Nalan Yanran's belly was growing day by day, and Ye Chen knew he had to hurry to the Nalan family to formally propose marriage and settle the wedding arrangements.
Hearing that Ye Chen was about to leave, Yafei's heart felt an unexpected pang of reluctance.
"Forget it… I'll just let Master Gu Ni handle tomorrow's auction," she murmured, a soft sigh escaping her lips.
Without resisting any further, she allowed Ye Chen to carry her into the room.
"Sister Yafei, let's enjoy the view tonight," Ye Chen said with a faint smile.
Through the open window, the entire night scene of Wutan City stretched out before them.
The sky was a black velvet curtain, sprinkled with a river of shimmering stars.
The bright moon hung round and luminous, casting silver light over the city's rooftops.
It was a night worth remembering.
...
The Next Morning – Xiao Family
The first rays of sunlight slipped through the window, spilling across the bed where a young man lay sleeping.
"Mmm…"
After a long while, Xiao Yan slowly opened his eyes, rubbing the sleep from them. He had slept deeply and without dreams.
"Why… is there a fragrance in the room?"
He sat up, sniffing the air. Instantly, the image of Xiao Xun'er's sweet, delicate face appeared in his mind.
She had always carried a faint, unique fragrance with her wherever she went.
What a pity…
The thought of her made his chest tighten. Would he ever see Sister Xun'er again?
Just then, something caught his eye....a neatly placed envelope on the bedside table.
"Huh?"
Reaching over, he picked it up. His heart skipped a beat.
"This… this is a letter from Sister Xun'er!"
Xiao Yan's eyes lit up with excitement.
The envelope was inscribed with a delicate line of words:
"Personally addressed to Brother Xiao Yan."
In the Xiao family, no one but Xiao Xun'er ever called him that.
The moment his eyes landed on the handwriting, he knew....it was the letter she had left for him.
Recalling the faint fragrance lingering in the room, realization struck him.
So… Sister Xun'er really came here last night.
He closed his eyes for a moment, breathing in deeply, as if the scent could conjure her figure right before him.
A faint smile tugged at his lips.
"I wonder… what did Sister Xun'er write to me?"
With care, he broke the seal and unfolded the letter, his anticipation tightening like a knot in his chest.
"Brother Xiao Yan,
When you read this letter, I will have already left the Xiao family.
You should know by now… Xun'er is not truly of the Xiao family.
I have returned to my clan, and my father is preparing for my marriage.
Yes… Xun'er is going to be married.
My fiancé treats me very well.
He is handsome, of noble birth, and at a young age has already reached the realm of Dou Wang.
Brother Xiao Yan, you must work hard!
Compared to him… you still have a long way to go."
Xiao Yan's eyes froze on the page.
His hands trembled. His chest tightened as if a blade had pierced it.
Xun'er… getting married?
The words hammered into his mind, each one heavier than the last.
An ache swelled in his heart, raw and suffocating, as if something most precious had been wrenched away from him.
But what cut the deepest was not just the news....it was the way she had praised her fiancé and urged him to catch up.
It felt like salt rubbed into an open wound.
Sister Xun'er… is getting married…"
The letter trembled between Xiao Yan's fingers. His mind went completely blank.
One by one, fragments of the past surfaced....Xun'er trailing after him, her voice sweetly calling, "Brother Xiao Yan."
Her bright, beautiful smile. That delicate, stubborn look in her eyes when she insisted on staying by his side.
He had always told himself they were like siblings.
But deep down, Xiao Yan knew....he had harbored thoughts that were far from brotherly.
He thought… since Xun'er always stayed close, she must feel something for him too.
And that thought had made him quietly happy.
After all, she wasn't truly related to him by blood.
One day, maybe…
But now...
He looked at the letter in his hand, lips curling into a miserable smile.
There was no "one day" anymore.
Xun'er had gone back to her clan to be married.
The door had closed. His chance was gone.
He sank down onto the bed, shoulders heavy, eyes empty. Time seemed to dissolve.
Finally, he let out a bitter chuckle and forced himself to keep reading.
"Brother Xiao Yan, don't worry, I will come back to see you later
In the Xiao family, I have the best relationship with Brother Xiao Yan."
Xiao Yan's heart skipped a beat.
She… still had him in her heart?
She would come back to see him.
That meant....there was still a chance!
Clinging to that fragile hope, he read on quickly.
**"Brother Xiao Yan, I plan to marry my fiancé this year.
A few years later, we will have a child.
When the child grows up, I will bring him back to the Xiao family… and let him call you Uncle Xiao.
I will have many children with my fiancé.
Brother Xiao Yan, please take care of yourself."**
The words struck him like a blade twisting in his chest.
Uncle.
Not husband.
Not father.
Just… Uncle Xiao.
And "many children"… with another man.
The faint warmth of hope that had bloomed in his heart a moment ago was crushed without mercy.
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