It had almost been half a month since Xia Rou's arrival to the Cao Family. Cao Yang always liked to see her when he returned home.
Whenever he saw her, she would always be spaced out or deep in thought. The moment her eyes first saw him when she raised her head, those somber eyes would immediately reveal her happiness.
Cao Yang was already in his thirties, and he had met countless people throughout his life. He could easily tell from the look in this young girl's eyes the joy and closeness he could see was really from her heart.
It wasn't fake. Translated by The Novelst
No matter who it was, if they saw a pretty, quiet girl sincerely feeling close to them, nobody could really resist liking her.
"What delicious food did Old Zheng cook that had you eat so much?" Cao Yang teased her. He disliked that Xia Rou ate very little, her body was too skinny.
Xia Rou pursed her lips, then smiled.
"None of you were around tonight, it wasn't any fun for me to eat alone. I had dinner at the side building with everyone else. It's much more lively with more people, so I accidentally ate too much." Getting into the topic, she took the opportunity and asked: "Brother Cao Yang, I think if nobody is around next time, I want to go and eat in the side building. Lady Fang and Uncle Zheng told me that they can't decide this, so what do you think?"
She thought with Cao Yang's temper, he would definitely agree. But she didn't expect to see Cao Yang remain silent for a long moment before rejecting her suggestion.
"It doesn't look good," he said. "Nevermind this."
Xia Rou was surprised.
Cao Yang saw her expression, but didn't give any explanation, only saying: "I'm tired today, I'll explain to you next time. Let me park the car first."
Xia Rou took a step back. Cao Yang changed the gears and drove out a meter, before stopping the car again.
"Xia Rou." He stretched out his head from the window.
Xia Rou walked to him.
"Wake up early tomorrow. I'll bring you for a morning run. We'll leave early when the sun isn't out so you won't get tan." Cao Yang smiled, releasing the brakes and driving the car into the garage.
Xia Rou continued to walk slowly to promote her digestion.
However, in the distance she barely managed to see a figure with a curvy body rush out from the side building, ultimately failing to catch up. Cao Yang had already entered the main building.
That figure stood there for a while, then turned back to the side building with disappointment.
Xia Rou stood from her far-off distance, and hear heart seemed to be enlightened.
As though she could see through a layer of a web.
She looked back at the main building, seeing the light blink on in Cao Yang's room.
Looking through the huge window pane, she could only see a thick curtain, the color deep and elegant.
Thinking back to why Cao Yang had rejected her suggestion, it didn't seem hard to understand.
Cao Yang of course knew how to respect other people, but it didn't erase the fact that he was born to a powerful family, standing above many people since he was young. He and the people who shared that class with him had a strong class consciousness compared to normal people.
Deep in his heart, he didn't see the people who served the Cao Family as the same as him.
Actually, that sort of class consciousness wasn't needed on her part, Xia Rou thought.
Because Xia Rou wasn't part of the Cao Family after all. He didn't really need to put her into his circle.
In the past, in an effort to not leave that very circle, she insisted on something that she shouldn't have, which was why she ended up being killed.
In this life, she would put down all these thoughts.
She had reincarnated, there was no need for her to rush to obtain anything.
Because she was so rushed in the past, she fell so hard and missed out on so much; there were too many things that she wanted.
In this life, she hoped her life could go slower, at a pace like the one she used to walk in the courtyard. Slowly, but in this sort of night breeze, cozy and comfortable.
She thought that she shouldn't disappoint those who treated her well any longer.
She raised her head and saw a figure standing at Cao Yang's bedroom window. It seemed he was having a smoke.
She smiled and continued her walk.
Although Xia Rou was correct about Cao Yang's thoughts, she didn't know that Cao Yang and Cao Xiong hadn't yet really given thought to how to raise her.
Keeping her in comfort, not letting her worry about food and money, and even preparing a dowry for her future. All of these things weren't difficult to them, but how far did the Cao Family want to take responsibility for her life?
Xia Rou's suggestion was innocuous, but it triggered the question: how do we raise her?
If he took her as someone who had lost her family, then Cao Yang could easily promise to raise her. And this would be good for her too, at least she could come to understand her own identity and be able to adapt to life even without the Cao Family.
But when Cao Yang gripped the steering wheel and looked at that young girl with her clean face and pitch black eyes standing in the darkness of the night, he became indecisive.
It was easy to let Xia Rou mix with the employees, but if he was to separate her from them after the fact, it would be awkward and embarrassing.
That was why Cao Yang rejected her suggestion. Translated by The Novelst
He thought it would be better to maintain the situation as it was now before his father could make a decision.
Toward Xia Rou, he would just… keep it this way for now.
Xia Rou didn't know that Cao Yang would be thinking about her when he stood in front of the window, smoking a cigarette.
She thought that he must be thinking of something serious. He was an excellent man born to such a powerful family, he must surely be destined to become a major figure.
As for herself, she thought of herself as only a small matter that coincidentally appeared in his life. Because he was a kind person and a good brother, he was willing to extend an arm and care for her.
This tiny portion that he shared was already enough to warm her.
She strolled around the courtyard, listening to the chirps of the insects and looking at the starry sky. She wanted to cherish every minute she lived in the Cao Family.
Proofread by: Hannah