Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
A hush fell over the room.
All words had failed Sis Ke.
She was fully aware of the serious consequences of An Xiaxia identifying herself as a sasaeng fan.
The public would forget about her after a while if she was lucky. Otherwise, they would dig up everything about her and expose her real identity. She would end up living in that shadow for the rest of her life.
In order to protect one person, she had to ruin another. Lu Ke had made that happen more times than she could count and she had been iron-hearted enough to rationalize all of them.
However, this time, she was speechless at the question of a 16-year-old.
“Xiaxia, don’t you like Yize?” Sis Ke managed to force out a smile.
An Xiaxia bit her lip. “I… I don’t know. Sis Ke, could you give me some time to think about it…”
She didn’t want to lie, but she didn’t want anything to happen to Sheng Yize, either.
Her life was only just beginning. Was it going to end like this now?
An Xiaxia rose to her feet, bowed to Sis Ke with tears welling up in her eyes, and headed upstairs.
Sis Ke sighed, pitying the girl despite herself.
An Xiaxia went up the stairs and found He Jiayu on the landing.
He rubbed his nose and said embarrassedly, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to listen in.”
An Xiaxia shook her head and the tears began to roll down her cheeks. She wiped them away with her sleeve immediately.
He Jiayu gently passed her a handkerchief.
An Xiaxia took it, looking a little stiff. Her little face then looked up and she said, “He Jiayu, I don’t know what to do… I don’t want to ruin Sheng Yize. I’m sorry… so sorry… I really don’t know… I can’t think…”
“Don’t cry. It’s not your fault.” He Jiayu comforted her in a mild voice. He had planned to stop Sis Ke as soon as he had overheard the conversation.
He knew Sheng Yize’s feelings for An Xiaxia too well. Even if An Xiaxia agreed with the idea, Sheng Yize would still make a hell of a scene.
“Go take a shower and have a good sleep, like nothing happened. When you wake up again, everything will be gone. Yize and the rest of us are here for you.” He Jiayu rubbed An Xiaxia’s hair as if he was the big brother from next door. An Xiaxia nodded and stumbled back to her room.
He Jiayu went back to the third floor and saw Sheng Yize making a phone call.
“Find out who did it and let me know.”
“…”
The knot between his eyebrows loosened a little after hanging up. He Jiayu asked, “You got it under control? Who did you go to?”
Sheng Yize smiled wryly. “Gu Zichen.”
“I thought so.” He Jiayu smiled and said, “Xiaxia is not doing well… She was crying. And Sis Ke asked her to admit she was a sasaeng fan… and that she forced herself on you…”
Sheng Yize frowned again and cursed under his breath. “That little idiot!”
“Listen to me. If you really like her, tell her and take her out in the open. Don’t sneak around as if it’s some unspeakable thing.” He Jiayu sounded resigned, at which Sheng Yize replied with a dark face, “I don’t want to make her do anything she doesn’t want.”
“You’re weren’t… rejected, were you?” He Jiayu speculated.
Sheng Yize chose to keep silent and avoid the question.
Heavy footsteps came up the stairs and someone else arrived with a dark face. With an expressionless face, he said, “Sheng Yize, do you know how many years you can get for committing an indecent act? What about sexual harassment? Abducting a minor? Which one do you want, the court or the police station?”
Such piercing words could only come from none other than An Yibei.
Sheng Yize sounded apologetic. “I’ll make it go away as soon as possible.”
An Yibei snorted, his overbearing manner saying, “I’m having your head on a platter if not.”
Chi Yuanfeng suddenly rushed out of his room holding his phone. “Wow, all of the news on Xiaxia and Brother Yize are gone!”