"If you wish to put me on a pedestal and then let me fall, you don't have to go through so much trouble. I'm already miserable. I'm just a sanitation worker with little money to my name and I was kicked out of my house. Or do you want me to kneel before Hao Meiyu's grave and ask for forgiveness? Or do you want me to take my life, a life for a life...""Enough!" He interrupted her. "She would rather believe I did these things to avenge Hao Meiyu and not that the fact that I like spending time with her?" He then continued, "Listen to me. Hao Meiyu is not worth me doing such things. All you have to do is stay by my side."As he spoke, he lowered his head to look at her hands that were clasped in his. "Although I've spent half a day rubbing her hands, they are still very cold."I know I lost my temper just now. It seems as if she can always trigger my emotions easily."The closer I am to her, the more my emotions are under her control. And yet, I can't help but get close to her.""I t
"I wanted to find a more appropriate opportunity, a more acceptable occasion for her to find out."And yet, this... is possibly the worst way for her to find out."I was careless to not notice that she was standing behind me but... now that I think about it, in my conversation with Chongwei, I don't think I mentioned my identity and yet Ling Yiran called out my name."Which means... Ling Yiran already knew about my identity before coming across me? Who told her?"Yi Jinli opened his eyes suddenly and instructed Gao Congming. "Check Ling Yiran's phone to see who she talked to recently!""Yes." Gao Congming came the hasty reply.Gao Congming was able to find out in a moment's time. "Young Master Yi, the most recent call Miss Ling made today was at 6:35 in the evening. The owner of the number is Qin Lianyi.""Qin Lianyi..." Yi Jinli narrowed his eyes. "I remember this woman. She's Ling Yiran's good friend.""Go and find out who Qin Lianyi met today!"Gao Congming hummed in agreem
"So what if that's so? As long as I wish it, I can make her comparable to any noteable lady in the city!" Yi Jinli retorted."Don't forget how your father died!" Master Yi spat through ground teeth.Yi Jinli's gaze darkened. "I haven't forgotten. Even if I truly want to be with her, it doesn't mean that I will give her my life. I'm not my father. I won't die or live for a woman, let alone be controlled by a woman!""I'm always the one in control!"Master Yi huffed coolly. "You came to see me today just to say that?""No," Yi Jinli replied. "I want you to stay away from her!"Master Yi narrowed his eyes but kept a straight face as he angrily asked, "What do you mean by that? Are you threatening your grandfather? Can it be that this old man isn't as important as a woman?""Grandpa, I'm just telling you. It's not a threat," Yi Jinli said with a light chuckle. "I told you to stay away from her. No matter the relationship between me and her, you are to stay away from her. Of course,
It was as if she had heard his voice and she frowned suddenly. Her forehead broke out in a cold sweat and immediately, she started to shake her head left and right as if avoiding something.Yi Jinli furrowed his brows and just as he wanted to call for a doctor, Ling Yiran who was still in deep slumber abruptly opened her eyes as she sat upright, shouting, "Noooo...""Sister, what's wrong?" Yi Jinli asked.In the next moment, Ling Yiran hugged Yi Jinli's waist tightly as if she were drowning. "Jin, that's great... it's you... it's you... I had a nightmare. I dreamed that I was in jail and those people would not let me go. I begged them, I... I even kowtowed to them but they continued to hit me...""Even in my dream, the pain was still so acute. Now that I'm awake, I can still feel my abdomen hurting."She suddenly stopped mid-sentence and her entire body froze.She had just realized that this was Yi Jinli not "Jin"! "The man I'm hugging now is Yi Jinli and the pain I suffered in j
"Noooo..." she screamed. She struggled against him arduously and yet no matter how much she wrestled, it was useless against him. Her face was flushed red and the skin under the open hospital gown was suddenly exposed to the cold air, causing goosebumps to appear. "Let go of me! Let go of me!"She felt panicked and frustrated.And yet, his manner was composed. His long fingers pressed against her wrists and with a smile, he said, "Sister, you can shout a little louder. There are bodyguards, nurses, and doctors on shift out there. They might be able to hear your screams but..."He paused and studied her with a burning gaze. "I can assure you, no one will come in and save you."Ling Yiran's body froze. "I know he's telling the truth. Even if I scream until my throat is sore, no one would dare to enter this ward."Because this man... is Yi Jinli!"She remained silent while he leaned forward, his lips pressing against her jaw, neck, and finally, he paused at her pretty collarbone, sp
"Xiao Ziqi knows that I'm with Ling Yiran but Xiao Ziyi was the one who exposed my identity at the worst possible time."The Xiao family sure is..." He ordered Gao Congming, "Bring Xiao Ziyi to the hospital.""Yes," Go Congming said and he continued to speak on another issue. "I've looked into the reporter who sneaked into the hospital the last time. The news of Young Master Yi bringing Miss Ling into the hospital was first published by a nurse onto her WeChat Moments and it was then uploaded onto the internet. Although all relevant content has been deleted, we are unable to determine how many people have already seen it.""Look into that nurse's legal liability and strengthen the security around the hospital. I don't want someone to barge into the ward," Yi Jinli ordered coldly."I understand. Nothing like that will happen," Gao Congming said assuredly.Meanwhile, at the Xiao family residence.Ever since Xiao Ziyi had inadvertently blurted out the secret in front of Qin Lianyi,
In the past, Xiao Ziyi would be exhilarated to face Yi Jinli in such close proximity. But now, she couldn't wait to get out of the place."You're here," Yi Jinli said quietly.Xiao Ziyi put on a pitiful look and replied cautiously, "Mr. Yi, did you call for me for any specific reason?"Ling Yiran's expression was still confused. She did not know why Yi Jinli had made Xiao Ziyi come here.Yi Jinli smiled faintly and explained to Ling Yiran, "Sis, you still don't know about this, right? On the second night of the New Year, your friend, Qin Lianyi, had met Miss Xiao. She made things very difficult for your friend."Ling Yiran was stunned for a moment, but soon she figured out the reason. That day, when they were arguing in the mall, Qin Lianyi had spoken up for her. Xiao Ziyi knew that Qin Lianyi was her friend, so if she had met Qin Lianyi, she would most likely vent her anger on her.When XIao Ziyi heard Yi Jinli actually called Ling Yiran "Sis", her eyes had almost popped out."
Xiao Ziyi kept trying to smear Ling Yiran with all her might.Yi Jinli casually fiddled with Ling Yiran's fingers and said faintly, "What's wrong with wiping shoes for a street sweeper? Even if it was the mayor's daughter, she would still have to do it!"Xiao Ziyi was speechless. Obviously, she couldn't be compared to the mayor's daughter."Miss Xiao, please hurry up. Young Master Yi doesn't have much patience." Gao Congming urged, "If Young Master Yi runs out of patience, you won't just be wiping shoes."Xiao Ziyi reluctantly bit her lips. However, no matter how unwilling she was, she could only walk towards Ling Yiran one step at a time. Then, she bent down and began to wipe her already cleaned shoes with a tissue.Ling Yiran looked at Xiao Ziyi with daze. She never thought that such a scene would happen. But, did Lianyi have to go through this as well?At that time, what would she be feeling?Ling Yiran felt sorry for her good friend. At the same time, she also seemed to vagu
He clenched his jaw and felt his teeth ache. 'Yeah, she’s broken up with me. She has every right to find a new boyfriend, but... the thought of her smiling at another man, and kissing and hugging him makes me uncomfortable.’ Gu Lichen could not help feeling irritated."You can't find one! Do you think you can find another man like me to love when you love me so much?" he said.Zhong Keke retorted with a slightly red face, "You... You're too confident. Who are you to say I can't find one? I love you now, but I can slowly get over you. Besides, I don't need to find a man like you in the future. I just need to find an ordinary man with a good personality who treats me well! I’ll give him all my heart, and he’ll do the same!"It was more like she was telling herself that.'Yes, I can move on from him. I can do it!'However, her words seemed to have provoked him as he turned the steering wheel sharply, slammed on the brakes, and pulled over at the roadside.She was thrown forward and
The fact Zhong Keke accepted was that she feared she would love him more and more!When Yi Jinli and Gu Lichen returned to the ward, Ling Yiran was still chatting with Zhong Keke about the children, not only the new baby but also the triplets."Alright, Lichen and I are going home first. Yiran, have a good rest. I'll visit you and the baby again next time," Zhong Keke said and got up after seeing the exhaustion on Ling Yiran's face.Ling Yiran replied, "Okay. I'll let you meet my triplets next time.""Sure."After Zhong Keke and Gu Lichen left, Yi Jinli lay on Ling Yiran's bed and said, "If you're sleepy, sleep first. The doctor said you need more rest."Ling Yiran said, "I'm a little sleepy, but I had a nice chat with Keke today. Jin, you know what? I think it's great that Lichen has fallen in love with Keke. Keke's a wonderful woman, and Lichen has finally found his happily ever after."She said as she slowly closed her eyes and fell asleep.Looking at his wife's sleeping fac
"Thank you! It's a good painting, and I like it very much. I didn't expect you to draw my daughter like that.""I saw the baby when I came to the hospital that day, so I remembered," said Zhong Keke."I heard from Jin that you and Lichen both came to the hospital that day. I didn't scare you, did I?" said Ling Yiran.Zhong Keke smiled softly, "All that matters is that you're safe. Being alive is better than anything."The two women chatted while the two men looked at each other. Then, Yi Jinli said, "Lichen, let's go get some air."The two men got up and walked out of the ward.Zhong Keke looked uneasily at the ward door.Ling Yiran said, "They’ll be back soon. Don't worry. My Jin won't kidnap Lichen."Zhong Keke smiled, knowing that Yi Jinli probably had not told Ling Yiran about what happened that day."By the way, how are you and Lichen's relationship? Does he treat you well?" Ling Yiran asked."He treats me well." It was true. He treated her well. He would give her everyt
He and Song Qingyao were not even friends."You don't have to explain this to me," said Zhong Keke. They had broken up, and she did not need these explanations.Besides, she knew better than anyone that he had always been in love with Yiran.Thinking of Yiran, Zhong Keke said, "I want to go to the hospital to see Yiran. Can I?" The last time she visited Yiran, Yiran was still unconscious, so she wanted to check on her.Hesitation flashed across Gu Lichen's face."Don't worry. I won't say anything to trigger Yiran. I’ll still pretend to be your girlfriend in front of Yiran. If Yiran asks you, you can say we're doing quite well. When Yiran has recovered, I can make an excuse to say we've broken up. Of course, I can take all the blame. For example, I thought being with you attracted too much attention, or I couldn’t get used to being with you, or I had fallen for someone else—"Before she could finish speaking, she was suddenly pulled into a wide embrace.His hands held her tightly
Zhou Xinmian: [I said you were living with Gu Lichen now. Then they said nothing and left readily.]"..."Zhou Xinmian: [Did you block their phone numbers? They said you're not answering your phone.]Zhong Keke: [Yeah.]She should have blocked her uncle's family's phone numbers long ago. Even blocking them now was considered late!Zhou Xinmian: [Well done! But didn’t they try calling you using another phone number?]Zhong Keke: [They did. But as soon as they spoke and I heard their voices, I hung up and blocked their phone numbers.]In other words, she did not give them a chance to talk.She did not want to listen to what they had to say anyway. They had worn out the last of her affection.Zhou Xinmian: [Have you made up your mind this time?]Zhong Keke: [I’ll just consider that my grandparents only gave birth to my father!]In other words, she no longer considered her uncle and his family her family!Zhou Xinmian: [You should have done that long ago! They told me Gu Lichen
It was why he had said such things at the time to keep the woman from leaving!"Maybe I've liked you since then." It probably started earlier than he thought.Zhong Keke's eyes watered as tears were about to pour out. She raised her hands and covered her eyes, "Gu Lichen, stop telling me such things!"Such things would only make her waver when her resolution was hard-won. Did he know how much determination and perseverance it took her to ask for a break-up and keep her distance from him to stop loving him when she loved him so much?Though her hands shielded her eyes, they could not stop the tears.His fingers pulled her hands away. "Alright, I'll stop. I'll stop talking. Don't cry."Her tears had always left him flustered.He hugged her and coaxed her. The indifference in his phoenix eyes had become affection.Zhong Keke finally stopped crying, but she still sniffled occasionally.Holding a tissue, Gu Lichen carefully wiped the tears from her face. After a moment, he said,
"Do you care about me?" She smiled bitterly. "That word isn’t only something you say but..." She did not continue speaking after a pause.However, he already knew what she was going to say.Gu Lichen turned pale. He knew that the incident at the comic fiesta was something that bothered her.He was the one who caused it!"Also, I think we'd better talk about the possibility of me getting pregnant!" she said."Okay, go ahead," he said as he asked the others in the living room to leave."Will you insist that I have the baby if I get pregnant?" she asked, looking at him."If you’re pregnant, I don't want to lose the baby," he said. He had never longed for children even though his parents had always wanted grandchildren, even if it was out of wedlock.However, such ideas had never occurred to him.Now, he wanted to have the baby because they would be... his baby with Keke!"Even if I don't want the baby, are you still going to stop me from having an abortion?" she asked.He was s
Even though he did not love her, she still thought she was a better candidate than Zhong Keke.However, to her disappointment, the way Gu Lichen looked at her was still icy."I'm not interested in you. The Song family you're so proud of will no longer exist in Shen City a year later. Perhaps the Song family can keep some things if you start planning now. Otherwise, you'll have nothing left."With that said, Gu Lichen left the ward, leaving Song Qingyao standing where she was in a daze.Other than reluctance, resentment, and jealousy, there was more shock and fear on her face.'Does Lichen intend to eradicate the Song family within a year? Is... Is he going that far for Zhong Keke? He doesn't love Zhong Keke, right? Why is he doing it? Why?' Unfortunately, no one could give her the answer.Gu Lichen walked out of the hospital and got into the car. He slowly closed his eyes as Song Qingyao's last words flashed through his mind.'It doesn't matter... even if I don't love her?'Kek
Song Qingyao's heart sank. Sure enough, he could find out anything he wanted to."Why did you do it?" Gu Lichen said coldly.Song Qingyao suddenly laughed. "You're asking me why? Gu Lichen, I’ve loved you for so many years. What do you think?""I wouldn't love you even if Zhong Keke didn't exist. If I wanted to fall for you, I would have done so from the beginning," said Gu Lichen.Song Qingyao's mouth was full of bitterness. She knew that!However, knowing was one thing. Her being reluctant and unwilling to accept it was a different matter!She shouted, "Why did you choose Zhong Keke? You love Ling Yiran because Ling Yiran saved your life when you were a child. What about Zhong Keke? Why her?"She accepted losing to Ling Yiran because she had never saved Lichen's life.However, how could she accept losing to Zhong Keke? "Because she's the one who saved me from the messy relationship," replied Gu Lichen."What do you mean?" Song Qingyao was puzzled.Instead of explaining, he