Chapter 71 Part 1

The two of them fooled around until late into the night before finally showering and falling asleep.

Yue Bai flexed her sore wrists. Her index and middle fingers still seemed to carry an indelible trace of that scent. She curled her fingers and turned sideways to gaze at Sang Wan, who had sunk into a deep slumber.

A faint exhaustion lingered on Sang Wan’s face. As Yue Bai watched, her lips curved into a silent smile.

It seemed this week’s training had been effective after all.

Sang Wan had been sleeping lightly these past few days, but tonight she must have been truly worn out—even the thud of Yue Bai’s phone hitting the bedside table failed to rouse her.

They both enjoyed a good night’s rest.

The next morning, Yue Bai woke just after eight. She carefully leaned over and retrieved her phone from the bedside table.

Several unread messages lit up the screen—nothing but routine system notifications or idle chatter from the class group chat.

Returning to the home screen, she noticed a glaring red dot on the messaging app icon.

Yue Bai assumed it was some brand membership notification. She opened it to delete, only to see a single line of text:

“Hello, I’m Qin Yan, Sang Wan’s stepmother. I’d like to meet and discuss some things about Sang Wan’s past.”

Yue Bai’s gaze darkened. She glanced at Sang Wan. The other woman’s long lashes trembled faintly as she slept peacefully, showing no sign of waking.

After a long moment of thought, Yue Bai had to admit the message had piqued her curiosity. She wanted to learn about Senior Sister’s past, to find some kind of breakthrough.

She typed a reply: “When?”

The response came almost instantly, as if the sender had been waiting: “Now is fine. I’m at the gate of A University.”

“Okay, give me fifteen minutes.” Yue Bai slipped out of bed as quietly as she could, taking care not to disturb Sang Wan.

She kept her footsteps feather-light as she headed to the bathroom to wash up and change clothes.

Before stepping out the door, Yue Bai worried that Sang Wan might wake up and panic at her absence. She sent a message to Sang Wan’s phone: “Senior Sister, I’m just stepping out for a bit. Be good and wait for me to come back.” She added a kissing emoji for good measure.

With that, Yue Bai slipped on her shoes and left.

At the gate of A University, Qin Yan was already waiting. Spotting her, she waved.

Yue Bai stopped two meters away. “Aunt Qin.”

Qin Yan had come alone; Ming Qisang was nowhere in sight.

“I’ve booked a private room at the hotel just ahead. We can talk there,” Qin Yan said, cutting straight to the chase.

Yue Bai nodded.

The area bustled with people—it wasn’t a good spot for a private conversation.

Once inside the private room, the server poured tea for them both and discreetly withdrew, closing the door behind her.

“Aunt Qin, what did you want to say?” Yue Bai asked, cradling her teacup.

Qin Yan wore a warm smile. She took a slow sip of tea to moisten her throat. “Sang Wan hasn’t told you about her childhood, has she?”

Yue Bai watched her quietly, offering no response.

Qin Yan chuckled. “Of course not. If you knew the truth, it would probably put an end to your relationship.”

Yue Bai’s gaze grew heavy.

“What exactly are you trying to say?” Her fingers tightened around the teacup, turning her knuckles white.

“Did you know Sang Wan nearly killed someone when she was little?” Qin Yan enunciated each word carefully, her almond-shaped eyes fixed on Yue Bai’s face, scrutinizing her every reaction.

“What did you say?” Yue Bai’s eyes widened.

“It seems you didn’t know.” Qin Yan sighed at her reaction, her tone turning somber. “I didn’t want to tell you, but you’re a young woman after all. Sang Wan might hold back her violent tendencies now, caught up in the novelty, but one day they’ll come out.”

“By then, it’ll be too late for regrets. I have nothing against two girls being together, but you need to think things through. Do you really know Sang Wan? Can you be sure she’ll want only you for the next few decades?”

Qin Yan delivered the speech in one steady breath.

She paused, waiting for Yue Bai to respond.

Yue Bai’s expression remained inscrutable; Qin Yan couldn’t tell what she was thinking.

“You’re very thoughtful, Aunt Qin.” Yue Bai let out a light laugh, her thumb tracing the rim of her cup, picking up a bit of moisture.

She glanced unobtrusively at her phone. No new messages. Sang Wan was still asleep.

“Naturally. As her stepmother, I naturally hope the person who spends her life with Little Wan won’t mind her past.” Qin Yan adopted the perfect attitude of a concerned parent.

Yue Bai scoffed inwardly. She took a sip of tea. “You’re right, Aunt Qin. So what do you mean by saying Senior Sister nearly killed someone?”

Qin Yan fell silent for a moment, looking as if she hesitated to continue.

Yue Bai found it almost amusing. Did they really think she was that naive? Playing the role of the doting mother here.

Qin Yan sighed heavily. “Little Wan’s mother fell ill when she was very young and took to her bed. Deprived of a mother’s love from the start, it’s no wonder she grew up twisted. Her father was always busy with business and had no time for her.”

“And then?” Yue Bai prompted.

“As a result, Little Wan picked up all sorts of bad habits as a child—fighting, bullying classmates. She was called to the principal’s office countless times, and she was only ten years old.” Qin Yan spoke slowly, drawing out her words.

Yue Bai’s grip on her teacup tightened gradually. She fought the urge to storm out, her eyes growing colder as she lowered her gaze. “Kids go through rebellious phases. It’s understandable.”

“That’s what I thought too—until Little Wan pushed a girl into the river. If someone hadn’t been nearby, that girl might not have…” Qin Yan trailed off deliberately, the implication clear.

Yue Bai pressed her tongue against the roof of her mouth, forcing herself to stay calm. “So what are you really trying to say?”

Qin Yan frowned. “She was so young, yet she did something like that. I’m truly afraid that one day…”

“What did Senior Sister say at the time?” Yue Bai interrupted, focused only on that.

Qin Yan blinked, caught off guard, before continuing. “Little Wan denied it, of course. But when the girl woke up, she clearly pointed the finger at Little Wan. They were the only two there by the river, and the girl was on good terms with her. There was no reason to lie.”

“Why?” Yue Bai gave a cold laugh, reining in her rising emotions. She stared straight at Qin Yan, her voice even. “Why are you so sure that girl wasn’t lying?”

Sang Wan’s tearful voice echoed in her ears, over and over.

She hadn’t done those things. Why wouldn’t anyone believe her?

Yue Bai’s heart ached.

“Wasn’t Little Wan who pushed her? Did the girl jump in herself?” Qin Yan stared at Yue Bai in disbelief, noting her changed expression. “Would she frame Little Wan on purpose?”

Yue Bai clenched her teeth, her voice laced with barely contained anger. “So all of you just assumed it was Senior Sister’s fault—pinned such a huge crime on her without solid proof?”

She refused to believe Senior Sister would do something like that. There had to be more to it. Deep down, she trusted Sang Wan’s word.

Her heart hurt for the ten-year-old girl branded with such guilt.

No one had believed her.

How desperate must Senior Sister have felt back then? Desperate enough that, even after more than a decade, the memory still shattered her in her dreams.

Her stomach churned. Yue Bai swallowed back the urge to vomit. She rose to her feet, glaring fiercely at Qin Yan. All trace of respect vanished from her tone as she let out a cold laugh. “You’re telling me this just to drive a wedge between me and Senior Sister.”

“Aunt Qin—no.” Yue Bai sneered. “Senior Sister never acknowledged you as family. Ms. Qin is more accurate.”

Qin Yan’s face paled sharply.

“What gives you the right to slander Senior Sister to my face? To meddle in her life and spread lies?” Yue Bai’s chest heaved.

That was her Senior Sister—the one she cherished, whom she wouldn’t even raise her voice to. How dare anyone tarnish her?

Her Senior Sister deserved to walk the world with confident radiance, warming every heart she touched.

“If Senior Sister says it wasn’t her, then it wasn’t.” Yue Bai declared firmly.

“You’ve only known Sang Wan a short time. Do you know what she was like as a child? She…” Qin Yan looked up at the agitated young woman.

“Shut up.” Yue Bai’s eyes blazed with unconcealed fury. “You’re right—I don’t know Senior Sister’s childhood. I only regret not meeting her sooner.”

If someone had believed her back then, in her most helpless moment, would Senior Sister have grown up with more security?

The more Yue Bai spoke, the angrier and more heartbroken she felt. Tears welled in her eyes. “Condemning her on one person’s word? Don’t disgust me.”

“Instead of badmouthing Senior Sister to me, maybe think about how to keep Grandpa Sang from finding out about your son and Ming Qisang’s relationship.” It was the first time Yue Bai had ever mocked someone so viciously. Even in her angriest moments before, she never attacked anyone’s background.

But Qin Yan had crossed her line today, brazenly slandering Senior Sister.

“What did you say?” Qin Yan stared at Yue Bai in shock. “Where did you hear that?”

Yue Bai had no patience for more nonsense. She locked eyes with Qin Yan. “Breaking up someone else’s marriage, badmouthing Sang Wan’s mother and daughter—now scheming to secure a share of the family fortune for your son?”

Yue Bai wasn’t stupid. Qin Yan had come to her with this story precisely to shatter her relationship with Senior Sister, paving the way for Grandpa Sang to divide the inheritance with Ming Ye.

Grandpa Sang had made it abundantly clear last time: if Sang Wan didn’t treat her well, the share of the family property belonging to Sang Wan would be automatically reclaimed.

It was nothing more than polite empty talk, but Qin Yan—in her desperation—had latched onto it. Terrified that Ming Ye truly had nothing to his name, she had rushed over in a panic to sow discord between Yue Bai and Senior Sister.

As if Grandpa Sang would truly base the disposition of his will on Sang Wan’s relationship with her.

Qin Yan was vastly overestimating her own importance.

“Ms. Qin, this tea suits you perfectly,” Yue Bai said with biting sarcasm, emphasizing each word as she slammed the teacup down onto the table. In an instant, the cup shattered into fragments. The porcelain shards sliced open her palm, drawing thin lines of blood from the fine cracks.

Yue Bai paid it no mind. She casually pulled out a tissue and wiped the tea from her hand. “Don’t come bothering me again. And don’t let me catch you badmouthing Senior Sister. If you do, I won’t let you off easily.”

Yue Bai turned to leave. As the door swung open, her hand gripped the doorframe with crushing force. “Oh, I almost forgot to mention—my sister is Yue Yi. Imagine what she’d do to you if she found out you said those things in front of me.”

Without so much as a backward glance, Yue Bai departed.

Qin Yan’s pupils contracted sharply the moment she heard that final name. She slumped powerlessly into her chair. Regret washed over her for seeking out Yue Bai—this woman was utterly impervious to persuasion.

Yue Bai strode quickly out of the hotel. Her phone screen lit up.

It was a message from Senior Sister.

“Where did you go?” From Sang Wan.

“Out to buy breakfast. I’ll be back soon. Senior Sister, you have to behave while I’m gone,” Yue Bai replied. Her face was dark with anger, but her words danced lightly across the screen.

“Okay. Hurry back.” Sang Wan.

“Mm-hmm.” Yue Bai.