“Take this money.”
Wan Jiayin turned around, took a thick envelope from Yue Guohuai’s hand, and placed it in Ye Zhiqiu’s hand. “Even if you’re on a tight budget, you need funds for the road. The business environment in Jiangning is better than it is here. If you have time off, go out and do some shopping.”
“Mom, Dad, it’s okay. Mingyuan got a bonus.”
Ye Zhiqiu tried to push the envelope back, but Wan Jiayin pushed it right back into her hands. She held Ye Zhiqiu’s hands and patted them. “The money he gives you is his gift to you. This is from your father and me.”
“When an elder gives you something, you shouldn’t refuse it. Just take it, okay?”
“Also, don’t be afraid if anything happens. Just tell us. Our family doesn’t bully others, but we won’t be bullied either.”
Yue Guohuai and Wan Jiayin had grown fonder of Ye Zhiqiu, mostly because of their relationship with Yaya. Before, they thought her personality was a bit too unique and didn’t quite fit in with their family. But after everything that happened with her father and stepmother, their impression of her completely changed. Her outwardly gentle but inwardly strong character was a perfect match for their Mingyuan. She was truly one of them now.
“Mom, I’ll remember what you said.”
Ye Zhiqiu put the money in her suitcase, said goodbye to Yue Guohuai and Wan Jiayin, and then left the house with Yue Mingli.
When Yaya woke up, she saw Huo Jiusi and took the initiative to hold his hand: [Has my mom already left?]
Huo Jiusi looked up at the clock on the wall. “By this time, Auntie Ye should already be on the plane.”
[Every day, I had Mom by my side, so I never really thought about it. But now that she’s gone, I suddenly miss her so much.]
The more Yaya thought about it, the sadder she felt, and she burst into tears.
It just so happened that Meng Fang was resting at home today. Hearing Yaya cry, she quickly came over, lifted Yaya out of her small crib, and gently patted her back. “Don’t cry, Yaya. Don’t cry, sweetie.”
“What’s wrong with Yaya?”
Wan Jiayin also heard Yaya crying and came upstairs.
Meng Fang looked at Huo Jiusi, who explained, “Yaya misses Auntie Ye.”
Wan Jiayin, experienced in these matters, opened the closet, found a piece of clothing that Ye Zhiqiu often wore at home, and placed it in Yaya’s arms. Then she took out a handkerchief and gently wiped away Yaya’s tears. “Yaya, Mom will come back as soon as her work is done, okay?”
Yaya nodded to show she understood, but she just couldn’t help herself.
After crying for a while, Yaya’s sobs turned into soft whimpers.
Huo Jiusi followed her to the play area by the window. Yaya leaned against him, staring out the window, her little shoulders trembling.
Huo Jiusi’s heart ached for her. He held Yaya’s small hand and shook it gently. “Yaya, how about I take you to Jiangning to find Auntie Ye?”
Yaya tilted her head and looked at Huo Jiusi. He knew she didn’t believe what he was saying, so he explained: “I have a private plane parked at the Guojing Airport. I just checked the map, and Guojing isn’t far from Jiangning. If we take the plane, it’ll only take a little over two hours.”
Even though she really wanted to do it, Yaya remembered how old they both were. She gently shook her head: [Little Devil, thank you, but don’t worry about it. I just miss my mom. I’ll feel better in a little while.]
“But the way you cried made me feel terrible inside. How can I make you as happy as you usually are every day?”
The moment Huo Jiusi heard Yaya cry out loud, it felt like a knife had been ruthlessly stabbed into the tip of his heart. The pain was unbearable. Before, he never felt there was anything in this world to be afraid of. But now, there was.
“I miss my mom too. But you can still see your mom someday. I’ll never see mine again.” Huo Jiusi sighed.
Yaya stopped whimpering. She opened her big, watery eyes wide and looked at Huo Jiusi: [Little Devil, did your mom pass away?]
Before, she had seen two black-and-white photos on the table in the Little Devil’s room. One was of Grandpa Huo, and the other was of a very beautiful woman. The Little Devil’s eyes and eyebrows looked very similar to that woman’s, about eighty percent alike. So that must be his mom. She just didn’t expect his mom had passed away so early.
She had also heard her grandparents mention it once, but she didn’t know the details.
“My mom’s plane crashed.”
A sharp, cold gleam suddenly flashed in Huo Jiusi’s eyes. His usually slightly blue eyes instantly turned a deep purple, making him look incredibly noble yet also filled with a dangerous, sinister air.
Yaya had never seen Huo Jiusi like this before. It made her a little bit scared, but even more than that, she felt sorry for him.
She took the initiative to hold Huo Jiusi’s hand, and her other little hand stretched up to touch his face. “Little Devil, from now on, I’ll be with you.”
Huo Jiusi was stunned. The deep purple in his eyes slowly faded, returning to that clear, bright blue.
“You said it! No take-backs!”
Huo Jiusi held Yaya’s small hand and gently tapped the tip of her little nose. “If you dare to go back on your word, I’ll…”
[What will you do?] Yaya puffed out her little cheeks and glared at Huo Jiusi.
“I… I… I’ll just try my hardest to be even better to you. As long as I’m incredibly, incredibly good to you—the best in the whole world—then you’ll definitely never want to leave me.”
“Yaya, as long as you’re willing to stay by my side, no matter what you want, no matter what you want to do, I’ll make it happen for you.”
Huo Jiusi tried to hug Yaya, but she pushed him away: [Little Devil, have you ever heard a saying?]
“What saying?”
[Promises should not be made lightly, for then I will not fail others.]
[A promise is not something you make easily. If the other person believes you, and you can’t keep it, the small thing is that you lose their trust. But the big thing is that you hurt them and let them down.]
[You’ve said this to me for the second time now. Don’t say it to me again.]
[Once or twice, I’ll think you’re joking and won’t believe it. But if you say it too often, I will start to believe it.]
[I’m not even one year old yet, and you’re only five. Our life paths are still very, very long. We can’t know what will happen in the future. And since we can’t be sure, we shouldn’t speak in absolutes.]
[Even though Master Qingfeng said we have karmic ties from a past life, destined to be bound together in this one, fate is still something that can change. I think we shouldn’t worry too much about it. It’s better to just follow our hearts.]
Whether it was from being a cat for a few years or because it was just her nature, Yaya valued independence and freedom.
But when Huo Jiusi kept talking about “forever” and “a lifetime,” it made her feel a lot of pressure, like she could already see her whole life laid out ahead of her, and that made life seem a bit boring.
Huo Jiusi understood what Yaya was saying. But he hadn’t made a promise lightly. He had only ever said these things to Yaya.
“Okay. I agreed to follow your heart. We’ll do that.”
Because of their previous argument, Huo Jiusi didn’t dare to oppose Yaya. He was afraid she might really stop talking to him.
[What happened to you earlier? Was your mom’s death not an accident?] Yaya changed the subject.
Huo Jiusi ruffled Yaya’s hair. “Yaya, wait until you’re a little older, and then I’ll tell you all the details, okay?”
“Okay.”
Jiangning.
Ye Zhiqiu arrived at the main gate of the dance troupe. Just as she was about to walk in, she heard someone calling her name.
