Ch. 1031..1040

Nothing To Give But My Heart Chapter 1031

“I’m still very young! Furthermore, late marriages are a thing now. After all, getting married early isn’t necessarily a good thing.” For one, Yan was not actively considering getting married unless it was with someone she loved. Otherwise, she would rather stay single.

Human beings had to endure and put up with many things in life, and since marriage was a lifelong matter, one should not easily compromise. That was why after Yan fell for Han Qing, she did not give up, as she hoped that she could eventually soften that man who was as cold as ice. Who knew…

Yan shook her head vigorously as she thought about this. Why am I thinking about him again? Go away! Go away! Zhou Xiaoyan, please stop thinking about Han Qing. That man’s only a passerby in your life. You are not destined to be together. What you should do going forward is to forget him. And find another person that you love. That’s it.

“Even if you don’t want to get married early, that doesn’t mean you should get married when you are too old. Eventually, you’ll have to start seeing someone, won’t you? And doesn’t it take time to date someone? After that, you’ll have to prepare for a wedding and when you’re about to start a family, you’d be in your old age, which would be risky for having children. Don’t you know that?”

Yan responded, “Mom… please don’t worry about this. We can’t argue with fate, and Dad’s also not well. Let’s talk about it again when Dad recovers.”

“You’re right. Alright then, I’ll stop here. I have a hunch that Mrs. Zhang is thinking of finding a date for you. Please be mentally ready as she might just show up at our door one day with a date for you.”

Again, her words rendered Yan speechless. Yan took a deep breath and suppressed the agitation within her so that she could continue feeding Mr. Zhou.

Swallowing a spoonful of porridge, Mr. Zhou looked at his daughter and commented, “Yan, you can get married whenever you like. I won’t give you any pressure, and you’ll get married when you find the right one. There’s no rush in this.” After experiencing a life-and-death tragedy, Mr. Zhou had thought through many things. Human beings only lived for such a limited time in this world, and with how unpredictable things in life could be, no one knew for sure how long he or she could live. Therefore, being in the present and being happy was what was most important. For this reason, Mr. Zhou could not bring himself to pressure his daughter into getting married against her desire.

“Thank you, Dad!”

At the Ye Family manor, Han Muzi and Ye Moxuan had not been there for too long before the latter took a nap on the couch out of consideration for his health situation. He woke up around noontime and decided to take her out for lunch.

“I’m not in a rush. If you’re not feeling well, just get some more rest.”

Ye Moxuan’s gaze fell on her. “Aren’t you hungry?”

Waving her hands, Han Muzi quickly shook her head. “Not yet.” Right after she finished, her stomach began to growl. It was a clear and sudden growl, and the fact that the two were the only ones at the manor did not make it any less obvious.

Han Muzi’s face immediately turned red, and subconsciously, she touched her belly and commented awkwardly, “I’m not hungry. Maybe… the baby is.” If it was before her pregnancy, she would definitely be able to suppress it. She did not expect it to act up now, particularly right after she had just told him that she was not hungry.

Ah, my baby, how could you do this! Can’t you protest a little later so your daddy can have some more rest?

Ye Moxuan let out a dry laugh; it sounded low but pleasant. “Since the baby is hungry, we should just go. Please don’t starve my baby.”

Han Muzi bit her lower lip and looked at him worriedly. “But you…”

“Don’t worry.” Right away, Ye Moxuan stood up, bent over, and carried her in his arms before she could react. As she was caught off guard, her hands reflexively held onto his collar. She asked incredulously, “What are you doing?”

“Aren’t you worried about me?” Ye Moxuan directed the question at her before raising his eyebrows. “Look at me; do I look like someone who’s not well?”

Han Muzi did not know how to respond. She was stunned for a few moments before she understood what he was trying to say. Then, she gently poked his chest. “Don’t do this again. It doesn’t matter if you frighten me, but what if you frighten the baby? After all, I’m just worried about you.”

“Alright. So, Mrs. Ye, do you now agree to go and have lunch?”

Han Muzi gently smiled while her hands were around his neck. “Let’s go.”

After lunch, Ye Moxuan sent Han Muzi back to Seabay Villa. Han Muzi became sleepy very soon after lunch. Since lunch was not too long ago, she did not want to take a nap immediately. Instead, she decided to snuggle up on the sofa and watch TV. After ten minutes, she fell asleep without her realizing it.

When Ye Moxuan came out of the study, she was already long asleep with a small blanket in her hands. He proceeded to carry her back to her room and tuck her into bed. After looking at her for a while, the phone in his pocket started vibrating. Ye Moxuan left the room to take the call. “Hello?”

“Young Master Ye, I’ve already done what you wanted me to do. Are you and Young Lady Ye still at the Ye Family manor?”

Ye Moxuan continued to walk toward the study, his voice cold and indifferent. “We’re at Seabay Villa. Please come straight to my study when you get here.”

“Got it, Young Master Ye. I’ll head over now.”

When Xiao Su came, the maid showed him the way to the study. On his way there, Xiao Su could not help but sound the maid out. “How long have Young Master Ye and Young Lady Ye been back?”

After giving it some thought, the maid responded, “Doesn’t seem too long ago.”

“How long ago is that exactly?”

“About half an hour.”

They’ve been back for half an hour already? Since they’ve been back for a half an hour, and it’s taken me some time to get here, Young Lady Ye should’ve already been asleep when Young Master Ye asked me over the phone to come over.

Holding the thick pile of documents in his hand, Xiao Su felt somewhat terrified, for he had no idea what was going to happen.

In the study, Ye Moxuan was seen working at his desk. Even though it was a Sunday, there was still a lot of work pending at the office. Furthermore, he had just taken over the company not long ago, so it was natural for him to have a lot of work to catch up on. Besides, he still had to find a way to get Yuchi Jin and Little Bean into the country.

Knock-knock. He lifted his sharp eyes slightly and moved his tightened lips. “Come in.”

After opening the door to the study, Xiao Su came in with a set of documents in one of his hands, and he closed the door with the other. The moment Xiao Su entered the study, he immediately sensed that it was a lot warmer in there than the outside. Though, he was not sure if that was his imagination, since Ye Moxuan did not have any unusual facial expressions.

“Is it all done?” Ye Moxuan lifted his head, his gaze falling on Xiao Su.

Facing such sharp eyes, Xiao Su subconsciously gulped. “Yes, Young Master Ye.” He then placed the set of documents on the desk. “These documents have been properly arranged, and they are somewhat long. Young Master Ye… you may not be able to finish them right away.”

Nothing To Give But My Heart Chapter 1032

After Xiao Su finished, he turned to assess Ye Moxuan. Upon taking the file from Xiao Su, Ye Moxuan proceeded to flip it open while still looking indifferent. At this moment, Xiao Su’s back was drenched in a cold sweat. “Young Master Ye, I’ll leave you to it. I’ll… get going?”

Even though he had instructed Jiang Xiaobai to omit the unnecessary details, he was still not fully at ease. After all, it was rather embarrassing to have to type out all these matters. Especially the part where Han Muzi was drugged.

When they were working on the documents, Jiang Xiaobai suggested Xiao Su to recount these incidents as if they were somebody else’s stories, and there was no need for him to be nervous; he was merely regurgitating what he saw. Now that these documents were in the hands of Ye Moxuan, Xiao Su gradually realized how risky it was.

All of a sudden, Ye Moxuan lifted his head and looked at Xiao Su. “Are you nervous?”

Upon hearing this, Xiao Su subconsciously licked his lower lip and shook his head. “No.” Why would I be nervous? Hmm.

“Well,” Ye Moxuan responded, withdrawing his eyes, “then please wait here until I’ve finished going over them.”

Xiao Su remained silent. What else can I say? Young Master Ye knows that I’m nervous, but he just had to ask me. And I just can’t bring myself to tell him that I’m nervous. Truth be told, he was just not confident of the contents of those documents.

To that end, Xiao Su decided to prepare Ye Moxuan mentally for the documents that he was about to go over. He let out a gentle cough, commenting, “Young Master Ye… these documents were ghostwritten by someone else.”

“Ghostwritten?” Ye Moxuan raised his eyebrows slightly at the idea. “So, did you take care of everything else?”

Knowing exactly what he was referring to, Xiao Su nodded immediately. “For sure. I’ve made sure that these documents are confidential, just that… the ghostwriter was a lady, so it may sound a little dreamlike. Therefore…” Having said that, Xiao Su cleverly paused as he thought that since he had put it so plainly, Young Master Ye should be able to understand what he was trying to get at.

“I understand.” Ye Moxuan ignored him and continued going through the documents. He was conscientious and serious in going over the documents—as if they were not merely documents, but a piece of treasure. What happened to Muzi in the past was something exceedingly important and precious to him. At this point, it did not matter to him what writing style they were written in, or what kind of person wrote them.

Gradually, Xiao Su had calmed down as he noticed that Ye Moxuan had seemingly fallen deep into his memory. Although, he would display a frown at times which made Xiao Su think that he was unhappy with the documents. But after Xiao Su explained it to him, he did not rebuke him and just carried on with his reading.

Later on, Ye Moxuan’s eyebrows began to furrow, even more, emanating a cold and lifeless vibe. At this point, Xiao Su reckoned that he was in trouble, and he was not going to get away with it. But again, Ye Moxuan continued reading and did not reproach him.

Curious, Xiao Su proceeded to carefully observe Young Master Ye based on his understanding of him. He noticed that even though his emotions were fluctuating underneath his eyes, he was still able to maintain his composure on the outside. His ability to discern Young Master Ye was perhaps attributable to all the years that he had spent working for him. Is Young Master Ye deep within his memories? That cold and lifeless vibe that I’m getting is probably caused by past incidents and not me, right? For once, Xiao Su was able to feel at ease.

As time went on, the study was still quiet, and Ye Moxuan was deep in his memory. Seeing that he did not have any more unusual behaviors, Xiao Su turned bold and proceeded to find a chair to sit down. Then, he took out his phone.

Right at this moment, Ye Moxuan gave him a look from across the desk—a look that instantly froze Xiao Su while his phone was in his hand. However, that was it. After looking at Xiao Su indifferently, he moved his eyes away. Following that, Xiao Su heard him say, “You can go outside and take a walk first.”

Xiao Su stood up immediately, “Sure, Young Master Ye. I’ll come back in a bit.”

After coming out of the study, Xiao Su felt that the air quality outside was so much better than inside the study, but… why would Young Master Ye let him come out for no reason? Forget it. Let me take a walk first. After all, Young Master Ye always has his reasons for doing things.

Xiao Su probably left too quickly so he did not notice the unusual look on Ye Moxuan’s face when he was on his way out from the study. After Xiao Su left, Ye Moxuan suddenly lifted his head and deeply squeezed the spot between his eyebrows.

Even though he had just begun reading through the documents, what was written in them had left a deep impression on him that he could not forget. He began to frown when he thought about how Han Muzi entered into the Ye Family by marriage, and how she went through all those difficult times. With that, fragments of memory came up in his mind incessantly like a broken television—appearing then disappearing again right away. They were so fast and that frustrated him.

When Ye Moxuan was trying hard to recall his memories with Han Muzi, the most he could do was to force himself to look at those fragments of memories, hoping that he would recall something. Like that, Ye Moxuan fought with the flickering memories for a long time. They were strong opponents, but he was a brave fighter.

Gradually, Ye Moxuan’s head began to hurt. His back was drenched in sweat, but because of the winter jacket that he was wearing, his drenched white dress shirt underneath it was not in sight. Only the cold sweat on his forehead that was dripping down his gorgeous cheeks and falling on those documents was evident. He was in excruciating pain. His bony fingers were still flipping through the documents—page after page.

When he read about Han Muzi being drugged by those low-lives, it made his blood boil. Though, it was more of a self-condemnation for not being able to protect her and allowing her to get hurt.

Right at this moment, Han Muzi was also dreaming. In her dream, she recently married Ye Moxuan, and whatever took place in reality after that repeated itself. She was fully drenched when she woke up from that dream. At this point, Han Muzi could feel her heart pounding in her chest, and even her stomach was feeling somewhat strange. She reckoned that the baby must have felt her pounding heartbeat. Her only alternative right now was to think about some nice things and thoughts to suppress these uneasy and fearful feelings.

Gradually, Han Muzi’s breathing began to stabilize. Having drenched the shirt that she was wearing, she had to get up and pick another one from the wardrobe.

There was pin-drop silence in the house. Han Muzi recalled that she ate too much for lunch and did not want to take a nap right away. So, she decided to watch TV on the couch in the living room and inadvertently fell asleep there.

Nothing To Give But My Heart Chapter 1033

As to how she came to be sleeping in her bed, Han Muzi did not remember a thing. Now that she thought about it, it was probably Ye Moxuan who, after seeing that she was asleep, carried her into the bedroom. What time is it now? And where did Ye Moxuan go? Her dreams made her eager to see Ye Moxuan and cuddle him.

Then, Han Muzi put on a thin jacket and opened the bedroom door. Since Han Muzi was pregnant, the maid was out there guarding the door. Besides, today was different, as Ye Moxuan had instructed the maid to be here in case something happened. He even told her to immediately inform him when Han Muzi woke up.

The maid immediately put down her phone and stood up the moment she saw Han Muzi open the door. “Young Lady Ye, you’re awake. Let me go and inform Young Master Ye.”

Han Muzi stopped her. “There’s no need to inform him as I’m going to see him now. Where is he?”

Since they were married, Han Muzi deciding to go and find him after she woke up did not feel out of place, so the maid responded respectfully, “Young Master Ye is in the study, and Assistant Xiao is here.”

Xiao Su’s here? Han Muzi paused. Is there something to discuss? Will now be a good time to see Ye Moxuan?

Right at this moment, being extremely considerate, the maid commented, “Young Lady Ye, don’t worry. Earlier, I saw Assistant Xiao come out of the study to take a walk somewhere. Right now, Young Master Ye should be in the study by himself.”

That caught Han Muzi by surprise. She then nodded. “Thank you very much.”

The maid responded with a gentle smile.

Han Muzi proceeded to walk toward the study. Right now, she considered herself to be familiar with this place. When she first moved in, she would often get lost and not know where everything was.

Ever since Ye Moxuan’s plane accident, she had been living here all by herself for a considerable amount of time. Since she was not emotionally stable at that time, she instructed the maids to not bother her. This included not giving her directions whenever she was lost, so she had to find the way herself. After some time, Han Muzi had naturally acquainted herself with this place.

Soon, Han Muzi had arrived at the study. Seeing that the door was closed, she just knocked at the door without any suspicion.

Knock-knock-knock…

At a critical juncture in his reading, a sudden knock on the door brought Ye Moxuan back to reality. He let out a frown unhappily and his countenance turned serious. He was not in a good mood because of the interruption, much less at such a critical moment. And so, Ye Moxuan pursed his lips and did not respond to the knock.

Standing outside the door, Han Muzi was puzzled as to why he did not respond to her knock. Is he out? At this point, she tried knocking again, albeit somewhat cautious this time around.

“Who is it?” Finally, a cold voice came out of the study. The voice was so cold and indifferent that it startled Han Muzi. What’s going on? His voice sounds a little strange.

Still, Han Muzi responded softly, “It’s me.”

Hearing the soft female voice come through the wooden door, Ye Moxuan became nervous and began holding the documents in his hands tighter. She’s up?

Ye Moxuan turned and looked at the clock. It’s only been a little more than an hour. Why is she up so quickly? She usually doesn’t wake up from her nap until at least a few hours later.

“Can I come in?” Han Muzi spoke again.

Ye Moxuan came to his senses and quickly stowed the documents away into the cabinet. Initially, he planned on opening the door for Han Muzi after he had put the documents away, but Han Muzi had probably grown impatient waiting for him, so she opened the door right away and stood there, looking at him. She came in just in time to see him attempting to put the documents away. As such, Han Muzi looked at him with utter confusion.

Ye Moxuan sat right there after the raging anger of being interrupted had completely vanished. He no longer looked angry and hostile, but decent and warm. “You’re up?”

With confusion, Han Muzi walked up to him and stared at him with her clear gaze. Her beautiful eyes appeared slightly dreamy after she woke up. Staring at her, he had an idea. “Why don’t you sleep longer?” he asked gently. He saw the thin jacket on her, which annoyed him. “Why are you wearing so little?” He sounded somewhat stern and severe.

When he finished, Han Muzi jumped on him and put her hands around his neck after staring at him for a while. She proceeded to sit on his lap and bury her head in his arms. “I had a nightmare.”

Resting in his arms, her tone sounded depressed. Ye Moxuan was first startled before he was rendered completely defenseless by her words. His woman came to him after she woke up from a nightmare. And right now, she was in his arms, asking him to comfort her. This was her way of saying that he was her rock.

Earlier on, he was still planning on telling her off for wearing so little. But now, he could not even utter a word. His enormous hands were wrapped around her, and his voice softened considerably. “What kind of nightmare? Don’t be scared. Dreams are always the opposite of reality.”

Han Muzi muffled her voice. “Really? I heard that some dreams are a sign.”

“Who told you that? That’s a myth. Dreams are dreams, and they’ll never become reality.”

Han Muzi felt that he had a point. Dreams are dreams. Why would they ever become reality?

Even though she understood this, sometimes, her dreams were so real that they were almost tangible. Her dreams earlier left her in fear, and this was why she wanted to see him immediately. Now that she was in his arms, she felt calm and peaceful.

She did not feel shy and lay in his arms comfortably. At the same time, he was gently wiping the sweat on her forehead, while whispering something in her ears.

Not long after, Han Muzi noticed that something was not right. Since she had just been talking about herself, she did not notice something unusual with Ye Moxuan. When things had calmed down, she noticed that his heartbeat was fast and irregular.

After that, Han Muzi began to pay careful attention to Ye Moxuan when he spoke. Even though he sounded soft and gentle, as though nothing was wrong, when she listened even more carefully, she could tell that his breathing was unstable and he was out of breath.

For reasons unbeknownst to Han Muzi, she was reminded of the lack of response she received the first time she knocked on the door as well as the indifferent voice questioning her when she knocked the second time. When he did not respond after a while, Han Muzi anxiously asked him if she could come in. Before she could wait any longer, she opened the door right away. She was worried that something was happening to Ye Moxuan.

Now that they were back in the manor, his unusual behaviors worried her. Han Muzi did not pay too much attention to the fact that he was putting things away when she came in as she reckoned that he was just putting away his work documents. But now… things did not seem all that simple.

Nothing To Give But My Heart Chapter 1034

A thought occurred to Han Muzi. “I heard that Xiao Su is here.”

Ye Moxuan hesitated for a moment then nodded. “Mm.”

“What is he doing here? Isn’t it Sunday today? Don’t tell me, you still have business to take care of at the company? Is there anything that I can help with?” she asked out of concern. “I worked in management for a bit at the company so I should be of some help. If you want—”

Before she could finish, he put a finger on her lips to stop her from talking. Dumbfounded, she stood there and watched as a resolute expression grew on his face. “What are you thinking about?”

“Hm?”

“Business at the company has been taken care of so there’s nothing for you to be concerned about. But enough about my company, I’m hoping you’ll stop being so busy at yours.”

“What will happen to my company if I’m not busy? Should I just give up on it?” Han Muzi joked as she discreetly reached behind his back, feeling something warm and slightly sticky on her fingertips.

A frown gradually appeared on her forehead. At that instant, Ye Moxuan seemed to have sensed what she was up to. He pinched her waist gently, making her gasp, then pulled her hands out.

Her small hands struggled to break free from his grip. “Why are you grabbing my hands? Let go of them right now.”

He smirked. “Warming you up.”

“Warming me up? Your hand is obviously colder than mine.”

“Sure.” He immediately changed his answer. “Then, you can warm me up.”

He was being relentless. His hand was clearly colder than hers, but he still wanted to hold it. The Ye Moxuan I know would never do this. There is definitely something fishy going on here. The more he did not want her to know, the more curious she became.

Despite her curiosity, however, she understood him. She chose not to say anything and actually focused on warming his hands up. Because she had just come out from under her blanket, her warm body was like a little heater. His icy cold hands warmed up after just a short moment. She then closed in on him. “Do you feel warm?”

Ye Moxuan was taken aback. He gulped and lowered his head. His deep gaze fell on her face. “Are you seducing me?”

She shook her head innocently. “I’m pregnant. You know I can’t do that. How can I possibly seduce you?”

Pregnant… His eyes dimmed. Right. I still have to be abstinent for a while.

“I’m really just warming your hands for you,” she commented. As she said that, she saw a thin layer of sweat on his forehead. Just then, there was a knock on the door.

“Young Master Ye?” It was Xiao Su’s voice.

Han Muzi was still in Ye Moxuan’s embrace. It will be very awkward if Xiao Su walked in on us in this suggestive pose. She immediately pushed him away then stood up and fixed her clothes. “I’ll leave now since Xiao Su is looking for you.”

“Mm.” Ye Moxuan did not stop her. He nodded his head gently and saw her off with his eyes.

Seeing him like that, she was even more certain that something was off about him. Otherwise, he would not have responded that way.

When she opened the door, she was met with Xiao Su’s gaze. Xiao Su was not surprised to see her because the housekeepers had told him, on his way in, that Young Lady Ye had arrived and was in the study. He was not able to grasp the situation that was happening inside, but he presumed that he had saved Young Master Ye with his knock.

Although he felt like he had to prioritize Young Lady Ye’s wish, it was only under the condition of his loyalty to Young Master Ye. Otherwise, he would not treat her with that much respect in the first place. However, Young Lady Ye treated him kindly. Ever since he got injured and got the scar on his face, she would feel sorry for him whenever she saw it. Yet, she never commented on it, and always looked away out of respect. She also would not stare at his scar until he felt self-conscious. How could anyone disrespect Young Lady Ye?

When they made eye contact, Han Muzi just smiled and did not question him. “Come in. I’ll head back to my room now and let you two talk.”

Xiao Su watched her leave then turned around and entered the study, closing the door on his way in. When he was inside, he noticed that Ye Moxuan was slumped over the desk with a restrained look on his face that showed that he was holding in agonizing pain. He must have wanted to pretend like he was fine when Young Lady Ye was here. It must have been hard on him.

At that moment, Xiao Su felt like he had arrived too late. He thought that perhaps he should not have spent so much time aimlessly strolling around outside and came back sooner, or that he should have just stayed outside the study earlier. All that information might have helped Ye Moxuan regain his memories. But he did not know what Ye Moxuan’s condition presently was.

“Young Master Ye. Are you okay?” Xiao Su asked out of deep concern as he walked closer.

Ye Moxuan did not respond. He leaned back against the chair wearily and closed his eyes. When he did not speak, Xiao Su did not make a sound either and simply waited by the side.

After a while, Ye Moxuan opened his eyes again. His jet-black eyes cleared up and the tension between his eyebrows also eased. It was not an illness. As long as he did not trigger his memories, he was just like any other ordinary person. But whenever his memories were triggered, he suffered from headaches that seemed to be a recurring illness.

After watching Ye Moxuan for a while, Xiao Su turned around and quietly poured a cup of warm water for him. Once Ye Moxuan drank the cup of warm water, the color on his face returned slightly. His pale lips moved as he spoke, “If Young Lady Ye asks, don’t tell her you were here to bring me these.”

Xiao Su nodded. “That goes without saying. Rest assured, Young Master Ye.”

“Did she catch on to something? She glanced at me right before she left, but I didn’t give an explanation.” Ye Moxuan recalled Han Muzi’s behavior from earlier and pieced it together with her behavior at the Ye Family manor. Forcing a bitter smile, he said, “I can’t hide everything from her. If she says she doesn’t know, then it’s purely out of good nature.”

Xiao Su seemed to have understood and remained in deep silence.

“That’s it for today. Sorry for making you come all the way here. You should go home now.”

Xiao Su was slightly surprised and taken aback by his words. I didn’t expect Young Master Ye to not ask about the documents. Xiao Su had initially planned to leave right away, but seeing Ye Moxuan like that, he could not bear to leave just then. “I don’t have much to do now. Should I stay and look after you, Young Master Ye?”

Ye Moxuan looked up with a slight chill in his gaze. “How are you going to look after me? Share the headache with me?”

Xiao Su was rendered speechless. Alright, I should just leave.

Nothing To Give But My Heart Chapter 1035

On the drive home upon leaving Seabay Villa, Xiao Su received a text message from Jiang Xiaobai, the ghostwriter. ‘Mr. Xiao, was Mr. Ye satisfied with the information?’

Without much thought, Xiao Su sent a short reply. ‘It’ll do.’ He closed it then tapped open his contacts list instinctively and saw that familiar name at the top—Zhou Xiaoyan.

They had not seen or contacted each other since they arrived back in the country. After what Yan told him that day, he did not think it would be very gentlemanly to keep bothering her. He tried his best not to go look for her. But it had been so long that he wondered how she was doing. Alas, he suppressed the urge to call her and continued driving.

A while later, however, Xiao Su found himself at the building of Yan’s old company. It was Sunday so there was no one there. He pulled his car up and rolled down the window to look at the entrance of the company. Staring intently, he could visualize Yan going to work.

Before they came back, Yan must have always been happy to go to work. Dressed in her little outfit and carrying her purse, she would hurriedly jog toward the company. While hurrying, though, she would accidentally drop something she was carrying. Then, as she hastily bent down to pick it up, all the other things in her arms would fall out as well.

She must have looked careless and unorganized. Xiao Su did not use to like women like that. But if that woman was Yan, he found it unexpectedly adorable. Seeing things through these filters really made people illogical. He suddenly thought, The one who loves is the fool. The fact that he was too afraid to call Yan but came all the way to an empty building instead, was foolish. After a while, he departed from the company.

Time went by quickly. Yan spent every day in the hospital looking after Mr. Zhou diligently. Her efforts during that time were noticed by the Zhou couple. Luo Huimei even lost count of how many times Mr. Zhou had complimented Yan.

“Zhou, don’t you think our daughter has matured so much since she came back? She hasn’t complained once and doesn’t even look the least bit agitated.”

Mr. Zhou nodded in agreement. “You’re right. She has matured quite a bit. I thought our father-daughter relationship would break down after being apart for five years.”

“What nonsense are you talking about? You’re father and daughter after all. As long as you’re not too stubborn, how would your relationship break down?”

Too stubborn? That comment made him frown. “How am I stubborn?”

“How are you not stubborn? You’re still stopping her from doing what she wants even though she’s an adult. Stopping her is one thing, but you even went as far as to threaten to end your relationship with her. Do you really want her to live the rest of her life under your influence and with your mindset?”

Although Mr. Zhou never saw it that way, he was rendered speechless by what Luo Huimei said. He only responded a while later, “I’ve never thought of restricting my daughter’s life. It’s just that the job she had at the time was hard to come by, but her ungrateful attitude toward it made me angry. But if you felt so strongly about it, why didn’t you bring it up at the time? Why are you only bringing up the past now and getting so worked up about it?”

Luo Huimei was peeling an orange. She cleaned the white bits off the orange completely before putting it in her mouth while Mr. Zhou stared at her but did not get a piece for himself. Finally, he asked, “Why are you peeling the orange so cleanly?”

She glanced down at it. “I’ve always eaten oranges like this. How did you not notice after all these years? Also, what did you mean by bringing up the past? Is that called bringing up the past? You were so overbearing at the time; how could I have said anything? You already ended your relationship with your daughter. What if you divorced me too? How could I have dared to speak up?

“Do you have to make me sound so terrifying? Do you still not know me after living with me for so many years? How could I divorce you?”

However, she did not pay any attention to his words and continued eating her orange. “Yes, I have lived with you for so long, so I know the way you think. Do you know how I felt when you said you were going to end your relationship with our daughter? I only wondered how a person could change so much. You weren’t like that before. So, when you changed, do you think I dared to say anything? If you divorced me because I spoke up, our family will break apart. Do you know that I was the one who held this family together all these years?”

“Are you saying you’re the only one who put in the effort?”

“Wasn’t I? Haven’t you noticed how you and Yan were the past five years? Wasn’t I the one who called her every year? Who knows, if I hadn’t done that, she might’ve run off with someone and never came back! I also called her and begged her to come back this time when you got into the accident. Otherwise, do you think this day would have come?” She got more worked up as she spoke. “Don’t you think you’re being ungrateful?”

Mr. Zhou thought if he continued this conversation with her, both of them would definitely get into an argument. Ever since Yan left home, the couple argued more than they used to. Every time they were done arguing, however, Luo Huimei would secretly go into the room to wipe her tears. That made Mr. Zhou angry but also regretful and heartbroken. Still, he was not able to swallow his pride and confront her. But now that he had come so close to death, these things suddenly felt rather trivial to him.

At this age, there was no need for him to get to the bottom of everything, especially when it came to family matters. Why make a fuss over something so petty? In the past, he would have thought that she was being irrational and argued with her some more. He would have even accused her of being erratic. But these things did not seem important to him anymore. Life is short. I have lived more than half my life now; my remaining days are numbered.

Mr. Zhou sighed then said gently, “Alright, Huimei. I was never ungrateful. You’ve done so much for the family all these years. At the time, I was just reckless and not in my right mind.”

Nothing To Give But My Heart Chapter 1036

Mr. Zhou reached out and held Luo Huimei’s hand; this came as a surprise to her. She could not wrap her head around the sudden change in his behavior and looked at him like he had two heads.

“Did you forget your medicine?” she asked.

Mr. Zhou did not respond. She continued to stare at him. “Did you hit your head in the accident? Should I go get the doctor to come to look at you?”

Mr. Zhou remained silent. The smile on his face slowly disappeared and the positive mood he had also disappeared. I should not act like this in front of her.

“No, but what happened to you? Why are you suddenly acting like this? Don’t scare me, Zhou. Are you—”

“Enough.” Mr. Zhou cut her off and went on, “Since I encountered death, I’ve been able to see things more clearly. There is nothing that should be taken too seriously amongst family members. Past mistakes were already made, but it’s not too late to admit them now. Do you have to make it seem like there’s something wrong with me?”

Luo Huimei was dumbfounded. When she finally came around, a look of realization appeared on her face. “I see. You suddenly seem more human now.”

Mr. Zhou was speechless. Forget it. I shouldn’t try anymore or I might pass out from anger.

“Oh, right. Zhou, I realized Mrs. Zhang has been coming over to our house on purpose recently. Whenever she comes, she would ask about Yan. I think she wants to introduce someone to Yan.”

Mr. Zhou frowned. “She wants to introduce someone? She can’t even manage her own life and here she is trying to play matchmaker for someone else. It’s hard enough to get Yan to come home so we shouldn’t bother her with these things.”

Luo Huimei nodded in agreement. “I see your point. But I think I should still put in a good word for Yan. What if there’s someone who fits the criteria? We can always reject him if we don’t think it will work out. But if we find someone decent, we can let Yan meet him and see how it goes. At her age, she’s going to get married at some point. There’s nothing wrong with testing the waters now.”

Mr. Zhou thought it was reasonable and nodded his head. “Okay. You can handle that. Just don’t scare her away.”

“Don’t worry. I’m not you.”

Mr. Zhou was speechless. Sigh. Looks like I’ll keep getting picked on from now on. But after what he went through, he felt lucky to have days like these. He only realized now how precious it was.

Yan arrived in the afternoon with food that she made herself instead of food made by Luo Huimei. The Zhou couple previously ate a meal that Yan had prepared and realized how much her cooking skills had improved. Luo Huimei was especially impressed. Since then, she insisted that Yan made food every day and did not take another step into the kitchen herself.

At that moment, as she was eating the delicious food, she said, “Yan, what sort of work have you been doing the past few years? You’ve grown thinner but your cooking skills have improved so much. Did you work as a cook for someone overseas?”

“How can that be? I’ve been working as a designer all along. I used to eat out with my friends a lot. But I had a lot of free time as well so I decided to cook. That way, I can satisfy my cravings and that of others.”

“I see.”

Mr. Zhou looked at Yan. “I heard from your mom that you’ve been—”

Yan seemed to have caught on. She cleared her throat to cut him off then looked at the both of them. “Dad. Mom. I have something to discuss with you.”

“What is it?”

“Go on.”

Yan drank the bowl of hot soup in her hands, then said, “I want to look for a place in our neighborhood and open a restaurant. What do you guys think?”

Both of them were stunned. “Open a restaurant?”

Yan nodded. “Yes. As you know, my cooking skills are commendable now. I want to open a restaurant somewhere in our neighborhood. If it’s nearby, it also makes it more convenient for me to take care of you guys. If everything works out, I’m planning on settling down here.”

The Zhou couple looked at each other and did not say a word. Yan went on, “I also love cooking. Dad, because of your accident this time, I think it’s best if you stopped working. Working at the Ye Group might not be bad but it’s quite burdensome. I want the both of you to be like other old people with a lot of free time from now on—going out for walks, watching TV, and even joining a community dance from time to time.”

Luo Huimei blinked. Our daughter has planned out the rest of our days for us. She then asked, “Enough about us. Have you thought about how you’re going to run your business after you open this restaurant? After all, you’re a woman and you’re still unmarried. How will you manage when you’ll be busy with your restaurant?”

“Mom, I can still open a restaurant without getting married. I don’t need to depend on a man to open a restaurant. If I need help, I can always hire people. I’ve stored up some savings over the past few years, so you don’t have to worry about that. I just wanted to discuss a good location to open a restaurant with you guys.”

Mr. Zhou understood her. “I know what you mean. Since you want to start a business, we, as parents, will definitely help you. You don’t have to worry about financial problems either. You’re our only child. We will definitely give you our full support.”

“You’ve worked hard to earn all that money. You can keep it to buy whatever you want and stop working from now on. I have enough money to open my own restaurant.”

“You’re a woman. How would you have that much money? You need money to open a restaurant. Purchasing things such as furniture and appliances will all cost a lot of money. You—”

“Don’t worry. I really do have money.” Indeed, she had made a lot of money from following Han Muzi around all this time. Han Muzi was a designer, and since Yan had always stuck by her and helped her out, Han Muzi never under-compensated her for her work. When they started the new company, Han Muzi even increased Yan’s salary.

Salary aside, Han Muzi also gave her various bonuses. The year-end bonuses were especially generous. Whenever Yan felt like she had been lucky, Muzi would tell her that she deserved it.

Yan told her parents all of that. Otherwise, they would have assumed she spent her time overseas fooling around and would not be able to comprehend how she had so much money. The Zhou couple felt slightly bad after they came to know the truth.

Nonetheless, Luo Huimei was rather delighted. “You have such a good boss. She’s also so talented to be a designer at such a young age. You should invite her over some time so we can thank her properly.”

Nothing To Give But My Heart Chapter 1037

Since mentioning Muzi, Yan naturally thought of her. Her eyes dimmed instantly. Forcing a smile, she said, “She’s pregnant now, but the fetus is still unstable. I don’t feel safe having her out and about. Let’s wait until she gives birth. I’ll make sure to introduce her to you then.”

“Sure.”

With that, the matter was resolved. Initially, she thought her parents would be against her opening her own restaurant. She even thought of several ways to convince them before she came. She was going to give some examples if her parents still disagreed. However, she did not expect it to go so smoothly.

…

There were many things to prepare before opening a shop. Once Yan finished discussing her plan with her parents, she started looking around at different locations nearby. But after a day or two, she was still unable to find an appropriate location.

Alas, Luo Huimei said to her, “I ran into a few friends at the park this morning. When I brought this up to them, they happened to have some information. They said that there was an ideal place for us at South Intersection and told us to go have a look when we have the time.”

“South Intersection?” Yan crinkled her nose. She wanted to buy her own place so she did not have to worry about paying rent every year. Moreover, she would be able to live on the second floor of the building.

With the money she had, she would be able to purchase a medium-sized building. She did not want a place that was too shabby but she could not afford a more expensive place either. However, she was hesitant about South Intersection. After all, she knew that area well. South Intersection is the busiest commercial area, and there are already many food and beverage outlets there. Most of the shop owners will not sell their buildings but will either rent or sublet them out. Small shop with high rent, and not to mention more competition.

“What are you thinking about?” Luo Huimei looked at Yan frozen in her spot. “I’ve already asked them. The competition there is high, but where there is competition there is business. Besides, your cooking skills are so good. What’s there to be scared of?”

“But, Mom…”

“There’s a common saying that the truth fears not the flames of slander and injustice. Don’t tell me you are not confident with your cooking skills?”

Yan rolled her eyes. How was she not confident with her cooking? High rent and competition weren’t too big a deal, but she would have to be very busy every day just to run her business. Furthermore, if she had to compete with other restaurants, she had to buy more ingredients and tweak her prices. That means more work and less money.

If she chose a quieter location, she would be less busy but also earn a lot less. That weighed down on Yan. She did not want a commercial area. She just wanted to open a small restaurant and be able to financially support her parents and herself. She did not want to become rich either.

On the other hand, Luo Huimei did not seem to understand her true intentions. Upon seeing Yan standing there with a blank look on her face, Luo Huimei grabbed her arm. “Since it’s not noon yet, let’s quickly go over there and take a look. If that place looks decent, your father and I can help you with the financial aspect of it.”

Before Yan could say anything, Luo Huimei simply dragged her away.

Time went by quickly. Matters at Han Muzi’s company were mostly settled. Ye Moxuan had worried that it would be too much of a burden on her, so he had Xiao Su hire someone to manage her company for her. That way, she could go to work if she pleased, or she could stay home and rest otherwise.

Han Muzi did not have any objections either. She knew that her current pregnancy was unstable due to the number of problems and shock she encountered since conceiving. After listening to her doctor’s advice, she also felt that if she should have a safe pregnancy, she would naturally want a safe pregnancy. Other than a few occasions, she had to do most things herself. She did not know what was happening with Ye Moxuan, but she wanted to bring Little Bean back to her side as soon as possible. However, she would never make known such selfish thoughts.

Ever since they came back to the country, both of them have been mentally and physically exhausted with their companies. Nonetheless, Ye Moxuan had helped her settle her company matters. He never said anything to her, but his attempts to regain his memories were incredibly damaging to both his mind and body.

At this time, Han Muzi could not find it in her to bring up Little Bean and Old Master Yuchi to him. She would video call Little Bean from time to time when she was at home.

“Mommy, Mommy. When will bad Daddy come get me and Great-Grandfather?” Little Bean would ask her eagerly on their WeChat video call on days like that.

Han Muzi found it hard to look at her son’s eager gaze, and could only gently tell him, “Hang in there a bit longer, Little Bean. Once everything is settled here, we will go get you and your great-grandfather, okay?”

Little Bean was going to press on further, but he saw the anxious look in her eyes. He swallowed the words in his mouth. “Okay. I’m not in a rush to go home anyway. Being overseas is fun; Great-Grandfather takes me to a lot of places every day. Make sure to let me know before you come and pick me up, okay, Mommy? I want to visit a few more places while I’m here,” he said with full of excitement. His eyes lit up and he looked like he was really happy.

She was not able to tell whether he was actually happy or not. Children probably did not think that much. Or perhaps, he enjoyed living overseas?

“Little Bean, just tell me if you’re having a hard time. I’ll think of a way for you. I want you to be more dependent on me. You don’t have to be so strong, okay?” As she said that, she gently pinched his cheek on the screen. However, Little Bean did not feel any of that.

“I’m not having a hard time, Mommy. You, Great-Grandfather, and Daddy are all the same. Besides, I can be by your side again very soon, Mommy.”

He was still a child, after all. After she said those things to him, he felt a tingly sensation in his nose and looked like something had got in his eyes. Just then, someone called for him from outside. Little Bean took the opportunity and said, “Mommy, I think Great-Grandfather wants to take me out again. I’m going to go now. I’ll send you a picture when I come back later tonight.”

“Okay. Be careful.”

Then, the video call ended. The small boy sat on the sofa in that big room and stared at the phone without saying a word. After a while, he folded his small body into a ball and buried his head in his knees for the first time.

When Han Muzi said those things earlier, he felt a heart-wrenching pain in his chest that made him want to cry. But he held back. Mommy had a hard time raising me by herself. But, she never mentioned it and never got mad at me because of her hardships.

Nothing To Give But My Heart Chapter 1038

Little Bean had always been very mature. He did not want Han Muzi to worry about him. If it had been an ordinary child in that situation, they would have started bawling and throwing a tantrum. But, he did not do that. Moreover, he even quickly hung up when he felt like crying so as to not let Han Muzi know. He knew that Han Muzi loved him, so he had to be considerate of her as well.

Nonetheless, some people did not deserve his consideration. Little Bean thought for a moment. Then, he lifted his head off his knees and made a video call to Ye Moxuan on his phone.

At the Ye Group, Ye Moxuan had just walked into the conference room with a bleak expression on his face when his phone started ringing in his pocket. He frowned slightly as he did not put his phone on silent before he walked in. He took his phone out and was about to end the call and put his phone on silent when he saw that it was a call from his son. Little Bean? Why is this little fellow calling me now?

To Ye Moxuan, there was nothing more important to him than his meetings. If there was, though, it would be his woman and, of course, his son. Since Ye Moxuan was the president, no one dared to speak up when they saw him on his phone. He pursed his lips then answered the video call. “What is it?”

When he answered the call, he saw the little fellow’s angry and unsatisfied face on the screen. Ye Moxuan frowned. What did I do to him, for him to call me in this angry manner?

Little Bean did not give him any face, and just screamed, “Bad Daddy!”

When the child-like voice came through the speaker, the high-ranked executives in the room were stunned while the people at the back looked at one another. After a while, they came around. Did the little President Ye call our President Ye?

They knew that Young Master Ye had a son because the little fellow had followed Han Muzi to the company when she took over the company back then. The people at the company were not accepting of Han Muzi. Aside from the help of Xiao Su to prove herself, most of them did not think she was capable of it. Furthermore, they were not content with giving the perfectly good Ye Group to a woman with a different family name. But, one day, she came to work with the little fellow by her side.

The little fellow looked exactly like Ye Moxuan but was also different in a way. Ye Moxuan was cold and distant, and hard to approach. But, the little fellow was different. He politely called out to everyone he saw and it inevitably made them accept Han Muzi without realizing it. They felt like there was nothing more that could be said. Even though both of them did not have a wedding yet, their child was already so big. Moreover, the child looked exactly like President Ye so there was no need for doubt.

While Han Muzi had taken over momentarily, the Ye Group still belonged to the Ye Family. When they heard Little Bean’s voice, they felt slightly taken aback and had a sense of familiarity. Then, they looked at the icy-cold expression of Ye Moxuan in front of them. Suddenly, they started to feel nostalgic for the past. They did not feel much of a difference before they did a comparison. It was not to say that Young Master Ye was bad. But now that they compared the both of them, they felt like Young Master Ye just did not have that gentle and amiable nature that Han Muzi had.

In fact, Han Muzi was not that gentle and amiable during meetings. However, she was still Ye Moxuan’s wife. Despite having a large portion of shares in her hands, she still had a different attitude toward the high-ranked executives, unlike Ye Moxuan, who was always cold and heartless. If he did not like a suggestion, he would simply reject everything. But, perhaps they were asking for too much. Not only did they want a person who could resolve problems as promptly as Ye Moxuan, but they also wanted him to have a gentle and amiable nature like Han Muzi. It was only in their imagination.

The child’s voice continued to blare through the video call. “It’s been so long. When are you coming to get me and Great-Grandfather?”

Ye Moxuan frowned and pursed his lips, then simply replied Little Bean with a couple of words, “Very soon.”

Little Bean looked unhappy in an instant. “How soon is very soon? Is there a deadline? Bad Daddy is so useless!”

Ye Moxuan’s frown deepened and a crease between his eyebrows also formed. “One week.”

Little Bean blinked. “One week? Are you saying you’ll come and get me and Great-Grandfather in a week?”

“Yes.” Ye Moxuan nodded. “One week at the latest.”

Little Bean was quite content with that answer but he still put up a nonchalant look. “Hmph! One week it is then. Great-Grandfather and I will be waiting. Oh, right! Don’t tell Mommy I called you.” I don’t want Mommy to worry! Daddy can worry about this on his own. Besides, he put Mommy through so much in the past. It’s only right that Daddy suffers a bit now.

Looking at the face that was just like his and the arrogant expression Little Bean had on pulled at Ye Moxuan’s heartstrings. He pressed his thumb gently on Little Bean’s head and face on the screen. He is still my son. Even though he is not very normal and only knows how to trample on his father, he is still my blood. Furthermore, it was a child that Muzi gave birth to. The tension in Ye Moxuan’s eyes and expression disappeared, and he even looked more gentle.

“Don’t worry. I don’t want your mommy to worry about this any more than you do. You just have to make sure you don’t let it slip when you’re on the phone with her.”

Little Bean protested, “I’m not that dumb. Bad Daddy!” Beep! The call ended.

Little Bean must have grown bold. He knows how to hang up when he gets angry. The energetic Little Bean disappeared from the screen, and the screen displayed its usual background. Ye Moxuan stared blankly at it.

A moment later, he put the phone on silent, locked the screen, and put it back in his pocket. When he looked up, he realized that everyone in the conference room was looking at him. They all showed interest as though they had never heard them in conversation before.

Ye Moxuan smirked and his face turned grim. “Am I that good-looking?” he asked.

They quickly looked away while covering their mouths awkwardly and clearing their throats. A senior even said jokingly, “You have such a good relationship with little President Ye. Hahaha.” He stretched out his clear laugh while everyone else followed along out of awkwardness.

“Yes, yes. How admirable.”

On the other hand, Ye Moxuan had a grim expression on his face.

“Our president’s wife is indeed remarkable for giving birth to such an adorable little President Ye. She also carried herself in such a dignified manner. Before President Ye came back to work, it was his wife that managed the whole company.”

Nothing To Give But My Heart Chapter 1039

Ye Moxuan’s grim expression eased when he heard them complimenting Muzi. After that, the intimidating look in his eyes also disappeared. He even smiled cheerfully. My woman is naturally outstanding.

The high-ranked executives were able to get to where they were that day partly because of that little ability they had. It all involved skills and observation. They all saw that Ye Moxuan’s mood had changed. It became evident to them that flattering President Ye’s wife was working, so they started bombarding him with a list of compliments.

“Your wife was able to manage the company in such an orderly manner at the time. You have very good taste, President Ye.”

“Congratulations, President Ye. You must be so happy to have such a worthy wife and son.”

They were supposed to have a meeting, but it quickly turned into a brownnosing fest. Everyone liked to flatter Muzi so he just let them since he enjoyed listening to it too. However, Xiao Su grew somber. He became dumbfounded as they each tried to flatter Han Muzi. He wanted to ask, Where are your pride, people? When Young Lady Ye took over the company, none of you were like this. Now, look at you. Tsk, tsk.

Then, he walked over to Ye Moxuan and whispered, “It’s time to start the meeting, Young Master Ye.”

Ye Moxuan returned to his serious demeanor and nodded.

After receiving approval, Xiao Su cleared his throat and announced, “Settle down, everyone. The meeting is about to start. Please return to your seats and get ready.”

Ye Moxuan said so himself that Xiao Su was his right-hand man. When they saw that Ye Moxuan had lost interest, they immediately quietened down and went back to their seats. After all, flattery only worked to a certain extent and they had done enough. Thus, the meeting began.

…

Under Luo Huimei’s advice, Yan went down to look at the place at South Intersection. The location of the shop was very far in front. Because the rent was so high, however, many people were still looking and did not take this unit yet. More importantly, this shop was different from the rest.

The owner of this shop had a peculiar personality. If anyone wanted to rent the place, they had to follow a set of rules that the owner laid out. Moreover, if they broke any of the rules, it would nullify the contract and they would have to move out immediately. It was said that the previous renters’ contract also became nullified, so they had to pack up and move out of the place.

When Yan followed the broker in, she realized that the inside of the shop was still brand new. It was obvious that it was rarely used. “Why did the previous contract get nullified?”

The broker first looked at Luo Huimei then looked at Yan before he inched closer and said in a low voice, “Actually, I’m not allowed to tell you about this until you’ve agreed to rent. But since my relative recommended you to me, then I guess I shouldn’t hide anything from you. The owner of this place is quite particular. After this place was renovated like this, no one was allowed to fix or make any changes to it after they rented it out.”

At that point, the broker looked around. “You’ve seen the interior of this place. It’s quite different from most places. You’re not allowed to change anything for four weeks, and there are still a bunch of conditions listed in the contract. If you breach the contract, you have to pay the compensation and move out. A lot of people are afraid that they won’t be able to pay compensation. Because of the peculiar style of this place, even though it is located in such a lively location, it still hasn’t been rented out.”

Can’t change the design of the shop? Yan evaluated this for a while. Before she could respond to the broker, Luo Huimei asked, “The style of this place is slightly Japanese, and it looks somewhat like a tea house. It’s just like what I see in dramas. Isn’t that right, Yan? Doesn’t it look like a tea house?”

“I didn’t expect your memory to be so good, Mom. It does look like a teahouse.” But it was also slightly different. Yan noticed that the interior was a fusion between Chinese and Western styles, despite having a bit of a Japanese feel to it. She pursed her lips. “If I’m not wrong, this place used to be a ramen restaurant?”

The broker smiled. “That’s right. It was a ramen restaurant.”

That’s strange. Ramen restaurants should be popular now. It should not be hard to start such a business. But Yan did not ask about that. Even though she was satisfied with the interior of the place, she figured rent would not be cheap.

“Yan, how about opening a ramen restaurant for your business? I think it will do quite well. I think the older people around this area enjoy eating noodles and the like.” Luo Huimei tugged on Yan’s hand. Based on her expression, she was satisfied with the interior and location of the place. Meanwhile, Yan did not respond.

As the broker watched, he smiled. “If you’re thinking of opening a restaurant, this place is not a bad option.”

Yan knitted her brows together lightly. “May I ask what the rent is for a year?”

The broker looked rather awkward as he raised three fingers at Yan. Yan fell silent as she saw those three fingers. On the other hand, Luo Huimei did not understand and just smiled. “30,000? 30,000 a year is not that expensive. I think it’s fine. Let’s rent this place, Yan.”

The expression on the broker’s face turned bleak. The amount Luo Huimei mentioned and the amount he meant was ten times different. Looks like I won’t be renting this place out today.

“Madam Luo. You’re mistaken. The rent per year is 300,000.”

The smile on Luo Huimei’s face froze. “What?! 300,000 a year?”

The broker nodded. “This is the lowest price I can give to someone I know personally. Normally, it’d be 350,000. After discussing with the owner, the lowest I can go is 300,000.”

Luo Huimei was dumbfounded. 300,000 a year means it’s 25,000 a month. There are only thirty days in a month, so one day would cost approximately 1,000. That means that turnover has to be over 1,000 a day. But that 1,000 does not include manpower, appliances, utility bills, ingredients, and so on. To meet the turnover, they would be insanely busy. So, she would also have to hire people. How many bowls of ramen does she have to sell in a day to make any money?

Luo Huimei started to worry. She suddenly understood why Yan was reluctant to come here earlier.

“Madam Luo, I know this rent is a little pricey. But this location is truly the best. You see—”

Luo Huimei suddenly cut in, “Is the owner trying to suck a person dry? With such an expensive rent on top of not being able to change the interior design, who would rent this place?”

Nothing To Give But My Heart Chapter 1040

To put it frankly, they were taking advantage of the ideal location of their shop. Luo Huimei had always known that rent for places at these good locations was not cheap. Before they came, she even decided that she and Zhou could put out some money if the place was a bit too expensive. They were willing to as long as they were able to fulfill their daughter’s wish to open a restaurant and live happily. But this is just too expensive. Won’t Yan have to work tirelessly after this? This is a clear example of working hard and earning less.

The broker was also in a bad spot after he heard Luo Huimei. He reached up and scratched his head then looked at Yan. “Forgive me, but if you’re not satisfied with this place, I can take you to see some other places. How does that sound?”

Yan gave a small nod. “Sorry for the trouble.”

After that, the broker took Yan and Luo Huimei to several other places. Throughout the way, Yan conducted herself pleasantly and kindly while Luo Huimei looked very unhappy. When they left, the broker apologized in a flustered manner, “I’m so sorry. I’m afraid I couldn’t find you a suitable place today. Here, let’s exchange contact details. If I find anywhere suitable for you, I will contact you then. How’s that?”

“Okay.” Yan exchanged contact details with him, then the broker left. Luo Huimei immediately said, “I don’t understand you. The places he introduced afterward were so-so, yet you still followed him along. What a waste of time. The only decent place was the first shop we went to, but the rent was too high.”

Yan looked at Luo Huimei and comforted her. “Mom, he also accompanied us all day today. Did he earn any money though? If he wasn’t able to sell anything to us, then he won’t receive anything either. Despite that, he still accommodated us with a smile. We can’t lose our manners as well. He still put his heart into recommending the last few places to us. Moreover, the ramen place wasn’t his fault. He’s just acting as the middleman; he didn’t set the price. Even if they were trying to cheat us of our money, it’s not the broker who wanted to cheat us. If that were so, he would have done anything to get us to sign the contract. After that, he would get his pay and he wouldn’t have to bother with us anymore.”

After being consoled by her daughter, Luo Huimei found her words quite sensible. “I guess I was wrong to blame him. Since you put it that way, I do feel quite bad. Should we give him a call and apologize?”

Yan smiled and consoled, “There’s no point in apologizing. But when you see him again next time, you should be nicer to him. Don’t get mad so easily in the future.”

Just then, Yan realized Luo Huimei was looking at her intently without making a sound. Yan blinked. She grew frustrated at Luo Huimei’s intent gaze on her. “Mom, why are you looking at me like that? Did I say something wrong?”

“No.” Luo Huimei shook her head. Her face grew serious. “Since you came back, I just feel like you’ve grown a lot more mature.”

Yan was speechless.

“I used to look forward to the day when you were all grown up, but my heart aches to see you like this now.” Growing up was a bitter thing, especially for the human heart. When her daughter was immature, she wished that Yan would grow up quickly and become more mature. But now that Yan had grown up, Luo Huimei’s heart ached for the experiences she must have gone through. It seems like Yan’s emotional wounds were deep this time.

“Don’t let your mind wander, Mom.” Yan walked up and grabbed her hand, then said lightly, “Let’s go home now. Otherwise, Dad won’t have anything to eat for lunch.”

Suddenly, Luo Huimei remembered that an old man was waiting for them at the hospital. She nodded then headed home with Yan to cook some food.

…

Time passed and three days had gone by. Yan obediently went back and forth between her house and the hospital. When she had time, she looked online for some shops but found that the place at the South Intersection was the only decent place near them. It was a shame that she could not afford to buy or rent it. Yan started calculating. I could find a place that was a bit farther away and just buy a bicycle or an electric scooter to get around when the time comes. It’s always hard at the start. Nobody has it easy.

However, she did not expect a turn in events that morning as she got up and prepared to go to the supermarket. The broker called her and asked her if she had time. He had spoken with the owner of that shop and informed her that the rent can be lowered.

Yan was slightly dumbfounded. Didn’t he say 300,000 was the lowest? But he’s still willing to lower it now?

“How much lower?”

The broker smiled. “100,000 a year.”

100,000? Yan thought she had misheard. How did the price get reduced by a whole 200,000? Yan suddenly felt like it was not as simple as it seemed. She pursed her lips and asked, “It can’t have reduced that much. Does the owner have other conditions?”

“I knew I can’t hide anything from you, Miss Zhou. You are too clever. The owner did have more conditions but I still don’t know what it is in particular. We’ll know once we meet with the owner. That’s why I called you, Miss Zhou. When will you be free to meet?”

Zhou Xiaoyan looked at the time on her watch. “I have time now. I’ll head over then. Let’s talk further in person.”

“Okay, Miss Zhou.”

After Yan hung up, she gathered her belongings and prepared to leave. As she was putting on her shoes at the front door, Luo Huimei came over and sat next to her. “I heard you on the phone with someone just now. Are you going out, Yan?”

“Yes. The broker called and told me the owner is willing to lower the rent. But there are some other conditions, so I’m going over to find out what they are.”

“Conditions?” Luo Huimei asked promptly. “What conditions? It can’t be something lewd, can it?”

“No way, Mom.”

“Why not? Didn’t you see his attitude the other day? He was so insistent, but now he’s saying he’s willing to lower it after just three days. I don’t think it’s that simple. Wait here. I’ll go change and follow along. If anything happens, we can look out for each other at least.” Luo Huimei hurriedly got up and went into her room to change. Since she wanted to tag along, Yan was unable to stop her. She had no choice but to sit there and wait.

Yan was not too concerned as the owner did not seem like a bad person. The ramen restaurant was decorated nicely and even appealed to a young woman. She seemed to have figured out something but was not certain. However, she had a feeling everything would come to light that day.

The mother and daughter duo were all set and ready to leave the house. When they arrived at the meeting place, the broker was already waiting there. When he spotted them from a distance, he began welcoming them warmly.