"I did it of my own free will. You don't have to thank me." Shen Mingji kept his head down, not daring to look into Xue Xingyao's eyes.
He was afraid of seeing distance and disapproval in them.
Xue Xingyao was grateful that Shen Mingji had stood up for her, but she didn't want to cause him any trouble.
He was too much in the limelight, and with no real roots in the Capital City, the Shen Family couldn't be of much help to him.
It hadn't been easy for Shen Mingji to get to where he was.
Xue Xingyao didn't want him to get bogged down with problems. "I can protect myself."
This was her gentle way of rejecting Shen Mingji, telling him to stay out of her affairs.
Although he had prepared himself for this, Shen Mingji still felt a pang. His chest felt tight, and his breathing grew a little ragged.
He finally raised his eyes and looked directly into hers. "Is it really impossible?"
Xue Xingyao averted her gaze, not answering the question.
