"Aunt Yue, " Li Chuntao called out to her as she slumped next to the older woman and laid her head on Zheng Yue's lap, closing her eyes. She used to do this to her aunt when she was younger and she guessed it became a habit that she couldn't break growing up. 

Zheng Yue put aside the scripts in her hand and stroked Li Chuntao's loose tresses. 

"What were you up to today?" Zhen Yue asked while Li Chuntao tried to get comfortable on the couch. She didn't want to go home right now and face Shen Zichen and Mu Jianyu. 

"I visited Gu Changge's family." She didn't need to hide it from her aunt and uncle as they both knew she was keeping them under her wing and was planning to use them in her plan for revenge. 

"Then… how are you doing now at Mu Jianyu's place? I hope he hadn't done anything to you," the older woman asked. Zheng Yue had been really worried about her niece. If she could only convince Chuntao not to seek revenge anymore, she wouldn't have to be constantly worried about her welfare. 

She also heard Shen Zichen had recently moved in next door to look after Chuntao, but Zheng Yue still couldn't help but be worried for her. Now that Ying was gone, her maternal instincts for Chuntao had automatically reached its peak. 

"He wouldn't dare do anything inappropriate, Aunt Yue. Yu Luo is doing a good job of keeping an eye on him," Li Chuntao a.s.sured her. 

"That's good to hear," Zheng Yue sighed in relief. "Then how about you and Zichen? Is he treating you well?" 

Now that the two were in a relations.h.i.+p, Zheng Yue hoped that this time her niece would truly be happy. It was long overdue anyway and it was about time for the two to know what they really felt for each other. 

"He has this idea in his head that I am his and refused to share my attention with Mu Jianyu," her niece said nonchalantly earning a laugh from her. 

"Ah, that's understandable." 

Yes because she could clearly remember Shen Yi being a possessive and doting husband to her good friend, Lu Xinyi. It wouldn't be surprising if Zichen had the same streak as his own father. 

"Then have you told him the truth yet?" 

At that question, Zheng Yue felt her niece stilled for a moment before relaxing. The older woman's gaze softened, fully understanding what was going on between the two. 

"Chuntao, if I ask you to list down the things you love, how long will it take for you to mention yourself?" She asked. 

Of course, over the years, she knew the Li twins better than anyone else even though she couldn't really tell one from the other if they decided to trick her. She wasn't blind not to see that Li Chuntao had feelings for Shen Zichen for years and only kept it to herself for fear that she might ruin everything. 

It also didn't help that the feelings Shen Zichen had that was supposed to be hers ended up being projected to Ying because of a misunderstanding Chuntao didn't want to clear up. 

"He doesn't love me," Li Chuntao opened her eyes and it was unreadable even for Zheng Yue, "He's just projecting the feelings he held for Ying for years to me. None of it is true and from his heart." 

"Chuntao, how can you say that?" Zheng Yue frowned as she watched her niece sit up and run her fingers through her thick mane. 

"Because Shen Zichen is deluding himself to be in love with the image of me in his mind and not me as a real person." 

"Why don't you explain it to him? Explain that it was you who'd saved his life during that incident that made him fall in love with Ying. Tell him it was you whom he…" 

"Enough, Auntie Yue. Let's not talk about this anymore. I'd rather not get distracted with such feelings I've long forgotten," Li Chuntao didn't intend to be rude to her aunt, but she didn't want to be reminded of the past anymore. 

Shen Zichen had broken her heart twice, not that he was aware of it. She wouldn't dare to believe his words right now. She didn't think she would be strong enough to endure it if he broke her again for the third time. 

Zheng Yue wanted to argue that she should clear up things with Shen Zichen and not to jump into conclusions. She wanted to tell Li Chuntao to at least give him a chance to prove himself, but she couldn't. 

Li Chuntao had never been good at expressing her emotions to anyone, and it truly was easier said than done. Shen Zichen would have a hard time to convince Chuntao now that he was aware of his feelings. 

Should she interfere? Zheng Yue wondered. Shen Zichen needs to know the truth. Why was Li Chuntao hiding it from him anyway? Was there something more to tell? 

Remembering what happened years ago, she was reminded of how she saw fear and uncertainty on Li Chuntao's face for the first time. Zheng Yue was sure there were unspoken words back then, which neither her husband nor Chuntao wanted to say. 

Li Yuren's frequent travel overseas and how he was always on the edge told Zheng Yue that it was somehow related to her niece. Her husband's actions told her that he was keeping something from her but she didn't wish to question him because she trusted him. Even if he spent more than a month staying with Chuntao in her first year of stay overseas. 

Why? She couldn't understand. 

What was happening? Why was she and Li Xiuying suddenly kept in the dark? 

Zheng Yue heard her niece's stomach grumble from hunger and smiled. This time, she wouldn't let Li Chuntao suffer in silence. She wouldn't need to prioritize anyone's happiness except her own from now on. 

"You skipped breakfast again, didn't you?" She asked her niece knowingly before pulling her arm to follow her at the kitchen, then she glanced at Yu Luo, "Yu Lou, didn't I tell you to remind Chuntao to always eat on time?" 

Li Chuntao sighed and twined her arm with her aunt. 

"Please, Auntie, don't blame her. It's not Yu Lou's fault. She always prepares my meals on time. It was me who didn't have an appet.i.te to eat anything." 

Zhen Yue stopped and placed a hand over Li Chuntao's forehead, worried that she might have fallen sick again. 

"Why? Are you not feeling well? Should we call a doctor to see you?" She bombarded her niece with questions. It made Li Chuntao laugh.

"Auntie, in case you're forgetting, I'm the only doctor in our family." She reminded her aunt. 

"Oh, right. How can I forget that?" Zheng Yue laughed with her. "Silly me. I must be getting really old." 

"Nonsense, Auntie Yue. You are still as radiant and beautiful as the first time Ying and I saw you!" 

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