Chapter 239 West Vietnamese Woman

The woman looked up at Li Xi, a glimmer of hope flashing in her eyes.

She nodded, her voice trembling, "I really don't know him."

Li Xi smiled slightly, turned to look at the man, and said in a deep voice with strong authority in her eyes, "Let her go."

The man was slightly taken aback, clearly intimidated by the strong aura emanating from the young man. However, he quickly regained his tough stance, gripping the woman's arm tightly and saying in a harsh tone, "Who are you? This is a matter between my husband and me, none of your business."

Li Xi's eyes instantly hardened and turned cold, and her voice became even colder: "She said she doesn't know you."

As soon as she finished speaking, she slapped the man's hand, and the man loosened his grip on the woman because of the pain.

After being freed, the woman immediately retreated to Li Xi's side, her eyes filled with gratitude.

The man glared angrily at Li Xi, then plopped down on the ground and wailed, "This is outrageous! Someone stole my wife!"

Li Xi was speechless at the sudden crying of this burly man.

This man is big and burly, and he can cry on cue.

Seeing this, the surrounding onlookers pointed and whispered among themselves at Li Xi.

Someone spoke up, saying, "Young master, although you are handsome and dashing, you can't just steal someone else's wife."

The others chimed in, "Yeah, this guy may be a bit ugly, but he finally managed to get a wife. What couple doesn't argue?"

The conversation was getting increasingly absurd, and Li Xi couldn't stand it anymore. She shouted, "Brother Feng, report this to the authorities!"

Then, she turned to the gossiping crowd and said, "What kind of couple are you? I think this man is clearly a scoundrel, and this woman is obviously a young woman of marriageable age."

Look at the handkerchief in her hand. It's made of fine silk from Suzhou, embroidered with exquisite peonies. Such a thing is not something an ordinary family can afford.

Then look at that man, dressed in coarse cloth shorts, his hands so calloused—he's clearly a laborer. How could these two be husband and wife?

Hearing Li Xi say this, the man became agitated: "I work hard to earn money, and I don't even spend it on myself, but I give it all to her. This woman doesn't know how to manage money; she spends it all on dressing up. I said a few words to her, and she threatened to run away from home."

He seemed to have suffered a great injustice, constantly wiping away tears with his sleeve.

"Enough, stop acting in front of me. We'll talk about it when the officers arrive." Li Xi crossed his arms and stood in front of the woman to prevent the man from getting closer.

The woman seemed frightened, shrinking behind Li Xi, only her terrified eyes showing.

The man became anxious when he saw that things were not developing as he had expected. "Wait here, I'm going to find your parents."

He left after saying that. Li Xi was about to chase after him when the woman grabbed her sleeve.

She said in a soft, trembling voice, "Young master, don't go. There are other people nearby..."

"Others? What do you mean?" Li Xi was a little confused. She looked around but didn't find anyone unusual or suspicious.

Seeing Li Xi's confusion, the woman explained in a low voice, "It's...it's other people in my family. They won't let me go."

Her voice trembled, revealing a deep fear.

Li Xi understood that the woman was facing considerable difficulties at home.

She didn't ask any further questions, but simply said softly, "Come with me." She turned and gestured for the woman to follow.

The two returned to the barbecue stall, where they found Qin Xiaolin still drinking alone.

Li Xi gestured for the woman to sit down, then beckoned to the waiter and ordered two more pounds of fresh beef.

She poured a cup of hot tea, gently pushed it in front of the woman, and said in a gentle tone, "Miss, have some tea to warm yourself and calm your mind."

The woman carefully sat down next to Li Xi, her gaze occasionally glancing at Qin Xiaolin, who was wearing a mask.

She was clearly stunned by his appearance, her hands and feet trembling slightly. Unconsciously, she moved closer to Li Xi, seeking a sense of security.

Li Xi noticed the woman's tension and unease, and gently patted her shoulder.

He whispered comfortingly, "Don't be afraid, he's my friend. Even though he's wearing a mask, he's a good person."

Qin Xiaolin also noticed the woman's reaction, and he frowned slightly.

He then put down his wine glass and simply replied with a "hmm," his voice carrying a hint of deep emotion.

After hearing Li Xi's words, the woman relaxed slightly, but remained vigilant.

She took a small sip of hot tea and felt her body gradually warming up.

Li Xi smiled and looked at the woman, asking, "Miss, what happened just now?"

The woman hesitated for a moment, her voice trembling slightly: "My name is Mengyun, and I'm from Xiyue. My young lady... disappeared on her way to Jingyuan. Someone said they saw her at the trade fair, so I came here to try my luck. I never expected to run into such a rogue."

At this point, Xiaoyun's eyes welled up with tears, clearly indicating that what she had just experienced was a huge blow to her.

The woman hesitated for a moment, then introduced herself with a slightly trembling voice: "My name is Mengyun, and I come from Xiyue. My family... Miss disappeared on her way to Jingyuan. Someone claimed to have seen her at the trade fair, so I came here hoping to find something. I never expected to encounter such a shameless person."

At this point, Mengyun's eyes began to redden, clearly indicating that the unfortunate experience she had just had a significant impact on her.

Seeing this, Li Xi felt sympathy and gently comforted her, "Mengyun, don't worry. I will go with you to report to the authorities."

He knew this was more than just a missing person case; it concerned diplomatic relations between the two countries. The disappearance of a Western Yue man in Jingyuan was no small matter.

However, Mengyun showed unexpected firmness, "Young master, my young lady's status is extremely noble. If this matter gets out, it will probably damage her reputation. In fact, the envoys of Xiyue are also searching in secret, but so far there is still no news."

Upon hearing this, Li Xi frowned. "Is reputation more important than life? What use is reputation if you lose your life?"

Mengyun gently shook her head, a hint of helplessness and sorrow flashing in her eyes. "Young master, you don't understand. In this world, reputation is often more important than life. Especially for women, once their reputation is damaged, it's as if they've lost all protection."

Moreover, the princess was abducted by an unidentified man.

In the culture of the Western Yue people, a woman's chastity was considered of paramount importance.

However, the eldest prince didn't seem particularly concerned about his half-sister's disappearance, only sending two people to search for the princess. This attitude undoubtedly increased Mengyun's worries and anxiety.