Chapter 533 - 465: Sweet Dream
Chapter 533: Chapter 465: Sweet Dream
Tang Yaxuan found glutinous rice flour, white sugar, and a few other ingredients in the kitchen. Though she had grown up pampered, living a life of luxury where she never had to lift a finger, the recent upheaval concerning her parentage had changed all that. Now, she had no problem with housework; in fact, she was nimble and efficient. In less than half an hour, she brought out two bowls of plump, white sweet dumplings.
The Lantern Festival hadn’t arrived yet, but she was getting to eat sweet dumplings early with Brother Junfan, and her heart soared with joy.
The broth was sweet, but the filling was a savory mix of shredded radish and minced meat. It was a happy accident, as Bai Junfan surprisingly loved the flavor. Polishing them off in two bites each, he quickly finished his bowl. Tang Yaxuan immediately transferred some from her bowl to his. Brother Junfan loved her cooking, and she couldn’t have been more delighted.
The two of them sat around the table, smiling as they ate and chatted. It was a warm, sweet scene.
When they had eaten their fill, Bai Junfan didn’t let Tang Yaxuan clean the kitchen. He told her not to even wash the bowls, just to leave them on the table. He pulled her back to the living room, brewed a pot of hot tea, and the two of them curled up on the sofa to chat and let their food digest.
The conversation started with Tang Yaxuan’s studies, but gradually drifted to her biological parents and her true hometown. Tang Yaxuan’s mood visibly sank. When the topic of being switched at birth came up, tears welled up and she began to sob softly. Bai Junfan quickly scooted closer, gently wrapping an arm around her and patting her comfortingly as he said:
"The Tang family and the Gu family really went too far. The hospital made the mistake; it had nothing to do with you. They raised you for more than ten years; there was a real bond there. How could they just sever it like that? Don’t worry. No matter how others see you, I will always consider you my sister. In my eyes, in my heart, you’re just as precious to me as Manman!"
Touched, Tang Yaxuan buried her face in Bai Junfan’s embrace and cried her heart out. When she was done, Bai Junfan went to get a damp towel to wipe her face. He then poured her more tea, and only when she had calmed down did they resume their conversation.
The topic was still her biological parents and the situation in Gongdao Village. Inwardly, Tang Yaxuan found these subjects utterly repulsive, but an opportunity to talk with Brother Junfan all night was so rare. ’Even if we’re talking about people and things I hate, I can bear it, as long as it makes Brother Junfan happy.’
’Brother Junfan is genuinely concerned for me. And he isn’t a snob; he hasn’t scorned me or looked down on me because of my family background like everyone else. Such an upright, good man... he’s truly worthy of my affection.’
At that moment, Tang Yaxuan’s heart and mind were filled with nothing but Brother Junfan. Gu Shaojun, who had once occupied the most important place in her heart, was now completely forgotten.
In truth, her reaction was perfectly normal, even wise. As the saying goes, a hero is one who understands the times. When you know something is beyond your reach, you should let it go instead of forcing the issue. The smart thing to do is to hold on tight to what you *can* have.
The casual chat, steered by Bai Junfan, went on for more than two hours. By three in the morning, Tang Yaxuan was so sleepy she could barely keep her eyes open. She wanted to persevere—as long as Brother Junfan didn’t call it a night, she would force herself to stay up. But her eyes and brain refused to obey. She wasn’t even aware of the moment she drifted off.
In truth, Bai Junfan was exhausted too. For the past few days, his home had been plagued by one chaotic, vexing problem after another, and his Cultivation wasn’t progressing smoothly either. He hadn’t had a single decent night’s sleep in three days. Now, as he watched Tang Yaxuan finally give in to her exhaustion and slump into his arms, sleeping soundly, he couldn’t help but frown. He, too, desperately wanted to close his eyes and drift off.
But he was, after all, a soldier who had undergone intensive training, and his willpower was far beyond ordinary. As long as he willed himself not to feel sleepy, he could keep his eyes open. He rubbed the spot between his eyebrows with his thumb and pinched the bridge of his nose. In his mind, he reviewed the details of Tang Yaxuan’s situation as a daughter of the Mo family. Only then did he rise from the sofa, lift Tang Yaxuan into his arms, carry her to the bedroom, and place her on the "marriage bed" he shared with Yang Liu’er.
That’s right. This large, sturdy bed, beautifully made up and comfortable, was what Yang Liu’er called their marriage bed. She had specially hired a master carpenter to custom-build it, along with a full set of new furniture including the wardrobe. She treated this house as their marital home, a continuation of their "common-law marriage" from Pan Kou Village. In her own words:
"I don’t care about being well-matched in social status! We had a matchmaker and an officiant! We held a banquet in the village for everyone to witness! We’re already a real husband and wife! Even if the Bai Family won’t let you register our marriage now, you’re still a married man. You are not allowed to go on blind dates or talk about marrying any other woman! I can wait for you. I’ll wait until the day you can finally make it official with me!"
Bai Junfan hadn’t deliberately contradicted her or soured her mood. At the time, he had simply kissed her again and again, until she was powerless to resist.
’He knew perfectly well that taking Liu’er to the Civil Affairs Bureau to become a legally wedded couple was an absolute impossibility. He would marry a high-born woman as his legitimate wife. But that wouldn’t in the slightest prevent him from doting on Liu’er and sharing a married life with her, one that belonged only to the two of them. So what if they didn’t have a marriage certificate? She was his woman. Nothing and no one could ever change that fact.’
Tang Yaxuan stirred as she was placed on the bed. Opening her eyes, she saw Brother Junfan preparing to leave, and panic seized her. ’Didn’t I promise to stay up and talk with Brother Junfan until dawn? How could I have fallen asleep? He must be so disappointed in me!’
Instinctively, she reached out her arms, then her legs, clinging to Bai Junfan like a vine to a tree. "Brother Junfan, Brother Junfan, don’t go!" she murmured, as if talking in her sleep. "Don’t leave Xuanxuan! Xuanxuan really likes you... Xuanxuan won’t sleep, Xuanxuan will keep you company..."
Bai Junfan looked down at the hands gripping his clothes and the legs wrapped around his waist, and sighed in resignation. ’They say women are weak, but the two I’ve had to deal with, Yang Liu’er and Tang Yaxuan, are absolute masters of clinging. Look at these limbs... so tenacious. It would take a real effort to pry them off.’
It was the middle of the night, and Bai Junfan didn’t feel like struggling. He was exhausted. The sight of his own soft, comfortable bed was the last straw. His suppressed weariness broke free, surging up to tempt and push him toward it. He had only meant to sit on the edge of the bed and pat Tang Yaxuan a few times until she fell back into a deep sleep, giving him a chance to slip away. But he casually leaned back against the headboard, his eyes closed for just a second, and he was out.
It’s impossible to know if Bai Junfan had a dream, but Tang Yaxuan certainly did. Hers was as beautiful as something out of a fairy tale: Brother Junfan was a noble prince, and she was a beautiful princess... ’I don’t want to wake up. I want to live with Brother Junfan in this dream kingdom forever.’
But a dream is just a dream, and one must always wake from even the most beautiful ones. And sweet dreams have side effects: the stark contrast with reality can be jarring, sometimes to an unbearable degree.
And so it was for Tang Yaxuan. The moment she opened her eyes, she was met with the sight of Yang Liu’er’s face, her features twisted in fury. Shock and terror flooded her, and a string of questions flashed through her blank mind: ’Is this the end of the world? Why is *she* here?’