Shen Weilan had no desire to clash with Huo Junxiao. After all, guests were to be treated with courtesy. She waved a hand dismissively and said, "Since you’re fine now, you should head back. Don't loiter around the Shen Family residence and be an eyesore."
"Oh? Is this how the Shen Family treats its guests?"
Although Huo Junxiao rarely visited the Shen Family, Shen Huaibei held him in high regard and had specifically reserved a guest bedroom for him, which happened to be right across from Shen Weilan’s.
Shen Weilan looked stern. "No, this is merely my personal way of treating guests."
Huo Junxiao responded faintly, "I see."
*I see?* That was it? Was there nothing more?
Shen Weilan narrowed her beautiful eyes. She hadn't been in a good mood to begin with, and Huo Junxiao’s attitude only made it worse.
"A sensible woman doesn't fight with men, lest you run off to complain to my brother the moment you turn around." It wasn't as if Huo Junxiao hadn't done such a thing before.
Shen Weilan picked up her bottle of wine and turned to leave, but the next second, her wrist was seized by Huo Junxiao. He frowned slightly. "Why do you hate me? What exactly have I done to you?"
Shen Weilan yanked her hand back hard, her voice cold. "You’re certainly good at playing the fool. You know perfectly well why I hate you."
"Care to explain?" Huo Junxiao pressed. In his memory, he had never done anything to harm Shen Weilan, so why was she so insistent?
Looking at Huo Junxiao’s innocent and bewildered expression, Shen Weilan almost wondered if she had misunderstood him all those years ago. But the memories of that year were too vivid. In her eyes, Huo Junxiao was simply putting on an act.
Ignoring him, Shen Weilan turned and quickened her pace.
However, the suspicion in Huo Junxiao’s heart grew like a snowball rolling downhill. He strode forward and grabbed her wrist again. Shen Weilan reacted violently, jerking her hand back with such force that she lost her balance and fell to the ground.
The wine bottle in her hand shattered, and a shard of sharp glass sliced through her wrist. Crimson blood began to trickle out, and the pain made cold sweat bead on her forehead.
Huo Junxiao was startled by the sudden turn of events. He cursed himself for his slow reaction, which had resulted in Shen Weilan’s injury. He immediately apologized and reached out to help her up, but she roared at him, "Get lost! Don't touch me!"
Shen Weilan stood up, cursing, and glared at him with hatred. "Every time I see you, nothing good ever happens. From now on, you’d better not show your face in front of me."
Leaving those words behind, she turned and headed downstairs. This time, Huo Junxiao did not follow.
Back in her room, Shen Weilan rinsed her wound. Fortunately, it wasn't deep enough to require stitches. She bandaged it simply and went to bed.
...
The next day.
Shen Weilan woke up early. When she arrived at the dining room, she saw the person she detested most, and her expression darkened instantly. Huo Junxiao was eating his breakfast quietly; her arrival didn't seem to affect him in the slightest.
Shen Huaibei noticed the gauze on Shen Weilan’s wrist immediately. His heart tightened, and he asked nervously, "How did you get that injury?"
It would have been fine if he hadn't asked, but the mention of it reignited her anger. She stared straight at Huo Junxiao and sneered, "It’s all thanks to certain people. I wouldn't have been injured otherwise. Some people don't even know when they aren't wanted, constantly hopping around in front of me."
Huo Junxiao, singled out, remained expressionless, like a robot. He merely glanced at Shen Weilan before looking away. "Are you being snide toward me?"
"Ha! Starting to play the innocent act again?" Seeing Huo Junxiao’s detached, "not my problem" attitude, Shen Weilan felt the urge to strike him.
Shen Huaibei looked at the two of them with deep suspicion. "What on earth is going on here?"
"Brother, why don't you ask your dear friend what he did to me last night?" Shen Weilan wished she could expose Huo Junxiao’s true colors right then and there—the man was a two-faced hypocrite!
"A-xiao, did something unpleasant happen between you two last night?" Shen Huaibei asked, turning toward Huo Junxiao.
Huo Junxiao calmly set down his chopsticks. "No. I took my medication and went to sleep last night."
"You’re lying!" Shen Weilan slammed her hands on the table and stood up, pointing a finger at Huo Junxiao’s nose. "You had the nerve to pester me to drink with you on the rooftop last night! If you hadn't pulled on me, I wouldn't have fallen, the bottle wouldn't have broken, and my hand wouldn't be injured!"
Huo Junxiao was a titan in the business world; when had anyone ever dared to point a finger at him while cursing? His handsome face turned sullen, and a menacing aura radiated from him. He looked at Shen Huaibei and said coldly, "Huaibei, if you don't know how to discipline your sister, I wouldn't mind doing it for you. If there is a next time, she can say goodbye to that finger."
Shen Huaibei’s pupils shrank, and he gasped. He had been brothers with Huo Junxiao for over a decade and knew his personality better than anyone—he was a man of his word.
"You—you refuse to admit it, and you dare to threaten—" Shen Weilan’s words were cut off as Shen Huaibei clamped a hand over her mouth, leaving her only able to make muffled, indignant sounds.
Shen Huaibei shook his head at her, signaling her to stop.
Huo Junxiao put down his chopsticks and stood up. He glanced at Shen Huaibei. "I have matters to attend to at the company. I’m leaving. Sorry for the trouble last night."
"Right. I’ll come find you later." Shen Huaibei didn't dare let go of his sister to wave goodbye, fearing that if he did, she would start spewing vitriol again.
Only when Huo Junxiao’s figure disappeared from the Shen residence did Shen Huaibei finally release her.
"Weilan, don't provoke A-xiao again in the future. Even I won't be able to protect you," Shen Huaibei warned, his expression grave.
Shen Weilan’s anger surged even higher. She gritted her teeth. "Brother, you believe him and not me? My hand really was injured because of him."
"That’s impossible. A-xiao took his medicine and went to sleep last night. I prescribed the medicine myself; I know how it works." Shen Huaibei was firm.
Every time A-xiao had an episode, he would "sleep" for over ten hours after taking the medication; the longest he had ever slept was an entire week.
Shen Weilan laughed in disbelief. "So you’re saying I saw a ghost last night? And that the ghost fought me for a drink?"
"That’s not what I meant. In any case, listen to your brother—just stay away from A-xiao."
"I didn't provoke him! He came to provoke me last night. Why won't you believe me?"
Shen Huaibei glanced at the clock on the wall. "I have to head back to the hospital. Do whatever you need to do."
With that, Shen Huaibei grabbed his briefcase and left.
Shen Weilan sat on the sofa, replaying the events on the rooftop the night before. Her brother’s certainty and Huo Junxiao’s reaction left her wondering if there were truly two different Huo Junxiaos in this world.
"Ring, ring, ring~~"
The sharp ringing of her phone snapped her back to reality. She pulled out her phone and saw who was calling; her gaze darkened. She felt a sense of shame and didn't dare to answer.
Only after the phone stopped and rang again multiple times did she finally succumb and answer.
A mature, steady male voice came from the other end. "I saw the news. Do you regret it? I warned you back then. What do you intend to do now?"