“I’m sorry, I scared you last time.” “N-no…”
Su Ling’s eyes darted around uneasily. He was terrified—terrified that his sister would suddenly rush out like last time and drag him away.
“Then where have you been these past few days? I haven’t seen you at all.”
“I-I’m sorry, I have to go, I have to go back.”
After a frantic apology, Su Ling turned and bolted. Nangong Wan was about to give chase when a hand clamped down on her shoulder, pinning her firmly to the spot!
“Approaching him time and time again… is the Nangong family really that idle?!”
Ye Moran’s voice was icy, her body trembling slightly with suppressed rage. Nangong Wan shrugged off the hand and stared back coldly.
“What am I trying to do? I should be asking you that!”
“As Ye Jin’s sister, don’t you feel any shame for imprisoning and controlling him like this?!”
“Don’t think I didn’t see what he’s wearing around his neck. That’s a collar. What do you take him for?!”
“A slave?” “Or a pet?”
Nangong Wan’s voice shook with anger. If they weren’t in public, she would have punched the woman by now.
“Heh~” Ye Moran let out a mocking sneer, completely indifferent to the accusations.
“I don’t care what your motives are. Stay away from him. Otherwise, I wouldn’t mind making life very difficult for the Nangong family.”
“Do whatever you want. But tell me—what exactly did you do to him? Why is he so afraid of you?!”
“Did you hit him?”
“Hit him?” Ye Moran couldn’t help but laugh. It seemed she had overestimated her opponent; this girl was nothing more than a child.
The things she did with her “little one” weren’t called “hitting”—they were called love.
“What’s with that look?!” Nangong Wan’s temper flared instantly. That look was definitely one of ridicule. How hateful!
“Wait, where are you going? Stop right there!” Ye Moran ignored her entirely, walking away without a backward glance. Nangong Wan stomped her foot in frustration. She wasn’t foolish enough to chase after her, but she realized that after this encounter, the chances of seeing Ye Jin would become slim. She had to find a way to rescue him!
Su Ling practically ran back to the office. Trembling, he pushed open the door, only to find to his surprise that she wasn’t there. Perhaps she was in the bedroom.
At that thought, the heart Su Ling had just managed to calm began to race again. Would Sister know he met that person again? No, he didn’t seek her out; it was an accidental encounter. No… he didn’t want it. He didn’t want to be bullied so cruelly again.
Tears welled up instantly. His body instinctively backed away; he wanted to run. It was the only thought his mind could produce. But he had nowhere to go, no idea where to hide. And if he were caught, he would only be bullied even worse…
His footsteps faltered. He bit his pale lip hard, paralyzed by indecision. Slowly, he crouched down, hugging himself tightly and burying his head deep between his knees.
Ye Moran stood at the door. Everyone in the company had already clocked out, leaving the office in darkness. Through the glass partition, she could clearly see the little one shivering in the corner.
She pushed the door open softly, making no sound. She walked over to the boy and sat down beside him. Before he could even register her presence, she pulled him into her arms.
She felt his body give a violent, fearful jolt. He looked up at her, eyes brimming with terror. She remained silent for a moment, then gently guided him into her lap, stroking him softly—just like when he was a child and refused to take his medicine. She would comfort him exactly like this.
“Don’t be afraid. No one is going to hurt you.”
Nestled in her embrace, Su Ling’s heart remained uneasy. Why wasn’t she punishing him? Was it because she didn’t know? But… “Sister… I…”
Su Ling confessed everything about meeting Nangong Wan. Once finished, he stared at her, eyes wide with tension. Ye Moran looked down at the boy, who was now holding his breath. After a brief internal struggle, she forced a thin smile.
“It’s okay. That must be your friend, right?”
“Yes…”
“Since she’s your friend, it’s fine to say a few words. I won’t be angry, and I certainly won’t punish you for that.”
Su Ling was stunned. Sister wouldn’t punish him for having a friend? Then why did she do that last time? Unable to wrap his head around it, he asked her directly.
“That was because you tried to run away, remember? At that moment, all you wanted was to escape me, so I lost control and did those ‘excessive’ things to you.”
Su Ling thought back carefully. It seemed that was true. He had been so scared that his only thought was to flee, just like a moment ago. So, Sister wouldn’t be angry if he made friends? Would she be okay if he played with them? To be safe, he asked.
“You can play, but you aren’t allowed to have any physical contact. Otherwise, Sister will get jealous. And if she ever says anything bad about me, you can’t play with her anymore!” “?” Su Ling blinked, confused. Why would Nangong Wan say bad things about Sister? They didn’t even know each other, did they?
“If you promise to do that, I’ll allow you to be friends and play with her.” Ye Moran smiled and rubbed his head. Given the way that girl treated her today, she would definitely badmouth her. Once that condition was met, the boy would have to stop seeing her.
As for whether he would lie—hiding the insults just to keep playing? Heh. That 200,000-yuan collar she bought wasn’t just for decoration.
She suddenly pulled him closer and, amidst his startled expression, pressed a gentle kiss to his lips. “Go to sleep. It’s late.”
Su Ling wasn’t sleepy, but since his sister said so, he had no choice but to try and sleep.
The next morning, Su Ling woke up early. After sitting on the edge of the bed in a daze for a while, he decided to do something: Make breakfast. Even though his cooking was usually a disaster, he knew how to make breakfast. He had done it several times when they were little. Each time, his sister would happily eat it all, refusing to let him have any, hogging it for herself.
Because she had agreed to let him see his friend, he wanted to make breakfast to thank her.
Ye Moran lay on her side, one hand draped over the covers, a smile on her face. She was in the middle of a beautiful dream—one where the little one was exceptionally obedient, relying on her even when she was “cruel,” even becoming proactive during those moments.
Suddenly, her brow furrowed. Her nose caught a faint scent of burning. Amidst the burnt smell was something else—a scent that felt strangely familiar.
She opened her eyes in annoyance, frustrated at being woken from such a dream. She sniffed the air again. The burning smell was coming from the kitchen. She glanced beside her; the boy was gone.
“Oh no!!!” In an instant, she realized what was happening. Without even pausing to put on shoes, she bolted toward the kitchen.