Noticing that the person in front of her seemed to react because Lin Xue’er was holding her phone, Xia Mengxi couldn’t help but find her own response a little amusing.
Did Lin Xue’er have something in her hand that could threaten Li Siqi? Why would Li Siqi react like that? Did Li Siqi’s own parents abandon her for this reason and just let her be taken away by Lin Xue’er?
One doubt after another made Xia Mengxi want to turn and run, but to her surprise, when Lin Xue’er started to count down and warn her, the person in front of her extended her left hand, creating a protective barrier between her and Lin Xue’er.
“Mengxi, you don’t have to be afraid. I’ll protect you.”
Li Siqi’s words were meant as a response, but she wasn’t the one Lin Xue’er was addressing. In fact, Lin Xue’er, who had been walking this way, stopped in her tracks.
Lin Xue’er snorted twice, then raised the hand holding her phone and gave it a shake, as if to express something.
“I don’t know how you managed to come back from the brink of death, but you ought to cherish it. You should be hiding and staying low, not acting brave and playing Hero Cult.”
“Why, does my Hero Cult offend you? What, I need your permission to save someone now? How funny.”
Lin Xue’er replied nonchalantly, then shot a look as cold as death at Li Siqi.
“If it were someone else, I wouldn’t care who you tried to save. But right now, you’re holding onto something dangerous. So, do you intend to kill your own family with your own hands, hmm?”
Family… family?
Kill!
From the fragmented exchange between the two, Xia Mengxi could more or less guess that the reason Li Kaiqi had such a reaction was probably because Lin Xue’er might be threatening Li Siqi’s parents. If that was the case, for someone who wasn’t even considered a friend, was it really worth it?
Xia Mengxi subconsciously raised her head, shifting her gaze to the side profile of the person in front of her.
She swallowed a mouthful of saliva, wiped her hands nervously at the base of the hill, and retreated two steps. As long as Li Siqi showed any sign of abandoning her, she’d bolt immediately.
Lin Xue’er, who had been watching her with the corner of her eye, saw her actions and couldn’t help but arch her brows. But soon, Lin Xue’er’s expression fell again, for at that moment, Li Siqi met her gaze with unwavering eyes.
“Before, I had no purpose, so I’d rather die myself than gamble on whether you’d really go that far, and I didn’t dare try any tricks. But now, I have something I must do, so I won’t back down because of your threats.”
As soon as Li Siqi finished, not only was Lin Xue’er shocked, but even Mengxi, standing behind Li Siqi, was utterly stunned.
Xia Mengxi truly hadn’t thought that there was someone in this world who would risk the safety of her own parents to protect someone who wasn’t even a friend. What kind of noble character did this take!
Then again, from another angle, wasn’t she being an unfilial daughter? But at this moment, in Xia Mengxi’s heart, Li Siqi was nothing less than a saint. What she did was so moving it almost brought tears to her eyes.
“Well, what a touching declaration. But I wonder, after your parents find out, will they regret raising such an unfilial daughter?”
Lin Xue’er put away her phone and, as if satisfied with Li Siqi’s answer, patted her own chest, though her tone was still dripping with sarcasm.
“They won’t regret it. In fact, they’d be proud of my choice. After all, I’m saving a poor girl from persecution—this is a meaningful act.”
Lin Xue’er just laughed at Li Siqi’s self-righteous words, then once again fixed her gaze on the girl behind Li Siqi.
“Little girl, can you really bear to let someone else risk their parents’ lives to save you? Don’t you feel any moral guilt?”
The accusation.
Xia Mengxi was stunned, not expecting Lin Xue’er would shift the burden of morality onto her in order to make her give up the protection in front of her.
But, to be honest, after Lin Xue’er said that, her initial happiness at being rescued vanished like a bucket of cold water. For a moment, she almost really wanted to follow Lin Xue’er’s will and refuse Li Siqi’s help.
However, as the person involved, Li Siqi completely dispelled that idea.
“Mengxi, ignore her, and don’t mind her words. Since she’s already targeting my life, no matter what, she’ll never let me go. That much was clear from the moment she dragged me to the back mountain.”
Saying this, Li Siqi turned back and gave her a firm look.
“So, whether you have my protection or not, my parents will still fall into her hands. Therefore, you should seize this chance instead of letting her get what she wants while you solve nothing.”
I… Oh, my god!
Li Siqi, she… she’s so cool!
The person before her filled her with an overwhelming sense of security. Not only did her heart pound with emotion, but her delicate face flushed, and even under the dim light, the person she admired now shone with the radiance of the Sun above.
At the same time, on the other side, Lin Xue’er’s mood was completely opposite. She saw in Xia Mengxi’s gaze toward Li Siqi a hint of admiration and longing. In an instant, her expression was as turbulent as a storm, as if she would destroy everything, radiating an extremely dangerous aura that made one’s hair stand on end.
“Come! Back! Here! Now!”
Having sensed the impending danger, Xia Mengxi snapped back to reality just as Lin Xue’er’s demonic voice echoed in her ears. Instinctively, she looked in Lin Xue’er’s direction. That one glance was enough to send her PTSD into overdrive.
All sorts of unbearable memories rushed in, and she immediately pressed herself close to the comforting back of Li Siqi. This action only further fueled the fury in Lin Xue’er’s heart.
But, unexpectedly, even in this extreme state, Lin Xue’er still appeared perfectly calm, just standing there without any rash movement.
Only… the look on her face was like that of an Evil Demon emerging from the depths of a flood, at once frantic and urgent.
“Mengxi… why?”
“Didn’t you promise me? Why are you betraying me like everyone else?”
“In my world… you’re all I have left… You can’t leave me, and you absolutely can’t depend on another woman!”
Lin Xue’er seemed to have finally given up. Like a rain after a storm, her face became expressionless as she cast one last glance at the pair before her.
Her gaze finally settled on Xia Mengxi, but after a moment, she turned and walked away.
At this, Li Siqi let out a sigh of relief. Lin Xue’er’s appearance just now really was terrifying, enough to make anyone’s heart tremble—including her own.
“Phew, what a lunatic… Mengxi, are you alright?”
“I’m fine. Really!”
How could she be fine! That was terrifying!
Just now, she’d secretly glanced at Lin Xue’er. Although Lin Xue’er’s face was expressionless, the broken look in her eyes made Xia Mengxi shudder just remembering it.
Now, things had truly gotten out of hand. If they couldn’t get out, the outcome would be all too obvious—