Cheng Muyun froze, as if all commands to move had been suddenly taken away, and even his breathing slowed down.
His relationship with Chen Hede was not particularly good.
It could even be said that there was always an invisible layer of ice between the two, carrying a tense and confrontational atmosphere.
After all, they were two men who were in love with the same woman, and this secret rivalry had already sown seeds of resentment in their hearts.
Peaceful coexistence? That's simply a pipe dream. Not secretly hoping for the other party to get into trouble is already considered restraint.
However, Chen Hede's words just now, with their urgency and worry in his tone, seemed too genuine to be feigned.
The anxiety in his eyes clearly showed his fear that he might act impulsively and go down a path of no return.
Cheng Muyun's eyes were as deep as the night sea splashed with thick ink, churning with emotions that others could not understand, and no one could truly see into the plans in his heart.
But Chen Hede seemed to have eyes that could see through people's hearts, and he could always accurately predict what Chen Hede would do next. This insight made Chen Hede feel uneasy.
This made Cheng Muyun repeatedly ponder: what exactly was Chen Hede to him?
He was an enemy, yet he always reminded him at crucial moments; he was an opponent, yet he knew his weaknesses better than anyone else. He understood his struggles hidden beneath his cold exterior even better than the deceased Liang Shaozun, and he could pierce through his disguise more incisively than Xiao Wuxin, who had grown up with him and knew him inside and out.
Could such a near-soul-level connection really happen to someone like him?
Cheng Muyun stared at Chen Hede, his throat feeling blocked, unable to find the right words to break the silence.
Chen Hede could no longer contain his anger. His chest heaved violently, and his eyes burned like two flames as he stared intently at Cheng Muyun. His gaze was so fierce that it seemed he wanted to devour Cheng Muyun whole.
"Did you ask me, Cheng Muyun?" His voice trembled uncontrollably, as if squeezed out from between his teeth, "Ask yourself honestly, when you were considering your options, did you ever think that someone might want to help you?"
Cheng Muyun froze on the spot, his feet rooted to the spot as if they were nails to the ground.
My heart felt like it had been hit hard by something, and it ached suffocated.
Aside from Xu Zhuohua, he couldn't think of anyone else in the world who would be willing to help him wholeheartedly.
After all, Cheng Muyun's reputation was already infamous, and people would avoid him like the plague. Why would anyone want to get involved with such an indelible stain?
He was already extremely grateful that Chen Hede had risked his life to come and deliver the message to him today.
A man as upright and honest as Chen Hede never expected that the other party would go to great lengths for him.
“I…” Cheng Muyun opened his mouth, his throat was terribly dry, but he could only utter a muffled syllable. The rest of the words seemed to be stuck in his throat, and he couldn’t say them no matter what.
Chen Hede clenched his fists tightly, his knuckles turning white from the force, and his joints throbbing.
He was clearly aware of his loss of composure. He took a few deep breaths, trying to calm his surging emotions. He abruptly turned his head away, no longer looking into Cheng Muyun's complex and unfathomable eyes, as if looking at them any longer would reignite the anger he had finally managed to suppress.
Xu Zhuohua's fingertips were icy cold, yet she gripped Cheng Muyun's hand tightly, as if if she let go, the person in front of her would slip away like sand through her fingers.
Her voice was soft, trembling uncontrollably, each word seemingly soaked in tears: "Cheng Muyun, have you already resigned yourself to death, just leaving me here like this?"
Cheng Muyun's heart felt as if it had been gripped tightly by those words, and he trembled violently, the pain almost making it hard for him to breathe.
He hurriedly raised his hand, his fingertips calloused, and carefully wiped away the tears rolling down Xu Zhuohua's cheeks. The warm touch made his fingertips go numb.
“I didn’t, Zhuohua,” his voice was hoarse, with an unprecedented urgency, “I really want to live an ordinary life with you, working at sunrise and resting at sunset, without having to worry anymore, just the two of us.”
Sadness, like a fine net, instantly enveloped the few people present.
Xu Zhuohua's tears fell like beads from a broken string, her heartbreaking appearance weighing heavily on Xiao Wuxin's heart, making him feel even more guilty.
He hung his head, his gaze fixed on the ground, his lips pressed into a stiff line, unable to utter a single word—those unspoken reminders, those missed opportunities in hesitation, now became thorns stuck in his heart.
Only Xu Jixin managed to piece together the gist of the matter from Chen Hede's hasty words and Xu Zhuohua's uncontrollable sobs.
He curled his lip, feigning indifference, and advised, "I thought it was something terrible. Aren't you all overreacting? It's not like Cheng Muyun willingly washed himself clean and delivered himself to Lan Qingyi to wait to be killed. What's there to be afraid of?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Xu Zhuohua suddenly raised her head, glared at him fiercely, and the disappointment and helplessness in her eyes were almost overflowing.
Xu Jixin felt a little uncomfortable under her gaze, and awkwardly touched the tip of his nose, his tone weakening: "That's not what I meant... Since you two both want to live ordinary lives, go back to the Xu family. It's not like the Xu family can't support both of you. Is it necessary to make the atmosphere so sad?"
Xu Zhuohua sighed deeply, but his hands clenched even tighter until his knuckles turned white.
She looked at Cheng Muyun, her voice low and hoarse: "There are many things I can't explain to you clearly."
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