Chapter Eighty-Five: Next Time, Together

Yuwen Si spoke each word bluntly, with no attempt at courtesy. He had thought Mai Xijun would step forward, pull Shen Yanlie back, try to make him stay. Who could have guessed—she simply watched him walk away with wide eyes. What a fool. There was no other word for it.

“You’re the lowest. No one’s more shameless than you. Why do you insist on meddling in other people’s affairs? Like a mouse paying New Year’s respects to a cat,” Mai Xijun scoffed, lips curling. But today, her mood was truly stifled, weighed down by a heavy gloom. Perhaps bantering with Yuwen Si would help her forget her troubles, at least for a while.

Yuwen Si shifted to the side, making room for Mai Xijun to sit next to him.

“That guy Lie—don’t let his cool facade fool you. He’s terrible at refusing people. Anyone who’s ever done him a kindness, he can never resist. Let alone someone he once loved so deeply,” Yuwen Si said quietly, a faint sigh in his voice.

Shen Yanlie’s life wasn’t as easy as Yuwen Si’s. He didn’t live so carefreely. Both had legacies to inherit, but the burdens Shen Yanlie bore, the shadows of his past, made him ruthless in the eyes of the world. Yet, beneath it all, he was just a man with too many secrets weighing on his heart.

“Let’s not talk about this anymore. I regret not going to France. So… don’t make me regret it even more…” Mai Xijun lowered her head, a strange light glimmering in her eyes. Her heart was in chaos, her rhythm lost.

From the very start, her decision had been a mistake. She shouldn’t have guessed at his heart, shouldn’t have let herself be moved. Even if he, too, could be vulnerable, even if he wandered in darkness and treated her as a ray of light—stroking her knee, whispering gentle words—she had forgotten that he was a man born to bask in brilliance.

“There are so few things in this world that let you regret them. Besides, how would you know the outcome if you never try? If you never reach out for his hand, how will you know if he’ll hold yours in return?”

Yuwen Si faced the sunlight, eyes half-closed, one arm draped lazily across the back of the bench, turning his cheek to look at Mai Xijun.

“Good fortune never comes in pairs, while trouble never comes alone. Once trouble starts, it’s sure to come one after another. All you can do is either withstand it—or be utterly destroyed.”

A faint, bitter smile tugged at Mai Xijun’s lips. No one lives in this world without constraints. Just like last time, when she angered him and he grabbed her throat—it was only a warning, but his coldness, his every word, had been enough to make her tremble.

“So what will you choose?” Yuwen Si asked, genuine curiosity in his eyes. His long lashes, pale skin—there was something almost effeminate and otherworldly about him.

“Of course I’ll withstand it,” Mai Xijun blurted out, drawing a laugh from Yuwen Si.

“Not bad.” Yuwen Si lazily raised one hand and applauded the palm of the other. “Mai Xijun, no matter how clever you are, a woman in love is always a fool. Hahaha…”

His uninhibited laughter rang in her ears. Mai Xijun frowned. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Yuwen Si lifted a finger, tracing it lightly down his nose. “If you choose to withstand, that means you won’t run away. Yet here you are, still hiding. Watching your true heart from a dark corner. Maybe it’s too dark to see, but you’re already too far gone. Maybe you never actually meant to give up the chance to study in France. But you’re willing to set aside your dreams for him, even if only for a while. Isn’t that enough? From the moment you came to his side, you were already doomed.”

A captivating, wicked smile played at Yuwen Si’s lips. If he’d known Mai Xijun had such depth of feeling, he might have treated her better before. But it wasn’t too late. There was plenty of time ahead to overturn his old impressions of her.

“Nonsense.”

Suddenly, Mai Xijun seemed to wake like a lioness from slumber. Her beautiful eyes flashed, and she sprang to her feet, cutting off whatever Yuwen Si had been about to say. He blinked rapidly, momentarily at a loss.

What was this about? He’d finally managed to talk to her calmly, and now she was acting like this?

Yuwen Si quickly stood as well. He’d come out today with Shen Yanlie and Xie Yunting. He knew his place—if Xie Yunting had left back then because she had no choice, he didn’t want to be a third wheel. Which left them in this awkward situation…

He didn’t have a penny on him now. His phone, wallet—everything was still in Shen Yanlie’s car. Once he realized this, he hurried to catch up with Mai Xijun. Now, he could only tag along behind her like a beggar, hoping for a ride back to Eurasia when she went to hail a cab.

“Why are you still following me?” Mai Xijun shot Yuwen Si a glare, her tone thoroughly annoyed.

Yuwen Si shrugged helplessly, spreading his hands. “I don’t have a cent on me. Not even a linty pocket. Give me a lift back.”

She snorted, unimpressed by whatever trick he was playing. As she turned to leave, Yuwen Si quickly grabbed her arm with both hands. “Xiaomai, come on, just give me a ride.”

He gazed at her with innocent, clear eyes, shaking her gently. Mai Xijun stared at him in disbelief—was he actually pouting at her? He looked exactly like a child begging for candy from an adult.

Mai Xijun pressed a hand to her forehead, speechless. Headache…

* * *

For several days, Mai Xijun did not see Shen Yanlie again. Chen Xue-min also continued to refuse to see her.

That afternoon, just before the end of work, Mai Xijun answered the phone with her usual professional smile after the third ring. Shen Yanlie was absent—she had no idea what was going on, and she’d spent much of the day fending off people desperate to reach him.

“You have ten minutes to get to my place.”

“What?” Mai Xijun’s face fell, seriously doubting her hearing.

“One hundred yuan for every minute you’re late. Come to my place. You have ten minutes.”

Shen Yanlie didn’t wait for her to say yes or no—he hung up immediately.

Ugh. That voice, that way of speaking—was there anyone else in the world like him? Mai Xijun had her doubts.

Unbelievable. He only ever called when he needed something. Otherwise, she was cast aside without a thought.

Hands on her hips, Mai Xijun was on the verge of a breakdown. That bastard. That scum. Absolutely insufferable man.

* * *

She quickly gathered her things, grabbed her bag, and rushed out of the office. Always ten minutes—time was never on her side. She knew Shen Yanlie’s temper all too well; he meant what he said. Just like last time—she’d taken time off with the previous CEO’s approval. It wasn’t even her fault, just an unexpected mishap. Yet that wretch had actually held out his hand and demanded the full amount in cash.

Mo Shaoxing had just returned from outside. As he reached the center of the lobby, he saw Mai Xijun dashing out of the elevator in a blur.

“Hey, Xiaomai…”

“Little Stone, I’m busy. No time to explain. Bye!” Mai Xijun’s breath was a little unsteady as she tossed out her words and hurried away. Mo Shaoxing stood there, stunned. He’d meant to tell her that, thanks to his connections, she could leave for Paris in the next couple of days—and that he’d go with her.

But all that remained was his outstretched hand, frozen in midair. In a flash, she had already fled from him.

* * *

Mai Xijun gasped for breath—this was killing her. Time really was money.

Dragging her aching, trembling legs, she pressed the doorbell at Shen Yanlie’s home. After three seconds, the door unlocked automatically.

She scanned the vast living room—empty. She hesitated, then made her way upstairs.

So many rooms… which one?

“Here.” A ghostly voice floated to her ears, startling her. Heart pounding, she tried to pinpoint the source, hesitantly approaching a half-open door. That intoxicating voice sounded again. “Are you a pig or what? Over here.”

He’d been watching her since she approached the door. Was she blind? He was standing right in front of the second-floor window—how could she not see him?

Mai Xijun turned, heart in her throat. Good grief, she thought.

“You’re forty-six seconds late.”

Shen Yanlie stood there in a light gray cotton V-neck T-shirt, his striking collarbones and strong chest exposed. His tawny skin was irresistibly attractive. His long legs were clad in black cotton pants, a picture of elegance and nobility.

But what Mai Xijun noticed most was the smoldering gold cigarette butt between his index and middle fingers, nearly burnt out.

At his feet, the floor was littered with cigarette butts and ashes.

She looked up at his face—still as impossibly handsome as ever. Those bold brows, the sharp, narrow phoenix eyes as captivating as always, the straight nose, lips a touch thin. Yet the dark stubble on his jaw, so unlike his usual clean-shaven look, only made him more rugged, more alluring.

“Not even a minute late. Save the hundred for next time. You can pay me all at once.”

He was just as before—impossible, exuding a wild unpredictability that demanded both awe and wariness. As he finished speaking, he casually raised the cigarette to his lips. Watching him, Mai Xijun felt her heart seize, a sharp, tearing pain.