That night, the streetlights flickered dimly as the crowd surged. Walking on the street, Chen Yang was silent, his gaze vacant, seemingly lost in thought.

Zhou Yufei cocked her head, occasionally sizing up Chen Yang, by turns shaking her head and sighing.

Feeling uncomfortable under her scrutiny, Chen Yang asked blankly, "What are you looking at?"

"You still have Li Si in your heart, don't you?" Zhou Yufei didn't mince words. "Preparing a wedding dress for her, giving her gifts... you're just trying to assuage your own guilt so you don't feel indebted to her."

"Don't talk nonsense," Chen Yang said coolly, shifting his gaze away.

Zhou Yufei persisted, "Doing this might clear your conscience, but do you realize how incredibly unfair it is to Li Si? You can reject her, but she still has the right to love. What is this supposed to be?"

Zhou Yufei said hatefully, "When it comes to feelings, you are just incredibly selfish!"

She was truly, deeply angry. As a woman who had gone through something very similar to Li Si, Zhou Yufei empathized completely. She could vividly imagine the heartbreak and despair Li Si must be feeling at this moment.

She didn't ask for much. Even if she couldn't spend her life with the man she loved, just seeing him occasionally, or sharing a meal now and then, would be the greatest happiness in the world. But now, she was being forced to marry another man.

Zhou Yufei shuddered at the mere thought of it, a sense of hopeless despair spreading through her entire body. There was nothing more cruel in the world.

The only difference, the only stroke of luck Zhou Yufei had compared to Li Si, was that she wasn't being pressured by her family to be used as a bargaining chip in a marriage alliance.

Yang Hu trailed behind them, his head lowered in silence. He saw many things, not just regarding Li Si, but Zhou Yufei as well. Sometimes, it all felt unbearably cruel.

But Chen Yang was his superior, and these were personal matters. As a subordinate, it wasn't his place to say anything. Besides, from Chen Yang's perspective, he hadn't done anything wrong. He already had a wife. Out of his responsibility to Qin Qiu and a man's sense of duty, it was right for him to refuse all outside temptations.

Sigh… No wonder the ancients said that of the world's eighty thousand words, none is more wounding than 'love'.

Chen Yang said nothing.

After a long while, he finally spoke. "Maybe you're right. Maybe I am very selfish when it comes to love, but I don't think I'm wrong. Besides, she has to marry eventually. Now she's found a decent man from a family of similar standing. That's a good outcome."

"Hah!" Zhou Yufei scoffed, her tone growing sharper. "Deep down, you just want her to marry someone else quickly. That way, she's one less problem for you, and you can focus entirely on being with Qin Qiu, right?"

"Have you ever considered that she might be thinking the same way? That she's wronging herself by marrying someone she not only doesn't love but feels absolutely nothing for, just to avoid being a burden to you?"

"Do you have any idea how cruel it is to spend a lifetime with someone you have no feelings for, just supporting your husband and raising children?" Zhou Yufei stared directly into Chen Yang's eyes, her every word an interrogation filled with dissatisfaction.

Chen Yang fell silent once again.

"I understand your convictions, and I know you're not technically wrong, but there must be a better solution than this—a solution that doesn't just erase a woman." Zhou Yufei took a deep breath, the veins on the hand gripping her purse standing out. "I'm not saying this because I have a problem with you. I just can't stand by and watch a wonderful woman like Li Si be destroyed like this."

With that, Zhou Yufei turned without a backward glance, walked to the road, and hailed a taxi, which sped away into the night.

Once in the car, Zhou Yufei tossed her bag aside, buried her face in her hands, and began to sob hysterically. She might be a little luckier than Li Si, but in a few years, she would probably also marry a man she didn't love and resign herself to a life of domesticity.

What kind of life would that be? She didn't dare to contemplate it, didn't dare to even think about it. She was terrified she would completely break down.

Chen Yang wasn't wrong. Faithfulness certainly wasn't a sin. If anyone was to blame, it was her and Li Si. They had fallen in love with a man they shouldn't have. They had no choice but to silently bear the consequences.

Life is disappointing nine times out of ten. But some things are just too cruel.

Chen Yang stood rooted to the spot. Yang Hu leaned against a nearby wall, silently smoking. Though traffic rushed past them, they seemed to exist in a separate world.

After a long time, Chen Yang said to Yang Hu, "Give me a cigarette."

Yang Hu handed one over and lit it for him.

TSSST!

Chen Yang took a deep drag and instructed, "Call Di An. Have him go to the Li Family and find out what's really going on with the arranged marriage between Li Si and Qin Yan."

"Boss, have you finally seen the light?" Yang Hu's eyes lit up with surprised delight.

"Seen what light?" Chen Yang said flatly. "I consider Sisi my sister. If she's being forced into this, I, as her brother, won't turn a blind eye."

Yang Hu secretly shook his head but said no more, dialing Di An's number. The line was dead. He tried a few more times, but the phone remained off. With no other choice, they headed home.

Just as they reached the house, they saw a graceful, slender figure standing at the gate.

It was Li Si.

"Yang, you're back!" Seeing Chen Yang get out of the car, Li Si smiled and waved.

Chen Yang walked over. "Sisi, what brings you here?"

"I came especially to see you!" Li Si linked her arm through Chen Yang's with their usual intimacy and pointed to two bags on the ground. "I guessed you two were probably running out of some things, so I brought you a few more supplies."

"With no woman in the house, just two big guys like you, heaven only knows how you neglect yourselves," Li Si said with a playful laugh, sticking her tongue out.

Looking at the woman before him, a bitter cocktail of feelings churned within Chen Yang's heart.

"It's cold out here. Let's go inside."

Yang Hu didn't follow, remaining in the car, lost in a daze.

"This is the outfit I had custom-made for you. I'm not sure if it fits," Chen Yang said, handing the two bags to Li Si.

"Wow, it's beautiful!" Not standing on ceremony, Li Si took off her coat and, right there in front of Chen Yang, changed into the Xiuhe Suit.

"Yang, you'll have to help me with the Phoenix Crown."

"Alright."

Chen Yang stood behind Li Si and carefully placed the Phoenix Crown on her head. Li Si's eyes brimmed with tears, but she clenched her jaw tightly.

"There," Chen Yang said.

Li Si smiled, taking the hems of her skirt in her hands. She twirled twice in front of Chen Yang. "How do I look? Am I pretty?"

"Yes, very beautiful."

"Thank you, Yang." Li Si threw herself into Chen Yang's arms, hugging him tightly.

"Sisi, is someone forcing you to do this?" Chen Yang asked suddenly.

"No, not at all." Li Si clenched her jaw, desperately blinking back the tears welling in her eyes. "I have to get married eventually. If I meet someone suitable, I'll just marry him."

Chen Yang nodded, saying no more.

Li Si released him. She turned, changed out of the wedding attire, and packed it neatly back into the bag. Without a backward glance, she turned to leave.

"Yang, get some rest. And you have to remember to come tomorrow."

With that, Li Si dashed out the door. She couldn't hold it in any longer; she couldn't let him see her tears. She had to make him believe she had found her place, that her future would be a happy one.

A moment later, Yang Hu walked in. "Boss, Di An called back. He said he wants to talk to you in person."

Chen Yang's eyebrows shot up.

Why does he want to talk in person? Could it be...

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