An hour later, freshly showered and dressed in comfortable clothes, Shen Yelan stepped outside into the courtyard. The evening air was cool and pleasant, carrying the scent of the maple tree that was in the courtyard.
Sitting in one of the rattan chairs beneath that tree was Huo Mingzhe. He was clean now, his face scrubbed pink. He was wearing clothes that were clearly borrowed from a neighbor and were a bit too big for him.
He was nibbling on some sliced fruit that Aunt Li had prepared, his legs swinging. When he saw Shen Yelan, his whole face lit up. He put down the fruit and scrambled out of the chair, running over to her.
"Feeling better?" she asked, settling into the other rattan chair and reaching for a piece of watermelon.
He nodded.
"Good. Eat the fruits while Aunt Li prepares the dinner,"
This was the scene Aunt Li saw from the kitchen window. The boy sat obediently, eating while sneaking glances at Shen Yelan, his eyes sparkling.
Aunt Li sighed softly.
When she had first seen the boy, she knew something must have happened. In all the years, she'd never seen her young miss bring anyone home. The condition of the little boy wasn't good either. But Aunt Li hadn't asked questions. Not because she wouldn't get answers, but because she trusted Shen Yelan.
That incident ten years ago had changed Shen Yelan into someone Aunt Li barely recognized sometimes. Shen Yelan had become distant. For two years, all her focus was on recovering her body and learn to walk again. And when she was not working, she would stay in her room, glued to her old laptop. Once she had recovered, she began leaving home often. At first just for a few days at a time. Then weeks. Then months. The longest stretch had been seven months last year.
The first time it had happened, she had been scared so much, fearing Shen Yelan had been kidnapped again. It was only after she called later and returned the next day that she realized the magnitude of how much she had changed.
Soon, the dinner was ready, and they went inside to eat.
They were halfway through the meal when the doorbell rang.
"I'll get it, Young Miss," Aunt Li said, setting down her chopsticks. She disappeared toward the front door, and they could hear the sound of it opening, low voices in conversation.
A moment later, Aunt Li returned with two men following behind her.
"Young Miss, they say they're here for Huo Mingzhe."
The boy's head snapped up from his rice bowl. His eyes went wide, then filled with light. He dropped his chopsticks and ran to the man in front.
Shen Yelan propped her chin on her palm and watched the reunion with detached interest.
She was not expecting to see such a handsome man. The man was tall and lean, but beneath that suit, she knew that he was muscular underneath. His dark hair was neatly combed back, revealing a sculpted face that god had taken his time perfecting. When he bent to pick up the little boy, a strand of black Buddhist prayer beads showed at his wrist.
While Shen Yelan was studying him, the man was doing the same to her.
She wore a simple cotton dress. The dress hung loosely on her frame, revealing arms as pale as milk. One hand propped up her chin, fingers curled lazily against her cheek.
Her face was breathtakingly beautiful with high cheekbones, a perfect nose, and full lips that naturally curved at the corners. Long black hair spilled over her shoulder. Her fox-like eyes were slightly raised at the edges, giving her a bewitching look.
"Are you the person I talked to on the phone?" Huo Ziyan asked.
"That would be me." Shen Yelan introduced herself and gestured to the empty chairs around the table with her chopsticks. "Please, take a seat. You must have driven straight here after I called. Aunt Li, can you serve our guests?"
"Yes, Young Miss," Aunt Li said and gave a glance at the two young men before she left.
Bo Xuan, the man standing behind Huo Ziyan, was about to politely decline. His Second Young Master was notorious for being a clean freak and was famously particular about where he ate. He would never sit down at a stranger's table.
But before Bo Xuan could open his mouth, Huo Ziyan stepped forward and sat down at the table, still holding Mingzhe in his lap.
Bo Xuan: ...??
Bo Xuan's eyes widened, though he quickly schooled his expression back to neutral.
Shen Yelan looked at the man who stood in the back and saw the flash of emotions on his face before looking away.
"May I know the name, Miss?" Huo Ziyan asked.
"Shen Yelan,"
"Shen Yelan," Huo Ziyan murmured the name to himself before saying. "I am Huo Ziyan. Thank you for helping my nephew. For this, I'll be forever in your debt. If there's anything you need, just name it, and I'll do everything in my power to make it happen."
"No need. I was just passing by when I saw the boy at the roadside," Shen Yelan said.
Behind Huo Ziyan, Bo Xuan's brain nearly short-circuited. People would die to get a favor from their Second Young Master. This woman… actually refused?
"Nevertheless," Huo Ziyan continued, seemingly unbothered by her refusal, "the fact remains that you helped when you didn't have to. You already have my number from earlier. If you ever need anything, don't hesitate to call."
"Hmm," Shen Yelan neither agreed nor refused.
When Aunt Li returned with the dishes, only Shen Yelan was present and was wiping the corner of her mouth with a napkin. The two men and the child were already gone.