Chapter Fifty-Five: Such a Dazzling Young Man

A familiar scene unfolded before her—the lighting inside the room, the tall and striking man, her Hello Kitty apron, and the gentle smile that warmed his face. “You’re back,” he said.

Mai Xijun instinctively took a step back, glanced at her own door number, then blinked, her innocent confusion evident as she stared at the man before her. “Why are you here again?”

And did he possess some sort of foresight? He seemed to know she would open the door and had gotten ahead of her, pretending to be considerate by opening it first. But most importantly, how did he get in this time? Did he climb up the balcony, or did he simply walk in through the front door? Didn’t he realize this was someone else’s home and he shouldn’t behave so casually?

Shen Yanlie raised his hand, bending his knuckles, and tapped a beautiful pear blossom against Mai Xijun’s forehead. “You’ve lost your conscience!”

Well... it felt more like she’d lost her temper to him. If any other man dared act so shamelessly, she would have booted him out of her house in a heartbeat. But... considering how handsome Shen Yanlie was, and the fact he wore her apron and cooked her dinner, she thought for a moment and decided to let it go.

The table was laden with food, filling the house with delicious aromas.

“You eat first, I’ll go shower. The smell of cooking is all over me!” Shen Yanlie seemed quite disgusted, lifting his shirt and sniffing up and down.

Mai Xijun pursed her lips. He’d become so accustomed to entering her home that she was at a loss. He probably knew exactly how many mice lived in her house by now.

This man, the longer you keep him around, the more frightening he becomes...

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Mai Xijun thought Shen Yanlie would leave after dinner, but unexpectedly, he went up to the rooftop terrace and insisted she accompany him, claiming, “I cooked for you—can’t you keep me company for a stroll? It’s not like you’re at a disadvantage. After all, I’m quite the dazzling man...”

Mai Xijun could only sweat at his self-praise, but Shen Yanlie’s laughter was almost childlike, revealing a fleeting innocence and longing that caught her off guard.

Autumn had quietly arrived. Mai Xijun instinctively pulled her thin jacket tighter, her back lightly pressed against the railing.

She lived halfway up the mountain, so from the rooftop, she could see almost half the city spread out below.

She glanced back at Shen Yanlie. His dark pupils were even deeper and brighter in the night, fixed on the glittering city lights not far away, seemingly enjoying this rare moment of tranquility. Only the gentle brush of wind against their ears broke the silence.

“What is your dream?” Mai Xijun sniffed, her nose reddened, clutching her coat tighter, breaking the quiet.

Shen Yanlie seemed caught off guard by the question, perhaps struck in a vulnerable place. He frowned slightly, turned his head, and regarded her with the same searching gaze.

He was silent for a long time, simply looking at her. Mai Xijun realized she might have spoken out of turn and quickly turned away, pretending nonchalance as she hastily explained, “Oh, it’s nothing, I was just asking, just casually. You don’t have to answer, haha.”

If she had asked an ordinary person, such a conversation would have brought them closer, but she forgot that standing before her was Shen Yanlie. She shouldn’t treat him like anyone else... That would upset her own balance.

“I have no dreams. I lost them when I was very young. I only know that Eurasia is the path I must take.” Shen Yanlie’s tone was cool, his fingers gently spinning the needle-like branch of a bonsai cedar at his side.

His gaze remained fixed in the distance. In this moment, he seemed to have completely let down his guard—no longer arrogant, no longer unruly, nor cold. Instead, he appeared so lonely that one couldn’t help but want to step forward and offer him warmth.

“And you? Is your dream to become an international jewelry designer?” Shen Yanlie suddenly looked back, a faint smile playing at his lips, his eyes flickering as he gazed at her in the dim light, his heated breath brushing her cheek as he moved.

Mai Xijun bit her lip softly, her heart suddenly out of rhythm. Thankfully, it was night; otherwise, her face would have been flushed, and who knows how he might react—perhaps with a teasing remark, or maybe, in a low voice, he’d say, “I know exactly what you’re thinking...”

“Yes. If I could become an outstanding jewelry designer, my mother would surely hear about me, she’d know where I am, and she would come back to find me... As long as she returns, I can take care of her, I’ll have the ability to give her a better life.”

Mai Xijun’s determined gaze shone like a beacon in the night, illuminating the darkness of Shen Yanlie’s path. He had never noticed how beautiful a woman’s profile could be.

Her slightly sorrowful expression, the smile she turned toward him, the sudden release of tension—all these emotions came together so naturally that it felt like a spell, enchanting his eyes in an instant.

Then his heart trembled softly. He couldn’t remember how long it had been since he’d felt this way, how long his heart had been like stagnant water, never moved...

It seemed to have started five years ago, when Xie Yunting stood before him. “I want to work hard for my dream, Lie. I’m going to Vienna, but that doesn’t mean I don’t love you, or that I want to break up. Wait for me...”

That “wait for me” had kept his heart in a cold state for five years, never knowing warmth. He only knew ruthlessness, only knew how to use every means to make Eurasia thrive. Even when he felt exhausted, as though carrying a heavy burden for too long, it became a hindrance.

Mai Xijun sensed some emotional shift in Shen Yanlie. He was leaning closer, slowly approaching her. She wanted to escape, but her mind was full of the sadness she’d seen in him moments ago.

Tonight, he was too calm—so calm that, aside from the aura of a king he exuded, she almost treated him as just another ordinary man...

He was clearly an exceptional person, wealthy beyond measure, a master of business, capable of turning tides with a single hand. He had no need for her admiration.

Yet, now she found herself unable to resist, because she realized that beneath his tough exterior, he too needed warmth and care. And the real him was not as cold and ruthless as he appeared; in some deep part of his nature, he might even be a man of profound affection...