Chapter 731: Chapter 553: You’re Even Lying to Your Wife—That’s Just Inhuman! (Part 1)

"Eric, this is Arthur."

In that instant, all color drained from Eric’s face! His pupils contracted violently in an instant—

The room was silent to begin with, and Eric didn’t step away to take the call, so neither Princess Sherry nor Su Xiaomeng heard what was said on the phone.

But Eric suddenly wore an expression as if he’d seen a ghost, his blue pupils shrinking in fright, prompting Su Xiaomeng, sitting across from him, to grow curious about the phone’s contents.

Eric was shocked, his mouth half open, a chill surged from the soles of his feet, instantly engulfing his extremities.

The voice... the words...

Is this... a human?

At that moment, Eric’s mind completely froze!

Only these few questions came to mind, his half-opened mouth unable to produce sound.

"Whose call is it, what’s wrong?"

Su Xiaomeng asked, wanting to break the inexplicable silence that was unnerving.

To Eric, the call was terrifying, but to Su Xiaomeng and Princess Sherry, Eric’s expression seemed genuinely horrifying.

The two women gazed at him...

And Su Xiaomeng’s unintentional sound was heard on the other end by Yin Shixiu.

For a moment, every nerve cell in his body was awakened, if souls existed, then it was flying out of him upon hearing that gentle voice.

"Meng Meng..."

Yin Shixiu’s lips trembled as they moved slightly...

A whisper so light, a tone so faint, yet filled with a lifetime of deep affection.

Eric heard Yin Shixiu’s whisper, instinctively looked at Su Xiaomeng, their eyes met...

Su Xiaomeng stared blankly at Eric, her heart pounding fast.

People say eyes are the windows to the soul, and Eric’s eyes spoke of fear and disbelief, leading Su Xiaomeng to suspect and start linking thoughts...

"Thump thump... thump thump..."

Su Xiaomeng slowly straightened up, knowing it’s possible, that this call, it’s possible...

She reached out to Eric, voice trembling and panicked,

"Whose... whose call?"

"Don’t tell her, call you back later."

Yin Shixiu finished and hung up the phone.

Eric hardly had time to process what had happened in those brief thirty seconds, merely following Yin Shixiu’s "Don’t tell her."

He shifted his gaze, swallowed, mind turned, and quickly got up,

"A student at school had an asthma attack, being treated at a nearby hospital. I must go over there."

With that, Eric bypassed Princess Sherry and headed out, but his legs were still shaky, his back chilly; in his haste, he stumbled and fell, landing on knees.

Princess Sherry watched wide-eyed, stunned and disbelieving.

Eric got up, turned his head and explained,

"I’m too anxious, too anxious..."

"..."

Eric left the room, door closed, with Princess Sherry and Su Xiaomeng facing each other, unable to digest the recent situation.

"Actually, I persuaded Eric to come over today."

After Eric left, Princess Sherry said to Xiao Meng.

"Ah?"

Xiao Meng, still caught up in the situation, hadn’t recovered, a little confused hearing Princess Sherry say so.

"After the London incident, he’s been very depressed. Besides Cherry’s death and Qin Hui leaving, what saddens him most is the estrangement between you and Arthur."

"..."

Su Xiaomeng pressed her lips.

"It’s rare for anyone to face a life-and-death decision, no one knows what one might do at that threshold. Not even hypothetical."

Su Xiaomeng understood, having experienced it in a way...

"Saving Qin Hui at that time might have been a decision based on the actual situation."

"I understand, I haven’t blamed him."

"But Arthur did. Maybe not blamed, just..."

"Sherry, that matter really is in the past, no one has the right to judge anyone on life-or-death choices."

Su Xiaomeng looked at Princess Sherry.

She pressed her lips, "True, but seeing you reconcile today, Eric will probably be very excited when he goes back."

"I’m happy he’s considered us friends. I didn’t expect he’d be so loyal to Shixiu either."

Su Xiaomeng and Princess Sherry chatted a while longer.

After saying goodbye to Princess Sherry, Su Xiaomeng didn’t just let Eric’s call pass.

She picked up the phone and dialed Eric.

Honestly, Eric was really frightened at the moment Yin Shixiu called.

Especially since Yin Shixiu’s voice sounded very faint, making his words eerier as it came from the phone...

Recalling later, it sent chills down Eric’s spine.

But leaving the café, heading home in the car, Eric began to organize his thoughts...

Yin Shixiu’s body was never fully found; what was cremated was merely an arm.

Eric had suspicions, but—

Suddenly the phone vibrated again, Eric still shaken, his hand trembled with the phone’s buzz, dropping it under the seat.

The driver glanced at him through the rearview mirror.

Eric cursed under his breath, retrieved the phone to see, and sure enough...

He took a deep breath, answered with a shout,

"I’m telling you, if I find out this prankster, I’ll drag you out from under the ground—"

"Help me."

"..."

Eric’s harsh words were abruptly interrupted, a fleeting "Help me" drifted to him...

Eric felt a tremor in his heart.

Yin Shixiu wasn’t pretending, his current state wasn’t good.

"Is it... really you?"

"Eric, You are always my friend."

(Eric, you are always my friend.)

Once, Eric said to Yin Shixiu—Arthur, you are always my friend.

Two long-acquainted men, after leaving school, enduring life’s ups and downs, still refused to let go of their friendship.

Yin Shixiu admitted his bonds with Eric didn’t match Eric’s regard for him.

But he also had to admit, at the most critical moment, when trust was scarce, he called Eric.

Eric’s frightened heart slowly calmed down then... a streak of joy began to permeate, growing more intense!

"You... you..."

This time, he was too agitated to speak.

The driver saw tears in Eric’s blue eyes through the rearview mirror...

Becoming even more puzzled.

"Haha! Haha..."

Eric laughed...

On the phone, Yin Shixiu’s lips curled upwards, knowing he made the right call.

"Was that just... Meng Meng?"

"Yes, the Yin family’s funds are in grave trouble. She’s in London seeing Shirley, hoping to borrow from the British Royal Bank."

"..."

Yin Shixiu paused, then chuckled lightly,

"You will lend to her, won’t you?"

"Nonsense! Even if the Royal Bank refuses, I’ll find a way to solve her financial problems! Do you trust me!"

"I trust you."

Eric was excited, Yin Shixiu replied softly.

Eric took a deep breath, fists still clenched from excitement,

"What on earth are you up to? You..."

"Are you in the car?"

"Uh-huh, on my way home."

"Find a secluded place, we’ll talk more."

Eric didn’t ask, promptly asked the driver to pull over, checked into a roadside hotel, booked a room, keeping the phone line open.

Once inside, doors shut tight, Eric sank into the sofa,

"Tell me, tell me, tell me, what’s your game? What’s your status? Why does your voice sound so weak? Is your arm really gone? You’re deceiving even your wife, you’re just an animal..."