Сhарter 18: I Don’t Wаnt tо Sау It
Wеn Yao pullеd thе blanket dоwn, feeling аs if еvеrу timе shе sleрt hеrе, it wаs like being druggеd with sleeping pills. Ноw cоuld shе slеер so dеерly that shе didn’t еven nоtice her сlothеs were gonе?
“I want tо use thе bаthroom first.”
Wеn Yao climbеd оut оf bеd, pickеd uр hеr сlothes, рut them оn, and slipрed into thе bathroоm.
She dawdled whilе wаshing uр, just to stау a little longеr and аvоid going out tоo soоn.
When shе stерpеd out, she sаw Xie Zоngхun fiddling with а camera in his hand. He was dеtеrmined to take thе рhoto. Wen Yао clenched her fingertips and walked over to him.
“Take it off.”
He looked up at her, his expression still grim—not just cold, but visibly angry.
Wen Yao complied.
“Hold it.”
She opened her mouth with difficulty. “You… I don’t want to.”
“Be good.” He frowned, impatience flashing in his eyes, his tone cold and hard.
Wen Yao bit her lip, her palms growing hot, a faint blush spreading across her face.
“Smile.”
Her smile was forced, awkward and hesitant, her eyes misty with unshed tears. Xie Zongxun stared at the girl in the frame and pressed the shutter.
After the photo developed, Xie Zongxun held it in his hand, glanced at it twice, his Adam’s apple bobbing slightly, then tucked it back into his pocket.
“Are you going to post it on social media?” Wen Yao asked timidly.
If he did, she might just die.
Xie Zongxun raised an eyebrow, his tone indifferent. “Depends on my mood.”
“Can you… not post it on social media?”
He moved closer, bending slightly to pull the person on the bed into his arms, his voice cold. “Still negotiating terms? This time won’t be so easy to handle.”
Wen Yao sniffled, turned over with some force, pulling him down to sit on the edge of the bed.
She leaned into his embrace, her slender arms wrapping around his waist, her voice weak. “You could…”
“Could what?”
“Say it.”
Wen Yao didn’t say it, her fingers unconsciously twisting the fabric of his shirt, her mouth resisting. “I don’t want to say it.”
Xie Zongxun pinched her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze. After staring for two seconds, the person in his arms still showed no reaction. Xie Zongxun’s brows tightened, his expression cold, his thin lips seeking hers.
Pressed tightly together, heat swirling between them, his tone was fierce. “Be more active.”
Wen Yao closed her eyes, her body trembling.
Xie Zongxun’s muscular arm wrapped around her waist. He clicked his tongue lightly and slapped her hard with his palm.
“What are you squirming for?”
“Ouch…”
Wen Yao was stunned by the pain, her eyes wide and round.
She couldn’t hold back her voice or her tears.
Xie Zongxun glanced down at the tear-streaked, flushed face in his arms, his eyes darkening.
“Does it hurt?”
“How did you get so delicate?”
He had looked into her background and knew she had been mature and sensible since she was ten, taking care of her younger sister and grandmother, with a very obedient personality. He thought that was good—docile enough and not troublesome.
But how long had she been with him? Aside from being very obedient during their first meeting, she had either been giving him attitude or giving him attitude ever since.
She wouldn’t let him touch her here or there, either crying out in pain or shedding tears. He was keeping a woman for fun, yet he had to cater to her, spoiling her.
“Don’t cry.”
“Don’t cry in my bed from now on.”
Wen Yao sniffled, biting her lip without a word.
He held her for a while, then let her go.
“Is… is there a mark?”
Xie Zongxun glanced and replied flatly.
“Yes, there is.”
Wen Yao closed her eyes, resigned, growing more and more afraid. It seemed he even had violent tendencies, hitting her so hard.Wen Yao still had a class in the afternoon, so she got dressed and prepared to leave.
Carrying her backpack, her eyes were still red and swollen.
“I don’t want you to walk me.”
Xie Zongxun didn’t say anything, his face expressionless, revealing neither joy nor anger.
Wen Yao opened the door and left, taking a taxi back to school by herself.
“Yao Yao, why didn’t you come back last night?”
As soon as she returned to the dorm, Xu Chao asked with concern.
Wen Yao thought for a moment. Sometimes she was too naive, always overthinking how to explain things to others, but this was her own business.
She had the right to choose whether to explain or not.
So, Wen Yao gave a vague answer.
“I had something to do yesterday, don’t worry about me.”
Xu Chao didn’t press further, just reminded her to be safe and such. A moderate sense of boundaries made interactions between people more comfortable.
After finishing the first class in the afternoon, she had no more classes for the day.
Wen Yao had to give a presentation in the next class, so she stayed behind to look up materials, planning to find some free time to go to the computer lab and work on her PowerPoint.
She could have borrowed someone else’s computer, but Wen Yao preferred not to trouble others if she could avoid it.
There was a half-hour break between the first and second classes. Wen Yao was so focused that she barely noticed people coming and going around her.
It wasn’tt until more and more people entered that she realized this classroom was scheduled for the next class. She stood up to leave, just as a backpack was tossed onto the table beside her.
Xie Zongxun had spotted her as soon as he walked in, sitting in the last row at a two-person desk, writing something in her hand.
It was clear that many people wanted to sit next to her, hesitating but ultimately not making a move.
She stood out too much, wearing a pink dress, her skin glowing white, her brows slightly furrowed in thought, her expression lively and adorable.
Just by sitting there, she seemed to create a natural barrier around herself, keeping others at a distance.
Wen Yao glanced at Xie Zongxun sitting beside her and explained.
“I just had a class in this room and wanted to study for a bit.”
“I’ll leave now.”
Xie Zongxun took out his textbook, lifting his eyelids to glance at her.
“Stay here.”
Not daring to argue, she sat back down, took out her own major textbook, and listened as the professor on the podium explained complex theories, her head spinning.
She always said she couldn’t handle math, hated math, thought she wouldn’t have to face it in college, but now she was being forced to sit through a class.
From time to time, she looked up at the blackboard, pretending to listen, then pursed her lips, trying to absorb something before giving up again.
As if noticing her eager desire to learn, when the teacher reached a small key point, seemingly wanting to encourage her, he called on her directly.
“The girl in the pink dress in the last row, come answer this question.”
Wen Yao immediately stood up. Everyone’s eyes turned toward her, and soft murmurs rose from the front rows. Wen Yao looked nervous.
She gently tugged at Xie Zongxun’s sleeve with her fingertips, but Xie Zongxun acted as if he hadn’t noticed, ignoring her.
“Sorry, teacher, I don’t know.”
She couldn’t even understand the question, let alone give an answer. Math was her lifelong enemy.
The teacher kindly told her to sit down.
“If you don’t know, ask your boyfriend later. Xie Zongxun, your boyfriend definitely knows.”
Gasps erupted from the front rows. Wen Yao’s face flushed bright red, and as if remembering something, she stood up again.Her voice was gentle yet exceptionally firm.
“Teacher, he’s not my boyfriend.”
After saying that, she immediately sat down, thoroughly annoyed with Xie Zongxun.
Once Wen Yao was seated, Xie Zongxun took a piece of paper, wrote something, and handed it to her.
It was the detailed solution process for the problem from earlier, so clear that even Wen Yao, a pure humanities student, could understand it.
At the end of the answer, a single word was added.
A blatant taunt.
【Stupid.】
Wen Yao puffed out her cheeks, tucked away the answer, and ignored him from then on.