74: Chapter 74 Shen Muli's Invitation

His words were like ice-dipped knives, stabbing ruthlessly into Shen Muli's already broken heart.

She whipped her head around, eyes bloodshot, as her long-accumulated grievances, pain, anger, and the shame of having her facade pierced instantly burst through the floodgates.

"Cao Kun! How can you speak so harshly!"

Shen Muli pointed at Cao Kun's nose, her voice carrying a sob and a sharp tremble.

"Yes! My family has fallen on hard times! My husband died in a car accident! I was forced to come here to make a living! Are you satisfied now?"

"Was it necessary to mock me like this? To think I used to see you as a younger brother and thought you were the most stable among your classmates... I was truly blind!"

After shouting this out, her long-suppressed emotions completely collapsed. Tears flooded out, rolling down her pale cheeks. She covered her face and sobbed repressively, her thin shoulders shaking violently.

Cao Kun was stunned.

He guessed that Shen Muli might not be doing well, but he didn't expect such a tragedy.

Her husband died in a car accident...

A strong sense of regret surged in his heart.

He had been too impulsive, his methods too crude, brutally tearing open her bloody wound.

Looking at the woman before him crying uncontrollably, exuding despair and helplessness, the complex emotions Cao Kun had felt from reuniting in the world of pleasure all turned into deep heartache.

The memory of the older sister smiling gently in the sunlight overlapped with the woman in tears before him, making his heart tighten.

He stood up, walked to Shen Muli in a few steps, and before she could react, pulled her forcefully into his arms.

"I'm sorry, Sister Li, I'm sorry..."

Cao Kun held her trembling body tightly, his chin resting on the top of her head, his voice low and sincere.

"I didn't mean to mock you, I just... I just wanted to force you to say it. I was wrong, I used the wrong method, I'm sorry..."

Shen Muli was dazed by this sudden embrace and momentarily forgot to cry.

A familiar masculine scent enveloped her, warm and powerful, but this embrace came from her younger brother's classmate. In this place and under these circumstances, it made her feel incredibly flustered and resistant.

"Let go of me! Cao Kun, let go!"

She came to her senses and began to struggle desperately, her hands pushing hard against Cao Kun's chest, tears flowing even more fiercely. "Don't touch me! Go away!"

Cao Kun did not let go. His arms circled her like iron hoops, letting her hit and struggle, while he repeatedly apologized and explained in her ear: "Sister Li, calm down, listen to me. I really just wanted to help you, I meant no harm... I'm sorry, I shouldn't have spoken like that..."

Shen Muli's struggle gradually weakened, more out of exhaustion after venting her emotions.

But the resentment and sense of humiliation in her heart remained. She twisted her body, unwilling to accept this belated comfort.

Seeing she was still agitated, Cao Kun grew anxious. He suddenly remembered something he saw online: if you make a woman angry, the best way is to hug her directly and then kiss her.

Cao Kun didn't care about much else; whether it would work or not, he'd try it first.

He cupped Shen Muli's tear-stained face in his hands. Under her startled, wide-eyed gaze, he lowered his head and kissed her lips, which were trembling slightly from crying.

"Mmph—!"

Shen Muli froze completely, her eyes wide with disbelief.

What was Cao Kun doing?

Was he crazy?

The next second, a more violent struggle erupted as she tried to push him away with both hands and feet.

But Cao Kun's strength was far beyond what she could contend with. His kiss carried an unquestionable force and a hint of reassurance, blocking all her cries of alarm and resistance.

Between their lips and teeth was the salty taste of tears.

Struggling, to no avail.

Struggling again, still firmly imprisoned.

Shen Muli felt her strength rapidly fading. Her already exhausted body and mind quickly surrendered in this sudden confrontation.

Slowly, she stopped struggling, her body softening, merely enduring this boundary-crossing kiss stiffly as tears flowed silently.

Feeling the body in his arms no longer resisting, Cao Kun's kiss gradually became gentle before he slowly let go.

Shen Muli immediately turned her head away, gasping for breath. Her face was crisscrossed with tear stains, her lips were red and swollen, and her eyes were empty yet filled with the daze that follows humiliation.

Seeing her like this, Cao Kun felt even worse.

He let go but still stood in front of her, blocking her path, explaining hoarsely: "Sister Li, I'm sorry... I... I just wanted you to stop and listen to me."

"I really meant no harm, and I certainly didn't want to take advantage of you. I just... seeing you like that, my heart ached and I wanted to help. I used the wrong method, I apologize."

Shen Muli remained silent. Tears were still flowing, but her emotions had clearly calmed down a bit.

She could hear the sincerity and regret in Cao Kun's tone.

Moreover, thinking about it calmly, although Cao Kun's words were harsh earlier, it seemed... he really wanted to provoke her into telling the truth?

It was just such a bastardly way to do it!

She raised her bloodshot eyes and looked at Cao Kun.

The man before her was no longer the green college student in her memory. His brow held more steadiness and an indescribable confidence, and the concern in his eyes didn't seem fake.

She really was in trouble right now.

Maybe... Cao Kun could actually help?

His Hometown was here; what if he knew someone?

She wiped her tears, her voice still choked with emotion but with a hint of genuine vulnerability: "To be honest, I am indeed facing difficulties. Can you... can you really help me?"

"Tell me. As long as it's within my power, I definitely will!" Cao Kun said decisively.

Shen Muli sniffled and finally stopped putting up a front, beginning to tell her story in fragments.

"A year ago... my husband took our son out and they got into a car accident. Both of them... were gone."

At this point, her eyes reddened again, but she forced herself to continue. "My parents-in-law said my daughter and I were jinxes who brought bad luck to our husband and son, and they kicked us out of the house..."

"I wanted to go back to my parents' home, but my brother just got married. There were only a few broken rooms in the house, and it was so crowded that we couldn't stay there at all..."

"Later, a friend of mine who does this work here said I could make money... so I came with my daughter, Xiaoxiao."

"I... I only do legitimate massages, nothing else."

"The boss is okay and has some background, so ordinary customers don't dare to mess around... The money I earn every month is enough for the two of us to live on, and I can even save a little..."

"Originally, life was slowly getting better... but recently, Xiaoxiao turned seven and it's time for her to start first grade."

"I asked around for connections and finally managed to talk to a school. I had the money ready..."

"But after the principal met me once, he changed his mind and refused to accept Xiaoxiao no matter what..."

Shen Muli's tears fell again, this time with anxiety and powerlessness. "Later I found out... that bastard, he... he took a liking to me and hinted... that if I spent a night with him, he'd let Xiaoxiao enroll..."

"I didn't agree, so the matter is stuck here... As long as Xiaoxiao's schooling isn't settled, I can't be at peace for a single day..."

"Cao Kun, you... your Hometown is here. Do you know anyone from the Education Bureau, or someone who can talk to that principal? Help me, I beg you..."

By the time Shen Muli finished, her eyes were swimming in tears, her tone full of humble pleading.

She didn't actually have much hope; it was just the last straw she grasped in her despair.

...