She'd been cooped up for days. Without Ye Lingling around, Dugu Yan was bored out of her mind.
So when she figured enough time had passed, she headed straight over.
Looking at the unexpected guest before him, Fang Xuan really wanted to send her packing. She had no sense of tact at all.
After all, now that he'd detoxified Dugu Bo yesterday, shouldn't the man have immediately arranged for his granddaughter-obsessed self to be with Dugu Yan? How could he have let her out?
"Yanyan, what brings you here today? How are things going with Yu Tianheng?"
Ye Lingling was quite happy to see her good friend. After all, she had few friends.
And after what had happened yesterday, she was still feeling somewhat affected. Even though Fang Xuan had done everything he could to comfort her, she still hadn't fully moved on.
Fang Xuan understood. No one could accept something like that right away.
"You two talk. I'll go check on Mom."
Ye Qinru wasn't doing much better than Ye Lingling. Her son-in-law had become the only person in the family who hadn't been too affected.
"Go on, get out of here. Don't interrupt me and Lingling while we're having a heart-to-heart."
Dugu Yan didn't show Fang Xuan the slightest courtesy. She hurried him away, as if he were the outsider.
Fang Xuan didn't take it personally. Perhaps Dugu Yan's straightforward nature could help Ye Lingling move on sooner.
When Fang Xuan left, Dugu Yan stuck out her tongue at his back, looking so mischievous and cute that Ye Lingling couldn't help covering her mouth and giggling.
"Stinking man, stealing my best friend. Good thing I'm not a man. If I were, would you have gotten so lucky?"
"All right, I know you're the best, Yanyan. But you still haven't answered my question."
Ye Lingling knew Dugu Yan's personality. She was just talking big. If she'd really had a problem with Fang Xuan, she would've made a move already.
"Tsk, honestly, you get a man and forget your best friend. Go on, keep defending him."
Dugu Yan poked Ye Lingling's smooth forehead, looking indignant.
Then her expression changed, and she sighed.
"Grandpa still hasn't agreed, but he doesn't seem to be as opposed as before."
"By the way, did you know I almost ended up sharing a husband with you?"
When Dugu Yan found out Dugu Bo had nearly arranged for her to marry Fang Xuan too, it had scared her badly. Fang Xuan wasn't her type at all.
And who wanted to marry someone they'd only known for a few days? Ye Lingling was an extremely rare exception.
It was lucky she'd met someone like Fang Xuan, who had decent character. Otherwise, she might have felt guilty for the rest of her life.
Ye Lingling flushed with embarrassment. She knew about it too, and it had scared her badly at the time.
"Good thing Aunt Ye refused. Otherwise, I'd probably be living at your house by now."
Of course, she was joking. If she hadn't agreed, Dugu Bo wouldn't have forced her to choose Fang Xuan.
"Grandpa went to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan today. No idea what he's going there for, but I bet Tian Heng is in for another rough time."
Dugu Yan chuckled. She didn't seem particularly bothered that Yu Tianheng was getting the short end of the stick. Her grandfather wasn't going to beat him to death.
"But at least the guy finally showed some backbone and called his grandfather over. Otherwise, I'd really have to wonder if he even wanted to marry me."
"Anyway, enough about him. Let's talk about you."
Dugu Yan turned to Ye Lingling and asked,
"How have you been these past few days? You seem a little unhappy. Did that guy mistreat you?"
Dugu Yan had noticed as soon as she walked in that Ye Lingling seemed a little off. But with Fang Xuan there, she hadn't wanted to ask in case it caused a misunderstanding.
Now that Fang Xuan had left, she couldn't hold it in any longer and asked outright.
"No, he's been very good to me. It's just..."
Ye Lingling pressed her lips together, unsure how to begin.
But after a moment's thought, she told Dugu Yan everything. She needed someone to vent to, and Fang Xuan clearly wasn't the right person. Dugu Yan was a much better fit.
But when Dugu Yan heard the whole story, her expression stayed remarkably calm. She even looked a little sleepy.
"You're upset over that?"
"Come on, he was scum! Stabbing him to death with one sword would've been letting him off easy. If I were Aunt Ye, I'd have cut him into a thousand pieces."
As she spoke, she rapped Ye Lingling on the head.
"You silly girl. You're fretting over a scumbag. What, are you going to avenge him by giving your mom a couple of stabs too?"
"He was the one who abandoned your mother first, and he used underhanded methods to do it. I'm not talking about Fang Xuan here, so don't take offense."
Dugu Yan made sure to set Fang Xuan apart from the example. He might always get on her nerves, but she respected his character. Most importantly, he was generous. Naturally, she had to put in a good word for him.
"Let's say Fang Xuan was a heartless jerk who used underhanded means to have his way with you, then pulled up his pants and refused to take responsibility. Would you want to kill him?"
Ye Lingling thought for a moment, then shook her head.
"He wouldn't do that."
"I said let's say! It's hypothetical!"
Dugu Yan was on the verge of collapse. How had she ended up with such a stubborn best friend?
"Fine, then. Say I'm your best friend, and Yu Tianheng did that to me, then pulled up his pants and refused to acknowledge me. If you found out, would you be angry?"
"Of course I'd be angry! How could he do that?"
At that, Ye Lingling immediately stood up, a hint of anger on her face, as if Yu Tianheng had really done it.
"Hey, hey, sit down. I said it was hypothetical, not that he actually did it."
"If he really did that, the grass on his grave would be two meters tall by now."
If Yu Tianheng had the nerve to do that, she'd have to admire his courage.
"So you see, when you heard that something like this had happened to me, you got that angry. How do you think your mom felt back then?"
"So you don't need to make yourself miserable over a scumbag. If I had a father like yours, I wouldn't wait for my mom to do anything. I'd go up and stab him myself."
Luckily, Dugu Bo wasn't there. If he'd heard that, he might've been so shocked by her filial piety that he'd have died laughing.
Dugu Yan's words might have been a little outrageous, but they worked quite well. After hearing them, the worry on Ye Lingling's face eased considerably.
"Yanyan, thank you. I feel much better after hearing you say that."
"Hey, it's nothing. You just get too caught up in your own thoughts. This sort of thing really isn't worth worrying over."
"But how's Aunt Ye doing? Should I go over and try to talk her through it too?"
Dugu Yan was brimming with confidence now. She figured she might as well help Ye Qinru work through it too.
"N-no, it's fine. Mom's doing well. We'd better not bother her."
Ye Lingling was embarrassed. Her mother wasn't like her. If Dugu Yan went over and started chattering away in front of her, it might make things worse.
"All right, then. But earlier you said your Martial Soul evolved? What did it turn into? Let me see."
She'd been so focused on soothing Ye Lingling that she'd nearly forgotten about her Martial Soul.
Martial Soul Evolution was a rare thing, and Dugu Yan was quite interested.
Could those scraggly weeds in her grandfather's medicine garden really do that?