Chapter 157

Chapter 157

Perhaps Yun Meilan did love Yun Li, but that kind of love was suffocating.

In the name of love, she had wounded her the deepest.

Since childhood, being doubted again and again, having her joy dampened again and again, never being recognized again and again-it had worn away Yun Li’s love for her mother.

And now, all she wanted was to break free from those shackles and be brave for herself, just this once.

Yun Meilan stood frozen in place, clutching her chest as she sobbed. Yun Li sniffled, then quickly went into her bedroom and locked the door.

She didn’t turn on the light. Leaning back against the door, she covered her mouth and nose as a choked sob escaped her. Her legs gave out, and she slowly slid down, crouching awkwardly on the floor.

The crying in the living room grew louder and louder, mixed with Yun Meilan’s remorseful apologies.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry…”

“Mom didn’t know. Mom really didn’t know…”

The phone in her bag began to ring. Yun Li wiped away her tears, not wanting to keep the caller waiting. She gathered herself and pressed answer.

Jiang Baichuan’s clear voice passed through the device and flowed softly into Yun Li’s ear. “Are you in the living room?”

Nearly twenty minutes had passed since Yun Li had gone upstairs. Jiang Baichuan hadn’t seen the light in her bedroom turn on, and he had begun to worry that Yun Meilan was pressuring her again.

Realizing Jiang Baichuan was still downstairs, Yun Li’s lashes trembled. The moment she opened her mouth, a sob slipped out.

“Yun Li?” The instant he sensed something was wrong, Jiang Baichuan pushed open the car door and got out. “Did you argue?”

“Mm.” Yun Li answered. After a moment, she shook her head and said, “No. Not really.”

“I’ll come up to see you.” There was access control downstairs, and Jiang Baichuan couldn’t get in. He asked her, “What’s your apartment number? Open the door for me.”

Yun Li stood up, switched on the bedroom light, and ran to the window. “Next time, okay? I’m fine. Really.”

“Jiang Baichuan, get back in the car. I’ll watch you leave.” She opened the window, and wind rushed in from every direction. Yun Li faced it and shivered from the cold. When she looked up again, Jiang Baichuan had his phone pressed to his ear and was walking backward, looking up at her.

Two pairs of bright eyes met in the darkness.

“Okay. I’ll listen to you. Next time.” Jiang Baichuan agreed, knowing full well that before Yun Meilan changed her opinion of him, his involvement would only make things worse.

Yun Li’s voice was still thick with tears. “Jiang Baichuan, you’re so good to me.”

“Mm. If you can’t resolve it, tell me.” Jiang Baichuan’s eyes were clear and bright. “Yun Li, don’t forget that you have me by your side.”

Yun Li had said she wanted to resolve things between her and Yun Meilan on her own. He had agreed-but only on the condition that Yun Li wouldn’t get hurt again.

He allowed her to be strong, but he couldn’t bear to see her wronged.

“Okay,” Yun Li replied softly. “Hurry back.”

The call stayed connected. She watched Jiang Baichuan get into the car, watched him turn the car around. The wind blew against her, leaving her unusually clear-headed. She watched the car disappear into the distance, then slowly parted her lips. “Jiang Baichuan, thank you for loving me.”

–

The weather in Beicheng changed at the drop of a hat. After staying clear through the New Year, the city had welcomed several rainy days. Mist and moisture wove together in the early morning, and the fresh batch of flowers newly delivered to Jinzhi Flower Shop held dewdrops as their buds waited to bloom.

Flowers that blossomed in winter were magnificent and dazzling, ardent and unrestrained.

Xia Wanzhi knew about what had happened the previous night, so when she came over that morning, she brought two boiled eggs for Yun Li to press against her eyes and reduce the swelling.

Yun Li peeled off the eggshell and stuffed the whole egg into her mouth.

Xia Wanzhi: “…”

“I specifically asked my husband to boil a few extra so you could use them on your eyes.” Seeing Yun Li nearly choke to death, Xia Wanzhi quickly got up and poured her a glass of water.

After Yun Li swallowed the dry, crumbly egg, it took her a while before she could speak. “That was thoughtful. Thank your husband for me.”

Xia Wanzhi clicked her tongue, laughed, and slapped the table lightly. Then, feeling sorry for her, she cupped Yun Li’s face. “How long did you cry? Your eyes are swollen like this.”

Yun Li smiled. “That’s just how my body is. I’m fine. At least we finally talked things out.”

At the very least, Yun Meilan would no longer strongly object to her being with Jiang Baichuan.

“By the way, I heard your husband accepted an interview for a financial news piece?” Yun Li sat up straight and directly pulled Xia Wanzhi’s chair over to face her, wearing an expression that screamed she was ready for gossip. “Tell me. What happened to make Xie Qiyan suddenly see the light and actually agree to appear publicly for an interview?”

Xia Wanzhi scratched her cheek and smiled helplessly. “Wasn’t it because a few days ago, some netizens were telling me to enter the entertainment industry and saying Qi Shi and I had couple chemistry?”

And so Xie Qiyan had felt upset, gotten jealous, exploded, and been possessed by the King of Hell.

He accepted an interview and showed his face in public for one reason only: to stake his claim.

He wanted those blind netizens to take a good look and see that in this entire world, only he and his wife had the most couple chemistry.

All other men could-and absolutely must-step aside.

Yun Li applauded. “Wow!”

At the same time, in the president’s office on the top floor of Xie Corporation, Xie Qiyan sat upright, expressionless as he watched the reporters from Wenda Media adjust the filming and recording equipment.

“Are you done?” Yu Fei urged. Seeing the young reporter beside him jump at his sudden voice, he couldn’t help laughing. “Dear reporters, no need to be nervous. Our President Xie doesn’t eat people.”

If he ate anyone, it would be his wife.

Huo Yang shot him a sideways look.

Did he not want his bonus this month?

Yu Fei rubbed his nose and shut his mouth sheepishly.

When they reached the question-and-answer portion of the interview, he couldn’t resist reminding him, “President Xie, this interview is going to be released to the entire world, so you…”

Could you give them just a little face and answer with a few more words?

But he didn’t dare say that out loud. He silently swallowed the rest and squeezed out a smile, hoping his boss would understand.

The interview officially began. Following procedure, the reporter in charge of the interview asked the first question: why had Xie Qiyan chosen Wenda Media?

Perhaps, in their eyes, this was a warm-up question.

Or perhaps, because Xie Qiyan had chosen Wenda out of all the many media outlets, they had gotten so full of themselves that they had forgotten what kind of person Xie Qiyan was rumored to be.

Xie Qiyan didn’t answer. His gaze lifted slightly, and the sharpness in his eyes made people shudder.

Huo Yang reminded them from the side, “Next question.”

Yu Fei added, “You at Wenda should know how to edit the interview video.”