Inviting the Moon to the Farmhouse

Xia Lanyue sat by the window, watching the bustling street below, and the whole day passed in that gaze.

She was waiting for Xia Yao to explain to her.

During the day, she was eager to see Xia Yao and get an answer, but now she was afraid, afraid that the answer he would give was not what she wanted to hear.

Finally, as darkness fell, Xia Yao rushed over.

Xia Lanyue saw a familiar figure walking down the street; it was Xia Yao.

She mentally calculated the distance and how long it would take Xia Yao to arrive. She stood at the door, waiting for Xia Yao to knock on her door.

However, a long time passed, and there was still no movement outside the door.

Xia Lanyue stood still, as if she knew where Xia Yao had gone.

As time passed, the light in Xia Lanyue's eyes gradually faded.

The last glimmer of hope she had during the day was now shattered. Her heart felt like it had been crumpled into a ball, and the pain brought tears to her eyes.

She slumped onto the stool, staring blankly ahead.

However, as darkness fell, there was a knock on the door.

Xia Lanyue seemed to know who the person was, but she didn't want to open the door again.

The person outside received no response, paused and waited, then went downstairs.

As Xia Lanyue listened to his footsteps fading into the distance, she knew in her heart that her relationship with Xia Yao was growing further and further apart.

She took deep breaths to calm her surging emotions.

Just then, footsteps sounded outside again, followed by a frantic knocking on the door.

"Ah Yue? Ah Yue, are you there?" Xia Yao's voice came from outside the door.

Xia Lanyue still did not respond; at this moment, she did not want to see Xia Yao.

But Xia Yao was still unwilling to give up. "A-Yue, I know you're inside. Are you alright?"

Xia Lanyue stared coldly at Xia Yao's shadow reflected on the door, holding back her words.

"If you don't open the door, I'll break it down!" Xia Yao's voice sounded a little anxious after not getting a response from Xia Lanyue.

Then, Xia Yao took two steps back and suddenly slammed his body against the door.

The door wasn't bolted, and Xia Yao rushed in, bumping into Xia Lanyue.

With a quick reaction, Xia Yao caught Xia Lanyue in time, swiftly flipped over, and cushioned Xia Lanyue's fall before they hit the ground.

The moment he landed, Xia Yao let out a muffled groan.

His expression was pained, his brows furrowed, but he couldn't care less about anything else. He quickly sat up and helped Xia Lanyue up from his lap.

The room was too dark for him to see Xia Lanyue's expression, so he had to ask, "What's wrong, A-Yue?"

Xia Lanyue did not respond.

Xia Yao got up alone and groped to light the oil lamp in the room.

As the room was illuminated, he saw the untouched steamed buns on the table.

He looked back and saw Xia Lanyue still sitting on the ground, but her eyes were unfocused and she didn't say a word, as if her soul had been taken away.

Xia Yao seemed to have guessed why Xia Lanyue was like this. He walked over, bent down and squatted in front of Xia Lanyue, trying to help her up. "A-Yue? Get up first, let's talk slowly."

However, before Xia Yao could pull Xia Lanyue up from the ground, Dai You returned.

As soon as Dai You arrived at the door, he saw Xia Lanyue sitting on the ground. This scene made him think that Xia Yao had bullied Xia Lanyue. His expression immediately turned serious. He rushed over, squatted down in front of Xia Lanyue, and asked, "What happened? Why are you sitting on the ground?"

Seeing that Xia Lanyue didn't respond, Dai You became anxious. He assumed that Xia Lanyue was protecting Xia Yao, which was why he hadn't said anything, but he didn't care about Xia Yao's feelings. He stood up, grabbed Xia Yao's collar, and dragged her aside. "Tell me, what did you do? Why is she like this?"

Xia Yao tried to break free from Dai You's grasp, but it was all in vain. He could only let Dai You hold him, and even if he was unwilling, there was nothing he could do.

Xia Yao sighed, "Let go of her first, let me ask her what's wrong."

Dai You's eyes were full of doubt, and he showed no intention of letting go.

At this moment, Xia Lanyue, who was on the ground, spoke up, "Dai You, I want to talk to him."

Dai You listened to Xia Lanyue's words. A hint of disappointment flashed in his originally angry eyes. Then he turned his head to look elsewhere, released Xia Yao's clothes, turned and left without looking at them again.

Xia Yao lowered his head to straighten his clothes, then turned around to help Xia Lanyue up from the ground, but she pushed his hand away.

Xia Lanyue, holding onto the stool, stood up, walked over, and closed the door. Then she turned back and sat down on the stool.

Now that only the two of them were in the room, Xia Lanyue spoke up, "Xia Yao, aren't you going to tell me about Li Tao?"

Her tone was flat, devoid of any emotion.

Xia Yao stood still, pursed his lips, and slowly said, "It's not what you think about me and her."

"Oh? What do you mean?" Xia Lanyue asked in return.

"You've probably heard that she's pregnant, and the child is Xia Yao's," Xia Yao said, then realized he'd let something slip and quickly explained, "But I didn't do it, I didn't touch her."

Xia Lanyue seemed to have guessed that he would say that, so she was not in a hurry. Instead, she poured herself a glass of water and drank it slowly.

Perhaps silence is more agonizing. Xia Yao was unsure of Xia Lanyue's attitude and felt a little flustered. He sat down next to Xia Lanyue and said, "A Yue, trust me."

Xia Lanyue looked at Xia Yao, "Where were you last night?"

Upon hearing this, Xia Yao's expression changed instantly, his eyes revealing undisguised guilt. He took a deep breath and said, "I'm with Li Tao."

Xia Lanyue was shocked by Xia Yao's honesty, and at the same time, she was so heartbroken that she couldn't speak.

“I knew you would misunderstand, that’s why I didn’t tell you. But last night I was just talking to her, I didn’t do anything to betray you, you can believe me,” Xia Yao explained.

Xia Lanyue sneered. She had never felt more unfamiliar with Xia Yao than at this moment.

Xia Yao noticed Xia Lanyue's doubts and became somewhat anxious. "I came to see you last night, but she was also staying at this inn. She stopped me, so I had no choice but to go to her room. Besides, she's pregnant, so I certainly wouldn't do anything inappropriate."

Xia Lanyue was taken aback. This was something she hadn't thought of before. The words made some sense and swayed her heart!

“Don’t tell me you two talked all night,” Xia Lanyue said.

Xia Yao noticed the wavering look in Xia Lanyue's eyes. "I met with her to persuade her to give up the child. I don't want the child's existence to affect our relationship and life."

"Then why did you go to her room again just now?" Xia Lanyue pressed.

“She stopped me downstairs again, it was like she was waiting for me. I was afraid of being noticed, so I followed her back to her room. But don’t worry, I really didn’t do anything.”

"Really? You didn't lie to me?"

Xia Yao nodded firmly, "Yes, I didn't lie to you."

Xia Lanyue stared into Xia Yao's eyes. His gaze was sincere, and coupled with his explanations, she chose to believe him once again.

Xia Lanyue nestled into Xia Yao's arms; at this moment, all she wanted to do was hold him tightly.

Xia Yao breathed a sigh of relief and hugged Xia Lanyue tightly. "Ayue, you're the only one in my heart. There's no room for anyone else."

Xia Lanyue didn't not want to believe him, but Xia Yao didn't know what she had gone through that day. "She came today and told me a lot."

Xia Yao was taken aback. "What...did she say?"

"She said she wanted to keep the child, give birth to it, and use it as a bargaining chip to marry you," Xia Lanyue said as she stepped out of Xia Yao's arms, wanting to know Xia Yao's reaction after learning all this.

Xia Yao's eyes showed a hint of panic. After a moment's thought, he said firmly, "I will persuade her."