Volume One, Chapter 12: The Anxious Yan Xiyue
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Yan Xiyue hurried to the outskirts, only to find the entire hillside glittering with searchlights. They had all come to search for and rescue Duan Wuhen.
Screech—
Amid the sharp sound of a car braking, a middle-aged man stepped out. Yan Xiyue hurried over to ask him.
“Uncle Qingsong, still no news?”
“Xiyue, don’t worry. We’re increasing the scope of the search.”
“Please, you have to find him.”
Just then, the middle-aged man’s phone suddenly rang.
“What? You found him?”
A brilliant light instantly appeared in Yan Xiyue’s eyes as she gazed at the man with eager anticipation.
“Uncle Qingsong, there’s news?”
The middle-aged man nodded, but then his expression became troubled.
Seeing his expression, Yan Xiyue’s heart seemed to miss a beat. “What is it? Uncle Qingsong, tell me!”
“We found him, but he’s in that place.”
Yan Xiyue was bewildered. “What place?”
The middle-aged man remained silent and made a phone call.
“Chairman Yan, we found him. But he’s lying inside the Duan family’s abandoned residence. What should we do?”
Upon hearing this, Yan Mingjun let out a weary sigh.
“Alas, I knew this couldn’t be avoided. Never mind—this is something he would have to face sooner or later. I just didn’t expect him to discover it so soon. It seems Han City is going to undergo a great upheaval. Bring him back first. And remember, don’t tell Xiyue anything!”
After hanging up, Yan Mingjun sank heavily onto the sofa. He gazed toward the outskirts and remained silent for a long time.
Han City was about to undergo a great upheaval!
Yan Xiyue tugged anxiously at the middle-aged man’s sleeve, tears nearly spilling from her eyes. “Uncle Qingsong, why aren’t you saying anything? Where is he?”
The middle-aged man sighed, then ordered his men to carry out the unconscious Duan Wuhen.
“Wuhen! What happened to you? Wake up!”
Yan Xiyue threw herself over Duan Wuhen and began to cry. Unable to bear watching any longer, the middle-aged man stepped forward and gently patted her shoulder.
“Xiyue, don’t worry too much. He’s only unconscious. He’ll be fine after getting some rest.”
Only then did Yan Xiyue stop crying. As she looked at Duan Wuhen lying there unconscious, the heavy stone in her heart finally fell away.
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Midnight, Greenview Community.
Yan Xiyue dragged her exhausted body back to the apartment. The middle-aged man carefully laid Duan Wuhen on the sofa.
“Whew—this boy is really heavy!”
Yan Xiyue quickly poured a cup of warm water and handed it to him. “Uncle Qingsong, thank you so much for everything today.”
The middle-aged man hurriedly accepted the cup and drained it in one breath.
“Xiyue, what are you saying? It was the least I could do. Well, it’s getting late. You should rest early. I’ll be leaving now.”
Yan Xiyue rose at once to see him out. When they reached the door, however, he politely stopped her.
“Xiyue, this is far enough. I’ll be going now. Bye!”
“Bye!”
Yan Xiyue waved before closing the door.
When she returned to the room and saw Duan Wuhen still sleeping, she let out a soft sigh.
“Honestly, I must have owed you something in a past life.”
She then retrieved a blanket from her room and carefully draped it over Duan Wuhen.
As for Yan Xiyue herself, she stretched, crawled into bed, and soon fell into a blissful sleep.
Just before dawn, Duan Wuhen’s eyelashes began to tremble faintly. A moment later, he opened his eyes and surveyed his surroundings.
“Wasn’t I in the outskirts? How did I end up here?”
Then, memories surged into his mind like shoots after a spring rain.
Duan Wuhen shook his groggy head. Once he had sorted through his thoughts, he looked toward Yan Xiyue’s bedroom door, his heart filled with gratitude.
“So that little girl brought me back. But doesn’t she hate me? Why would she come out so late at night to look for me? That makes no sense.”
For Duan Wuhen, who had only recently come down from the mountains, this was an entirely new experience.
While he had been living in the mountains, the only woman he had any contact with was Widow Wang. Although he had learned a great deal from her, he had never interacted with anyone his own age. Naturally, he could not recognize Yan Xiyue’s feelings for him.
Duan Wuhen rose as quietly as possible, afraid of disturbing Yan Xiyue, who was still fast asleep.
He walked to the window and gazed at the sky outside, where a faint red glow was beginning to spread. His thoughts churned endlessly.
Duan Wuhen could not understand why Yan Xiyue cared so much about him. In his mind, the two of them were always bickering and finding fault with each other.
Yan Xiyue turned over in her sleep and murmured a few indistinct words.
The movement happened to catch Duan Wuhen’s attention. As he stared out the window, his thoughts continued to wander.
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Perhaps from this moment on, he should reassess his relationship with her.
Gurgle—
Just then, Duan Wuhen’s stomach suddenly rumbled. He touched it awkwardly. He wanted to get up and find something to eat, but he was afraid of making any noise.
After hesitating for a long while, he decided to take a look in the kitchen, doing his best not to disturb anything.
Relying on the cooking skills he had learned from Widow Wang, Duan Wuhen began preparing breakfast.
Before long, Yan Xiyue was awakened by the enticing aroma of food. Still half-asleep, she wandered out of her room and froze when she saw Duan Wuhen bustling about in the kitchen.
“You’re awake? What are you doing?”
Duan Wuhen turned around and smiled warmly. “You were sleeping so soundly that I didn’t wake you. I made something to eat. I don’t know whether it will suit your taste.”
“Wow! Why is this corn porridge so delicious?”
Looking at Yan Xiyue’s adorable expression as she hugged her bowl, a faint smile appeared at the corners of Duan Wuhen’s lips as well.
The two sat across from each other at the dining table, the atmosphere somewhat subtle. Their usual hostility had vanished, replaced by something altogether different.
Duan Wuhen was the first to break the silence. “Thank you for coming to look for me last night.”
Yan Xiyue rolled her eyes at him. “Hmph. Don’t think I did it for you. I just didn’t want to owe you a favor.”
Though that was what she said, her eyes betrayed her true feelings.
Because Duan Wuhen’s cooking was so delicious, Yan Xiyue, who normally disliked breakfast, ended up eating until she was completely full.
After breakfast, Duan Wuhen decided to investigate what had happened to the Duan family.
When Yan Xiyue heard this, she insisted on going with him.
“You’re coming with me? Aren’t you afraid it might be dangerous?” Duan Wuhen asked worriedly.
“With you there, what do I have to fear? Besides, this matter may have something to do with me too. How could I stand by and do nothing?”
And so, the two left together and headed toward the Duan family’s abandoned residence.
Along the way, Duan Wuhen kept thinking about who might have been responsible for the massacre of the Duan family, while Yan Xiyue silently observed him from the side.
She discovered that the usually carefree Duan Wuhen, who was always laughing and joking as though nothing mattered to him, now had a seriousness and focus in his eyes that she had never seen before. It stirred her curiosity and made her want to understand him even more.
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