Chapter 110: Would You Like a Drink?

After asking the question, Ye Xin Ran thought that Xiao Huai’an would, as usual, simply say no.

But this time, he actually paused and thought about it seriously.

Then he said, “The engagement was never completed, and I don’t have a sweetheart.”

“That’s good!”

Ye Xin Ran patted her chest in relief and then said, “Then there shall be no one else in the future!”

“Mm!” Xiao Huai’an’s voice was low, “There is only you.”

This…

Hearing that made Ye Xin Ran feel a bit embarrassed.

She awkwardly pulled herself back into the carriage.

The rest of the journey was silent.

When they arrived home, Xiao Huai’an went up to the mountain to cut bamboo, intending to build a simple enclosure for the horse.

Ye Xin Ran immediately went inside the house and entered the space.

She had not yet completed the DNA comparison for Madam Leng’s hair that she had obtained earlier.

When Ye Xin Yao had appeared today, Ye Xin Ran had suddenly remembered this task.

So, amidst the chaos, she had discreetly taken a strand of Ye Xin Yao’s hair.

With both hair samples for comparison, the answer was even clearer.

Ye Xin Ran sent the three strands of hair into the testing device.

An hour later, the results for Ye Xin Ran and Ye Xin Yao came out:

Their DNA didn’t match at all.

Upon seeing this result, Ye Xin Ran felt a strange sense of logic behind the oddity.

She wasn’t the biological daughter of the Ye family!

This could explain why, from a young age, the Ye family had never liked her, and why her status in the Ye family was lower than that of a mere housekeeper.

It could also explain why Zhou Shi and her daughter were so persistent in stealing her engagement.

But if she wasn’t the biological child, why had the Ye family raised her?

And if Zhou Shi hated her so much, why didn’t she just kick her out when she was young, or even poison her to death?

Looking back now, it seemed like Zhou Shi always looked at her with disdain and malice. Every time she tormented Ye Xin Ran, it almost seemed as if she gained some twisted satisfaction from it.

What kind of mentality was that?

Was she… psychotic?

The results for Madam Leng’s DNA hadn’t come through yet.

For some reason, Ye Xin Ran felt strangely nervous.

Could it be that after confirming she wasn’t from the Ye family, it would immediately lead her to find her real family?

As she was thinking, Xiao Huai’an had already finished setting up the enclosure and had placed the horse inside.

There was no place in the yard, so the carriage had been parked outside.

“I’ve already tied up the horse. I’ll go up the mountain to cut some grass for it later,” Xiao Huai’an’s voice came from outside.

Ye Xin Ran quickly exited the space and just in time, Xiao Huai’an opened the door and entered the room.

Noticing Ye Xin Ran’s somewhat unnatural expression, Xiao Huai’an thought something had happened.

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s nothing, I’m just… a bit happy,” Ye Xin Ran said.

Being completely disconnected from the Ye family indeed made her feel at ease.

“How about we celebrate with some roasted meat tonight?” she suggested.

“Celebrate what?”

“Just celebrate… we bought a horse!” Ye Xin Ran said with a smile.

“Alright, then I’ll go prepare the charcoal later.”

Xiao Huai’an agreed enthusiastically.

Although there was no meat at home, he knew that as long as Ye Xin Ran wanted it, the kitchen would definitely have plenty of meat in no time.

The three children had returned from the mountain, picking wild fruits, and the first thing they saw when they reached the door was the carriage.

They were confused, but their instinct told them something was happening at home, so they hurried inside.

“Uncle, Aunt, are you back?”

“We’re inside!” Ye Xin Ran answered.

Chang Sheng led the way, and the three of them rushed towards Ye Xin Ran’s room.

“Aunt, look at what I found today!”

Chang Sheng said, proudly taking the basket off Chang Ping’s back to show Ye Xin Ran.

Ye Xin Ran looked down and saw that it was a basket full of hazelnuts with green shells.

“The hazelnuts on the mountain are ripe now. They’re delicious! We’ll take the nuts out and give them to Aunt to eat,” Chang Sheng said eagerly.

“Alright, you give me the hazelnuts, and I’ll treat you to roasted meat,” Ye Xin Ran replied.

“Deal!”

As soon as they heard about the roasted meat, the children’s excitement grew even more.

When pork belly is grilled, it sizzles with oil, and just the thought of it made their mouths water.

And with the dipping sauce Aunt Xin Ran makes, it’s absolutely perfect!

“Aunt, Uncle, what’s up with the carriage outside the yard? Whose is it, and why is it here?”

While the other two were too focused on food, Chang Sheng remembered to ask about the carriage.

“That’s our own carriage!” Ye Xin Ran replied with a smile.

“Our own? But that’s a horse-drawn carriage! Did we buy a horse?” Chang Sheng’s voice was filled with excitement.

“Yes, we have a horse in the backyard, a little black one. Go take a look!” Ye Xin Ran said.

As soon as they heard that there was really a horse at home, the three children rushed to the backyard in a hurry.

Xiao Huai’an watched them go and said, “Ever since he stopped going to school, Chang Sheng’s personality has become more and more like his younger brothers.”

“This is just the nature of children,” Ye Xin Ran said, her gaze following the children.

“Children should be lively and innocent like this. Look at how he used to be, always serious like you, with a stern face all day. That must’ve been exhausting.”

“Did I really do that?”

Xiao Huai’an touched his face.

“Yes, you did! I suggest you smile more often, or you’ll end up with a frozen face and won’t be able to smile later on,” Ye Xin Ran teased.

The children were admiring the horse, and it seemed that Chang Ping knew a lot about horses. He even started explaining to his older brothers about how the length of a horse’s tail can affect its running speed.

Ye Xin Ran went to the kitchen to prepare the food. She found their conversation amusing, and it reminded her of how much she enjoyed watching the kids learn and explore.

She had already moved most of the food from the fridge. Thankfully, there was still plenty in the freezer.

She took out frozen shrimp, squid, abalone, chicken wings, and beef, as well as cucumbers, lettuce, tofu, potatoes, peanuts, and pork from the supplies she had brought over from the Ye family.

While the meat was thawing, she prepared a few dishes: a plate of cold cucumber salad, a plate of tofu with scallions, a plate of fried peanuts, and a plate of crispy pork.

She then directed Xiao Huai’an to slice the pork and beef thinly.

Soon, the charcoal was fully lit, and Ye Xin Ran set up two small grills, calling the children over to bring all the dishes and ingredients, placing them next to the grills.

As everyone sat down, looking at the table full of food, Ye Xin Ran felt like something was missing.

After thinking for a moment, she realized.

Of course! How could there be a barbecue without alcohol?

She quickly fetched a bottle of sweet grape wine from the lounge.

She didn’t like the bitter and astringent dry red wine, her favorite was this sweet wine, it tasted great and gave that pleasant, dizzying feeling of drinking.

Since she hadn’t had any since coming here, today seemed like the perfect chance.

There were no wine glasses at home, so Ye Xin Ran poured the wine into a small teapot and served herself a cup.

She then looked at the three children. “You’re still young, so you can’t drink. This one’s for me.”

Afterward, she turned to Xiao Huai’an. “What about you? Would you like a cup?”