Sister Seventy-Nine is waiting for you.

Jin Yulian glanced at me with suspicion, then turned angrily to Jin Baoqiang and snapped, “My affairs are none of your business.” Jin Baoqiang retorted furiously, “Sister, my affairs are none of your business either. I’m grown up now; I have my pride! After our parents passed, they left the company to us. I hold two-thirds of the shares—wanting those two-thirds of the stock isn’t too much, is it? And I’ve left you all the remaining goods in the company, so you can’t blame me.”

Jin Yulian trembled with rage, speechless for a moment. Jin Baoqiang then lunged at me, shouting, “Now I get it! It’s all because of you, an ex-convict, stirring up trouble between me and my sister. Today, I’ll settle this with you!” As he lunged, I hesitated, unwilling to strike him in front of Jin Yulian. That moment’s hesitation cost me the initiative.

Jin Baoqiang rushed in and landed a punch square on my nose. I felt a sharp sting and blood started to flow. At that point, I could no longer consider Jin Yulian’s feelings. I kicked Jin Baoqiang straight in the stomach. He staggered, his face twisted in pain, and I didn’t hold back—a fist flew and caught him on the chin.

With a crash, his bulky body toppled onto the sofa. Seeing her brother and me come to blows, Jin Yulian was beside herself with anger and grief, her voice choked with sobs: “Enough! Are you trying to drive me to despair?”

I wiped my nosebleed and stepped back. Jin Baoqiang, realizing he wasn’t my match, scrambled off the sofa and bellowed at Jin Yulian: “Sister, if you keep seeing that guy, you’re no longer my sister!” With that, he slammed the door and stormed out.

Jin Yulian covered her face and wept bitterly. She had never imagined things would turn out like this.

Manager Lu saw how things had escalated and realized the two-thirds of the goods were now irretrievable, meaning the contract between them could no longer be fulfilled. He coughed a few times and said, “President Jin, given what’s happened, we can only go back and report to President Du. As for how he’ll handle it, I believe Secretary Li will let you know in due course.”

Jin Yulian murmured weakly, “Alright.” Sister Li patted her on the shoulder, comforting her: “Don’t worry too much. I’ll do my best to explain things to President Du and try to avoid penalties for breach of contract.”

Jin Yulian replied despondently, “Thank you, Sister. Sorry to trouble you.” Sister Li sighed, “Not at all. Take care of yourself.”

As Sister Li and the others prepared to leave, I walked them out. She climbed into her car and told me, “Go back and look after Yulian. No need to see us off.” I said, “Sister, thank you so much. Please put in a good word with President Du when you can.” Sister Li sighed, “I’ll do my best, but President Du has always despised breaches of contract. I can’t guarantee I can change his mind.”

I replied somberly, “Sister, I’ll leave it in your hands.” She nodded, gently stroked my cheek with both hands, and said, “Go back now. I’ll be waiting for you if you ever come to Shanghai. Come to me anytime.” Her eyes grew moist as she spoke.

I nodded, “Sister, I’ll miss you too. Hope you’ll come visit me.” She sighed softly, “Once this is over, I’m thinking of resigning and coming to find you—to live somewhere peaceful and secluded, and leave all sorrow and worry behind.” Her words caught me off guard. She forced a bitter smile, “I’m just too weary. I need to rest.” With that, she gave me a gentle smile, started her car, and drove away.

I returned to find Jin Yulian sitting there, her expression numb. Worried she might do something foolish, I tried to comfort her. Unexpectedly, she suddenly smiled and said, “What’s there to be afraid of? It’s just bankruptcy.” She staggered toward her car. Fearing for her safety, I hurried after her.

By the time I caught up, she was already in the car. I tried to get in, but she pushed me away furiously, shouting, “I hate you! I don’t want to be with you—get away from me!”

Stunned, I asked, “Yulian, what’s wrong?” She replied, “Go away! We’re not meant to be. I owe you nothing now. Don’t ever come looking for me again, I beg you!” With that, she slammed the door and drove off.

I ran after her, but her car vanished down the road. I collapsed to the ground, my heart plunging from heaven to hell in an instant.

The two people I loved most—Sister Li was trapped in an inescapable emotional quagmire, and Jin Yulian was now facing the ruin of her business and complete estrangement from her brother. Under this double blow, her spirit had utterly crumbled.

Unable to contain my grief, I buried my face in my hands and wept. Suddenly, I felt a hand on my shoulder and heard a voice: “Get up, I have something to say to you.”

I looked up instinctively. Xiao He stood beside me. I rose, surprised, and asked, “What do you want to say?”

Xiao He said, “All of Jin’s pain and trouble are because of you. If you could choose to leave her, everything could be solved.” Her words struck me. Should I really give up my relentless pursuit of Jin Yulian?

Seeing my dazed expression, Xiao He continued, “You know her company is in a financial crisis. The only way out is to marry Mr. Qian. Your feud with her brother runs too deep—if she marries you, she’ll have to sever ties with him. She’s always loved her brother most; if he leaves her, she’ll be miserable for the rest of her life.”

Her words stung, but they were true. Jin Yulian had wanted to make one last effort, but now, with two-thirds of the goods gone, her financial crisis was insurmountable unless she married Qian Duobao. As for her feelings for that wretched brother—years ago, when her brother tried to assault Han Lingxue, she still wanted me to take the blame for him. That alone showed how much he meant to her.

She was even willing to sacrifice herself just to coax me into agreeing—her brother always came first in her heart.

My presence had only brought Jin Yulian more pain and trouble. If I stopped clinging to her, she could marry Qian Duobao without hindrance.

Seeing me deep in thought, Xiao He patted my shoulder and said, “Remember, you’re an ex-convict. Jin will never find happiness with you. If you truly love her, you should let her go, not drag her down and keep her suffering.”

I looked up, struggling to hold back my tears. “I understand. I know what I have to do. I’ll leave her to you.”

Xiao He replied, “Don’t worry about it. I’ll call her brother and Mr. Qian—they’ll comfort her. You just need to keep as far away from her as possible.”

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