Resolve

Even Shen Duo, one of Capital City's rising elites, took three days to find Shi Yuan again.

When Huang Shiren heard his subordinate's report, he hurried down from the private room upstairs.

"President Shen, you're finally here."

Shen Duo gave him an odd look. From the sound of it, had he been hoping Shen Duo would come? If finding this place hadn't taken so much trouble, he really might have believed Huang Shiren had been waiting for him.

Shen Duo frowned. "Cut the crap. I know you carry some weight on Wutong Road. Name your price."

Huang Shiren fawned over him. "President Shen, there's no need to be so formal. Just take him with you. Young Master Wei gave the order back then, and my hands were tied. A little operation like mine can't afford to offend the Wei Family. But young Shi and I hit it off right away. I've kept him well fed these past few days and even had my boys play cards with him so he wouldn't get bored. See for yourself if you don't believe me. He's gotten all fair and plump here."

Just then, A Biao brought Shi Yuan over. Sure enough, Shi Yuan was clutching a few playing cards.

At a glance, Shen Duo saw that Shi Yuan really had put on weight. In just three days, his formerly thin, pointed chin had acquired a softer curve. Perhaps because he had spent those three days indoors without seeing the sun, his already fair skin practically glowed. Nor was he wearing the old clothes Shen Duo had seen at the hospital. He had on a white crew-neck T-shirt and green cropped pants that looked so new their tags had only just been snipped off. Strangest of all, he was holding a carton of Wangzai Milk.

"President Shen!"

He was so excited to see Shen Duo coming to get him that he accidentally crushed the Wangzai carton halfway flat. Milky-white liquid spurted through the straw and ran over his hand.

Shen Duo turned his head away with a deep frown. He was a bit of a germaphobe.

Huang Shiren had indeed kept him well fed, with meals far better than anything served to the Wei Family's servants. But to satisfy Wei Zexuan, he hadn't held back on the beatings either. Now every touch hurt, and beneath his clothes, not one patch of skin was uninjured. The sight of A Biao and A Wei made him shudder involuntarily. Seeing Shen Duo now felt like seeing family. Shi Yuan was so happy he almost wanted to bow to him right there!

Shen Duo eyed his sticky hand with distaste. He lasted less than three seconds before he gave in, asked his assistant for a small packet of wet wipes, and tossed it to Shi Yuan.

"Clean yourself up before you come with me."

Shi Yuan wiped his hands at lightning speed, then casually tossed the half-empty Wangzai carton at Huang Shiren's feet and hurried after Shen Duo's group without the slightest hesitation.

Ignoring the white droplets splashed onto his trousers, Huang Shiren kept waving enthusiastically at Shi Yuan's retreating back.

"Come back and hang out sometime, young Shi!"

A chill ran through Shi Yuan. That blond-haired bastard is like a pimp at some ancient brothel. Come back? Haven't I been beaten enough already?

Only after watching them leave completely did Huang Shiren pick up the Wangzai carton. A perceptive subordinate immediately took it from him and threw it in the trash.

Huang Shiren shook out his trouser leg. "Tsk, tsk. Having someone to back you up really does make a difference."

A Biao sounded indignant. "That brat acted so meek before!"

"That's called knowing which way the wind blows." Huang Shiren felt a certain kinship with Shi Yuan.

The car wasn't heading back to the Wei Family's home, but Shi Yuan didn't dare make a sound. Shen Duo had such an imposing presence that Shi Yuan bitterly regretted not taking the front passenger seat. Now he pressed himself against the window, afraid even to turn his head sideways.

The driver stopped at an unfamiliar residential complex. A breathtakingly beautiful young woman stood at the entrance, waiting anxiously.

The moment Shi Yuan got out, You Gui hurried over and took hold of him, looking him up and down.

"Shi Yuan, are you all right?"

She accidentally tugged on Shi Yuan's arm, making him grimace in pain.

"Hiss... I'm... I'm fine."

Shi Yuan smiled wryly. "Just some cuts and bruises. Huang Shiren-the blond guy-actually looked after me pretty well."

"He beat you up like this, and you call that looking after you?" You Gui was genuinely upset, her voice rising without her realizing it.

If I'd ended up with one of Wei Zexuan's other lackeys, I might have had it even worse than at Huang Shiren's. Shi Yuan kept that thought to himself. Afraid You Gui would blame herself too much, he quickly changed the subject.

"Why are you out of the hospital? Are you feeling better?"

"It wasn't anything serious to begin with. I was discharged and came home the day before yesterday."

Wei Zexuan had taken his anger at her out on Shi Yuan and dragged him away that day. How could she possibly have stayed in the hospital?

"All right, I live in the third building in there. Let's go upstairs and talk. I've prepared lots of good food." She took Shi Yuan's hand.

"Ahem..." Shen Duo gave a low cough.

You Gui released Shi Yuan's hand and said awkwardly, "President Shen, thank you for this. My place is a little shabby..."

"That's fine. I don't mind," Shen Duo said at once.

You Gui earned a good salary at the Wei Corporation and rented an apartment in the front row of buildings. It was small but fully equipped, with a bedroom, living room, kitchen, and bathroom. Open flames were prohibited in the building. She ought to have found a restaurant and treated Shi Yuan to a proper meal, but she was somewhat socially anxious and disliked putting herself in front of others because of the trouble it brought. So she had ordered a tableful of takeout for Shi Yuan... and Shen Duo.

And so Shi Yuan ate the most awkward meal of his life, sandwiched between Shen Duo and You Gui, a former couple who had yet to get back together. Honestly, he hadn't even enjoyed it as much as the meals at Huang Shiren's Clubhouse.

After the meal, with Shen Duo still there, Shi Yuan brought up something he had long wanted to tell You Gui.

"You Gui, you've seen how hostile Wei Zexuan is toward you. He's always done whatever he pleases, and he has practically no moral limits. If you keep working at the Wei Corporation, who knows what tricks he'll use against you?"

You Gui hesitated. "I know, but I only signed my permanent employment contract at the beginning of the year..."

Noticing a flicker in Shen Duo's eyes and the way he seemed to hold back, Shi Yuan encouraged him. "President Shen, is there something you'd like to say?"

Shielding his mouth with his hand so You Gui couldn't see, he whispered, "If you don't say it, You Gui won't know how you feel."

Taking the hint, Shen Duo immediately said to You Gui, "If you come to Rose, I can sign you on as a permanent employee right away."

Shi Yuan's heart sank at those words. When he looked at You Gui, sure enough, resistance had appeared on her face.

Shi Yuan hated himself for encouraging Shen Duo to speak.

Some tops are better off without a mouth! Right then, he wished the male lead were mute. You Gui had so much pride. How could she possibly accept getting into her ex-boyfriend's company through the back door?

It's fine. Even if neither of them knows how to speak, I do!

"You Gui, President Shen told me ages ago how much he admired your abilities. He..."

"Shi Yuan."

You Gui cut him off.

"Actually, I know. Last time, when you said President Shen admired me and all that, you were lying." Shi Yuan's heart lurched. You Gui hated being lied to.

He hurried to explain. "I'm sorry, You Gui. I... I knew Wei Zexuan was going that day, and I was afraid he'd bully you."

"I can tell right from wrong. I also know you were genuinely trying to help me." She turned and looked straight into Shen Duo's eyes.

"You too, senior. You've both been very good to me."

"I used to think I was so unfortunate. I came from a bad background, didn't have responsible parents, and kept running into scumbags. For a while, I doubted myself and even blamed the whole world. I was gloomy all day, which only made my classmates dislike me more. Luckily, that was when I met you."

You Gui smiled, a soft glow lighting her exquisite face. It was clear that remembering her early days with Shen Duo truly made her happy.

Shen Duo lowered his eyes and said heavily, "I didn't take good care of you." That was why we ended up separating.

Young and reckless, he hadn't understood love. People used to call him a golden boy, but that was only the surface. Being adored during his rebellious years had gone to his head just the same.

Arrogant and conceited, he had treated You Gui, a person in her own right, as his possession. Sweet words came out of his mouth, while in his mind he thought her crude and foolish. What You Gui had believed was love had been, to him, merely a diversion from the boredom of school.

Until they separated...

It remained his lifelong regret, which was why he still couldn't forget it even after so many years.

"But none of that was your fault."

You Gui tilted her head up to look at the astronaut-patterned pendant light overhead.

"I always, always thought of you as the most important person in my life. My salvation. There were so many times when I got trapped in my own thoughts. Only after meeting Shi Yuan did I realize that some things might not be the way I imagined. It was as though my insecurity had blinded my eyes, my heart, and my mind. I couldn't see, couldn't hear clearly, couldn't understand. I lived in my own world and didn't dare get close to anyone because I was afraid they would hurt me. But didn't the people who could hurt me hurt me anyway? Even my friend suffered because of my hesitation and weakness."

Shi Yuan disagreed. "Wei Zexuan and I fell out a long time ago. The money he lent the Shi Family was a trap. Even without what happened to you, he wouldn't have let me off. So don't take all the blame on yourself."

He said solemnly, "You Gui, you have to learn to love yourself before you can know how to love someone else."

You Gui smiled again. She loved listening to Shi Yuan. He reminded her of a teacher who guided people with love.

"All right. I understand."

"So, please stop trying to get me and my senior back together, okay?"

Shi Yuan froze. He hadn't expected You Gui to see through him. She understood more than he had thought.

"Senior, I was happy when I was with you, but I was hurt even more. I'm just an ordinary person. All I want is a quiet life. I don't want to go through all those hardships again. You can say I'm running away or that I'm shallow."

"I really don't want to be with you again."

Shen Duo went still. He raised his head to meet You Gui's earnest eyes, and several minutes passed before he answered in a hoarse voice.

"All right."

Salvation. You Gui had seen him as her salvation, yet even now, he didn't dare explain what had happened back then.

"Submit your resignation electronically in a bit. I'll have someone put in a word so the Wei Corporation approves it immediately. Let this be the last thing I do for you. From now on... I won't intrude on your life again."

Shen Duo left first. He stumbled a little as he rose from his chair.

You Gui watched his retreating figure with concern.

Shi Yuan wanted to ask, If you still care about him, why won't you try again?

But he stayed silent. He remembered the torment You Gui had endured in the novel and her utterly exhausted ending.

The book had constrained his thinking. Did You Gui have to remain entangled with Shen Duo? Even if he did his best to clear the obstacles from their path, all those complications weren't things that could simply pass in a few lines of narration. Every ordeal was something You Gui would actually have to live through.

He had only thought of helping You Gui avoid Wei Zexuan, but that was like Western medicine treating the symptoms rather than the cause. Perhaps if You Gui chose to separate from Shen Duo and never cross paths with him again, she would live an easier life.

He himself had told You Gui-people had to love themselves first.

"Shen Duo's feelings for You Gui were intense and complicated. His youthful affection had been real, as had the flutter in his heart when they met again. But in the end, only responsibility remained to keep them going. He owed You Gui too much, and there were too many tangled ties between them. Those ties wound around them both, leaving them exhausted yet unable to let go, until they could only become ever more hopelessly entangled."-Thorn