Yu Keqing’s voice was very light, but every word was clear, like a soft knife, precisely stabbing into Lin Sheng’s proudest spot.
“Before, I overestimated myself and tried my best to get close to you, wanting your response, loving you deeply for it. But what about you?”
She looked up, for the first time daring to look Lin Sheng straight in the eye. Within the timidity of her gaze was the bitterness accumulated over many years.
“You threw my heart on the ground and stomped on it. What did you actually think of me? You don’t love me, so why did you marry me? Just because of Man’er? You love Man’er so much you’d even agree to something like that, and then you hated me, belittled me, treated me like a plaything, calling me when you needed me and tossing me aside when you didn’t. Lin Sheng, do you even have a heart? And what makes you think the current me would still love you, obey you, and treat you like a Queen?”
“You want me to mark you? Want me to want you, to satisfy you?”
Yu Keqing shook her head gently, the corners of her mouth curling into an extremely faint, extremely bitter, yet strangely vengeful smile.
“I refuse.”
“Didn’t you want to seduce me? Aren’t you used to me being obedient?”
“You can use your pheromones to suppress me or lure me, but I… I don’t love you anymore. I will never mark you willingly again.”
“Lin Sheng, I don’t love you. Do you understand?”
Lin Sheng froze completely. Her ferocity seemed to be sucked away in an instant, leaving only an unbelievable collapse.
She looked at Yu Keqing’s soft yet unusually firm eyes and suddenly realized that Yu Keqing really didn’t want her anymore. She had personally pushed away the person who loved her most and was most willing to compromise. Now, it was her turn to taste the bitterness of wanting what she couldn’t have and being discarded like a worn-out shoe.
The chain dangled by the bed, the clattering sounds seemingly mocking her misery and unwillingness.
She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but only a broken whimper came out. “You’re lying! How could you not love me!”
Seeing Lin Sheng in this broken, wretched state, still stubbornly trying to hold on, Yu Keqing’s heart felt as though it were being squeezed by something, numbing with ache, yet she felt a strange, unprecedented sense of relief.
She straightened her back and said softly, “I just don’t.”
“You wouldn’t dare!” Lin Sheng shouted, threatening her. “You wouldn’t dare not love me! Yu Keqing! You dare!”
“Why wouldn’t I?” she asked calmly.
“You dare treat me like this, I’ll definitely…”
Yu Keqing interrupted her gently, using a calm yet sharp tone for the first time. “Do you want to lock me up? Or do you want to hit me?”
She paused, looking at Lin Sheng bound by the chain. There was no hate in her eyes, only a silent, cold stillness.
“Do you have the heart to do that now?”
Those few simple words successfully punctured all of Lin Sheng’s arrogance and disguise. Lin Sheng stiffened, all her shouting, threats, and anger were instantly stuck in her throat.
How could she have the heart? Yu Keqing knew she couldn’t bear it now, which was why she dared to treat her this way.
And it was because she couldn’t bear it that she felt her entire world collapse when she heard Yu Keqing say she didn’t love her anymore.
In the end, she could only grip the sheets, crying and trembling all over. “I can’t bear it… you clearly know I can’t bear it. Ke Ke, don’t do this to me, please.”
“I’m not doing anything to you. I just want you to calm down alone. I’m going out now.” Yu Keqing opened the door.
The door panel separated her from Lin Sheng. She clutched the key to the chain, the metal digging into her palm. it hurt, but it kept her conscious.
This kind of pain didn’t even compare to a ten-thousandth of what Lin Sheng had put her through. This clarity was the confidence she had earned through many nights of accumulated grievances.
She leaned against the door and slowly slid down, curling herself into a ball. She buried her head deep between her legs, her shoulders shaking uncontrollably. She didn’t dare cry out loud, she could only bite her lip hard, letting tears silently hit her trousers, blooming into small, dark patches.
Her ears were filled with Lin Sheng’s frustrated cursing and the sound of things being smashed. Each sound was like a fine needle stabbing into Yu Keqing’s heart. The sharp pain made her clench her teeth to avoid screaming.
She remembered her past self, after Lin Sheng would leave coldly, she would collapse in tears in the empty room, not even daring to cry loudly for fear of annoying Lin Sheng.
She remembered how many times she had proactively approached only to be coldly pushed away, that phrase “Don’t bother me” piercing her heart like an icicle.
Now, Lin Sheng was in heat, and it would be painful if her desires weren’t met. Yu Keqing’s heart was hurting too, she had loved Lin Sheng so much, how could her heart not ache? she wanted to rush back in, wanted to unlock the chain on Lin Sheng’s ankle, but a voice in her head desperately reminded her not to be soft-hearted. Once she softened, she would never escape Lin Sheng’s control.
Her hand tightened around the key again. She was clearly getting revenge, she clearly should feel satisfied, yet the bitterness and pain in her heart outweighed all sense of relief, leaving only an endless tug-of-war and torment.
When the sounds of smashing inside the room gradually faded, Yu Keqing managed to calm her terrible mood.
She took a breath and turned the doorknob.
Lin Sheng was kneeling by the bed, her ankle rubbed red by the chain. Hearing the movement, she turned her misty, beautiful eyes over.
Despite the room being a mess, Lin Sheng was still so beautiful it was hard to look away.
Yu Keqing’s heart rate accelerated. She swallowed and said, “The family doctor will be here soon. Put your clothes on.”
Lin Sheng bit her lip, the tears of grievance having long since soaked her face. She leaned against the bed, making no effort to cover herself.
“Heh, I won’t.” She stared intently at the re-entered Yu Keqing, her openness bordering on the shameless.
Yu Keqing pursed her lips, not arguing with her. She took a piece of clothing, wanting to cover her body.
The clothing was swiped away by Lin Sheng, who glared at her with disordered breathing. “If you don’t love me, who do you want to love? Jiang Shuang?”
The heat wave hadn’t passed. Lin Sheng had bitten her lip until it bled.
Yu Keqing remained silent for a long while before taking several deep breaths and saying, “It was never about outside factors. And I never loved Jiang Shuang.”
The dense rose fragrance in the room made her dizzy. She threw the clothes over Lin Sheng again and hurried to escape.
The person obsessed with Jiang Shuang was never her. She had explained this to Lin Sheng before, but Lin Sheng thought she was lying.
Soon, the family doctor arrived, brought up by Auntie Fang.
Yu Keqing gave the key to the chain to Auntie Fang, while she herself sat on the sofa in the first floor living room to wait.
Her and the child’s documents had been taken by Lin Sheng. She also knew Lin Sheng had people following and monitoring her. It would be harder than climbing to heaven to leave A-City now. She couldn’t leave, and Lin Sheng wouldn’t let her go easily. But she didn’t want to be controlled by Lin Sheng anymore. Today was the first step she had taken, she didn’t yet know what the consequences would be.
About half an hour later, the doctor and Auntie Fang came down. Yu Keqing stood up from the sofa. The doctor’s gaze toward her was filled with shock and… admiration?
Who was Lin Sheng? The Chairperson of the Lin Group, a top-tier Omega whom countless people dreamed of spending a night with. Now, she had to rely on suppressants for her heat and had been chained up by her own Alpha. Furthermore, this Alpha’s pheromones were so weak they had no offensive capability.
Having unfortunately witnessed such a pathetic side of Lin Sheng, the doctor only wanted to leave immediately, fearing that a moment’s delay might cost them their life.
After the doctor left, Auntie Fang stepped forward cautiously to ask, “Do you want to go up and see her?”
Yu Keqing shook her head. Going up now would be seeking death.
The night grew deep. She slept in the child’s room, holding Tuantuan. Lin Sheng didn’t come to find her. The next morning, as she was making breakfast in the kitchen, Lin Sheng suddenly appeared behind her.
Lin Sheng’s expression was terrible. Her hand suddenly gripped her waist, pinning her harshly against the cold kitchen counter. Immediately after, her other hand pinched her chin, the force wasn’t light, forcing her to look up and stare into her eyes.
“You’ve grown quite bold, daring to treat me like that.”
She met Lin Sheng’s gaze without any intimidation, saying calmly, “You can lock me up again. Force me to please you, just like those previous times.”
Feeling pain in her chin, she frowned.
Lin Sheng was furious, but when it came to actually being cruel, she couldn’t bring herself to do it. Yu Keqing’s current health couldn’t handle any more tossing around.
She let go, leaning down to kiss the corner of Yu Keqing’s mouth, her voice soft yet dangerous. “I can’t bear to treat you like that again.”
Yu Keqing couldn’t avoid the kiss; her lips were sucked until they were numb, and when released, they were red and swollen.
Lin Sheng licked those two swollen, wet lips, her scent coming and going. “Just this once. Don’t let it happen again.”
She was referring to last night, being left unsatisfied and becoming a laughingstock to an outsider. Of course she was angry at Yu Keqing. If it were before, she wouldn’t have to do anything. Yu Keqing would have come crawling to her. Now that the roles were reversed, she couldn’t adapt for the moment. But it didn’t matter. Yu Keqing had grievances, and it was fine as long as she vented them.
“It won’t be just this once,” Yu Keqing said, deciding to just let it all out. Since she had already offended her, what was the difference between once and twice?
“Say that again!” Lin Sheng raised her voice.
Yu Keqing flinched. She was still afraid of Lin Sheng, her face turned pale.
Lin Sheng took a deep breath to calm herself. Stroking the face that had suddenly lost its color, she yielded: “Fine. I won’t ask anything of you for a while. We’ll wait until your body is in better shape, okay?”
She believed she had made the greatest possible concession. Yu Keqing should be satisfied.
Yu Keqing glanced at her and didn’t speak again. She knew when to stop. If she kept pushing Lin Sheng, it might not end well. In the past, Lin Sheng was immune to both soft and hard approaches. Now… she didn’t know why Lin Sheng was suddenly being soft-hearted toward her. Lin Sheng falling for her? She didn’t dare believe it. The only thing she was sure of was that Lin Sheng didn’t want her to die. Perhaps it was for Wen Man, she was Wen Man’s friend, and if she died, Wen Man would be sad. How could Lin Sheng bear that?
She nodded as a sign of agreement, then pushed Lin Sheng slightly. “Can you let go of me now?”
Lin Sheng loosened her grip a bit, her mood seemingly improving. She glanced at the small pot on the stove and frowned. “Just let Auntie Fang prepare breakfast. Why do you have to do it yourself? Isn’t work busy enough? You even dive into the kitchen at home.”
Yu Keqing turned her back to her, using chopsticks to stir the noodles. The steam billowed onto her face as she pretended not to hear Lin Sheng’s words.