She Heard Everything… And Didn’t Understand a Thing

‘Ah! Damn it! Did she hear me? All those things I said just now? Ah, no! Saying such embarrassing things right in front of the person herself.
But did she really hear me? Or didn’t she?
Did I say that a little too loudly?
A little? I was practically shouting!
Ah, no! I’m done for! I’m going to die of shame!’
Ye Qing agonized internally, feeling like his entire face was already thoroughly cooked.

Then he saw Chenlian tilting her head in confusion.

Her long pink hair, gathered behind her back and reaching down to her waist, peeked out from her side.
Her entire delicate, fair, doll-like face displayed a puzzled expression.
Her clear purple pupils were wide open as she stared at Ye Qing.

“Ah, ah! So it’s you, Chenlian!”
Ye Qing scratched his head and laughed awkwardly as he spoke.
‘First, pretend nothing happened, then try to bluff my way through.’

“Do… do you need something?”
Ye Qing asked her reason for coming in a stiff voice.

Reminded by his words, Chenlian seemed to remember why she had come.
Her expression shifted from one of confused head-tilting to a serious one.
Then, as if she had suddenly forgotten what she came for, she placed her finger on her soft pink lips and struck a thinking pose.

‘Dammit! Little Miss Chenlian is so cute! Big brother is about to be bewitched!’
Watching Chenlian’s unintentional adorable expression, Ye Qing thought to himself, then looked at her somewhat damp pink long hair.
‘Did she just take a bath? Where’s Yuxuan?’

Then he began to examine Chenlian from head to toe.

The blue-and-white lace dress accentuated Chenlian’s petite, delicate figure, making her look extraordinarily fresh and refined.
And ‘why does it fit so perfectly? Sister Fuzi’s height shouldn’t match Chenlian’s at all. And why does she have a dress like this? Sister Fuzi has amazing taste! Okay, I suppose I underestimated a woman’s eye for fashion and her wardrobe!’

Just then, Hadi came out of the room and stood next to Ye Qing.

“Oh, Chenlian?”
Seeing Chenlian standing at the door, Hadi smiled and greeted her.

Chenlian’s eyes suddenly lit up, as if she had finally remembered her purpose.
She lowered her finger from her lips and smiled at Hadi and Ye Qing.

“Hadi, Ye Qing, Mom asked me… to call you… to dinner!”
Her still-halting voice carried a hint of innocence.

‘Alright! Good opportunity! Time to make a swift exit!’
Thinking this, Ye Qing began his escape.

“Sister Fuzi is already done cooking? That was fast! Ah, hahaha!”
He put his hand behind his head and let out a dry laugh, starting to make his getaway.

He had only taken three steps when he heard Hadi ask Chenlian in his usual flat tone.

“Chenlian, you heard everything I said just now, didn’t you?”

‘What! Old man, say the word if you want to die!’
Ye Qing immediately turned around and walked back to Chenlian’s side.

“Whew~! Dr. Hadi, what are you talking about!?”
As he said this, he first glared fiercely at Hadi, who was theatrically putting on a serious expression while questioning Chenlian.
Then he continued to put on an act in front of Chenlian.

“Dr. Hadi and I weren’t saying anything at all just now! Right, Doctor!?”
Ye Qing shot Hadi a threatening glare that said, ‘If you say another word, I’ll kill you!’ — a death sentence.
Then he smiled at Chenlian.
‘Chenlian, you see, this seemingly kind-natured, cunning old man is not to be trusted!’

“Come on, Chenlian! Let’s go eat—!”
Ye Qing’s words, meant to wrap things up, were cut off halfway by Chenlian.

“Mm! I heard… everything… you know!”
Chenlian nodded her little head and answered Hadi’s question with an innocent expression.

As soon as the words left her mouth, a cold wind seemed to blow through.
Ye Qing, still maintaining his smile, instantly turned to stone—frozen solid.

“Just to be clear, what exactly did you hear?”
Hadi lowered himself and asked Chenlian in a tone one would use with a small child.

“I will… protect… Yue Chenlian! …No… even if… it costs… my… life, I will… continue… to protect… her… by my side!”
Chenlian tilted her head and thought for a moment, then recited the words Ye Qing had just spoken, like reading from a script.

‘Yamete! Please stop talking~!’
The renewed waves of shame broke Ye Qing out of his petrification.
He clutched his head with both hands and screamed internally.

Chenlian looked at Ye Qing’s strange behavior with confusion and asked in a puzzled, clear voice, “Ye Qing! What’s… wrong with you?”

Ye Qing stopped clutching his head and screaming inwardly, and looked somewhat dumbfounded at Chenlian, who was staring back at him with innocent confusion.

‘Huh? Doesn’t this girl understand? The meaning of those words? Thank goodness! If I were a girl and heard someone solemnly say they would protect me even at the cost of their life, I would throw myself into his arms and say in a tender, loving voice, “Darling, I love you so much!” and then plant a kiss on him! Ah, ah, ah! What mushy stuff am I thinking! Actually, it’s really fortunate that she’s so clueless!’
Ye Qing breathed a sigh of relief.

“Chenlian, do you know what that means? I can tell you—what it actually means is—”

“Chenlian, what the doctor is trying to say is that we’re good friends, so I’ll protect you with my life. That’s what it means, you see! From now on!”
Ye Qing first cut off Hadi’s words, then unconsciously hooked his arm around Chenlian’s neck and led her away from Hadi.

“As a friend, I very deeply and very seriously tell you—Dr. Hadi is a cunning presence. You can’t just trust him, you know!”

‘Huh! I feel like I’ve said something similar to Zhang Haoyang before… Come to think of it, Zhang Haoyang is right here beside me!’
Ye Qing thought this as he looked at Chenlian, who was beaming with smiles.

“Mm~! I… understand… Ye Qing!”
Chenlian narrowed her purple pupils happily and said to Ye Qing.

‘Huh! The person I have my arm around isn’t Zhang Haoyang—it’s Yue Chenlian! And come to think of it, from someone else’s perspective, it looks like I’m casually getting cozy with Chenlian! Ahhh~!’

Ye Qing immediately retracted his arm from around Chenlian’s neck and hastily stepped back, putting distance between them.

Chenlian dropped her smile and looked at Ye Qing with even more confusion.
Then, with concern, she brought her face close to his.

“Ye Qing, what’s… wrong? Is something… broken?”

‘Hey! Don’t innocently ask if I’m broken! Whoa! Old man, when did you get over here! Go away, you bringer of misfortune!’

Hadi had somehow appeared behind Chenlian without a sound and spoke to her in his usual flat tone.

“Chenlian, I’m not a cunning presence, you know! You have to believe me!”

‘Tsk, tsk, tsk! Old man, at this point, nothing you say will help. After hearing my serious warning, Chenlian will never trust anyone again! Huh? Isn’t that Zhang Haoyang?’

“Ye Qing… said… Dr. Hadi… is… a cunning… presence… Is he… not!?”
She even tilted her head in confusion after saying this.

Hadi and Ye Qing’s jaws dropped simultaneously…

“Chenlian! Come help!”
Fuzi called out to her daughter as she walked out of the kitchen carrying a dish.
Then Fuzi froze, looking at Hadi and Ye Qing with a very unamused expression.

Ignoring Hadi, who was kneeling on the ground with a tear-stained face, weakly repeating the same words over and over—‘Chenlian doesn’t want me anymore…’—
and Ye Qing, who was leaning against the wall, clutching his stomach and stifling his laughter,
Chenlian happily ran toward her mother.