Chapter 48 Xie Lin's Visit
Before Lin Mianmian could answer, the doorbell of Bai Xiulin's house suddenly rang, its sharp sound shattering the tranquility of the summer night.
Lin Mianmian subconsciously looked up upon hearing the voice, but her heart skipped a beat for no apparent reason. Who could it be at this time?
Bai Xiulin frowned upon hearing this and strode towards the entrance.
He glanced through the peephole, and his face instantly darkened.
"Who is it?" Lin Mianmian asked softly.
Bai Xiulin didn't turn around, but his voice turned colder: "Go back to your room first, don't come out."
The seriousness in his words intensified Lin Mianmian's unease.
She stood up, clutching the hem of her clothes, and took two steps uncontrollably toward the entrance.
Just then, Bai Xiulin opened the door.
The person standing outside the door was indeed Xie Lin.
He was wearing a black trench coat, his whole body damp from the night dew, his hair disheveled and plastered to his forehead, and the bloodshot eyes were even more pronounced than when we last met.
The stubble on his chin was bluish-black, and he looked extremely tired and disheveled.
But those eyes were incredibly bright, like stars that had been tempered in fire, piercing straight through Bai Xiulin's shoulder and landing on Lin Mianmian.
The moment their eyes met, Lin Mianmian felt her breath catch in her throat.
She instinctively shrank back, her fingertips icy cold.
"What are you doing here?" Bai Xiulin took a step forward, completely blocking Xie Lin's view, his tone as cold as ice.
Xie Lin ignored him, his gaze fixed on Lin Mianmian, his voice hoarse and trembling slightly: "Mianmian, come with me."
Lin Mianmian's heart clenched, but her throat felt like it was blocked by something, and she couldn't utter a single word.
Looking at Xie Lin's haggard face and the bloodshot eyes, the pain and resentment in her heart began to surge again.
"Xie Lin, haven't you made enough of a scene?" Bai Xiulin's voice was even colder. "Mianmian is living here peacefully now and doesn't need you to disturb her."
"This is between her and me." Xie Lin finally looked away from Bai Xiulin, his eyes almost overflowing with coldness. "Get out of the way."
"I won't give in." Bai Xiulin stood his ground, his gentle aura completely vanished, leaving only a sharp and piercing edge.
"When you chose this marriage alliance, you should have known that you were no longer qualified to come looking for her."
"I did not have an arranged marriage!" Xie Lin's emotions instantly surged, and his voice suddenly rose.
"There's nothing between Su Wan and me! Bai Xiulin, you know the truth, why don't you tell her?"
Upon hearing this, Lin Mianmian was stunned.
What's the truth?
She looked at Bai Xiulin, her eyes filled with confusion and doubt.
Bai Xiulin's expression changed, his lips pressed into a straight line, but he didn't say anything.
Taking advantage of his momentary lapse in concentration, Xie Lin shoved him aside and strode into the living room.
He walked straight up to Lin Mianmian, his tall figure exuding a strong sense of oppression, casting her in shadow.
“Mianmian,” he looked at her pale face and the panic in her eyes. His heart felt like it was being gripped by an invisible hand, and the pain made it hard for him to breathe.
"Let me explain, none of that is true. Su Wan and I were just putting on an act, it was for..."
"Enough." Lin Mianmian finally found her voice, but it was filled with exhaustion and hoarseness. "Xie Lin, I don't want to hear it."
She looked up into his eyes, her gaze filled with a complex mix of emotions—pain and resentment.
There was also a deep sense of powerlessness: "Whether it's just an act or not, whether there's a reason behind it or not, it doesn't matter to me anymore."
"The important thing is that you weren't there when I needed you the most."
"You weren't there when I was looking at the headlines in the newspaper and my heart was breaking."
"When I was lying in my hospital bed, sending you messages over and over again, only to receive busy signals, you weren't there."
Lin Mianmian's voice was soft, yet it was like a series of knives, stabbing fiercely into Xie Lin's heart.
He looked at her reddened eyes and the way she was trying to hold back her tears, and his throat tightened with emotion.
"I know it's my fault, I was wrong." He reached out, trying to grab her wrist, his voice filled with an unprecedented humility and pleading.
"Mianmian, please give me another chance, okay? I'll tell you everything, I'll handle all the trouble, I'll..."
Lin Mianmian suddenly took a step back, avoiding his touch.
Her eyes held a hint of detachment and despair: "Xie Lin, it's all over between us long ago."
"Now I just want to live a peaceful life. I don't want to get involved in those messy disputes anymore. I don't want to cry for you, feel sad for you, or worry about you anymore."
Her words were like a bucket of cold water poured over Xie Lin's head.
His outstretched hand froze, the light in his eyes dimmed little by little, until only deathly silence remained.
Standing in the entryway, Bai Xiulin looked at the scene before him, his heart filled with mixed emotions.
He knew Xie Lin's predicament and Lin Mianmian's grievances, but he also knew that some wounds, once opened, could never be recovered.
"Xie Lin, you should leave." Bai Xiulin walked over and stood in front of Lin Mianmian once again. His tone was calm, but it carried an undeniable firmness. "Don't bother her life anymore."
Xie Lin didn't move. He just looked at Lin Mianmian with deep longing and reluctance in his eyes, as well as a trace of deep pain.
After a very long time, he slowly withdrew his gaze and walked heavily toward the door.
When he reached the entrance, he stopped, didn't turn around, and just said something in a hoarse voice.
"Mianmian, I'm waiting for you. Waiting for the day you're willing to listen to my explanation."
After saying that, he pushed open the door and resolutely walked into the vast night.
Bai Xiulin gently closed the door, shutting out everything from the outside.
The living room fell silent instantly, with only the incessant chirping of cicadas and Lin Mianmian's suppressed breathing remaining.
She stared at the closed door, and finally, her eyes welled up with tears.
Tears fell silently like beads from a broken string, splashing onto the floor and leaving a small water stain.
Bai Xiulin didn't say anything, but silently handed her a tissue, then sat down beside her and gently patted her back, offering her silent comfort as always.
The night outside the window grew darker, and moonlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting dappled and desolate shadows.
Lin Mianmian knew that Xie Lin's appearance had once again stirred up her heart.
But she knew even better that there was more than just a misunderstanding between her and Xie Lin.
And then there's that insurmountable chasm between the wealthy and the poor.
She covered her face, her shoulders trembling slightly.
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