Chapter Seventy-One: Wishing to Conceal, Yet Only Drawing Attention

"Fine. Fine. I'll go with you to see the flowers. Come on, beautiful Xie. Come into my arms, and I'll drive you to the flowers," Yuwen Si's voice grew heavier, his gaze fierce as he glared at Shen Yanlie. But at this moment, this was all he could do for Shen Yanlie. Besides, he'd long wanted to get Xie Yunting away from Shen Yanlie's side. This proud, overly confident woman—he never liked her.

Though reluctant, Yuwen Si forced himself to get the car and drove Xie Yunting straight to their destination. On such a splendid day, at least he could take a stroll with a woman he liked. Yet, ironically, the woman beside him was not only someone he didn't like, but one he rather disliked. The world truly seemed upside down. Strange.

Yuwen Si followed behind Xie Yunting like a personal escort. After a long internal struggle, he thought it over carefully. In the end, he decided not to fuss. This, too, could be counted as a small contribution to Shen Yanlie.

No matter which side of the scale Shen Yanlie's heart leaned toward, Xie Yunting would never be his best or ultimate destination. After being wounded, to recover and return was no easy matter.

Though Shen Yanlie appeared cold and formidable, he was in truth a patient soul, deeply sentimental. Treat him sincerely, and he would return the favor in full—Yuwen Si knew this well.

But Xie Yunting's pride verged on arrogance. Yuwen Si, too, was a man of family and background, with a touch of young master's temper. Yet his nature was nothing like hers, never so willful, never so self-serving.

Wandering through the flowers again and again, Yuwen Si felt his patience nearly exhausted by Xie Yunting. He felt like a bodyguard, while she enjoyed herself, utterly indifferent to his presence. This was the main reason he disliked her—her princess complex, her self-centeredness, as if the whole world revolved around her alone.

"Tired? Want to grab a drink nearby?" Xie Yunting suddenly halted, her big eyes sparkling. "I'll treat you…"

Yuwen Si felt too lazy to waste any kind words on Xie Yunting. Truly.

Xie Yunting laughed brightly, striding ahead. If she wanted to win back Shen Yanlie's heart, she had to come to know him anew. To do that, she needed to pass through Yuwen Si's gate. She could no longer be the capricious girl she once was.

As Shen Yanlie’s girlfriend, if even his closest friend rejected her, she truly needed to consider whether she was too much of a failure, or simply not suited for Shen Yanlie. Perhaps she could never again catch his gaze…

﹡　﹡　﹡　﹡　﹡

Mai Xijun took a day off, boarded a bus, and went to the rehabilitation center. All her hopes were about to be realized in this moment. Her mother, Chen Xueming, finally appeared before her…

But despite her earnest pleas, the staff refused to let her see her mother. Chen Xueming's addiction was so severe it was beyond imagination; she required mandatory detoxification.

“Please, I beg you, let me see her just once,” Mai Xijun pressed her palms together in sincere supplication.

Nian Yuchen and his brother-in-law, Prosecutor Song Ci, were walking and discussing matters. Suddenly, a fleeting figure caught his attention, and the voice sounded familiar. Nian Yuchen stopped, his brows knit in suspicion. Was it an illusion? Or had he been focusing on her too much lately, poring over her files? How could she be here?

He felt absurd—his every word and action seemed crazed. Only madness could spark such curiosity, such desire to uncover everything about her.

"What is it? Did I say something wrong?" Song Ci watched as Nian Yuchen shook his head, puzzled.

But Nian Yuchen remained lost in his own hallucination, listening intently.

“Please, just let me see her for a moment. Just a little while.” Mai Xijun held up her index finger, almost dropping to her knees in gratitude.

Suddenly, Nian Yuchen felt as if fireworks exploded in his world—vivid blossoms bursting in color.

It was her. He was certain the voice belonged to her. An inexplicable joy surged within him, indescribable.

Turning, he saw her—her slender yet healthy figure. Unable to contain his excitement, he tossed a thick stack of documents into Song Ci's arms. "Brother-in-law, you go ahead. I've seen someone I know. I'll come back later."

"Hey, Xiao Yu!" Song Ci tried to stop him, but burdened with papers, he could only watch as Nian Yuchen walked away.

Mai Xijun hung her head in dejection. Sitting outside the rehabilitation center, no one paid her any mind or stopped her pleas. Had she been elsewhere, say in the lobby, she would have been carried out long ago.

Luo Youcong had told her where Chen Xueming was but hadn’t arranged a meeting. Mai Xijun knew Luo Youcong would seek her out again.

Yet she wished otherwise. All she wanted was to find her mother and live with her, not to be used as a pawn, led by the nose. But step by step, she was forced into this path.

She had already, unwittingly, hurt Shen Yanlie. Though she couldn’t hide it from herself—she had fallen for him. But Luo Youcong asked her to stay by Shen Yanlie’s side, to distract him, to prevent Xie Yunting from returning to him. She didn’t know if what she was doing was right or wrong…

In essence, she was helping Shen Yanlie. He needed a woman by his side at this time, someone to lean on, an excuse to claim he no longer loved Xie Yunting. He didn’t particularly want to hold on to someone who had hurt him so deeply—another wound he knew all too well.

He was conflicted, resistant, powerless.

“One million!” Nian Yuchen strode toward Mai Xijun, who sat huddled in a corner, arms wrapped around herself, her gloom palpable. He called out with cheerful enthusiasm.

Mai Xijun gazed listlessly at the polished shoes that suddenly appeared before her. He stood with unwavering steadiness, seemingly in no hurry to leave. Slowly, she lifted her head, but her mood remained far from bright.

Why was it that whenever she was at her lowest, someone she knew always appeared? She wanted to hide, but every time, her efforts only drew more attention.

“Oh… It’s you…” she replied calmly, then lowered her head again, curling up in the corner.