Chapter 257, You said you have admired me for a long time (third watch)

Ye Jiuliang was at a loss for words, "..."

In the living room, Wei Nan and Wei Xi heard the commotion and had just stood up when they saw Li Mochan carrying someone back.

"Master."

Upon seeing the person in Li Mochan’s arms, Wei Nan’s expression subtly changed.

Li Mochan carried the person swiftly upstairs, too preoccupied to attend to the astonishment on Wei Xi’s face.

Wei Xi’s gaze followed the disappearing figures into the stairwell before he withdrew his eyes.

"Wei Bei, what’s the situation?"

"You saw it for yourself, didn’t you? The person is back, and Ye Jiuliang has taken care of both Li Hong and the Su Family," Wei Bei said.

Wei Xi opened his mouth in astonishment.

...

"Bang——"

The slamming door sound arose, blocking out the light spilling from the bedroom.

The atmosphere was calm but tinged with a bit of tension.

Ye Jiuliang nestled in his embrace, unable to bear the suffocating silence, and she was the first to speak.

"Is your cold better?"

Li Mochan looked down at her, his thin lips parting slightly, "It’s not better."

"Where else do you feel uncomfortable?" Upon hearing this, she instinctively reached out to feel his wrist.

He said, "Everywhere feels uncomfortable."

Realizing he was being emotional, Ye Jiuliang, both amused and frustrated, said, "Li Mochan, can you please speak properly?"

"Why did you run that day?" Li Mochan’s gaze locked onto her as he asked in a somewhat calmer but deep voice.

Unable to avoid the subject, Ye Jiuliang honestly replied, "There was a sudden emergency."

"Is that the only reason?"

Ye Jiuliang choked up.

Avoiding his gaze, she fell silent for a moment before saying in a muffled voice, "No, it isn’t."

He asked her, "Then what is it because of?"

Ye Jiuliang remained silent, looking down.

"Are you afraid I wouldn’t trust you, afraid I would suspect you deliberately approached me?" Li Mochan lightly pinched her jaw, forcing her to look up.

"Or are you afraid I would think you have ulterior motives towards me?"

It had to be said, every one of his words struck at her thoughts.

Ye Jiuliang looked up into his eyes, "So, do you trust me?"

"I’m nearly tearing my heart out to show you, Ye Jiuliang, do you still have a conscience asking this?" Li Mochan seized her hand, pressing it over the position of his heart, and asked through gritted teeth.

Facing the resentment in his eyes, Ye Jiuliang shrank her neck and muttered, "Can’t you be a little gentler with an injured person?"

Li Mochan felt a tightening in his chest from frustration and suddenly lowered his head, their noses almost touching, his voice becoming even more aggrieved, "You haven’t answered my calls for so many days, you little rascal, are you trying to drive me mad before you’ll be satisfied?"

Being the one in the wrong, Ye Jiuliang had nothing to argue.

Suddenly, a weight fell upon her shoulder as the man’s chin rested on it, his low and husky voice resonating, "Do you know how close to madness I was searching for you at that cliff, do you know how afraid I was that I might never see you again?"

The moment he heard she had jumped off the cliff, he had wanted to destroy everything, and he hated himself even more for letting her run away that night.

Ye Jiuliang’s eyes trembled slightly, and she raised her hands to encircle his waist, "Mohan, I’m sorry."

Li Mochan buried his face in her neck, his hoarse voice carrying a plea, "Don’t run away from me again."

Otherwise, he couldn’t guarantee what he might do.

"Okay," Ye Jiuliang forced a smile.

Brilliant light shone down, enveloping the two of them, spreading an invisible warmth around them.

Li Mochan straightened up, removed the ring from his little finger, looked down at her, and asked, "Do you still want this?"

Ye Jiuliang raised an eyebrow with a dandyish smile, "Of course."

She reached out her hand, and Li Mochan’s lips curved slightly, finally revealing a radiant smile.

He took the ring and put it back on her, drawing her hand to his lips for a kiss.

Ye Jiuliang chuckled lightly and snuggled into his embrace, indeed finding it the warmest place to be.

"Li Mochan, do you want to know why I broke into Mo Garden?"

With the conflict resolved, Li Mochan was in the mood to joke as well, "Wasn’t it to rush to my side?"

"Don’t flatter yourself," Ye Jiuliang retorted.

Li Mochan looked at her with a smile that was not quite a smile, "Isn’t that what you said yourself?"

Ye Jiuliang was puzzled, "What did I say?"

"You said you’ve admired me for a long time," he said.

With that reminder, Ye Jiuliang’s thoughts drifted back to the memory of that night.

She did seem to have said something like that.

Ye Jiuliang coughed lightly and said teasingly, "I was talking nonsense, who told you to have such a cold face that made people want to tease you."

Li Mochan almost laughed in annoyance, "Then why did you want to hide every time you saw me after that?"

"Not at all." Ye Jiuliang stubbornly said.

She brought the conversation back on track, looking at him with shining eyes, "Did you buy Heart of the Sea at an auction?"

"Heart of the Sea?" Li Mochan raised an eyebrow, looking a bit puzzled.

Seeing his bewildered look, Ye Jiuliang reminded him again, "The sapphire."

Thinking for a moment, Li Mochan frowned, "There seems to be such an incident, did you break into Mo Garden for the sake of that Heart of the Sea?"

Ye Jiuliang nodded, her eyes twinkling with a mischievous smile, "Mohan, let’s make a deal."

As soon as she spoke, Li Mochan instantly understood her intention.

"You want Heart of the Sea?"

"Whatever the price you paid, I’ll double it for you if you’ll give me Heart of the Sea," Ye Jiuliang said.

"Why do you want Heart of the Sea so badly?"

"To give it as a gift."

"To a man?" That was really the crux of the issue.

Ye Jiuliang glared at him, "To a woman."

"You can have Heart of the Sea, no need for money," Li Mochan’s gaze deepened.

"Trade something else for it."

Ye Jiuliang forced a smile, "I’m poor, I have nothing else to exchange with you, you might as well take the money."

Saying so, she made a move to get out of his embrace.

"Where do you think you’re going?" The person behind her reached out, his hand encircling her shoulder, drawing her back into his arms.

Accidentally pressing on a wound on her shoulder, Ye Jiuliang’s brows furrowed slightly as she tried to bear the pain in silence.

A faint smell of blood wafted into his nostrils, Li Mochan’s handsome face darkened as he pulled down the zipper of her jacket.

"What are you doing?" Ye Jiuliang leaned back, avoiding his hands.

"I haven’t eaten dinner yet, I’m hungry, I’ll go have dinner first."

"Don’t move." Li Mochan furrowed his brows, "Such a strong smell of blood from a minor wound?"

Ye Jiuliang had a headache, how could this man be so shrewd.

"Wolfie, tell the truth," Li Mochan urged, his threat implicit, "or shall I do it myself?"

Unable to keep it a secret any longer, Ye Jiuliang buried herself in his embrace and whispered softly, "I got shot in the shoulder."

Upon her words, the atmosphere around the man suddenly turned ice cold.