Jin Yu woke up in the evening.
When she opened her eyes, her vision went dark for a moment, and her body ached with discomfort. Of course, what she found hardest to bear was the dryness in her mouth and throat.
She was thirsty.
She wanted water.
Half-propping herself up on the bed, she shook her head. Without taking the time to survey her surroundings, she first glanced toward the nightstand beside her, hoping to find water to drink. She was somewhat lucky—there was a cup and a kettle on the nightstand.
But whether there was water in the kettle was unknown.
So she could only drag her aching body halfway up to reach for it.
Unfortunately, she couldn’t reach it.
And an accident occurred.
With a loud “bang—”, the kettle fell to the floor, and some of the scalding hot water inside danced across the back of her hand.
The sudden pain made her frown. The next moment, before she could touch her burned hand, a mocking male voice suddenly broke the silence of the room, “Are you trying to extend your hospital stay? Clumsy. If you want water, can’t you call for someone?”
Hearing the familiar voice, Jin Yu looked up sharply.
Then she saw Meng Jinyan, his clothes disheveled and his face full of irritation.
At the sight of him, some terrifying memories rushed back.
Her face turned pale as she reached for her stomach, “The baby…”
Seeing this, the irritation on Meng Jinyan’s face faded slightly, and his tone was no longer as sarcastic as before, “The baby is fine.”
Hearing this, Jin Yu quietly let out a sigh of relief.
It’s fine? That’s really good.
Although she didn’t have much affection for this unexpected child, it had been in her womb for so long now. She had already accepted that she was about to become a mother, and it would be a lie to say she felt no attachment at all.
Moreover, this child was her lifeline.
If the child was gone, there would be no hope left for her grandmother and younger brother’s treatment. If her grandmother and brother were no longer here, her own life would have no meaning.
As she sighed in relief, Meng Jinyan quickly pressed the call button. In less than half a minute, a stream of doctors and nurses rushed in. Seeing Meng Jinyan’s impatient face, they respectfully asked, “Mr. Meng, what can we do for you?”
“Treat her burn.”
Only when he said this did Jin Yu feel the burning pain on the back of her hand. As the doctors and nurses gathered around her, she pursed her dry lips and weakly spoke up, “Is there water? I want to drink.”
The doctors and nurses present treated Meng Jinyan’s orders like imperial decrees, tending to her wound with extreme care. However, they completely ignored her request.
She was unbearably thirsty.
Jin Yu had to ask again, “Is there water to drink?”
Still, no one answered her.
After asking twice without a response, she lowered her eyes to hide her disappointment. But just as she did, a loud noise came from nearby, and a cold, familiar male voice rang out.
“She said she wants water. Are you all deaf?”
As these words echoed, a nurse frantically searched for water, stumbling over her words as she apologized repeatedly, “Mr. Meng… Mr. Meng, I’m sorry… I’m sorry, it was our mistake. I’ll get it right now…”
But before she could finish, the man’s icy, stern gaze fell on her, “You’re apologizing to the wrong person. She’s the patient.”
Reminded, the nurse hurriedly apologized to Jin Yu.
But she paid no attention, instead slowly raising her head to look toward the source of the voice. The man’s expression was blank, his clothes disheveled, a far cry from the dignified elegance he had displayed that morning. Upon closer inspection, she could even see bloodstains on his shirt.
Her breath caught unconsciously.
What had happened?
Only after the doctor had treated the burn on the back of her hand and the nurses had cleared away the mess on the floor did Jin Yu finally speak up in the direction of Meng Jinyan, “Thank you.”
But the man, sitting on the sofa typing on his keyboard, acted as if he hadn’t heard.
Jin Yu didn’t mind.
While he was intently typing away, handling work matters, she carefully pieced together everything that had happened from the moment she left home that morning until now.
She had been lured out by her uncle under the pretense of returning her mother’s dowry. When she realized his true intentions, she had hurriedly tried to escape, but with his entire family mobilized, she had no chance to resist. Later, she remembered being tied up and thrown into a car. They said they were taking her to the hospital to get rid of the baby…
What happened after that, she couldn’t recall.
But judging from her current surroundings, it seemed the tragedy had likely been prevented by Meng Jinyan. Staring at the bloodstains on his shirt, she unconsciously tightened her grip on the blanket, pursed her lips, and was about to express her gratitude when his sharp, merciless words cut her off.
The man glanced at her indifferently. “What, just narrowly escaping death, and you’re already thinking about seducing me again?”
Jin Yu stared at him in disbelief, utterly confused about what could possibly give him the impression that she was trying to seduce him.
After a moment of silence, she replied calmly and politely, “No.”
The man scoffed. “No? Then why do you keep staring at me?”
“I was looking at the bloodstains on your shirt.”
Hearing this, Meng Jinyan’s fingers paused on the keyboard. The next moment, he glanced casually at her heavily swollen face. “What do you plan to do about your uncle’s family?”
At these words, Jin Yu’s expression turned cold. “Send them to the police.”
“And then?”
“Let them face legal consequences.”
As she spoke, the man responded with a cold laugh. “It seems you really are naive.”
Jin Yu: “…”
After typing the last word, Meng Jinyan clicked send. The next second, he tossed his laptop aside, stood up, and walked toward her. “The Lin family may not have the power to move heaven and earth, but they can easily bribe a few police officers with a little money. Do you think, under the temptation of money, they’ll still face legal consequences?”
The answer was no.
Jin Yu knew this very well.
But that was only in the past. Now, she was Meng Jinyan’s wife, carrying the Meng family’s heir in her womb. Her uncle’s family had attempted to murder the child in her belly—the nature of the crime was different now.
She believed that even without her having to do anything, the Lin family would be utterly destroyed.
Thinking this, she unconsciously voiced her thoughts aloud.
Hearing her, Meng Jinyan sneered. “You’re clever, I’ll give you that.”
He casually pulled over a nearby chair and sat down, then poured her a glass of water. Taking the water, Jin Yu thanked him.
But his response was laced with sarcasm. “Jin Yu, your name is listed as my spouse. There’s no reason for you to be so timid. When doctors and nurses deliberately ignore your needs, like just now, you can lose your temper, report them, or even fire them.”
Jin Yu stared at him blankly, surprised. “Fire them?”
“The Meng family holds a fifty percent stake.”
No sooner had she finished speaking than Meng Jinyan leaned back in his chair, suddenly narrowing his eyes at her, his thin lips curling into a mocking smile. “Jin Yu, has anyone ever told you that you’re very stupid?”
Jin Yu: “…No.”
“Well, now you have.” The man raised his hand and touched his brow bone, looking at her with utter disdain. “When I talk to you and tell you to straighten your back and teach someone a lesson, do you really not know how to grasp the point, or are you just pretending?”
“…”
Seeing her lower her head again, Meng Jinyan felt a surge of irritation. “What are you lowering your head for when there’s nothing wrong? Don’t you know how to lift it?”
Jin Yu: “…” She just had a bit of a sore neck.
But living under someone else’s roof, and with him giving the order, she had no choice but to comply. Though rebellious inside, on the surface she obediently agreed.
“Oh.”
Her obedient “Oh” overlapped with the image of her that day in the hospital, when she was bullied and could only respond with a bewildered “Ah.”
Innocent and clueless.
Utterly captivating.
Meng Jinyan stared at her porcelain-white, delicate little face, his Adam’s apple bobbing slightly. A wave of inexplicable restlessness surged through him.
The next second, he raised his hand, his long fingers gripping her chin, applying force without restraint. A low, hoarse voice spilled from his throat. “Jin Yu, if you keep seducing me like this, do you believe I’ll throw you into the sea to feed the fish?”