Su Qingmiao followed Jin Boyan’s gaze and immediately knew what he was looking at.
“It’s fine. I checked it—it only expired three days ago,” she explained softly.
Her family’s circumstances had always been very poor, and Mom’s illness required a great deal of money.
Dad worked hard every day to earn money, so their household expenses had to be kept as low as possible.
Su Qingmiao would buy food nearing its expiration date at the supermarket, such as bread and sausages. They were much, much cheaper.
Of course, most of the time they could not finish them before the expiration date, but the whole family would still eat everything.
Su Qingmiao and her younger brother had grown up healthy, after all. Nothing had ever happened to them.
Jin Boyan cast her a grim look, his voice low and cold. “…….You knew it was expired and still ate it?”
“Were you trying to die?”
Not only had she eaten it, she had not even told him.
What if she poisoned him to death?
Jin Boyan suddenly felt a little sick to his stomach.
Su Qingmiao wanted to say, How could eating a little expired food kill anyone?
How could people be so fragile?
Then she remembered that someone of Jin Boyan’s status would never eat expired food.
He had grown up surrounded by fine clothes and rich food; he had probably eaten nothing but delicacies.
“It’s fine. I used to eat expired food all the time. I’ve had a strong stomach since I was little.” She curved her lips in a smile.
The bright smile on her face suddenly seemed painfully glaring to Jin Boyan. He even felt a tightness in his chest.
He swept the rest of the noodles straight into the trash can.
His jawline tense, he said, “You’re not allowed to eat expired food anymore.”
Su Qingmiao thought he was being wasteful. Those noodles looked expensive. What a pity to throw them away.
Jin Boyan furrowed his brow, took his phone from his trouser pocket, and tapped the screen a few times.
Immediately afterward, the phone on the table chimed with a text-message alert.
Su Qingmiao glanced at it.
【100,000.00 yuan was deposited into the account ending in 2134 at 12:38 on April 1. Your balance is 100,812.35 yuan.】
Su Qingmiao was startled.
Jin Boyan had always had an excellent memory. When he had investigated her back then, he had seen her bank-account details.
He explained coolly from beside her, “I’ll give you 100,000 yuan every month from now on. Buy whatever you like.”
Su Qingmiao bit her lower lip, her face paling slightly. “I don’t want your money.”
If she accepted it, she felt that she would lose the last of her dignity.
It would truly be no different from being kept.
Jin Boyan disliked her 【I don’t want it】 very much.
“Go buy some decent clothes. This one of yours…” He looked her over as if in disgust. “It’s already been washed so many times that the color’s faded. It’s ugly.”
Su Qingmiao lowered her head and looked at the dress she was wearing.
Her cheeks grew hot.
She had just bought it on Pinduoduo for fifty-nine yuan. Everyone in her dormitory had thought it looked good, so they had each bought one.
This dress didn’t fade at all in the wash. This was only her second time wearing it—how could the color have faded?
He lifted his eyes slightly, his voice low and cold. “If I take you out in the future, and you’re wearing this kind of cheap clothing, you’ll embarrass me.”
After saying that, he stopped looking at her, stood up, took a bottle of mineral water from the refrigerator, twisted it open, and tipped his head back to drink.
Su Qingmiao placed her fingers on her skirt and, where Jin Boyan could not see, slowly clenched them.
Seeing her stiff, straight shoulders and back, Jin Boyan frowned slightly.
“This is what you deserve.” As if he could not resist adding another cruel remark, he continued, “Consider it your monthly hardship allowance.”
Su Qingmiao felt even worse. She felt humiliated, and her eyes began to sting.
The way he spoke was truly insulting.
Su Qingmiao blinked hard several times before forcing back her tears.
It was only 100,000 yuan. To Jin Boyan, it was nothing more than a trivial matter.
He did not want to waste time arguing with her over such a small thing.
“Come to the bedroom with me. I’ll apply the ointment for you.”
He walked ahead.
She froze for a moment, her eyes filled with confusion. “What ointment?”
“I’m not injured.”
Jin Boyan suddenly stopped. His dark, deep gaze swept over her body before finally coming to rest below her abdomen.
“Doesn’t it hurt there?”
“Didn’t you keep crying last night and saying I was being too rough?”
How—how could he say something like that with such an expressionless face first thing in the morning?!
Su Qingmiao was so mortified and furious she wanted to die.
“N-no need.” She lowered her eyes and bit her lower lip, unable to tell whether what she felt was shame or something else. “It doesn’t hurt anymore.”
Just imagining him applying the ointment for her was terrifying.
Seeing the way she tried to endure it while refusing him, Jin Boyan inexplicably felt a surge of anger.
His eyes narrowed slightly. “Why are you being so coy? It’s not as though I haven’t seen it before.”
Su Qingmiao abruptly raised her eyes to look at him. Anger mixed with grievance surged from her chest.
She could not suppress it at all.
That was right. What right did she have to say no? What right did she have to refuse?
He had already seen every inch of her body.
What was she being coy about?
Her almond-shaped eyes were beautiful, her pupils dark, and her lashes fine and long. With her eyes reddened, they were filled with accusation.
Had he said something wrong just now?
Was there anything wrong with wanting to apply ointment for her?
The more Su Qingmiao looked at him, the more intense the restlessness in Jin Boyan’s heart became.
His thin lips pressed into a straight line. “Are you going to apply it or not?”
Su Qingmiao’s face was pale. She gave him a smile, but it looked helpless and shattered.
“I can apply it myself. I don’t need to trouble you.”
The last bit of Jin Boyan’s good mood was completely shattered by her mocking smile.
His voice turned hard and cold. “Suit yourself.”
“Just don’t make it so I can’t enjoy myself when I do it.”