In Ye Yunchen's mind, Ke Yaru was indeed a woman whose schemes were hard to fathom, so their relationship was one of mutual exploitation and mutual wariness. After Ke Yaru left, he sat in his study, staring blankly for a long time.
The vast villa was so quiet it sent chills down one's spine. Besides Ye Yunchen and Lin Xujia, there was no one else in the house; the servants had been given leave, and Lin Xujia had locked herself in her room, refusing to see anyone, occasionally erupting into frantic fits, pounding on the door and creating terrifying noises.
But tonight, she was uncharacteristically calm, standing by the window, her unfocused gaze fixed on the night sky lit up by fireworks and listening to the distant sound of firecrackers. She sighed sorrowfully, her hands resting on her flat belly, her mind replaying the moment she had joyfully told Ye Yunchen she was pregnant with his child—the look of utter disgust on his face and the words he had blurted out without a second thought, sending a chill straight into her heart.
She narrowed her eyes, carefully recalling the scene. Standing before Ye Yunchen, when she said she wanted to keep the child, what did he do? Oh, without a moment's hesitation, he slapped her—a heavy slap that left the taste of blood in her mouth. Later, she watched him coldly pull out his phone and make a call. About half an hour later, a group of doctors in white coats arrived.
After that, she vaguely remembered the cold instruments being forced inside her, all her screams and hysteria turning into silence.
When she woke up again, she was in bed. The doctors were gone, and Ye Yunchen was nowhere to be seen.
The dark room seemed to hold only her. She stared wide-eyed at the ceiling above, and no one knew what she was thinking—perhaps revenge, perhaps utter despair. In the days that followed, she refused to eat or drink, tormenting herself endlessly, only to be met with Ye Yunchen's cold indifference.
When Ye Yunchen's heart truly hardened, Lin Xujia was no match for him. She had only lost because of love.
Lin Xujia snapped out of her thoughts, reached out to touch the curtain, then suddenly turned and went into the bathroom. She stripped off all her clothes, turned on the shower, and let the icy water pour over her head. She bit her lip, shivering uncontrollably. Within moments, her face turned deathly pale, and her lips became a dark purple. She forced her eyes wide open, ignoring all the pain signals from her body, and looked up at the showerhead above.
Half an hour later, Lin Xujia turned off the water, trembling as she stood before the mirror. Her pale, slender fingers shook as they traced every inch of her skin, and she forced a faint, strained smile. After a pause, she roughly wrapped a towel around herself and walked out of the bathroom.
This was the first time Lin Xujia had left her room looking normal. She moved silently back and forth in the hallway, catching a glimpse of light still on in the study. She lowered her eyes, went straight downstairs to the kitchen, made a cup of tea, and carried it to the study.
Standing outside the study, Lin Xujia adjusted her towel, forced a smile onto her face, and knocked on the door. Hearing a response from inside, she carefully pushed it open, and the first thing she saw was Ye Yunchen sitting in a chair with his back to her.
"Yunchen, I made you a cup of tea. Would you like some?"
Ye Yunchen narrowed his eyes without turning around. "Why aren't you staying in your room? What are you doing here?" "Isn't it New Year's Eve?"
"So?"
"I just wanted to keep you company," Lin Xujia said warmly, her footsteps seemingly soundless as she came up behind him, setting the tea on the desk. Before he could answer, she suddenly wrapped her arms around him, resting her head on his shoulder, her gaze following his. Her faint, warm breath brushed against his neck.
Lin Xujia knew his sensitive spots and exactly where to strike. And indeed, Ye Yunchen's body stiffened instantly at her touch, his expression shifting. He grabbed her hand as it moved downward, snapping, "What do you think you're doing?"
"Yunchen, I don't want to do anything. I just thought we're both lonely people. You're thinking about Xia Yan right now, aren't you? Is her image with Lu Zhengting flashing through your mind?" Lin Xujia whispered softly in his ear.
"What are you trying to say?"
"I want to give you all my love, Yunchen."
With that, Lin Xujia smiled, took his hand, spun around, and sat on his lap. She tilted her head, gazing at him with unwavering affection. Seeing his momentary daze, she bit her lip, cupped his face with one hand, and slowly leaned in, kissing him without hesitation.
Ye Yunchen snapped out of it and shoved her away forcefully.
"Lin Xujia!"
"Yunchen, I've accepted it. I don't ask for anything anymore. I won't demand you love me, but I just hope you won't make me leave. I truly, deeply love you. I'll do anything for you. Really, believe me."
Hearing this, Ye Yunchen frowned, clearly pondering her words. She was on the floor, looking up at him with tear-filled eyes. The towel loosely wrapped around her had come undone from his forceful push, and with the slightest movement, she would be exposed.
Lin Xujia lowered her head, tugging at the towel, subtly letting Ye Yunchen see that she wore nothing underneath. He let out a cold laugh, crouched down, and suddenly grabbed her hand.
"Anything?"
"Yes, anything. As long as you don't force me to leave or ignore me. I'll do whatever you ask."
"Fine. I'll trust you this once."
Ye Yunchen glanced at the woman clearly trying to seduce him tonight, his eyes sweeping over her exposed pale skin. Lin Xujia smiled, lifted her head without flinching, and suddenly grabbed his hand, guiding it to her body. Her eyes, full of allure, locked onto every expression on his face. After a pause, she licked her lips, her legs slightly closing in a gesture of reluctance and invitation.
When Ye Yunchen tried to pull his hand away, Lin Xujia quickly lunged at him, pinning him beneath her. Her fingers traced his features, then slid down his neck and into his clothes.
Lin Xujia had a naturally seductive face. When she set out to seduce someone, her chances of success multiplied.
"Smack..."
The teacup on the desk was knocked to the floor by Ye Yunchen, warm droplets splashing onto her feet. Now he was on top of her, his movements rough and fierce. This was exactly what Lin Xujia had wanted, so when he tore off her towel, revealing her naked body, the dim orange light fell on her face. Her expression seemed pained, but none of it caught Ye Yunchen's attention.
******
On the second day of the Lunar New Year, in name, Xia Yan still had to stay at the Xia residence to receive relatives and acquaintances coming to pay New Year's visits. Xia Siyue had long since dressed up and was sitting in the living room with the old Madam Xia. Xia Yan, however, was dragging her feet, dressed casually. Compared to Xia Siyue, she was clearly at a disadvantage in terms of attire.
In truth, most of the people visiting the Xia residence had little connection to Xia Yan. She sat in an inconspicuous spot, eating on her own, listening to their idle chatter. The women surrounding Xia Siyue were her cousins, all on her side, united in their dislike for Xia Yan.
As for that, Xia Yan never felt their approval or disapproval mattered to her. In her eyes, these women were just like Xia Siyue—brainless.
But this time, things took an unexpected turn.
She never imagined she'd become the center of attention. When the women who had once followed Xia Siyue in isolating her now flocked to her, goosebumps rose all over her body. She cautiously moved her seat, only for them to swarm even closer.
"Big cousin, I heard Mr. Lu really likes you. Is that true?"
"Big cousin, is Mr. Lu still single? Next time you go out with him, can you take me along?"
"Cousin, can you count me in? I swear I won't disturb you and Mr. Lu."
"Cousin..."
Xia Yan felt like a swarm of flies was buzzing incessantly in her ears. Her face darkened as she scanned the women surrounding her. The one who wanted to tag along with her and Mr. Lu—if she remembered correctly, she was only eighteen, right?
Xia Siyue sat beside the old Madam Xia, watching those who used to flock to her now crowding around Xia Yan. She gritted her teeth in anger, crossed her arms, and sneered, "Thinking Xia Yan will set you up is like asking for the moon. Do you really think just because you're all over her, she'll agree? Don't forget what you've done to her before."
"Xia Siyue, don't be sour grapes. Your affair with Mu Chengfeng is all over the place..."
"What did you say?! What do you mean, my affair with Mu Chengfeng is all over the place? What do you know?"
"Don't get mad. I'm just telling the truth. I just didn't expect Mu Chengfeng to have such bad taste."
Xia Siyue glared at the speaker, stood up in fury, and quickly raised her hand to slap her. "You think I wouldn't dare to deal with you?!"
"You hit me?!"
"I hit you because you deserve it. If you dare say another word, I'll tear your mouth apart."
"Hmph, too chicken to own up? Xia Siyue, you think we don't know about your dirty secrets?"
"Dirty secrets? What dirty secrets?"
"You know exactly what you've done. If you're not ashamed, I'm embarrassed to even say it."