“I’m sorry…”

Xu Youyou did not come here today to listen to Lin Yin’s apology or explanation. In a way, he caused her grandmother’s death, and it was not something an apology could fix. She said, “Lin Yin, there’s no need for you to apologize to me. The one you should apologize to is my grandmother. Unfortunately, she’s no longer around to hear your apology.”

Xu Youyou instinctively bit her lower lip when she mentioned her grandmother. After a moment, she continued to say, “Lin Yin, I don’t know who you’ve offended, and I don’t know why you let Wang Xiaohui think that we’re responsible for your injuries.”

Xu Youyou’s expression and eyes were without fluctuations as she looked at Lin Yin’s swollen and bruised faces as she continued to say, “We have nothing to do with this matter. We don’t know why you were beaten nor do we care, but my grandmother is dead. We can’t let go of this matter just like that.”

Lin Yin seemed to realize something and his heart skipped a beat. “Youyou…”

Xu Youyou took a deep breath. Her smile carried a hint of cruelty as she asked, “Lin Yin, do you know why I agreed to marry you back then?”

Lin Yin frowned as he looked at Xu Youyou in confusion. He did not know why she suddenly changed the topic.

“I agreed to marry you not because of the marriage agreement between our families. It was because the day we officially met, you handed me an umbrella. I had the exact umbrella. That umbrella was given to me during the darkest and most desperate moment of my life. I always thought you were the person who gave that umbrella.”

Lin Yin’s eyes widened. Realization dawned on him after he listened to her words. “The person you liked was, was the person who gave you the umbrella…”

“Yes. If it weren’t for him, I would’ve died long ago,” Xu Youyou said. Her words were frank and cruel. Her red lips curled up slightly as she continued to say, “I’ve never really liked you, Lin Yin.”

Lin Yin’s face was as pale as paper. His dull eyes flashed with shock, disbelief, and all kinds of complicated emotions. He found it hard to accept that during the few years they spent together, the person she liked was never him. The eyes filled with adoration that used to look at him were not really looking at him.

Xu Youyou picked at the skin at the side of her nail. She used too much force, causing it to bleed. It was inevitable that she felt pain. She said expressionlessly, “Lin Yin, in the past, the person I liked was the person who gave me the umbrella. Now, the person I like is Mo Shenbai. From the beginning to the end, I’ve never liked you. Not at all.”

If she did not mistake Lin Yin for the person who gave her the umbrella, she likely would not have agreed to the marriage. If she did not mistake him for another person, she likely would not have tolerated the Lin family and him for so many years. Although she had a soft personality, it did not mean that people could trample on her. In fact, she was aware of everything. It was just that she was too lazy to be calculative or harbor grudges. However, it was different now that her grandmother passed away. She had lost the person she was closest to. It was not surprising that the sharp claws hidden underneath her soft exterior had come out.

To Lin Yin, nothing was crueler than Xu Youyou never liking him. It was absurd and ironic. He laughed as his eyes shone with desolation. Tears could be seen in his red eyes.

Whether the tears were sincere or not, Xu Youyou was unmoved. She rose to her feet and left the ward. Mo Shenbai was still waiting for her downstairs. She was afraid that if she did not leave soon, he would be unhappy again.

…

After Xu Youyou got into the car, Mo Shenbai looked at his watch and said, “10 minutes and 50 seconds. You’re quite punctual…”

A hint of unconcealable jealousy could be heard in his voice.

Xu Youyou did not seem to hear him as she raised her hand and said softly, “Mr. Bai, my finger hurts.”

Mo Shenbai’s gaze was instantly drawn to the blood on her index finger. He frowned immediately and grabbed her wrist as he asked, “How did you hurt yourself?”

“I was picking at the skin…”

Mo Shenbai looked at her. He felt helpless and distressed when faced with her. After ordering the driver to buy band-aids, he lowered his head and put her finger in his mouth.

Xu Youyou was stunned, and her face turned red immediately. She tried to pull her hand away as she said, “It’s dirty.”

Mo Shenbai held her wrist tightly. After a moment, he took a piece of tissue and spat out saliva mixed with blood. “Are you trying to make my heart ache on purpose?”

Xu Youyou was not flustered when Mo Shenbai exposed her. Instead, she scooted closer to him before she wrapped her arms around his neck and said in a delicate voice, “Isn’t it because I know you love me?”

Mo Shenbai poked her forehead gently and said, “You’re becoming arrogant because I spoil you too much.”

“No, no, no,” Xu Youyou hurriedly denied. Then, she raised her head and gave him a kiss on the cheek before she said, “I love you too.”

Mo Shenbai’s eyes burned. Emotions surged in his heart violently as the corners of his lips curled up involuntarily.

After a moment, the driver returned with a box of band-aids. Who knew if it was intentional or not, but the band-aids had Peppa the Pig on them.

Mo Shenbai carefully put on the band-aid for her and said with a serious face, “This suits you very well.”

Xu Youyou glared at him. “Are you calling me a pig?”

Mo Shenbai did not deny it. He held her hand, intertwining their fingers. Then, he asked casually, “What did you say to Lin Yin?”

“Nothing much. I told him we have nothing to do with him getting beaten up,” Xu Youyou answered honestly. Most of the time, she was very transparent with him and said whatever came to her mind. After a beat, she continued to say, “I also told him that I’ve never liked him and that I mistook him for the person who gave me the umbrella.”

Mo Shenbai scoffed and loosened his grip on her hand as he said, “Just because of an umbrella, you thought about him for so many years. You even mistook someone else for him. It’s just like one of those substitutes in the novels. Xu Youyou, you’re really amazing.”

Mo Shenbai knew how important it was for someone to reach out to Xu Youyou at that time. However, reason could not overcome emotion at this moment. He could not help but feel wildly jealous. He was also very angry that he was not that person who gave her an umbrella during her darkest time.

Xu Youyou: “…”

‘He even knows about those kinds of novels?’

Xu Youyou knew that she was in the wrong so she took the initiative to hold his hand. Seeing that he did not shake her hand off, she tightened her grip and said, “That was in the past. The person I like now is you.”

Then, she tugged at the hem of his shirt and said tentatively, “Moreover, isn’t it normal for young people to have a few relationships nowadays? What I had was just a crush, not even a relationship.”

‘Since it was a crush, it doesn’t count as a relationship…’

“I didn’t have any relationships at all…” Mo Shenbai said, looking down at her.

Xu Youyou was choked by his words. When she recovered, she blurted out without thinking, “Well, you can’t be considered as one of us young people.”

The atmosphere froze immediately. It felt as though the temperature in the car had dropped to the freezing point.

Mo Shenbai’s face seemed to be covered in a layer of frost. A sneer appeared on his face as he pulled his hand away from her. He turned to look out the window, no longer intending to talk to her.

Xu Youyou: “…”

‘Why did I speak without thinking?! He’s really angry this time!’

“Mr. Bai…” Xu Youyou called out as she tentatively reached out to tug at his sleeve again.

Mo Shenbai did not even look at her. His expression was cold and tense.

Xu Youyou was not intimidated by his imposing aura. She continued to tug at his sleeve and called out pitifully, “Mr. Bai, Mr. Bai…”