Chapter 46: Second Uncle, I Don’t Dislike You Anymore

In the middle of the night, Tang Liyue woke up thirsty.

Her throat felt like it was on fire, desperately craving water.

Propping herself up, she leaned against the headboard, rubbing her throbbing temples. She mumbled softly, “Did I… get drunk?”

As she spoke, her lips brushed together.

A faint swollen and tingling sensation spread across them.

Tang Liyue frowned.

Was this another side effect of drinking?

Dizziness and headaches were one thing, but why were her lips sore too?

She reached toward the nightstand, feeling around for a water glass, only to come up empty.

“Huh?”

She always kept a glass of water there before bed.

Confused, Tang Liyue reached out and switched on the lamp.

The moment the room lit up, she froze.

This… wasn’t her room.

Her heart pounded as she instinctively tried to get up.

Throwing off the blanket, she suddenly realized, she was nearly naked.

What the hell?!

Why had she woken up in a strange room again?!

Wait.

That numbing sensation on her lips…

Tang Liyue’s eyes widened in horror.

She scrambled out of bed, throwing on her clothes in a panic before rushing into the bathroom.

She needed a mirror.

The moment she saw her reflection, her stomach dropped.

Her lips were indeed swollen and unusually red.

The kind of redness that comes from kissing…

She knew this feeling.

The morning after her wedding night, she had woken up with the same soreness, the same swollen lips, and the same lingering heat in her body.

But this time… her legs weren’t sore.

Tang Liyue turned her head and scanned the bathroom.

Then, in the drying area, she spotted a familiar suit.

Yu Mo Yuan’s suit.

She had seen him wear it before.

So…

Had she gotten drunk and accidentally stumbled into Yu Mo Yuan’s room again?

Tang Liyue’s mind blanked.

She didn’t know whether to feel embarrassed or panicked.

Flushing red, she squatted down, burying her face in her hands as she let out a frustrated sigh.

“Once on my wedding night was bad enough… but how did I end up in Second Uncle’s room again?”

“How am I supposed to face him now…? What the hell happened last night?”

Desperate, Tang Liyue forced herself to recall the night’s events.

Luckily, she hadn’t drunk much. If she tried hard enough, some fragmented memories might come back.

Slowly, the pieces began to surface.

She had downed a drink, and then… everything had turned hazy.

Song Jun Ye had brought her back.

Then, she had run into Song Qing Ya.

And God help her, she had shamelessly called him ‘Big Brother Song.’

In response, Song Qing Ya had escorted her to her room.

He had even asked her which one was hers.

And she…

She had pointed straight at Yu Mo Yuan’s room.

Tang Liyue’s face turned beet red.

And then…

She had stripped herself naked.

Her breath hitched.

Tears?

No.

Her eyes weren’t red anymore.

Now, her entire face and ears were burning.

Because she remembered everything.

Every. Single. Scene.

She was the one who grabbed Yu Mo Yuan’s hand!

She was the one who wrapped her arms around his neck!

She was the one who pressed herself against him!

Tang Liyue felt a wave of shame crash over her.

She hurriedly patted her own face, trying to push away the memories.

What had she done?

Now she really had no idea how to face Yu Mo Yuan.

Tang Liyue stayed in the bathroom for a long time.

But she couldn’t hide forever.

Taking a deep breath, she finally stepped out of Yu Mo Yuan’s room, her feet heavy with reluctance.

---

The lights in the living room were still on.

Yu Mo Yuan was lying on the sofa, seemingly asleep.

His belt was undone, his tie was missing, and his shirt collar was loose.

The sight of him…

It made Tang Liyue’s face heat up.

She hated to admit it, but…

As a grown woman, she wasn’t immune to desire.

Just looking at Yu Mo Yuan on the sofa, remembering what had happened before midnight…

Her heart pounded, her body flushed, and even her legs felt weak.

She quickly looked away.

That’s when she saw the longevity noodles on the coffee table.

Tang Liyue froze.

Longevity noodles…

Every year on her birthday, Aunt Qiu would personally make her a bowl of longevity noodles to celebrate another year of life.

This year, she had prepared herself to spend her 22nd birthday alone.

But Yu Mo Yuan…

He had prepared longevity noodles for her.

Even after she had acted so out of line when she was drunk, he had stopped himself in time and had not taken advantage of her.

Not only that…

He had even made her longevity noodles.

Tang Liyue carefully sat down beside the coffee table.

She picked up the chopsticks and took a bite.

Even though the noodles had gone cold, they still tasted delicious.

She lowered her head.

Her eyes stung with tears, and a single hot drop fell onto the table.

---

At that moment, a tissue appeared in front of her.

Tang Liyue blinked in surprise.

She looked up, and met Yu Mo Yuan’s sleepy gaze.

She didn’t take the tissue.

So Yu Mo Yuan leaned in and wiped her face for her, though his movements were a little rough.

His deep voice grumbled:

“Tears are like pearls. Don’t cry so easily.”

Tang Liyue had been holding it in.

But at that moment…

Seeing his concern, hearing his awkward but soft words…

She couldn’t hold back anymore.

She burst into tears.

“WAAAHHHH—”

Yu Mo Yuan’s hand froze mid-air.

Panic flashed in his eyes.

“Why are you crying even harder?”

He cleared his throat awkwardly.

“Didn’t I stop myself in the end? I didn’t even do anything to you!”

Yu Mo Yuan had faced economic crises before, and not once had he ever panicked.

But now?

Tang Liyue’s tears had completely thrown him off.

Between sobs, Tang Liyue choked out,

“I miss Aunt Qiu…”

Yu Mo Yuan stiffened.

So it wasn’t about what happened earlier?

He let out a silent sigh of relief.

“Then why don’t you call her?” he asked.

Tang Liyue hesitated.

“It’s late…”

Yu Mo Yuan glanced at the time and said,

“There’s a time difference. It should only be around midnight in China.”

Tang Liyue’s crying immediately stopped.

She looked up at him with hopeful eyes.

“Really?”

“Mm.”

Tang Liyue quickly grabbed her phone and rushed out to the balcony. As the balcony door closed behind her, she dialed a number.

Yu Mo Yuan sat up on the sofa, rolling the tear-stained tissue into a ball and holding it in his palm.

Turning his head, he saw Tang Liyue standing on the balcony, already deep in conversation with the person on the other end of the line.

Yu Mo Yuan let out a low chuckle, tossed the tissue into the trash can, and muttered under his breath, “Getting older really does make you soft…”

Just a few tears, and he had panicked.

Tsk, if word got out, it’d be humiliating.

---

About ten minutes later, Tang Liyue ended the call and walked back inside.

She wasn’t crying anymore.

In fact, she even had a smile on her face.

She sat down by the coffee table again, avoiding Yu Mo Yuan’s gaze.

A heavy awkwardness settled between them, neither speaking first.

And when things got awkward, people naturally tried to find something to do.

Yu Mo Yuan picked up his phone and started scrolling through WeChat.

Tang Liyue, on the other hand, picked up her chopsticks, intending to finish the noodles.

Just as she lifted a bite of noodles, Yu Mo Yuan spoke.

“The noodles are cold and clumpy. Have the kitchen make you a fresh bowl in the morning.”

Tang Liyue didn’t look up, nor did she listen.

She simply lowered her head and put the noodles into her mouth.

After swallowing, she spoke softly, “Aunt Qiu told me to eat more.”

Yu Mo Yuan was intrigued.

He put down his phone and asked, “Who is Aunt Qiu?”

Tang Liyue answered while taking another bite,

“My nanny. She raised me. To me, Aunt Qiu is like half a mother.”

Finally, she gathered the courage to look up at Yu Mo Yuan.

“Every year, Aunt Qiu makes me longevity noodles. I thought I wouldn’t get to have them this year.”

Yu Mo Yuan’s brows lifted slightly.

“So… you were crying earlier because of this bowl of noodles?”

Tang Liyue felt embarrassed and turned her gaze away.

She gave a small, “Mm.”

Yu Mo Yuan chuckled, standing up.

“Then take your time eating. Just don’t complain about a stomachache tomorrow.”

With that, he started heading back to his room.

Just as his hand touched the doorknob, Tang Liyue suddenly called out from behind him.

“Yu Mo Yuan.”

Yu Mo Yuan raised an eyebrow and turned around.

“You called me by my full name?”

Crying must have given her courage.

Tang Liyue pressed her lips together, hesitated, then finally said,

“I… I just wanted to say thank you. Thank you for the noodles. And… thank you for not touching me.”

Yu Mo Yuan replied coolly, “There won’t be a next time. Don’t drink again.”

Tang Liyue nodded firmly.

“Mm, I won’t drink anymore.”

Satisfied, Yu Mo Yuan turned and entered his room.

Just before the door closed, he heard Tang Liyue’s voice again.

“Second Uncle, I’m not afraid of you anymore. And I don’t hate you either.”

Yu Mo Yuan’s body stiffened for a moment.

He didn’t reply.

He simply closed the door.

But the moment it clicked shut, the corners of his lips curved up involuntarily.

A soft chuckle escaped him as he muttered, “How childish.”