Shi Lijiin’s gaze carried a sharp yet tender edge, resembling a set of shackles that seemed perpetually on the verge of breaking or locking tight.
“I want to apologize to you.”
“Is this how you apologize?” Gu Qingjiao motioned for him to look at his current appearance, asking how it differed from a wolf preying on a sheep.
A flash of confusion crossed Shi Lijiin’s eyes. “Do you not want to be with me?”
“Of course I don’t.”
He refused to believe it. “But you said you wanted to marry me.”
Recalling the original owner’s ultimate goal, Gu Qingjiao calmly stated, “I wanted the inheritance rights. Will you give them?”
Shi Lijiin leaned close to her ear and softly uttered a single word: “Yes.”
Gu Qingjiao suddenly chuckled.
She hadn’t expected this formidable villain to still be so naive.
Seeing her smile and assuming it meant he was pleasing her, Shi Lijiin mustered his courage and continued to wander across her neck, every breath cautiously brushing against her pores.
This was a moment he had longed for over a very long time.
As for Gu Qingjiao, having a handsome man insist on offering himself up like this wasn’t entirely unacceptable, provided she didn’t have to exert any physical energy herself.
The floor-to-ceiling window near the observation deck was left unlatched. Although the body temperatures of the two individuals were rising rapidly, the chilling wind blowing in still threatened to ruin the mood, especially given her two hands hanging off the edge of the bed. She had initially planned to remain completely passive, but the cold was simply too biting.
Gu Qingjiao pulled her hands back inside, managing to touch his body heat right through the quilt. The man’s body could no longer be described as merely warm, as the deeper he kissed and the more thoroughly he claimed her, the hotter he became. Whatever it felt like to be continuously baked by a blazing stove, that was precisely what she was experiencing.
“It is too hot.” Finding it almost unbearable, Gu Qingjiao gently pushed him away, her voice growing dry and itchy.
Shi Lijiin was still nibbling at a patch of tender flesh on her neck when he heard her words and felt that it indeed seemed a bit warm. Slowly parting his lips, he supported one side of her face with one hand while reaching toward his own collar with the other to untie his buttons.
Gu Qingjiao lay completely passive, offering no help whatsoever.
Fast and steady, the man quickly undid all his buttons. Gu Qingjiao reached out a single finger to lift the edge of his shirt, nodded in satisfaction upon seeing his athletic physique, and then asked, “Do you have a condom?”
Shi Lijiin: “What?”
Gu Qingjiao: “If you don’t have one, forget it. Go wash up and sleep.”
Shi Lijiin’s expression abruptly darkened.
Gu Qingjiao cast her gaze downward with utter calmness, wanting to see if he had deflated yet, but the distinctly rigid bulge told her he hadn’t.
He’s truly enduring.
Not wanting to pour cold water on him too bluntly, Gu Qingjiao spoke in an indifferent tone: “Although you said before that this is a matter requiring no emotional attachment, personal safety still needs attention. When I said I wanted the inheritance rights, I was just teasing you. Actually, your assets have nothing to do with me. After all, you won’t marry me, right?”
Shi Lijiin never expected her to be so remarkably calm.
It seemed he really had wounded her deeply before.
“Gu Qingjiao, actually in my heart…”
Just as he was about to continue, a loud explosion suddenly shattered the air outside, and a sky full of fireworks bloomed simultaneously in the night sky, breathtakingly gorgeous.
All the words he had intended to utter were sealed away within this New Year’s Eve.
The clamor drowned out the carnal desire, devouring his entire heart of devotion.
Gu Qingjiao no longer needed him.
In this world, there was no one who truly needed him.
When Gu Qingjiao woke up the next morning, her head was so dizzy and disoriented that she could barely find her way.
Faint fragments and scenes from the previous night still lingered in her mind. She vaguely remembered that after she casually dropped those few words, Shi Lijiin had left looking utterly humiliated.
Wearily rubbing her eyes in front of the mirror, she carefully covered the marks left by the man on the side of her neck, dressed neatly, and left the observation deck.
Recently, there had been very few gossipy remarks about her around Southern Manor. Even if any existed, they merely praised her exceptional barbecue skills, which had surprisingly won Gu Qingjiao a wave of devoted fans who constantly sought her out to grill this or that.
Today, however, Gu Qingjiao noticed that Southern Manor seemed entirely altered. Aside from the fireworks of the previous night, there was not the slightest festive atmosphere of the New Year, and the number of servants was visibly dwindling day by day.
Why is it so desolate?
As she returned to the small detached courtyard, she ran right into Huacai. The dim-witted little girl usually loved to slack off, but today she was lugging bags in both hands and dragging an additional suitcase behind her.
Gu Qingjiao playfully teased, “Are you running away from home?”
Huacai pouted with grievance and said, “Of course not. The Second Young Master is making us leave.”
“Why?”
“He told us to go home and celebrate the New Year.”
“Having a holiday is a good thing. Why look so wronged? Is he not paying your wages?”
Huacai shook her head, looking increasingly upset the more she spoke. She then squatted down and shoved two apples from her bag into her hands. “Grandpa Long gave these to me, Miss Gu. I’ll share two with you. If we ever get the chance to meet again in the future, remember to return them.”
Gu Qingjiao: “What?”
Wait, no…
Gu Qingjiao couldn’t find the right words because she suddenly remembered that Shi Lijiin would likely deal with Shen Kewen before long, which explained why he was sending away the domestic staff. It made sense.
Accepting the apples, Gu Qingjiao rubbed them casually against her clothes and started crunching into one right in front of her. “When you come back, I’ll return twenty to you.”
With tears welling in her eyes, Huacai turned back three times for every step she took as she left.
Special vehicles were stationed at the estate gates to take the servants home. One by one, they departed, leaving the Shi family’s Southern Manor increasingly desolate.
Gu Qingjiao leaned against the doorway, imagining how wonderful it would be if someone came to pick her up too.
The system, having just booted up: [Keep dreaming.]
The small farm, which had stood bare since the start of winter, had recently been planted full of flower seedlings. Neat rows of tender green sprouts stood in orderly fashion across the earth, each blossom more exquisite than the last.
When Grandpa Long spotted Shi Lijiin standing outside the door for the third time, he felt very little shock left in his heart.
Walking up behind Shi Lijiin, he lowered his head and respectfully uttered the title, “Second Young Master.”
Shi Lijiin’s indifferent voice drifted over: “I remember when I was a child, you were the one who helped me leave this place.”
Slowly raising his head with a dull reaction, Grandpa Long’s gaze flickered with the shadow of the man’s childhood, as if a memory key had been pressed.
Shi Lijiin had been only about eight or nine years old that year. Unable to endure the madness of his stepmother’s torture, he had attempted to run away time and time again, only to be dragged back each time. Eventually, unable to bear it any longer, Grandpa Long let him slip away on his own accord. Following that, Shi Lijiin spent a decade out in the harsh world, even associating with underworld elements in society.
When he finally returned, the second young master had transformed into someone completely ruthless and merciless.
Though past events replayed in his mind and many details had grown blurry, Grandpa Long vaguely sensed that his visit today was far from a simple stroll.
“I remember that the year you helped me escape happened to coincide with the Lantern Festival,” Shi Lijiin turned around and said slowly. “This year’s Lantern Festival, help me take someone away again.”
Grandpa Long had a rough idea of what this meant, yet a lingering trace of anxiety remained in his heart. Staring intently at Shi Lijiin, he said, “Then I will return later. My patch of seedlings has just started showing some promise, and I wouldn’t trust leaving them in your care.”
“I am not sending you out to sightsee,” Shi Lijiin added. “Leave Southern Manor, and never come back.”
Grandpa Long had served as the old housekeeper of Southern Manor since his youth. He had helped cover up numerous matters for Shen Kewen back then and had witnessed every kind of scene imaginable, but a mandate compelling him to never come back felt genuinely unexpected. He probed cautiously, “Second Young Master, do you intend to deal with Shen Kewen yourself?”
“Otherwise? You?”
“Second Young Master, please don’t do this! Once outsiders find out, the consequences will be unimaginable!”
Sporting a slightly roguish tilt to his head, Shi Lijiin’s gaze turned chillingly cold. “When you all conspired to lock me away back then, why weren’t you afraid of outsiders finding out?”
“What?”
“If you want to live a long and peaceful life, escort the person out properly, and don’t come back either. Otherwise, I won’t care who you are.” This rather discourteous warning was delivered by Shi Lijiin while bending down right beside his ear.
Every single word pierced into his ears like lethal thorns. Grandpa Long turned pale upon hearing it, but realizing he had no room to refuse, he could only nod in agreement.
In a daze, he felt a small object being tucked into his pocket. Looking down, he saw it was a vibrant red envelope.
A smile touched the corners of Shi Lijiin’s lips. “Happy New Year, Grandpa Long.”
The final batch of servants was sent away from Southern Manor today.
What should have been a joyous Lantern Festival grew increasingly desolate.
Tossing and turning in bed, unable to fall asleep, Gu Qingjiao finally understood why people said a house that is too big feels haunted.
Without Huacai, no amount of milk tea or hotpot could bring any comfort. Crawling out of bed, she decided to head to the sleeping pod by the swimming pool to continue resting, as its small, private space perfectly matched her mood at the moment.
The moment Gu Qingjiao stepped outside, she spotted Grandpa Long walking over from afar, having come for no other reason than to take her out to see the lantern festival.
“Miss Gu, Southern Manor doesn’t care much for holidays, and everyone has gone home anyway. Seeing that you are young and lively, I figured I would take you out for a stroll.”
No, I actually don’t like lively places; I just like sleeping, except I can’t fall asleep right now. Oh right, she remembered that Shi Lijiin was busy plotting to get rid of his stepmother today, which explained why he had cleared everyone out.
A chill ran down Gu Qingjiao’s spine as she hurried back inside her room to grab some clothes.
If someone else had family matters to deal with, she figured she ought to clear out and avoid the crossfire.
At that moment, the system in her mind began jumping around again:
[Go on, and have him off you along the way.]
Gu Qingjiao: “What?”
Gu Qingjiao: Stop messing around.
System: [Strike while the iron is hot. You already lost your chance that day; with such a great opportunity now, you cannot give up no matter what.]
Annoyed, Gu Qingjiao tapped her head. “Can you stop meddling in other people’s business?”
The system threw a tantrum: [If you don’t care about him, then care about me! Care about me!]
Gu Qingjiao: “What?”
In the end, rummaging through her belongings, Gu Qingjiao dug out the white cloak Shi Lijiin had given her and put it on.
Going to hit on him on a holiday like this was truly a hassle.
Waiting at the door, Grandpa Long couldn’t keep his mouth closed in a smile when he saw her emerge dressed in pure white, giving her a thumbs-up as he praised, “That outfit looks wonderful!”
Gu Qingjiao adjusted her hood. “Grandpa Long, where are we going?”
“There’s a lantern festival at Guanshan Park tonight. It’s very lively. The car is waiting at the entrance, Miss Gu, let’s go.”
Pausing for a moment, Gu Qingjiao asked with a guilty conscience, “What about Shi Lijiin? Isn’t he coming with us?”
Looking somewhat nervous, Grandpa Long explained, “The Second Young Master is busy today and told us to go ahead first. He will probably join us later.”
Barely finishing his lie, Grandpa Long turned away looking utterly dejected, refusing to look at her any longer.
Everyone knew how deeply Miss Gu loved the Second Young Master, eager to be by his side every single second, yet the Second Young Master had no place for her in his heart; he couldn’t even find a place for himself.
Grandpa Long let out a heavy sigh, but when he turned back around, he discovered Miss Gu had vanished.
It seemed she had headed toward Shi Lijiin’s villa.
“Miss Gu, please come back!”
[Host, hurry! He is currently discussing how to deal with Shen Kewen with Jason. Rush in right now, open the second drawer on the right side of his desk, and you’ll find all the murder weapons.]
[Jason has a background in international syndicates; he acts decisively and fears nothing, and Shi Lijiin is naturally cold-blooded and fearless. As long as you keep interrupting them and make your presence known inside, you’ll be finished off in minutes.]
[Go for it, Host! A better life is waving at you: Female lead! Halo! Golden finger! Beauty! Wealth! Handsome husband!]
To satisfy the system’s expectations, Gu Qingjiao had never worked this hard in her entire life.
Taking the elevator to the study, she knocked on the door.
Realizing it was her, Jason immediately put on a stern expression. “Go back!”
Tilting her head, Gu Qingjiao saw Shi Lijiin sitting in the inner room, waved at him, and called out, “Shi Lijiin? Fiancé? Come accompany me to the lantern festival!”
Nervously glancing back to check Shi Lijiin’s reaction, Jason saw the man sitting there completely unresponsive, not even lifting his head. Jason quickly tried to dissuade her, “Miss Gu, the Second Young Master cannot accompany you today. Why don’t you go play with Grandpa Long instead?”
“But I want Shi Lijiin to come with me.”
“Be a good girl. The Second Young Master is in a bad mood today, and let me tell you, my mood is also extremely bad right now!” Jason raised his fist with a fierce look.
Watching his cute attempt at acting menacing, Gu Qingjiao couldn’t help being amused.
Yet the system had once warned her that as a supporting character, Gu Qingjiao had no right to alter anyone’s destiny.
“Then Brother Jason, take good care of yourself, and Happy New Year.”
With a gratified smile, Jason nodded in response, “Happy New Year, little sister Qingjiao.”
Pointing at her cloak, Gu Qingjiao smiled and said, “Then help me tell Shi Lijiin that I am wearing the clothes he gave me today, and they look exceptionally nice.”
Only then did Jason properly look her over, thoroughly captivated by the ethereal and refined outfit she wore. Half-turning away, he deliberately raised his voice and announced, “Miss Gu is so beautiful today! She looks exactly like Snow White out of a storybook! Oh!”
This exaggerated compliment made even Gu Qingjiao feel a bit shy.
Yet Jason waited for a long time without receiving the slightest response from the man in the inner room. Awkwardly turning back, he twitched the corners of his mouth and continued with a dry laugh, “Bye-bye, little sister Qingjiao. I need to get back to work.”
Before the study door closed, Gu Qingjiao cast another involuntary glance at Shi Lijiin.
The man never once raised his eyes.
How could someone be so split in personality? He was completely different in bed versus out of bed.
The system, cracking up once again due to a disappointing host: [Maybe you should just go out and play.]
Inside the study.
Having just sent away little sister Qingjiao, Jason felt a bit saddened, wondering if they would ever have the chance to meet again after this parting. Furthermore, judging by her expression right before the door shut, she seemed quite distressed.
“Second Young Master, Miss Gu likes you so much, yet you just pull a long face at her,” he grumbled indignantly.
A couple of fine lines had formed between Shi Lijiin’s brows from staying up late. Shifting the topic, he asked, “Where is Shen Kewen?”
“In the small room on the second basement level. The dosage of the medicine is minimal; once the alarm rings, she wakes up. We need to hurry.” Jason pointed to the small clock on the desk.
With a calm expression, Shi Lijiin silently pulled out an envelope from underneath and slid it across the table toward him. “Take it.”
Jason looked somewhat shocked. “What are you doing, Second Young Master?”
Leaning back against the sofa with a leisurely posture, Shi Lijiin began playing with the gauze wrapped around his wrist. “The contract is canceled. You are free starting today.”
“But…”
“You have all done your best. I will handle the rest myself. Jason, take them home.”
As he spoke, Shi Lijiin had already unwrapped all the gauze. His wrists were covered everywhere in small scratches, though entirely free of any medicinal residue. Many old wounds had crusted over into scars. Loathing the sight of those marks, Shi Lijiin retrieved his small carving knife as usual and began picking away at the scars bit by bit.
Standing idly by and not daring to speak, Jason never expected that after just complaining about the Second Young Master pulling a long face at sister Qingjiao, his own turn would arrive the very next second.
“If the First Young Master knew you treated yourself this way, he definitely wouldn’t be happy.” Jason still couldn’t help muttering under his breath.
“Then don’t let him know.”
With the scars forcibly broken open, beads of blood began to seep down Shi Lijiin’s wrist once more, yet he appeared completely desensitized. Instead, he unhurriedly fetched a fresh piece of gauze and began rewrapping it.
“Put some medicine on it, Second Young Master,” Jason urged softly, watching his wounds with a pang of heartache. “This won’t heal it.”
Tying the gauze neatly with practiced ease, Shi Lijiin uttered a morbid statement: “Scars must be kept, lest one forgets the pain once the wound has healed.”
“Ding.”
The alarm on the desk rang. Raising his eyelids, Shi Lijiin’s aura instantly turned sinister.
Swiftly opening the second drawer on the right side, he pulled out a small black utility carving knife.
Second basement level, cellar.
The environment was damp and gloomy.
Shen Kewen sat paralyzed on the floor, the back of her head resting against the marble wall. Her throat heaved as she panted in short, rapid breaths, the freezing sensation of the floor constantly stimulating her brain.
Where is this?
Why is her head spinning so much?
Dust particles drifted into her windpipe, making her swallow and cough in dry distress. Once sensation finally returned to her limbs, she realized her hands and feet were bound.
What is going on?
In a panic, Shen Kewen suddenly heard the sound of a heavy door opening. Turning her head hastily, she saw a harsh beam of light unsparingly cast across her face.
Squinting her eyes, she hadn’t even managed to make out the newcomer’s appearance before the sound of a closing door echoed in her ears.
Deafening.
Steady footsteps approached step by step, making her heart accelerate uncontrollably. She could barely distinguish that the visitor was a man.
“Shi Lijiin?”
She blurted out the name in sheer panic.
Laughter echoed before her, one chuckle after another.
“Shi Lijiin! It really is you! You bastard!”
The laughter persisted by her ear. The more she heard it, the more terrified she became until she began trembling uncontrollably, able only to squirm across the floor like a caterpillar.
The eerie atmosphere stretched out endlessly. After a moment, he let out a deep sigh.
The chilling blade traced her face. In the darkness, the woman abruptly stopped breathing, too frightened to utter a single word.
“Shen Kewen, you are going to die here today, you know that?”
“No, my son, my son, forgive mother, please forgive mother.”
She wept in trembling agony.
“Who is your son?” Shi Lijiin gritted his teeth, his grip tightening. “Does a crazy woman even deserve to have a child?”
“Son…”
“Shut up!”
The carving knife mercilessly sliced across the woman’s face, bringing a stinging pain akin to flesh being torn apart.
The woman wailed in heart-rending grief as dark blood streamed down her skin.
Shi Lijiin watched her with an indifferent gaze, slightly raising the corners of his lips as he relished the woman’s tears.
Suddenly, the heavy door was kicked open from the outside. Jason rushed in frantically, glanced casually at the woman on the floor, and immediately pulled Shi Lijiin away.
Panting heavily, he looked at Shi Lijiin with a panicked expression.
“Second Young Master! Second Young Master! This is bad! Miss Gu has been in a car accident and she is dead!”