Chapter Fifty-Seven

After Lin Zimo was sent home with the safety award, Yuxing Yue carried her princess-style up the stairs. Climbing five flights, they finally reached Lin Zimo's apartment door. Because Yuxing Yue was holding her, she couldn’t knock, so Lin Zimo, held in her arms, did it herself.

After three knocks, someone opened the door—it was Lin Xiacxin. Seeing her sister, she asked with concern, “Sis, what happened to you? Why do you look like this?”

Hearing Lin Xiacxin call Lin Zimo “sister,” Yuxing Yue realized this must be her younger sibling. She mused to herself, were these two not like reflections from the same mirror?

Yuxing Yue explained, “Zimo and I were just attacked by a group of people, but we were strong enough to avoid ending up in the hospital. You’d better take her back to her room.” After handing Lin Zimo over, Lin Xiacxin hugged her sister, thinking, “Since when did Sis get so heavy? But this guy is really handsome! I want his number.”

“Zimo, I’ll head off now. Take care and heal up,” Yuxing Yue said with concern.

“Alright.”

Watching the exchange, Lin Xiacxin grew suspicious. Normally, her sister never took the initiative with boys, so why was she acting this way now?

While she was lost in thought, Yuxing Yue had already left. Even from the fifth floor, the sound of a motorcycle engine starting could be heard, then faded away.

After closing the door, Lin Xiacxin carried Lin Zimo to her room, settled her on the bed, and hurriedly asked, “Sis, tell me what really happened? You look terrible.”

Lin Zimo rubbed her abdomen as the pain returned. Seeing this, Lin Xiacxin gently massaged her stomach. “Feeling any better?”

Lin Zimo’s color improved. “Much better. Luckily, it’s not a serious injury.”

“Sis, what’s going on? Weren’t you out having dinner with that guy, Yuxing Yue?” Lin Xiacxin pressed.

“We were, but something unexpected happened,” Lin Zimo replied, still fuming at the memory. She was glad she’d taught that jerk a lesson—who would dare mess with someone holding an eighth-degree black belt? If she passed the ninth-degree exam, who would dare challenge her then?

But Lin Zimo was starting to doubt Yuxing Yue. His skillful kicks and technique were no coincidence. She estimated his abilities to be at the ninth dan—on par with Lin Ling.

She suspected Yuxing Yue was hiding much from her, which only deepened her curiosity about his past. Only two people knew the truth: Xiao Jian and Lin Ling. But Xiao Jian was too upright to reveal any secrets. She would have to find time to ask Lin Ling directly.

“Sis, snap out of it! Tell me!” Lin Xiacxin grew anxious as Lin Zimo stayed silent. Coming back to herself, Lin Zimo recounted the evening’s events. For someone who hadn’t trained in a long while, it felt exhilarating to fight again—to feel the thrill of landing a kick.

Lin Xiacxin listened with rapt attention, her blood boiling. When Lin Zimo described how they drove off the gang, she couldn’t help but cheer, “Oh!”

“That’s incredible!” Lin Xiacxin exclaimed excitedly. “You and that guy, Yuxing Yue, took down ten people? Seems like you’ll need a man strong enough to tame you one day, Sis.”

“I am not a beast! It’s just that whenever I see him, I feel calm,” Lin Zimo said, gazing out the window as a shooting star streaked across the sky.

“Then… Sis, I really want to meet that guy… Yuxing Yue,” she stammered. She’d wanted to ask about him for a while, but Lin Zimo always dodged the question. Now was her chance.

This time, Lin Zimo didn’t avoid the topic. She turned to Lin Xiacxin, smiled, and said, “Little Lily, the one who carried me home just now—that was him.”

The realization hit Lin Xiacxin like a thunderbolt. She replayed the moment at the door—the handsome guy she’d wanted the number of was Yuxing Yue. She was left utterly stunned.

“Sis… are you saying that handsome guy was Yuxing Yue?!” Lin Xiacxin’s voice trembled with uncertainty.

“He is. His original name was Hugo, but I prefer to call him that—it doesn’t bother him. Still, he’s not that handsome,” Lin Zimo replied.

“Hugo is a great name, but why change it?” Lin Xiacxin wondered aloud.

Lin Zimo explained, “His father forced him to, and after a close friend of his passed away, he thought about it for a long time before making the change. But I’m just used to calling him by his old name.”

“His past was really that rough? But you’re wrong about him not being handsome,” Lin Xiacxin objected.

Lin Zimo sensed something off and asked, “Wait, don’t tell me you’re interested in Hugo…”

“Stop it!” Lin Xiacxin covered her now flushed cheeks. “Is this love at first sight? Sis, I think I’m in love.”

“What?!” Lin Zimo was incredulous. “I saw him first—you can’t steal him from me!” For the first time, she felt a sense of crisis.

Lin Xiacxin stuck out her tongue. “Who said you were first? We can compete fairly. Let’s see who wins him over first.”

“Hmph, but he doesn’t even know you. The advantage is all mine. Don’t get your hopes up—you’re no match for your big sister,” Lin Zimo chuckled mischievously.

“We’ll see. Just wait until I meet Yuxing Yue—I’ll win him over,” Lin Xiacxin replied, their gazes locking, the tension between them almost palpable.

…

After returning to his villa, Yuxing Yue found himself trembling uncontrollably. “What’s going on? I was shivering on the bike, and I still can’t stop. It’s not even that cold.” He scratched his head and went inside.

The place was a mess. Yuxing Yue immediately sensed a burglar had broken in. Seeing the lights on upstairs, he realized the intruder was still there. He crept toward the elevator, but with the power out, he had to tiptoe up the stairs, which took twenty minutes—plenty of time for a thief to escape.

Reaching the second floor, he saw the shadow of the intruder in Sun Ying’s room. Picking up a self-defense baton, he prepared to subdue the trespasser. Who dared to steal from this house?

He tiptoed to Sun Ying’s door, counted down in his mind—three, two, one!—then kicked open the door and shouted, “Who dares steal from here? You’ve fallen into my hands—you’re not getting away tonight!”

The blanket on Sun Ying’s bed was shaking. Yuxing Yue strode over and yanked it back, only to be shocked by what he saw.

“Sun… Sun Ying?! Didn’t Butler Luo say you’d gone to your mother’s?” he asked, confused. Sun Ying, eyes brimming with tears, seemed startled by his sudden appearance.

As soon as she saw him, Sun Ying threw herself into his arms, sobbing uncontrollably. Yuxing Yue had no idea why she was crying, but clearly, something serious had happened at her mother’s house.

At that moment, his phone rang. He answered. “Mr. Yu, is Miss Sun back?” came the voice.

“She’s here. Didn’t you say she went to her mother’s?” Yuxing Yue asked.

Butler Luo explained, “I forgot to mention, Mr. Yu—Miss Sun really dislikes her mother, so she refused to go.”

“Then why force her?” Yuxing Yue asked.

“It wasn’t my idea.” Luo sighed. “Madam insisted she stay with her for a few days. I told Miss Sun we were just going out, and she agreed.”

Understanding the situation, Yuxing Yue said, “That was wrong. Come back and explain things to Sun Ying—she really needs comforting right now.”

“I wish I could, Mr. Yu, but I’m tied up. Please look after her for me,” Luo replied before hanging up. Yuxing Yue guessed Luo was probably grabbing a rare moment of rest—after all, as a butler, he rarely had a day off.

Turning his attention to Sun Ying, Yuxing Yue gently got her to look at him. “Can you tell me what happened at your mother’s house?”

“I don’t want to hear the word ‘mother’ ever again!” Sun Ying’s sobs grew louder. Clearly, the subject was off-limits, so he tried a different approach.

“Then, can you tell big brother who made you cry?” Yuxing Yue asked.

Still clutching him, Sun Ying slowly calmed down. Looking up, tears still visible in her eyes, she said, “But you have to promise not to tell anyone.”

“I won’t. Your secret’s safe with me,” Yuxing Yue replied softly, his voice gentle and reassuring.

“When you were asleep, I…” Sun Ying began, recalling what had happened six hours earlier, her memory impressively clear.

After kissing Yuxing Yue on the cheek, she’d left his room and returned to her own. Not long after, Butler Luo came in. “Miss, the master asked me to take you to see him.”

“Really? But isn’t Dad busy with work? Why does he want to see me?” Sun Ying asked excitedly.

“Uh, the master said he misses you. It’s not too late to go now,” Luo replied.

“Okay, wait outside while I change,” Sun Ying said, sending Luo out so she could change—though, in truth, this was all part of Luo’s plan to bring her to her mother.

Before seeing Sun Ying, Luo had received a call from her mother, who wanted to see her daughter. Luo hesitated, since Sun Ying’s parents were divorced and custody belonged to her father. But after her mother offered incentives, including introducing him to potential partners—something Luo, now nearing middle age, desperately wanted—he agreed.

Once Sun Ying was dressed, she went downstairs and they set off. On the way, she was bubbling with excitement. She hadn’t seen her father for two days; every day apart felt like three years to her, and her longing for him only grew with time.