The Return Of The God Level Assassin

Chapter 1317 1317: IF YOU STAY

YU JIAO hesitated for a moment before pressing the doorbell at the gate of the Luo family mansion. She had found out from Luo Yan that his father and brothers would be returning from B City today. Normally, she wouldn't come visiting so soon after the Mid-Autumn Festival. That time was meant for family. But with everything that had happened, she wanted to check in on them.

Of course, she knew about what had happened to Luo Yan's grandfather. When she called him, he had told her about it in bits and pieces, his voice uneven over the phone. Even with just that brief conversation, she could hear how much he was hurting. It was only natural. The man who passed away was his grandfather.

She had wanted to go to the funeral, but she felt like it would have been overstepping. She was friends with the Luo brothers and thought of Uncle Wei Tian as family, but she had never met the patriarch of the Bai family. Showing up to pay respects felt like too much, like she would intrude on something she had no right to be part of. So instead, she had sent messages to Luo Ren, Luo Jin, and Bai Ze. But now that they were back, she wanted to check how they were doing.

The gate clicked open a moment later, pulling her out of her thoughts. The family's longtime housekeeper had answered the intercom and let her in without asking questions. Which wasn't surprising, since the people working at the mansion kind of already knew her. She walked up the path toward the front door, her steps slowing the closer she got.

Before she could even reach for the door, it opened on its own. Well, not entirely on its own. Luo Ren stood there. Yu Jiao stopped in her tracks. Her eyes went straight to his face. She caught the redness at the corners of his eyes right away. There was a small smile on his lips, but underneath it, she could see the sadness hiding underneath.

She didn't understand why, but seeing him like that made something ache in her chest. The Luo Ren she knew was always confident, always sure of himself. He could be gentle with the people he cared about, but underneath that, there was always a certain coldness, a distance he kept from others. She had never minded it. Maybe because deep down, she thought he had the right to be that way. So, seeing him now, diminished and sad, felt almost... wrong.

Yu Jiao couldn't understand why she even felt this way. It felt wrong. Like she was insisting on a certain image of Luo Ren, one she had built in her head, and anything that didn't fit that picture was somehow unacceptable. That wasn't fair to him. He could grieve. He could look tired and worn down. Now, she felt guilty for even having these kinds of thoughts.

She pushed her thoughts aside and gave him a small, comforting smile. Then she stepped forward. "Brother Ren."

Luo Ren blinked. He hadn't expected Yu Jiao to be here. They had only arrived from B City an hour ago. His father had gone straight to his study to catch up on work. Luo Jin had locked himself in his room, probably playing Arcadia. Luo Ren wished he had something to distract himself too. But right now, he didn't feel like doing much of anything.

So when the housekeeper told him Yu Jiao was at the gate, he had gone to open the front door, planning to meet her outside. But before he could even step out, there she was, already standing right in front of him.

He hadn't meant to stare, but he couldn't help it. Her hair had grown longer since the last time he saw her, tied back in a low ponytail. She wore a thick cream-colored sweater over a pair of dark jeans. She looked beautiful. The thought hit him harder than he expected. He wanted to step forward, pull her close, feel her warmth against him. Just for a moment. Just to see if it would quiet the ache that had been sitting in his chest for days.

He knew it would. But he held himself back, staying where he was. He had no right to just pull her into his arms, no matter how much he wanted to. Yu Jiao would probably let him if he asked. She was kind like that. Especially since she saw him as a friend. And maybe she was starting to see him as more than that. But until he knew for sure, he would hold himself back.

"Jiao Jiao," he called. "Come inside."

They walked into the mansion, and that was when Luo Ren noticed the large paper bag she was carrying. Yu Jiao must have seen him looking because she spoke up before he could ask.

"Mom and I made soup dumplings this morning," she said with a small smile. "Yan Yan told me you, Xiao Jin, and Uncle Wei Tian were coming home today, so I thought I'd bring some over."

"Thank you," Luo Ren said. He took the bag and handed it to one of the household staff passing by. "I'm sure they'll be good."

Yu Jiao smiled. They walked into the living room and sat down on the couch. She sat close to him, her hands folded in her lap.

After a moment of silence, Yu Jiao finally spoke. "Are you okay, Brother Ren?"

The question surprised Luo Ren. But he shouldn't have been, really. He had already figured Yu Jiao came to check on them. He couldn't pull her close like he wanted to, but seeing the worry on her face, real and open, made something warm spread through his chest. Just a little. Enough to quiet some of the ache that had been marinating there for days.

A genuine smile appeared on his face. "Well, if you stay for lunch, I think I will be."

A hint of a blush crept onto Yu Jiao's face. "T-then I suppose I'll have to stay for lunch."

A quiet chuckle escaped Luo Ren at her words.