Chapter 18: Misfortunes invited by oneself deserve no pity

Li Li spewed a string of vulgarities, while Yuan Yu had no response. Those unacquainted with the truth may very well perceive Yuan Yu as the woman Li Li was painting her to be.

The commotion also attracted the attention of customers browsing in the boutique. A wave of curiosity swept over them. On spotting the Yuan Yu’s beauty, many expressed a sense of astonishment. Among them, a handful of men, present to accompany their girlfriends’ shopping, couldn’t help but be smitten. One of them was even drooling. He only snapped back to reality when his girlfriend gave him a sharp pinch, causing him to yelp in surprise.

The burgeoning crowd only served to fuel Li Li’s excitement, her words growing increasingly harsh. Initially, the onlookers harbored some disbelief, but as Li Li’s relentless berating continued, coupled with their boyfriends’ mesmerized stares, they started murmuring amongst themselves, somewhat basking in Yuan Yu’s misery, stirred by a mix of envy and jealousy.

“Who would have thought, such a pretty girl, involved in such things?”

“All beautiful women these days are sirens. Only us virtuous women are the true gems,” commented a short, plump woman weighing over 200 pounds.

“Indeed, these innocent women, who know what disgusting things they do behind closed doors.”

The harsh whispers penetrated Yuan Yu’s defenses, her heart aching anew. She hadn’t expected the world to harbor such malicious individuals.

Didn’t they have a shred of empathy as fellow human beings? Why must people be so needlessly cruel and harsh?

Just when Yuan Yu was on the brink of despair, a magnetic voice pulled her back from the edge of the abyss.

“Little Yu, what happened?”

Upon seeing Lin Xiao emerge from the crowd, Yuan Yu could no longer restrain the pent-up grievances she had been nursing and flung herself into Lin Xiao’s embrace.

“Don’t cry, don’t cry. Tell me, what happened?”

Lin Xiao looked at the tearful Yuan Yu in his arms, his heart filled with sympathy and concern. He hadn’t anticipated that during his brief absence, Yuan Yu would have suffered such a deep wound.

Although he wasn’t clear about what exactly had transpired, he knew Yuan Yu to be remarkably resilient. She wouldn’t be this vulnerable unless she had suffered a profound injustice.

Having comforted Yuan Yu for a while, Lin Xiao lifted his gaze. His sharp observational skills led him to focus immediately on Li Li, knowing that Yuan Yu’s distress was somehow connected to this woman.

“Speak up, what on earth happened? What did you do to Yuan Yu?” Lin Xiao glared icily at Li Li, his eyes brimming with a chilly resolve.

Caught off guard, Li Li hadn’t expected anyone to rise in Yuan Yu’s defense. She gave Lin Xiao a glance. He might not have been particularly handsome, but his tall stature, bright, piercing eyes, and immaculately fitting suit exuded a distinctive charisma.

In an instant, her jealousy flared uncontrollably.

‘Why?’ she wondered. ‘Why doesn’t the boy I fancy return my feelings? Why does Yuan Yu enjoy such popularity and always have countless people supporting her?’

“What happened here is none of your concern. Oh, are you perhaps her client? Hoping to play the knight in shining armor, are you? Of course, with Yuan Yu being so stunning, her services must cost quite a lot. If you rescue her, she can repay you later tonight, for free, I presume.”

Jealousy distorted Li Li’s still-youthful face, and her words were filled with malice few adults could bring themselves to utter.

At that moment, Lin Xiao understood why Yuan Yu was so upset. These words were too much for even him to bear, let alone Yuan Yu.

With a swift movement, Lin Xiao was in front of Li Li, raising his hand and landing a forceful slap on her right cheek before she could react.

“You… you… you dare to hit me?”

Intense pain radiated from her cheek, bringing Li Li back to reality. She looked at Lin Xiao with disbelief etched on her face.

“Hit you? My response would’ve been far worse if you weren’t a young girl,” Lin Xiao said calmly.

Lin Xiao was not one to hit women, but Li Li had exceeded his limits. Moreover, she caused Yuan Yu such distress. In fact, he had shown restraint by merely slapping her. But Li Li, who had been pampered her entire life and had never been hit, now erupted in anger at Lin Xiao’s slap.

“You dare to hit me? You’re done for! You’re done for!”

Like a furious shrew, Li Li lashed out, aiming for Lin Xiao’s face with her claw-like hands.

Her nails were long, and in her manic state, if she managed to land a scratch, it could disfigure him.

Unfortunately for her, she was dealing with Lin Xiao. Despite Li Li’s wild gesticulations, Lin Xiao remained unruffled, raising his right hand to deliver another stinging slap to her other cheek, even more severe than the first.

Li Li spun around from the force of the slap, and she stumbled down hard on the ground.

“Apologize to little Yu, now.”

Lin Xiao gazed down at Li Li, whose face had swollen like a bun. He felt not an ounce of sympathy.

Misfortunes sent by heaven can be forgiven; those invited by oneself deserve no pity.

Every person must pay the price for their deeds. She brought this all on herself.

“I… I….” Li Li wanted to curse back, but Lin Xiao’s icy expression, combined with the throbbing pain on her face, made her reconsider. She had a gut feeling that if she continued being unreasonable, something far worse would happen.

Suppressing her pain, she meekly approached Yuan Yu and mumbled, “I… I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have gossiped without knowing the facts.”

After speaking, she felt too ashamed to remain in the clothing store. Quietly, she left with the three other girls.

Upon hearing Li Li’s apology and meeting Lin Xiao’s cold stare, the gossip-mongering women, who were earlier gloating over Yuan Yu’s misfortune, were overwhelmed by guilt. They couldn’t bear to stay in the clothing store and slinked away.

“It’s okay, everything’s under control, I’m here for you.” Lin Xiao gently patted Yuan Yu’s shoulder, comforting her.

“Mm-hmm.”

By now, Yuan Yu had calmed down. Leaning against Lin Xiao’s sturdy chest, she felt a strong sense of security. Her cheeks flushed a deep red, and with a shy nod, she extricated herself from Lin Xiao’s embrace.

When they exited the clothing store, it was already evening. Under the neon lights, Lin Xiao told Yuan Yu, “Let’s head out. I’ll take you home.”

By the time he escorted Yuan Yu safely home to Maple Leaf Street, night had fully descended.

“From now on, you’ll be living alone. Be careful at night, make sure to lock the doors and windows, and don’t open the door for strangers. If anything happens, call me.” Lin Xiao gently patted Yuan Yu’s head.

Having said that, he turned to leave.

“Big Brother Lin, wait a minute.” Yuan Yu’s somewhat anxious voice came from behind.

“What’s the matter?”

Yuan Yu’s face reddened, and her gaze wavered. She stuttered, “Big… Big Brother Lin, where… where are you staying tonight? Have you found a place?”

“I haven’t found a permanent place yet. But I’ve rented a small room in a nearby motel for now. I’ll be looking for a steady place tomorrow. Don’t worry.”

Yuan Yu’s face turned an even deeper shade of red. She lowered her gaze and in a voice barely louder than a mosquito, said, “Big Brother Lin, why don’t you stay here? My mother’s in the hospital, and there’s an extra room available.”

Yuan Yu felt uncharacteristically bold. She had just invited a man to share her home. Though she saw Lin Xiao as a brother, they weren’t related by blood.

Back at school, she was known for her frosty demeanor towards men. She must’ve suggested this out of fear of being alone at night, Yuan Yu thought, trying to console herself.