Beyond the show- the beauty is in you

Part 10

Xin Yi sat alone in the dark park, the swing creaking gently beneath her. She had been crying for what felt like hours, her eyes sore and her heart heavy.
Suddenly, she sensed a presence in front of her. She looked up, her heart racing with fear. But as her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she saw a familiar figure standing before her.
It was Shàn Yuán.

Tears filled her eyes again as she felt a wave of relief wash over her. Shàn Yuán's face was etched with concern as he knelt down beside her.

Shàn Yuán-"I'm here,"

he whispered, his voice soft and gentle.

Shàn Yuán-"Don't worry. Tell me what happened."

Xin Yi took a deep breath, and the words began to pour out of her. She told Shàn Yuán everything - about Mr. Wang's unwanted advances, about how she had felt trapped and scared.
Shàn Yuán listened intently, his eyes never leaving hers. He wiped away her tears, his touch gentle and comforting.

As they sat there, lost in their own little world, Xie Li's car pulled up to the curb nearby. He had been driving around, searching for Xin Yi, and he had finally found her. From a distance, Xie Li watched as Shàn Yuán comforted Xin Yi, his heart filled with a mix of relief and concern. He decided not to interrupt them, instead choosing to wait and observe from afar.

As Shàn Yuán and Xin Yi stood up, Xie Li walked towards them, a look of relief on his face. He opened his arms and enveloped Xin Yi in a warm hug.

Xie Li-"Xin Yi! Here you are! I've been searching for you everywhere,"

Xie Li exclaimed, holding her tightly.

Xin Yi-"Sorry, senior. I was not feeling well, so I came here,"

she explained, trying to downplay the incident. Xie Li pulled back and looked at her with concern.

Xie Li-"Are you okay now?"

he asked, his eyes scanning her face.
Xin Yi nodded, forcing a smile.

Xin Yi-"Yeah, I'm fine."

Xie Li nodded and put a gentle arm around her shoulders.

Xie Li-"Come on, let's go home. Thank you, Shàn Yuán. You better return to the hotel now."

Shàn Yuán, who had been watching the exchange, felt a pang of confusion and disappointment, but he didn't know what to say. He nodded awkwardly and muttered a goodbye, watching as Xie Li and Xin Yi walked away together.

Next day during break.
Shàn Yuán asked Xin Yi about previous day. Xin Yi looked up at Shàn Yuán, her eyes hesitant.

Xin Yi-"I... was just not feeling safe around Mr. Wang,"

she said quietly.
Shàn Yuán's expression darkened as he understood the implication. He felt a surge of anger and protectiveness towards Xin Yi, but he didn't know why he was feeling so aggressive.
Just then, Zi Han approached Xie Li, who was standing nearby.

Zi han-"Director Xie Li, is Xin Yi okay?"

Zi Han asked, looking concerned.
Xie Li nodded.

Xie li-"Yes, she's fine."

Zi Han-"Thank God. I thought maybe she wouldn't show up today."

Xie Li raised an eyebrow.

Xie Li-"And why would you think that?"

Zi Han-"Didn't she tell you? Actually, Mr. Wang mistreated her last night."

Xie Li's face turned red with anger. He scanned the room and spotted Mr. Wang sitting on a nearby sofa. Without hesitation, Xie Li rushed towards him and punched him in the face.
Xin Yi and Shàn Yuán, who had just stepped out of the makeup room, were shocked by the sudden outburst of violence. They stood frozen in the doorway, watching as Xie Li confronted Mr. Wang. The room fell silent, with all eyes on the confrontation unfolding before them. Xin Yi's eyes widened in alarm as she rushed to stop Xie Li. She grabbed his arm, trying to hold him back.

Xin Yi-"Senior, calm down!"

she exclaimed.
Xie Li's face was red with anger, but he slowly came back to his senses as he looked at Xin Yi. He took a deep breath and turned to Mr. Wang, his voice cold and menacing.

Xie Li-"I don't want you here anymore. Just leave."

Mr. Wang's face was pale and frightened as he quickly scrambled to his feet and made a hasty exit.
Xie Li then turned to Xin Yi and gently took her arm, leading her into a nearby room. The door closed behind them, and they were alone.
Xie Li's eyes were filled with a mix of concern and frustration.

Xie Li-"Why didn't you tell me?"

he asked, his voice low and gentle.
Xin Yi looked down, her voice barely above a whisper.

Xin Yi-"Because I knew you would do this. And I didn't want any news to spread among people."

Xie Li's expression softened, and he took a step closer to her.

Xie Li-"You know it very well that your safety is my priority, since we were in school,"

he said, his voice filled with emotion.

Xin Yi-"I know... But..."

she started to say, but Xie Li cut her off.

Xie Li-"Never dare to do that again,"

he said, his voice firm but gentle. With that, he turned and left the room, leaving Xin Yi alone with her thoughts.