With his words spoken, Yu Wenli raised his eyes.
His dark pupils, through the fine motes of dust dancing in the light, looked at her.
He hadn't said anything harsh, not even his expression was gentle.
Yet Wen Tingxue felt a pang of fear.
Suddenly, she understood Xie Jin's state of mind when she had confessed everything.
Yu Wenli's eyes made it impossible to lie, or even dare to lie.
Even with his outward demeanor of gentle politeness, it was hard to conceal the danger lurking beneath the surface.
In their brief gaze, Wen Tingxue was the undeniable loser.
She couldn't even hold his gaze for three seconds before looking away.
Her silence was tantamount to an admission.
Yu Wenli gently closed his eyes. The shifting light and shadow seemed to make even the sun shy away, hiding behind the clouds.
Wen Tingxue's fingertips traced the warmth of the teacup.
She wanted to say something, but didn't know how to begin.
In the tense silence, Yu Wenli suppressed his temper and said patiently,
"Yiyi, do you know the consequences of your compromise?"
When he arrived at the office, she had already shown signs of yielding and apologizing.
If he hadn't spoken up, he wouldn't have known how serious a charge Yu Yahe could have leveled against her.
Perhaps, what she saw as a step towards peace was precisely what concealed a larger, more perilous storm.
What did the students in school know of truth and falsehood? Once someone was branded a thief.
All that awaited her would be isolation and ostracism.
The matter of the bracelet, if it was a coincidence, then so be it.
But if it was a deliberate arrangement, then Yu Yahe was unforgivable.
"Mm..."
Wen Tingxue nodded slowly.
She hadn't thought that far ahead at the time, only wanting the bracelet incident to be over.
Hence, the thought of compromise had crossed her mind.
Thinking back afterward, she broke out in a cold sweat.
The young girl's voice was soft, and Yu Wenli's temper dissipated by more than half, his tone regaining some warmth.
"Didn't you just promise your brother that you'd tell him if anything happened? How could you forget him so quickly?"
Hearing his softened tone, Wen Tingxue finally looked up, her apricot eyes moist.
"I..."
Ultimately, she was not good with words, and the grievances filling her heart couldn't be expressed.
All her life, there had been no shortage of girls around Yu Wenli.
There were certainly those who looked pitifully vulnerable, but Yu Wenli always found them annoying.
Especially when girls would cry and sob, it was vexing to listen to.
Yet Wen Tingxue defied all his perceptions; even a single glance from her made him willingly surrender.
She was so pure, so clean, with a purity untouched by the world.
It made him want to cradle her in his palm and protect her with all his might.
"Don't cry, brother isn't blaming you."
Yu Wenli stepped forward and gently rubbed her reddened eyes with his fingers, his voice softer than cotton candy.
The latent danger that had emanated from him moments before vanished instantly.
He had reverted to the gentle demeanor she remembered.
Wen Tingxue stood dazed in his embrace, a belated sense of grievance welling up, moistening her eyes.
But she stubbornly refused to shed tears.
Yu Wenli sighed silently and coaxed her softly, "Brother didn't want to scold you, brother is also very wronged."
The young girl's attention was indeed captured. She looked up at him with eyes full of unshed tears.
She was so well-behaved, so lost in thought.
Yu Wenli wiped away the tears that escaped the corners of her eyes with his fingertip and whispered,
"Just a few hours ago, someone promised me, but when something happened, they didn't think of me at all."
Wen Tingxue felt a little embarrassed. Just as she was about to offer a defense, she heard the young man's exasperated sigh from above.
"Is brother really that untrustworthy?"
"No."
Her mouth reacted faster than her brain.
Yu Wenli raised an eyebrow almost imperceptibly, then looked down and asked,
"Then what is it?"
"It's... fear." Wen Tingxue gently fiddled with the hem of her clothes.
Yu Wenli's eyes flickered, "Fear of what?"
"..."
Wen Tingxue looked away, gazing at the distant high-rise buildings. After a long while, she finally poured out her heart:
"When I was little, if anything went missing in the house, my grandmother would always punish me. Even though my cousin was the prime suspect, she wouldn't believe me.
"As I grew up, whenever parents were called to school, my grandmother and aunt would always be on my side, no matter what I said, they saw it as an excuse.
"So, I was afraid you wouldn't believe me either, I was afraid you'd think I only caused trouble..."
The sun reappeared, its heat unable to dispel the girl's loneliness.
She had walked alone for too long, so long that she had become accustomed to fending for herself.
Even when someone offered a hand, she dared not readily accept it.
She dared not complain, dared not offer her true feelings, dared not trouble anyone. She was afraid of being abandoned again.
That feeling was more painful than never having had anything at all.
Yu Wenli's heart ached as he pulled her into his embrace. The burning warmth transmitted through her clothes, carrying his true feelings with it.
"Yiyi, brother promises you, brother will always stand by you unconditionally.
"From now on, you are no longer alone.
"You have me behind you, loving parents, and in the future, there will be many, many more people. You deserve better."
He could guess she hadn't had an easy time, but he hadn't known she'd had it this difficult.
Never having been trusted since childhood, what would that feel like?
Even listening to it made him feel suffocated, yet she had endured so many years.
Wen Tingxue sluggishly wrapped her arms around his waist, the warm body heat seeping into her heart through her skin.
"Mm."
She responded with a very, very soft hum.
Behind the doorframe, Yu Xiuxiu was already in tears, and Wen Zhongen's eyes were bloodshot, as if they had bled.
They knew their daughter wouldn't easily open up to them. Their attempts to inquire at dinner had yielded nothing.
Therefore, they placed their hopes on Yu Wenli.
They hoped he could coax some words out of their daughter when they went to buy a phone.
Little did they expect...
-
Wen Tingxue went to the restroom.
Yu Wenli's gaze was calm as he looked at Wen Tingxue's parents, who looked considerably more haggard.
He twirled his fingers.
He wanted a cigarette.
But he was accompanying the young girl to buy a phone soon, so he would endure.
"Don't you know her situation?"
When Yu Wenli coaxed Wen Tingxue to speak her truth, he knew they were right behind the door.
They could hear everything through the wall.
He was well aware of their intention at dinner for him to accompany the young girl to buy a phone.
But he deliberately chose to ask on the balcony.
After all, what he relayed would never be as painful to them as hearing it from their own daughter.
Yu Xiuxiu shook her head, her voice hoarse from crying.
"If I had known it would be like this, I would have rather had my child suffer by my side than..."
Wen Zhongen put an arm around his trembling wife, patting her reassuringly.
"To be honest, every time we went back... we only saw an illusion. Otherwise, we wouldn't have left Yiyi there for over a decade."
Wen Zhongen was filled with guilt, but what had happened had happened. All he could do was make amends.
Yu Wenli knew he was in no position to judge anything in this matter.
He said, "It will be difficult for Yiyi to open up to anyone completely in a short period. I suggest you buy more books about interacting with children.
"After all, parental love is the best medicine to heal a child's inner wounds, something no one can replace."
Yu Xiuxiu and Wen Zhongen nodded.
-
While washing her hands, Wen Tingxue replayed the events in her mind and realized something was amiss.
Yu Wenli had been completely trying to trick her into talking!
If he was going to be angry, he would have been angry earlier. Why would he have waited until now to erupt?
Hmph!
Devious!
Wen Tingxue felt indignant.
But then again, he was doing it for her own good, and he hadn't meant to harm her.
He had even patiently helped her sort out her emotional knots. For someone with his fastidiousness, he had wiped her tears and held her.
Thinking about it, she wasn't as angry anymore.
Especially when she walked out and saw the young man standing by the bamboo decorations, wearing his school uniform and playing with his phone. The breathtaking sight when he looked up was enough to dissipate all her anger.
Beauty could be misleading.
Wen Tingxue pouted and walked up to him.
Yu Wenli put away his phone and smiled, "Let's go pick out a phone. We'll let this slide this time, but next time you can't forget to contact your brother."
As he turned, his sleeve was tugged.
He looked back to see the young girl looking up at him, asking, "Did you already know that Xie Jin was collecting evidence?"
Throughout the entire ordeal, he had appeared too calm, as if victory was assured.