“No.” Song Chuyi rejected him coldly. “She’s still pregnant and cannot interact with dogs; no need to invite her. Go back and raise Charlotte yourself.”
Li Shaobin pouted. He felt that Old Song was becoming more and more like an ice mountain. Not cute at all.
Changqing felt that Song Chuyi acted rudely, so she said softly, “It’s okay, I’ll go to take a look after I give birth.”
Li Shaobin smiled. Women were cuter indeed.
When the three of them left, Song Chuyi said to Changqing expressionlessly, “You’re talking more and more to Li Shaobin now. How many times have you two talked on the phone behind my back?”
“You’re so lame. Why are you even jealous of Li Shaobin?” Changqing rolled her eyes at him. “You’re so petty.”
“I am petty. You’re not allowed to keep talking on the phone with him.” Song Chuyi reached his hand out. “Pass me your phone.”
“What for?”
“To blacklist Li Shaobin.”
Changqing: “…”
“I can’t be bothered with you.” Changqing turned to walk away. After taking a few steps, she turned back and said to Song Chuyi scornfully,” Chuchu, a man is detestable when he’s too petty. You’re really getting less and less cute.”
Song Chuyi clenched his teeth angrily. She actually said I’m detestable?
This was all Li Shaobin’s fault. Why hadn’t a woman come to take care of him? A man would work too even if there wasn’t any woman.
—————————-
At the door of the Yan Household, Li Shaobin and Yan Molun each drove off in their cars. Duoyao sat in the passenger’s seat glumly. She was so glum because she could feel that Yan Molun was in a bad mood. Ever since they left the Yan Household, his face had been gloomy. His face had sharp angles, making him look serious to begin with, especially the scar near his eye—it made him look very scary when he didn’t speak.
Duoyao shrank back cautiously. This person sitting beside her was no simpleton. She couldn’t offend him.
“Why aren’t you talking to me? Didn’t you have a lot to talk about when you were chatting with Li Shaobin just now?” Yan Molun finally said. However, his tone was so cold that it could freeze a person.
Duoyao bit her lower lip innocently. “I didn’t have a lot to talk about with him.”
“You didn’t? You two haven’t stopped chatting the moment you met. You even dissed each other.” Yan Molun tightened his grip on the steering wheel. “What did you talk about when you weren’t with me? If you think my actions scared you, what about Li Shaobin? He mixes around in the underworld, yet you’re not even afraid of him. Are you happier with him than with me?”
Duoyao was stunned for a while and when she finally regained her senses, she looked at him with incredulity. “Changqing also chatted very happily with Li Shaobin.”
“That means you two indeed enjoyed yourselves.” Yan Molun caught onto the keyword. “You’re not afraid of him but you’re afraid of me?”
Duoyao lowered her head vacantly. She couldn’t figure out why things were like that either. Perhaps it was because Li Shaobin was humorous, straightforward and carefree, while Yan Molun would sometimes give off a gloomy feeling. However, he helped her today so she definitely wouldn’t say it aloud. Otherwise, that would be too ungrateful of her. “It’s not that. Thank you so much for today. If it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t have been able to terminate my contract so quickly.”
Not only did Yan Molun’s anger not subside, but it swelled up instead. To him, her words sounded distant. “Do you think that saying thanks is necessary between us?”
Duoyao wanted to cry. What on earth did he want? It seemed as though she was in the wrong no matter what she said. She wasn’t good with words from the start. “No, of course there’s no need to say thanks between the two of us. It’s just that… there’s nothing bad about saying thanks.”
Yan Molun looked at her disapprovingly. His gaze was still as cold.
Duoyao was bewildered and she lowered her head silently.
…
The car drove all the way into the villa. Yan Molun wasn’t in a rush to get out of the car. Duoyao cowered as she unbuckled her seatbelt. Seeing that he was still sitting there and looking at her with his dark eyes, she felt her heart drop. She said softly, “Aren’t we getting out?”
“Are you very scared of me right now?” Yan Molun asked helplessly with a frown.
Duoyao looked at him for a while and hesitated before answering nervously, “I am a little. I know I shouldn’t be. You helped me and of course I’m very touched, but I’m just a little afraid. I’m afraid I’ll be swept into this unknown world, especially the world you belong to. I don’t know what kind of person you used to be. Maybe killing a person is like killing a fish to you. Sorry… It might not be appropriate for me to say this because some people’s fates are sealed the moment they’re born, but I don’t want to lead a life of unrest with fighting and killing. You asked me why I was able to chat so happily with Li Shaobin earlier. That’s right, he might be involved in the underworld but… I think you might be even more dangerous than he is. You’re the one who’s really been through life and death, but he hasn’t. He just likes to fight and has no intention of killing. Sometimes, you give me the feeling that you’re out to kill.”
Yan Molun’s pupils constricted.
The light in the car wasn’t on. It was dim all around, making the blatant fear and uneasiness in Duoyao’s bright eyes even more obvious.
Yan Molun could only feel his heart wringing. He turned away to light a cigarette. His profile looked chilly.
Duoyao watched him and felt as though there were countless ants nibbling her heart. “But you helped me today and I still understand that clearly. If it wasn’t for you, why would the Kang Corporation have terminated my contract so easily? I can’t say that your actions were wrong today. I don’t clearly understand what happened to Kang Anhe after, but… can you think about me next time? After all, you’re not like the person you were before. You used to be alone and it might not matter to you whether you live or die, but you have to consider me in the future. I’m a very ordinary person and I will get afraid.”
Yan Molun gazed at her deeply. After a very long while, when Duoyao couldn’t handle his gaze anymore, he said softly, “Okay, then you can’t be afraid of me in the future. You still have to act as you did before. Duoyao, you might feel afraid when you see me, but my fists and strength are usually only used to protect the people around me. I never harm the people around me. Don’t worry—I won’t pull you into my past.”
Duoyao nodded. She didn’t realize that her hands, which were gripping the corner of her shirt tightly, relaxed slowly. “Also, your gun. Can you not bring such a thing with you all the time? How dangerous would it be if you were found out? This isn’t the United States; it’s illegal to carry a gun around. Also, I feel that although you can use a gun to protect a person, sometimes, when a person gets agitated, he could lose control easily too. Think about it—what if I were to quarrel with you one day and you suddenly pointed the gun at my head because you got angry…”
She suddenly shuddered from fear. The corners of Yan Molun’s lips twitched. “I have very strong self-control. I’m not like that.”
Duoyao shook her head in disbelief. “In the States, there’s often news of shooting at bars because of fights and there are also husbands who shoot their wives. Even locally, there are also cases of couples hacking each other with knives because they get too agitated from fighting. Whatever it is, it’s too scary. Human impulses are the devil. I still want to live to a ripe old age.”
Yan Molun threw his cigarette butt out angrily. This woman had such a fertile imagination. “Alright, then I won’t bring a gun with me, will that do?”
“You can’t leave it at home either,” Duoyao said solemnly.
“… Alright.” Yan Molun replied with his teeth clenched. “But on one condition.”
Duoyao looked at him curiously with her large eyes.
Yan Molun said coldly, “You’re not allowed to be so chummy with Li Shaobin and you’re not allowed to chat so happily with him.”
Duoyao: “….”
Crazy.
She opened the car door and Yan Molun grabbed onto her arm. “Why? I already agreed to your terms. Why are you running away from me?”
“Who’s running away?” Duoyao rolled her eyes and said angrily, “Don’t tell me you think I have something going on with Li Shaobin behind your back? You’re so disgusting. Besides, I think you’re not respecting your friend at all.”
Yan Molun was stunned from her despising and disgusted gaze. “I didn’t mean that.”
He was just unhappy when he saw her chatting so merrily with Li Shaobin. He liked it when she only smiled at him and even when she glared at him, she was very cute and pretty, looking like she was acting coquettishly. However, a man shouldn’t say such things in such a straightforward way.
Duoyao continued to say, “I don’t believe you could’ve resolved today’s matter just by yourself. You must’ve also gotten help from Li Shaobin. You’re doing this even though he helped you? Yan Molun, don’t you think that you’re too petty?”
Yan Molun was angry but he found it funny at the same time. So does she think I’m petty right now?
Duoyao pulled her hand back. “That’s not how things should be between friends. You can’t only use him. Just because he’s a little foolish doesn’t mean you can bully him.”
“I didn’t…” Yan Molun’s face sank. She had already painted a nasty picture of him in her mind. “Li Shaobin and I are close brothers but shouldn’t I feel unhappy when I see the two of you getting too close? You’re not as happy chatting with me as you are with him.”
“Then you should do some reflecting on yourself.” Duoyao snorted. “You should learn from your friend and not use such underhanded means; it’ll only make you look petty. I don’t like petty boyfriends.”
After she said that, she pushed the door open and stepped out.
Yan Molun didn’t know whether to laugh or to cry. Learn from Li Shaobin?
I’m going crazy.
…
After Duoyao walked into the house, she threw herself onto the couch and switched on the television. Yan Molun walked to her side and said, “If I were like Li Shaobin, I’m afraid I wouldn’t be able to find a girlfriend.”
Duoyao thought he was petty enough at first. The moment she heard that, she knitted her pretty brows together. “Are you done? You’re even dissing your own friend.”
“Who’s dissing?” Yan Molun was speechless. Is whatever I say wrong now? How long has the afternoon been? She’s already quarreling with me over Li Shaobin. “What I mean is that you’ve only seen his good side and not his bad side. Have you seen the way he dresses? It’s a mess. Just because Changqing says he looks good in black, he keeps wearing only black…”
“Cut it out. The more you say, the more I find you petty.” Duoyao interrupted him once again. “How can you talk bad about your friend? Have you seen me talking bad about Changqing? Once you treat a person as your friend, you should give in and embrace that person and not talk bad about him. Brother Molun, you disappoint me; I didn’t think you were like this. How are you different from those unethical gossip mongers? Also, no matter what, I consider Li Shaobin my savior. When me, Changqing, Guan Ying, and Ruan Yang were beaten up very badly, if it wasn’t for his help, I would’ve long been beaten to death. I’m someone who remembers other people’s kindness very clearly.”
Yan Molun swallowed his words silently. If he were to go on, he would probably turn into a sly villain who talked bad about his friend in her eyes. However, because of her critique, he was starting to doubt himself. Am I being too petty as a friend?
But I’m not. I really just didn’t want to see her chatting so happily with Li Shaobin.
Could my status really be lower than Li Shaobin now?
His face sank. He couldn’t accept it. “Duoyao, don’t tell me I’m not even as important as Li Shaobin now?”
Duoyao really felt that men were sometimes very unreasonable and even Yan Molun was no exception. “You’re my boyfriend, while he’s your friend. Who do you think is more important?”
Yan Molun’s expression changed for the better.
Duoyao continued to say, “Brother Molun, you’d better carefully think about the true value of friendship. I think Li Shaobin is very loyal and you should learn to be more open-minded. I don’t want to hear you bad-mouthing your friend anymore because I’m someone who takes friendships very seriously. I hope that my other half can be as loyal as I am.”
Yan Molun facepalmed and didn’t want to say a word more. The good reputation that he had built up had been completely destroyed in her heart because of Li Shaobin and it even seemed as though he had turned into a villain.
“Alright, I won’t do it anymore.” After a long while, he clenched his teeth and said it with difficulty.