Under Yi Han’s repeated probing, Xiao Yufan remained as guarded as ever—unshaken no matter how hard the winds blew or the rains poured. Soon enough, this young lady gave up on digging further…
Xiao Yufan fell into deep thought. Sometimes, plans simply couldn’t keep up with changes. Originally, he had intended to wait patiently for his master to reveal everything voluntarily, but now it seemed he could no longer afford to wait.
He didn’t know much about the Situ Clan, but judging from people’s reactions, its unmatched influence in the business world was obvious. Most likely, what made others wary were simply money and power.
“Just what exactly is the Situ Clan…” Xiao Yufan naturally had no answer. Right now, the only person he could rely on was his master. All he could hope was that his suspicions would be confirmed.
At this moment, Xiao Yufan felt a completely different inner transformation—compared to his former self, he now carried more confidence and defiance. Perhaps even he himself couldn’t quite understand where this sudden boldness and arrogance stemmed from…
“Master, are you… okay?”
As he dialed his master’s number, Xiao Yufan was surprised to find himself at a loss for words for the first time. The feeling of dependence he once had gradually faded, yet he understood that this familial bond could never truly disappear.
“What could possibly be wrong with me? I’m just an old man; as long as you young people are doing well, I don’t care about anything else! Come on, what trouble have you run into this time that makes you act so unusually attentive?”
The voice from the other end of the line carried a hint of weariness, and Xiao Yufan couldn’t help but feel a pang in his heart. Grandpa’s departure had taught him that once you miss someone, they may be gone forever. Thus, he wanted to try to hold onto every little moment.
“I want to meet you, Master. There’s so much that can’t be explained over the phone. Besides, it’s been a long time since we last had a proper chat…”
His voice wavered slightly. Xiao Yufan knew that no matter how busy or tired his master might be, he was always watching over him. Without his master’s presence, he couldn’t imagine how awkward his life might have become.
“It seems you’ve finally figured something out. Alright then, tonight meet me at that small bar you often go to—I’ll be waiting for you there!”
After a moment of hesitation, his master finally agreed, choosing the bar owned by Fan Le, clearly indicating that he had always been keeping track of Xiao Yufan’s movements.
With a soft hum in reply, Xiao Yufan hung up the phone, finding himself inexplicably excited. Whether it was the anticipation of finally confirming his maddening identity or the reunion with his master after so many years, he couldn’t tell.
He pulled out a letter from his bag and a faint smile curled his lips. He had read this letter countless times, yet each time he took it out, it brought him a fresh wave of heartfelt emotion.
As the saying goes: “The tides of fortune shift constantly; never underestimate a young man in hardship.” Sometimes, luck itself is a form of strength, for many people’s success is built upon a higher platform. Thus, the bolder your ambitions, the wider your world becomes…
These were words from his master’s letter—words Xiao Yufan deeply understood. Youth without boldness is wasted, and much of his own audacity and pride came from the profound impact his master had on him. That, indeed, was the foundation of his confidence and arrogance.
“Let not the heavens hide the sun forever; wait until the day when jade blossoms shine bright!”
This was the dream Xiao Yufan had written when he first arrived in Beijing. For the first time, he felt so close to his dream—so near he could almost touch it, even if not all of it was the result of his own efforts.
Perhaps Xiao Yufan hadn’t yet figured out how to fully accept his new identity, but he had made up his mind—if he continued to run away, not only would he end up broken, but those closest to him might also be dragged into the chaos.
“No matter what, I’ll face it head-on. This time, I won’t be someone cast aside again…”
Time dragged on, and Xiao Yufan was nearly driven mad by the wait. Fortunately, the afternoon finally wound down to the end of the workday. He tried to calm himself, suppressing the excitement bubbling inside.
“Tonight I might be coming back a bit late. I can’t say exactly when, but I probably won’t be staying out all night.”
Without realizing it, Xiao Yufan had grown accustomed to reporting his schedule to Yi Han, which had cost him many nights of freedom. But he had no one to blame but himself—he had agreed to their three stipulations after all.
“What do you mean by ‘probably’? Don’t tell me you don’t even know whether you’ll be coming back tonight! If you’re planning to break our agreement, don’t forget to consider the consequences…”
Yi Han was clearly not impressed by Xiao Yufan’s vague response. Recently, Xiao Yufan had been unusually well-behaved, giving her no chance to catch him in anything. Now that she finally had an opportunity, she certainly wasn’t going to let it slip.
“Break the agreement, move out of the apartment. Come on, you’ve been holding that over my head for so long—don’t you get tired of it? If you really think my presence bothers you, I’ll just leave!”
His temper flared suddenly. It wasn’t hard to understand his frustration—being controlled so tightly by Yi Han, he wasn’t made of paper, so how could he not have any anger? He had just never shown it—until today.
“You…”
Yi Han’s expression turned sour. She hadn’t expected Xiao Yufan to be so explosive. But what could she do besides feel angry? Was she really going to kick him out?
“Miss Yi, maybe Brother Fan really does have something important going on. Doesn’t he deserve a bit of personal space?”
Qin Menglu finally couldn’t bear to watch any longer. The moment the two started talking, they immediately began arguing. If this continued, who knew what might happen next. She quickly stepped in to mediate, genuinely worried Yi Han might actually throw Xiao Yufan out in a fit of rage.
Giving Qin Menglu a sharp, disapproving glance, Yi Han felt a sudden sense of being undermined. Just as the saying goes: “Once a girl grows up, she no longer sides with her family.” Even before anything was official between them, Menglu was already taking his side. What would happen later?
“Always putting on that cold, distant act. When will you ever be even a tenth as considerate and understanding as my Menglu? Then maybe you wouldn’t be so lonely…”
Shaking his head, Xiao Yufan didn’t want his good mood ruined by Yi Han. He turned and walked straight out of the CEO’s office, leaving Yi Han standing there, stunned. Those words pierced her heart like a needle…
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