After leaving the company, Gu Xiyan rushed home without stopping. When she arrived home, her little girl was doing her homework. Seeing Gu Xiyan appear, she rubbed her belly to indicate that she was hungry.

  Gu Xiyan kissed Xiaotou's face and then went to the kitchen to cook rice noodles. There was still some meat and vegetables at home, so Gu Xiyan cooked a pot of noodle soup together. At noon, Xiaotou ate with relish. She wanted to eat spicy food, so Gu Xiyan agreed to let her add a little chili sauce. Gu Xiyan herself liked the original broth, so she didn't add any chili sauce.

  When Shang Ya Rou appeared outside the villa, Gu Xi Yan was about to clear the dinner table. The little girl saw her aunt coming and was very happy, bouncing and jumping into Shang Ya Rou's arms.

  "Yan'er baby, come here, Auntie will hug you." Shang Ya Rou picked up the little girl and even patted her butt, saying: "You've gained weight."

  The little girl pouted. "Auntie, Yan'er is growing up and it's normal to gain weight."

  "Sister, have you eaten?" Gu Xiyan saw that the aunt and niece were playing happily, and warmth appeared in her beautiful eyes.

  "Not yet. I'm starving." Xiang Ya Rou saw Gu Xi Yan arrive and quickly put on a pitiful look. "Little Yan, sister wants to eat something."

  "There's still some rice flour in the pot. Do you want to eat rice flour or should I cook some rice?" Gu Xiyan asked with a smile.

  "Just eat rice noodles then." Shang Ya Rou said and handed the small bowl to Gu Xi Yan, then ran into the kitchen herself.

  Shang Ya Rou helped Gu Xi Yan clean up the table after finishing her rice noodles. When she came out of the kitchen, Shang Ya Rou was unusually quiet and taciturn.

  Xiao Yatou is watching the children's channel's "Dingdang" movie version with great enthusiasm. Gu Xiyuan noticed that Shang Yarou had several times wanted to speak but stopped herself, so she warned Xiao Yatou not to watch TV for too long. Then, on a pretext, she took Shang Yarou upstairs.

  After the two entered the study, Gu Xiyan pulled out a chair to invite Shang Yaorou to sit down, while she herself leaned against the bookshelf with one hand pressed on the desktop. "Sister, is there anything troubling you? If you don't mind, you can tell me about it."

  Gu Xiyan didn't mean to force Shang Ya Rou's hand. She simply gazed at her quietly.

  Shang Ya Rou began to pour out her troubles. "Xiao Yan, I'm done for." she said in a low voice. Shang Ya Rou's slender eyebrows furrowed tightly.

  "Sister, why are you talking like this?" Gu Xiyan was surprised.

  "Xiao Yan, I told you that you must keep it a secret for me." Shang Ya Rou looked around nervously seeking reassurance.

  "That's natural." Gu Xiyan was never one to speak carelessly anyway.

  "That... Xiaoyan... Ah, I don't know what to say either." Shang Yaru has always been a straightforward person who is not easily swayed by external circumstances, but now she has become evasive.

  "Sister, it's okay. Think carefully before speaking."

  "It's not like there's anything wrong with saying it." Xiang Ya Rou scolded herself and then said: "Xiao Yan, I did something with a man, but I don't know who he is. If Father finds out, he'll definitely beat me to death. Xiao Yan, what should I do?" Xiang Ya Rou's words were filled with anxiety.

  "Sister." Gu Xiyan didn't expect Shang Ya Rou to tell her such explosive news. Thinking about her father-in-law's temper, if he were to find out...

  "Big sis, don't ever tell a third person about this. Let's just keep it buried in our hearts."

  "Xiao Yan, but I'm worried. Think about it, I'm almost 30 years old. Originally, losing my virginity wouldn't be a big deal. But the problem is, I don't even know what the person who took my virginity looks like - whether they're fat or thin. What if the other person is a big fatty or an old man? I...I would cry to death.

  To put it bluntly, Shang Ya Rou can't help but care about this issue. As soon as she thinks about the man who did that with her, and what if he's some kind of weirdo, she'd rather faint and die."

  "Sister, don't worry about it. Just think of him as a handsome guy and that's all. Don't mind anything else." Gu Xiyan wasn't the one involved, nor did she know how to comfort Shang Yaorou better, so she could only try her best to let her open up.

  "No way. If I find out who that man is, I'll never let him off the hook. You dare to play with me? He's tired of living, huh?" Xiang Ya Rou suddenly stood up, clenched her fists and made a deadly gesture.

  "Sister, why bother so much about someone you haven't even seen before? I'd better be careful to keep this secret. After all, the team's style is strict and it's hard to explain to the elders." Gu Xiyan saw Shang Yajou regain some of her temper and couldn't help but remind her.

  "This I understand. Ah, Xiao Yan, how did I end up in this kind of situation? Just a few days ago, I was undercover as a waiter at a bar, trying to catch a gang of criminals. I didn't expect to actually catch someone, but instead, I accidentally got tangled up with someone else for a one-night stand. And to make matters worse, that scumbag of a man thought I was a prostitute and left me a check on the bedside table! Ugh, do I look like some kind of money-hungry person? If I catch that guy, I'll skin him alive!" Shang Ya Rou was furious, stamping her foot in anger.

  "Sister, how can you be so careless." Gu Xiyan listened and felt more and more puzzled. She should have had many years of special police experience as her own elder sister. Her vigilance should be very high, right? How could she be confused to the point where she had a relationship with someone else and didn't even remember what the other person looked like.

  "Ugh, I... " Shang Ya Rou thought for a long time before continuing with a scowl: "That night after we finished collecting the nets, my two sisters said they wanted to celebrate catching those culprits. So we went out for a drink. Originally, my tolerance was pretty good, but that night I had just one cup and got dizzy. Then it seemed like someone helped me onto a bed. I thought it was one of my sisters helping me, so I didn't think much of it. It wasn't until the next day when I woke up that I realized I'd been bitten by some mad dog."

  Jiao Xiao disagreed. Shang Ya Rou let out a soft "hmm".

  Gu Xiyan also seemed to have heard the question. "The problem lies in that wine."

  "No way, I have to go find those two sisters of mine. If I find out it was them who set me up, they're dead meat." Xiang Ya Rou transformed into a lively Ultraman in ten seconds and zoomed off with a "whooshing" sound.

  "Uh, sis..." Gu Xiyan shook her head helplessly. Her worries were completely unnecessary after all.

  "Xiao Yan, remember to keep it a secret." Standing at the gate, Shang Ya Rou waved her hand and shouted loudly.

  "Got it, sis." About ten steps away, Gu Xiyan gave an OK gesture.

  After Shang Ya Rou left, Xiao Ya Tou said she was thirsty. Gu Xi Yan went to make her a packet of iced tea and also asked her to dispel some fire.

  The afternoon was very leisurely. The little girl held the cup with both hands, sipping the hot water in it from time to time. Gu Xiyan sat beside her, accompanying her to watch Dangdang.

  "Mummy, Doraemon is so powerful! Doraemon has many, many powerful gadgets." On TV, Doraemon was taking out a tool to help Big Bear and his friends. Together with a robotic cat, they defeated the big monster. The little girl's eyes were shining with admiration for Doraemon.

  "Yes, Tongtong is formidable. Yan'er is also formidable." Gu Xiyuan saw that the little maid had already finished drinking the water in her cup, so she took over the little girl's cup and put it on the table.

  "Mom, you and Dad are just Yan'er's bell." The little girl suddenly looked into Gu Xiyuan's eyes, with a determined or stubborn expression on her powdered cheeks.

  Yan'er is Mommy and Daddy's precious darling. After a pause, Gu Xiyan accepted the little girl's analogy, smiling lightly. Gu Xiyan gently stroked the little one's back of the head, her hand gentle and soft.

  Yan'er loves Mommy and Daddy the most. So, Mommy and Daddy will never abandon Yan'er. Mommy, you'll always be by Yan'er's side, right? The little girl asked with a smile.

  Gu Xiyan smiled and nodded. "Mommy will always be with Yan'er, accompanying my little princess to grow up."

  "Mommy, let's play hook. No backing out." The little girl remembered the hook game she played with Cangcang and stretched out her short and tender index finger to gesture for Gu Xiyen to accompany her.

  "Alright, I'll wait for you." Gu Xiyan easily made this promise that seemed like forever.

  At this time, Gu Xiyan could not have imagined that one day she would lose trust in this child and resolutely abandon the treasure she had cherished for so many years; one day, the child's mouth would say "Mommy, you're too bad. Yan'er doesn't want to see you again"; also one day, the child would intimately wrap his arms around another woman's neck, indifferent to her presence, as if she were just one of the countless passersby on the street, with no relation to him whatsoever...

  What she didn't expect was that the day they would part ways would come so soon. And at that time, all she could think of was the most unbearable, the most undeserving thing in this world - promises. Because with promises came entanglements, inseparability, pain and the scars of unfulfilled longing.

  That night, Shang Xi didn't come back.

  In the evening, Gu Xiyan received a text message with only a few words on it, obviously typed in haste.

  "Mission. Going out. Recent whereabouts are uncertain. Do not wait. Do not think."

  "Yan'er, Father is very busy with work and might not be back for the next few days. Yan'er, go to sleep first, okay?" At over 10 o'clock at night, Gu Xiyan took Xiao Feitou to her room, thinking of telling her a story, but she herself was somewhat distracted.

  "Mummy, Yan'er has fallen asleep. Daddy hasn't come back yet. Will Mummy sleep with Yan'er?" Little girl looked up at Gu Xiuyan expectantly.

  "Okay, Mommy is going to take a bath. I'll be back to sleep with you after I'm done. Can you go to sleep first, little one?" After kissing the little girl's face, Gu Xiyan entered the bathroom.

  Made a phone call, as expected, it couldn't get through. Gu Xiyan said she didn't know whether to feel disappointed or worried. She took a quick bath and didn't even wash her hair. When Gu Xiyan saw the little guy again, his eyelids were heavy, but he was still holding on and not falling asleep.

  "Mommy's all better now. You can sleep." The little guy murmured and fell asleep afterwards.

  "Yan'er, goodnight." Gu Xiyuan had a bad premonition in her heart, but she still forced herself to close her eyes.

  Author's words