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6 Bei dodged Yang Juanjuan's approaching figure and placed the selected vegetables into the basin to wash them. "Miss Yang, the kitchen is crowded, and I don't want to dirty your clothes. You should head out quickly."
Instead of leaving, Yang Juanjuan squatted down beside him, twisting her handkerchief. "How could that be? I believe Brother Liu won't let me embarrass myself. If I do get dirty, I'll just change into another one. Brother Liu, which one do you like me to wear?"
6 Bei found her incredibly annoying, but out of respect for 6 Wen, he couldn't be too harsh with her. He could only try to ignore her, hoping she would get bored and leave.
Unfortunately, Yang Juanjuan appeared innocent and always wore a pitiful expression, with a thick skin that was admirable. No matter how overtly or subtly 6 Bei rejected her, she pretended not to hear and clung tightly to his side.
As the sun climbed higher in the sky, it was almost lunchtime, yet the meal at home was still not ready. 6 Bei felt that Yang Juanjuan was truly bothersome and only added trouble for others.
Ye Xiaohan watched everything unfold outside. Initially uncomfortable seeing Yang Juanjuan cling to 6 Bei, her irritation dissipated upon noticing 6 Bei's evident desire to avoid her.
However, she began to understand 6 Wen's intentions; it seemed she was dissatisfied with Ye Xiaohan as the daughter-in-law of the Liu family and planned to insert her niece into the picture before 6 Bei could remarry Ye Xiaohan, aiming to become the new wealthy mistress of the Liu family.
It was unclear whether 6 Wen simply disapproved of Ye Xiaohan, believing she wasn't worthy of 6 Bei, or if she wanted a share of the Liu family's newfound wealth after escaping poverty.
Perhaps it was a combination of both. 6 Wen had a clear plan; she aimed to acquire the Liu family's assets without conflict—becoming the head of the Liu household was indeed the fastest and most effective way.
Yang Juanjuan appeared simple-minded, only focused on her appearance; however, she was far from superficial and knew how to create opportunities for herself.
On another note, Ye Xiaohan felt somewhat relieved by Yang Juanjuan's taste in men; at least she had an eye for someone like 6 Bei, which made her seem a hundred times more sensible than the previous foolish original owner.
Yet none of this brought Ye Xiaohan any joy. Even though 6 Bei seemed completely unaffected by Yang Juanjuan's advances, watching them linger around each other and occasionally lean together made Ye Xiaohan feel uneasy.
It was better not to see such an uncomfortable scene; she decided to retreat to her room for a meal instead. With a bag of food in hand, she quietly returned without disturbing the two inside.
At noon, when 6 Bei came looking for Ye Xiaohan to eat together, he found a table in disarray. She claimed she had eaten enough already and didn't go out. Although 6 Bei sensed something was off about her behavior, she appeared natural enough that he couldn't pinpoint what was wrong.
Considering that Ye Xiaohan sometimes overindulged in snacks and lost her appetite for meals, he still complied with her wishes without pressing her further.
At the dining table, Yang Juanjuan boldly served food to 6 Bei and insisted on sitting right next to him by the edge of the table. This made 6 Yang feel a surge of crisis within him.
His older brother's wife hadn't resolved her own emotional issues yet; why was another person getting involved? This would only complicate matters further. He needed to think of a way to prevent things from escalating for the sake of the Liu family's peace.
Only 6 Wen seemed pleased as she watched Yang Juanjuan cling closely to 6 Bei, believing they were truly well-matched. That Ye Xiaohan had a bad temper and wasn't even attractive—she simply didn't fit as their family’s daughter-in-law at all.
Although Ye Xiaohan had worked hard to support the Liu family, which had led to their current prosperity, she was originally brought back by them. It was only right for her to repay the Liu family.
Now that the Liu family was wealthy, Ye Xiaohan's presence seemed less significant. It would be better to send her away sooner rather than later. The Liu family needed someone like Yang Juanjuan as the mistress—smart, beautiful, and obedient—unlike Ye Xiaohan, who often clashed with her elders and always had a retort ready.
As they enjoyed their meal, each person was lost in their own thoughts. The only one truly savoring the food was Liu Qi, who was gnawing on a rib until it was clean. This rib was delicious; he planned to take a piece back for Round.
Li Yi and Round lived in another courtyard mainly because Li Yi didn’t want to disturb the Liu family's normal life. Additionally, Round's situation wasn’t great. Having been abused and neglected by her father for so long, she had developed an unusual aversion to people.
Except for Liu Qi, Round still refused to get close to anyone from the Liu family, especially Liu Bei and Liu Yang. Ye Xiaohan believed that to help Round recover better, it would be best not to disturb her for now and allow her to open up at her own pace.
After finishing their meal, Liu Qi put down his chopsticks and insisted that Liu Bei pack a beautiful plate of food for him to take away. Liu Bei told him that Round had eaten the same lunch as they did, but Liu Qi wouldn’t relent and clung to Liu Bei's leg.
Unable to refuse him, Liu Bei finally gave in and handed him half a bowl of leftover ribs. "The rest is for Xiao Han; she loves this dish. She didn’t get any at lunch and must be sad about it. Save it for her when she gets hungry later. Qi, this is enough; take it to share with Round."
Liu Qi nodded earnestly. "Sister can eat a big piece all at once, crunching away. This is enough for me; I’ll give the big bowl to Sister."
Liu Bei patted his soft head. The previous dullness had completely vanished; his hair was now dark and shiny, his eyes lively, and his face playful—all thanks to Ye Xiaohan’s care.
Ye Xiaohan had given so much to the Liu family. Liu Bei often felt guilty towards her because he felt useless and unable to help. If only he could… then Ye Xiaohan wouldn’t have to struggle so much.
This thought had lingered in Liu Bei's mind for a long time, growing heavier with time. He wanted to treat Ye Xiaohan better and make her happier.
Meanwhile, Ye Xiaohan in the shop was also thinking about Liu Bei but seemed to be contemplating something different.
Propping her chin on one hand, she stared blankly ahead, her mind a mess.
She had decided that she wanted to leave; however, when exactly should she go? With Liu Qi still young and Liu Yang still studying, and with Liu Bei not being very good at taking care of children…
Several times Ye Xiaohan thought about leaving but couldn’t bring herself to do it after seeing the state of the Liu family. If she just walked away, would they fall back into their previous miserable condition?
After all the effort she put into raising Liu Qi plump and healthy, Ye Xiaohan didn’t want to see him return to looking like a dirty beggar again.
However, perhaps there was now a new opportunity. Just as it happened, Liu Wen wanted to matchmake Yang Juanjuan with Liu Bei. Yang Juanjuan wasn’t someone easy to bully either; having her around would ensure that the Liu family wouldn’t suffer.
Peach Blossom Studio was doing well too; there shouldn’t be any major issues there. With Liu Yang around, there were enough hands to manage things. As long as they handed over the shop to the Liu family, even if life wasn’t luxurious in the future, they could still get by comfortably.
Was the appearance of Liu Wen actually a revelation for her? A sign that it was time to leave the Liu family.
Ye Xiaohan felt increasingly troubled as she pondered this. To organize her thoughts, she decided to list out the pros and cons. By the time she finished writing on a page, the advantages were few and far between, each one glaringly pointing to the fact that leaving was indeed the right choice.
This only made Ye Xiaohan's heart more chaotic.
The turmoil left her feeling quite uncomfortable. She picked up the ink-stained paper and suddenly crumpled it into a ball, tossing it into the wastebasket.
To be so entangled over such a trivial matter was hardly like her old self. Pull yourself together, Ye Xiaohan! she shouted in her mind, trying to boost her spirits.
Since her thoughts were all tangled up, she resolved to cut through the confusion decisively, to sever it cleanly and clearly, so as not to overthink and create unnecessary worries.
With her mind made up, Ye Xiaohan stopped listening to the voices in her head, blocking out all dissenting opinions and focusing solely on her goal.
First, she needed to talk to Liu Bei and clarify things.
Ye Xiaohan wanted to set aside ample time for an honest discussion between the two of them, but Liu Bei was constantly entangled with Yang Juanjuan, leaving no opportunity for a private conversation.
Finally, after much effort, Liu Bei managed to shake off Yang Juanjuan's clinginess and found a moment alone in a corner of the front yard to catch his breath. Ever since Yang Juanjuan arrived, he felt like he was living through the most difficult days of his life. Several times he had been pushed to the brink of anger but had managed to hold it back.
It was truly exhausting.
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