“How does that saying go? Ah, right—life is impermanent, fortune and misfortune are intertwined. When I was at my lowest point, Shi Youwan pulled me out of it, and I was very grateful to her, so I shamelessly insisted on being her friend. When you met her, you were probably at some low point in your life too, right? I believe she must have pulled you out of it as well, which is why you stuck with her devotedly for two years and even fell in love with her.”
“But reality is that life doesn’t have just one low point on the road. You met Shi Youwan at your previous one, and Shen Muxi at the next. Who says that’s not a form of salvation?”
Salvation?
It was the first time Chi Yumo had placed the word “salvation” into her own life.
Shi Youwan’s appearance, Shen Muxi’s appearance… were they salvation arranged by heaven for her?
“Miss Chi,” Yin Man stared intently at the distracted Chi Yumo and knocked on the table. “If you’re still hung up on the ‘impending engagement’ between her and me from a year ago, I’ve given you the most honest explanation. I know it hurt you deeply, and it’s not like my words alone will make you believe me. You’re a smart person; you’ll make your own judgment.”
“In this unequal relationship, you undoubtedly suffered more hurt than her, but she didn’t suffer any less. Even if it’s karma she brought on herself, it’s real karma—no faking it.”
“I don’t understand your feelings for each other, and I can’t intervene. Whether you forgive her or not is up to you.”
“What I want to say is about the compensation I owe you. You’re a person with backbone, the person my friend likes, so I naturally won’t threaten you or insult you with money. That’s why I’m sincerely asking for your thoughts. As compensation, what do you want? Don’t feel resistant about it—this is what the one at fault should offer. You can accept it with a clear conscience. And don’t be so rigid; material desires and carnal desires are both desires. Loving people, loving money, loving things—it’s all human nature.”
After hearing Yin Man’s “compensation” plan, Chi Yumo shook her head solemnly.
Shi Youwan had apologized to her many times already and said she wanted to make it up to her. Her ears were practically calloused from hearing it.
She didn’t need these meaningless things.
“Shaking your head—what does that mean? You want nothing?”
Chi Yumo nodded.
“That makes things tricky. But I get it; you probably don’t lack for anything now. Then how about I apologize to you and say I’m sorry?”
【…】
“I’m here today practically walking into the lion’s den.” Yin Man pulled out another cigarette as she spoke. “If you won’t let me compensate you somehow, my heart really feels uneasy.”
With a click, the lighter’s flame leaped up merrily.
Before Yin Man could continue or even touch the flame to the cigarette, the wooden door was pulled open from outside.
It was Shi Youwan.
When Yin Man drank her second cup of tea, Chi Yumo had already heard the footsteps.
“Xiao Mo.”
Shi Youwan’s attention was solely on Chi Yumo. She walked in, confirmed that she was fine, then glanced indifferently at Yin Man on the other side.
Yin Man extinguished the flame, leaned back with the cigarette between her fingers, and smiled lazily. “Just having afternoon tea, all calm and peaceful.”
—【Since you don’t have time to introduce us, I’ll have to make the acquaintance myself.】
Upon arriving at the teahouse, Yin Man had sent Shi Youwan a message like that, along with the address and private room number, then set her phone to silent.
Shi Youwan arrived faster than she had expected. How much must she care, how much must she like her? She was treating Yin Man like air.
She pointed vaguely into the air. “This tea’s not bad—want to try some?”
Shi Youwan didn’t answer or sit down. She looked tenderly at Chi Yumo and asked, “Do you want more?”
Chi Yumo shook her head.
“Shall we go?”
Chi Yumo nodded.
The smile at the corner of Shi Youwan’s lips deepened. She subconsciously raised her hand but only lifted it a few centimeters before letting it drop.
How could Xiao Mo hold hands with her? She was getting carried away again.
The sound of the chair scraping the floor rang out and stopped. Chi Yumo slung her bag over her shoulder with her left hand and nodded apologetically to Yin Man across the table—a farewell of sorts.
Shi Youwan looked at Yin Man again, but the words “We’ll be going first” on the tip of her tongue were pulled back by a warm hand.
She lowered her head and stared dazedly at the two hands clasped together.
Xiao Mo had taken the initiative to hold her hand—not an angry tug on the wrist, but palm to palm, pressed tightly against her own palm.
Seeing Shi Youwan lost in a daze, Chi Yumo wiggled her fingers and gripped tighter.
Her assessment was accurate—Shi Youwan’s hand had gotten even thinner. Her knuckles were already slender and even, with little flesh, and now they felt even more bony than before.
Feeling the pressure from Chi Yumo, as well as the real touch and warmth transmitted from their palms, Shi Youwan immediately gripped back, her heart surging with excitement. Without saying goodbye to Yin Man, she pulled the person out of the private room.
The clasped hand transformed into an invisible net of heaven and earth, taking root upon landing and expanding outward circle by circle from their joined palms, trapping her beloved securely.
At the same time, it planted a sense of stability in the older Omega’s heart—this little Alpha was hers again.
The woman left behind in the private room lit the cigarette between her fingers expressionlessly.
She inhaled urgently, one drag after another, swallowing the swirling thick fog and exhaling it, until she had smoked more than half and finally stubbed it out with a bitter, relieved smile.
Before coming, she had prepared herself to anger Shi Youwan and face the cold shoulder for a long time. But compared to Shi Youwan’s happiness, losing shares, her hidden illness being exposed, her dignity swept away, or even going bankrupt—none of it mattered.
Some things could be fought for or snatched if unobtainable; even destroying them wasn’t a big deal. But some things couldn’t be fought for or snatched.
Because that was the faith she would rather destroy herself than destroy.
The faith that had supported her until today.
She had worked so desperately to establish herself in the Yin Family, to make a name in Jinhuai—it seemed for herself, but also just to prove to Shi Youwan that she hadn’t “pulled the wrong person” back then.
She had stood up.
The her who wasn’t expected by her family had rallied again with Shi Youwan’s expectations.
Even if that “expectation” was perhaps just her own “delusion.” But what did it matter?
The key was that she had stood up.
…
The teahouse was on the third floor, and the car was parked in the underground garage.
Shi Youwan wanted time to pass more slowly, so she bypassed the elevator and led Chi Yumo toward the stairs.
Chi Yumo thought they had parked on the surface lot when they arrived, so she obediently followed. Only when they reached the first floor did she realize they could have taken the elevator.
But now that they were on the first floor, Shi Youwan showed no sign of heading outside.
Continuing down the stairs would lead to a place no passerby would reach; the surroundings were so quiet that only the click of Shi Youwan’s high heels echoed.
Shi Youwan suddenly stopped, turned to her, and whispered with affectionate eyes, “Xiao Mo, I’m sorry. If Yin Man said anything excessive to you just now, I apologize. But my apology isn’t to defend her—I’m apologizing because I didn’t protect you well.”
She had clearly emphasized to Yin Man at the restaurant not to try bypassing her to talk to Xiao Mo.
Why wouldn’t she listen?
In the silent environment, the two gazed at each other wordlessly for a moment before Chi Yumo shook her head.
She was a bit jealous of Yin Man, but far from hating her.
Moreover, Yin Man’s words sounded reasonable to her rational mind and weren’t insulting at all.
Thus, she didn’t want to be petty, didn’t want to tattle behind her back and get Yin Man “wrongly accused” by Shi Youwan, straining their friendship.
After a long silence, the motion-sensor light went out.
In the instant the light vanished, Chi Yumo instinctively tightened her grip on the hand she held. Almost simultaneously, with the sound of high heels touching down, the light came back on.
A trace of regret appeared in Shi Youwan’s eyes. Without waiting to clarify the situation, she pulled Chi Yumo to continue downward.
But Chi Yumo’s strength forced her to stop. She turned her head. “Xiao Mo?”
It was best to clear things up right away. Chi Yumo took out her phone with one hand and typed: 【Miss Yin didn’t make things difficult for me or say anything excessive. She just explained that your engagement was a misunderstanding, just like you said yesterday.】
“Mm, with this matter, I handled it poorly. I’m sorry to both you and her.”
Shi Youwan carefully studied Chi Yumo and, seeing her calm expression, felt somewhat relieved.
“Xiao Mo, Yin Man… she’s not a bad person by nature, nor as arrogant and overbearing as the rumors say.”
—What if I said that my marriage alliance with Yin Man was just in name only? I won’t have any intimate relations with her beyond friendship, nor will I let her mark me.
Chi Yumo hadn’t forgotten that on that day, Shi Youwan had revealed half the truth about her so-called “engagement” with Yin Man.
If time could really turn back to that night and Shi Youwan had also told her about Yin Man’s hidden illness, would she have been less furious? Would she have chosen to “stay”?
Fortunately, hypotheticals didn’t hold.
A hidden illness—unless Yin Man spoke of it herself, Shi Youwan would never expose someone else’s scars for personal gain. Especially not for someone she valued as a friend.
On the night she fled the Old Mansion, when she got home later, she had considered another hypothetical.
If it were her, under some pressure or for some reason, needing a nominal “marriage alliance,” what would she do?
She wouldn’t let herself be controlled.
She wouldn’t enter a marriage alliance.
Like the line Yin Man had relayed: She wanted to love Shi Youwan purely and cleanly.
But they were different after all.
After all, how could she compare to Shi Youwan?
Shi Youwan’s interests affected the family and the group; her own interests only concerned herself.
She could only imagine how heavy and vast the burdens on Shi Youwan were—she couldn’t truly put herself in her shoes.
Before the light went out again, Chi Yumo lifted her foot.
They walked hand in hand to the business car, where Qiao Ke stepped out from the passenger seat holding a laptop. “President Shi, everyone’s in position. Do we need to delay further?”
Seeing the two holding hands, she really didn’t want to be a buzzkill, but the executives from all the national branches were waiting for President Shi alone, and the meeting had already been postponed fifteen minutes.
Shi Youwan pondered with furrowed brows, her grip on the hand unmoving, afraid that if she let go, her Alpha would find an excuse to run again.
Chi Yumo had gripped tighter on the way out; now Shi Youwan gripped tighter.
After receiving Qiao Ke’s pleading glance, Chi Yumo loosened her right hand slightly—no, her left hand with the phone: 【I’m not leaving. You go ahead with the meeting.】
She pointed at the car.
Seeming convinced Chi Yumo wouldn’t run, Shi Youwan curved her lips. “Okay.”
Their hands parted. Chi Yumo got into the car first, sitting behind the driver’s seat. Shi Youwan followed.
Qiao Ke set up the in-car equipment, placed the laptop on the fold-out desk, and returned to the passenger seat.
The door closed. Shi Youwan clicked to start the video conference, and Chi Yumo put on her headphones to listen to music.
Her phone vibrated—a text from Qiao Ke: 【Thank you.】
She replied looking down: 【No trouble.】
Qiao Ke had never hurt her; in fact, during those two years, she had even offered her some warm concern.
In the days after their reunion, Qiao Ke had said many things to her to explain the misunderstandings and had bluntly revealed certain “truths.” But it was all just an attempt to use Shi Youwan’s “good” to maximally offset Shi Youwan’s “wrongs.”
She harbored no hatred even toward Shi Youwan, so how could she possibly hate Qiao Ke?
Although it was a day late, she still voiced her true feelings, unintentionally making Qiao Ke think she was annoyed with her.
—【I believe you.】
—【Not annoyed.】
Qiao Ke felt ashamed.
Times had changed, but Chi Yumo remained the same pure and kind girl from back then. Despite enduring so much grievance and pain, she held no resentment and kept an open heart.
But they had all turned around to accuse the girl of being “not magnanimous.”
Qiao Ke felt a surge of emotions but could only reply: 【Thank you.】
Meanwhile, in Chi Yumo’s inbox, there was an even earlier message from Yin Man: 【Telling you about my illness when we met today wasn’t dodging the issue or seeking sympathy. It’s because I believe Shi Youwan wouldn’t love or trust the wrong person. We’re just friends. No need to feel jealous over a friend.】
Chi Yumo replied politely: 【Just trust her.】
Of course, she wouldn’t breathe a word of Yin Man’s hidden illness to anyone else. She would let it rot in her own stomach.
