Xie Jiangsheng watched her eyes well up, but he was too accustomed to his pride to bow twice in quick succession.
He stood there, frozen, as if waiting for Shen Yue to fall into his arms.
She remained gentle, gazing at him quietly, her dark, moist eyes carrying a faint sparkle.
It was as if in the next moment, she would reveal a helpless yet tender smile and call him, "Mr. Xie..." in her soft, soothing voice.
But then she said nothing, turned, and walked downstairs. Xie Jiangsheng followed her, unthinking, his limbs seemingly beyond his control.
His tall shadow trailed behind Shen Yue, silent and pervasive, clinging to her. The moonlight stretched their shadows incredibly long. Xie Jiangsheng stepped on Shen Yue's shadow, as if reaching out to touch her.
Their shadows overlapped, intimately entwined as if they were one.
Shen Yue stopped, and he stopped with her.
He fidgeted, his fingertips curling uncertainly.
She turned her head, revealing half of her fair, exquisite profile. Her long, thick lashes drooped, casting shadows on her pale face. Her vibrant lips were pressed tightly together.
Shen Yue had been very vain in the past; she loved money, but she loved the man before her even more.
The current Shen Yue understood nothing and wanted nothing, only a sincere heart.
But in this world, only sincerity was hard to find.
She felt so cheap, like now, looking at Xie Jiangsheng, she still couldn't help but soften.
It hurt.
Her heart ached. She wanted to tell Xie Jiangsheng that she had been bullied, that Lu Jin had bullied her.
But in the end, it was Xie Jiangsheng who had cast her into the abyss of hell, Xie Jiangsheng who had watched her pathetic state from his lofty perch.
Her black hair hung loosely, her pale face serene yet shadowed with gloom.
"Mr. Xie, stop following me."
Xie Jiangsheng's usually impeccably styled hair was disheveled, clinging limply to his forehead. He stared intently at Shen Yue and whispered, "I'm sorry..."
"..."
Seizing the moment Shen Yue was momentarily stunned, Xie Jiangsheng stepped forward, boldly embracing her. He lowered his high nose to her skin, nuzzling it eagerly, his movements revealing a desperate, anxious, and unsettled heart.
He held her tightly, as if wishing they could merge into one.
Shen Yue remained still, her hands rigid at her sides, unsure where to place them.
Yet, even with such a tight embrace, Xie Jiangsheng still felt a lack of fulfillment. His hot breath fanned her ear, almost igniting a fire.
Close to her ear, he pleaded in a very, very small voice.
"Can you… hold me for a moment?"
His deep, magnetic voice revealed a rare trace of vulnerability and helplessness.
Shen Yue did not move, her hands hanging limply at her sides. She felt the frantic pounding of his heart, a rapid beat that suggested nervousness.
She blinked, her eyes filled with an unspeakable bitterness. She unconsciously bit her lip, the slight pain allowing her to maintain composure. A metallic taste of blood filled her mouth.
She did not want to embrace Mr. Xie.
Her Mr. Xie belonged to others; he was someone else's husband, and in the future, he would be someone else's father, with his own family. He did not belong to Shen Yue, so she would not embrace him.
Her long, thick eyelashes drooped. Shen Yue slowly pushed him away, with considerable force. Xie Jiangsheng, standing very close, remained in the posture of being pushed away. A layer of dark, simmering fire seemed to cloud his handsome, refined features.
That night, he had already been rejected many times.