Ye Moran looked at the location on her mobile phone, a cryptic smile playing at the corners of her mouth. She was getting closer!
She stopped for a moment, then slowly advanced toward the location. The little fellow had fallen again, and the skin on his knees was scraped raw.
His originally light gray pants were now stained with a hint of red.
“My, how careless!”
A bridge appeared before her, and Ye Moran stopped, standing still until a small figure appeared in the middle of the bridge. Only then did she reveal a faint smile.
However, this smile seemed somewhat terrifying.
“Waaa, Elder Sister!”
Su Ling ran into Ye Moran’s arms, crying.
Perhaps because he had been outside for a long time, or perhaps for some other reason, Ye Moran’s body was very cold, causing Su Ling to shudder subconsciously.
Ye Moran said nothing. She picked up the little fellow and looked deeply behind him. There, a figure stood silently.
Nangong Wan stood there, unsure if she should go over.
From the moment she saw Ye Jin throw himself into the other woman’s arms without hesitation, she had stopped in her tracks.
Her heart felt heavy, as if something she cherished had been stolen by someone else.
Ye Jin had never been so proactive with her!
“Heh!”
Ye Moran mouthed the words “get lost,” her eyes mocking the person in front of her.
Nangong Wan clenched her fists tightly. ‘Why? Why does this person get to have Ye Jin when she already treated him like that?’
‘This person must be deceiving Ye Jin. After all, Ye Jin is so innocent and easy to trick. He believed me even when I told him those distorted arguments.’
‘Since this person has been with Ye Jin for so long, she must have him completely fooled. I must find an opportunity to tell Ye Jin, to tell him how wicked this person really is!’
“Little fellow, go say goodbye to your friend. She seems to be waiting for you.”
“?”
Su Ling turned his head to look back and indeed saw Nangong Wan’s figure.
He hesitated for a moment and looked at his elder sister. She seemed to be smiling and didn’t appear angry. After thinking it over, he struggled to get down from her arms and stumbled toward Nangong Wan.
A smile remained on Ye Moran’s face, but the darkness in the depths of her eyes grew deeper.
‘He really went. It seems the little fellow values this friend of his quite highly!’
Su Ling walked with difficulty to Nangong Wan’s side.
“You should go back. My elder sister has come to pick me up. I’m going home now, so you should go back early too.”
“Your leg…”
“It’s fine. It doesn’t hurt much.”
Su Ling smiled and shook his head, then turned around and waved at her, a happy smile radiating from his face.
He was truly happy today. Although he had only shared a meal and bought some clothes with Nangong Wan, he still felt very happy. This feeling of having a friend was wonderful.
Moreover, his elder sister wasn’t angry. When he first woke up in the hospital, he had been worried sick, his mind filled with images of her punishing him in various ways.
But when he actually threw himself into her arms, that feeling of fear suddenly vanished. Especially when his elder sister smiled, that fear disappeared without a trace, leaving only happiness in his heart.
Nangong Wan clenched her fists and finally let go powerlessly, turning to leave with a despondent expression.
Compared to Ye Moran’s provocation, what hurt her more was Ye Jin’s happiness. When he was with her, Ye Jin rarely showed such a joyful expression.
Yet as soon as Ye Moran appeared, without even doing anything, Ye Jin looked that happy.
A sense of defeat rose within her, but she soon regained her spirit, telling herself over and over again.
‘It’s only because they’ve been together for a long time. Ye Moran is just too good at pretending. As long as I continue to stay with Ye Jin, I’ll eventually expose her false facade!’
‘When that time comes, Ye Jin will leave her and run into my embrace!’
—
“Elder Sister.”
“Let’s go. We’re going back.”
Ye Moran started walking forward after speaking, without taking the little fellow’s hand or offering to carry him.
Su Ling was stunned, standing blankly on the spot.
Ye Moran walked quite a distance before turning her head to look at him. “Why aren’t you moving?”
“Elder Sister, are you angry?”
“No, why would I be? Let’s go home quickly. It’s quite cold out. I’ll cook for you when we get back.”
Ye Moran smiled with a gentle voice, showing no signs of anger at all.
Su Ling bit his lip and looked at the injury on his leg. It hurt a lot.
When he told Nangong Wan it didn’t hurt, he was lying. He didn’t want Nangong Wan to worry too much.
“The injury on your leg shouldn’t be a problem. After all, didn’t you say it didn’t hurt just now? Hurry up, I have things to do tomorrow!”
Su Ling bit his lip and moved his injured leg with difficulty, following her step by step.
Ye Moran walked very fast, but she would stop and wait for Su Ling after covering some distance. However, every time Su Ling was about to catch up to her, she would start walking again.
After several times, Su Ling could no longer hold back the feelings of grievance in his heart. Tears streamed down his face. He stood in place, the pain in his leg growing worse. He stopped trying to stand and simply sat down on the ground.
Seeing this, Ye Moran stood in place for a long time before slowly walking toward the little fellow.
She said nothing and simply picked him up in a horizontal carry.
Su Ling didn’t dare to speak even while being carried. He knew now. His elder sister wasn’t “not angry”; she was definitely angry.
Perhaps she would punish him as soon as they returned.
He was a bit afraid, but alongside that fear, there was a faint sense of expectation.
It was indeed his fault this time. He had stayed out for so long. Even though it was because he had suddenly fainted, his elder sister was only this angry because he had been out for too long.
Later, if his elder sister punished him, it would be what he deserved. Besides, if she punished him, she wouldn’t be angry anymore.
Returning to the room, Ye Moran threw the little fellow onto the bed and then ignored him.
Su Ling looked up in confusion, watching his elder sister’s retreating back. He couldn’t help but call out.
“Elder Sister.”
“What is it?”
“Aren’t you going to punish me?”
“Why would I punish you?”
“Because… because I… I was out for too long.”
“Oh. Then, do you know how long you were out?”
“I don’t know.”
Su Ling shook his head in confusion. He didn’t know how long he had been out. He had been unconscious most of the time, so he had no clear sense of time.
He remembered Nangong Wan saying it was five or six hours, but was it five hours or six hours exactly?
“Little fellow, I am not angry.”
Su Ling looked up, his eyes full of doubt. ‘Elder Sister isn’t angry? Then why did she make him walk earlier?’
His leg was clearly injured, yet she wouldn’t even hold him…
“Little fellow, why do you think I’m angry?”
“Because…”
“Because you made me walk back by myself.”
“Is there anything wrong with that? Can’t you walk back by yourself?”
Ye Moran’s voice was calm, as if she were asking a very ordinary question.
Su Ling’s eyes widened. He wanted to retort, to tell her about the grievance in his heart, but he opened his mouth and couldn’t say a word.
Because he really could walk back, he would just walk a bit slower.