Chapter 44 The Banquet

Chapter 44 The Banquet

As the final exam bell rang, a torrential downpour was raging outside the window.

Lin Mianmian stood under the eaves at the school gate, holding a stack of review materials, staring blankly at the rain.

Bai Xiulin went to the parking lot to get his car, and before leaving, he smiled and ruffled her hair.

He said, "Wait for me for ten minutes, I'll be right back."

The wind, carrying raindrops, lashed her face. It was so cold. She pulled her coat tighter, but her fingertips were still numb with cold.

The peace and tranquility we've enjoyed these past few days feels like it's been stolen.

Bai Xiulin's gentleness was like a soft armor, protecting her from those embarrassing past experiences and hurtful rumors.

She gradually got used to the hot soy milk in the morning, the quiet time spent studying together in the library, and his gentle explanations and perfectly timed companionship.

She had almost forgotten that there was once someone who would rush into the mud to save her without hesitation, who would hold her in his arms and say, "I'm here for you."

Just then, a familiar headlight pierced the rain and stopped at the roadside not far away.

The black Bentley is understated yet prestigious, gleaming with a cold, hard sheen in the rainy night.

The car window slowly rolled down, revealing Xie Lin's haggard yet still handsome face.

His eyes were bloodshot, his stubble was bluish-black, and his once meticulous hair was now disheveled and plastered to his forehead. He exuded extreme fatigue and loneliness.

The moment their eyes met, Lin Mianmian's heart skipped a beat.

She instinctively shrank back, her knuckles turning white as she gripped the documents.

Xie Lin's gaze fell on her, as if burned, then quickly looked away, his Adam's apple bobbing for a long time.

He finally managed to speak, his voice hoarse: "Didn't you bring an umbrella?"

His voice was terribly hoarse, as if it had been sanded, and had a heavy nasal tone.

Lin Mianmian didn't speak, but simply nodded slightly, her gaze daring not to meet his again.

Those days and nights of cyberbullying, those glaring headlines in the newspapers, those images of him and Su Wan standing side by side, all rushed into his mind instantly, like a thorn piercing his heart.

Xie Lin pushed open the car door and stepped out, holding a large black umbrella.

The rain was so heavy that water droplets from the edge of the umbrella splattered down, soaking the cuffs of his suit trousers.

He approached step by step, his cold aura mixed with the dampness of the rain hitting you in the face.

He stopped in front of her, handed her the umbrella, but deliberately avoided touching it with his fingertips. "Take it, don't catch a cold."

The umbrella handle still carried the warmth of his palm. Lin Mianmian looked at the umbrella, then looked up at him.

His gaze was deep, churning with emotions she couldn't decipher—was it heartache, guilt, or... something else entirely?

She didn't dare to delve deeper, but simply shook her head, her voice barely audible: "No need, someone will come to pick me up later."

Xie Lin tightened his grip on the umbrella handle, his knuckles turning white.

Looking into her distant eyes and watching her subconscious retreat, he felt as if his heart was being gripped by an invisible hand, tightening inch by inch, the pain making his breath tremble.

"Mianmian." He called her name, his voice carrying a barely perceptible pleading tone, "I..."

He had so much to say.

I want to say he didn't do it on purpose, that he had his reasons, and that he never intended to give up on her.

But the words caught in his throat. He couldn't speak.

He could handle all the family feuds and the mess that could drag her back into the abyss on his own.

Just then, a gentle voice came from behind the rain: "Mianmian!"

Bai Xiulin, holding a light blue umbrella, ran over quickly.

A few strands of his hair were wet from the rain and stuck to his forehead, but it did not affect his gentle temperament at all.

He walked to Lin Mianmian's side and naturally shielded her behind him.

Xie Lin's gaze fell on Bai Xiulin's hands protecting Lin Mianmian, and a chill instantly surged in his eyes.

He and Bai Xiulin had been childhood friends for many years, but at this moment, it was as if there was an invisible wall between them, and tensions were running high.

Bai Xiulin didn't look at him again, but looked down at Lin Mianmian, his tone softening instantly: "Have you been waiting long? The car is over there, let's go."

As he spoke, he took Lin Mianmian's hand and pulled her under his umbrella.

Lin Mianmian's fingertips touched his warm palm, and the panic in her heart instantly subsided a bit.

She glanced back at Xie Lin, who was still standing there, holding that black umbrella, his figure appearing particularly thin in the rain.

Xie Lin only slowly closed his umbrella after the two figures disappeared beside the car.

Raindrops pelted his face, icy cold, and mingled with the wetness in his eyes, sliding down his cheeks.

He stood in the rain, watching the light blue car slowly drive away, its taillights gradually disappearing into the rain until it was no longer visible.

He stood in the rain for a full half hour, letting the cold rain soak him to the bone.

My phone kept vibrating in my pocket. It was a message from my assistant saying that my second uncle was causing trouble at the old house again, and the Shen family had started putting pressure on him.

He acted as if he hadn't seen her, staring intently in the direction Lin Mianmian had left, his heart aching as if it were about to burst.

A few days later, the Xie family hosted a grand charity dinner.

The invitation was sent by Bai Xiulin, who said that many business celebrities and school professors would be attending the dinner, which would be beneficial for her future internship.

Lin Mianmian initially wanted to refuse, but she couldn't resist Bai Xiulin's persuasion and eventually agreed.

The banquet was held in the garden of the Xie family's old residence, brightly lit and filled with elegantly dressed guests.

Lin Mianmian, wearing the off-white dress that Bai Xiulin had chosen for her, looked somewhat out of place in the crowd.

She wasn't used to this kind of occasion, so she just quietly followed Bai Xiulin, holding a glass of juice and looking around.

Bai Xiulin stayed by her side the whole time, shielding her from the probing gazes and gently introducing the guests to her. He was patient and kind.

Just then, a commotion arose at the garden entrance. Lin Mianmian instinctively looked over, her heart clenching.

Xie Lin has arrived.

He was dressed in a black suit, his posture was upright, and his handsome face had the usual coldness, but the bloodshot veins in his eyes were still obvious.

Beside him, Su Wan, dressed in a bright red gown, was beautiful and charming. She smiled gently and gracefully as she held his arm.

The two walked side by side, a handsome man and a beautiful woman, instantly becoming the focus of everyone's attention.

Lin Mianmian's fingertips trembled slightly, and a few drops of juice spilled from the glass, splashing onto the back of her hand, icy cold.

She turned her head away, not daring to look again, but her heart felt as if something was blocking it, making her feel suffocated.

Bai Xiulin noticed her unusual behavior, reached out and gently patted the back of her hand, and whispered to comfort her, "Don't overthink it, it's just an act."

Lin Mianmian forced a smile, but couldn't manage it. Was it just an act? Yet they looked so well-matched.

Xie Lin's gaze passed through the crowd and landed on Lin Mianmian.

Seeing her pale face and the desolation in her eyes, his heart ached suddenly.

He instinctively tried to push Su Wan's hand away and rush over to find her, but Su Wan held him tightly.