Chapter 203 Lost face
Shen Yan looked at the scene in front of her, and a strong panic arose in her heart.
How did things turn out like this?
She had never expected the situation to turn out like this.
What's worse is that Zhu Jingchen stood up without any concealment and showed his closeness and protection to her in front of He Junshan.
This blatant attitude is undoubtedly too dangerous, especially in the current situation.
As long as He Junshan was slightly angered, Zhu Jingchen would definitely be targeted and he himself would probably get into trouble.
Zhu Jingchen raised his head slightly and said to He Junshan in a calm but firm tone, "Don't worry, Third Master. Ayun is at home. What is she afraid of? I will take good care of her and won't let anyone disturb her."
He Junshan sneered, a hint of disdain rising from the corner of his mouth, "Heh... It seems that my decision just now was wrong. I shouldn't have sent her back."
Then he looked directly at Chen Yan, his eyes sharp and his tone cold: "Now, follow me. Otherwise - don't blame me for making Zhu suffer the consequences."
As soon as he finished speaking, it seemed as if even the air froze for a moment.
Shen Yan was at a loss for a moment, her mind in a mess.
She stared blankly at He Junshan's cold expression, her heart filled with confusion.
It doesn't matter if she gets herself into this, she has already prepared herself to face everything.
But if Zhu Jingchen is implicated...
She didn't want to see this.
If he was dragged into her affairs and met with misfortune, then everything would become a crime that she could not escape.
She cannot afford such consequences and will feel guilty for the rest of her life.
She looked at He Junshan standing in the distance, and an indescribable emotion surged in her heart. Her feet moved involuntarily, as if she wanted to walk towards him.
However, just as she took the first step, Zhu Jingchen reached out to stop her.
His eyes were serious and a little heavy. "If you really like him, if your heart really wants to go to him, then go."
After a pause, Zhu Jingchen's tone became even lower, but he still maintained a restrained and gentle tone, "But if there is even the slightest reluctance, then you don't have to go for me. I, Zhu Jingchen, am not afraid of anything, and I never need anyone to worry about me."
The tone of his voice seemed to make everything clear, and also seemed to be giving her a final reminder, asking her to be cautious and for him to stick to his bottom line.
"Do you understand what I'm saying?"
Zhu Jingchen asked softly. Although he didn't say anything else, the complex emotions in his eyes were already evident.
Shen Yan stopped and stood there, hesitating for a moment.
Her heart was like the sea in a storm, churning and turbulent.
She didn't know if she really still liked He Junshan.
Maybe there was a little bit of thought, but she wasn't sure.
It's more of a reluctance to accept the past and a lingering concern.
Should she go over there?
Her steps seemed to be waiting for some kind of guidance, but no one could decide for her.
If she chose to go over there, it would mean that she would enter that gorgeous yet cold villa, that exquisite cage.
There, you have everything you need for food, clothing, housing and transportation, as if the whole world is ready for you, but there is no freedom at all.
She would be told what to eat and who to meet every day, and she might not even be able to express her emotions as she wished.
She could no longer feel the cool breeze passing by her ears as she wished, could no longer shed a tear freely, or laugh out loud.
Her life will be bound by layer upon layer of invisible rules, and even her every move will have to conform to the standards of that world.
Who does she want to see?
Even just to casually meet up with old friends?
Whether she likes it or hates it, she probably has to obey other people's arrangements, and she doesn't even have the right to refuse.
In He Junshan's world, she is just a part that he is determined to protect and possess, not an independent individual.
But what would happen if she chose not to go and chose to stay on Zhu Jingchen's side?
Will He Junshan do something extreme to Zhu Jingchen because of her?
That was He Junshan, the ruthless and domineering Third Master.
She understood him, knew his possessiveness and desire for control. He would never accept rejection, and would never allow others to challenge his bottom line.
At this time, He Junshan's face was as black as the bottom of a pot, his mouth was tightly pursed, and his eyes were as sharp as knives.
He raised his head suddenly, and his tone was cold, as if squeezed out from the depths of his throat, "I'll say it again, come here!"
Each word fell heavily, as if carrying some kind of order, or even more like a threat that could not be disobeyed.
Zhu Jingchen frowned upon hearing this, with a hint of anger and unwillingness flashing in his eyes.
He looked directly at He Junshan, his tone steady but with an unyielding edge, "Master Chen San, she is a human being, not something that can be ordered around at will. She has her own wishes and choices. She has the right to decide not to come."
He paused, his voice slightly lowered, "She is not a being that can be ordered or forced. She is a living person."
"Have you ever thought about what she's thinking? What she's feeling?"
Zhu Jingchen continued, a glint of reason in his eyes, "If you force her to stay with you, will she be happy? Or will she just become another puppet trapped in your control?"
He Junshan's expression grew even darker, his eyes burning with anger, yet he couldn't find the words to fight back.
He just stood there, looking like the sky before a storm, depressing and oppressive.
However, just as the atmosphere became increasingly tense and it seemed that a bigger conflict might break out at any time, a black car slowly drove up in the distance, the deep and powerful engine roar breaking the current deadlock.
The car slowly stopped in front of them, and then the window slowly lowered, revealing a mature, cold, and somewhat scrutinizing face - it was the second master of the Chen family, Chen Zekai.
Chen Zekai looked at Zhu Jingchen and Shen Yan outside the car window, his eyes sweeping over them one by one. There was not much surprise in his eyes, but rather a calm scrutiny.
Then, his eyes fell on He Junshan who was standing there, and he spoke in a calm but unignorable tone.
"Third brother, remember when you were little, you hated the kind of behavior that pestered and begged people to stay without dignity? You also said that it was shameful, that it would make you lose face and yourself."
His tone was gentle yet carried a biting chill. "But now, what about you? Where has your dignity gone? How much dignity do you have left?"
He paused, looking at everything in front of him, and his voice became lower, but still as loud as a bell.
"You can lose in business and give up power, but you can't lose yourself."
Chen Zekai looked at He Junshan and slowly said the last sentence, "You can give up your business, and you can destroy part of your family business, but don't live like a monster that is neither human nor ghost."
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