"Xiao Qi, you..." He Yining didn't understand why Shen Qi was suddenly crying so despairingly.
What exactly had happened?
Before He Yining could ask, Shen Qi had already spoken: "Before you came just now, were you with Cui Yuelan? Don't lie to me, I want the truth!"
He Yining silently nodded.
Shen Qi's heart ached even more intensely.
"Second question, was that bite on your neck from her?" Shen Qi pressed.
"Yes, but it's not what you think..." He Yining tried to explain, but Shen Qi cut him off sharply: "I don't want to think about anything else, I just want to hear yes or no!"
"Yes." He Yining's phoenix eyes dropped low.
"Third question, did that bite mark happen in her hotel room?" Shen Qi posed the final question.
"Yes." A trace of helplessness flickered in He Yining's eyes.
"Alright, I'm done asking." Shen Qi could no longer control her tears, speaking almost word by word: "He Yining, why bother?"
"Xiao Qi, let me explain." He Yining's words were interrupted again by Shen Qi.
"Please call me Shen Qi." Shen Qi replied with a detached tone: "I have a name and a surname. I am Shen Qi."
"Fine, Shen Qi. Although I don't deny those three questions, there really is nothing between me and Lan Lan." He Yining was starting to get angry too.
Shen Qi didn't believe him!
She actually didn't believe him!
Shen Qi shook her head tearfully: "He Yining, when you say things like that, do you mean them from your heart? I won't ask about anything else, just one thing. If your parents oppose us being together, would you give up on me?"
He Yining was momentarily stumped.
The men of the He family were taught loyalty, filial piety, propriety, and righteousness from childhood.
He was no exception.
But he was serious about Shen Qi.
More serious than he'd ever been about anything.
Seeing He Yining's expression, Shen Qi knew there was no need to ask anything more.
Enough. Everything was enough!
Shen Qi could no longer hold back her tears. She silently turned and walked away, despondent.
He Yining, I wish you well.
Let it end like this.
Let it end.
Watching Shen Qi's retreating figure, He Yining felt a sharp pain in his heart.
He strode forward and grabbed Shen Qi's wrist: "Xiao Qi..."
"He Yining, don't say anything more." Shen Qi sobbed. "You have your difficulties, I have my convictions. Us being together was a mistake from the start. It's not too late to correct it now. You all are a happy family; I'm just an irrelevant passerby. I've merely stumbled into a paradise by mistake, and the wrong path has to be walked back step by step. I'll be waiting for your divorce papers anytime."
Shen Qi pried He Yining's hand away, each step accompanied by tears.
Tears soaked her clothes.
He Yining wanted to rush over again, but suddenly Cui Yuelan dashed out from the side, threw her arms around He Yining, and cried even louder than Shen Qi: "Yining-ge, it's all my fault! When I was washing my hands earlier, I accidentally let her see our selfies from the hotel! Yining-ge, I was wrong! I shouldn't have kept those photos on my phone!"
He Yining was about to push Cui Yuelan away, but she was holding on tightly. If he really tried to push her off, he might hurt her.
Helpless, He Yining could only stand there.
Cui Yuelan clung to him, sobbing and apologizing nonstop, making it impossible for him to go after Shen Qi.
All he could do was watch Shen Qi's solitary figure walking away—so lonely, so desolate, so... fragile.
Seeing that her goal was achieved, Cui Yuelan pretended to faint from crying too hard, collapsing into He Yining's arms.
Startled, He Yining quickly picked her up and rushed to the hospital.
Shen Qi walked out of the restaurant with tears streaming down her face. Before she had gone far, a fierce wind kicked up.
Pedestrians hurried past.
Shen Qi stood on the street corner, looking up at the sky.
Through tear-filled eyes, dark clouds rolled in like thunder.
Was it going to rain?
God, are you crying for my love too?
Do you also think I'm laughably foolish?
Falling for a man I shouldn't have—is this what I deserve for being slapped in the face like this?
People really shouldn't be too greedy.
Greed brings retribution.
Look, here it comes.
A clap of thunder, and raindrops the size of beans began to fall, crackling down.
Shen Qi felt the chill of the rain, mingling with her tears, soaking her entire body.
She didn't take shelter.
If she was destined to cry all these tears, then let her cry freely under the cover of the rain.
At least, with the rain hiding her, no one would see how pathetic she looked.
Let this rain be her last shred of dignity.
Let it preserve the final trace of pride she had left.
She didn't know how long she had been crying when an umbrella appeared over her head.
Shen Qi slowly looked up. Under the umbrella, Feng Manlun's face seemed so hazy in the rain.
Shen Qi stared at him, utterly disheveled.
Feng Manlun looked down at her.
Neither of them spoke.
Shen Qi just stood there, crying without restraint.
Feng Manlun stayed with her in the rain, watching her weep as if her heart were breaking.
Finally, Shen Qi's tears ran dry. Her eyes red and swollen, she looked at Feng Manlun, her voice hoarse: "Sorry you had to see this."
"Let's go back." Feng Manlun only said those three words.
Go back? Where could she go?
She had nowhere left to go.
Just now, she had severed the last thread binding her to He Yining.
Shen Qi knew how pathetic she looked right now, but she had no choice.
She didn't know a single person in M City.
In this strange, unfamiliar place, she had no one to rely on.
Feng Manlun was only her senior, but right now, he was the only one she could turn to for help.
"Senior, I've already packed everything. Could you trouble me to go back and bring my luggage out?" Shen Qi said hoarsely. "I want to join the team tonight."
Feng Manlun gave her a deep look. "Alright. I'll help you."
Shen Qi nodded weakly.
Feng Manlun put his arm around her shoulder.
Her skin was icy cold.
How long had this silly girl been standing in the rain crying?
She was adorably foolish.
Feng Manlun drove Shen Qi back to the villa. He got out, but Shen Qi stayed in the car.
Like an ostrich, she sealed herself off in a lonely, safe world, ignoring the wind and rain outside, seeking only a moment of peace.
As Feng Manlun was about to leave with Shen Qi's luggage, He Yining blocked him: "Where's Xiao Qi?"
"She doesn't want to see you." Feng Manlun said calmly. "You know what you did."
He Yining felt a pang of regret.
If he had known Shen Qi would misunderstand so deeply, he would have chased after her no matter what...
Feng Manlun left with the luggage. Wen Yibo walked out of the room, wine glass in hand. "Xiao Qi's luggage is gone?"
He Yining turned to look at him. "Yibo, if this happened to you, what would you do?"
"Definitely not be as stupid as you." Wen Yibo commented bluntly.
He Yining's phoenix eyes flickered. Though he was domineering in the outside world, he could still take advice from his close friends.
"I was wrong?" He Yining asked Wen Yining.
Wen Yibo sighed.
As a playboy, how could he explain a woman's fickle and unpredictable heart to a man with an old-school mindset?
Fan Sheng and Fan Li also came out of the room, looking helpless.
He Yining's IQ could crush a crowd, but his EQ was truly touching.
"Yining, you'll understand sooner or later." Wen Yibo patted him on the shoulder. "It's good to have some time apart. Think carefully about what's in your heart."
"Do I even need to think about that? I'm serious about Xiao Qi." He Yining said very earnestly to his three friends.
The three of them shook their heads helplessly at the same time.
"If you're serious about Xiao Qi, then why did you make her sad over Cui Yuelan?" Wen Yibo countered.
"They're different! Lan Lan is just a sister!" He Yining insisted.
Wen Yibo pointed at He Yining's neck. "Does any sister have the nerve to bite you there?"
Fan Sheng and Fan Li shook their heads in unison.
Wen Yibo pointed at himself. "I have a sister too. Does she bite me like that every day? You, He Yining, are the only direct heir, but don't forget, there are female cousins in the collateral branches. Do they bite their brothers like that?"
Wen Yibo's words hit the mark.
Fan Sheng and Fan Li said in unison: "Yining, Xiao Qi isn't upset because you defended Cui Yuelan. She thinks you and Cui Yuelan aren't siblings at all—you're lovers!"
"What!" He Yining nearly jumped in shock. "How is that possible?"
Wen Yibo exchanged glances with Fan Sheng and Fan Li, then sighed and shook their heads helplessly.
No wonder Xiao Qi was so heartbroken.
Any woman would find that hard to accept.
When Shen Qi saw Feng Manlun bring her things out of the villa, the light in her eyes went out.
He must be in the villa right now, right?
But he hadn't made any attempt to stop her.
Forget it. Forget it.
His attitude was clear enough.
From now on, she would go back to being the old Shen Qi, wrapping herself in a thick layer of thorns.
Never again would she open her heart easily, never let anyone into her soul.
If you don't love, you won't get hurt.
Feng Manlun drove Shen Qi to her destination.
Shen Qi curled up in her seat like an abandoned pet, helpless and lost.
Feng Manlun's heart ached for her. He couldn't help but say, "Living with Cui Yuelan will probably cause a lot of conflict. Why don't you switch rooms with someone else?"
Shen Qi replied in a low voice, "No one will want to switch with me."
"Leave this to me." Feng Manlun sighed.
He hadn't planned to get involved.
But for Shen Qi, he made an exception once again.
True to his reputation as the young master of H Province, Feng Manlun made a few calls, and soon someone volunteered to switch rooms with Shen Qi.
When Shen Qi carried her luggage to report to the competition task group, her room had already been reassigned to the one next door.
After completing the formalities, Shen Qi only said a brief thank you to Feng Manlun before picking up her luggage and heading to her new room.