Ji Fei's eyes met Qin Xian's, and the depth of his dark gaze seemed to pull her in. The atmosphere grew suddenly intimate.
Ji Fei stared at the unrealistically handsome face in front of her, her heart pounding like a drum. Her gaze shifted downward to his slightly parted red lips, and Ji Fei instinctively swallowed.
【So close, too close, we're about to kiss!】
Qin Xian suddenly snapped out of it. He had almost given in to his impulse... No, Ji Fei hadn't agreed to be with him yet. How could he force a kiss on her against her will?
In Qin Xian's mind, Ji Fei held the power of choice. She could do anything to him, but he couldn't act like a scoundrel.
【What's he suddenly doing? Is his male instinct kicking in? Should I resist or not? If I lift my head now, I might accidentally kiss him.】
Qin Xian's Adam's apple rolled, and his tense breath escaped from his lips, unconsciously alluring.
But someone was too cowardly to act, only indulging in fantasies.
"What... what's wrong? Are you ticklish? I didn't mean to."
Qin Xian lowered his eyes. Why couldn't his wife be bolder?! Ugh... okay, he wasn't either!
"It's fine. It's late, we should rest." Qin Xian's voice was still hoarse, his body stimulated but still trying his best to restrain himself, afraid of scaring Ji Fei.
Seeing that he wasn't pursuing the matter, Ji Fei quickly lay down, "Mm-hmm." But after lying down, she couldn't help but turn over and hug Qin Xian.
Strange, it felt so comfortable to hold him.
Since Qin Xian had agreed, it seemed like it was her right.
Qin Xian turned off the light, covered Ji Fei with a blanket, and the moonlight streaming through the window still allowed them to see each other's outlines.
Qin Xian looked at Ji Fei, who blinked.
"Close your eyes."
Ji Fei wanted to say something, but Qin Xian suddenly leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead before saying, "Goodnight."
Ji Fei felt a surge of emotion.
"Goodnight."
They slept well that night, while the other three parties were sleepless, especially Guo Yalan and Han Ziyu.
Guo Yalan had already taken Han Ziyu back to her temporary hotel room. Excited and thrilled, the two sisters talked all night.
Having been separated for many years, they had a lot to catch up on.
Guo Yalan didn't hide anything and told Han Ziyu everything about the past.
"Dad and she got together for love, but Grandpa and Grandma didn't accept someone from a mismatched background, so they eloped, got married, and she got pregnant with me. In the end, Grandpa and Grandma had no choice but to let them keep their marriage secret until Dad achieved certain business goals, allowing them to go public. To meet the family's expectations and ease the pressure on her, Dad worked so hard he barely had time to sleep. But she couldn't stand being lonely and missing Dad's company, so she cheated with her first love. After Dad found out, she found a way to run off with her lover. The scar on my waist is from when she fled and refused to take me with her, pushing me down the stairs. I broke my bones and got this scar from surgery."
Guo Yalan lifted her shirt to show Han Ziyu.
The scar was very noticeable, as Guo Yalan had deliberately kept it to remind herself never to forgive that woman.
Han Ziyu was emotionally overwhelmed by the heartless past, and seeing Guo Yalan's scar, tears immediately streamed down her face.
She couldn't imagine how painful it must have been for Guo Yalan to be abandoned by her own mother.
"Don't you want to ask anything?" Guo Yalan asked bitterly.
Han Ziyu looked at Guo Yalan in confusion.
Guo Yalan sighed, "I'm saying all these bad things about that woman, and you don't even doubt me?"
Han Ziyu lowered her eyes and remained silent for a while before speaking, "Actually, I have some fragmented memories from childhood. Maybe... it's karma. They didn't live well afterward. Life was full of struggles, and I remember Mom always complaining about Dad. When she drank, she'd cry and say she regretted it, arguing all the time. Sometimes she'd take it out on me."
Guo Yalan immediately grew anxious, "She hit you?"
Han Ziyu hesitated, then rolled up her sleeve to reveal an old scar, which naturally hadn't been removed due to lack of money.
"She once got drunk and cut me with a broken bottle piece. She said that if it weren't for my existence and Dad's deception, she could have gone back. Back then, I thought she meant going back to her single, youthful days. I didn't realize..."
Guo Yalan exclaimed, "Disgusting! Two daughters, and she couldn't even treat one properly. She's just a selfish, self-centered woman!"
Han Ziyu trembled but didn't curse her mother like Guo Yalan, knowing the woman was already gone.
Guo Yalan couldn't help but hug Han Ziyu.
"Sister, I'm sorry," Han Ziyu murmured.
Guo Yalan quickly replied, "Nonsense! The one who should apologize is that woman, not you. We're both unlucky to have such a mother."
Han Ziyu smiled, "At least she gave me a good sister."
She had thought she was all alone, but suddenly, fate had given her such an amazing, talented sister. It felt like a dream!
Guo Yalan smiled too, "Right, the only good thing she did was leave me a good sister."
As they talked, the phone in Guo Yalan's hotel room rang, probably because her mobile couldn't reach her. Few people had this number.
Guo Yalan got up to answer, saying, "It's probably my parents. They're probably just waking up over there, haha, and I bet they're already overwhelmed by the news from here."
Han Ziyu immediately grew nervous, her expression complex. From her perspective, she felt she didn't dare face Guo's Dad. She thought he might hate her existence.
Guo Yalan naturally picked up on Han Ziyu's tension and said, "Don't worry, you're only related to me, not to them."
"Exposing our relationship might not be good for the Guo family. It could hurt Uncle and Aunt," Han Ziyu said, having picked up some insights from Qi Li.
"Haha, when I got the DNA report, I already told them. They said I could handle my own affairs," Guo Yalan replied.
After that, Guo Yalan picked up the phone and heard Guo's Dad's low-pressure voice, with Guo's Mom's gentle reassurances in the background.
Guo Yalan stuck out her tongue and honestly explained everything. "What's the matter? Didn't you say I could make my own decisions?"
"That doesn't mean you can cause such a big commotion!" Guo's Dad was exasperated. "If you have the guts, clean up the mess yourself!"
Guo Yalan made faces at Han Ziyu, who was worried, then coaxed her father.
Guo's Dad never mentioned Han Ziyu.
In fact, both Guo's Dad and Guo Yalan had been healed by Guo's Mom's presence, so they weren't upset. Guo's Dad just had no reason to care about the child that woman had outside. He didn't stop Guo Yalan from doing this, though.
It was Guo's Mom who called later, softly asking about Han Ziyu's tragic past. Guo Yalan told them everything, and Guo's Mom felt great sympathy for Han Ziyu and showed concern.
"She's with me now, building sisterly bonds. Don't worry, I'll protect her. No one can bully my sister," Guo Yalan joked, then laughed, "Mom, now that I have a sister, when are you going to give me a brother?"
"You're talking nonsense!"
"Where's the nonsense? I'm saying, now that I have a sister, you don't have to worry about me. Give me a brother soon." Guo Yalan laughed carefreely, making Han Ziyu feel that the family really didn't mind her sisterhood with Guo Yalan, and she gradually felt the warmth and began to smile.
If her sister really got a brother, even if it had nothing to do with her, she thought she would like him too.
