Chapter 121: Do You Like Me?

"How could that be? Why would you ask me that?" Ye Xuan turned his head to glance at Yang Bingyu, his face full of confusion.

"If you aren’t planning to leave me, why did you just ask if I was willing to go back to Jingcheng with you? And why are you being so good to me, almost granting my every request?" Yang Bingyu gave a bitter smile and continued.

"I know the person you like is Lin Aoxue. In the past, it was always me forcing you to stay by my side. After everything we’ve been through, I’ve finally figured it out.

"You can’t force matters of the heart. I know you don’t like me. You want to be with Lin Aoxue, and I respect your choice.

"You don’t have to treat me well out of guilt. I, Yang Bingyu, don’t need your pity or charity."

These words made Ye Xuan knit his brows tightly. He never expected his remarks to cause such a massive misunderstanding.

"My return to Jingcheng is only a matter of time. I asked if you were willing to go back with me because I was considering how the Yang family might ostracize you in the future," Ye Xuan patiently explained.

"Rather than leaving you to suffer grievances with the Yang family, it’s better to bring you back to Jingcheng. As for treating you well, it’s not out of pity or charity. Don’t burden yourself with such heavy thoughts."

"Then, do you like me?"

Who would have thought that right after he finished explaining the first issue, Yang Bingyu would deliver another fatal blow?

How was Ye Xuan supposed to answer that? In truth, he didn’t even know what kind of feelings he had for her anymore. To say he didn’t like her wouldn’t be accurate; it wasn’t as if his heart had never fluttered for her. But to say he liked her felt like something was missing. Furthermore, with her status as Chen Hao’s sister standing between them, Ye Xuan always felt like he was letting Chen Hao down.

"You don’t need to answer. I already know." Seeing Ye Xuan hesitate to answer, Yang Bingyu let out a self-deprecating laugh. She turned her head away, ignoring him as she stared out the window at the passing scenery alone.

"Sigh... you. How did you become so melancholy?" Freeing one hand from the steering wheel, Ye Xuan ruffled her hair and let out a heavy sigh.

"I do have feelings for you. I don’t know if it counts as liking you, but at the very least, I don’t dislike you.

"The reason I didn’t answer your question right away was that I didn’t know how to word it. Plus, as you know, there’s still Aoxue between us.

"I don’t want to hurt either of you. I just want both of you to be well."

Having said his piece, Ye Xuan returned his full attention to driving. Meanwhile, Yang Bingyu, who still had her back turned to him, couldn’t stop the corners of her lips from curling upward.

Even though he hadn’t explicitly said he liked her, this answer was already enough. After taking the initiative for so long and loving him for so long, she had finally received a tiny bit of a response. With her mood lifted, her nerves gradually relaxed, and before she knew it, Yang Bingyu drifted off to sleep.

By the time she woke up again, the sky was nearly dark. She rubbed her loudly rumbling stomach and got out of bed, heading downstairs to look for Ye Xuan.

Although the lights in Yunju Mountain Villa were all turned on, Ye Xuan was nowhere to be seen. Yang Bingyu took out her phone to call him, but the line was busy. This made her increasingly curious. "Where did Ye Xuan go, and who is he talking to?" she wondered. "Is it Lin Aoxue?"

At the thought of this, a trace of jealousy welled up in her heart. She found a shawl and walked out into the garden.

There, she spotted Ye Xuan standing beneath the wisteria trellis, his face grave as he spoke to someone on the phone. Yang Bingyu quietly crept closer, wanting to eavesdrop on the conversation.

"Old man, the Xiao family went too far this time. Xiao Ran deserved to die. If the Xiao family continues to pressure you, I don’t mind having Orioles have a little chat with them."

He paused briefly, listening to the person on the other end of the line.

"Don’t worry, I’ll be fine," Ye Xuan continued. "Be careful in Jingcheng; the situation is getting more and more volatile."

Another brief silence followed.

"Give me a month at most. Once I finish wrapping up matters in Jianghai City, I’ll head back to Jingcheng. It’s time to put those clowns in their place."

Ye Xuan was so engrossed in his phone call that he didn’t notice Yang Bingyu’s arrival at all.

Yang Bingyu couldn’t help but feel curious. "Who is this ’old man’ he’s talking about?" she thought. "Has the Xiao family already made their move? Does that mean Ye Xuan is at a disadvantage? He’s going back to Jingcheng in a month? What about me? Should I go back with him?"

"Bingyu? Why are you out here?"

Just as her mind was swirling with a thousand questions, Ye Xuan finished his call. Turning his head, he saw her standing blankly behind him and asked with concern.

"Um, I woke up and saw you weren’t in the house, so I came out to look for you." Caught eavesdropping, Yang Bingyu lowered her eyes in embarrassment and mumbled softly.

"Silly girl, it’s cold outside. Let’s go in. You slept the whole afternoon; you must be starving, right? I made some seafood porridge, and it’s still hot." Ye Xuan chuckled and pinched her cheek gently, then took her hand and led her back inside. He noted to himself that she had lost a lot of weight recently and needed some proper nourishment.

Looking down at her hand tightly clasped in his, a trace of sweetness rippled through Yang Bingyu’s heart. Like an obedient little wife, she followed docilely behind him, letting him lead the way. "If only I could be cherished by this man for the rest of my life," she thought yearningly.

"The temperature is just right. Hurry and taste it—is it good?" Ye Xuan brought a brimming bowl of seafood porridge out from the kitchen, placed it in front of Yang Bingyu, and urged her to try it.

Yang Bingyu took a spoonful and immediately nodded vigorously. "It’s delicious. I didn’t know you could cook."

"I learned when I was staying at the Lin family’s home. I know how to make a lot of dishes. I’ll slowly cook them all for you in the future."

Seeing her eat so happily lifted Ye Xuan’s mood as well. He sat beside her, watching her eat the porridge with a doting gaze.

"Y-you should eat too. Staring at me like that makes me feel really awkward." Being stared at so intensely made Yang Bingyu’s cheeks flush red. She lowered her head shyly as she spoke.

"You really are a silly girl. What is there to be shy about in front of me?" Ye Xuan smiled at her, then got up to serve himself a bowl.

Yang Bingyu was truly starving. She didn’t even bother talking to him anymore, focusing entirely on gulping down the porridge.

"Eat slower, no one is going to snatch it from you. There’s still more in the kitchen when you’re done," Ye Xuan reminded her helplessly, afraid she might choke after seeing her take such massive bites.

"Ye Xuan, let’s go on a trip to the Maldives." Before long, Yang Bingyu had finished the entire large bowl. She licked her lips, looking as though she hadn’t quite had enough, and made her suggestion.

Ye Xuan took her bowl, went into the kitchen to serve her another portion, and replied, "I’m fine with anything. If you want to go, I’ll go with you."

Yang Bingyu couldn’t express how thrilled she was that Ye Xuan had agreed so readily. But then another thought suddenly struck her. Didn’t he just say he needed to resolve the matters in Jianghai City within a month? If he was that busy, would he really have the time to accompany her on a trip?

"You’re probably going to be really busy... maybe we should just forget it."

Ye Xuan watched as the previously high-spirited Yang Bingyu suddenly deflated. He raised an eyebrow in confusion. "What’s wrong with this girl?" he wondered. "Why does it feel like her mood is off again?"

"I’m not too busy. If you want to go, I’ll accompany you."