Time passed, second by second.
In the little garden, the moonlight shone as before.
An Yi held the sleeping Bibi Dong in his arms, never once shifting from his spot.
Qian Renxue, hiding outside, was almost out of patience. She had crouched behind the flowers at first, poking her head out for a look now and then. When she saw that there was still no movement inside, she finally couldn't hold back and tiptoed in.
Qian Renxue had a fair idea of where Bibi Dong usually cultivated at night.
It didn't take her long to find the little garden.
But the moment she stepped through the garden entrance, she froze.
There, under the moonlight, An Yi sat on the grass, and her mother was leaning against him, fast asleep in his arms.
Qian Renxue: "???"
She wondered if she had come to the wrong place. Her mother, who always wore a cold face and wouldn't even spare her an extra glance, had actually leaned into a man's arms of her own accord and fallen asleep?
And she looked to be sleeping soundly, too.
What was going on?
Qian Renxue instinctively rubbed her eyes and looked again.
There was no mistake. The scene hadn't changed.
Her little head couldn't quite make sense of it.
Seeing her standing at the garden entrance as though she'd seen a ghost, An Yi lifted his eyes and glanced at her.
Then he raised a finger to his lips, signaling her to be quiet.
Qian Renxue immediately closed her mouth and approached cautiously, afraid of making the slightest sound.
Only when she reached An Yi's side did she finally get a clear look at Bibi Dong.
Traces of tears still lingered on that familiar face, not yet dry, and the weariness between her brows had yet to fade. Even in her sleep, her fingers lightly clutched An Yi's lapel, as if she feared that the person before her would vanish again the moment she let go.
Qian Renxue stood there, stunned.
She had never seen Bibi Dong like this. In her memories, her mother had always been the lofty saintess of the Pope's Hall, cold and imposing, rarely showing even a trace of warmth to her own daughter.
But the woman before her seemed to have let down all her defenses, so vulnerable that Qian Renxue could scarcely believe it.
Just then, a voice suddenly sounded in her mind.
[She just fell asleep. Don't disturb her.]
Qian Renxue's whole body stiffened, and she instinctively looked at An Yi.
Mental voice transmission!
She opened her mouth, but didn't dare make a sound, so she could only ask quietly in her mind.
[Teacher, what's wrong with Mom?]
An Yi looked at her, his expression calm.
[Don't ask what you shouldn't.]
Qian Renxue pressed her lips together. Though she had ten thousand questions in her heart, she looked at the sleeping Bibi Dong and ultimately didn't dare press him.
A moment later, An Yi's voice sounded again.
[She's fast asleep. If you want to hug her, be gentle.]
Qian Renxue jerked her head up. She looked at An Yi, then at Bibi Dong, her eyes full of disbelief.
[Hug... hug her?]
[What else?]
An Yi glanced at her.
[Haven't you always wanted to get close to her? She's right here now, and you've lost your nerve?]
Qian Renxue was at a loss for words.
Of course she wanted to. She dreamed of it.
Ever since she was little, what she had longed for most was to receive a hug from her mother, just like other children.
Even once would have been enough.
But she was also afraid-afraid that the moment she got close, Bibi Dong would wake up and push her away with a cold face.
The last time she had sneaked into Bibi Dong's residence, she had nearly been beaten to death. The memory still filled her with lingering fear.
Qian Renxue bit her lip, hesitation filling her eyes.
[Teacher, what if she wakes up? She doesn't like me touching her.]
An Yi looked at her, his tone calm.
[I'm here. It's all right.]
Those few words gradually put Qian Renxue's heart at ease.
She took a deep breath, crouched down, and inched closer to Bibi Dong, moving as gently as she possibly could.
First, she reached out and cautiously touched Bibi Dong's sleeve.
When Bibi Dong didn't react, she slowly shifted her body and tentatively leaned toward her.
At last, she gathered her courage, stretched out both arms, and gently embraced Bibi Dong.
In that instant, Qian Renxue's body trembled slightly.
This was the embrace she had dreamed of for so long. There were no icy reprimands, no impatient attempts to drive her away, and no indifference that kept her a thousand miles away.
Her mother was right beside her.
She could finally hold her mother like an ordinary child.
Qian Renxue gently pressed her face against Bibi Dong, the familiar scent lingering around her. She didn't dare hold her tightly, and even softened her breathing, afraid that it was all just a dream.
An Yi watched the scene without speaking. He simply raised a hand and gently patted Qian Renxue's shoulder.
Qian Renxue's tense body finally relaxed. After waiting for most of the night and going through such emotional ups and downs, she was already a little sleepy.
Now, leaning against Bibi Dong and sensing the presence she cherished so deeply, she felt the tension pent up in her heart gradually fade.
Before she knew it, her eyelids grew heavier and heavier.
At last, she too fell asleep leaning against Bibi Dong.
An Yi slowly closed his eyes.
The bright moon overhead shed a cool silver glow, casting the three figures in a dreamlike light.
Outside the little garden, meanwhile,
two figures hid in the shadows, taking in everything that had just happened.
They were none other than Qian Daoliu and Qian Xunji.
Originally, Qian Daoliu had only come to check because he was worried about Qian Renxue sneaking out at night.
He had never expected to witness such an outrageous scene.
Qian Xunji watched the three people in the garden, his face growing darker by the moment.
An Yi held Bibi Dong.
Bibi Dong leaned against An Yi.
Qian Renxue was even hugging Bibi Dong.
The three were nestled together, giving off a sense of harmony that no outsider could possibly intrude upon.
Qian Xunji felt his head buzzing.
At that moment, he felt that both his dignity as a man and his face as a father were being trampled underfoot.
If Qian Daoliu hadn't kept a hand on his shoulder, he would have charged out long ago!
Finally, Qian Xunji could bear it no longer and lowered his voice.
"Father, why are you stopping me?"
Qian Daoliu didn't look at him, his gaze still fixed on Qian Renxue.
"The situation isn't clear. If you charge out there now, what do you intend to do?"
Qian Xunji gritted his teeth. "Look at them! Am I supposed to just stand here and watch?"
Qian Daoliu finally turned his head and glanced at him.
"You don't have to watch."
Qian Xunji: "..."
He nearly couldn't catch his breath.
Father, are you even speaking like a human being?
Qian Xunji took a deep breath and tried to keep his voice down.
"Father, Bibi Dong is my woman!"
Qian Daoliu raised a brow. "Your woman? Isn't she your disciple?"
Qian Xunji was immediately at a loss for words.
Of course he knew that Bibi Dong had originally been his disciple.
But after all these years, he had long since grown accustomed to treating her as his own possession.
Now, watching Bibi Dong lean against another man, how could he possibly stand it?
Qian Xunji's expression shifted, and he gritted his teeth.
"Father, you..."
"Enough." Qian Daoliu raised a hand to cut him off.
"I don't want to bring up the things you did in the past."
"Xue'er is what matters most now."
With that, he looked back at Qian Renxue in the garden.
The little girl was fast asleep, both arms still wrapped tightly around Bibi Dong, a faint smile even playing on her lips.
It was an expression Qian Daoliu rarely saw on her face.
Ever since she had been old enough to understand, Qian Renxue had carefully tried to win Bibi Dong's affection.
But she had always been met with coldness and distance.
As her grandfather, Qian Daoliu had naturally seen it all.
It wasn't that he hadn't tried to find a way, but there were some things an outsider simply couldn't intervene in.
Bibi Dong was unwilling to accept Qian Renxue, and he couldn't very well tie mother and daughter together by force.
That would only make things worse.
But now, An Yi had done it.
This young man, who had been in Spirit City for only half a month, had actually gotten Bibi Dong to let down her guard and even given Qian Renxue a chance to get close to her mother.
Qian Daoliu spoke slowly. "All these years, he's the first person who's managed to make Bibi Dong let down her guard. Perhaps he really can change Bibi Dong's attitude toward Xue'er."
Qian Xunji's expression immediately grew even uglier.
"So you're asking me to just stand here and watch?"
Qian Daoliu said mildly, "I told you, you don't have to watch."
Qian Xunji: "..."
He felt that sooner or later, his father would drive him to death with anger.