Chapter 1614

As Xiao Qingqing walked away, Ding You stubbornly tried to follow, but before Mu Nuan could stop him, Yang Yun had already grabbed his arm. Yang Yun glared at him, her eyes burning with fury. "Dare to take another step, Ding You. If you chase after Xiao Qingqing today, I’ll report you for raping me." "That’s a lie! You tricked me into coming here!" Ding You scowled, his voice trembling with anger. "Senior, you—you can’t go back on your word. We agreed—just once, and you’d let me go. Why are you doing this to me?" "Because I like you. What else can I do?" Yang Yun stepped closer, tilting her head with a coy smile. "Tell me, apart from not being as pretty as that Xiao Qingqing, what do I lack? Why waste your time on that pretentious, holier-than-thou bitch?" Bitch? Mu Nuan strode forward, yanking Yang Yun away from Ding You and delivering a sharp slap across her face. "You’re the real bitch—a shameless homewrecker with no morals." Yang Yun seethed. How dare this woman hit her? She was only acting tough because she had the Nelson family backing her. She raised her hand to shove Mu Nuan back, but Ye Heng'an caught her wrist mid-motion and flung her against the wall. Stumbling, Yang Yun lost her balance and crashed to the floor. As she lifted her head, ready to scream curses, Ye Heng'an’s icy glare silenced her. "I don’t have a rule against hitting women," he said, his voice dangerously calm. "Lay a finger on my woman, and you’ll regret it." "She hit me first!" Yang Yun spat through gritted teeth. "Frankly, you had it coming. And she went easy on you." Yang Yun’s face twisted with humiliation. Ye Heng'an issued a final warning. "Stay away from my Nuan Nuan and her friends from now on. Or don’t blame me when I make the Yang family pay for it." With that, he cast one last disdainful glance at the adulterous pair, then took Mu Nuan’s hand and strode away. Yang Yun’s face darkened with rage. Xiao Qingqing and Mu Nuan—those damned bitches would pay for this. She’d make sure they suffered. Samuel found Xiao Qingqing sitting by the dimly lit roadside, her gaze distant and unfocused. Pedestrians hurried past, but she didn’t spare them a glance—not until Samuel stepped directly in front of her, blocking her view of the passing traffic. Only then did she slowly lift her head. When she realized it was him, she froze for a moment. He was her elder, and she should have stood up to greet him properly. But right now, she just didn’t have the energy. With a weary sigh, she murmured, "Uncle Jing... what brings you here?" Samuel studied her from above, his lips quirking slightly. "You’re not crying. That’s a surprise." Xiao Qingqing blinked. So he had come just to see if she was in tears? She stayed silent, unsure how to respond, and eventually lowered her head again, her mood heavy. Samuel bent slightly, tilting her chin up with his fingers to force her to meet his eyes. Her face flushed inexplicably as she stared into his handsome, mature features. "Wh-what is it, Uncle Jing?" she stammered. He pressed his lips together. "Need a shoulder to cry on? Or... somewhere to let it all out?" "I... I’m fine." A faint smile touched his lips. "Really? Your boyfriend cheated on you, and you can still say you’re 'fine'? Should I praise your bravery, or call you heartless?" Xiao Qingqing turned her face away, breaking contact with his hand. As her warm skin brushed against his long, elegant fingers, Samuel’s brow arched almost imperceptibly. Her voice was muffled when she finally spoke. "If you’re just here to check whether I’m crying, you can leave. I won’t cry. I didn’t do anything wrong. I just..." She trailed off, pausing for a long moment before lifting her gaze to the neon-streaked night sky. Then, quietly, she added, "I just had an imperfect first love. And honestly... I’ve imagined this day coming for a long time." "Oh? You had a feeling he would betray you?" Xiao Qingqing furrowed her delicate brows slightly before shifting her gaze back to Samuel with a nod. "Yang Yun has been pestering him relentlessly. Whether in real life or in novels, they all say men are creatures ruled by their baser instincts—incapable of resisting temptation. Though he acted... repulsed by Yang Yun in front of me, how many men can truly control their urges?" She let out a heavy sigh, her voice tinged with resignation. "I’ve imagined countless times that he might succumb and betray me. I just never expected it to happen so soon. But in a way... it’s for the best." Her fingers tightened slightly around the edge of her sleeve. "Better to find out early and cut my losses. At least now I won’t have to live in constant fear of being betrayed by a man." "That’s an unusual perspective," Samuel remarked, his gaze lingering on her for a moment before he stood. "But let me correct you—not all men are slaves to their desires. Some only have eyes for the one they love." He straightened, his tone casual yet firm. "Come on, let’s go." Xiao Qingqing shook her head faintly. "I’ll stay a little longer. You go ahead, Third Uncle." Without hesitation, Samuel bent down, grasped her arm, and pulled her up effortlessly. His voice was light but insistent. "This area isn’t safe. If someone spots a pitiful little stray like you and decides to take you home, An’an and Nuan’nuan will be furious with me. Come on, I’ll take you back to school." "I’m not going back," she protested, wrenching her arm free with a frown. "I can’t face Ding You’s pestering tonight. I’m not ready." "Then I’ll take you to a hotel." At the word "hotel," Xiao Qingqing instinctively tensed, her wary eyes darting to his face. Noticing her guarded expression, Samuel smirked and leaned in slightly, his voice dropping to a teasing murmur near her ear. "What, afraid I’ll take advantage of you?" The thought struck her—she was overthinking it. She had speculated before: Third Uncle was already forty and still unmarried. Either his heart belonged to someone else, or he simply had no interest in women. Her caution was unnecessary. "Of course not," she replied, though her voice wavered slightly. "It’s just... why a hotel?" Samuel straightened, the corners of his lips lifting in a faint, reassuring smile. "To give you a proper place to rest. Better than playing the stray kitten on the roadside. Let’s go." After speaking, he had already started walking toward his car parked nearby. Xiao Qingqing really did need some time to collect herself, so she followed Samuel as they left together. Not far away, inside the car that had just arrived from the club, Mu Nuan spotted Xiao Qingqing about to leave with Third Uncle and immediately moved to step out—only to be stopped by Samuel. Mu Nuan turned to him with a frown. "What's the matter?" Samuel remained silent for a moment, waiting until Xiao Qingqing had gotten into Third Uncle’s car before speaking. "Let Third Uncle handle it." "But how is that okay? Third Uncle barely knows Qingqing. How’s he supposed to comfort her?" "Right now, Qingqing doesn’t need comfort or company. She needs to be alone to sort through her thoughts. Third Uncle is reliable—he’ll find her a quiet place to think. Trust me." Mu Nuan naturally had faith in Third Uncle, so she nodded in agreement. Still, recalling what Xiao Qingqing had gone through that night, she couldn’t help but shoot Ye Heng'an an irritated glare. Noticing her expression, Ye Heng'an chuckled lightly. "What’s wrong?" "All crows are black under the sun—men are just no good, every last one of you."