Chapter 22: A Rather Unfriendly Comment

"How did he bully you?"

Chi Ran's eyes held no warmth, his tone so flat it lacked the slightest inflection. Yet, only those who knew him well understood that the flatter his tone, the harder he was struggling to control his emotions, masking the storm beneath a facade of calm.

Yu Ling hesitated. After a moment of contemplation, she decided to tell him everything. "He was deceived into being a pawn, targeting me, and preventing lawyers from taking my case."

She hadn't wanted to be dramatic; she had intended to explain the situation as rationally as possible. But as she recalled the unfair treatment she had endured, she couldn't help but let a trace of grievance seep into her voice.

Hearing this, Chi Ran let out a sigh of relief. Her choice of words had been so ambiguous, and given the nature of the industry they were in, it had been difficult for him not to imagine the worst-case scenario.

His throat tightened as he looked past the massive floor-to-ceiling window at the silent blue horizon of the sea, his eyes harboring a hint of restraint. "How do you want to settle this?"

Yu Ling clutched her phone, falling into a momentary silence. After thinking it over, she said, "I want to meet Gu Tingchuan."

"Is that all? You just want to see him?"

"Yes," Yu Ling replied without hesitation.

Chi Ran let out what sounded like a scoff. The sound traveled through the receiver, leaving a bitter taste in Yu Ling’s mouth. She felt like a bird startled by the mere twang of a bowstring; even the slightest disturbance left her on high alert. Of course, she wanted Chi Ran to step in and solve the problem for her directly. But she couldn't. If she did that, how would their relationship be defined? And how would she face him?

Subconsciously, Yu Ling didn't want that to happen, so she only dared to ask him to facilitate a meeting with Gu Tingchuan.

A long silence hung on the other end of the line. Yu Ling’s heart hammered against her ribs, unsure if he would agree. She started to look up at the scrolling comments, but remembering the nonsense she had seen earlier, she abruptly stopped herself. This caused her to miss the viewers' advice: *Yu Ling, just let him handle it for you! The guy is dying to be your lapdog; he’ll be even more heartbroken if you don’t let him help.*

Yu Ling waited quietly until she heard him say, "I won't help you meet him."

Seven simple words, yet in an instant, all the color drained from Yu Ling’s world, leaving it an endless, pitch-black void. He wouldn't help her. The realization left her dizzy, her throat feeling as though she had swallowed shards of glass, a dense, prickling pain radiating through it.

And yet, Yu Ling knew clearly that she and Chi Ran had no formal relationship. He liked her, but he had never said it aloud. She knew he liked her, but she had never asked him. In a sense, Chi Ran was the one left in the dark. Their relationship was strange; Yu Ling couldn't view him as a stranger, yet she greedily wanted him to help her. She wanted to rely on his affection to get his assistance.

But he refused.

Suddenly, Yu Ling felt her own intentions were filthy and base. She felt so ashamed she wanted to dig a hole and hide. She couldn't continue the call. Feeling tears welling up in her eyes, she fought back the urge to cry and stammered, "I'm sorry to have bothered you," intending to hang up.

Suddenly, she heard him say, "Don't cry. I haven't finished speaking yet."

He seemed to let out a low sigh, his tone softening considerably. Yu Ling’s hand paused as she whispered in protest, "I'm not crying."

"Fine, you're not crying."

Just as Yu Ling was about to say something, Chi Ran’s voice cut in, and she had no choice but to quiet down.

"Let me handle this matter, all right?"

Yu Ling had wanted to refuse, but she caught a glimpse of the comments and began to seriously consider the proposal. Letting Chi Ran handle it was undoubtedly the fastest and most effective solution; his resources and connections were far beyond her reach.

So, Yu Ling agreed. She decisively sent him the video and audio files.

"As payment, what do you want me to do for you?" Yu Ling asked in a cold voice.

Silence fell on the other end, and she waited anxiously. She understood that thinking took time. After about a minute, she heard Chi Ran say, "I'll tell you when I've decided."

"Okay," she replied without hesitation, then hung up.

The moment the call ended, all the strength drained from Yu Ling’s body. She collapsed backward onto the bed. The ceiling was a sterile, glaring white. Her vision blurred, so she simply raised her hand to cover her eyes. If she couldn't see, it would be fine.

Earlier, in that fleeting glance, she had seen an unfriendly comment—one that said she was too soft-hearted, wanting to have her cake and eat it too. That she clearly wanted Chi Ran’s help but was still putting on airs.

Yu Ling couldn't quite articulate her feelings in that moment. Ever since she learned she was the protagonist of a novel and Chi Ran was the devoted male supporting character destined to die for her, he had become someone different in her heart. It wasn't about romance, but it was complex. Yu Ling had been lonely for too long; there was a gaping hole in her heart where cold wind constantly whistled through. She had walked in the darkness alone for so long, and her world was a vast, white expanse with no destination.

Because of this, her heart was always drifting, lacking an anchor. Knowing that Chi Ran would die for her turned him into a sort of responsibility. She could die, but she could not let him die for her. Chi Ran had become a temporary anchor, something for her to strive toward. She had tried to keep their relationship pure, forgetting that they were never on equal footing to begin with. The moment she reached out to him for help, that purity was shattered.

Realizing this, Yu Ling understood she had been wrong all along. Indecision and overthinking only made things worse. Thus, she stopped hesitating and stopped beating around the bush, letting Chi Ran handle the entire situation.

Yu Ling covered her face, hot tears slipping through her fingers and soaking into the soft quilt. After a while, she pushed herself up, wiped her face, and walked straight out.

"How did it go?"

Li Wan had been staring at Yu Ling’s door, not daring to look away for a single second, only blinking hard when her eyes felt too dry to bear. During that time, she had called many lawyers she had worked with, only to be rejected by every single one. Some had even urged her to see the situation clearly and abandon Yu Ling early to avoid getting dragged into the mess.

Li Wan had cursed them all out and blocked them. People always said you see true colors in times of trouble, and she had certainly seen them today. Those who used to call her "Sister Li" at the dinner table were now completely useless when things got tough. After half an hour of calling, her throat was parched and she was nearly fuming with rage.

Seeing Yu Ling emerge, she immediately hurried over. She was just about to ask how things went, but seeing the lingering redness in Yu Ling’s eyes, she swallowed the words. She reached out and patted Yu Ling’s hair with a heavy heart, unable to say a single word.