The little crybaby in the group, the young master is a softie

Yin Hen didn't say anything, just looked at him quietly.

"I was so confused before," Ming Xi said seriously, "I mistook my desire for freedom for liking you, and my guilt towards Su Xiang for a burden. It wasn't until just now that I realized that the person I had always had in my heart was Su Xiang.

I'm so grateful for the days we spent together, strolling through fireworks alleys and hiding in cubicles. I was truly happy. But that happiness was more like a stolen thrill, not a true heartbeat. I'm sorry, I didn't know myself well enough to delay your arrival for so long.

After saying this, he stood still, not avoiding Yin Hen's gaze. This was the first time he dared to face his mistakes frankly and to look squarely into his own heart.

The sunlight completely filled the room and fell on him, as if coating him with a layer of soft light, and his whole body exuded a kind of reborn transparency.

Yin Hen listened quietly, then suddenly chuckled softly. Ming Xi had never seen Yin Hen laugh like this before, and couldn't tell whether it was relief or disappointment.

"Have a drink of water first," he turned and walked to the table, poured a glass of warm water and handed it to her. "I know you must be feeling bad right now. If it were me, I would also be angry if I was foolishly delayed like this."

He didn't lower his head again, his eyes fell directly on Yin Hen's face: "I was too confused during this period. I mistook dependence for love and excitement for heartbeat. I never saw my own heart clearly and let you get entangled with me. This is my fault, I won't run away.

I'll confess to Su Xiang. I betrayed his trust by secretly dating you. Regardless of whether he forgives me in the end, I'll accept it. I won't hide from the punishment I deserve.

As for you, if you feel you need compensation, whether it's helping you with something or not disturbing your life anymore, as long as it's something I can do, I'll agree. I've delayed you, and I won't owe you anything I owe you."

After hearing Ming Xi's words, Yin Hen's lips curled up into a relieved smile: "Congratulations."

Seeing Mingxi stunned, he added, "Congratulations on finally seeing your own heart clearly and getting through this most tangled period."

He was completely dumbfounded, and the words of apology and compensation he had just prepared were stuck in his throat: "...Congratulations to me?" He thought he would at least be criticized, but he didn't expect it to be a blessing. This reaction was completely different from what he expected.

Yin Hen stood up, walked up to him, and patted his shoulder: "Do you think that our secret relationship during this period was really hidden well by you and me?

In reality, all this turmoil between you and me, and the excitement you're feeling, is a trap Su Xiang set up specifically for you. We call it 'the emotional calamity of the heart'. His real purpose is to use a false relationship as a prelude to help you break through the demonic barrier within you.

"Su Xiang?" Ming Xi felt as if she had heard something out of the ordinary. "How...how is this possible? He clearly cares so much, why would he let you..."

"He does this because he cares about you. Do you think Su Xiang can't see that you're plagued by inner demons? Don't forget, he's the Great Demon Lord. Your self-denial, fear of change, and the shadow left by childhood trauma are like obvious lines in his eyes.

He has long wanted to help you break through the barrier, but you are a mortal being. If you really use the usual method of overcoming the tribulation, a bolt of lightning will kill you."

Ming Xi recalled those furtive moments together, wondering why Yin Hen always managed to pinpoint the perfect time for him to be alone. Su Xiang's seemingly coincidental late return wasn't due to his own mismanagement; someone had quietly paved the way for him.

"So... this is what's called a love tribulation?"

"Yes, using the false to cultivate the true, breaking through attachments and transforming delusions." Yin Hen nodded. "My tenderness towards you, the stimulating experiences I brought you, all made you mistakenly believe that they were the way out of bondage. And Su Xiang deliberately let you make mistakes, also wanting you to hit the wall with guilt and excitement, and see clearly what you really want.

You've suffered a lot during this period, but Su Xiang and I have no choice but to continue this drama. The more intense your inner struggles and the more painful they are, the higher your chances of successfully overcoming the tribulation will be.

Ming Xi froze in place, realizing that all the tangled pain and wavering feelings had not been in vain. It was Su Xiang who, in the most gentle way, helped him break the shackles of self-denial in the "fake situation" and personally dig out the true heart hidden deep in his heart.

He suddenly remembered the determination he had just given to Yin Hen when he said, "I'm going to confess to Su Xiang," and the unprecedented clarity he felt after seeing his true feelings.

It turns out that this is the relief after "breaking the barrier", and it is the awakening of one's true "heart of Tao" after the inner demons have dissipated.

"Su Xiang...you're such a fool."

The heat in Mingxi's eyes could no longer be contained, and it rolled down his cheeks. He turned around and ran towards Haishang Mingyue's office.

The servants in the corridor saw him running wildly with red eyes and thought something had happened. Just as they were about to ask, they were left behind by his wind-like figure.

In the office, Su Xiang held a pen between his fingertips and scanned the documents with his head down. Two buttons of his shirt collar were undone, revealing a bit of his collarbone. When his brows were slightly furrowed, his youthful sharpness was mixed with a nonchalant coolness.

"Why are you panicking?" Hearing the noise, Su Xiang looked up. As soon as he opened his eyelids, he saw Ming Xi rushing over, hooking his hands directly around his neck, straddling his legs, and sitting steadily on his legs.

He subconsciously held the boy's waist, his eyebrows raised even higher, "Are you horny so early in the morning?"

Ming Xi rubbed Su Xiang's collarbone with the tip of his nose: "Yeah! It's arousal, arousal for you!"

Su Xiang pinched the soft flesh on his waist with his fingertips and gently said, "Brother Mingxi, why are you so talkative today? In the past, when I asked you to hug me for a while, you would shrink back as if you were burned."

"I was stupid before!" Ming Xi held Su Xiang's face with her hands, nose to nose, "I was so stupid that I took your kindness for granted, so stupid that I couldn't tell the difference between a crush and obsession... Su Xiang, I like you, not to repay you, not to rely on you, but because I want to be with you every day, I want you to hug me, I want you to kiss me!"

Su Xiang's Adam's apple rolled, but he still said stubbornly, "Humph! You're only figuring it out now? It's too late."

"It's not too late!" Ming Xi bit the corner of his lip, not too hard or too soft, with a little arrogance, "I've made it clear to Yin Hen, from now on I only have eyes for you. What if you don't forgive me..." He paused, poking Su Xiang's chest with his finger, "I will cling to you every day, go to school with you, sleep with you, and you won't be able to get rid of me!"

Su Xiang rubbed the corner of his lip where he had bitten it with his thumb: "Who asked you to pester me? But..." He lowered his head and rubbed Ming Xi's forehead with the tip of his nose. "Since you have offered it to me, I will accept it reluctantly."

-

Chen Yifan had been quite busy lately. The Second Hall Master hadn't been chosen, and the Eighth Hall Master had switched to fertilizer, leaving behind no replacement. Little Black Egg, a skilled boss, had simply handed over the responsibilities of both halls to him.

The others watched with envy, gossiping secretly about how he held the power of the three halls and how glorious he was. Only Chen Yifan knew that this was not power at all. It was clearly him doing three jobs at once, exhausted to the point of being a homeless dog!

It's easy to deal with Ni Guang Tang, as they are all brothers who have been through thick and thin with him. No one dares to go against his will. When he sits in the main seat in a meeting, the room becomes completely silent.

But the bunch of guys in the Second Hall and the Eighth Hall are all old foxes. They bow and scrape like grandsons in front of others, but stab you in the back. If they are not satisfied with something, they will get angry like black-eyed chickens and yell and refuse to obey.

It's no exaggeration to say that Chen Yifan was of normal height in the Niguang Hall, but when he got to the other halls, he was already 2.8 meters tall. Don't ask why, it was just because he was so angry that he jumped three feet high.

Before the gang's affairs were fully resolved, something strange happened at home. Shen Ran suddenly patted her round belly and said she wanted to go back to the police station to work.

Chen Yifan was busy eating, and when he heard this, he almost slipped under the table with his bowl. "Are you a tyrant? Is your job just for sitting around and drinking tea? You're running around all day. If you get bumped into something, who am I going to fight with?"

"Oh, I've been raising it for a few months now, and I think it's stable!" Shen Ran shook his arm. "I was chatting with a colleague online a few days ago, and she said she's been very busy lately, with a lot of cases piling up. I thought I'd go and help out, since I'm bored anyway."

"You're not doing me any favors!" Chen Yifan immediately refused. "There are so many people in the police station, and you're the only one missing? The most important thing for you right now is to take good care of your baby and stop thinking about those unnecessary things!"

"I'm not going to work, I just want to watch the fun!" Shen Ran pouted and said coquettishly, "Just think about it, I'm almost getting moldy staying at home. Going to the police station to check on the case and chat with Captain Mu Yang and the others is so interesting!"

Chen Yifan was silent for a few seconds. Shen Ran was a lively and active person, and it was indeed uncomfortable for her to stay at home. But he was also worried about asking her to go to the police station.

After pondering for a long time, he gritted his teeth and said, "Okay, you want to watch the fun, right? I'll go for you! I'll squeeze in some time to go on a patrol with Mu Yang, and then come back to perform it for you. I guarantee it'll be more exciting than if you went alone!"

Shen Ran was instantly delighted: "Really? That's great! Then you must remember it carefully and don't miss any details!"