Chapter Sixty-One: A Plea for Help

The moment Yu Wen Si learned that Xie Yunting had returned to the country, he caught a flight home without hesitation. Originally, he had business to attend to in London, but now he cast it all aside without a second thought.

Because tomorrow was the day Mai Xijun would be leaving for France to continue her studies, and before that happened, he felt it was imperative to have a serious conversation with her. There were things she needed to understand—at least, if she truly had feelings for Shen Yanlie.

When Mai Xijun opened her door to his knocking, Yu Wen Si said nothing, simply took her by the arm, led her downstairs, pushed her into his car, and drove them to a secluded spot.

“Why have you brought me here?” Mai Xijun asked as she stepped out of the car, glancing around. She hadn’t forgotten that she still owed him money, so she couldn’t afford to act tough. After all, he hadn’t done anything wrong this time; as long as he spoke reasonably, she was sure she could get along with him in peace.

“You’ve met her, haven’t you—Xie Yunting?” Yu Wen Si cut straight to the point, speaking with deliberate frankness. In his estimation, Mai Xijun was smart enough that there was no need for beating around the bush.

“Yes, I’ve met her. She’s quite beautiful,” Mai Xijun replied, nodding in agreement with his assessment.

The afternoon sunlight made Mai Xijun squint into the distance. She then glanced at the man standing before her. He was about as tall as Shen Yanlie, but she’d never seen Yu Wen Si in a suit and couldn’t say if he was as handsome. Still, Yu Wen Si had taste—a natural air of nobility clung to him. Like Shen Yanlie, his looks were almost unearthly, though Yu Wen Si’s beauty was delicate, almost more stunning than a woman’s, his skin luminous and fair as a lotus fresh from the water.

Shen Yanlie, for his part, had the allure of a nine-tailed fox: wealthy, powerful, with a physique and bearing that drew every eye. His sun-kissed skin, every movement radiating a cold magnetism, made him the very picture of masculine perfection in most women’s eyes.

“That’s not the point. The point is, she’s Yanlie’s ex-girlfriend. Five years ago, she left him behind under the pretense of pursuing her dreams. Now, five years later, she’s suddenly back, claiming she’s still in love with him and willing to give up her dreams for his sake. Don’t you think that’s cruel and heartless?” Yu Wen Si’s tone rose and fell with emotion, his words growing more heated as he spoke. The truth was, he’d never liked Xie Yunting—he always suspected her of being calculating. Still, she hadn’t treated Shen Yanlie poorly, but that was in the past. Why come back now and disturb his life all over again? Yu Wen Si found Xie Yunting’s actions utterly incomprehensible.

Leaning back against the car, Yu Wen Si stood beside Mai Xijun. But with a single sentence, she dashed whatever hopes he harbored: “And what does any of this have to do with me?”

Yu Wen Si was stunned, staring at her for a long while, at a loss for words. Suddenly, he wondered if he’d made a mistake coming to her at all. Women were like clothes, but brothers were flesh and blood; he should be standing with Shen Yanlie, not sparring with Mai Xijun.

He rubbed his forehead, took a deep breath, and pressed on. “Mai Xijun, you can’t be so heartless. You know Shen Yanlie has always treated you well. At the very least, you ought to help him now. Don’t you know what he’s like? If Xie Yunting insists on staying by his side, he won’t be able to refuse. But she hurt him deeply once before—don’t you understand? At that time, Eurasia was in crisis, and she simply walked away. You have no idea what Yanlie went through to survive! I mean every word of this—I’m just asking you to help, to help Yanlie.”

By the end, Yu Wen Si—usually so arrogant, wild, and untamed—seemed to lose all his overweening pride. Every word was earnest and sincere.

He couldn’t help but recall the debt he owed Shen Yanlie, a debt that had long since grown beyond measure. Though brothers never needed to speak of gratitude, Shen Yanlie had helped him at his lowest points, practically saving his life. More than once, the Yu Wen family had been on the brink of ruin, and it was always Shen Yanlie who stepped in. Without him, Yu Wen Si would never have made it this far, nor would his family’s name be shining brighter than ever in the industry.

“Then why don’t you fight for him?” Shen Yanlie’s words suddenly echoed in Mai Xijun’s mind, the look in his eyes that night so intent, so earnest. It was only now that she realized: that night, Shen Yanlie’s words had been a cry for help.

“But this is a matter of the heart. I really don’t think I can help with this—you’d better ask someone else,” Mai Xijun replied firmly, refusing without hesitation. She wanted no part in it. If she got involved now, it would make her the “other woman” in full daylight, and that was not the outcome she wanted.

Suddenly, Yu Wen Si seized her arm, his narrowed eyes flashing coldly. “Mai Xijun, I can’t believe you can actually be this ruthless! Has your conscience really been eaten by dogs?”

Through the thin fabric of her sleeve, his grip was far from gentle, but Mai Xijun’s expression remained unchanged. At this moment, only two things occupied her thoughts: going to France for her studies, and finding her mother. There was no room for anything else.

It was this conviction that had carried her this far. She was a woman of faith, unwilling to force herself down a path of no return. Shen Yanlie was both poison and cure, but his mercurial nature meant he was more poison than medicine. She feared that one day he might hand her a cup of poison—and that she would drink it with a smile, foolishly, so foolishly.

Mai Xijun let out a soft laugh, her contempt clear. She arched her brows, her wide black eyes bloodshot. “I was never particularly kind-hearted. Aside from children in disaster zones and stray cats and dogs, I have no compassion. So saving someone’s love life—such a noble and glorious task—you’d better leave to someone else.”

Yu Wen Si clenched his jaw, nodding furiously in his anger as he released her arm. “Mai Xijun, you really have guts! You’re exactly as Yanlie always says—your conscience really has been eaten by dogs!”

With that, Yu Wen Si strode around the car, got in, and slammed the door. He couldn’t shake the sense that he’d made a mistake—this woman’s heart was made of stone. When her eyes reddened, her heart grew only colder.