Since Fan Xiao Yao was on a break from fame, she became Huang Li''s assistant in his clinic. She was even able to gain a few medical knowledge whenever she heard him talk with one of his patients.

    Things were actually going well so far for the both of them... until Huang Li brought up the topic about her parents.

    "Yaoyao, can I meet your parents?" Huang Li asked while they were in the middle of having their dinner.

    The chopsticks she was holding paused in the air as she turned her startled gaze at him. "W-what?" She stuttered.

    It was not like she didn''t hear what he said. It was the other way around, she heard his words, one by one, so clearly. It was the ''parents'' word that made her shock.Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click a href="#''s-past_48982965287445988"#''s-past_48982965287445988/a for visiting.

    On the other hand, Huang Li didn''t think much about why she was so shocked. He only thought that his question might have caught her off-guard. "I want to meet your parents." He repeated.

    Fan Xiao Yao has never told him about her parents. Just the thought of them made her covered in a cold sweat. Her shoulders slumped down, her brows creased and face tense.

    What should she do? Should she introduce him to her real parents or to the man who took care of her?

    Her uneasiness didn''t go unnoticed by Huang Li. It only made him ponder on why she was acting that way. With a worried look, he asked with a concerned tone heard in his voice, "What''s wrong?"

    The side of her lips was stretched into a straight line. She lowered her hand, placing the chopsticks down. She knew that she should tell him. She should not hide any secrets from him. He was going to be her husband so it was only normal for her to tell her worries and problems, right?

    She inhaled deeply as if to calm down and prepare herself mentally.  She didn''t want to break down. What she was about to share with him was something she had never shared except for one person.

    She breathed out a long sigh before she began speaking, "Can we finish our food first?" She had already lost her appetite but she was not the kind of person to waste food, especially Huang Li''s cooking. She would never waste the food he cooked.

    "Alright," replied Huang Li.

    Every time he was being like this, not forceful, Fan Xiao Yao couldn''t help be glad. Huang Li was such a wonderful person. He deserved the best, he deserved everything and for that, she was willing to be the best. She was willing to give him everything.

    ...

    Living room...

    "To be honest, I don''t want you to meet my parents, Huang Li." Fan Xiao Yao said straightforwardly, her head hanging long. She was looking at her hands, fiddling her fingers uneasily.

    What she said surprised her lover. Huang Li was looking at her in confusion, "Why?" He couldn''t help but ask.

    "You see... Ever since that happened... My parents changed."

    He knitted his brows together, puzzled at what she said. And so, he decided to listen attentively at what she was about to tell him.

    Fan Xiao Yao lifted her head this time, glancing at him, her mouth pursed but slightly open and loose. Her eyes were fixed as if she was looking at something a yard behind his head. She was quiet for a whole minute.

    "Yaoyao?" He called her name.

    She blinked, refocused. "How old am I back then?" She asked the question for herself. "I was young and yet, I can still remember that day." She continued.

    "I was five years old I think?" She paused, lost in the war again but this time, it was only in a matter of seconds. She opened her mouth and began sharing her past with him. How it all started.

    It was just like any other normal day- no, it was weekend and her parents decided to go hiking with her together with a family friend, Yong Weiqing. They never thought that by going to that secluded area, they would witness something bloody.

    Two men were discarding the body at the flowing river while a woman watched them under a tree''s shade. They were seen and were captured since the two men who threw a body at the lake happened to be experienced fighters. Her father and his friend, Yong Weiqing was overpowered by the men. Yong Weiqing was able to grab Fan Xiao Yao and escape the place.

    And so, her parents were captured. The woman, Yong Biqi, Xia Meilin''s real mother, used Fan Xiao Yao''s parents as hostages. She was able to contact him since Yong Weiqing was her brother. She blackmailed him and forced him to do her bidding.

    After the evil lady was captured, managed to save her parents but it was too late, both of them were traumatized by the tortures they received. Everyone thought that they would die but they survived. Since they were incapable of taking care of their daughter, while they were being treated, Yong Weiqing took Fan Xiao Yao into his family.

    They were kind. She was even able to get along with his son. She stayed at their place for almost two years until her father was discharged. He was the only one who was able to recover, not her mother.

    She lived back with her father but he was not the same father she knew anymore. He was distant and cold. He busied himself with work. Fan Xiao Yao had to take care of herself, she became responsible for the house at such a young age. She never told others how sad, how lonely she was. Every time she got home, it was always empty. She would always eat alone. She would always stare at her parents'' photos before going to sleep. She was having a hard time, she felt suffocated.

    The only good thing was that, her father never forgot to leave her some money but aside from that, he would ignore his daughter. He couldn''t even look at her in the eyes.

    Fan Xiao Yao hid all her pain, all her hardsh.i.p.s under a smile.