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Sensing that the man pinning her down had finally moved, followed soon after by the rhythmic pitter-patter of the shower in the bathroom, she finally dared to lift the corner of the quilt and take a deep breath of the fresh air outside.
Seeing that splash of bright crimson on the bedsheet, she knew clearly that the goal had been achieved. For the sake of the Yi family, she had sold her body and betrayed her heart. Though she wasn't as devastated as she had anticipated, she knew she was no longer the pure, beautiful little angel in her Brother Ming’s heart.
Sixteen years ago, her family had been struck by a sudden tragedy. Her mother was kicked out of her husband's home, and in order to force her mother to remarry, her grandmother had actually sent her to an orphanage. During those months of living there, the barely three-year-old Xiao Youlan could only hide in a corner alone, weeping and enduring in silence.
But then she met him—a boy only three or four years older than her, a boy who seemed filled with infinite sorrow and burdened by heavy hatred: Brother Ming. He never said much, but he would resolutely step forward to protect her whenever she was bullied by others.
Two lonely souls gradually drew closer. Occasionally, he would tell her about the pain and fear in his heart, while she would just sit by him quietly, listening and silently shedding tears for him.
"My pure and lovely little angel, your heart is just like your tears—crystal clear. For me, and for yourself, you must keep this heart forever!" She had kept that crystal-clear heart for him for sixteen years, and she intended to keep it that way forever. But now that she had lost her purity, could she still face the Brother Ming who had loved and protected her?
Not long after, Brother Ming was adopted. They didn't even get a chance to say goodbye. Eventually, her mother went through untold hardships to find her and took her away, and from then on, the two of them lived a difficult life, depending on each other for survival.
"Are you okay?"
Having just stepped out of the bathroom, he saw Yi Lanyou sitting there curled up, her gaze ethereal and distant, with traces of tears still clinging to the corners of her eyes. He didn't know what she was thinking about, but it was undoubtedly something sad. A soft spot deep in his heart was touched.
"Yes, I'm fine. Thank you for your concern." Wiping the tears from her eyes, she was unnervingly composed.
Things had come to this; there was no turning back. Her mother loved her father; as long as she could make her mother happy, her sacrifice would be worth it. Therefore, she had to complete the task her grandfather had given her so that her mother could stay—stay in this place where they had once lived together.
But how could she make Han Yuming stop the acquisition? A man as handsome and wealthy as he was—why would he give up the entire forest for her? Moreover, he knew perfectly well he had been set up. Why would he give them a chance to catch their breath? She had no confidence in her success at all.
"If you have something to say, just say it!" Seeing her sighing one moment and looking dejected the next, he knew she must be thinking about the takeover of the Yi Corporation.
"What happened last night was a setup. I'm sure you already knew that." Judging by yesterday’s events, he had clearly seen through their plot. Rather than continuing to play games with him, it was better to negotiate directly, even though she held no bargaining chips.
"Hmph, I know. I really didn't expect that old man of yours would go as far as sending his own granddaughter to his enemy's bed just to save his company. Quite impressive!" His face was masked with a mocking sneer.
"Enemy? What grudge does the Yi family have against you?" Sixteen years ago, she was only three. Her mother only told her that her father had gone to heaven but never told her the details. She understood that it was her mother’s deepest pain, so she never brought up her father, and naturally, she had no idea what had happened back then.
"Don't tell me you don't know. Although I haven't fully cleared up the entanglements yet, it was indeed your mother who tore my family apart." Whenever Han Yuming thought of the suffering her mother had brought upon his family, he could not suppress the rage in his heart.
- Writer
