Chapter 5 Finale HD.

My voice grew smaller and smaller as a wave of quiet guilt settled over me:

— “But… I spent the whole time lying to you. Looking back, I feel like kind of a terrible person.”

Before I could even finish, my lips were hushed by a gentle warmth. Xie Huaiyan pressed a slender finger against my lips, softly stopping me from putting myself down any further.

— “You’re not terrible at all. You’ve been here for so long, surrounded by wealth and power, yet you haven’t harmed a single soul. And you were even willing to stay by the side of a ‘bad guy’ like me.”

He leaned down, kissing me beneath the soft glow of the amber streetlights, his voice sounding so earnest it should have been illegal:

— “You’re a wonderful person. You’re the person I love.”

My heart went on an unannounced strike right then and there. I wound my arms around his neck, taking the initiative while blushing furiously:

— “So what should I do about all those times I bullied you…?”

His eyes darkened instantly, his scorching breath washing over my ear:

— “Since you’ve bullied me so many times… it’s only fair you let me bully you back once. Don’t worry, baby. Just one night.”

—

In the blink of an eye, winter arrived, bringing Xie Huaiyan’s birthday along with it. I held his hand, nagging him repeatedly like a worried old mother:

— “No peeking! If you open your eyes, the surprise is ruined!”

Xie Huaiyan let out a helpless chuckle: “I promise. I’m still behaving and keeping them shut.”

The terrifying big boss whose name made everyone shake in their boots was currently letting me lead him around like a toddler. I couldn’t resist teasing him:

— “Being this obedient, aren’t you afraid I’ll sell you off?”

— “Would you really be that heartless? How could you bear to sell me?”

— “Well, not necessarily… if you beg me, I might consider keeping you.”

He spoke so naturally, his deep voice dripping with total indulgence:

— “I’m begging you, baby, don’t throw me away, and don’t leave me, alright?”

Well, crap. Who could possibly sell him off when he put it like that?! I clutched my chest and swore a solemn oath: “Even if I run completely out of money, I won’t sell you! Okay, we’re here, open your eyes.”

He slowly blinked his eyes open and froze in place. Soft, warm light bathed every familiar corner, this was the exact house he had shared with his mother all those years ago.

I had spent ages preparing this, relying on the system to track down old photographs so I could personally restore every single detail, wiping away the dust and repairing the furniture by hand. It was a home that carried the nostalgia of the past while breathing with fresh, modern life. Seeing him stay silent for so long, anxiety began to creep into my voice:

— “I… I don’t know if you like it. I also don’t know if your mother would mind me doing this…”

Xie Huaiyan didn’t say a word. He simply stepped forward and pulled me into an embrace so tight it felt like he wanted to merge me into his very bones. A rare, deep warmth melted through his dark eyes:

— “I love it.”

Under the warm glow of the lights, he leaned down to kiss me, a single scalding tear quietly tracing its way down my neck:

— “Thank you, baby.”

Once upon a time, his mother had stood in this very spot, smiling gently as she said: “Xiao Yan, welcome home.”

And now, I stood right here, looking up at him with a smile:

— “Xie Huaiyan, welcome home.”

And so, the boy who once had nowhere to return to finally found his way back home.

[THE END]