However, in the next second, another hand intercepted it, stopping it mid-air.

  Shen Shiyan frowned at the newcomer, his tone unfriendly. “You?”

  Su Yumian murmured, “Professor Shao, why are you…”

  At that moment, she almost choked up.

  Shao Wenbai’s gaze fell on her face. “Are you okay?”

  Su Yumian nodded. “Mm.” But her voice was thick with emotion.

  Not okay at all.

  Shao Wenbai said, “My car is just here. I’ll take you home?”

  “Okay, sorry for the trouble.”

  Shao Wenbai put an arm around her, ready to leave. Su Yumian felt like a small stone hanging off a cliff, about to fall at any moment. It wasn’t until Shao Wenbai appeared that she finally felt steady.

  “Professor Shao, why are you here?”

  There was a high-end hotel next to the estate. He had come for an academic conference and had stepped out for some air during a break—only to stumble upon this scene.

  “I had something to do.”

  “Wait—” Shen Shiyan caught up to them. “Shao Wenbai, are you in the wrong pce? The academic conference is next door. This is my private estate.”

  Shao Wenbai paused, and Su Yumian also stopped.

  Shen Shiyan said, “She’s my guest. I’ll see her off myself. No need to trouble you, Professor Shao.”

  Shao Wenbai turned around, his gaze cool. “Did you ask the guest what she wants?”

  Su Yumian immediately spoke up. “I’m leaving with Professor Shao.”

  Shen Shiyan was momentarily speechless. “Yumian…”

  Shao Wenbai said, “Let’s go.”

  Su Yumian nodded.

  “Stop right there!”

  Jiang Yihuai could no longer hold it in, watching Su Yumian entangled with two men.

  “Su Yumian, where do you think you’re going?”

  “Home.”

  “Heh… More like to this man’s home, right?” Jiang Yihuai sneered and pointed at Shao Wenbai.

  “You’re really something, huh? Can’t live without a man?”

  “Did you start cheating on me even before we broke up? Su Yumian, you’re unbelievable!”

  “No wonder you left so easily. Turns out you already had a backup? Even going after someone from my own circle—you’re disgusting!”

  Blinded by rage, Jiang Yihuai lost all reason. Right now, all he wanted was to humiliate this ungrateful, fickle woman in the worst way possible.

  Then, he turned to Shen Shiyan and Shao Wenbai. “Is a used shoe really that valuable? Worth fighting over?”

  “She’s not even worth it.”

  Su Yumian trembled uncontrolbly. His words were like knives, cutting into her heart, bleeding it dry. So this is what it feels like to be numb from pain.

  Her reddened eyes locked onto Jiang Yihuai’s twisted expression. Her teeth clenched, the coldness seeping into her bones. In that instant, she felt nothing.

  Shao Wenbai’s brows furrowed deeply. The woman’s frail figure trembled in the cold wind, as if a slight push would make her colpse.

  “I thought that after six years, at the very least, our feelings were real.”

  Her hoarse voice carried a sob, her lips curling into a self-mocking smile. “Turns out I was wrong from the start. One wrong step, and every step after was a mistake, leading to ruin…”

  Jiang Yihuai stiffened at the sight of her pale face, her red, tear-filled eyes, and the silent tears rolling down. It was like a heavy blow to the head—his chest tightened painfully.

  He opened his mouth, wanting to reach out, but no words came out.

  After a long silence, he rasped, “Why?”

  He turned his furious gaze to Shen Shiyan, voice rising. “I’m asking you, why?! You knew she was my woman. Why did you do this?!”

  Shen Shiyan remained calm. “Didn’t I ask you before? You were the one who told me to pursue her. So what exactly are you upset about now?” Jiang Yihuai recalled their past group chat conversation—his face turned deathly pale.

  Su Yumian trembled even harder, on the verge of colpse. Shao Wenbai caught her just in time. “I’m taking you away.”

  Shen Shiyan narrowed his eyes and blocked him. “Where do you think you’re taking her? Don’t forget—this pce belongs to me. You don’t come and go as you please.”

  Jiang Yihuai seemed to realize something, his eyes turning predatory, fury surging in them.

  Shao Wenbai remained calm. His usually gentle, harmless eyes now carried a sharp and dangerous edge.

  “The New Asia Hotel academic conference was hosted by Chairman Shao of Ninghai. The conference is ending soon, and he attended today. If I call him now, he’ll be here in two minutes.

  “If you don’t want the nonsense happening here to reach the ears of the Shen and Jiang family elders, you’d better know when to stop.”

  The Shao family’s power and influence in the capital were far beyond what the Shen or Jiang families could contend with.

  And now, Shao Wenbai had directly brought up their family elders…

  Shen Shiyan hesitated for two seconds.

  Jiang Yihuai frowned deeply.

  “Also,” Shao Wenbai continued, “if I remember correctly, the Shao and Jiang families have business ties. If this situation causes a rift, you won’t be the only one suffering the consequences.”

  His tone was steady, but the warning was crystal clear. Both Shen Shiyan and Jiang Yihuai felt the weight of it. Shao Wenbai didn’t care about their reactions and spoke pinly. “Step aside.”

  Jiang Yihuai stayed silent, his face dark.

  Shen Shiyan narrowed his eyes but eventually stepped aside, allowing Shao Wenbai to take Su Yumian away.

  “Damn it!” Jiang Yihuai kicked a stone in frustration, his chest about to explode from rage!

  Cheng Zhou and Gu Yizhou, having witnessed everything, exchanged gnces but didn’t dare speak.

  Shen Shiyan picked up his coat and turned to leave. Jiang Yihuai watched his departing figure, his gaze dark and stormy.

  Shi Muxi hesitantly approached and held onto his arm. “Huai-ge…”

  “Get lost!”

  —

  On the way back, rain started to fall.

  Raindrops hit the car window, trailing down in long, thin streams. The wind howled nonstop. Su Yumian stared bnkly out the window, feeling like a hole had been torn in her heart. She was shaking uncontrolbly.

  Suddenly, a warm coat was gently draped over her shoulders. A familiar woody scent filled her nose—Shao Wenbai’s scent.

  Her tightly held emotions finally broke. Tears silently fell. Shao Wenbai heard her quiet sobs, and his heart ached. He signaled the driver to pull over, raised the partition, and let her cry.

  A long while passed before Su Yumian finally calmed down. Thinking about what had just happened, she clenched her fingers. “That… must’ve been embarrassing…”

  Shao Wenbai said seriously, “You don’t need to take those disgusting words to heart.”

  “People’s judgments are often biased. Some only speak to vent their anger.”

  “The only way to truly know someone is through experience. And to me, you are an exceptional person.”

  “So don’t punish yourself for other people’s mistakes, okay?”

  His voice was warm, and his gaze sincere. Because of his words, Su Yumian’s tears slowly stopped. She looked up, meeting his eyes.