After saying that, Ren Xuelan didn't linger for another second.
I didn't even look at other people's reactions.
She turned around swiftly, just as she had when she arrived.
Wearing those high heels, her figure quickly disappeared beyond the garden lights.
The four people were left looking at each other in bewilderment.
Yan Ning stared blankly at the extra piece of meat in the bowl.
He looked up again at the direction where Ren Xuelan had disappeared.
My heart felt like it had been hit by something, a bittersweet, throbbing sensation.
Yet it was enveloped in an unfamiliar warmth.
This seemingly cold auntie actually understands everything.
Xie Heng was the first to react, shaking his head with a smile, his tone full of understanding:
"That's just how your aunt is... She doesn't talk much, but she's thoughtful."
"Yan Ning, eat up, this was specially put on your plate by her."
Xie Huaiye looked in the direction his mother had left, a slight smile curving his lips, and then whispered to Yan Ning:
"Look, my mom likes you too."
The slight embarrassment from just now has completely vanished.
Instead, a deeper warmth emerged.
Yan Ning lowered her head and ate the piece of meat in small bites, finding it exceptionally delicious.
She suddenly felt that she had a home in this world.
After dinner, the yard was quiet, with only the occasional chirping of insects.
Xie Heng pulled Xiao Zhuo back to the room to sleep.
Only Xie Huaiye and Yan Ning remained in the garden.
The night sky was as black as ink, dotted with stars, like someone had casually scattered a handful of broken diamonds, dazzlingly bright.
Yan Ning tilted her head back and said softly, "The moon is so round tonight, and there are so many stars too."
Xie Huaiye turned his head to look at her.
The moonlight fell, illuminating half of Yan Ning's face with a soft, bright glow.
Xie Huaiye raised his hand and pointed to the sky, his voice low and slow:
"Your master and your mother are watching over you from heaven; they will protect you."
Yan Ning didn't speak, but just sighed softly.
After a while, she turned her head and looked at Xie Huaiye with a complicated expression:
"Xie Huaiye, sometimes I really envy you. Your family is all around you, your parents are loving, your younger brother respects you, and your family is happy and harmonious. Unlike me..."
She paused, her voice lowering, "I have nothing left—no family, no relatives, not even... a real place to belong."
She took a deep breath, as if gathering her courage:
"The gap between us is too big. You are the most valued young master of the Xie family, with a bright future ahead of you."
"And I am just a helpless orphan. I might even... cause you trouble."
Xie Huaiye listened quietly without interrupting.
Only after Yan Ning finished speaking did he turn around and face her directly.
His gaze appeared exceptionally deep and resolute under the starlight.
"Are you done talking?"
His voice was deep, yet carried an undeniable power: "Yan Ning, none of what you're saying is a problem for me."
He reached out and gently grasped her wrist; his fingertips were warm.
“Our Xie family doesn’t care about family background. If my parents knew about your past, they would only feel sorry for you and like you.”
"As for trouble?"
He chuckled softly, with a hint of arrogance:
"What I, Xie Huaiye, am least afraid of is trouble. If there is trouble, I will solve it."
"As for where to go..."
He tightened his grip on her hand, drawing them closer.
“I told you, this can be your home, and I can be your refuge.”
Yan Ning looked into his determined eyes and felt the warmth of his palm.
The defenses she had built up in her heart softened little by little, but she still whispered:
"But... I still feel unworthy of you... The paths we've walked, the worlds we've seen, are all so different..."
"fool."
Xie Huaiye raised his other hand and gently stroked her cheek.
Wipe away the tears that had fallen without me even realizing it.
"In relationships, there's no such thing as being worthy or unworthy, only willingness. I'm willing, are you?"
"Our paths may differ, but I can walk towards you, and you can walk towards me. Wouldn't it be better if we walked side by side on the same road?"
His words were direct and fervent, burning Yan Ning's heart.
All her anxieties and worries.
He resolved all of that with firm words.
Yan Ning gazed at Xie Huaiye, her eyes glistening with tears.
Finally, those heavy burdens were lifted.
She nodded gently, her voice choked but clear:
"I do."
At that very moment—
"Bang!"
A huge burst of fireworks suddenly exploded in the sky.
The dazzling golden light instantly illuminated the entire night sky.
Then, the second one, the third one...
They bloom in succession, vibrant and colorful, like a dream.
Yan Ning gasped slightly, her eyes reflecting a dazzling light:
"Did you prepare this?"
Xie Huaiye smiled and nodded: "Yes, I put this out especially for you. Do you like it?"
She couldn't help but laugh, her eyes crinkling: "I like it."
Fireworks continued to bloom, their flickering light reflecting on the two people's faces.
Xie Huaiye gazed at her eyes, illuminated by the fireworks, and suddenly spoke in a low voice:
Actually, there's something you've never known.
"What?"
"You were drunk that day at the Ye family garden..."
His voice held a hint of amusement as he said, "He kissed me."
Yan Ning was startled, her cheeks instantly burning, and she instinctively tried to avoid his gaze:
"I...I know."
Xie Huaiye's eyes lit up: "You remembered?"
"no……"
Yan Ning's voice trailed off, "Ye Qingling told me later... but I don't remember anything about it myself."
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