"Hello, Aunt Hong." Qing Yue embarrassedly greeted, baffled at the unexpected warmth of the other.
She hadn't even seen the woman once in the past five years, so where did the deep love and affection come from? Was she going through a phase?
"Little Qing Qing, you met your Aunt Hong. Aren't you going to meet your Aunt Si?"
"Why just Aunt Si? Aunt Mei is here as well."
"Your Aunt Gu..."
"Let Aunt Rui see..."
What's going on? Why are these Aunts more enthusiastic today than my previous birthdays?
Is the 18th birthday really that special?
Suddenly surrounded by a flock of fawning and over-affectionate aunts, Qing Yue felt her head spin from the mixture of perfumes and noisy chatter.
"Alright, alright. Stop crowding the kid, will you? Qing Qing, come to Uncle Wei. Otherwise, your Aunts will suffocate you to death." At this time, the gruff voice of a laughing middle-aged man resounded from the far end of the hall.
Li Chen froze on hearing his daughter's faint call. His heart thumped in excitement and his frosty expression melted a smudge. Looking at Qing Yue, he gently nodded. "You've already met your Aunts and Uncles. Why don't you meet your cousins now?" He stepped to the side and went to sit with his brothers. Qing Yue looked at her Dad's side profile and smiled. It felt familiar, good to call him Dad. "Qing Qing, what took you so long? Come, let's go to the Sitting Room and chat." Yan Su grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the sitting room. The other ignored cousins exchanged glances and followed. "Hold on, we're coming!" "Brother Heng, Brother Mu, I'll come along as well." Yei Yi saw her targets and stood. Bowing to Uncle Wang and the others, she elegantly walked out of the Main Hall before chasing after the two men. Qing Yue, Li Wei, and Yan Su sat on the same couch as Yan Bi and the Li cousins sat on a separate
"Xiao Yi, don't mind Li Mu's attitude. He is usually like this." Li Heng said. "Brother Heng, don't worry. I don't mind Brother Mu's behavior." Yei Yi smiled brightly, but her eyes still swirled with tears of grievance that made Li Heng feel guilty. He had failed to remember her too... "Look, just look at her! We all know Brother Mu isn't the extrovert type, and yet, she still tried to rope him into her melodrama. She's using him as a bridge to rope in Brother Heng!" "Yan Su, can we not talk about Yei Yi's affairs? What did you get me for my birthday?" "Qing Qing, I know you're trying to change the topic, but please be careful around her." Yan Su dejectedly leaned back on the couch, helpless and clueless on how to alert her cousin to the danger roaming around her. No matter what she said or how she said it, Qing Yue failed to see what she saw... "Mistress, Master sent me to inform you breakfast is served. Your presence is requi
One by one, the aunts, uncles, and cousins turned to Li Chen with shock, disbelief, and astonishment on their faces. "En...en..engaged? Already engaged?" Aunt Hong stammered. "Bother-in-law, when did Qing Qing get engaged? How come we never heard anything about this?" Aunt Si, similarly stunned and pale-faced, added. "Sister-in-law, Yue'er's marriage was fixed on the day she was born. Her fiancé is the only son of my best friend, Great Commander Long Hongwu, Long Tian..." "Gr...Great Commander's son...Long Hongwu's only son...? Long Tian?" The aunts and uncles were shocked speechless. "Qing Qing is engaged to Long Tian!? The Great Commander's only son, Long Tian!? Ahhh!" Yan Su jumped out of her seat and screamed in thrill. Her comical look, wide-eyed and panting like she'd run a mile, made Qing Yue inadvertently chuckle behind her hand. But no one on the table missed the melodious note. All eyes swiveled to the chuckling Qing
Yei Yi's heart shuddered from the chilly gaze and inadvertently trembling, she slinked back in her chair. This Li Qing Yue scared her. Because she looked nothing like the good-natured, easy to manipulate Li Qing Yue that she'd come to know... Yan Su was observing the reaction of everyone in the room when she saw the brief clash between the two girls. For a brief moment, her eyes widen in shock and astonishment, but an instant later, a smug smirk formed on her lips as her eyes disdainfully skimmed over Yei Yi's slumped figure. This Yei Yi is always speaking in Qing Yue's matter as if she is Li Qing Yue. It's just great now! She wanted to speak in a matter unrelated to her and decide for Qing Qing like she always does. However, Qing Qing displayed her power and silenced her with a single glare, hahaha... This is how Li Chen's only daughter, Li Qing Yue should be. Silent as a mouse, fierce as a wolf, skinning the prey without shedding a drop of b
"Third Brother, please excuse me as well. I still need to get some business matters taken care of." Li Fang stood up and Aunt Mei followed suit.The two bowed respectfully and Li Wei stood to leave with them. The gaze with which the girl looked at Qing Yue was complex, filled with complicated emotions that couldn't be named, before following behind her parents."Brother-in-law, we'll take our leave as well. Mu'er still has to study for his college entrance exams. Qing Qing isn't going to college, right? Oh! Look at me. I forgot Qing Qing didn't attend public school. How would she go to college?" Aunt Si smiled apologetically as she looked at Qing Yue."Qing Qing, Auntie didn't mean to mention the topic of school. You don't take it to heart.""Don't worry Aunt Si, I didn't take it to heart. I wish you a safe journey." Unaffected and Unbothered by the elder woman's subtle jab, Qing Yue sent them off with an amiable smile."Hmph! Li Mu, Li Wang, let's
"You found out about Lu Jin's reality, right? Long Tian, I'll be honest. Every time I saw you hanging on to that girl's words, I felt disgusted and disappointed in you. I couldn't understand why you, who was always cold and suspicious, mistrustful of women, trusted her. Why you couldn't see through her deception was beyond my understanding. But later, I realized you liked her. And because you liked her, you ignored all the signs of her deception." Long Tian didn't speak, his cold silence causing Ouyang Gu to tremble in trepidation. His gaze went back and forth between the two men, the confusion in their depths slowly turning to enlightenment when he heard Fu Ji Ren's words. Lu Jin...was deceiving Long Tian? Huuuu... No wonder Fu Ji Ren never liked her. The man must've already sensed her bad intentions. Ouyang Gu looked at Fu Ji Ren in admiration, amazed at his keen insight. Unaware of his friend's fervent gaze, Fu Ji Ren continued his
"Ahhh! Why!? Why!?" Yei Yi smashed another vase of flowers, the broken shreds flying everywhere before crashing onto the already littered floor. But her anger, resentment, and bitterness didn't abate, the raging inferno devouring her heart in a flood of hatred. Yei Yi couldn't take it anymore. With another shriek of enraged cry, she swept everything on her dressing table to the ground. The bottles of perfumes and nail polish smashed and shattered, the various fumes and fragrances mixing and drifting in the room, filling the air with their pungent scent. Tired and drained, Yei Yi collapsed on her bed with tears swimming in her dark eyes. Why!? Why in the world did Li Qing Yue always get everything? Why did she always get the best of everything without even trying? She was obviously better than the reticent Li Qing Yue in everything. She was more educated, more outgoing, more assertive, and a lot smarter. So why did every
When Yei Yi arrived at the Ivy Club, she found Tang Fang drinking in a private room. Bang! She slammed her purse on the side table and casually sat across from him. "Tang Fang, you are really useless, aren't you? Only one Li Qing Yue and you're unable to win her heart?" Her eyes condescendingly roamed over his body, the disdain and scorn within their depths rising dark anger in his heart. Tang Fang clenched his fist and lowered his drink. "What happened now?" He was used to Yei Yi's temper tantrums. Whenever something happened at the Li Mansion, she would call and run over to vent at him. He was used to it, but that didn't mean he liked it. "What happened? Oh, nothing much, just that the goddess of your heart, Li Qing Yue, is getting engaged to Long Tian, the only son of Great Commander Long Hongwu." Twing! "What!?" Tang Fang's eyes widened in disbelief. Blood oozed from his clenched fist as shreds of glass from
Early the next morning, Qing Yue stood before the bathroom mirror with a shocked expression on her face. "Li Feng, am I dreaming? How is this possible?" Aside from the first day, she hadn't looked at herself in the mirror after her accident. But this was beyond astonishing, alright? It hasn't even been a full month before her discharge! "Congratulations, Saintess. You've recovered your original appearance." Li Feng's voice was filled with amusement which caused Qing Yue to return to her senses. "Haha! A week! It only took me a week to recover my original appearance!" The entire situation felt surreal to her. Even after scanning her face and the scarred part of her body in the mirror for two whole hours, Qing Yue was not able to believe her eyes. "Li Feng, how is this possible? My body was burned and wrinkled, my face horrendous! So hideous that even ten plastic surgeries wouldn't have helped me. So how...?" If the doctors who told her she'd be disfigured for life saw her at this mo
Long Tian's dark gaze alarmed Qing Yue. She stiffly smiled and tried to ignore the heat from her lips. But the close proximity to her husband made the task difficult.What's more, with their foreheads pressed together and their noses rubbing against each other, the two of them were practically sharing breath!"Brother...Tian...I'm done. I...I'm sleepy." Not really! But at this point, Qing Yue would say anything to escape Long Tian's predatory gaze."You're sleepy?" Long Tian skeptically asked."Yes. I...I'm really sleepy. The nap earlier wasn't enough.""Hmm...I'll help you to bed, then." Though he was disappointed, Long Tian tried not to show it. He understood his wife was alarmed by his sudden advances.But thinking of the fact that they were husband and wife, his heart relaxed and he relented with a gentle smile.They had all their life to know each other and develop their relationship. Long Tian was confident that with time, his Yue'er would come so close to him that no excuses wo
"Brother Tian...""Shhh...Yue'er, didn't you say I'll have to carry you in my arms or sat you on my lap before? Today, Brother Tian will sit you on his lap.""Huh?" What the he**! Where did that come from!?Qing Yue felt her head spin. Everything became too confusing and overwhelming."Why? You don't want to?" Long Tian paused and peered down at her. Though his face remained cold and neutral, since she was pressed against his chest, Qing Yue felt him tense up.This made her feel at a loss on what to say. The idea of sitting...on his lap was too abrupt and sudden. But Qing Yue didn't want to hurt her husband.She knew he wouldn't hurt or harm her. And after what happened earlier, was there a need for her to feel embarrassed?"Brother Tian, it's not that. I'm just a little shy." She admitted it."Yue'er, don't be shy. We're husband and wife."The tense muscles in Long Tian's body relaxed and a smile stretched across his face. He thought she didn't like his sudden intimacy. But her words
Long Tian felt hot and overwhelmed.The sudden surge of intense emotions sent silent tremors coursing through his body. He inadvertently groaned against his wife's delicate lips, the deep throaty sound causing Qing Yue to shiver.Sensing her reaction, his tongue slithered out and traced her lush lips, before insistently pushing on them.Qing Yue hesitated for a second. Her mind was muddled with the pleasure of his kiss, but she could perceive his intention through his action. He wanted her to open her lips.But she could also sense he was giving her the choice to refuse by not putting much force on his relentless tongue.This silent display of respect touched her. As a husband, Long Tian took care of her without complaint. He protected her and treated her with kindness and respect.He even took action to fulfill the dream she thought would forever be buried in her heart.Besides, she still had bandages covering her face, and yet, he didn't despise her or feel disgusted with her.Such
"This...Tian Tian, I understand how you must feel, but...you can't allow your feelings to control you. Why don..." "Uncle Yi Ming, set up the re-examination. I believe in Yue'er." Long Tian's cold voice and frosty eyes immediately silenced Yi Ming. "Call me when the re-examination date is fixed." Yi Ming nodded, still too stunned to speak. He watched in a daze as his nephew got up and pushed his wife out of the office. Bang! "Da**! Long Tian, you're truly out of your mind!" Returning to his senses, Yi Ming roared and pushed to his feet. However, his agitated cry only resounded in the silent room. The two individuals had left long ago. "Da**! This rotten nephew! He's bent on shaming me before the entire board of education directors. Let his wife retake the exam in front of them? Have them apologize to her? Is he blinded by the girl's charms?" Yi Ming was certain his nephew had lost his mind. There was no other reasonable explanation for his outrageous and overbearing request. It
Long Tian and Qing Yue's hovership landed in the same private open-air parking as their last visit. As Qing Yue was too nervous and worried about her exam results, she wasn't able to enjoy the scenery like the last time. Seeing her worried expression, Long Tian's dissatisfaction with his uncle increased. Uncle Yi Ming, you had better have a good reason for calling us in. His wife's tense appearance stoked an unnamable fire in Long Tian's heart. As they neared the administration building, he unconsciously released a frosty air that made the staff scatter away and maintain a distance from them. "Tian Tian, Qing Qing, you're here! Qing Qing, you don't mind if I call you Qing Qing, right?" Long Tian's face immediately darkened when he saw his unreliable Uncle. He couldn't help but wonder if the loose screws of his mind were that bad. "Aren't you already calling her Qing Qing?" He coldly asked. "Hahaha! I am, but I didn't ask before doing so. That's why I'm asking now." "Are my res
"Yue'er, Yue'er!""Huh? Ah! Brother Tian..." Qing Yue snapped back to attention. Li Feng's words, she'd forgotten about Long Tian."Sorry, Brother Tian. What were you saying?"Long Tian frowned and turned to look at her. "Are you okay? If you're feeling unwell, tell me.""Brother Tian, I'm capable enough to treat myself if I don't feel well. Will you stop worrying?" Qing Yue scowled. Her husband's nagging didn't stop even after his reaffirmation of her ability."Yue'er, don't get mad. I...It's because I care that I worry...hmm?" Long Tian knew his wife didn't like his excessive attention.But what could he do? After her fall, he never felt at ease. In fact, he had a feeling that he'd never stop worrying even if he wanted to until she fully recovered.He hurriedly reverted the topic back to his question. "So, can poisons be used to cure a virus?"Qing Yue scanned her husband's anxious expression and didn't call him out in his at
In the next few days, Qing Yue completely focused on her treatment.Now that she was going to enroll in a university, she was energetic and more motivated to recover. After all, how could a doctor that couldn't even treat herself, treat others?And now that her husband knew about her secret treatment sessions, she didn't need to be as secret as before.From 5-6 in the morning, her treatment length extended to from 3-6.This meant she spent three hours a day undergoing grilling treatment sessions that left her weak and powerless.Thankfully, her husband was by her side during all her sessions.When Long Tian first witnessed his wife's skills, he was flabbergasted. Then thinking she was still too young to possess such knowledge and godly techniques, he went on his WebCom and searched through the online links.Anything that had even the slightest mention of poison treatment, moxibustion, and acupuncture was read by him.Most of th
Couldn't he see the woman was still pinning for him? But as if blind to the affection of the other, Long Tian stretched out his hand and tenderly wiped his wife's lips. The action stunned both Lu Jin and Qing Yue. Even when they were together and the man spoiled her, Lu Jin had never seen such a tender look on his face. What's more, he even touched the ugly cripple's lips! Lu Jin felt suffocated. Her heart burned with the flames of jealousy and hatred as she resentfully glared at Qing Yue like she wanted to drink the other's blood and gnaw on her flesh. On the other hand, Qing Yue fiercely trembled when she sensed the other's vicious glare. Da** it! Why are you glaring at me!? If you have something to say, say it to the man you're chasing! Her husband's action surprised her as well. Right before his ex, he touched her lips. If Qing Yue didn't know him better, she would've really thought he did it to make his ex-girlfriend jealo