After reading the letter, Ye Jiuliang calmly folded the letter paper, but her pale knuckles betrayed her fluctuating emotions.

She put the envelope back in the wooden box, relocked it, and then turned to look out the window.

Gazing at the receding scenery, memories sealed deep within her mind surged like floodwaters released from a dam.

The woman, like a lotus, often in a water-blue long dress, in front of her, she frequently saw in the woman’s eyes an inconsolable sorrow.

"Mommy, I want to go out and play."

"No, you haven’t practiced piano today, and your daddy will be back in a few days. You need to perform well for mommy."

"But Ye Miao and the others say daddy doesn’t like me, that’s why he never comes back to see us." The girl lowered her head, her delicate face full of loss.

The woman’s tender smile froze on her face, "That’s not true. Daddy has gone to work, he’s very busy, Liangliang don’t listen to others’ nonsense, daddy will come back soon." 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

"Mommy, will you and daddy get a divorce?" the girl asked softly.

Little did she know that this question hit the woman’s sore spot.

She squatted down, her hands gripping the girl’s thin shoulders tightly, her expression showing a hint of madness, "Who told you, who exactly told you this?"

"Mommy, it hurts," frightened, the girl’s clear eyes began to fill with tears.

Unheeding, the woman growled, "Tell me, who told you this, tell me."

"I secretly heard Great Aunt and Auntie talking about it."

Upon hearing this, the woman pushed the girl fiercely, as if mad. "Get out, get out of here!"

The girl fell to the ground, her forehead striking the corner of a table, and bright red blood began to flow uncontrollably...

The car suddenly stopped, and Ye Jiuliang came back to her senses, only to realize that they had already arrived at the seaside.

She turned her face, meeting the man’s concerned gaze, and the emotion she had been suppressing became harder to contain, tinting her eyes with a touch of red.

"Mohan." Her voice was soft and carried a sob.

Having never seen this vulnerable side of the little wolf pup, Li Mochan panicked, unbuckled her seatbelt, and drew her into his arms, "What’s wrong, hm?"

Ye Jiuliang remained silent, burying her head deeper into his embrace, her cold hands tightly clung to his shirt.

Li Mochan glanced at the wooden box beside her, his eyes deepening, "Wolf pup, how about I buy you ice cream to eat?"

It didn’t matter if the Ye Family didn’t cherish her, his little wolf pup, he would protect and spoil her himself.

The person in his arms was silent for a long time, then muttered, "I’m not a child anymore."

Li Mochan held the person in his arms tighter, his lips slightly curled, "It doesn’t matter, my wolf pup is always wonderful."

Blinking away the moisture in her eyes, Ye Jiuliang looked up at him, pulling at a smile, "Did Lord Li’s mouth touch honey when he left the house today?"

Li Mochan tousled her hair and kissed her beautiful eyes lightly, "If you don’t want to smile then don’t. It’s okay to not be strong in front of me."

His intoxicating voice came from above, as tender as ever.

The smile on her lips slowly faded, Ye Jiuliang reached for the wooden box, her fingertips gently tracing the carved patterns on it, musing to herself, "She wouldn’t read me storybooks, she didn’t easily smile at me, she wouldn’t accompany me to amusement parks, she only wanted me to win over my father’s affection. They all said my existence was but a shackle she used to bind father..."

But she didn’t care, as a child she just wanted a genuine embrace from her, even a smile would have been good. Eventually, she did get it—on the day she died. She kept holding her and wouldn’t let go, her voice hoarse from reading her a storybook. That was the last time she cried, begging her not to leave, but she still left.

"Actually, I’ve never blamed her, I know she was very sad too," Ye Jiuliang said in a low, husky voice, her head bowed.

Li Mochan leaned in close, his chin resting on her forehead, and without a word, his long hand gently caressed her back, silently keeping her company.

The car window was open, and the salty sea breeze rushed in.

The person in his arms stilled, her breathing gradually becoming longer.

Li Mochan looked down to see the girl’s tranquil sleeping face.

He reached for the coat in the back seat, draped it over her, and kissed her on the forehead.

**

The evening sky darkened, and Wei Bei hurried into the living room, only to find Jiang Yisheng there by himself.

"Mr. Yisheng, is the master not around?"

Jiang Yisheng, who was peeling an orange, looked up at him, "Cousin has gone out. Wait here for a bit; they should be back soon."

Wei Bei nodded helplessly and chose a place to sit down, "The master’s phone has been unattended all day, I thought something urgent had happened."

"Today is Jiuliang’s father’s death anniversary, so Cousin is probably busy keeping Jiuliang company," Jiang Yisheng said as he handed half of the orange to him. "Want some?"

Wei Bei thanked him and reached out to take it.

"Wei Bei, how much do you know about Jiuliang?" Jiang Yisheng found it too boring being alone and was glad to have someone to talk to.

Wei Bei started choking on the orange, "Cough cough, Mr. Yisheng, please don’t talk nonsense. How would I know anything about Miss Ye? The master has forbidden us from looking into Miss Ye’s background."

His reaction of sheer panic left Jiang Yisheng slightly speechless, "I was just asking casually."

Wei Bei, "..."

Even a casual question was enough to scare him.

It’s no wonder, given that their master is famously known for his "notorious double standards."

Just then, the sound of a car engine came from outside.

Jiang Yisheng tidied up the orange peels and threw them in the garbage bin, "It looks like they’ve returned."

The two turned their heads to look and the scene before them left both dumbfounded.

Jiang Yisheng’s mouth twitched slightly, "Cousin, did you two fall into the sea or something?"

With sodden trouser cuffs and their clothes covered in mud and sand, he couldn’t recall ever seeing his cousin in such a sorry state.

Ye Jiuliang chuckled lightly, "Hmm, fell into the sea together."

A chilly glance swept over, causing Wei Bei to shiver, and before he could say anything, the person opposite spoke first.

"Wei Bei, brew a pot of ginger tea."

Wei Bei’s mouth fell open, "Ah?"

Brew ginger tea?

He didn’t mishear, did he?

As a man, how was he supposed to know how to do that?

"Eh, master..." Just as Wei Bei began to speak with a crestfallen face, Li Mochan led Ye Jiuliang straight upstairs.

Watching their figures disappear into the stairwell, Wei Bei was on the verge of tears.

"Heh heh."

Laughter came from beside him, and as Wei Bei turned his face to look, the gleeful smile on Jiang Yisheng’s face pricked at him again.

"Mr. Yisheng, could you possibly..."

"I can’t. I don’t know how to make ginger tea either," said Jiang Yisheng, rejecting him mercilessly.

Looking to him was useless; he had only ever drunk it, never made it.

Wei Bei was petrified.

Someone please save the child.

After a long moment, he rolled up his sleeves and resigned himself to walking into the kitchen.

The sounds of pots and pans clanging echoed from inside, but Jiang Yisheng didn’t pay much attention. As long as nothing was broken, that was good enough.

He picked up the remote and indifferently flipped through channels.