Even after the recording stopped, a faint echo still lingered in the parking lot, reverberating in Mu Yiran's ears. The person in front of her was getting closer and closer, and that voice—"So what if it is?"—was getting louder and louder.
Each sound pierced her heart.
Helian Xin looked at her stiff figure and laughed heartily and maniacally.
"Mu Yiran, look at yourself! You keep saying that Wen Qingyu and I only use despicable means, how high and mighty you are! But you've fallen in love with the most unscrupulous person! You've fallen in love with the person who plotted to have himself violated!"
"Hahaha, what an idiot!"
"You and him are truly in love, hahaha!"
"Sister, be careful!"
A man's roar, accompanied by a screeching screech of brakes, came as a car sped towards Mu Yiran. She forced herself to turn her head; a van with its high beams on was hurtling towards her. She froze instinctively, just as she took a step—
The next second!
A pair of large, strong hands pulled her into their arms, and Mu Yiran crashed into the man's chest, rolling and tumbling to the side!
"Hurry up!" Mai swiftly opened the door, pulled Helian Xin into the car, and they quickly disappeared into the parking lot.
Almost at the same moment, a large number of reporters who had been waiting swarmed into the parking lot. They followed Helian Xin's car but did not see her. However, they recognized Mu Yiran, who was hugging a man.
"It's Aorsa!"
"Aorsa, what are you doing here?!"
"Did the show end early?! Is it related to that video from earlier?!"
"Why was that video played during the Saorsa segment?! Are you sure the person in it is Helian Xin?! Did you play it on purpose?! What grudge do you have against Helian Xin and Wen Qingyu in private?!"
"Did you film that video? Are you also involved in a pedophile club?!"
"Is the club located in the country?!"
“............”
The blinding flashes and noisy voices were blocked by a thick coat. Mu Yiran was dazed and could only vaguely hear Ai Ni and Shi Jie's voices, as well as a man's panting.
She was quickly and smoothly led to a car. The car stopped and started in traffic, and after several reporters shouted, "Zhou Yuan is there! Hurry up and chase after her!", it quickly drove off.
"Drive faster, get someone to take care of those tails!"
As the clock struck midnight, he missed getting the driver's seat and could only sway precariously while making a phone call.
Shi Youxi carefully held the person in his arms. The person in his arms did not make a sound. He swallowed and asked in a low voice with a barely perceptible tremor, "Does your sister hurt anywhere?"
"......."
Mu Yiran sat with her head down. Her gaze fell upon the large, strong hand that held hers. The man's pale, slender hand had several red scratches and abrasions, one of which was very long and ran smoothly from his wrist bone into his sleeve.
But Shi Youxi acted as if nothing had happened, gently rubbing her wrist, which he had just pulled hard, while coaxing her.
They were saying the same things as usual, but neither of them looked at the other.
Mu Yiran blinked quickly and turned her head away. Her chin twitched and pounded as she pulled her hand away.
“…”
Shi Youxi's face was deathly pale. His hand was still hovering over their chests. He took a few quick breaths and forced a smile again. "Aunt Zhou is handling things over there, so you don't need to worry. Are you hungry? What do you want to eat? I'll cook it when I get back, okay?"
The two people in the front sensed the cold, suffocating atmosphere in the back seat, and although they didn't know why, they wisely kept quiet.
Ai Ni was an excellent driver, driving steadily and fast. She easily overtook several small roads and left the cars behind her behind, then drove into the community through the side gate.
Just as she was thinking of speeding up the mountain road, she heard the woman behind her say:
"parking."
A time of heightened tension: "Huh? It's not here yet—"
Ai Ni slammed on the brakes and brought the car to a smooth stop.
Shi Jie turned to ask, "Madam, is there anything you need? I'll go get it for you."
Right next to it is the row of detached houses of the Mu family.
Mu Yiran gave an irrelevant answer: "Go down."
Shi Jie was about to go downstairs to open the door for them when suddenly his collar tightened, and Ai Ni, who had gotten out of the car at some point, pulled him out.
The carriage was deathly silent for a while before Mu Yiran said in a low voice, "I'm going home to stay for the next few days. Have Ai Ni bring me the materials needed for the Wen's shareholders' meeting."
"…that's all."
Mu Yiran pushed away his hands that were tightly wrapped around her waist and half-stood up. Just as her hand touched the handlebars, Shi Youxi reached out and pressed down on her, his voice mechanical:
"Sister...aren't you taking me home with you?"
"Sister...don't you want me anymore...?"
"..."
Shi Youxi wrapped his arms tightly around her waist, refusing to let go. Afraid of hurting her, he could only stubbornly hold onto her coat. Not long ago, he had been indulging in the warm embrace of his fantasies, but now she was closed off and coldly rejecting him.
Shi Youxi rested his head on her shoulder, his voice hoarse: "I'll do anything you want, I'll treat you however you want, just don't leave me—"
"Shi Youxi." Mu Yiran finally called his name, her voice trembling with barely suppressed sobs.
"How am I supposed to convince myself... to bring home the person who caused my assault?"
Shi Youxi froze. "You believe what she said?"
“Then tell me now,” Mu Yiran grabbed his arms around her waist and pulled hard, “Tell me! What Helian Xin said is all lies! That recording is fake!”
"Tell me you don't know Helian Xin's purpose that night!"
"Tell me, you had no prior knowledge of when I took the drug that night, and that the whole thing had nothing to do with you!"
Tell me you didn't manipulate my feelings for you as you said in the recording!
"You say it, I'll believe you as long as you say it!"
"..."
“…I’m sorry.” After a few suffocating seconds of silence, the man behind me said softly.
He knew what the price would be for admitting it, but he couldn't lie; he had promised her he wouldn't lie to her about anything.
"Oh…"
Mu Yiran closed her eyes, tears welling up in her eyes. She bit her lip hard and said, "Let go."
"No! You can't leave!" Shi Youxi refused to let go, offering his explanation incoherently:
"That day was...an accident! I miscalculated! I thought she was trying to drug me..."
"I didn't want you to get hurt! I just wanted your pity! I just wanted your care! I just didn't want you to leave!"
"I just...I just...want to have an inextricable relationship with you! Even if it's just...just a physical relationship..."
Shi Youxi pursed his lips tightly, even he himself found the explanation shameless and ridiculous, and he could only keep apologizing:
"I'm sorry, sister... I'm so sorry..."
Even if what he said is true, the damage has already been done. He didn't stop Helian Xin after discovering she had brought love potions, and he tacitly approved of all of Helian Xin's actions even after knowing she might harm his sister.
He wanted to gain her pity by getting involved himself, but instead he ended up trapping her in a web of deception.
How could he possibly express the intense yet twisted joy he felt when he rescued Mu Yiran from the drugging?
There was even a hint of dark relief that when they first discovered Helian Xin had bought medicine from the black market and brought it to the hotel, they hadn't nipped it in the bud.
Despicable, shameless, ruthless, and vile.
One day, such an adjective was actually used to describe Shi Youxi's feelings for her.
Mu Yiran never imagined that the man she loved most, the man who claimed to love her the most, had already been on the opposite side from the very beginning of their relationship.
Mu Yiran, holding back tears, said, "Let go... I want to get off the bus!"
"…No…"
Shi Youxi tightened his grip, his fingers slipping between Mu Yiran's fingers, the overlapping rings clashing together as they trembled.
As Mu Yiran watched, tears silently streamed down her face.
How ridiculous!
"You're not letting me leave, are you trying to kidnap me back?"
"..."
"Do you know what I think of when I see that house now?"
Mu Yiran closed her eyes, thinking that she shouldn't be arguing at this time, but she couldn't control her emotions at all. She couldn't excuse Shi Youxi, who had hurt her.
"Shi Youxi, you saved me five years ago. Even though it was shameful, even though I didn't treat you well afterward, I was incredibly grateful for your presence that night. That night, my heart belonged to you..."
Shi Youxi stood there stunned in disbelief. Before he could feel overjoyed, Mu Yiran's next words sent chills down his spine.
"But the more I hated Sagin and Helian Xin that night, the more I loathe you now..."
Shi Youxi's vision went black, and he couldn't breathe.
"elder sister…"
"Even if you did it unintentionally, it is undeniable that you were one of the people who hurt me."
"How can I possibly look at you again now? Even saving me was part of your pre-planned scheme!"
“…”
Mu Yiran gasped, gritted her teeth, and, controlled by her emotions, said some very hurtful things:
"Just looking at your face reminds me of the humiliation I felt that night, and just thinking about it makes me want to vomit!"
"…………"
Shi Youxi held her stiffly. He wasn't unfamiliar with Mu Yiran's rejection of him, but hearing it again was far more painful and piercing than before, because he now understood what it felt like to be loved by her...
The feeling of being rejected by the one you love is so painful; every word is like a knife slowly tearing at your flesh.
Mu Yiran released the car door handle, pulling her fingers away. "Right now, I can't, and don't want to, see your face, Shi Youxi..."
She forcefully suppressed the coldness in her tone and spoke in a normal, natural manner:
"Let's... separate for a while..."
"..."
…
Ten meters away from that unassuming Shining, Shi Jie stared longingly at the car's rear.
"Why isn't it over yet... What kind of argument is going on for so long?"
"Didn't the boss usually manage to appease his wife in seconds...?" Shijie exclaimed, then suddenly added, "Oh! The soft-centered cake the boss asked me to buy hasn't been brought out for my wife yet. I've been waiting in line for ages!"
He got up from the ground and pulled out his pants that were stuck in his buttocks, looking like a loyal minister offering advice, "The boss definitely didn't give the madam any, otherwise he would have coaxed her long ago!"
After taking two steps, Shijie was pulled back again.
Ai Ni stood tall and straight, carrying Mu Yiran's bag in her hand. "You don't need to go, it should be ready soon."
"ah?"
Before they could ask why, the car door opened, and they both looked over to see Mu Yiran getting out of the car alone and walking forward without looking back.
Ai Ni quickly caught up, keeping up with the pace. As they passed the car, he realized something was amiss. He peeked his head out from the passenger seat and saw a man inside, head bowed in a daze, asking steadily:
"Boss, are you going back to the Mu family with your wife tonight? I'll go back and bring you a few sets of clothes."
"..."
The man had fallen silent, and Shi Jie sensed something was wrong. "Has Madam not forgiven you yet? Did you forget to give her cake?"
He quickly got into the car, took the exquisite box out of the small refrigerator, and handed it to the man, saying, "Hurry up! If you're any later, your wife might really leave you."
As he handed it over, Shi Jie noticed that Shi Youxi's right elbow was unnaturally bent inward. "Boss, your hand—"
As if a switch had been flipped, Shi Youxi finally reacted and looked up, leaving Shi Jie dumbfounded.
Regardless of how many years she's aged, she's certainly become much uglier.
He was dressed in a flashy and trendy way, wearing two flamboyant earrings, and his features were still handsome, but the drooping skin on his face, the bloodshot eyes, and the empty gaze made him look like a walking corpse.
It has lost its vitality.
Shi Jie suddenly realized that the two of them were not having a minor argument.
The man stared at him intently, as if looking through him at someone else, and after a long while, he managed to squeeze out a sentence.
"What should I do...it seems like she...doesn't want me anymore..."
"..."
Shi Jie paused for a moment, mumbled a few words, and silently got out of the car.
He stood guard by the car. The winter night was bitterly cold, but it wasn't as piercing and heart-wrenching as what the man had just said.
"..."
Mu Yiran entered the Mu residence. Zhou Yuan from next door had not yet returned. She forced herself to focus and, according to plan, told Mo Mumu, who was far away in Libya, everything. Because it had been arranged in advance, Saorsa's publicity and legal departments handled the media's pursuit in an orderly manner.
It seems that Shi Youxi arranged these people for her.
She gave a self-deprecating twitch at the corner of her mouth.
No one messaged her, and Mu Yiran calmed down as she looked at the profile pictures on her contact list.
Ai Ni put her bag down, poured hot water and made milk tea, and brought it to the woman. "Madam, you haven't eaten yet. Is there anything you'd like to eat? I'll have Uncle Lin bring it over."
"Sir, everything here is cleaned up, and there are vegetables available. You can also hire a chef to cook."
Remembering something, Ai Ni hesitated for a moment before speaking, "If you don't want to, I'll go buy you something else."
"..." Mu Yiran shook her head, then gave her a forced smile. "I'm a little tired and want to sleep for a while. You eat first. Um... if anyone calls me..."
"I'll wake you up, I won't open the door randomly," Ai Ni said quickly.
Mu Yiran didn't say anything more and climbed back into her room. The whole house was well-preserved, and she had the lights on in every room, as if someone had always lived there.
She buried herself in the blankets and forced her eyes shut.
But even though the sheets and the fragrance were the same, she just couldn't fall asleep.
I've been living like this for the past ten years, and now I'm not used to it anymore...
She opened her eyes and saw that the lights in the other villas outside the terrace were unusually on. The residents in this area were not permanent residents; it was normal for people like Zhou Yuan to stay in one place today and another tomorrow. Surprisingly, the neighbors next to the Mu residence had all returned tonight.
Is it because he saw the trending topic and wanted to confront Zhou Yuan?
Feeling agitated, Mu Yiran got up and turned off the light. As soon as she lay down, she saw something on the ceiling and her eyes widened in disbelief.
The shimmering starlight, like a galaxy, filled her entire field of vision.
Upon closer inspection, a simple line drawing of a puppy is also printed on it.
It's exactly the same dog she saved in Shi Youxi's contact list...
"........"
Overwhelmed by pent-up emotions, Mu Yiran curled up and sobbed, the words the man had spoken before she got out of the car echoing in her ears.
"How long are you going to separate from me, sister? When will you take me back?"
"...I have no idea."
"Is it only when I pay the price like Helian Xin, until you are satisfied, that you will be willing to look at me again?"
"...Perhaps."
He said, "Okay, I'll agree to anything. If you don't want to see me, then I won't appear in front of you. If you find this face disgusting, then you can destroy it. If you want to take revenge on me, whatever the punishment or cost, even my life, you can have it anytime you want."
He said, "I'll do anything, however you want, but sister... please, don't leave me again and go somewhere I can't find you. That would be worse than death."
He said to his sister, "If only I had been a normal person when you met Shi Youxi. If only Shi Youxi had known how to love someone from a young age."
Yes, that would be so wonderful...
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