Chapter 172 - The So-Called Fate
In the end, under Yan Jinyu's pestering, Yin Jiujin helplessly went to the study to find a photo without even washing his face first.
Yan Jinyu followed him to the study room. She kept tugging at the sleeping robe at the back of his waist, as if she was afraid that he would run away.
"Did you find it? Did you find it?"
Yin Jiujin reached out and took out a small wooden box from the top of the bookshelf. He turned around and flicked her forehead. "What's the hurry? It's not like I'll owe you anything."
Yin Jiujin didn't flick too hard, but Yan Jinyu still glared at him accusingly. She raised her hand and rubbed her forehead. "Brother Nine, if you treat me like this again, I'll retaliate!"
Yin Jiujin raised his eyebrows and quickly lowered his head to kiss her forehead. "It won't hurt after a kiss."
"…" Yan Jinyu snatched the wooden box from his hand and couldn't be bothered with him.
"Is the photo inside?"
"Yes. Wait for me while I look for the keys…"
As soon as he finished speaking, she opened the lock on the wooden box.
This time, Yin Jiujin could see clearly that a golden thread as thin as a hair had popped out of the "watch" on her left wrist. However, the length of the golden thread wasn't long. It was about 15 centimeters long and was only enough for her to pick the lock.
The corners of Yin Jiujin's lips twitched imperceptibly. It seemed like this killing weapon was rather omnipotent.
She even said proudly as she opened the wooden box, "It's open. Brother Nine, don't worry. My technique is very precise. The lock isn't broken."
Yin Jiujin had an indescribable expression as he raised his hand and rubbed the top of her head. "Alright."
Then, she ignored him and walked to the sofa with the wooden box. She sat down and opened the wooden box on her lap.
Not only were Yin Jiujin's photos in the wooden box, but there were also some other older photos. Other than that, there were also a few letters and cards.
Yan Jinyu wasn't interested in letters and cards, so she picked out the photos.
She looked at them one by one. The first two photos weren't Yin Jiujin's. They seemed to be a photo of Old Master Yin and Old Madam Yin when they were young. Yan Jinyu took a quick glance at them before putting them down.
The third photo was Yin Jiujin's.
He was about four or five years old and was wearing a long robe. The background was an old residence. It looked like the Yin Family's old residence.
He had exquisite features and a smile on his face.
It was a smile that came from the bottom of his heart.
Yin Jiujin had already walked over and sat down beside her. Yan Jinyu looked at the photo and then at Yin Jiujin.
The Yin Jiujin now would only curl his lips most of the time even if he was smiling. His smile was not obvious, and he looked serious for the rest of the time.
Yan Jinyu suddenly felt complicated.
He was the Second Young Master of the Yin Family and was born with a golden spoon in his mouth, but he did not have to shoulder the family's mission. He should have been born carefree, so it was good that he did not grow up to be a hedonistic son.
Not only was he not a good-for-nothing, but he had also become so outstanding.
Putting that aside, his personality…
No one's temperament would change drastically for no reason. He had definitely experienced a lot when he went from a smiling person to a cold and dark person later on.
As she thought about it, Yan Jinyu held the photo in one hand and caressed his face carefully with the other hand. "Brother Nine, you looked good when you were young. You look even better when you grow up. You didn't become ugly."
"…" It was precisely because he saw that her expression was a little complicated that Yin Jiujin, who had thought of something, instantly felt complicated when he heard her words.
"Fortunately, you didn't become ugly. Otherwise, I might not have taken a fancy to you."
"…" So you have a thing for good-looking people?
"After all, your reputation and status are there. You have a sense of superiority wherever you go. If you don't look good enough and your fiancée is beautiful, you'll probably feel inferior. That won't match your aura."
"…" He held her hand on his face and pinched her fingertips. "You're quite narcissistic."
"I'm not being narcissistic. I'm confident." With this change, the heavy mood from before dissipated.
What happened in the past was not important. What he had experienced was not important either. With her around in the future, she would always make him smile more.
Looking at her proud appearance, Yin Jiujin couldn't help but chuckle. "Yes, confident."
Yan Jinyu glared at him again. How dare he tease her.
She broke free from his grip and continued to look at the photos. Yin Jiujin let her be and reached out to hold her waist. He lazily leaned on the sofa with her and looked at the photos with her.
Yan Jinyu couldn't help but look at the photo again.
Indeed, Yin Jiujin didn't like to take photos. Other than two photos of him alone, there were only three group photos with his image.
One was taken with Old Madam Yin. The background was like a stage. Yan Jinyu guessed that it was probably taken in the Lingering Garden.
One was a photo of the Yin Family. Qin Jianjia wasn't in it. At that time, Qin Jianjia shouldn't have married into the Yin Family yet.
One was a group photo of three people in camouflage uniforms.
Yan Jinyu's gaze landed on it.
Yin Jiujin should be 14 or 15 years old then. The space between his brows was no longer like when he was young, and it revealed a cold and fierce aura.
He stood in the middle. The person on the right was about the same height as him and also had a cold face. However, this cold face revealed an honest feeling. His eyebrows were a little similar to Qin Jianjia's, so he should be the eldest son of the Qin Family, Qin Hao.
The youth on Yin Jiujin's left was slightly shorter than him. He wasn't bad looking, but he was slightly inferior when compared to these two outstanding and noble people.
All these were not important. What was important was that she had seen this person before!
Her memory had always been very good. Even if she didn't deliberately remember someone, as long as she took a look, she would remember them. Furthermore, to her, this person wasn't as simple as just taking a look.
This was someone who had entered Ghost Slaughter Island at the same time as her. He suddenly disappeared in the third year after they arrived at Ghost Slaughter Island.
She recognized him when she saw him again after so many years.
He was already a man in camouflage uniform with a group of comrades.
She recognized him because she had seen him in her early years. This was someone who had seen her face. To put an end to future troubles, this person had died at her hands.
Yan Jinyu's hand froze when she recalled that.
This was… the comrade that Yin Jiujin cared about?
Upon seeing this photo, Yin Jiujin's expression clearly changed.
His eyes were deep with emotions that others could not understand.
Perhaps it was because he was thinking about other things, Yin Jiujin, who was naturally sharp, didn't notice that there was something wrong with Yan Jinyu.
Yan Jinyu wasn't someone who would run away when she encountered a problem. After adjusting her emotions, she turned back to look at Yin Jiujin. She pointed at the person in the photo and asked, "Brother Nine, this person is…"
When she looked over, Yin Jiujin's complicated expression had already been restrained. He took the photo from her hand. He ignored the fact that the photo was old and his strength was so strong that the photo even wrinkled.
"He's not important," Yin Jiujin said.
"Let's see what else."
He casually threw the photo on the coffee table in front of him and picked out one from the stack of photos in her hand. "This is a photo of your grandmother and my grandmother when they were young. Look, you really resemble your grandmother."
This obvious change of topic made Yan Jinyu fall silent.
As long as she was willing to use her brain, she was an extremely smart person. No matter how well Yin Jiujin hid it, she could still tell that his attitude towards his comrade in the photo was especially strange.
She glanced at the photo he had picked out.
In the old black-and-white photo were two girls around 17 or 18 years old. Both of them were holding two books. They were dressed like university girls during the 1920s to1930s.
They were two beautiful young girls.
One of them did look like her.
Yan Jinyu was naturally interested, but she wasn't someone who was easily distracted, especially now that she cared more about Yin Jiujin's comrade.
Hence, she moved her gaze away from the old photo in Yin Jiujin's hand and looked at the slightly wrinkled photo on the coffee table. She said, "I killed that person."
"What?"
Yan Jinyu stared at him and pointed at the photo. "I killed the person standing on your left in the photo." That was eight years ago. She had just become famous then.
Then, Yan Jinyu saw Yin Jiujin's expression change at a visible speed.
There was surprise and shock. Other than that, there were also some emotions that she couldn't understand.
Then, she saw Yin Jiujin put down the photo in his hand and placed the photos and the wooden box on her lap onto the coffee table. In the next second, she was pressed onto the sofa by Yin Jiujin.
Before she could react, his lips landed on hers.
This kiss was very ruthless. It was the first time Yan Jinyu felt that she couldn't withstand the kiss since they were intimate.
Yan Jinyu didn't know how long it lasted. She only knew that when the kiss ended, she was dizzy.
Her nightdress was already in a mess.
Clearly, Yin Jiujin wasn't content with just kissing during this ruthless kiss that had lasted for a long time.
After the kiss, Yin Jiujin had no intention of stopping. He slid down and buried his face in her neck.
Yan Jinyu pushed him gently and that stopped him.
He buried his face in her neck and did not move.
After he had adjusted his breathing, Yan Jinyu pushed him up so that the two of them could see each other.
Yin Jiujin didn't get up. He simply placed his hands by her sides and looked into her eyes.
His gaze was too aggressive, and Yan Jinyu felt a little unnatural under his gaze. "W-What's wrong?"
Yin Jiujin caressed her face gently. "It's fine. It's just some doubts that have plagued me for many years. They're resolved."
"You went to Crescent Jungle eight years ago?"
"Yes, I went to pick herbs with Feng."
"In other words, you once appeared so close to me?" Yin Jiujin's voice trembled.
"If you were also among the group of people who went to destroy that area in Crescent Jungle, I think so."
Yan Jinyu blinked and looked at him. "Brother Nine, I killed your comrade."
"You saved my life!"
Yan Jinyu was surprised and then looked puzzled.
Wasn't that his very close comrade? Why did killing the other party mean saving his life?
Oh, that person seemed to have come from Ghost Slaughter Island too.
It wasn't so easy to escape Ghost Slaughter Island. At least, the four of them had tried and failed to escape from Ghost Slaughter Island countless times.
In other words, from the beginning to the end, that person was from Ghost Slaughter Island?