"I don't want to listen! I'm not a kid anymore. I said I miss Mom and don't want to be separated from her, but Mom won't listen to me. We promised that you'd listen to me and I'd listen to you. But now you've been ordering me around and not listening to a single word I say. Well, I'm not going to listen to you either!"
Lan Mengfan covered her ears and cried, tears streaming down her face.
A sense of helplessness welled up in Yan Xia's heart. She felt both heart - broken and helpless.
Thinking that this little girl who had lived with her for three years was about to leave her, and that she might rarely get a chance to see her in the future, Yan Xia wondered if their relationship would gradually fade away just like hers with Lan Yuzhou.
At the mere thought of this possibility, she suddenly covered her mouth and burst into tears, sobbing uncontrollably.
Life was full of so many helplessnesses. She didn't want to be separated from Mengfan at all, but there was nothing she could do. She had so many bitter feelings in her heart, yet not a single friend to confide in.
Lan Mengfan had been crying loudly in the corner. When she sensed that Yan Xia was also crying, her sobs gradually subsided. She turned around with a tear - streaked face to look at Yan Xia.
"Mom..." She got up and ran to Yan Xia, hugging her tightly. "Don't cry. I'll be good and obedient. Please stop crying."
"Mengfan, you must remember that I'll never abandon you. Your dad has been looking forward to being with you. It's because of you that he can find the motivation to take on the responsibilities he should shoulder. So no matter what, you can't give up on him. Besides, a short separation is for a better reunion in the future. I'll go back to see you whenever I have time."
Yan Xia fought back the sobs in her voice. It wasn't that she didn't want to go back with Mengfan. It was just that she wasn't sure what Lu Qianzhou wanted from her. After all, three years ago, he had once tried to kill her as well.
If she went back now, she didn't know if she could outwit him. Moreover, if she returned to China, Fang Jiangyi would be her only support. She had already owed him a great deal in these years and didn't want to be in his debt any more.
Probably not wanting to see Yan Xia cry, Lan Mengfan's attitude softened a lot, but she still clung to Yan Xia and refused to leave.
On the eve of the approaching storm, the wind started to blow and the rain began to fall outside. It seemed that a huge storm was about to come.
"Mom, it's raining outside. The uncle is getting soaked in the rain. It's so pitiful." Lan Mengfan blinked her big eyes.
It was really windy and rainy outside. The once clear sky had suddenly turned into a downpour.
Yan Xia came to the window and saw that Shangguan Yao seemed to be still standing outside in the rain. She really felt a bit sorry for him. In the end, she found an umbrella and opened the door to go out and give it to him.
The rain pattered on the umbrella. Yan Xia pushed open the courtyard gate and was about to hand the umbrella to Shangguan Yao when she found that there was no one in the place where he had been standing.
Just as she was feeling puzzled, Shangguan Yao's smiling voice came from not far away.
"Coming out personally to give me an umbrella. You do care about me after all."
Looking up, she saw that he had already moved to a tree not far away. Leaning against the tree branch, with one long leg bent, he had a bright smile on his face, looking like someone who had won a bet. The thick branches and leaves of the tree served as the best shelter from the rain for him.
This guy would never let himself suffer no matter what. Worrying about him getting wet in the rain was just an over - indulgence of her sympathy.
Yan Xia pursed her lips and turned around to go back.
Shangguan Yao reacted very quickly. He immediately jumped down from the tree and quickly caught up with Yan Xia, grabbing her arm.
After getting off the tree, he still got caught in the rain. The bangs on his forehead were immediately soaked. His peach - blossom eyes were so bright that they seemed to be able to cast a spell on people.
"Hey, are you really that heartless and going to leave me out here all night?" He held on to Yan Xia tightly and simply started to act like a scoundrel. "I'm a stranger in this place, and I came here just to find you. Won't you feel guilty if you leave me out here?"
Yan Xia frowned and looked at him, puzzled. "Why on earth did I think that a person with your personality would change?"
"Wow, you've been crying? You don't have to be so excited to see me, do you?" Shangguan Yao pointed at her slightly red eyes and exclaimed.
"I didn't cry. It's just that the wind got into my eyes." Yan Xia slapped his hand away, eager to clear herself.
She had been completely deceived by his serious look just now and thought that he had changed. In fact, he was still the same rascal as before.
However, his arms were now firm, and there were calluses on his palms. She could feel the strength in his arms without even touching them.
"People always change. But there's one thing that hasn't changed." He smiled, showing a row of white teeth. "You're still the goddess in my heart."
Yan Xia's eyelids twitched, and she looked extremely disgusted.
"If you keep talking nonsense, just get out of here quickly."
"Okay." Shangguan Yao raised his hands in surrender. "I won't say anything more. Thank you, goddess, for taking me in."
Yan Xia led Shangguan Yao into the house. She found a dry towel for him to wipe his hair, then sat on the opposite sofa with Lan Mengfan in her arms, keeping a safe distance from him.
Shangguan Yao was wiping his hair. Seeing the two of them, one big and one small, staring at him with wide eyes, he couldn't help but give a mischievous smile.
"I know I'm handsome, but you don't have to look at me like this. You two are staring at me as if I'm a piece of meat and you're hungry wolves. It's like you're guarding against a thief."
Lan Mengfan looked very disgusted. "Uncle, you're so full of yourself."
Unexpectedly being disliked by a child, Shangguan Yao was instantly stunned. Finally, he shook his head and clicked his tongue. "Sure enough, after staying with you for three years, your mouth has become so sharp."
Yan Xia lowered her head and asked Lan Mengfan, "Mengfan, do you want to go to the living room to watch TV? Mom has something to talk to this uncle."
Lan Mengfan nodded obediently. But before leaving, she secretly showed her fist to Shangguan Yao, hinting that he shouldn't bully Mom, or she'd beat him up. Her little expression was very cocky.
Shangguan Yao laughed. "Your daughter is really worth raising."
"Why are you still looking for me?" Yan Xia's voice suddenly cut in, sounding a bit stiff. "You should know that I'm extremely reluctant to see you. The reason I chose to live here is that I don't want to see anyone or anything related to the past. You shouldn't have come here."
Seeing that she finally got to the point, Shangguan Yao also put away his flippant attitude and put on a serious face. He casually threw the towel on his head.
"Running away is not the way to solve problems. You can run away for a while, but not for a lifetime. Moreover, Lu Qianzhou has been looking for you."
Yan Xia only asked, "How do you know I'm here? Did Fang Jiangyi tell you?"
Shangguan Yao laughed. "How could he tell me such things? I've spent a lot of effort to find out. He has been flying here every once in a while these years. I've always been suspicious. With my current ability, it's not difficult to check his flight information."
His tone was quite proud.
Yan Xia raised her eyebrows and looked at him, wondering what he meant by saying this.
"Do you remember the incident when Wang Keding was arrested for taking bribes and then committed suicide in prison? I've always thought that his suicide was not that simple. Moreover, someone suddenly came forward to report him. It was obviously a very targeted move. You also know who the person behind the report is."