickering on his glasses, obscuring his emotions, but revealing only his deep, powerful voice.
"The old man is keeping a close eye on things, and the Lin family is no pushover either."
"Making it public now is like putting you on the hot seat."
Su Ruan held the grill skewer, nodding calmly.
"I know."
She understands.
Old Master Yan has a sharp eye, and the Lin family is eyeing him covetously; countless eyes are waiting to find something to use against him.
He is in power now, but not in complete control; the slightest disturbance could turn into a knife aimed at him.
"I'm sorry to have troubled you."
Su Ruan looked up and met his deep gaze.
"What's the big deal? I'm good at using covert tactics."
"Secret relationships are more exciting, aren't they, Teacher Yan?"
She spoke casually, hooked her hand around his finger, and squeezed it firmly.
"Wait until I sweep the road clean."
His voice wasn't loud, but it struck so hard it made people's hearts sink.
"It won't be long."
"Yes, I believe you."
She answered lightly, but her heart sank slightly.
In the original storyline, he completely overthrew Yan Hongyi and broke free from all constraints a year later.
Back then, the sky was high enough for birds to fly freely.
But it's time for the true destined heroine, Mu Chuji, to appear and stand shoulder to shoulder with him to witness the prosperity.
Can this butterfly, which stumbled upon the scene, really change the established wind direction with its flapping wings?
Are you scared?
Yan Tingnan suddenly asked her.
"What are you afraid of?"
Su Ruan was taken aback.
"It has something to do with me."
His gaze fell on the leaping flames.
"After returning to Beijing, the Yan family, the Lin family, and countless eyes will be watching."
"Standing beside me is like standing in the eye of the storm, facing both open and hidden attacks, impossible to guard against."
Su Ruan swallowed the food in her mouth and turned to look directly at him.
"If I were scared, I wouldn't have come to the Southwest to catch you."
Su Ruan asked him softly in return.
"Yan Tingnan, will you push me away again in the future?"
Yan Tingnan suddenly reached out and pulled her over, placing her on his lap.
"Won't."
The sound was deep and slow, mixed with the crackling of the campfire, and it pierced the silent night.
Su Ruan adjusted her position in his arms, put one hand on his shoulder, and stared at him intently.
"If you push it one more time, I'm really leaving."
"Soft."
He called her name, his voice slightly hoarse.
"The first thing I learned in the Yan family was to let go, and the second was to be patient."
"Give up your favorite toys and suppress your inappropriate emotions."
"When I was little, Grandpa Yan told me that the heir of the Yan family does not need to have any weaknesses, but rather to be tough and resolute, and not to care about family ties."
"Therefore, I don't get involved in relationships, I don't reveal my hand, and I don't expose my weaknesses."
"I live like a dry well, cold and hard, never seeing the light of day."
"You barged in headfirst, flapping your wings and yelling for water."
"You're making so much noise you can't have a moment's peace. You're so thirsty, I can't just let you die of thirst in my well."
Yan Tingnan paused, his jawline tightening.
"The time I pushed you away, I used all the skills I had learned in the past thirty-two years."
"That little skill almost cost me half my life."
"During those three days at the temple, I chanted the Heart-Cleansing Mantra a thousand times, and my mind was filled with your image."
The more I think about you, the more I want to meld you into my very bones.
Su Ruan's heart clenched suddenly, as if these words had burned a hole in it.
She didn't say anything, but grabbed his collar and buried her face in it.
My nose was filled with his scent, deep and pungent, with a hint of smoky, fiery heat.
Her nose stung, but she remained stubborn.
"That sounds nice."
"If you do something stupid again, I'll go find someone else."
"I'll make you chant sutras in front of the Buddha statue all by yourself until you die."
Yan Tingnan tightened his grip on her waist, and his gaze darkened.
"Find someone else?"
His voice was extremely low, mingling with the crackling of the campfire, making it grating on the eardrums.
"Give it a try."
"Let's see if I can catch you and lock you up somewhere only I know."
"So that you can only see me and call my name every day."
Su Ruan's heart skipped a beat, but she refused to admit defeat.
"It's just for scaring people."
Yan Tingnan chuckled softly, his nose brushing against her earlobe, his breath hot.
"Ruanruan, I never scare people."
"I'll make sure you don't even dare to have a thought."
He lifted her chin, forcing her to look directly at him.
The firelight danced in his eyes, revealing an undisguised obsession and possessiveness deep within.
"My well has been dry for thirty-two years, and I've finally waited for you, you noisy sparrow."
"It was a bit noisy, but..."
He lowered his head and kissed the tip of her nose.
"The noise has finally made my dry well feel like a human world again."
He pressed his forehead against hers, his voice hoarse and barely audible.
"So, don't even think about flying away."
Yan Tingnan took a deep breath, as if she wanted to peel back her most vulnerable self for her to see.
"Actually, I'm dark, paranoid, and possessive. I'm not a good person."
"The Yan family grew up in a deep well, their bones are rotten with black mud, and nothing upright or honorable can grow from them."
"Grandpa, leave those evil spirits and monsters of the Lin family to me."
"Just keep flying forward, as high as you want."
"The string is in my hand, but I won't pull you; I'll fly with you."
"If you fall, I'll cushion it."
After he finished speaking, he buried his face deeply in the crook of her neck, his voice muffled.
"But you can't go to anyone else, not even for a second thought."
"Not even a glance is allowed."
His warm breath sprayed onto her skin, sending a shiver down her spine.
The bitterness in Su Ruan's heart was now burning hot from those words.
Su Ruan's words were stuck in her throat.
Her nose stung, and she suddenly lowered her head and bit down on his Adam's apple.
"Yan Tingnan, you're a madman."
He let her bite him, gently stroking her back with his palm.
"Yeah, so be good and don't provoke the madman."
He readily admitted it.
Su Ruan grabbed his collar, tilted her head back and bit his chin, leaving a shallow tooth mark.
"Even a madman has to get his stamp; it's mine."
Yan Tingnan chuckled and gently kissed the back of her head.
The wool shawl slipped down, revealing her slender shoulders, and a slight shiver ran through the night breeze.
His palms were burning hot as he pressed them against her lower back through her clothes, drawing her closer to him.
“Yan Tingnan…”
His name escaped her lips between breaths, kissed and scattered.
He whispered indistinctly, his lips brushing against her chin and then moving down to her neck.
"A tent, how about that?"
It wasn't an inquiry, it was coaxing, it was a warning that things were already spiraling out of control.
Su Ruan hooked the zipper of his windbreaker and pulled it down.
"Be gentle."
Her voice trembled uncontrollably, yet it carried a hint of indulgence.
My legs are still sore today.
He chuckled softly, his breath tickling her earlobe.
"OK."
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