Chapter 112: Trouble Lingers at the Widow’s Door

Shen Yanjie covered his mouth and gave a dry cough. Unexpectedly, Mai Xijun could not hold back her amusement and burst into a giggle. Afraid of needles and squeamish about blood? Is he even a man?

Shen Yanjie glared back in irritation. Mai Xijun met his gaze for only a second before pursing her lips, which still held a trace of a smile. Fine, even a tough man has his fragile, vulnerable side.

"Hiss..." Yu Wensi drew a sharp breath as Mai Xijun pulled the needle from his vein. "Miss Mai, you did that on purpose, didn't you?" Yu Wensi immediately looked up, shifting his gaze from the back of his hand to her. But at that moment, Mai Xijun was still focused on dressing the puncture site, completely unaware that Yu Wensi was staring at her so intently he seemed dazed.

"Get out as soon as the needle is out," Shen Yanjie commanded, sounding extremely displeased. He picked up Yu Wensi’s jacket from the sofa and threw it straight at him—or rather, slammed it at him.

"All done." Mai Xijun looked at her handiwork and then gave a sharp, stinging slap right over the spot where the IV had been. Yu Wensi winced and grimaced in pain.

"The most venomous heart is that of a woman," Yu Wensi muttered unhappily, his face contorted. Who was he doing this for? It was all for her, yet she didn't appreciate it and even attacked him.

"You can get lost now," Mai Xijun waved her hand dismissively and sat back down.

Whatever.

If she wants him gone, he’ll go. It wasn't just Mai Xijun who wanted him out; Shen Yanjie had been unhappy with his presence for a long time. After all, this was a couple that had just returned from their honeymoon; why should he be the third wheel?

Yu Wensi left in low spirits. How long had it been since he was last sick? To think that sitting outside Mai Xijun's door for half the night would give him a fever this high. Remarkable. Mai Xijun had officially earned the title of his nemesis.

His head still felt heavy and foggy. Yu Wensi rubbed his forehead, feeling wretched.

"Excuse me... handsome."

Just as Yu Wensi reached the bottom of the stairs, he heard a call. It was the middle-aged woman who ran the small shop by the entrance. Yu Wensi looked around, and once he was certain she was speaking to him, he paused.

"Are you calling me, ma'am?" Yu Wensi asked with a hint of confusion.

"Ma'am..." The face of Meili’s mother fell instantly. Mo Shaoxing called her 'Auntie,' and Yu Wensi called her 'Ma'am'... Well, that was fine. If he were to become her son-in-law, he would have to change his address anyway. She pushed the thought aside, and her expression shifted from icy to a fiery, welcoming warmth.

"Yes, that's right, I'm calling you. Are you hungry?" Meili's mother greeted him with enthusiasm, putting down her rag and walking over to size him up.

"Not hungry," Yu Wensi shook his head.

"Then... are you thirsty?" Her enthusiasm didn't wane, her eyes sparkling with delight.

"Not thirsty," he shook his head again.

She seemed a bit disappointed, her eyelids drooping.

"Are you tired, then? Come inside and rest for a while," she added.

Yu Wensi’s expression went completely blank for a second, and his headache worsened. Their eyes met—hers filled with obsequious guesswork and probing, his with calm, composed indifference.

After a long silence, Yu Wensi furrowed his brow slightly and said calmly, "I am not thirsty, not hungry, and not tired. I just need to be going; I have things to do."

He thought to himself that he had expected to gain something, hoping this woman might tell him something about Mai Xijun living here. Instead, it had all been mundane chatter: "Are you here? Yes." "What are you doing? Haha." "Have you eaten? Yes." "Are you busy? I'm going to take a shower, you go ahead." All boring, trivial topics.

"Hey, wait a moment!"

Just as Yu Wensi took a step, Meili's mother reached out to stop him.

"Is there something else, ma'am?" Yu Wensi asked, his tone as gentle as ever, though he was cynical inside.

"You're a good friend of Junjun's, aren't you?" she asked tentatively, watching his expression. She was mostly trying to guess the relationship between him and Mai Xijun. Only then could she be sure if she could say what she wanted next. After all, if she made a mistake but they were close, having Mai Xijun as a backer would prevent any trouble.

Thinking of this, she frowned slightly and continued, "You see, I’ve known Junjun for a very, very long time. We are very close friends, really."

After she finished speaking, Yu Wensi remained expressionless, making her look like a clown performing a one-woman show. Most importantly, this man often lacked basic courtesy. Even though he appeared gentle on the surface, his underlying arrogance was impossible to hide. It seemed that if anyone dared to act recklessly before him, he would smile—and then smile as he crushed them in the cradle.

"It’s just that... I was thinking, Junjun has lived here for quite a while, but she rarely has family or friends visiting. I thought, if you are her good friend, everyone could visit each other more often, right? After all, if something happens, it's good to have someone to look out for her, isn't it?"

Meili's mother explained, forcing a smile, though her embarrassment was plain to see. Yu Wensi’s eyes, which seemed to carry a faint smile, felt as if they were trying to see right through her, peeling away her truest intentions one by one. If a gaze could be a weapon, he had already bored a hole right through her.

"Actually, it's fine. Junjun doesn't really have any trouble," she added with a nervous laugh. Yu Wensi raised an eyebrow, looking unconvinced. He pulled a business card from his inner pocket and handed it to her. "If anything comes up, you can call me."

"Really?" She was overjoyed and immediately reached out with her plump hands to take the gold-embossed card, only to realize she had spoken too eagerly. "I mean, if anything happens to Junjun, as her friend, I will..."