I raised stunning young ladies, but they all wanted to possess me.

For example, the S-class or higher catastrophic Kuroshio.

Each one that emerges from it can destroy a city.

For example, those uncontrolled spatial fissures.

It could erupt at any time and is impossible to prevent.

For example, certain cult organizations.

They specialize in studying the Black Tide energy and want to use monsters to cause trouble.

For example, traitors lurking within humanity.

They'll do anything for profit.

For example, those ancient taboos.

It seals something even more terrifying than the Black Tide.

And then there are those foreign powers that are eyeing us covetously.

They were eyeing the lucrative Daxia region, ready to take a bite at any moment.

Not to mention those legendary beings.

The kind where you can't even mention their name.

Gu Yan felt a chill run down her spine as she thought about these things.

This is only the first one.

Who knows what will happen in the next two parts?

Seeing that Gu Yan didn't speak, Pei Youyi spoke again.

She looked at the night sky, her voice gentle yet firm.

"Humanity will surely defeat the Kuroshio."

This is a very concise statement.

But Gu Yan could tell the weight behind it.

He turned to look at Pei Youyi, feeling a surge of admiration.

The Pei family has always been at the forefront of the fight against the Black Tide.

The younger members of the family are often sent to suppress or clear out the Black Tide on the border.

People get injured every year.

Every year, some people don't make it back.

But the Pei family has never backed down.

As the head of the family, Pei Youyi must have been under immense pressure.

As he was thinking, Pei Youyi spoke again.

"Xiao Yan."

She looked at him.

"My favorite thing since I was a child is actually drawing."

Gu Yan was taken aback.

Pei Youyi continued.

"But because of family reasons, I've never had the chance to learn."

"There's so much to learn and so many things to handle."

She smiled, a gentle smile.

"So I've kept all the paintings that Xiao Yan has given me over the years, and I haven't thrown them away."

She paused.

"That's my second favorite."

She suddenly stopped talking at this point.

He just stared at Gu Yan, seemingly finding it difficult to speak for a moment.

Gu Yan was stunned.

He spoke instinctively.

"Is the first one you drew also included?"

Pei Youyi nodded.

"Here I am."

She said softly.

"It has to be the first one that Xiao Yan gave me."

Gu Yan was stunned.

He recalled something from many years ago.

He had only been in the Pei family for a short time then, and was just over twelve years old.

Once, he painted a picture.

The painting depicts the old locust tree in the courtyard, with a gentle woman standing beneath it.

That was his first impression of Pei Youyi.

It's actually quite ugly.

The proportions are wrong, the lines are crooked, and the colors are a mess.

But he still mustered up his courage and gave it to her.

"Aunt Youyi, this is for you."

Pei Youyi took the painting and looked at it for a long time.

Then she laughed.

She smiled very gently.

"Thank you, Xiao Yan."

"This is the best gift I've ever received."

At that time, Gu Yan thought she was just being polite.

I only found out now.

She has truly treasured it for so many years.

A warm feeling welled up in Gu Yan's heart.

He looked at Pei Youyi and was suddenly moved.

Sister Youyi is truly a very kind person.

She is also very gentle.

He thought about what had happened over the years.

When Pei Youyi took over the Pei family, the situation was not good.

Those old fogies in the clan didn't take her seriously at all.

What right does a woman have to be the head of the family?

Not to mention that she also adopted Pei Yuran.

Does a foreign bastard even deserve the surname Pei?

Sarcasm and barbs, both overt and covert, have never ceased.

But Pei Youyi didn't say anything.

She just silently endured it all.

He handles clan affairs during the day and comforts Yu Ran at night.

She endured those difficult days all by herself.

Pei Yunxiao and Pei Panshan are just cousins.

There's only so much I can do to help.

Most of the time, she has to rely on herself.

Gu Yan remembered it clearly; Sister Yi had told him...

Pei Youyi became the head of the family in the second year after he came of age.

In the same year, she withstood all the pressure and adopted Pei Yuran.

How old was Pei Yuran back then?

Twelve years old.

Just came out of the mountains

They know nothing and can't do anything.

Huddled in the corner, like a cold little beast.

Pei Youyi held her in his arms and taught her little by little.

Teach her to speak, teach her to eat, teach her how to get along with people.

In those years, Pei Youyi devoted all her energy to Yu Ran.

I'm still not married.

It wasn't until later, when Pei Youyi became increasingly busy with family matters, that he appeared.

Gu Yan's feelings became even more complicated upon thinking about this.

He looked at the gentle woman in front of him.

Under the moonlight, her figure was full yet lonely.

He suddenly realized something.

The people around the female protagonists in female-oriented novels aren't having an easy time either.

Pei Yuran is the female lead.

What about Pei Youyi?

As the female lead's adoptive mother, how much did she endure?

Those nights spent alone watching the stars, those unspoken thoughts.

And those preferences that are suppressed deep in one's heart.

draw.

She likes to draw.

But because of her family, because of Yu Ran, she gave up.

Gu Yan took a deep breath.

He looked at Pei Youyi and spoke.

"Sister Youyi."

His voice was very soft.

"These past years have been tough for you, haven't they?"

Gu Yan's words drifted softly into the night.

"Sister Youyi, these past years have been very difficult for you, haven't they?"

Pei Youyi was stunned.

Is it hard work?

She looked at the boy in front of her and suddenly didn't know what to say.

She has heard too many opinions since she was a child.

genius.

evildoer.

A prodigy, a talent that the Pei family has only seen once in a thousand years.

He broke through to the Innate Realm at the age of fifteen and entered the Grandmaster Realm at the age of twenty.

All achievements are taken for granted by others.

It seems she was born to be this way.

It seems she can succeed at anything she does.

No one asked her if she was tired.

No one ever asked her if she was suffering.

Besides parents.

But that was many years ago.

After her parents passed away, she single-handedly shouldered the burden of the Pei family.

They had to deal with the difficulties posed by those old fogies, handle the mountain of clan affairs, cultivate the younger generation, and suppress the black tide on the border.

I also have to take care of Yu Ran's child.

At that time, Yu Ran had just arrived at the Pei family and knew nothing and couldn't do anything.

Huddled in the corner, like a frightened little animal.

It took her a long time to get the child to speak.

It took even longer to get the child to call her "Mom".

During those days, she only slept two or three hours a day.

He handles clan affairs during the day and spends his evenings with Yu Ran.

When I'm so sleepy, I stand in the yard and look at the stars.

As I watched, I stopped feeling sleepy.

She never thought it was a big deal.

Because it is her responsibility.

She is the head of the Pei family and Yu Ran's mother.

She has to bear it.

But now, Gu Yan asked her.

Is it hard work?

Pei Youyi felt her eyes stinging.

That bittersweet feeling came out of nowhere, and she couldn't control it no matter how hard she tried.

She blinked, forcing the mist back down.

Then she laughed.

Her smile remained gentle.

"It's not hard work."

She looked at Gu Yan and spoke softly.

"This is my responsibility."

She paused.

"Besides, I've had Xiaoyan and Yuran by my side all these years."

She looked up at the night sky.

"In this life, we always have to carry some burdens."

"Some carry the burden of their families, some carry the burden of their dreams, and some carry the burden of hatred."

"What I'm carrying is the people I want to protect."

She turned her head and looked at Gu Yan.

"As long as they are here, I don't feel bitter."