"stop!"

With a light tap of his toes, Shen Yuheng flew to the two men, grabbed the bully's arm, and with a twist of his wrist, threw the bully out like a dead fish before he could react, slamming him against the corner of the wall with a heavy thud.

Wanwan sat half-on the ground, watching as Chen Yuheng exerted his power, his body was entwined and transformed by gold, red, and purple colors, dazzling and brilliant. Wanwan was both amazed and puzzled.

Humans have always radiated only a single color of light, so why does Shen Yuheng have three colors on him today?

“Under the emperor’s nose and with the law above, how dare you abduct a woman in broad daylight? You’re utterly audacious.” Shen Yuheng stood with his back to Wanwan in front of her, like an impenetrable wall, firm and steady, giving people a sense of security.

Wanwan hasn't felt this way in a long time.

He was dressed in a moon-white robe, with a refined and outstanding appearance. He did not wear a hair crown, but only a white ribbon to hold his black hair in place. The long ribbon hung neatly behind him, but it fluttered gracefully behind his head in the wind, along with the sleeves and hem of his robe...

In this situation, Wanwan still couldn't help but swallow non-existent saliva.

The bully groaned on the ground for a while, then glared fiercely at Chen Yuheng, spat a mouthful of phlegm on the ground, and cursed, "A weak scholar like you dares to lay a hand on me? Do you know who I am?"

Shen Yuheng clenched his fist, gathering all his strength in his fist. Seeing that things were not going well, the bully slowly climbed up along the wall, his face ashen. "Don't think I can't beat you. I just accidentally revealed a weakness!"

Upon hearing this, Shen Yuheng moved his toes and ran away shouting before the bully could even see what he was going to do. "I'll let you off the hook today, but we'll see!"

The bully's screams were still echoing when Shen Yuheng had already straightened his clothes and was about to walk towards the alley entrance.

Watching his departing figure, Wanwan steeled herself and chased after him, spreading her arms to block his path. She was much shorter than Chen Yuheng, so although she rushed up aggressively, she still had to raise her face when she looked at him.

She looked up at Shen Yuheng, an angle from which she could see all his emotions and subtle movements. He awkwardly turned his face away, took a step back, and frowned at her.

Wanwan wouldn't back down either, her serious little face full of defiance, her big almond-shaped eyes wide open, and even the tip of her nose showing a hint of pink.

"Miss, I am a complete stranger to you. I was merely helping someone in need. Please do not stop me." Shen Yuheng's words were extremely polite, but his eyes flashed with a sharp, icy light, as if they contained icy blades, chilling people to the bone.

Unlike yesterday, Wanwan was not intimidated. When Chen Yuheng took a step back, she boldly stepped forward, her expression becoming increasingly determined as she looked at him. "You are Xiao Qi. You deliberately lied to me."

After last night's visit, Shen Yuheng was able to successfully conceal his micro-expressions. At this moment, his eyes remained as calm as a still lake, without any ripples.

However, seeing the little dumpling he once knew grow into a graceful young woman before him, and meeting her familiar earnest expression, his heart wavered once again uncontrollably.

Why do you always drive everyone away? Why can't you be openly kind to the people you care about? Wanwan could really help you, so why push her away?

His silence ignited a glimmer of hope in Wanwan. Her eyes lit up, and she immediately pulled the wooden hairpin from her hair, holding it out to Chen Yuheng with both hands, just as she had given him that extremely ugly wooden carving years ago. "Does Brother Xiao still remember this hairpin? It was given to me by Brother Xiao when he said he was leaving Hailan Village. Brother Xiao must still remember, right?"

Her long eyelashes trembled slightly, curving into a resilient arc before cascading down, casting a soft shadow in her dark, grape-like eyes, like the shadow of a verdant tree reflected on clear, rippling water.

no.

Shen Yuheng's gaze grew even darker and more unfathomable; he couldn't just take Wanwan into the shadows so casually.

A surge of intense pain welled up in his chest, and Shen Yuheng's brows furrowed. He didn't look at Wanwan and said, "I don't know you. Please stop bothering me. It won't lead to anything."

The hope that had been building in Wanwan's eyes seemed to shatter with a crisp sound. Her hand holding the hairpin stiffened, and her body seemed to turn into ice inch by inch. The coldness from the outside in froze her thoughts.

"If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave now." Shen Yuheng walked past her and headed out.

After walking a few steps, Wanwan came back to her senses, turned her head to look at his departing, clear figure, a surge of anger rose in her heart, and a resolute look ignited in her eyes, "Chen Yuheng!"

She had never been so rude, so desperate. When she uttered those three words, her voice was almost hoarse, and her eyes instantly became bloodshot.

Shen Yuheng paused for a moment, then continued walking forward.

"Fine, you're deliberately denying me, I'll take that as a sign you're determined to sever all ties!"

Two streams of clear tears flowed down her face, and a surge of anger rushed to her brain. She bent her hand, which was tightly gripping the hairpin, and threw it forward. The wooden hairpin flew in a beautiful arc before landing on the ground with a crisp sound.

"Wanwan!" Cao Chengye suddenly appeared from the alley entrance, blocking Shen Yuheng's path. The two exchanged a quick glance but did not speak.

When Wanwan saw him arrive, she hurriedly wiped the corner of her eye, her expression changing faster than turning the pages of a book, and immediately transformed into a bright and lively smile as she went to greet him.

"I've been looking for you for so long, what are you doing here?" Cao Chengye muttered as he walked towards her.

Wanwan wiped away her tears, her gaze passing over Cao Chengye's shoulder to look at Shen Yuheng, who stood motionless to the side. Her heart tightened again, and she quickly grabbed Cao Chengye's arm, calling out loudly to Shen Yuheng's back, "Lord Shen, Wanwan is going to marry Brother Cao. You must come and support us!"

"Huh?!" The sudden turn of events left Cao Chengye stunned and somewhat at a loss. He looked blankly at the smiling Wanwan, then at the arm that was holding his arm, and finally at the white figure that seemed frozen in the distance.

A strange silence suddenly fell between the three of them.

Shen Yuheng did not turn around, quickly breaking the strange atmosphere. His voice seemed to come from a very far place, unhurried, cold and icy, without sorrow or joy, as if he were talking about something completely unrelated to himself.

"Then I wish you both a happy marriage."

After speaking, he quickened his pace and soon disappeared from their sight.

These words were like a bucket of cold water, thoroughly dousing Wanwan from head to toe.

Her arm, which was draped over Cao Chengye, suddenly went limp and slipped off as if boneless. The forced smile on her face froze, and she stared blankly at Chen Yuheng's increasingly small figure, her expression dark and unreadable.