Chapter 109 Chapter 109 "I will always live under surveillance...
During the stalemate, no one noticed the figure standing outside the door until Nie Yuan's steady voice came over: "The wind is too strong, and the branches nearby are blowing against the window. I'll help you trim them tomorrow."
Nie Yuan kindly explained that the commotion just now was just a false alarm.
Yao Yingxia looked up at him awkwardly, but there was no sign of anything unusual on his face, even though she was sitting on Shen Qingyuan's lap in an ambiguous posture.
Out of her sight, Shen Qingyuan's gaze was heavy and cold, as if blaming him for meddling in other people's affairs at an inappropriate time.
Nie Yuan didn't say anything else, but he refused to leave until Shen Qingyuan loosened his grip and put her back on the bed. "It's still early, go get some sleep."
Yao Yingxia nodded stiffly and watched them leave. The hallway was dark, shrouding Shen Qingyuan and Nie Yuan in shadow. She felt a sudden surge of panic, unsure why. They had clearly given their all to help her, even going so far as to confront a demon like Shen Xingchuan.
Before she could sort out her thoughts, the two of them had already said "good night" to her and closed the door for her.
Yao Yingxia couldn't fall asleep. She turned on her phone and clicked on the chat box with Xiao An, but still hadn't received any messages.
On the day of escape, Shen Qingyuan said that his brother would be able to reach the United States in twenty days. They stayed in Thailand for twelve days and another twelve days after arriving on the island, which had long exceeded the deadline he promised.
The nightmare and reality intertwined, dragging her heart down. Yao Yingxia went to the balcony and watched the rain that lasted most of the night until dawn.
Normally, Nie Yuan and Shen Qingyuan wouldn't interfere with her daily routine, but that day, Yao Yingxia didn't show up until noon. The patter of rain was disturbing, and Shen Qingyuan dropped his work and went upstairs first. Nie Yuan glanced at him and followed.
The knocking continued for two minutes, and there was no movement in the bedroom. Shen Qingyuan opened the door and walked in, and saw Yao Yingxia at a glance.
She was lying in a wicker rocking chair on the balcony. Her thick black hair had grown to her waist, making the forearm next to her look as white as a lotus root, giving her a strange and unreal feeling.
Shen Qingyuan couldn't help but hold his breath and walk lightly, for fear of disturbing her sweet dream. When he quietly walked to Yao Yingxia's side, he found that she had her eyes open.
Shocked, Shen Qingyuan completely forgot what he had intended to say. Nie Yuan was the first to ask, "Why didn't you come downstairs to eat?"
She stared at the rain trickling down the glass and said in a calm voice, "I have no appetite."
Nie Yuan is still good at coming up with solutions: "Are you tired of seafood? I'll ask Auntie to cook a few more dishes."
Almost at the same time as he spoke, a muffled thunder sounded in the sky. As the clouds rolled over from far to near, it finally seemed to explode almost above their heads.
It suddenly became completely dark.
Yao Yingxia reached out and hugged herself, not knowing whether she was cold or scared. Nie Yuan was about to grab a blanket when he heard her ask, "Hasn't my brother reached the shore yet?"
Shen Qingyuan said calmly, "The entire eastern Pacific has been affected by typhoons recently. The sea is rough, and the arrival time will be delayed for a few more days."
This statement was obviously reasonable, but Yao Yingxia suddenly looked up at him: "Did something happen to my brother?"
Shen Qingyuan's face showed a slight surprise, as if he didn't understand why she had such a whimsical idea. "We haven't received any notification that there has been an accident over there." He knelt down in front of the rocking chair, took Yao Yingxia's slightly cold hand, and looked at her without reservation. "Yingxia, you seem a little overly nervous."
Shen Qingyuan's palm was broad and warm, which finally comforted her a little. She confessed her worries: "I had a dream last night. I dreamt that something happened to my brother."
Shen Qingyuan smiled, his eyes as gentle and peaceful as always: "It's just a dream."
Nie Yuan pulled up a navigation record and the recent weather forecast on his phone and showed it to Yao Yingxia: "It's indeed just because of the bad weather that the ship is moving very slowly, and to avoid the storm, they took a detour."
Yao Yingxia didn't quite understand some of the technical terms on it, but she still read it carefully before returning the phone to Nie Yuan: "Sorry, I'm not in a good mood recently."
Of course, no one would argue with her. Shen Qingyuan consoled her by saying, "It's been raining for the past few days, so it's bound to affect my mood."
Nie Yuan changed the subject at the right time: "Why don't you go downstairs and eat something first? A ship came over this morning to resupply supplies and brought a lot of books. You can pick out some that you like."
Yao Yingxia couldn't help shaking her head: "I didn't sleep well last night, I want to take another nap." The gloomy weather made her very tired and she had no interest in doing anything.
Nie Yuan nodded: "Then you should have a good rest first."
He was the first to leave Yao Yingxia's bedroom and stood in the slightly gloomy middle hall on the second floor. After Shen Qingyuan came out, the two looked at each other and went up to the third floor together.
The soundproofing in the audio-visual room was excellent, but Nie Yuan, still uneasy, picked up the remote and played a random movie in the background. A slight crack appeared on his usually calm face, and he said worriedly, "If this continues, I'm afraid we won't be able to keep this a secret for much longer."
Shen Qingyuan supported his chin with one hand, not seeming overly worried: "Even if you can't hide it, you have to hide it. Do you want her to go back to my uncle?"
Both of them knew Shen Xingchuan too well to know this was the least feasible option. He was so arrogant and conceited, and his love for Yao Yingxia was almost twisted. How could he possibly tolerate her betrayal?
Once Yao Yingxia returned, she didn't know what kind of torture she would have to endure. Even if they had no selfish motives, they couldn't bear it.
Nie Yuan was silent for a moment, and finally spoke again: "What should we do when the day comes when we can no longer hide it?" He really didn't want to see Yao Yingxia's extremely disappointed look, and he didn't want to endure the disgust derived from it.
However, Shen Qingyuan still looked indifferent: "It doesn't matter. Sister has no way to leave here anyway." The boundless ocean is the best cage to trap her. From now on, if her sister wants to go anywhere, she will need their help.
Hearing the name "sister", Nie Yuan frowned slightly and looked at him in surprise: "It's always you lately?"
Shen Qingyuan shrugged. "What else? Do you think he can defeat me with his personality?"
Nie Yuan couldn't accept his subterfuge, so he asked, "Why are you pretending to be him?"
"Of course it's because my sister prefers me to be more stable."
Nie Yuan was irritated by his self-righteous tone and said with some annoyance, "I really shouldn't have let you be responsible for Xiao An's smuggling. Otherwise, I wouldn't be in such a dilemma now."
Shen Qingyuan sneered: "If I hadn't left traces on purpose and let my uncle find the ship before he landed, do you think we would still have a chance? When my sister saw Xiao An, she wouldn't even look at us."
Nie Yuan is not a selfish or greedy person. He agreed to cooperate with Shen Qingyuan simply because he wanted to help Yao Yingxia.
He could never forget that typhoon day when Mr. Shen cruelly locked her downstairs, leaving the delicate rose, which should have lived in the greenhouse, to endure the raging wind and heavy rain.
Since he doesn't cherish Miss Yao like that, he doesn't deserve to have her anymore.
Nie Yuan could swear that he didn't have any unrealistic ideas at first, but later Shen Qingyuan proposed fair competition in order to bind him more deeply.
Anyone can show off their talents and win Yao Yingxia's favor.
When people have no extravagant hopes, they can still maintain their original heart, but once they are deeply involved, they will gradually lose their rationality and become a person that is very unfamiliar to themselves.
Shen Qingyuan turned to look at the struggling man and asked, "Nie Yuan, were you truly unaware of what was happening, or did you deliberately allow me to do what I did?"
Nie Yuan ultimately didn't answer the question; they already knew the answer. Gradually, he had become Shen Qingyuan's accomplice, a crime unforgivable.
*
Five days later, the typhoon finally disappeared completely, and the island welcomed the long-awaited sunny weather.
After breakfast, Shen Qingyuan leaned against the clear blue sky and invited, "Yingxia, do you want to go out for a ride in the sea later?" In such sunny weather, visibility will be greatly improved, and you can observe the beautiful little fish in the shallow sea with the naked eye.
However, the humid and hot ocean climate put her off. Even the sight of the glaring sunlight outside the window made Yao Yingxia feel slightly dizzy. She refused without hesitation, saying, "I'd rather stay home."
Shen Qingyuan did not feel disappointed. He was not an outdoor enthusiast. His proposal was based on the fact that Yao Yingxia had not been out for a long time.
Although her skin has always been fair, it has recently become extremely pale. Shen Qingyuan can even see the blue veins under her neck.
Even though the other person's eyes were always gentle, such blatant stares still made her feel uncomfortable. Yao Yingxia thought of Xiao An again and asked aloud: "The typhoon has passed. Is the ship going to dock?"
Shen Qingyuan took out his phone and said calmly, "Let me ask about the situation over there."
Under Yao Yingxia's expectant gaze, he edited a text message and sent it to Nie Yuan: "Come back, she doesn't want to go out to sea today."
The island's local area network allowed them to quickly contact each other, but it was still very difficult for the signal to reach the outside world. Yao Yingxia was already accustomed to waiting. Fortunately, Shen Qingyuan didn't let her wait too long this time. In the evening, he brought back the news: "The ship's engine has malfunctioned and needs time to repair. It will be delayed for a few more days."
Yao Yingxia's disappointment was obvious, and Nie Yuan could only comfort her like this: "Xia Xia, good things take time."
But she had a vague premonition that perhaps she would never see Xiao An again in this life, and as time went by, some trivial and inexplicable emotions continued to deepen this uneasiness.
Even three days later, when Shen Qingyuan told her that the engine had been repaired and the boat would soon dock, Yao Yingxia was unable to completely relax.
The days became more and more difficult to bear. She could do almost nothing but stare blankly all day, gazing out the window at the sea that made her feel more and more suffocated.
Sure enough, two days later, Nie Yuan informed her with a heavy face, "The ship encountered a surprise inspection by the coast guard when it docked, and all those who entered illegally were detained. We are trying to find a solution, but the situation is not optimistic. Xiao An will most likely be deported."
Yao Yingxia's reaction was much calmer than they had imagined. Her eyelashes only flickered rapidly for a short moment, and then she clenched her palms and stared blankly at the crystal glass beside her.
Under the drag of the afternoon sun, the pattern on the side of the cup printed a daisy shape on the table. Yao Yingxia suddenly remembered that the last time she saw her brother was at her mother's funeral.
Xiao An wore a black suit, while she wore a black dress. Shen Xingchuan was also there, watching closely. So she and Xiao An could only strictly observe social distance, occasionally looking at each other through the crowd, and then quickly looking away.
But that day, she really wanted to hug her brother and cry bitterly, to vent the emotions that were almost overwhelming her, and Xiao An felt the same way. When they finally parted, he couldn't help but rub the top of Yao Yingxia's head and whispered comfortingly, "Sister, I'm so sad."
This sentence made her eyes, which had been crying all day, start to feel sore again. They were swollen and wet and she could not see anything clearly. If Yao Yingxia had known in advance that they would never see each other again from then on, she might not have cried.
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