rely
The criticism meeting ended abruptly in an extremely awkward atmosphere.
The Fifth Uncle's words and Song Zhiyuan's logically sound questioning were like two buckets of cold water, dousing the rage that had been ignited within most people. Zhao Jianguo was caught in a dilemma, unable to offer a reasonable explanation, yet he dared not force Lin Xueyin to be convicted. With a sullen face, he adjourned the meeting, declaring, "We'll discuss this matter later."
The crowd dispersed after a flurry of discussion, and the looks they cast at Lin Xueyin were now different: less contempt and more sympathy and curiosity. The looks they cast at Zhao Jianguo and Zhao Xiaofeng were filled with scrutiny and amusement.
Lin Xueyin didn't know how she left the threshing floor. She felt weak all over, her steps unsteady, as if she had fought a battle that had exhausted her. The evening breeze blew on her face, bringing a cool feeling, but it couldn't dispel the turmoil in her heart.
Song Zhiyuan... He once again pulled her out of despair in a domineering and unexpected way.
When they returned to the dormitory for educated youth, Liu Xiaoling and others immediately surrounded them, talking in a flurry of voices, feeling both scared and excited.
"Yukine, I'm so glad you're okay!"
"That really scared me to death!"
"Song Zhiyuan is so amazing! And there's also my fifth uncle!"
"Zhao Xiaofeng and her father have really embarrassed themselves this time!"
Lin Xueyin forced a smile and answered a few words, then she felt exhausted. She used the excuse of washing up and walked to the well in the yard with a basin.
The cool well water splashed on her face, clearing her foggy mind a bit. She looked at her pale, swaying reflection in the water, and the feeling of dependence she had been forcibly suppressing in her heart, like a vine unleashed, began to grow wildly.
Can she really... continue to hold on on her own?
In the face of Zhao Xiaofeng's vicious accusations, under Zhao Jianguo's strong oppression, and in the indifferent or hostile gazes from the audience, she was so isolated and helpless, like a reed in a storm that could be broken at any time.
The appearance of Song Zhiyuan, his steady voice, his sharp questions, his tall figure... became the only piece of driftwood she could grasp in that dark ocean.
The feeling of being protected by someone firmly and recklessly is too impactful and too... addictive.
She kept telling herself to be independent and stay away from trouble, but trouble kept coming to her. If it weren't for Song Zhiyuan, what would have happened tonight's criticism meeting? She couldn't imagine it.
"The water is cold, don't wash for too long."
A deep voice sounded behind her, interrupting Lin Xueyin's thoughts. She turned around suddenly and saw Song Zhiyuan standing not far away. The moonlight outlined his cold figure, and his eyes seemed particularly deep in the night.
He...why is he here?
Lin Xueyin's heart suddenly skipped a beat, and she felt a little helpless holding the basin.
Song Zhiyuan walked over and naturally took the basin from her hand, poured out the water inside, then drew half a basin of warm water from the well and handed it back to her. The whole process was smooth and natural, as if he had done it countless times.
"Thank you...thank you." Lin Xueyin lowered her head, her voice as soft as a mosquito. This time, she didn't refuse his help. Her desire to rely on him made her lose the strength to push him away.
Song Zhiyuan looked at her slightly trembling eyelashes and the red tips of her ears, and a glimmer of understanding flashed across his eyes. He had been waiting for this moment for a long time.
"Are you scared?" he asked, his voice a little softer than usual.
Lin Xueyin was silent for a moment, then nodded gently. After everything she had just experienced, she could no longer pretend to be calm in front of him.
"This kind of thing will never happen again." Song Zhiyuan's voice was not loud, but it carried an unquestionable certainty, as if he was stating an established fact.
Lin Xueyin raised her head and met his bottomless eyes. The usual coldness was gone, replaced by a deep and focused gaze, as if she was the only one left in the world.
Her heart suddenly trembled, and an unfamiliar emotion of throbbing and panic seized her.
"Why...why are you helping me like this?" She finally asked the question that had been hidden in her heart for a long time.
Song Zhiyuan took a small step forward, and the distance between them instantly closed, so close that Lin Xueyin could feel the warmth coming from him. He didn't answer immediately, but just looked at her with a deep gaze, which was so hot that it almost melted her.
"What do you think?" he asked back, his voice low and hoarse, carrying a fatal temptation and strength.
Lin Xueyin's heartbeat quickened, her cheeks burning uncontrollably. She subconsciously tried to retreat, but her feet felt rooted to the spotlight, unable to move. She understood the meaning in his eyes. It wasn't just comradely support; it was a man's naked possession and desire for a woman.
She should be afraid, should run away. But the dependence that had just emerged from the ground in her heart wrapped around her like a vine, making her unable to move an inch.
Song Zhiyuan saw the struggle and the subtle softening in her eyes and knew the time had come. He no longer gave her the chance to hesitate or escape.
"Lin Xueyin," he called her full name with a solemn tone, "From the first moment I saw you at the train station, I knew you were the one for me."
He stretched out his hand, but without touching her, he gently brushed a strand of hair on her cheek that was messed up by the night wind, with an intimacy that could not be refused.
"From now on, just rely on me."
This sentence is not a request, but a declaration.
Lin Xueyin stared at him in amazement, seeing the unquestionable determination and determination in his eyes. Her defenses, which had been tense all along, suddenly collapsed at this moment, accompanied by a strong throbbing and a sense of relief.
She didn't nod, nor did she speak. But her silence, her lack of evasion, was the best answer in Song Zhiyuan's eyes.
Moonlight flowed like water, quietly flowing through the silent courtyard. He stood before her, his figure completely enveloping her. A silent contract, quietly concluded in this ambiguous night.
He accepted her belated dependence, and she finally gave up her futile resistance and acquiesced to his forceful approach. The road ahead might still be full of thorns, but at least at this moment, she was no longer alone.
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