Chapter 66 - 065: Dream Shattered

Words : 1308 Updated : Sep 17th, 2025

Chapter 66 - 065: Dream Shattered This matter is no trivial affair. Since the police have gotten involved, they must keep their distance from a company like the Yu Family, tarnished with scandal. The partnerships that were prepared for signing or already underway will likely have to be reconsidered again and again. What they could foresee, Yu Baisheng could foresee as well. Stricken with fury and despair, his vision turned black, and he collapsed to the ground unconscious. The hall descended into chaos. None of the guests dared to step forward to help, fearing they might get caught in the fire. Instead, they hurriedly left the Yu Family behind. Yuan Li's unseeing eyes stared ahead as she crumpled to the floor, while Yu Xinman, standing by her side, turned pale from shock at the scene. It wasn't until the police bent down to check Yu Baisheng's breathing that she finally snapped out of it. She rushed to his side and cried out, "Dad! Dad, wake up...!" The crown slipped from her head, landing with a crisp, faint sound on the floor. Her princess dream, like the crystals on that crown, had utterly shattered. Yu Zhi sipped her orange juice expressionlessly, her eyes glinting with a dark and malicious satisfaction. When the mingled sirens of ambulances and police cars pierced her ears, her mood had never been so elated. Uncle Fang accompanied Yu Baisheng to the hospital, Yuan Li was taken to the police station, and the housekeepers had scattered to who knows where—in the vast hall, only three remained. The show was over. Yu Zhi set down her glass and stood up, moving leisurely toward the door. Seeing this, Lu Li quickly caught up to her, never once glancing at Yu Xinman, as though she were nothing but a stranger to him. "Yu Zhi!" Yu Xinman wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and stared straight at her. Yu Zhi raised an eyebrow slightly, "What's the matter?" Because of Lu Li's presence, Yu Xinman suppressed the hatred in her heart, forcing a smile that strained at her lips. "Where are you going?" "It has nothing to do with you." As Yu Zhi stepped forward again, Yu Xinman hurriedly called out to her once more, "Wait." Yu Xinman bit her lower lip, her hand at her side gripping the hem of her dress tightly. "I want to talk to Lu Li alone." Her shy demeanor made Yu Zhi pause for a moment, feeling strangely amused—it was astounding that even with the Yu Family in shambles, Yu Xinman could still be concerned with romantic matters. She did not respond but instead turned her gaze toward the person next to her. Only then did Lu Li shift his eyes to Yu Xinman, his expression unchanged. "What do you want to talk about?" "I... I want to talk to you alone." Afraid he might refuse, she added pitifully, her voice tinged with sobs, "Is that okay?" Lu Li hesitated, and in that brief moment of hesitation, Yu Zhi turned and left. "Speak," he said impatiently, glancing hurriedly toward the hallway outside. He had originally planned to leave the decision to Yu Zhi, using it as an opportunity to gauge his place in her heart. But before he could speak, she had already walked away. Yu Xinman, who had watched every flicker of emotion cross his face, clenched her palms tightly, so tightly that her knuckles turned white—and yet she seemed entirely numb to the pain. "Let's go over there," she said, pointing toward the sofa, her eyes pleading. "It won't take up too much of your time." Lu Li paused momentarily before striding over and sitting down. He kept his hands tucked into his pockets, his gaze fixed on the tips of his shoes, his entire demeanor absent and distracted. Taking advantage of his inattention, Yu Xinman grabbed the phone from the sofa and secretly sent a message, then wordlessly scooted a little closer to him. She studied his profile, her heart brimming with affection. "Do you remember the basketball game in the second semester of our freshman year of high school? That was the first time I saw you." "The sunlight was beautiful that day, and the basketball court was crowded, but the first person I spotted in the crowd was you." Perhaps recalling the scene from back then, a faint arc appeared at the corners of Yu Xinman's lips. As though lost in the dream she'd woven, she paid no mind to whether he was listening or not. "Actually, I didn't like you at that time, but later, every time we passed by each other in the hallway or the schoolyard, my heart would involuntarily race." "As time went on, I finally realized I really did like you. Perhaps it was your figure on the basketball court, drenched in sweat. Perhaps it was your presence on the podium, delivering a speech for the whole school year. Perhaps it was your every expression. Perhaps it was..." Yu Xinman's voice broke, her eyes shining with tears. Her voice was hoarse as she said, "I've liked you for so long, so long." Her heartfelt confession stirred no ripple in Lu Li's heart, leaving only herself deeply moved by her own words. Lu Li glanced at her, his gaze complicated. "Sorry, I already have someone I like." He wasn't oblivious—he'd known from the start that Yu Xinman had feelings for him. But her feelings were far from simple; they carried many ulterior motives. That kind of calculated affection was something he could never accept. "Who is it?" Though Yu Xinman had already anticipated this response, she couldn't help but ask him with defiant desperation. "The person you like... who is it?" Her teeth sank into her lower lip, her heartbeat feeling as though it had suddenly frozen, leaving her gasping for air. Lu Li said nothing but shifted his gaze toward the hallway outside. A subtle glimmer of light danced in his eyes. That single look told her everything. "Lu Li..." Yu Xinman called his name in despair, her voice choking as though a stone had lodged itself in her throat, leaving her unable to utter another word. She had held on to a sliver of hope, however small—but now, she couldn't deceive herself any longer. Lu Li had no desire to linger. He stood up quickly. "I'm leaving." As he took his first step forward, Yu Xinman panicked instantly. "Lu Li... Lu Li, don't go. Don't go." Throwing all concern aside, she rushed forward, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist from behind, stubbornly refusing to let go. "Lu Li, please give me a chance, won't you? Please don't like someone else. Don't..." Her tears soaked through his shirt. To her, he was like a single stalk of life-saving straw—if she let go, she would have nothing left. "Please restrain yourself." Lu Li's cold voice rebuffed her, prying her hands away with force and turning his head to shoot her a warning glare. He despised being touched by others—or, more precisely, by her. If not for the fact that she was a Yu Family member, he wouldn't have bothered listening to a single word she had to say. "You..." Yu Xinman froze, stunned by the coldness in his gaze, unable to fathom how he could treat her this way. "Why? Lu Li, tell me, why?" "What is wrong with me? Tell me—I'll change, okay?" "..." Her shrieks of desperation and questions only received an answer of diminishing, hurried footsteps. As the figure drifted farther and farther away, eventually disappearing altogether, Yu Xinman collapsed among the rose petals, staring at the ceiling, and wept in despair.

Chapter 66 - 065: Dream Shattered

Comments (0)