Chapter 125: Chapter 125: Don’t Treat Me Like a Child Anymore

The room was deathly silent.

The smile on Gu Nian’s face froze, and killing intent surfaced in his eyes.

Ye Linyuan shot back a contemptuous look, not yielding an inch.

Jiang Qingli, who had just come out, sensed the tense atmosphere between them. She quickly sat on the edge of the bed, positioning herself to block their animosity.

As the girl’s warmth drew near, Ye Linyuan’s expression softened slightly. Beneath the blanket, the tip of his snake tail swayed gently.

But the next second, she turned her head, frowned, and said, "Ye Linyuan, don’t bully a child."

Ye Linyuan: ?

His golden, vertical pupils narrowed slightly.

Behind her, Gu Nian raised a provocative eyebrow, his eyes filled with smug satisfaction.

Ye Linyuan almost laughed in anger.

He let out a cold scoff, not bothering to stoop to the level of someone like that.

Jiang Qingli couldn’t see Gu Nian’s expression and thought Ye Linyuan was angry with her.

She was the one who’d been bossed around yesterday, and Gu Nian was the one who had accompanied her and waited all night.

Neither of them was angry, so what did Ye Linyuan have to be angry about?

Jiang Qingli pressed her lips together, a little displeased.

A slight sting from the mark on his chest made Ye Linyuan raise his hand and grasp the girl’s wrist.

"Don’t touch me." Jiang Qingli tried to pull her hand away but failed, glaring at him in annoyance.

Gu Nian keenly sensed the shift in mood between the two.

He pinched the corner of Jiang Qingli’s shirt and gave it a gentle tug. "It’s okay, sister. You don’t have to... because of me..."

Gu Nian paused as if he was a little scared of Ye Linyuan’s earlier comment about being his father, then continued, "You don’t need to have a conflict with Mr. Ye because of me..."

"It has nothing to do with you," Jiang Qingli said, turning her face away with a huff. "I’m only angry because some people are being unreasonable."

Gu Nian watched her profile, the fingers of his lowered hand tightening into a fist.

’Jiang Qingli must not realize that even though she’s saying angry words, they carry no threat at all.’

’It’s like she’s just giving Ye Linyuan a chance to coax her...’

’Are they really that intimate?’

A sour feeling washed over him. Gu Nian clenched his jaw, his head spinning as he found it hard to breathe.

He was about to say something more, but Ye Linyuan softened his tone and said to Jiang Qingli, "I have something for you."

Jiang Qingli looked up, saw his serious expression, and asked, "What is it?"

Ye Linyuan glanced at Gu Nian, his voice low. "I’ll only show it to you."

"It’s okay, sister. I was just about to go get some breakfast anyway." Gu Nian offered an understanding smile and stood up to leave.

Jiang Qingli didn’t feel comfortable leaving him alone, so she broke free from Ye Linyuan’s grasp to walk him to the elevator. She took a picture of the floor directory for him and reminded him not to get lost and to call if he needed anything.

She was acting as if Gu Nian were a small child going out on his own for the first time.

Gu Nian smiled and told her not to worry.

Jiang Qingli turned and walked back toward the suite, and he stood there watching her.

Gu Nian didn’t move, even after the girl’s figure had vanished from sight.

He recalled the earlier situation between Ye Linyuan and Jiang Qingli—seemingly tense, yet full of room for reconciliation.

The scene from the underground auction house seemed to flash before his eyes again—

The girl throwing herself into the gloomy young man’s arms, calling him "husband" in a soft voice, her slender waist fitting perfectly in his palm.

Under the crystal chandeliers, they had looked so well-matched.

A deep sense of resentment and bitterness surged within him. His fingertips dug deeply into his palm, bringing a sharp pain and the faint feeling of moisture.

Gu Nian looked down and saw blood spreading across his fingertips.

Somehow, he thought of Jiang Qingli’s words to Ye Linyuan: "Don’t bully a child."

Even a kindergartener could tell the difference between the words "husband" and "child." The former was much closer to love.

Blood dripped from between his fingers. Gu Nian sighed softly.

The elevator doors closed, leaving the silent corridor empty.

The only answer was his own sigh.

The voice-activated lights flickered on and then off again, like a moon that had come and gone.

-

Jiang Qingli pushed open the door to find Ye Linyuan sitting on the sofa. He had changed into a suit, his long legs crossed in a lazy posture that was quite a sight to behold.

’This snake is putting on an act again.’

Jiang Qingli walked over to him and asked, "What is it?"

Ye Linyuan told her to open her palm. Then, like a generous adult giving candy to a child, he took a handful of sparkling things from his pocket and placed them in her hand.

Jiang Qingli looked closely and saw that it wasn’t candy, but more than ten Repair Gemstones. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

’Just one is hard to come by. Where did he get so many?’

Jiang Qingli was a little surprised. "Why are you suddenly giving me these..."

A flash of displeasure crossed Ye Linyuan’s eyes. "Weren’t you the one who said it?"

"What?"

Ye Linyuan let out a low huff, refusing to answer.

Holding the gemstones, Jiang Qingli thought for a moment before she remembered. She had once described Ye Linyuan as being like a hunter returning from the hunt, always bringing something back with him.

’He seemed unwilling to admit it back then, but now he’s really playing the part.’

Jiang Qingli wanted to laugh, but since she was still supposed to be angry, she forced it back down.

Ye Linyuan pulled her closer, pressing her down to sit on his lap. He studied her expression, a rare note of nervousness in his voice. "You don’t like it?"

"It’s not that I don’t like it." Jiang Qingli stored the gemstones in her Space Ring.

Her mood improved after receiving the gift. She explained, "I performed a healing on you last night and didn’t get any rest, but you were still so harsh with me. That’s why I got angry."

Ye Linyuan paused, slightly taken aback.

He wrapped his arms around Jiang Qingli’s waist and rested his chin on her shoulder. He stayed like that for a moment before murmuring, "I wasn’t harsh with you."

It seemed to be the first time he’d ever said something like that, and he pressed his lips together, a bit unnaturally.

His thin lips parted, and he slowly, hesitantly, uttered the clumsy, unfamiliar words: "Don’t be angry."

"Next time, I’ll be more careful."

"Is that all?" Jiang Qingli huffed. "That’s not very sincere."

Even though she knew it was a rare thing for the great villain to say such things, Jiang Qingli still felt it wasn’t enough.

Ye Linyuan was silent for a long time.

So long that just when Jiang Qingli thought he wouldn’t speak again, he rattled off a string of numbers.

Jiang Qingli didn’t catch it. "What?"

"The passwords to all my bank cards," Ye Linyuan said, looking up at her. "Is that sincere enough?"

In the moment their eyes met, Jiang Qingli could clearly see the faint smile and subtle tension in his gaze.

Her heartbeat seemed to quicken.

Jiang Qingli hurriedly averted her gaze and said in a small voice, "That’s more like it."

Ye Linyuan’s lips curved into a smile. He buried his face in the crook of her neck, inhaling her scent.

No one spoke, but the atmosphere wasn’t awkward.

After an unknown amount of time, a heavy weight settled on her shoulder.

Jiang Qingli turned her head and realized Ye Linyuan had fallen asleep while holding her.

The young man’s brow was tightly furrowed.

Jiang Qingli moved him onto the sofa and covered him with a light blanket.

"I’m leaving now," she said softly.

After saying that, Jiang Qingli didn’t leave right away.

She bent over, watching the young man’s profile for a moment, then raised her hand and gently smoothed the crease between his brows with her fingertip.

-

As she left the suite, Jiang Qingli received a message from Gu Nian.

He said he was in the garage and that Yi Nuo had also arrived to pick them up.

Jiang Qingli took the elevator downstairs. Gu Nian was waiting right at the elevator entrance, and the moment the doors opened, she was greeted by his sweet smile.

"You must be hungry, sister. I brought you breakfast."

Gu Nian took her hand, led her into the car, and handed her the takeout breakfast.

It was congee, her favorite.

After she finished eating, the drowsiness from staying up all night dealing with contamination values washed over her.

"Are you tired, sister? You should get some sleep."

Gu Nian noticed her sleepiness, pulled her into his arms, and let her lean against his shoulder.

The young man’s embrace was warm, and he gently patted her back.

Jiang Qingli closed her eyes in comfort.

Just as she was about to fall asleep, her eyes snapped open again. "Oh, right. After I wake up, let’s go buy you a present..."

"There’s no need. You’ve already given me so much, sister," Gu Nian said in a whisper.

Jiang Qingli was insistent. "I promised you. You waited all night yesterday..."

"If you really want to get me a gift, sister, then I won’t refuse," Gu Nian said after a few seconds of silence. "There is something I want."

"Tell me," Jiang Qingli said, forcing herself to stay awake and propping her eyelids open to look at him.

The smile vanished from Gu Nian’s face. He began to speak slowly:

"I want us to be in love."

In the dim light, the young man looked into her eyes and said, word by word, with unprecedented seriousness—

"Please, sister, don’t treat me like a child anymore. Give me a chance to pursue you."