Yuan Wei abruptly withdrew his hand.
Yet he said nothing.
He merely froze, staring fixedly at Su Youtian.
His silence made Su Youtian think she had been rejected.
Immediately, she wrapped herself around his leg and wailed.
“Even 36D boobs aren’t enough for you anymore? What exactly do I have to do before you’ll forgive me?!”
Something seemed to shatter beneath the ice in Yuan Wei’s eyes.
Like a dark lake reflecting a sky full of stars.
Half of his expression was hidden in shadow, while his eyes shone brightly.
Su Youtian smeared tears and snot all over his pant leg.
Still drunk and muddle-headed, she was about to continue talking when she felt a large fluffy mass pressing against her leg.
Rubbing her eyes, she saw Tuotuo.
The dog was barking excitedly with its tongue hanging out, its tail wagging so fast it seemed to leave afterimages.
Looking at Tuotuo’s now-grown-up furry face, Su Youtian became even sadder.
She grabbed the dog and buried her face in its fur.
“My son! Mommy’s sorry! I dumped you on your dad for three years and never properly cared about you…”
Beating her chest dramatically, she continued,
“Mommy doesn’t expect you to support me in my old age. Just stay with your dad and enjoy your good life.”
Tuotuo yelped as she squeezed him tightly.
Unable to endure it any longer, he blinked his little black eyes and cast a pleading look toward Yuan Wei.
Yuan Wei paid no attention to his canine son.
Although Su Youtian had already released his leg, he still had not moved away.
He seemed almost like a wooden statue.
Only his eyes blinked occasionally as they followed Su Youtian’s every movement.
After crying her fill, Su Youtian released the dog and dropped to her knees, sniffling.
“Forget it. Don’t bother with me anymore. A discarded, worn-out wife like me doesn’t deserve to be your mother. Just leave me to fend for myself…”
Then she hiccupped drunkenly.
Tuotuo could not understand a word she was saying and simply nudged against her with his nose.
Like an elderly person at the end of life, Su Youtian shakily climbed to her feet.
Waving her hand, she said,
“No need to see me off. Just forget about me. Soon you’ll have a sweet and charming stepmother who’ll replace me and live happily with your father, loving each other forever…”
“Ah!”
Before she could finish speaking, her body suddenly left the ground.
With one foot, Yuan Wei nudged Tuotuo away.
With one arm, he tucked Su Youtian under his armpit as effortlessly as if carrying a chick.
Turning around, he slammed the door shut behind them.
The villa lights came on.
Su Youtian was tossed onto the sofa, where she bounced twice.
The alcohol churned in her stomach.
Like a turtle struggling to flip itself over, she wriggled a few times before her vision darkened.
Dazedly opening her eyes, she saw Yuan Wei leaning over her.
His hands were braced on either side of her.
The loose sleepwear draped downward, revealing pale collarbones and the faint outline of his chest. Moisture still clung to his body from the shower.
Startled, Su Youtian tried to struggle, only to find herself unable to move.
Panicked, she blurted out,
“What are you doing? If you’re going to hit someone, don’t hit the face!”
Yuan Wei frowned.
Suddenly, he grabbed her chin and bit down hard on her lip.
Su Youtian let out a muffled cry.
The pain was so sharp that tears nearly fell from her eyes.
She tried to push him away, but her hands were restrained.
One of Yuan Wei’s large hands pinned her wrists above her, while the other brushed slowly against her face.
Su Youtian froze.
She was so stunned that she failed to react to what followed.
The harshness in his actions gradually softened.
Yuan Wei slowly drew away the small bead of blood from her lip, lingering there for a moment.
Su Youtian shivered.
The haze of alcohol vanished instantly.
Instinctively, her back arched.
A tingling numbness spread from the corner of her mouth through her entire body, making her toes curl tightly.
She wanted to call out to the System.
Yet the thought had only just formed when it was completely overwhelmed by the rush of emotions crashing through her mind.
Yuan Wei held her with a force that felt as though he wanted to pull her into his embrace completely.
Her breathing gradually became uneven.
Her lips felt so numb that they no longer seemed like her own.
Feeling Yuan Wei’s hands becoming increasingly bold, she quickly shouted and shoved him away.
“Stop! Hit the brakes!”
Yuan Wei was pushed aside abruptly. He took a deep breath, draping an arm across his eyes as he tried to steady his breathing.
Su Youtian hurriedly scrambled to her feet.
Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of Yuan Wei’s reddened lips and his steadily rising and falling chest. Under the light, there was an unexpectedly alluring quality to him.
Her face instantly flushed.
It felt as if all the alcohol in her stomach had evaporated straight into her cheeks.
The System spoke faintly in her mind:
【So, how did that feel?】
Su Youtian replied,
[Shi wu ang… ptooey! It didn’t feel like anything at all!]
【Heh heh.】
After taking several deep breaths, Su Youtian noticed that Yuan Wei had not moved for quite some time, and immediately became concerned.
Could he have actually been knocked out by the alcohol fumes on her breath?
She reached out and poked his head with a finger.
Yuan Wei suddenly turned and buried his face in the crook of her neck.
Su Youtian’s eyes widened.
She was so startled that she dared not move.
His soft hair brushed against her cheek, like feathers lightly tickling her heart. She endured the itchiness and hardly dared to breathe.
“You…”
Yuan Wei tightened his embrace.
“Let me hold you for a while…”
His voice was hoarse.
Stiffly, Su Youtian nodded.
His breath brushed against her neck, leaving that small patch of skin nearly numb.
She felt like crying.
She was terrified that Yuan Wei might bite her again.
Just thinking about biting reminded her that her lips still hurt.
Fortunately, Yuan Wei seemed to be genuinely doing nothing more than holding her.
Although the room was warm, his entire body was trembling.
Held in his arms, Su Youtian found herself beginning to tremble as well.
She tilted her head slightly to look at him.
In a hoarse voice, Yuan Wei said,
“Don’t move…”
Su Youtian hesitated before innocently raising her hands.
“I’m not trying to provoke anything…”
Yuan Wei let out a muffled groan and shook his head helplessly.
Then he released her.
“You’re still the same as ever.”
Su Youtian: “???”
A faint smile touched Yuan Wei’s lips.
Using a finger, he brushed lightly across her mouth.
“Does it hurt?”
Su Youtian nodded.
“It hurts like hell.”
Yuan Wei blinked. Something seemed to flicker through his eyes.
“Good. It should hurt.”
Touching her lips, Su Youtian lowered her head with a huff.
Yuan Wei stood up.
His tall frame cast part of the room into shadow as he slowly bent toward her.
His voice was hoarse, like a venomous snake hissing.
“Forgiving you is impossible. I won’t forgive you in this lifetime. I’ll keep you in the palm of my hand and knead you whenever I’m in a bad mood. You’d better prepare yourself. Maybe one day, if I happen to be in a good mood, I’ll let you off.”
When he finished speaking, he flashed a rather frightening grin.
Su Youtian shuddered as she watched him turn and head into the kitchen.
She swallowed hard.
She was completely intimidated.
Scooting around on the sofa, Su Youtian curled herself into a ball.
[Sy-System, did I just walk right into a tiger’s den?]
The System sneered.
【You only realized that now? Yuan Wei is sharpening his knives and getting ready to “eat” you alive!】
Su Youtian: “QAQ”
Suddenly, the sound of metal scraping echoed from the kitchen.
She stretched her neck to look.
Yuan Wei stood upright, holding a kitchen knife.
Under the light, the blade reflected a cold gleam.
Instantly, tomorrow’s headlines appeared in Su Youtian’s imagination:
“Shocking! Wealthy Man Murders Ex-Girlfriend Late at Night, What Lies Behind Their Complicated Past?”
“Famous Actress Found Dead in Tycoon’s Home, Entertainment Industry in Uproar!”
“Three Thousand Untold Stories Between Actress Sheng Xia and Business Magnate Yuan Wei!”
Her own imagination frightened her.
After explaining her concerns to the System, it replied:
【Yuan Wei isn’t that insane. He’d torment you and make your life difficult, but why would he kill you?】
Su Youtian said,
“…Then would it become The CEO’s Beloved Captive Every Night?”
【…I’m pretty sure that if Yuan Wei actually locked you up, you’d enjoy it even more than he would.】
Unable to stop herself, Su Youtian imagined the scene.
She was tied to a bed while Yuan Wei held a small riding crop…
Damn it.
She had to stop thinking.
Her nosebleed was practically about to start.
After sitting on the sofa daydreaming for a while, sleepiness gradually overtook her.
Tuotuo curled up beside her, resting his large head on her lap.
As she stroked his head, one girl and one dog leaned against each other.
Half asleep, she felt something warm and damp brush against her face.
Opening her eyes, she discovered Yuan Wei holding the back of her head with one hand while wiping her face with a towel in the other.
His expression remained cool and distant, yet his movements were remarkably gentle.
Su Youtian froze, suddenly feeling embarrassed.
“I… I’ll do it myself.”
Yuan Wei dropped the towel onto her face and returned to the kitchen.
By the time she lowered the towel, he had already come back carrying a bowl of soup.
“Drink it.”
Looking at the slightly yellow broth, she could smell a faint spicy aroma.
Wrinkling her nose, she asked,
“What kind of soup is this?”
“Ginger soup. Drink it.”
Su Youtian shook her head.
Yuan Wei set the bowl down and gave her a deep, meaningful look.
Startled by that gaze, she immediately grabbed the bowl and gulped the soup down.
After finishing it, warmth spread throughout her body.
Looking at Yuan Wei’s indifferent face, she asked in confusion,
“Why are you… still treating me this well? You even made soup for me.”
Taking back the bowl, Yuan Wei replied,
“So you’ll absorb the flavor better. Makes you tastier.”
Su Youtian: “QAQ”
While washing dishes in the kitchen, Yuan Wei said,
“You’re sleeping here tonight. When I’ve finally calmed down, I’ll let you leave.”
Su Youtian was baffled.
When had this turned into a captivity scenario?
She still had tasks to complete and plot points to follow.
How was she supposed to stay here indefinitely?
[System, what am I supposed to do now?]
【You brought this on yourself. I’m not helping you. Besides, I’ve realized that electric shocks don’t work as a deterrent for you. I need to attack your mind instead.】
Caught between enemies on all sides, Su Youtian sighed and groaned for five straight minutes before eventually falling asleep on the sofa.
Half asleep and half awake, she felt herself sink into a warm nest.
It was as though she had returned to her mother’s embrace.
Curling herself into a ball, she instinctively burrowed toward an even warmer place.
While sleeping soundly, she felt her mouth being firmly covered. Something warm and soft seemed to press against it.
She let out a muffled hum through her nose and, unable to help herself, tilted her head upward.
After a while, the scorching warmth left her face.
Su Youtian frowned.
For some reason, she felt unexpectedly empty without it.
Smacking her lips, she rubbed against something like a puppy and caught hold of a soft, tender surface.
Only then did her expression relax.