Chapter 605 - 602: Enlightenment

Chapter 605: Chapter 602: Enlightenment

Yan Lie, who was closest to the door, immediately put down his meat bone and stood up. "I’ll go see."

He strode to the door and pulled it open a crack, only to see Yin Mei standing outside in the hazy night.

When Yin Mei saw the house packed with powerful-looking males and cubs running all over the floor, a barely perceptible hint of restraint and hesitation appeared on her face.

"Are you looking for Yin Ze?" Yan Lie asked, stepping aside slightly and calling back over his shoulder.

Yin Ze had also spotted his sister. He put down his bone chopsticks and stood up. "Sister, you’re looking for me?"

Yin Mei, however, showed no intention of coming in. She just stood at the entrance, shook her head gently at Yin Ze, and then her gaze shifted to Bai Wanwan, who was looking over with a smile. "No," she said, her voice gentle, "I’m here for Wanwan."

Seeing that she seemed to have something on her mind, Bai Wanwan greeted her with a warm smile. "Sister Yin Mei, what can I do for you? If it’s not urgent, come on in and have a bite with us. We can talk after we’re done eating."

Yin Mei looked at the room full of handsome, stern, or burly males. The powerful aura they naturally exuded made her feel a little intimidated, and she quickly waved her hands in refusal. "No, no, Wanwan, I’ve already eaten. You all take your time. There’s no rush. I can just wait for you to finish."

Just then, the little Phoenix cub belonging to Bai Wanwan and Yin Ze waddled unsteadily to the door and looked up at Yin Mei with curiosity.

The little one was covered in fine, soft fluff with a faint golden sheen, as adorable as a little sun.

Yin Mei was instantly smitten. She naturally bent down and carefully scooped up the soft little bundle, her tone immediately becoming incredibly gentle. "Little one, are you full?"

While gently cooing at the cub in her arms, she stood quietly in the shadows of the doorway, waiting patiently, clearly not wanting to disturb their dinner.

Bai Wanwan hadn’t had much of an appetite to begin with, tired from the afternoon’s rush and with things on her mind. Seeing that Yin Mei had come specifically to find her and seemed to have something important to discuss, she put down her utensils after only a few bites and prepared to get up.

But Xin Feng, sitting beside her, gently grabbed her wrist and advised in a low voice, "There’s no rush. She can wait. Have a few more bites. Eat your fill before you go out, or you’ll get hungry later tonight."

Bai Wanwan met Xin Feng’s concerned gaze, gave him a reassuring smile, and patted the back of his hand. "Don’t worry, I’m really full."

Resigned, Xin Feng made a mental note to prepare some snacks for the night, just in case she got hungry.

Only then did he slowly release her hand, his eyes following her back as she got up and left her seat.

Bai Wanwan straightened her dress and walked toward Yin Mei, who was waiting at the door. A flicker of curiosity rose in her heart. ’Why would Sister Yin Mei come looking for me at this hour? What could it be?’

Hearing footsteps, Yin Mei turned her head. Seeing Bai Wanwan come out so quickly, she felt a little bad and quickly said, "Wanwan, you really didn’t have to rush. Go back and finish your meal. I can wait."

Bai Wanwan smiled and shook her head, sitting down affectionately next to her on the stone steps outside the door. The evening breeze carried a chill.

"I was almost done when you arrived. Besides, you know my appetite isn’t that big to begin with."

She turned her head, looking at Yin Mei’s troubled profile in the warm light spilling from the house. A flash of understanding crossed her eyes, and she said with a soft chuckle, "Let me guess... The reason you came all this way to find me so late, it has something to do with that Yin Yuan, doesn’t it?"

The words had barely left her mouth when a blush spread across Yin Mei’s cheeks at a visible speed, reaching all the way to the tips of her ears.

She subconsciously pressed her lips together, her eyes flickering with conflict and confusion. Finally, she gave a slight nod, her voice barely a whisper. "Yes... It’s about him."

"So... did you have a proper talk with him? What was all that about the rumors that he was going to partner with another female?" Bai Wanwan prompted, guiding her to continue.

"We talked..." Yin Mei took a deep breath, as if she had made up her mind. "He told me everything. He said... he had no idea his Mother was negotiating with that female’s family behind his back. He was away on a long-distance hunt with the other males of the tribe, trying to gather more supplies to help me and Yin Ze out."

"When he returned, full of excitement and laden with goods, he only heard about it from his Mother then. He refused outright and had a huge fight with her." Yin Mei’s voice grew distant with recollection. "He said he came looking for me right after that to explain, but... Yin Ze and I had already left the tribe. He looked everywhere, but he couldn’t find any news of us..."

As she finished, her voice held a hint of a sob and a sense of relief that even she hadn’t seemed to notice.

So, the obstacle that had weighed on her heart for years, the wound of betrayal that made her both love and hate him, had all stemmed from a simple, ill-fated misunderstanding.

Bai Wanwan listened quietly, taking Yin Mei’s somewhat cold hand to offer silent support. Only then did she look seriously into her eyes and ask the most crucial question, "So, Sister Yin Mei, putting aside all the past misunderstandings and struggles... do you still like him?"

Yin Mei looked up, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears and filled with complex emotions. "I... I don’t know. After learning the truth, my heart’s a mess. For a long time, I was truly, deeply hurt. I even... even hated him a little. Hated him for ’giving up’ on me so easily."

She paused, her tone becoming more confused and uneasy. "But Wanwan, I have Kong Lai now. He’s so good to me, and we have a cub. If I... if I accept Yin Yuan, I’m afraid I’ll be letting Kong Lai down. And I’m also afraid... afraid that I can’t love him as unreservedly as I did when we were young. I feel like I’ve lost that courage and ability."

Bai Wanwan patted the back of her hand understandingly. Her voice was gentle yet firm, holding a power that could cut through the fog. "Sister Yin Mei, he’s explained everything. He didn’t wrong you, and it’s clear you’ve never truly let him go. So, why not give each other a chance to start over? In life, the most important thing is to be happy and follow your heart."

These words made Yin Mei freeze for a moment, as if something had struck a chord deep inside her.

Bai Wanwan continued, "As for Kong Lai and Yin Yuan... they’re different people, so there’s no need to compare them. Your feelings for Yin Yuan don’t have to be exactly the same as when you were young. A love that has endured time and hardship might be even deeper and more stable."

Yin Mei blinked. "Is that really okay?"

Bai Wanwan smiled at her. "Yes. As for what comes next, let the future handle it. For now, just do what your heart tells you to do in this moment. Try not to overthink things. Don’t shackle yourself with baseless worries, and you’ll find you have far fewer problems."