At that moment, the hesitation filling Xiao Yun’s heart did not stem from Ji Lin’s closeness, but from the place where they were standing.
This was not some unfamiliar courtyard where she could simply forget everything around her.
They were inside the Ye Family estate, and worse still, the room she was standing in belonged to her own son, Ye Fang.
The instant that realization crossed her mind, her body tensed again, and her eyes unconsciously drifted toward the door.
What would happen if Fang’er suddenly returned and saw them like this?
How could she possibly look him in the eyes afterward, stand before him, and continue acting like a mother who had hidden nothing from her son?
Merely imagining such a situation was enough to awaken an intense sense of guilt and embarrassment within her.
Yet every time she tried to force herself to pull away from Ji Lin, the events of yesterday resurfaced in her mind.
When she had been completely helpless before the Liu Family men, no one had appeared to save her except Ji Lin.
Even Ye Fang had not been by her side when she needed protection most.
Ji Lin had been the one who appeared before her.
He had stood between her and danger.
He had risked himself to protect her, and the blood he had coughed up after the battle still made her believe that saving her had come at a tremendous cost.
A complicated look gradually entered Xiao Yun’s eyes.
If his feelings for her were not sincere, why would he have been willing to go so far for her?
She was a woman who had already been married and had given birth to a son.
That son was nearly the same age as Ji Lin himself.
Yet even after knowing all of this, Ji Lin had never retreated.
He continued treating her as though none of those things could change what he felt for her.
Because of that, even when she wanted to reject his advances, she discovered that the harsh words she should have spoken no longer came easily.
Ji Lin noticed her repeated glances toward the door and immediately understood the source of her concern.
He leaned slightly closer to her ear and whispered reassuringly
Madam, there is no need to worry.
The Family Head summoned Elder Brother Ye Fang to question him about what happened with the Liu Family. This chapter was copied from g.com without permission.
He won’t return here until this afternoon.
Then he leaned closer and gently bit her earlobe, leaving behind a faint trace of redness.
Ah…
A soft gasp escaped Xiao Yun before she could suppress it.
Her shoulders relaxed slightly, and some of the tension that had gripped her body ever since she remembered the possibility of her son suddenly returning began to fade.
Yet that very sense of relief forced her to confront another truth she had been trying to ignore.
She had lived alone for more than ten years after losing her husband.
Throughout those long years, she had grown accustomed to being a mother before anything else, until she had come to believe that the part of her heart that yearned for closeness and intimacy had long since gone silent.
What had happened between her and Ji Lin, however, proved that those feelings had never truly disappeared.
They had merely remained dormant in the depths of her heart throughout all those years, and now that they had awakened again, ignoring them was no longer as easy as it had once been.
Even so, Xiao Yun could not simply cast aside every restraint she had lived by throughout her life.
The principles deeply rooted in her heart, the rules of propriety she had been taught since childhood, and society’s judgment of a woman in her position had all become invisible chains pulling her backward whenever she considered allowing her feelings to guide her.
She remained silent for several moments before finally raising her eyes toward Ji Lin.
A thin layer of tears covered them, but this time there was unmistakable seriousness in her gaze.
Ji Lin…
She hesitated briefly, then her fingers gently tightened around the edge of his robe.
Gathering her courage, she continued,
No matter what happens between us, I don’t want a third person to ever know about it.
Not Fang’er, not anyone in the Ye Family, and not anyone else.
Can you promise me that?
Ji Lin looked at her for a few moments before raising his hand and gently running it over her hair, a calm smile appearing on his lips.
Of course.
Everything will be as you wish, Madam.
What Xiao Yun did not know was that her request aligned perfectly with what Ji Lin wanted.
Keeping their relationship secret was far more advantageous to him than making it public.
If she demanded an official relationship with him now and the matter spread throughout the Ye Family, the nature of his relationship with Ye Fang would change completely, making many of his future plans far more difficult to carry out.
As long as everything remained hidden from the eyes of others, however, he could continue staying close to Ye Fang, seizing his opportunities and harvesting his Luck Points without revealing all the cards in his hand.
Yet none of those calculations showed on his face.
Instead, the faint smile on his lips disappeared, replaced by a seriousness that made Xiao Yun raise her eyes toward him once more.
But there is one thing I want you to know.
He paused briefly before continuing in a steady voice
If the day ever comes when you no longer wish to live under the restraints imposed by other people’s judgment and gossip, I will not ask you to hide.
Xiao Yun’s eyes widened slightly, but Ji Lin continued without hesitation.
No matter what difficulties we may face when that time comes, I will marry you openly before everyone and give you a wedding worthy of you.
Xiao Yun’s eyelashes trembled as she stared at him for several moments, seemingly unable to believe that she had heard such words from him.
Her heartbeat quickened, and her gaze instinctively dropped as a blush slowly spread across her cheeks.
Mm…
The sound that escaped her lips was so soft that it was barely audible, and she gave a shy nod.
A short while later, a hand reached toward the door and gently closed it.
Click.
The door settled firmly into place, shutting away everything that happened within the room from the outside world.