Tang Yan wasn't a complete villain. Although he had abducted her, once he learned of her pregnancy, he had provided her with good food and care, and had never let her Liuguang Huahua Poison flare up. This showed that there was still a conscience deep within him.
However, he carried so many secrets on his shoulders that he seemed incredibly burdened. That was why his personality seemed so unpredictable. Su Mingyu didn't want to see him crushed by his own troubles. After all, he was a talent, and she hoped to recruit him for Gu Ruobai.
"Are you trying to console me?" Tang Yan sneered. "You're nothing but a captive."
Su Mingyu nodded. "Yes, I'm just a captive, but that doesn't stop you from sharing your troubles with me."
Looking at Su Mingyu's audacious manner, a faint smile actually curved Tang Yan's lips. "You're really strange."
"When people tell you their painful stories, they expect your comfort. But you said you'd only gloat. So why should I tell you and make myself unhappy?"
Su Mingyu pursed her lips and looked straight into Tang Yan's eyes. "Do you need comfort?"
"No," Tang Yan replied firmly.
Su Mingyu raised her eyebrows. "See, not everyone wants comfort. A strong person sometimes just needs a listener. Only the weak need comfort, and you're a strong person."
"You really think highly of me," Tang Yan said with a raised eyebrow. After taking a big gulp of wine, he suddenly said in a low voice, "Today is my birthday."
"Should I wish you a happy birthday?" Su Mingyu said, but there was little uncertainty in her tone.
Sure enough, Tang Yan shook his head the next second. "No, I can never be happy again."
Saying that, Tang Yan took another sip of wine. "My parents were killed not long after my birthday. How can I be happy?"
Tang Yan's voice was hoarse and his tone was gloomy. "I remember every time I celebrated my birthday, my mother would cook me a bowl of longevity noodles. The whole family would sit around and watch me finish it in one go. That was the happiest time. But now..."
Tang Yan's eyes turned red, and he gulped down the wine. "I've lost everything."
Su Mingyu just sat there quietly, listening without saying a word.
She had been an orphan since childhood and didn't understand family affection at all. But she did understand the pain of losing a loved one.
Of course, Su Mingyu also knew that when Tang Yan told her these things, he didn't expect her to understand. It was just that some things had been bottled up in his heart for too long. They had rotted and turned into mud, becoming a breeding ground for pain. So Tang Yan just wanted to squeeze out the pus.
As Tang Yan talked, he drank. The bottles on the table piled up. Su Mingyu just listened quietly as he recalled the past. Finally, Tang Yan's voice grew softer and softer, and he finally slumped onto the table.
Seeing this, Su Mingyu walked over and gently touched Tang Yan. "How are you? Are you okay?"
Tang Yan just frowned tightly and showed no sign of response.
Su Mingyu thought for a while, summoned a maid, and asked her to go and get some hot water for Tang Yan. Then she turned and walked away.
The kitchen in the floating mansion always had food prepared for Su Mingyu. Su Mingyu walked up to the stove, looked at the clean cutting board, took a deep breath, rolled up her sleeves, and got to work.
Tang Yan woke up to the fragrant smell of scallions.
As soon as he opened his eyes, he saw a bowl of noodles in front of him and Su Mingyu about to leave.
"What's this?" Tang Yan heard his voice tremble slightly.
Su Mingyu turned around and shrugged. "Noodles."
"You said you wouldn't pity me," Tang Yan said, looking at the delicious - looking noodles that made his mouth water. "Then why did you make this?"
"I just felt like it," Su Mingyu said calmly. "I don't pity you, and I don't need to. It's just an ordinary bowl of noodles. It just so happens that today is your birthday."
After saying that, Su Mingyu raised her eyebrows. "Hurry up and eat it. It'll get cold soon."
Saying that, Su Mingyu yawned widely. "I'm a pregnant woman. I won't accompany you in your melancholy."
Watching Su Mingyu's bold back as she walked away, Tang Yan glanced at the noodles again. His lips curved up uncontrollably, showing the first sincere smile of the day.
The noodles were chewy and tasted great. Tang Yan ate the noodles one mouthful after another, his eyes getting redder and redder. By the time he had finished the noodles and the soup, his face was wet with tears.
But his expression had improved a lot, and he seemed much more relaxed.
"A listening ear?" Tang Yan murmured softly, a hint of amusement in his eyes.
Due to staying up late, Su Mingyu didn't wake up until noon. She had just yawned when there was a knock on the door from the maid outside. "Miss, are you awake?"
Su Mingyu rubbed her temples. "I'm awake. What do you want?"
"Our master asked me to invite you to have a meal with him."
Hearing this, Su Mingyu was a bit confused. "Wasn't I tied up by him? I'm not going."
"I'm here to unlock the chain for you," the maid said as she pushed open the door and walked in. Then she bowed respectfully to Su Mingyu. "Miss, I'm sorry to offend you."
Saying that, the maid knelt down and unlocked the chain for Su Mingyu. "It's done, miss. Please follow me."
Following the maid along the antique - style corridor, they stopped in front of a pavilion surrounded by a lake.
Su Mingyu walked over curiously and saw that the table in the pavilion was filled with all kinds of delicious dishes, looking extremely sumptuous.
Su Mingyu looked suspiciously at Tang Yan, who was already waiting there. "What does this mean? Is it a last meal?"
Tang Yan's face darkened. "Do you think I'm such an unreasonable person? You treated me to a bowl of noodles yesterday. Today I've specially prepared this table of dishes for you as a token of gratitude for being my listening ear last night."
Su Mingyu raised her eyebrows. She didn't expect Tang Yan to be so polite. "There's no need for a token of gratitude. If you really want to thank me, then help me get rid of the poison."
Although she said so, Su Mingyu still sat down opposite Tang Yan. Looking at the dishes on the table that were all her favorites, she asked curiously, "You're always so busy that you're hardly ever around. How did you know what I like to eat?"
"Although I'm not at home, I have people here," Tang Yan said, motioning for the maid beside him to serve a bowl of nourishing soup.