Upon hearing Bai Xuanmo’s words, Ye Sinian looked at him as if he were insane.
Ye Cheng had no idea what Bai Xuanmo was talking about and simply welcomed them inside cheerfully. “Perfect timing! Since you’re back, let’s celebrate together.”
As Bai Xuanmo stepped in, his eyes remained fixed on Ye Shaohua.
Ye Shaohua was helping Du Man carry a dish to the table. Hearing his words, she merely glanced at him in surprise. “What are you talking about?”
Her reaction seemed genuine.
“Nothing.” Bai Xuanmo lowered his head and sighed, feeling as though he might have lost his mind.
Ye Sinian had little patience for the Ye family.
Just as the five of them were about to eat, the doorbell rang again.
Ye Shaohua, seated closest to the door, got up to answer it.
When she saw the person standing outside, she froze for a moment.
“Sorry to disturb,” Yun Nuo said, though his tone carried no trace of apology. “Uncle, Auntie, hello. My name is Yun Nuo.”
Despite his military background, Yun Nuo could conceal his sharpness when needed, exuding an air of quiet nobility.
His strikingly handsome face carried an aloof, almost imperious demeanor when he wasn’t smiling.
Ye Cheng recognized him as the man who had spoken to his daughter earlier.
Du Man, however, had never seen this young man before and thought he looked even more striking than a celebrity.
“Sinian, is this your friend?” Du Man instinctively assumed he was Ye Sinian’s acquaintance—after all, Ye Shaohua was introverted and only had a few online friends. Someone like Yun Nuo didn’t seem like the type Ye Shaohua would associate with.
Yun Nuo smiled faintly. “No, I’m here to see Shaohua.”
“Shaohua?” Du Man’s voice hitched slightly.
But her eyes brightened as she looked at Yun Nuo, immediately fetching an extra bowl and chopsticks from the kitchen. “Yun Nuo, you haven’t eaten yet, right? Come, sit right here.”
Yun Nuo sat down gracefully beside Ye Shaohua.
At the table, Ye Sinian and Bai Xuanmo wore expressions as if they’d seen a ghost.
After dinner, Yun Nuo chatted with Ye Cheng while Ye Shaohua helped Du Man clear the dishes.
Normally, Ye Sinian never helped with such chores, but for some reason today, she squeezed in beside Ye Shaohua, her gaze complicated.
“How do you know Captain Yun?” Ye Sinian finally couldn’t hold back her question.
Ye Shaohua replied indifferently, “Online.”
“Do you even know who Captain Yun really is?” Ye Sinian studied Ye Shaohua’s expression. “I advise you not to get too involved. Someone like him wouldn’t genuinely care about you.”
Hearing this, Ye Shaohua glanced at her. “We met online. He hasn’t told me who he is, but I assume he’s in the military, like you? Do you know him?”
“I do, but his identity is classified,” Ye Sinian said dismissively. “You don’t have the clearance to know.”
Upon learning that Yun Nuo hadn’t revealed anything to Ye Shaohua, Ye Sinian tossed her bowl into the sink and walked out.
“What were you and Sinian talking about?” Du Man entered the kitchen, pleased to see the sisters interacting—they hadn’t been this civil in a long time.
Ye Shaohua turned on the water for Du Man. “Nothing much.”
Du Man didn’t press further, though she glanced toward the living room and lowered her voice excitedly. “How did you meet Yun Nuo? That boy seems very sincere, with good character. And he doesn’t look down on us old folks.”
It seemed Yun Nuo had effortlessly charmed the older couple. Ye Shaohua chuckled. “He’s an online friend. Dad even answered his call once before.”
“An online friend?” Du Man’s eyes sparkled. “That’s good, that’s very good.”
She had once worried that Ye Shaohua’s online friends might be scammers, but now it seemed they were far better than that Mr. Han recommended by Grandma Li.
After dinner, Yun Nuo prepared to leave.
“Has your family offended someone?” Ye Shaohua walked him downstairs. Yun Nuo’s refined features carried a hint of coldness as he spoke.
Ye Shaohua wasn’t surprised. She glanced at a black car parked across the street. “Not the family. Just one person.”
Her gaze flickered toward Ye Sinian.
In the original storyline, it was Ye Sinian’s enemies who had brought disaster upon Ye Cheng’s family. Because the culprits were international criminals, the local police had hastily closed the case as a home invasion.
Seeing that Ye Shaohua was aware of the situation, Yun Nuo didn’t press further.
After seeing him off, Ye Shaohua returned upstairs to find Du Man and Ye Cheng in high spirits, even breaking out some wine.
As they drank, they reminisced about the past.
“I failed my parents… I lost my little sister,” Ye Cheng said, wiping away tears. This was his greatest regret. “I never should’ve left her alone at the train station while I went to buy her food. I knew she was sick—I should’ve taken her with me…”
Du Man patted his back comfortingly. “It wasn’t your fault. Blame those vile human traffickers.”
This tragedy had ultimately driven Ye Cheng to enlist.
Watching them, Ye Shaohua narrowed her eyes slightly.
A sister?
The original plot hadn’t mentioned this—but then again, the reclusive Ye Shaohua of the story would never have asked about Ye Cheng’s past.
It seemed her aunt had been abducted.
Ye Shaohua wondered if she might still be alive. She decided to investigate quietly first—no need to raise their hopes without confirmation.
If her aunt had ever left a digital footprint, Ye Shaohua’s search tools would find it.
Over the next few days, Ye Shaohua went to work at Nan Corporation—though “work” mostly meant leading a team on a project. For her, it was just a mental exercise.
Ye Sinian, meanwhile, hadn’t returned to the military base and seemed busy at home.
One evening, as Ye Shaohua returned from work, Ye Sinian rushed out the door.
Had Ye Shaohua not dodged swiftly, she would’ve been knocked over.
Ye Sinian was on the phone with Bai Xuanmo and shot Ye Shaohua a guarded look before switching to French.
Ye Shaohua had no intention of interfering—until she heard Yun Nuo’s name. “What’s going on?”
Ye Sinian smirked at her, like an adult humoring a child. “I told you, Ye Shaohua. We exist in a world you’ll never understand.”
