Yan Ning deliberately raised her chin, her tone slightly smug:
"Did you hear that? I'm the living Yama, so if you know what's good for you, don't mess with me."
"You... Humph!"
Su Muyao's face turned bright red, and she couldn't speak. She began to angrily deal with the bed that the mouse had been on.
Yan Ning ignored her and went back to her hard bed.
She fell asleep soon after lying down.
In her dream, she saw her master again.
Her master was still the same as before, wearing that faded old Taoist robe, smiling at her.
"Master..."
In her dream, Yan Ning couldn't help but ask, "You said I should go back to the Su family, is that really the right thing to do?"
The master just smiled, as gently as ever, but said nothing.
Yan Ning grew anxious and wanted to press for answers. He reached out to tug at his master's sleeve, but his fingers suddenly found nothing.
She woke up.
It felt like something was blocking my chest.
It feels like a piece of it has been ripped out, leaving an empty and uncomfortable feeling.
Yan Ning sat up. The room was pitch black, with only the soft breathing of Su Muyao coming from the other side.
She couldn't lie there any longer, so she opened the wooden door and went outside.
The beach at night is completely different from the beach during the day.
The daytime hustle and bustle fades away, leaving only the sound of waves crashing against the beach.
Splash, splash, monotonous yet gentle.
Yan Ning looked up and saw that the sky was full of stars.
Densely packed and sparkling.
It's like a handful of rhinestones sprinkled on black velvet, so beautiful it calms the mind.
Not far away, the campfire left by the production crew had not yet been completely extinguished.
Orange flames danced in the ashes, casting a small circle of warm light.
Yan Ning walked over.
I found a large rock that was warm from the campfire and sat down.
She rested her chin on her knees, hugged her legs, and stared blankly at the dark sea in the distance.
The sea breeze ruffled her loose hair, bringing a salty smell.
Her mind was a mess.
All I could see was my master's silent smile and the sense of loss upon waking from the dream.
"It's so late, aren't you cold sitting here all by yourself?"
A deep, pleasant voice suddenly came from behind.
His voice was a little hoarse from just waking up.
Yan Ning was startled and turned around abruptly.
The light from the campfire outlined Xie Huaiye's tall and straight figure.
He was wearing a simple T-shirt and trousers, his hands in his pockets, looking at her.
"Xie Huaiye?" Yan Ning was a little surprised. "Why aren't you asleep either?"
Xie Huaiye took a few steps closer.
He sat down on another rock next to her and rubbed his temples helplessly.
"Don't even mention it."
He sighed, his voice a mix of amusement and helplessness, "Sun Wuji's snoring is just unbelievable, it's like a tractor is running, it shakes the earth."
"I couldn't take it anymore, so I came out for some fresh air."
"puff……"
Yan Ning imagined the scene and burst out laughing.
The frustration I felt earlier has lessened somewhat.
"Haha, there's really nothing we can do about it. It seems Sun Wuji has used all his internal energy on snoring."
The firelight reflected in Yan Ning's smiling eyes, making them sparkle.
Xie Huaiye was also infected by her smile, and the corners of his mouth curved up.
The two sat side by side, neither of them speaking for a moment.
The only sounds were the waves and the occasional crackling of the campfire.
The atmosphere was subtly quiet.
Xie Huaiye stared at the leaping flames, remained silent for a moment, then suddenly spoke, his voice much lower than before:
"Actually... it's not entirely because of snoring."
Yan Ning turned her head to look at him, without saying a word, her eyes questioning.
Xie Huaiye rubbed his fingers together, his gaze fixed on the deep blue sea in the distance.
It's like organizing your thoughts.
"The company... has been under a lot of pressure lately."
He paused for a moment, as if considering how to put it more simply, "Several projects are stuck at crucial points, and there are several major shareholders who stare at the reports every day, nitpicking and trying to find fault with everything."
"Sitting in that position, you feel like you're surrounded by eyes, all waiting for you to make a mistake."
He gave a wry smile and turned to look at Yan Ning:
“Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night, staring at the ceiling, my mind filled with those numbers, contracts, endless meetings… I feel a little breathless.”
He would never normally say these things to anyone.
But at this moment, under such a tranquil starry sky.
I don't know why I blurted it out when I was facing this stubborn yet insightful girl.
Yan Ning listened quietly without interrupting.
She could sense the weariness on Xie Huaiye's body as he removed his armor.
When he stopped, she asked softly, "And... when you were little? Were you this tired too?"
She recalled her own turbulent childhood and wondered if he might also have a hidden past.
"When I was little?"
Xie Huaiye's eyes glazed over for a moment, as if he had been pulled back to a long time ago.
He paused for a few seconds before slowly saying, "When I was little... it was pretty tough too. When my parents were starting their business, they were so busy they often locked me in the apartment alone."
"The house was very big and empty, and it was especially dark at night. I was most afraid of thunder and rain. When thunder roared, I could feel the whole house shaking."
“Once, during a power outage, I was locked in a windowless storage room for who knows how long… That feeling of being forgotten by the whole world was more frightening than the pressure I feel now.”
His voice was calm, as if he were telling someone else's story.
But Yan Ning could hear the loneliness and helplessness beneath the calm.
She looked at Xie Huaiye's profile, illuminated by the campfire, his features clearly defined.
Yet it reveals a subtle vulnerability.
"I understand that feeling."
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
