Surprised, Pan ijia inadvertently dropped the bamboo water bottle she was holding. Just in the nick of ti, Ling Yun, who stood beside her, swiftly caught the falling bottle.
"Why are you so careless?" He asked, concern flashed in his eyes.
Before Ling Yun could return the water bottle to Pan ijia, he watched in surprise as she walked quickly toward a man wearing a military coat. An inexplicable sense of crisis hit him. Watching her talk with the man, his hand holding the water bottle instinctively tightened.
For the first ti, he saw a smile he had never seen before on her face, and this smile was not directed at him. Her normally polite deanor now carried affection toward that man that made him feel sour, bitter, and irritated.
Unaware of the turmoil brewing in Ling Yun's heart, Pan ijia looked at Xiao Yiguan with bright eyes and greeted him with a smile, "Brother Yiguan, why are you here?"
Xiao Yiguan looked at Pan ijia coldly and asked, "Why can't I be here?"
Pan ijia was taken aback by his indifferent attitude. When she saw Xiao Yiqing behind him and the bruises on her face, she was even more surprised. She looked at her with worry and asked, "Brother Yiguan, what's wrong with Yiqing?"
As soon as she asked, Xiao Yiguan beca furious and asked her angrily, "ijia, are you seriously asking this now? Have you forgotten the promise you made to when you and Qingqing left the capital? Is this how you take care of my sister?"
Pan ijia was startled by his outburst and took a few steps back. She clenched her fists and said, "I didn't know sothing like this would happen to Yiqing. If I knew, I..."
"Enough!" Xiao Yiguan interrupted her.
"No matter what you say now, it's useless. The damage has been done, and you, her so-called best friend, do nothing to help her. Pan ijia, you really let down." Xiao Yiguan said coldly with a hint of disappointnt.
"Brother Yiguan, I..." she said, her voice trembling with guilt and regret.
Pan ijia stretched out her hand to pull at his sleeve. But before she touched his clothes, he waved his hand and said coldly, "Don't touch !"
Pan ijia was caught off guard and pushed back. She fell backward as she lost her footing. Xiao Yigua's eyes widened when he saw her falling and instinctively reached out to support her. But before he could hold her hand, soone had already pulled her into his arms.
Feeling the strong chest on her back, Pan ijia raised her head and asked dazed, "Brother Ling, why are you here?"
Ling Yun looked at her with a dark face and asked her sullenly, "When you are bullied, do you still expect to stand by and watch?"
After he finished speaking, he helped her stand steadily but didn't release his grip on her shoulder. He fixed his gaze on Xiao Yiguan and spoke with a cold, firm tone, "Comrade, I don't care who you are or what your relationship is with ijia. But I won't tolerate anyone mistreating her. Apologize to her, or don't bla for being harsh."
Xiao Yiguan was taken aback by the sudden appearance of the man and his intimate gesture towards Pan ijia. Despite being aware of her feelings for him, he had always treated her like a younger sister. However, seeing her standing so closely with another man irritated him, and he felt a surge of bitter taste in his heart.
"Who are you?" Xiao Yiguan asked, his brows furrowing in displeasure.
"I'm ijia's friend." Ling Yun replied calmly.
Before Xiao Yiguan could let out a sigh of relief, Ling Yun added casually, "A very close one."
Hearing these provocative words, Xiao Yiguan felt a surge of irritation rises in his heart. Clouded with anger, he turned to Pan ijia and said, "Comrade Pan, I apologize for pushing you and nearly causing you to fall. However, I don't want to see you again. Don't appear in front of and Qingqing anymore."
Pan ijia was shocked when she heard his words. Their friendship of more than ten years was unilaterally severed by him. Whether it was Xiao Yiqing or Xiao Yiguan, both of them regarded her as an insignificant person. When they already decide that she's at fault, they can easily dismiss her without even bothering to listen to her explanation. Is this the sa man she has loved for so many years?
She looked at Xiao Yiguan's back and asked, "Brother Yiguan, did you ever consider a friend?"
Hearing her question, Xiao Yiguan halted in his footsteps and replied, "Never."
He never treats her as a friend because he regards her as a younger sister. He cared about her even more than he cared about his own sister. When he saw her just now, his heart was filled with happiness and he felt relieved. But when he saw her being hugged by that man, he was furious and suffocated.
He wanted her to stay away from that man, but he didn't know what to do. His heart raced with anticipation as he waited for her to coax him as she had done before. Anxiety gnawed at him when he didn't hear her say anything. Expecting her usual sweet deanor, he was stunned when he heard her unexpected words.
Pan ijia's eyes reddened, but she held back her tears and said calmly, "I understand."
Hearing her words, Xiao Yiguan turned around instantly, looking at her in disbelief. How could she agree so easily?
Avoiding his gaze, Pan ijia lowered her head and said, "Brother Ling, we should get back to work."
Ling Yun nodded and glanced back at Xiao Yiguan. Seeing the mix of heartache, confusion, anger, jealousy, regret, and hesitation in Xiao Yiguan's eyes, Ling Yun clenched his fists tightly and walked back to the field with Pan ijia.
Xiao Yiguan stood on the road and watched them leave side by side, feeling as if he had lost sothing very important.
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