After Bankruptcy, the Billionaire Asked Me to Marry Him!
Chapter 328: Nothing to Be Afraid Of

Chapter 328: Chapter 328: Nothing to Be Afraid Of

The door opened, and a tiny figure came rushing out, crashing headfirst into her embrace.

The impact made her stomach ache a little.

Ye Li lowered her head and saw the little one hugging her waist tightly, his head buried in her chest, his body trembling slightly.

"Did you have a nightmare?"

She shook her head at Fu Yanci, then gently patted Xiao Bao’s back. "What a coincidence, I had a nightmare too."

Xiao Bao lifted his head. "Really? Were you scared?"

"Not scared at all!"

Ye Li’s expression was calm. "I have Da Bai, you know."

Xiao Bao frowned in confusion. "What does Da Bai have to do with nightmares?"

"You wouldn’t understand, would you?"

Ye Li held Xiao Bao’s hand and led him to the courtyard, pointing at the dark sky above. "Da Bai’s previous incarnation was a Dream-eating Rhinoceros. Do you know what that is? It’s a powerful divine beast that specializes in devouring human nightmares. The nightmare you had has already been eaten by Da Bai. You won’t have the same nightmare again, ever."

That terrifying iron cage.

And the pitch-black net.

Were those nightmares?

He looked at the night sky, then back at Ye Li, his face full of doubt.

Ye Li pointed to the illustrated editions of the Classic of Mountains and Seas in Fu Yanci’s hands. "If you don’t believe me, check for yourself. I’m not lying."

Much later, one day, Xiao Bao pouted angrily and accused Ye Li, "Ye Xiaoli, you’re a liar! There’s no Dream-eating Rhinoceros in the Classic of Mountains and Seas!"

Ye Li smiled warmly. "But your nightmares have all vanished, haven’t they?"

At this moment, still unaware that he’d been duped by Ye Li, Xiao Bao believed her wholeheartedly, clutching those books as if he’d found treasures.

After eating supper and drinking his bedtime milk, Xiao Bao went to bed and didn’t insist on chasing Fu Yanci and Ye Li away as he used to.

Ye Li and Fu Yanci seemed to forget about leaving too.

One painted, the other followed instructions to build Legos, occasionally exchanging soft smiles and light whispers.

Soon, the air was quiet.

Their eyes met briefly, and Fu Yanci nodded, got up, and walked over to take a look.

Xiao Bao was already asleep.

A faint smile hung on the corner of his mouth.

His hand was still clutching Da Bai’s soft, plush paw.

Turning back, the two tiptoed out of the room and gently closed the door behind them.

Thinking about those hefty volumes, though the illustrations and text seemed engaging, Fu Yanci was skeptical that a five-year-old child like Xiao Bao could make sense of them.

"Does whether he understands them matter?"

Ye Li chuckled. "These are mythical beasts from our ancient legends, each one majestic and mighty, aren’t they cooler than Ultraman?"

Their forms are bizarre.

Their tales are endlessly fascinating.

Reading them quickly makes you forget whatever little troubles were bothering you moments ago. Maybe it’ll even give him some inspiration for his drawings.

It’s practically killing two birds with one stone!

Thinking about Da Bai’s past and present, Fu Yanci smiled. "So this is your ’using magic to fight magic’ theory?"

"Why not give it a shot? What if it works?"

Ye Li smiled mischievously, looking every bit the strategist ready with a backup plan.

By morning, the distracted Xiao Bao who wasn’t himself while riding horses, eating meals, or even building blocks had transformed back into his cheerful old self.

It was as though meeting Lin Kerou the morning before hadn’t affected him at all.

Discussing it further, Old Mrs. Fu sighed in relief.

After lunch, they prepared to head back to Lishan Mansion. Ye Li crouched down, looking into Xiao Bao’s eyes. "I won’t be able to come back next weekend. If you want to play with me, send me or your uncle a message. Then we’ll have the driver bring you over, okay?"

Knowing she had a competition to prepare for, Xiao Bao nodded and imitated Fu Yanci by patting Ye Li’s head: "Ye Xiaoli, good luck!"

"Let’s cheer each other on!"

Big hand to little hand, Ye Li and Xiao Bao high-fived.

They watched the Maybach leave the alley, and Xiao Bao only turned back and ran to his room after the car disappeared around the corner.

He took out his tablet, recalled the cover of the diagnosis manual, and typed a line into the search bar.

Postpartum depression.

The small figure sat on the floor, leaning against the bed, browsing through the results. No one knew what he’d read or thought about.

Putting the tablet away, he resumed his routine of eating and sleeping.

It seemed like just an ordinary weekend, as if nothing had happened at all.

And then a new week began.

Submitting her final design just thirty minutes before the deadline, Ye Li couldn’t help but smile at Wan Mingyi’s almost desperate demeanor. "It’s just a submission. Why are you acting like it’s a solemn pledge? Isn’t that a bit dramatic?"

"I’m nervous..."

Wan Mingyi glanced at the computer, then at Ye Li.

When the page refreshed and displayed a dull gray "Submitted," it was as if she had finally resigned herself, slamming the laptop shut.

"Lizi, I looked at the previous competitions. It seems like half the entries are eliminated in the preliminaries. If I only make it to the preliminaries, would you be disappointed?"

Wan Mingyi’s expression was uneasy.

Only make it to the preliminaries?

Who was it just a few days ago, rallying for glory—to conquer the Imperial City, then Asia, and three to five years later, conquer the world?

And now, after just a few days, she was worried about the preliminaries?

Knowing full well Wan Mingyi was feeling conflicted inside, Ye Li set down her coffee cup and asked, "Sister Mingyi, be honest. In your heart, how do you rank yourself and Chen Jiayuan as designers?"

Chen Jiayuan?

Rage ignited within her, and Wan Mingyi chuckled coldly. "Calling him a plagiarist is an insult to actual plagiarists!"

"But he was the runner-up last time."

With one remark, Ye Li deflated Wan Mingyi like a punctured balloon.

Ye Li pressed further. "And you? What level do you think you’re at?"

"Me? I’m no level... not even junior level."

"Then compared to Chen Jiayuan..."

"I refuse to compare myself to him, he doesn’t deserve it! That thief!"

"Exactly. He’s just a shameless plagiarist, yet he became the runner-up last time. You, an original and highly talented designer, what are you afraid of?"

???

Startled, she turned to see Ye Li sipping coffee with an air of refinement, confident and poised. Wan Mingyi’s brain stalled for a moment.

Right—what was she so afraid of?

Shouldn’t Chen Jiayuan be the one afraid?

Last time, he had her assisting him—organizing material, brainstorming themes, refining concepts.

This time, unless he found someone he could trust to be his assistant, he’d have to handle everything himself.

The work experience she lacked was something she had acquired while with Chen Jiayuan over the years, being both an assistant and a partner. You could say, in a way, she gained plenty of experience indirectly.

The only thing she lacked compared to him was hands-on competition experience.

Nervous moments aside, worried thoughts aside—Ye Li would be by her side.

Ye Li had seen her at her most disheveled and awkward. Could anything top that?

And let’s be real, she’d never thought she was inferior to Chen Jiayuan.

Taking it a step further, even if worse came to worst and she didn’t advance past the preliminaries, there was always tomorrow, next year, another round, and plenty of other contests in the future.

What was there to fear?

"Lizi, you’re absolutely right!"

Exhaling deeply, Wan Mingyi flashed a radiant smile at Ye Li. "There’s nothing to fear!"

Still, when the following Saturday arrived and Wan Mingyi stood shoulder to shoulder with Ye Li walking into the "Shining with You" competition venue, her heart leapt up into her throat once again.