“Alright, you two hide in Daddy’s room. Your mom could come back any minute.”
Yang Wenfu spoke as he led the siblings into his own room. Then he turned off the living room lights, plunging the space into enveloping darkness.
Yang Haoran and Yaoyao slipped into their dad’s room. No lights were on inside, so while it wasn’t pitch black, everything remained hazy and dim.
Yang Haoran unlocked his phone screen, its glow illuminating Yaoyao’s pure and pretty face beside him.
They were pressed close together right then, but Yang Haoran harbored no wicked thoughts. His mother’s situation took priority.
“Bro, do you think Dad can pull it off?” Yaoyao whispered just then.
“He probably can.”
Yang Haoran considered it for a moment before replying like that.
“But why… do I keep getting this bad feeling in my heart?”
Yaoyao’s faint murmur sounded right by Yang Haoran’s ear.
He turned to look. Gone was the smile from her face earlier; instead, worry clouded it.
Puzzled, Yang Haoran asked, “Why do you say that?”
“Brother, ever since you learned Dad was going to apologize to Mom, you’ve been unhappy about it, haven’t you?” Yang Mengyao pursed her lips, her voice as soft as a mosquito’s buzz.
Her words struck Yang Haoran like a thunderbolt. He jolted in surprise, then forced a laugh to cover it. “Yaoyao, what are you talking about? I’m thrilled Dad and Mom are making up. How could I be unhappy? You’re overthinking it.”
Yang Mengyao’s beautiful eyes stayed fixed on her brother, staring until his scalp tingled. Had this girl noticed something? Just as he prepared to explain further, she turned her head away, gazing into the darkness on one side. Yang Haoran had barely exhaled in relief when her voice rang out again by his ear. His face froze solid.
“Brother… is there something going on between you and Mom? Something… like what we have…?”
Yang Mengyao bit her lip, her voice growing quieter with every word.
Yang Haoran realized she must have some suspicions to voice this outright. He fell silent for a beat before saying slowly, “Why would you think that?”
“Am I pretty?”
“You’re pretty.”
“What about Mom?”
“Mom’s pretty too, but that doesn’t mean anything, right, Yaoyao?”
“Brother… I don’t have any proof. It’s just this vague idea that keeps popping up in my heart.”
Yang Mengyao confessed honestly. As this crucial moment approached, her intuition grew ever stronger.
Was this a woman’s sixth sense? Yang Haoran was caught off guard by her response. He’d thought she knew something concrete.
After a moment’s thought, he asked, “If… there was something between me and Mom, what would you think?”
“It would betray Dad. And besides, you’re her son. For a mother and son to…”
“But aren’t we siblings too?” Yang Mengyao fell silent.
By bringing up the topic, Yang Haoran had decided he no longer wanted to hide it from her. He pressed on. “I know it betrays Dad. I’m a scumbag. I crave Mom’s beauty. Even so, Yaoyao, my little darling, whose side are you on?”
Yaoyao gave no answer. Yang Haoran waited quietly. By saying this aloud, he had the confidence to match.
“Isn’t what we’re doing… a bit too cruel to Dad…?” A moment later, her murmur rose, and Yang Haoran smiled.
This was a pair of siblings fallen together! He pulled Yaoyao into his arms like lovers in the heat of passion, murmuring soft reassurances. “Yaoyao, Dad and Mom have been cold to each other for so many years. Have you ever wondered why Dad suddenly came around and wants to make up with her?”
Yaoyao curled up in her brother’s embrace. His broad chest brought her comfort, and his familiar scent even eased some of her guilt.
“Brother, just say what you want to say. Yaoyao’s on your side.”
She nibbled her lip, nestling like an obedient kitten in her master’s arms. Her soft, fragile voice stirred pity in anyone who heard it.
“I’m just speculating too—no real proof. Dad… I suspect he’s cheated… and probably recently.” Yang Haoran recalled S Girl’s words: Your parents have been cold for years. Ever think one of them cheated? Thinking back now, it carried real weight.
He wasn’t imagining things. Dad had been locked in a stubborn standoff with Mom for over a decade. For him to suddenly have a change of heart with no warning at all? It planted seeds of doubt.
If Dad could get past that mental hurdle so easily, he and Mom would have been lovey-dovey all these years. Yang Haoran never would have entertained twisted thoughts or grown up in a broken home.
“Bro… Yaoyao’s already said she’s on your side, so my heart is too. Dad’s not the type.”
After hearing her brother out, Yang Mengyao thought it over and shook her head.
Was this girl accusing him of slandering Dad? Yang Haoran chuckled wryly. At first, yes, he’d had that intent—no denying he wasn’t a good person. But the more he mulled it, the more plausible it seemed.
“Alright, think of your brother as the villain then.”
Yang Haoran stroked Yaoyao’s silky black hair, offering no rebuttal. After all, without evidence, his words lacked credibility.
The siblings nestled together, savoring their private moment. Time, however, never paused for human joys or sorrows.
He didn’t know how much time passed before Yang Haoran heard the lock turning outside. Then came a click—the door opened.
“Yaoyao… go turn on the lights.”
Yang Haoran knew it was Mom returning. Per Dad’s instructions, once the door opened, they had six or seven seconds to switch on the colored lights. The controls were linked right there in Dad’s room.
After Yaoyao got up to flip the switch, he crouched by the bedroom door and cracked it open just a sliver, peeking out.
Liu Ruoxi stepped inside and found the house dark as pitch. She frowned slightly in confusion. As she entered the living room, a hazy human-shaped shadow loomed not far ahead.
Click… Yang Mengyao hit the switch just in time. Strings of small colored lights along the living room walls flickered to life one by one, filling the space with vibrant neon glows. The dazzling, multicolored radiance created a romantic, atmospheric vibe.
