"I will not stay by Shi Youxi's side either."
The woman's words were brief and clear, but Candice seemed deaf, loosening his grip. "What... what did you just say?!"
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Mu Yiran broke free from Candis's grasp, stepped back to create some distance, and said as politely as possible:
"Where I stay is my own choice, my own decision, and no one has the right to interfere. It's the same for Shi Youxi, and it's the same for you. So, Condis, don't interfere in this matter anymore. I'm happy to know you, and it's good that we can just stay friends."
Condis was still in shock, and pressed for an answer, "Why? But your brother hasn't been rescued yet, has he? And... don't you like Shi Youxi?"
Although this really annoyed Condis, he had seen the look in Mu Yiran's eyes when she was with Shi Youxi.
They're different...
That's what makes you different from others!
The woman's unconscious smiles and indulgences around Shi Youxi, her subconscious reliance on him, and her natural and intimate physical contact with him.
They were completely different from how she was when she was with other people.
To put it bluntly, Candice and Shi Youxi are from the same world; they have both seen far too many hypocritical and pretentious women like this.
Candice knew best what feigned love was, and could instantly discern how much of a woman's shallow affection stemmed from worldly power and money.
But the one thing Condis couldn't understand was Mu Yiran's eyes.
When he looked at Shi Youxi, those beautiful brown eyes seemed to hold emotions that he couldn't understand, emotions that transcended ordinary liking.
It belongs purely to Shi Youxi alone.
It made him incredibly jealous.
He was always convinced that Mu Yiran had feelings for Shi Youxi, and it was only after he understood more and more what kind of person Shi Youxi was that Candice wanted to take her away from Shi Youxi.
But now the woman says she won't stay by Shi Youxi's side, so does that mean... does that mean he has a chance?
Mu Yiran had no idea how her clear words would be interpreted in Kandis's mind.
She fell into a brief silence after hearing the question, "Don't you like Shi Youxi?"
Does she like Shi Youxi?
Without a doubt, she likes it.
These past two days, Mu Yiran has been thinking that the joy and excitement she felt in the past when she was breaking free from her cocoon and spending every second with Shi Youxi was not because this affection was tainted with romantic love between a man and a woman.
Not at all.
Even though Mu Yiran knew perfectly well that Shi Youxi in the real timeline was a grown man two years older than her, it couldn't hide the fact that, to her, Shi Youxi was simply a "younger brother" she had watched grow up, someone she genuinely loved and would continue to love dearly.
Driven by her own selfish desires, Mu Yiran found solace in Shi Youxi, a liking that seemed both hypocritical and despicable.
Therefore, Mu Yiran could not convince herself to allow the already unequal relationship to undergo a qualitative change.
She's doing well, and Shi Youxi is getting better too, that's enough.
We shouldn't create any deeper ties between them.
“…If by ‘like’ you mean romantic love,” Mu Yiran shook her head at Candice, “then I know very well that I don’t like him.”
After a moment of stunned silence, Kandis was overjoyed. "Then I—"
Mu Yiran raised an eyebrow. "But I don't like you either."
Kandis: "..."
Mu Yiran rubbed her wrists and walked towards the inner hall. Candice followed closely behind her. Mu Yiran thought he was still not giving up, so she turned around and said, "I think I've made myself clear. If you still want to talk to me, then we can only be friends. If not, then we should maintain the proper distance between teacher and student."
To have more topics to talk about with her, Candice reads popular Chinese terms and topics every day and uses metaphors quite skillfully.
"Ran, I know you want to latch onto a powerful figure, but why didn't you choose me? Can you honestly say that finding my phone wasn't a premeditated act of getting close to me? Is my powerful figure not strong enough?"
Mu Yiran: "...Where did you learn such a crazy word?"
Kandis doesn't think the term "divine gold" is very apt.
He walked up to her step by step, his tall figure completely blocking out the light. "You keep rejecting me, is it because you think I'm too naive? In your eyes, Shi Youxi is a successful heir, while I'm just a rich young master who eats, drinks, and has fun. You think he can help you with things that I can't, is that right?"
Seeing that he was stubborn and unwilling to make excuses, Mu Yiran waved her hand and said, "If that's how you think, there's nothing I can do."
Her tone was flippant, like that of a scumbag.
He thought this perfunctory answer would discourage Candice, but the British boy silently said, "...I will prove it to you."
He wanted to prove that he was no less than Shi Youxi, and that his feelings for her were no less than Shi Youxi's.
After uttering these ambitious words, Condis left Mu Yiran with a profound sense of loss.
"..."
After everyone had left for a while, Mu Yiran slowly walked into the inner hall. The hall was still brightly lit and luxurious. The people invited were all from aristocratic families who had dealings with the Shi family and local noblemen. Mu Yiran didn't recognize any of them. She subconsciously looked for Shi Youxi, who should be in the center of the crowd, but she couldn't find him after looking around several times.
The jewelry box in her handbag was pressing against her palm. The gift, which was originally prepared with heartfelt blessings, now felt a little hot to the touch. Just as she was about to call Shi Youxi, she caught a glimpse of a figure with his head down, weaving through the crowd.
That's Tessa?!
Mu Yiran stared intently and saw the tall, thin figure in a waiter's uniform disappear into the crowd in an instant. Mu Yiran hurriedly followed, just in case she activated the emergency location function on her watch, which would allow Shi Youxi and the bodyguards of the Shi family to receive location tracking.
She hurried after the figure that had disappeared, until she reached the side door, at the end of which was the kitchen storage room. Mu Yiran hesitated for a moment, just about to walk over, when a low, cold voice sounded behind her, "Where are you going?"
Mu Yiran turned around and saw the expressionless boy. "You're here. I was just looking for you."
Shi Youxi glanced at the heavy door behind her, his eyes narrowing. "What do you want with me?"
"I... sigh!" Before she could answer, Shi Youxi dragged her into the hall. Everyone inside recognized the protagonist of the night, and seeing Shi Youxi pulling a woman, more and more eyes turned to him.
Mu Yiran struggled to free her wrist. "Shi Youxi, don't pull me like that. People are watching!"
"Everyone's watching, so what?" Shi Youxi stopped and stared at her with his deep, dark eyes. Mu Yiran felt a sense of pressure from him for no reason.
"...No reason, it just doesn't look good. People will think I'm yours—"
Shi Youxi's tone rose: "My what?"
“…It’s nothing,” Mu Yiran abruptly changed the subject. “I just saw someone who looks a lot like Tessa and sent you a message, but you didn’t receive it?”
Shi Youxi didn't speak, but Mu Yiran looked over and was pierced by the boy's cold, dark pupils.
"……you"
“I went to find my mother and didn’t check my phone,” Shi Youxi suddenly said.
Did he suddenly lose his temper because he saw Bai Shengsheng?
Mu Yiran only saw Shi Yan when she arrived. The man led Shi Youxi and talked among the guests, but Bai Shengsheng never came out.
Over the years, Shi Youxi and Bai Shengsheng's relationship has never improved.
Mu Yiran softened her tone and comforted her, "Are you sick again? She's probably already done her best to come and celebrate your coming-of-age ceremony with you—"
"Sick?" Shi Youxi scoffed. "She just hates seeing my face. If she had a choice, she wouldn't want to come at all."
The boy's gaze was somewhat unfocused as he stared at their clasped hands and asked:
"Does your sister also feel sorry for her, being forced to stay with Father and being forced to give birth to me? If she could choose again, she would want to give up everything, including her own son."
"..." Mu Yiran didn't speak.
She didn't know what had happened between Bai Shengsheng and Shi Yan. Although she disliked Bai Shengsheng and Shi Yan's actions of acting like parents, if it was really as Shi Youxi said, a woman who was imprisoned by the shackles of love and even lost control of her body was certainly pitiful.
Mu Yiran didn't say anything, but Shi Youxi knew her too well and knew clearly that she also pitied Bai Shengsheng.
He felt the warmth in his palms, but his heart was cold. "But that was what I used to think. I haven't thought about it since. Do you know why, sister?"
Mu Yiran asked in confusion, "Hmm?"
Shi Youxi gazed at the woman's beautiful face. "If it weren't for my father's coercion, I wouldn't exist, and I wouldn't have met my sister."
"……you"
Mu Yiran stared at him in a daze.
“I used to hate my father, and the older I get, the more I hate him.”
Shi Youxi spoke slowly, but each word was clear and distinct. He seemed to be telling Mu Yiran something, yet he was also convincing himself. He looked up at the woman in front of him.
"But now I realize that the person who is most like him is me, and the person who understands him the most... seems to be me too."
"..."
Shi Youxi's words were extremely contradictory. Mu Yiran couldn't help but stare at him. She couldn't understand the emotions surging in his eyes. The extreme unfamiliarity and pressure emanating from the boy made Mu Yiran feel inexplicably flustered.
"What...does that mean?"
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