During The Blizzard (Amidst A Snowstorm Of Love)

Canto 84: For Life (2)

“The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Translator: Wuxia Studio, Editor: M.H Lovecraft (Enochian_)

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Yin Guo shoved open the door, her hand still clamped to her throbbing knuckles. The memory of her mother's words still stung, a bitter aftertaste in her mouth.

"Forget what my mother said," she blurted, her voice tight. "It doesn't define me."
Her voice softened as she added, her gaze dropping to the floor, "I've chosen you for life."

A shadow flickered across her face, a momentary glimpse of fear. Their last encounter with her mother was the only real fight they'd ever had. The memory of Lin Yiyang's quiet dignity in the face of her condescension, his barely concealed loneliness, still pricked at her conscience.

Despite knowing her mother had relented and her cousin remained by her side, a sliver of apprehension remained. Now, she stood at the precipice, flinging open the door to bring them face-to-face.

Lin Yiyang's eyes widened in surprise. The unexpected declaration, delivered outside his study door on such an ordinary evening, left him speechless. A kaleidoscope of emotions swirled within him, defiance tinged with relief, hope battling uncertainty.

Amid complexity, she gripped her hand tightly and spoke the most softening words...

Lin Yiyang, in turn, took her hand, a silent exchange passing between them.

Without a word, he pushed open the study door. Inside, her mom sat on the single sofa beside the coffee table, Meng Xiaodong occupying the study chair. Yin Guo felt a silent pressure to share the couch with Lin Yiyang.

Before settling down, she tugged discreetly at his shirt, a silent plea for him to sit on the outside. This way, she could sit between him and her mother, acting as a buffer.

"What's this?" her mom, ever perceptive, saw through her plan. "Let Xiao Lin sit here, beside me."

Yin Guo pursed her lips, feigning a playful pout towards her mother.

Mom chuckled at her daughter's antics.

Lin Yiyang stepped inside and took the offered seat. Yin Guo, with limited options, followed suit. She pushed the fruit plate onto the coffee table, announcing, "He cut it all himself."

A beat of silence followed her words. She then added, seemingly as an afterthought, "Is that alright?"

The scene crackled with tension. Meng Xiaodong choked back a laugh over Yin Guo's question, the absurdity of it coloring his face red.

Yin Guo, on the other hand, felt like a cornered cat, her fur bristling despite her forced composure. Inside, she was a mama bear protecting her cub, yet her words just now came out clumsy, like a kitten clutching a toy and asking, ‘Isn't my baby adorable?’

Meng Xiaodong stole a glance at Lin Yiyang, a hint of amusement dancing in his eyes. "That scared my sister," he remarked lightly.

Lin Yiyang's lips quirked up in a smile. "Cute," he murmured.

Yin Guo's mother, a woman who didn't mince words, cut through the charade. "Xiaoguo, why are you so nervous?" she asked with a knowing smile.

"I'm not!" Yin Guo protested, but her voice lacked conviction.

Her mother chuckled. "Relax, dear. I won't bite him. Let's just have a chat."

Yin Guo offered a strained smile and speared a piece of mango, the clink of the toothpick against the plate a nervous counterpoint to the silence. ‘This is just great,’ she thought, the more she tried to control the situation, the more chaotic it became.