My Youth Began With Him

“Stop with the nonsense. I won’t do anything today for the sake of your brother, but if you keep acting like this, I won’t forgive you.” Shen Mingxi glared at Wei Ying.

She knew he wasn’t kidding because his expression just now was indeed frightening.

After warning Wei Ying, Shen Mingxi, Huo Yanyan, and Tiantian left the shopping mall, marking the end of a dramatic almost-catfight.

Wei Ying was here to shop her troubles away, but what happened left her sadder than ever. She fell to the floor, wailing and crying.

– Half an hour later, at a restaurant –

“You don’t have to be so polite to Wei Ying in the future, I’ll have someone protect you and Tiantian,” Shen Mingxi said quietly.

“The truth is, I understand her actions.” Huo Yanyan smiled.

“You do?” Shen Mingxi slowly looked up in surprise.

“Back then when my dad was still alive and our family strived, I was just like her – arrogant and prideful. I thought I was better than everyone else, and I did whatever I wanted to… I used to pick on Mian the way Wei Ying picks on me…”

“You used to pick on Huo Mian?” Shen Mingxi asked with surprise.

Huo Yanyan took a small bite of ice cream and replied with a smile, “Back then I was young and naïve and was jealous of how everyone seemed to like Mian, so I picked on her whenever I could… Thank goodness she never took my actions back then to heart because when I fell, Mian helped me up. She helped me see how petty I was back then… Humans all grow up amidst adversity, and so did I. I don’t blame Wei Ying, she still needs time for everything to sink in and one day, she will understand.”

“Yanyan… The person you are right now is more and more…” Shen Mingxi looked at Huo Yanyan, his emotions complicated and all over the place. He sometimes wondered why he became so obsessed with this woman.

“I’m what?” Huo Yanyan smiled elegantly.

“More and more interesting…” he finally said.

Huo Yanyan smiled faintly and fell silent; compared to Wei Ying’s desperate wails, Shen Mingxi much preferred Huo Yingying’s calm demeanor.

A lot of the time women were appreciated not for their looks and family background but rather, for their wisdom and character.

Only now did Huo Yanyan understand why Huo Mian was liked by so many people – she was not only calm and lowkey, but also wise and understanding. Huo Yanyan would have probably fallen for Huo Mian as well if she were a man.

“You and Huo Mian seemed to have had a long conversation at Ni Yang’s wedding. What was it? Did she blame you?” Shen Mingxi asked.

“She didn’t… Mian never outright scolds people for their actions, and she only hinted at me. I’m okay with her not understanding me because our lives have been so different…”

“You’re much more sympathetic these days…” Shen Mingxi exclaimed.

“Yeah, I wonder if you would have still married Wei Ying had I not acted like a little brat back then… That way, you wouldn’t have married Wei Ying, and neither of us would have had to suffer through a failed first marriage… You never know, maybe we would’ve had our own children by now.” Huo Yanyan smiled.

“It’s not too late right now… after I’m done the company work on my hands right now, I’ll take you home to meet my parents… Then, we’ll have a child of our own. Of course, I’ll always treat Tiantian like my own as well,” Shen Mingxi slowly said.

Huo Yanyan’s heart fluttered; Shen Mingxi’s words were so calm, yet they stirred up a hurricane inside her.

“What’s with the face? You don’t want to marry me and have my children?” Shen Mingxi smiled at Huo Yanyan as he made a rare joke.