Chapter 332: Chapter 332: Are You a Sincere Person?
"Mr. Shen Yi, I don’t understand what you’re saying. In this matter, my parents and I are victims. If you insist on questioning someone, it should be the perpetrators. Speaking to me in this way—haven’t you considered that it might cause me secondary harm?" Chu Xi said in a trembling voice, full of grievance.
"I’m sorry, I spoke out of turn." Shen Yi gently lowered his gaze, avoiding eye contact with Chu Xi.
He had been too confident, assuming that if he personally stepped forward, he could convince Chu Xi to reveal the truth.
Given Chu Xi’s attitude, there was no longer any point in continuing the conversation.
"Thank you for the lovely afternoon tea. I have other matters to attend to, so I’ll be on my way." Shen Yi stood up, showing no intention of lingering, and walked straight toward the manor’s exit.
"Shen Yi! Shen Yi! Wait a moment!" Chu Xi became anxious, dropping the respectful title and directly calling Shen Yi’s name.
Today’s rare opportunity to be alone with Shen Yi had been hard-earned; she couldn’t understand why things had turned out this way.
Chu Xi quickly ran to block Shen Yi’s path, her tone frustrated: "You won’t even give me the chance to have afternoon tea with you? Do you really like Sang Ning that much?"
In her moment of agitation, Chu Xi voiced the thoughts she had been suppressing for so long.
Shen Yi stopped in his tracks, his eyes fixed firmly on Chu Xi, showing no embarrassment at having his feelings exposed.
"Like?" Shen Yi repeated the word, savoring it for a few seconds before looking at Chu Xi and saying seriously, "Not quite like; I can only say I have a bit of goodwill toward her. But maintaining my current relationship with Sang Ning is enough—I don’t need to take it further."
Shen Yi really didn’t want to answer this question, but Chu Xi’s questioning provided an outlet for emotions he had been bottling up for so long.
Perhaps after today, he would never bring up this matter again. Perhaps after today, he might even deceive himself into believing that his feelings for Sang Ning were nothing more than those of ordinary friends. That’s why he didn’t want to lie before Chu Xi.
Shen Yi was acutely aware that his and Sang Ning’s personalities could never mesh to form identical worldviews. By maintaining their current distance, he could be lifelong friends with her. But one step further, and they wouldn’t even have friendship left.
Chu Xi’s heart stung with a sour ache. Shen Yi liked Sang Ning, but he didn’t dare to break the distance between them. She didn’t know whether she should feel happy or sad.
"Mr. Shen Yi, do you know that I like you? Not the kind of admiration a fan feels for an idol, but the kind of liking a woman has for a man." Chu Xi took a deep breath, mustered her courage, and confessed to Shen Yi. "I like you so much, so why can’t you have goodwill toward me? How am I any worse than Sang Ning?"
Chu Xi didn’t think Sang Ning had anything particularly remarkable. Wasn’t it just that she knew more than she did?
She herself was studying diligently now and would become a cultured person in the future too.
Aside from knowing more, Sang Ning’s only other advantage was her martial arts skills, wasn’t it? Chu Xi could learn that too!
Other than these things, in what way was she inferior to Sang Ning?
"Sang Ning is always sincere and kind to her friends, asking for nothing in return, and without scheming. Compared to her, I feel ashamed," Shen Yi said, his tone brimming with tenderness. It was a revelation of true feelings.
Having spent so long in the industry, Shen Yi had seen all the false pretenses, the deception and intrigue. Though he didn’t partake in such things, his heart had long grown worldly like theirs.
Shen Yi felt his inner world had become desolate and bleak, but Sang Ning’s goodwill had begun to bring signs of life to this barren land.
Sang Ning stepping forward to fight Qingyue for him was enough to help him reconcile with this dirty, ugly world.
"If you ask me what qualities I admire in a girl, all those qualities can be seen in Sang Ning. Sang Ning deserves the utmost love in this world," Shen Yi said, gazing intently at Chu Xi.
Chu Xi was suddenly flustered, losing the courage to meet Shen Yi’s eyes. Her mind drifted, and she didn’t even notice when Shen Yi left.
She only remembered the last words Shen Yi said before leaving the manor: "Chu Xi, do you think you’re a sincere person? Anyway, I’m not a sincere person either. Honestly, it’s shameful—I’ve taken advantage of your feelings for me. It won’t happen again."
The meeting with Shen Yi lasted less than ten minutes and ended unhappily. Chu Xi was deeply dejected and forgot how she even returned to the Chu Family estate.
Walking on the road, she felt like a walking corpse, utterly devoid of energy. As she passed through the first-floor hall heading to the second floor, she completely ignored Chu Tian and Li Sulan sitting on the sofa, her demeanor lifeless.
Li Sulan had to call out several times before Chu Xi snapped back to reality.
But when Chu Xi turned to look at the two of them, her face was emotionless. Gone was her usual sweetness, leaving Chu Tian and Li Sulan somewhat uneasy.
Chu Tian assumed it was the recent online public opinion affecting her and spoke up: "Xiao Xi, did you go out today? Didn’t I tell you? Public opinion online is bad right now; try not to go out. What if someone recognizes you and talks about you publicly?"
"I’m not a domesticated cat or dog. Do I not even have the freedom to go out?" Chu Xi rarely talked back, but today she did. "Anyway, those people at school already say terrible things about me. What difference does it make if others say more?"
"Who? Who at school is bullying you?" Hearing that Chu Xi had been bullied, Li Sulan couldn’t remain composed. She got up from the sofa and angrily but protectively asked, "Tell Mom their names. I’ll take care of it."
The school Chu Xi attended was a private academy, financed heavily by the Chu Family. It was essentially the Chu Family’s school. To think their daughter could be bullied at their own school—Li Sulan found it completely unacceptable.
"Everyone at school is talking about me, Mom. What can you do? Are you going to expel all of them?" Today, Chu Xi entered a phase of unprecedented rebellion, even talking back to Li Sulan.
"The reason I’m being talked about—isn’t it because of you and Dad? You not only exposed my and Sang Ning’s past, but also fabricated crimes about Sang Youming and Hu Zhi. Did you think about how it would affect me before doing all this?" After saying this, Chu Xi suddenly found it laughable.
Could it be that in wealthy families, talking about love and affection was a luxury?
Sang Youming and Hu Zhi may have been poor, but no matter how dire their situation, they would never entertain the thought of selling their children for profit.
But it wasn’t the same in wealthy families. Even between parents and children, everything boiled down to interests.
Chu Tian and Li Sulan knew full well that exposing these matters would invite criticism for her, yet they did it anyway—to "sell her" in exchange for the resources they wanted.