Empty Promises: The Ceo Cunning Bride - Chapter 173

Yin Yuan’s eyes averted to the side before answering, “About seven to eight years now.”

Seven to eight years!? Xiong Jingfei stayed quiet and didn’t respond immediately to it. She began tapping her fingers on the cast iron table and closed her eyes.

Yin Yuan seemingly picked up on something within the question Xiong Jingfei was asking him. His heart couldn’t calm down at the sight of her tapping fingers. Especially when those fingers were tapping because of him.

“Are you mad?” Yin Yuan blurted out. Dang, it was like he was helping her confirm whether she was mad at him or not. She probably didn’t even realize she was mad at him!

“Hm?” Xiong Jingfei opened her eyes and looked back at him.

“F-for not telling you anything.” Yin Yuan became expressionless as he asked her this question. He wasn’t sure which expression to show because he couldn’t tell what she was thinking or feeling.

She narrowed her eyes slightly. “And if I am mad?”

“I’m sorry.” Yin Yuan immediately apologized and actually looked like he was genuinely sorry.

Xiong Jingfei took a sip of her tea before slamming the cup down. “You should be sorry!”

Yin Yuan slightly flinched. She sounded so much like her mother, Yin Yingtai when she used to scold him. Though, that was in the past only. He never got the chance to meet her in this lifetime.

“You should be sorry that you hid your real identity from me. Past and present life! You should be sorry for keeping me in the dark all this time. You should be sorry that you left me in a house with the same pack of wolves!” Xiong Jingfei rambled on a list of why he should be sorry.

Yin Yuan quietly listened and didn’t interrupt her.

“Except, none of that matters anymore.”

“What?” Yin Yuan wasn’t sure why none of the things she listed didn’t matter anymore.

Xiong Jingfei got up from her chair and dropped to her knees. She did a deep bow as she would have in the past when greeting the royal family. It was the highest respect she can give to someone. The royal family was a forced greeting, but she was willing to do it for Yin Yuan.

“W-what are you doing?” Yin Yuan got up from his chair too. “Get up right now.”

“No.” Xiong Jingfei looked up at him from the ground. “It was you…”

Yin Yuan stopped trying to get her off the ground.

“You gave me Pompom and also saved me from the cold that night. You were also the person who instructed that servant to bring me my mother’s frame. You helped me more than I am aware of…” Xiong Jingfei smiled. “I am not mad at you, but at myself.”

Xiong Jingfei dug her nails into the palm of her hands. “You were in front of me the whole time, but I didn’t even realize it. So, thank you, uncle.”

Yin Yuan cleared his throat. He was more familiar with her calling him Yuan. Still, being called uncle did sound nice once in a while.

A grin instantly appeared on Yin Yuan’s expressionless face. “Hmm, what a good niece I have. You are forgiven.”

Xiong Jingfei scrunched up her nose. It didn’t take long for him to stop feeling sorry. She got up from the ground. “Don’t get so cheeky yet.”

Now, she has an appetite to eat.

Xiong Jingfei thought she would recognize the voice of her savior right away. But, Yin Yuan’s voice became deeper than it was when he saved her. No one would recognize his voice from back then and now.

“By the way, why the heck are you only two years older than me?” Xiong Jingfei took a big bite out of the cupcake given to her earlier.

In the past, Yin Yuan was much older than her and Yang Zheyan by a few years. But in this lifetime, his age was right in the middle between them.

“I would love to know the answer to that question too.” Yin Yuan grumbled.

By being two years older than Xiong Jingfei, he barely has an ‘elder’ authority over her. He had a feeling she was about to treat him as if they were the same age since they were close in range.

Yin Yuan actually wished he was born a few years earlier. Then there might have been a chance for him to meet his half-sister Yin Yingtai and recall his past life much earlier on too.

When Yin Yingtai gave birth to Xiong Jingfei, he was only two-year-old. He would have been useless and know nothing at that age.

He was brought into the Yin’s household at the age of ten and learned of Yin Yingtai’s existence at the age of twelve. In the two years he stayed at the Yin residence, no one spoke a word about the disowned daughter. He was always curious about Yin Yingtai, but no one will tell him anything. They weren’t allowed to talk about her.

It took another four years for him to recall more things from his past life. Remembering why he always wanted to meet the disowned Yin Yingtai. It was the sister he liked the most in the past. Unfortunately, by then, it was too late because she was no longer part of this world.

So, Yin Yuan took a chance that maybe just maybe… The Xiong Jingfei, Yin Yingtai gave birth to was the same Xiong Jingfei from the past too. He almost couldn’t contain his excitement at finding out she was the same person!

After that night of saving her, he promised to come back for her, which he did.

However, she started standing on her own two feet and moved out of Xiong Guozhi’s house. He didn’t want to interrupt her life just yet. It wasn’t like she was going to believe him if he came out and told her about her past life. Plus, he wasn’t even sure that she is recalling her past life like him.

Yin Yuan did try to get close to Xiong Jingfei when they were working together. But she refused to let anyone inside her sturdy walls. It became even harder after she lost her voice too.

As he continued to watch over her. She was starting to act a bit like him when he started recalling his past memories. He confirmed his suspicions the day Xu Suying took her to the shrine.

When Xiong Jingfei cried and begged to see her mother one more time. He knew right away that she was recalling her past memories.

Then Yin Yuan began planning on how to quicken her remembrance as soon as possible. It was coming to her but just slowly.

“Feifei, isn’t there something you have to do?”

“I know.” Xiong Jingfei drank the last drop of tea in her cup.

As their cups became empty and dry. Their mini tea party came to an end as well.

Well, it wasn’t the end just yet.

A new party will begin soon for both of them.