Chapter 135: Let This Disgrace Follow You for a Lifetime

Her little stone, she still owed him a pendant—she hadn’t yet had the chance to design it for him, to craft it for his use. Her little stone, there were still so many things she wanted to share with him. How could it be possible that he would simply never appear before her again?

The man before her was a product of his own making. He had exploited her love for him to inflict wanton harm upon her.

“If you don’t want this child, then I will personally take care of it,” Mai Xijun said, her youthful face betraying a sinister charm.

Shen Yanlie, thank you for your cruelty that taught me to be ruthless.

“What did you just say? Say it again,” Shen Yanlie’s sudden coldness was incomprehensible, his expression twisted with ferocity. His merciless words stabbed at his own heart like a needle’s sharp point. In this moment, he was no longer the tyrant roaring in fury but a wounded, fierce leopard poised to strike.

Yet, when he was angry, at least he was flesh and blood. Now, he was cold-blooded and merciless, a presence so chilling that one could not help but shudder.

“I said, if you don’t want this child, I will handle it myself,” Mai Xijun repeated with steel in her voice. The moment her words fell, Shen Yanlie seized her by the waist, gripping her chin and drawing her deeply into his embrace. His gaze was dark and sinister, terrifying as if he wanted to tear her apart.

Those eyes, like a night hawk’s, shone with a sharp, cutting light. Frost seemed to settle between his brows, and the muscles on one side of his face tensed, stirring an instinctive fear within her.

It was this very man who terrified her every time, yet every time she felt a relentless ache for him.

She pitied him—his past, his childhood—and loved the man he was now. But two souls so alike were not only irresistibly drawn to each other but equally repelled, fully aware of the most painful points to strike.

“Mai Xijun, I want this child. Even if I die, you must give birth to our child,” Shen Yanlie said, holding her neck firmly—not with force, but to restrain her, to hold her gaze captive.

She was resolute, and he would be even more so.

She loved him, loved him to the point of hatred.

He loved her, loved her so fiercely that he would use any means to keep her by his side.

He had once said that with just one look from her, he was confident and capable of making her love him.

Now, he had succeeded in making her love him, yet he had also wounded her so deeply.

“I’m sorry, but I refuse to bear your child. I will not have a child for a cold, heartless man. That would be the greatest humiliation of my life,” Mai Xijun accepted his provocation with composure. Who did he think he was, ordering her around at will? Why should she comply with his every command?

“Oh really? I wonder how many women would kill to lie in my bed, to bear my children. And you refuse? Very well—I like a woman with such a stubborn streak; it makes things challenging. Moreover, my greatest pleasure is accepting challenges. I’m willing to use every means to ensure this ‘humiliation’ haunts you for life,” Shen Yanlie’s night-hawk eyes radiated terrifying threats and coercion, declaring that he would never yield to her.

“I think you’re worth the challenge,” she said, though she knew she could never truly defeat him. In every way, he was superior—a master. But she also knew that once he made a decision, he would never relinquish it. He was not Yu Wensi. Instead of empty words, she would act.

She understood that if she resisted or confronted him stubbornly, Shen Yanlie would not be a man to wait passively. He would employ every method to achieve his goal.

What she did not know was how deeply worried and afraid he was—afraid of losing her, forced to gamble everything on the child. Winning meant everything; losing was a word absent from his vocabulary.

Yet, despite her coldness, he still hesitated, still worried. Though a man brimming with confidence and charm, he could not help but fear because he felt he was truly on the verge of losing her.

Once, she had chased after his footsteps. Now, she stood before him, yet her heart was distant—so far away as to be unreachable. No longer within grasp, did his heart ache as well? Did he realize that losing her would bring pain and sorrow, teaching him the poignant beauty and heartbreak of the world?

At this moment, he felt this clearly—the sensation of having once possessed something precious, now slipping away.

“I only want the child. After you give birth, you can choose to leave. Set your conditions—besides the child, my life, and Eurasia, you can have anything you want,” he said.

But it was only by speaking harsh words that he could better conceal the chaos within his heart.

“Fine. If you only want the child, then I hope that once the child is safely born, we can settle things between us,” Mai Xijun replied earnestly, looking into Shen Yanlie’s eyes.

A sharp pang struck Shen Yanlie’s chest as if a blunt instrument pressed down on his heart, choking him. His cold expression showed no other emotion.

“Alright. After you give birth, you can ask for whatever you want,” Shen Yanlie agreed without hesitation. As long as she was willing to bear his child, he was confident he could make her love him again during that time.

Just then, Yu Wensi pushed open the door. Seeing the two locked in confrontation yet seemingly engrossed in conversation, far from the scene he had anticipated, he felt somewhat awkward.

“Ahem,” Yu Wensi coughed lightly. “Miss, I have something to discuss with Lie. Could you please step out for a moment?” he awkwardly gestured for Mai Xijun to leave briefly.

Mai Xijun agreed without hesitation. “You two talk.”

As she passed by him, Yu Wensi smiled faintly, though Mai Xijun paid him no mind.

Once she left, Yu Wensi strode over to Shen Yanlie. “You two didn’t actually quarrel, did you?”

“Do we look like we just fought?” Shen Yanlie replied dryly.

Yu Wensi was always like this, eager to stir trouble.

“No, I mean, with Mai’s temper, if she doesn’t find out about Mo Shaoxing, she won’t rest easy. Did you tell her?” Yu Wensi sat on the edge of Shen Yanlie’s chair, studying him.

“No. I don’t want to tell her.” Shen Yanlie no longer trusted him; any explanation would only require him to justify himself.

“Then don’t. Mo Shaoxing still holds some significance for her. If she knew the truth, she would hate you and hate me even more.” Yu Wensi sighed deeply.

If she remained ignorant, it would be better. Let the matter stay buried forever. He wished this secret could remain sealed.

But Yu Wensi did not know what Mai Xijun had found—Shen Yanlie’s necklace. Yet, he seemed unaware of the gravity of the situation.

* * * * *

Since leaving Shen Yanlie, Mai Xijun had kept quiet, avoiding trouble as was her nature. However, she was now accompanied by Wu Meili, whom Yu Wensi had specially assigned to watch over her. Yu Wensi still worried, afraid she might one day act recklessly or suddenly give up.

She had hoped for peaceful days, until one day when Wu Meili went to the supermarket for supplies. Mai Xijun heard a knock and, thinking Meili had forgotten her keys, answered the door.

The visitor was no one else but Xie Yunting. Mai Xijun was taken aback. Xie Yunting spoke first: “I have something to talk to you about.”

“Won’t you invite me in?” Xie Yunting offered gently, sensing Mai Xijun’s hesitation, her tone soft and polite, making refusal difficult.

“Say it here at the door,” Mai Xijun replied evenly, stepping out to face her.

“Very well, we can talk outside,” Xie Yunting agreed amicably, unbothered by Mai Xijun’s coldness, which only made her appear more magnanimous.

“I came to tell you I want to reconcile with Lie. Please, help me,” Xie Yunting said.

Snap.

Mai Xijun could not believe what she had heard. She was certain the words had come from Xie Yunting’s mouth, and she knew this was the most absurd joke she’d ever encountered.

“I’m serious,” Xie Yunting insisted.

“I’m serious too. You’ve come to the wrong person,” Mai Xijun’s expression darkened. This woman was shameless, asking her to plead for Shen Yanlie’s return. Did she not find it ridiculous and absurd?

Did Mai Xijun seem that trivial? Moreover, she felt it necessary to clarify matters. When Mo Shaoxing disappeared in the back mountain, she had found not only Shen Yanlie’s necklace but also its counterpart—a lock necklace that Xie Yunting had once worn.

“No,” Xie Yunting hurriedly grabbed Mai Xijun’s hand, acting like a lifelong sister despite their sudden rift, desperately pleading, “Don’t be like this. I’m sincerely asking for your help. You know I love him more than anything. I can’t lose him. I’ve done so much for him. I truly can’t bear the thought of him never returning to me. Please...”