CHAPTER 206: CHAPTER 121: FORCED ACCEPTANCE (PART 2)

He is like a wolf spider with a peculiar appetite; no butterfly caught in his web could ever escape.

Outside the balustrade, the Bazhou moat that had been flowing for centuries lapped against the banks, producing a momentum not inferior to that of the sea. Xia You’s body from the navel up was lifted out over the railing by Lin Yi.

The cunning of a fox and the scent of a wolf defined Lin Yi, the most formidable opponent Xia You had faced in recent years.

"I choose Ren Minghang," Xia You softly voiced her response.

Lin Yi stared at her, an ironic smile hanging at the corners of his mouth. It should have been a satisfying answer, but he was not pleased.

"You should be satisfied with this answer," Xia You said as she wrapped her arms around Lin Yi’s neck and slid back down his body to her original position. Her hand touched Lin Yi’s chin; the stubble he had shaven off in the morning was once again sprouting.

His smile widened completely, "Xia You, you must remember what you’ve said today."

The pitch-black darkness of night is the perfect breeding ground for inexplicable intimacy between men and women. After Lin Yi escorted Xia You home, she used up all her strength to carry Xiao Maiqi upstairs.

Downstairs, the sound of the car starting had already faded into the distance. Xia You, head down and arms wrapped around her knees, sat helplessly without a word.

If Mo Xixi saw Xia You now, she’d certainly remark, "So the person on the ’Life of Solitude’ album cover isn’t actually him." Xia You was just like the angel strangled by the Black Feather, unaware of her true identity.

When Xia Yun returned home, her situation wasn’t much better than Xia You’s. Not wanting to disturb her two daughters, she went straight to her room and sat on the edge of the bed, taking out the tens of thousands of dollars from her handbag.

Xia Yun had never spoken to Xia You about her friend. Before marrying Changhua, she and Wei Ruqin had been classmates and had some private dealings. However, their relationship was completely severed after Ding Han’s death, when Wei Ruqin married Ding Han’s elder brother—Ding Hao.

"Aren’t you the one who disapproved of my marriage to Ding Hao? Why come to me after all these years?" Sitting in the luxurious living room of the Ding Family, Xia Yun felt restless, the steam rising from the top-quality Dahongpao tea in her hands making her even more uncomfortable.

When the servant informed Wei Ruqin that a woman named Xia Yun had come to see her, a mix of emotions swirled in her heart upon hearing the name.

Ding Han had been dead for just a few days when she hastily married Ding Hao. Xia Yun was the first to disapprove.

Anyone standing in Wei Ruqin’s way was an enemy, even an old friend of several decades. After Xia Yun married abroad, there was no further news of her.

As Wei Ruqin descended the stairs, she saw Xia Yun’s uneasy appearance and deliberately said to the servant, "Go see if the bird’s nest soup in the pot is done. Let it cool a bit, so the Brigadier General can have it when he comes back." Even if looked down upon by her friends and relatives, seeing Xia Yun’s shocked expression was more than enough for her.

Xia Yun couldn’t imagine that Ding Hao was now a brigadier general of the Rand Military District. So she quickly mentioned Simon’s issue, hoping Wei Ruqin would help her out of old friendship’s sake.

"My dear Yun, you know the temperament of the Ding men; they are strict about separating public from private matters. I’m just a housewife, and my words carry little weight," Wei Ruqin enjoyed discovering fine lines on Xia Yun’s face that matched her age, then touched her own face, still smooth and young-looking from good care.

"Ruqin, I beg you," Xia Yun pleaded, but Wei Ruqin still showed a difficult expression, "Please don’t put me in such a position."

From upstairs came Ding Ling’s scolding voice: "How many times have I said not to add sugar to my bird’s nest soup?" followed by the sound of bowls dropping.

The caretaker pushed Ding Ling downstairs. Seeing a guest in the living room, Ding Ling did not greet her but went straight to the kitchen and took away the bowl of bird’s nest soup left for Ding Hao.

"Is she Xiao Ling? She’s grown up so much," Xia Yun stopped begging Wei Ruqin for help when she saw her reluctance.

"She’s not my daughter. Xiao Ling passed away not long after he died because of an illness." Wei Ruqin’s words became even more unnatural upon hearing this name.

Afraid that Xia Yun would ask more questions, or that Ding Hao and Lu Xun might return later and encounter an awkward situation, Wei Ruqin hurried back upstairs, grabbed some money, and forcefully handed it to Xia Yun, "I can’t help you with your matter. Out of many years of sisterhood, here’s some money you can use in a pinch." Having said this, she ordered the servant to show Xia Yun out. The money looked like financial aid, but in fact, it was hush money for Xia Yun; the past was behind them, and she wanted no part in stirring it up again.

Xia Yun’s mood was even heavier when leaving the so-called mansion than when she had entered to visit Xia Yun.

It wasn’t just because she was rejected, but also because of the deceased Ding Ling.

Such a lovely child, why did she die? When her ex-husband was still alive, the men of the two families often interacted, and she saw Ding Ling a few times. The child resembled Brother Ding significantly and was very endearing; such a pity. Heaven has been very unfair to that family.

Perhaps Ruqin also had her own unspeakable difficulties. Xia Yun thought of the woman sitting in the wheelchair, screeching in shrill tones.

Even if Ruqin refused to help her, could she really let Simon go to prison? How could she then face her deceased husband from Italy, who took her and her daughter in when she was most down and out? No matter how disobedient Simon was, she had to find a way to save him.

Xia Yun sighed and placed the money in the bedside table drawer. (To be continued. If you like this book, welcome to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)