Ye Moran hugged the little fellow, smelling the faint milky scent on him. Her mood inexplicably improved a lot.
The aroma of food drifted through the living room. Ye Moran led Su Ling to the living room and had him sit down before returning to the kitchen to bring out the dishes she had prepared. On the table were the porridge and several light side dishes she had just made, all tailored to his constitution.
—
Ye Moran didn’t coax or feed him like before. She just quietly pushed the dishes in front of him, her eyes far softer than usual.
Su Ling obediently picked up the spoon and took small bites. His movements were quiet and submissive, like a long-captive animal that had grown used to obedience.
He ate very slowly, occasionally glancing up at Ye Moran. Seeing that she wasn’t angry, he finally relaxed a little.
Ye Moran hardly touched her chopsticks, her gaze fixed on him. The sensation of that slap from earlier today still lingered on her palm. Remembering Su Ling’s terrified expression at the time, her heart tightened in waves of pain.
She had personally raised him to be what he was now—clean, fragile, and unable to leave her, but also lacking the ability to survive on his own in the outside world. Before, she had been proud of this, thinking he could never escape.
But now, only overwhelming panic remained. How could such a clean little fellow survive in this world if he lost her protection?
When Su Ling put down his spoon, Ye Moran spoke softly.
“Are you full?”
“Mhm.” He nodded, his voice faint.
She got up to clear the dishes. When she returned, she sat down next to him and lightly touched his wrist. She didn’t use force, merely testing the waters. Su Ling didn’t pull away; he just lowered his eyes slightly.
—
Ye Moran remained silent for a long time before finally speaking. Her tone was more serious than ever before.
“From today on, I will teach you how to paint.”
Su Ling was slightly taken aback and looked up at her.
“Painting?”
“You painted very well before. Don’t give up on yourself. I believe you can learn.”
Su Ling looked at her, tilting his head slightly in confusion. “Why do I have to learn?”
Ye Moran avoided his clean gaze, her voice very low. “If you learn… even if you are alone in the future, you can support yourself. Don’t you want to paint the most beautiful scenes in your mind?”
She didn’t dare say the words ‘leave me.’ As soon as she thought them, her throat tightened.
Su Ling only half-understood. He didn’t quite understand why he suddenly had to learn this, but he was habitually submissive.
“Okay, I’ll listen to Elder Sister.”
It was this very sentence of obedience that stung Ye Moran’s heart. She had spent decades clearing away the people around the little fellow so that he only had her to rely on! But now, she had to force herself to push him away bit by bit!
“It’s not about listening to me,” she corrected softly, her voice raspy. “It’s for yourself. So that even if I’m not by your side one day, you can live well.”
—
Su Ling was stunned, his eyes widening. He seemed to hear what she meant. His eyes gradually turned red, and tears welled up.
Ye Moran looked away, not daring to look at him anymore. She had built this cage herself to trap him. Now, she was going to tear it down with her own hands, even if she ended up alone.
“Elder Sister… are you going to abandon me?” His voice was very soft, carrying a trace of imperceptible panic. His fingertips unconsciously gripped his pants.
—
Ye Moran’s heart jerked. She almost blurted out “No,” but the words became a suppressed silence when they reached her lips.
She couldn’t promise forever, and she certainly couldn’t use a false eternity to trap him completely. Even though her heart felt as if it were breaking into pieces, her remaining logic told her she had to give the little fellow a secure future!
She raised her hand, her fingertips gently brushing over Su Ling’s slightly furrowed brow. The movement was unprecedentedly gentle.
“I’m not abandoning you. I’m giving you the ability to choose the life you want to live.”
—
Only a warm lamp remained in the living room. The shadows fell between them, creating a thin layer of distance. Ye Moran withdrew her hand and stood up, walking toward a room.
“Follow me!”
A room in the farthest corner of the house had been completely converted into a studio. The floor-to-ceiling windows were mostly open, and the night breeze blew in, dispelling the long-standing gloom of the house. Easels, canvases, and various paints were neatly arranged. Even the lighting was adjusted to be soft and easy on the eyes.
Su Ling stood at the door, looking at everything in front of him, feeling a bit lost.
“This was prepared for you. I promised to teach you to paint before, and now I’m just fulfilling it.”
Ye Moran picked up a sharpened pencil and handed it to the little fellow. “Hold it.”
Su Ling gripped it as told, his fingertips somewhat stiff.
Ye Moran stood beside him, maintaining a distance that was neither too close nor too far. She calmly taught him how to adjust his posture and control his strength. She no longer pressed close or acted possessively as she had in the past. Instead, she deliberately kept a respectful distance—something she had never done before.
Su Ling learned slowly. The lines under his pencil were crooked, but he was very serious. He lowered his head, his long lashes drooping, his expression so focused it would make anyone’s heart soften.
Ye Moran stood to the side, watching him awkwardly sketch outlines and purse his lips when he couldn’t get it right. Her heart was a whirlwind of emotions.
She had once tried desperately to stop him from growing, to prevent him from having any skills that didn’t involve her. She had even used medicine to hold back his mind just to keep him forever within reach. And now, every stroke she taught him felt like she was pushing him away another inch!
‘Does it hurt?’
‘It does. It hurts terribly.’
‘It hurts so much that I can’t breathe!’
But she couldn’t hurt the little fellow anymore…
“It’s okay if you make a mistake,” Ye Moran said, her voice gentler than the night. “Practice slowly. One day, you will be able to paint everything you want, and you can use these hands… to live a peaceful and free life.”
Ye Moran had a gentle smile on her face, though it looked somewhat bitter.
Su Ling stopped his pencil and looked back at her. His eyes were still innocent, but there was a hint of seriousness. “If I learn… will Elder Sister stop being sick?”
Ye Moran froze. She didn’t seem to understand why he would ask that.
“Elder Sister, when you get better, don’t abandon me, okay?”
She looked away, hiding the surging bitterness in her eyes. She gave a soft “Mhm.”
“I won’t. I will never abandon you. Once you’ve learned and I’m cured… everything will be different.”
The night deepened. The lights in the studio remained on. One stroke, then another. She was teaching him how to survive, teaching him how to leave, and teaching him freedom.
Late that night, the little fellow had already fallen into a peaceful sleep, but Ye Moran couldn’t sleep at all. Her chest felt stifled and uncomfortable. She didn’t understand why she felt this way. She felt she was doing the right thing. She loved the little fellow, so she had to protect him and give him the best. But why did it hurt so much after giving it to him? Was it because of her illness?
She grabbed a few bottles of alcohol and left the room, returning to her empty office. She opened a bottle and began to drink on her own. The strong scent of alcohol soon filled the air!
Ye Moran’s eyes were dull. She numbly gulped down the liquor until she heard steady footsteps. She frowned and stopped.
Qin Siyu stood in the corner, holding a file.
“I’m sorry, CEO Ye. I didn’t know you were here.”
“Aren’t you off work yet?”
“No, it’s a partner company. There is an important document that needs to be handled now. I came to get it.”
“Which document?”
“This one.”
Qin Siyu handed the document over. Ye Moran noticed the company name immediately.
[Xinxing Culture Entertainment Company]
“I remember this company is involved in multiple fields, right?”
“Yes. Most are entertainment-related, involving movies, variety shows, artists, as well as some bars and KTVs.”
“There is one more…” Ye Moran rubbed her head, which was starting to ache from the alcohol.
“Yes, CEO Ye. There is also the Young Slave Pavilion. However, it’s not their main business. They are only involved as shareholders and don’t actually participate in operations.”
“I see. Go home and rest early.”
“Okay.”
“Wait.”
Qin Siyu nodded and was about to leave with the document, but Ye Moran suddenly stopped her.
“Is there something else, CEO Ye?”
Ye Moran looked up, giving her a complex look. She asked with some uncertainty, “Do you know how to make one person fall in love with another?”