"I... I..."
Seeing the concern on Ye Lingling's face, Dugu Yan felt even more guilty. She lowered her head and stammered for a long time without managing to explain herself.
Seeing Dugu Yan like this, Ye Rou'er thought she was feeling unwell again and had come to ask for treatment. She put on a warm smile and said,
"Your Excellency, please come in and sit down. Is Yan Yan feeling unwell?"
"It's all right. I'll treat the girl in a moment."
Ye Rou'er was very welcoming.
The two families had always been on good terms. Ye Rou'er had treated Dugu Bo and his granddaughter many times, and Dugu Bo had given Ye Rou'er many high-grade medicinal herbs.
On top of that, Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling were best friends at the academy.
So no matter how you looked at it, there was no reason for the mother and daughter of the Ye Family to think Dugu Bo had come to steal someone away.
Seeing Ye Rou'er's warm welcome, Dugu Bo felt deeply ashamed.
But what was done was done. For his granddaughter's happiness, he had to play the villain!
Dugu Bo stood where he was, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. Then he opened them and slowly exhaled.
"I'll pass on sitting down. I came here today to discuss something with that brat."
"Clan Head Ye, you've done me a kindness. I, Dugu Bo, am not an ingrate."
His words left Ye Rou'er completely baffled.
"Your Excellency, why are you suddenly saying this? I never said you—"
"What I mean is, my Yan Yan has had her eye on that brat for a long time!"
As soon as he said this, the entire courtyard fell silent.
Ye Rou'er, who had been all smiles just moments earlier, froze in place. Ye Lingling, who had been examining Dugu Yan from head to toe, suddenly stopped moving, too.
Even Lin Yan, at the very back of the crowd, was left speechless for a long moment.
What was going on? What did he mean, Dugu Yan had her eye on Lin Yan? And why had Dugu Bo come here today?
Ye Lingling fixed her gaze on Dugu Yan.
"Yan Yan, you..."
"I asked you about this before, and you said he was too young..."
That was right. Ye Lingling had asked Dugu Yan about it in their dormitory, and she had been very direct.
Dugu Yan had said herself that Lin Yan was too young for her and that she didn't like him.
That was why Ye Lingling had invited Lin Yan to her home. Otherwise, with the two of them being best friends, she'd been afraid of stealing her friend's sweetheart.
But who would have thought...
"I..."
"I'm sorry, Lingling."
Dugu Yan didn't dare meet Ye Lingling's eyes. She hurriedly turned her gaze away.
Seeing this, Dugu Bo decided to throw all shame aside and said directly to Ye Rou'er,
"I'll take him with me for now."
"I'll come in person another day to apologize."
As he spoke, he stepped forward and reached for Lin Yan.
But Ye Lingling couldn't possibly accept that.
Seriously, she and Lin Yan were practically about to make their relationship official. Dugu Yan was only now saying she liked him, after all this time?
The girl stepped in front of Lin Yan and stared stubbornly at Dugu Bo.
"Your Excellency, this doesn't seem right. We invited Lin Yan here first."
"There's no reason for you to take him away now, no matter what."
Dugu Bo let out a cold snort.
"Hmph!"
"Then forgive my offense!"
With that, he used his Soul Power to knock Ye Lingling aside. Then he beckoned with one hand, and Lin Yan was pulled into his grasp.
"Lingling!"
Seeing her daughter knocked to the ground, Ye Rou'er hurried over to help her up.
Taking advantage of the brief distraction, Dugu Bo grabbed Lin Yan by the collar, took Dugu Yan with him, and shot into the sky as a streak of light.
"Once this matter is settled, I'll come in person to apologize."
They were already gone, but his voice still echoed through the courtyard.
Ye Rou'er and Ye Lingling looked up at the sky, helplessly watching the jade-green streak of light grow farther and farther away.
It had all happened too suddenly.
One moment, everyone had been happily eating barbecue. The next, they had been stabbed in the back by a friend of many years.
Ye Lingling sat in a daze, her beautiful eyes full of confusion.
"Damn it! He's a grown man, yet he went after a child."
"Lingling, are you all right?"
Ye Rou'er held Ye Lingling, who was still on the ground.
Ye Lingling lowered her eyes.
"I'm fine..."
"Mom, Lin Yan..."
Seeing the dejection in Ye Lingling's eyes, Ye Rou'er gently helped her up and comforted her.
"This isn't your fault. That grandfather and granddaughter are the ones being unreasonable."
"Don't be sad, and don't lose heart."
"They haven't known each other long, but Mom can tell Lin Yan is the sort who responds to softness, not force. The two of them may not get their way."
But Ye Lingling's mother's words did little to make her feel better. The girl still looked dejected.
It couldn't be helped. Anyone would have trouble accepting it when their soon-to-be-boyfriend was snatched away right in front of them by their best friend.
Just then, Ye Rou'er seemed to think of something. She took Ye Lingling by the hand and led her outside.
"Come on, let's go find the Crown Prince."
"Lin Yan is one of the Crown Prince's people. Dugu Bo can't just take him away like that. The royal family won't stand by and do nothing."
"Hmph! We've helped two ungrateful wretches all these years!"
Meanwhile.
Dugu Bo had also considered that people from the royal family might come looking for him, so he simply took Lin Yan straight back to the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well.
He figured that since he had already gone this far, it wouldn't hurt to reveal the secret of this medicinal garden to a child.
In the garden.
Dugu Bo looked at the unconscious Lin Yan and took a piece of Whale Rubber from his storage ring. From the look of things, he seemed ready to feed it to the boy directly.
There was no helping it. The little girl from the Ye Family had already gotten the jump on him. If he didn't resort to some drastic measures, Lin Yan would never willingly accept his granddaughter.
"No! Grandpa, he's still so young!"
Seeing this, Dugu Yan flushed with embarrassment and spoke up to stop him.
This was way too fast! Even if she liked Lin Yan, there was no need to rush things this much!
Dugu Bo turned back, his expression grave.
"Yan Yan, I'll ask you just one thing. Do you like him?"
The girl lowered her head.
"I... I... do..."
"All right!"
"Then there's nothing to hesitate about."
Dugu Bo threw caution to the wind and said to Dugu Yan,
"Grandpa might as well tell you."
"I don't have much time left..."
"What?"
The girl looked up, her eyes full of shock.
Her embarrassment and anxiety vanished in an instant. She stared at him in disbelief, unable to understand why her grandfather had suddenly said something like that.
Dugu Bo explained,
"The poison of the Jade Phosphor Snake Martial Soul is too overbearing. My meridians have long since been ravaged by it."
He stopped there and let out a heavy breath.
"So... before death comes, whatever you want to do, Grandpa will support you without question."
Two sentences.
Just two simple sentences encompassed the tragedy of Dugu Bo's entire life.
Dugu Yan couldn't accept the truth. Her legs went weak, and she nearly collapsed to the ground.
Fortunately, Dugu Bo was quick to catch her and hold her steady.
"This..."
"Grandpa, you're lying, aren't you?"
Held in Dugu Bo's arms, the girl tipped back her head, tears streaming down her face as she looked helplessly at him.
Dugu Bo was just as grief-stricken. He said dejectedly,
"Yan Yan, I'm sorry. Grandpa was useless."
"I spent my whole life searching, but never found a way to cure the poison."