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After that, time became unbearably long.
Xia Zhiyao no longer remembered how many times she had repeated, “I was wrong. I won’t dare to do it again.”
Every plea seemed to disappear into the depths of the ocean without receiving the slightest response. The only thing that answered her was the man behind her—his breathing growing colder and heavier with each passing moment.
Her tears soaked into the leather surface beneath her, and her flushed cheeks pressed against it, burning with heat.
After what felt like an eternity...
Everything finally fell silent.
The suffocating pressure around her slowly eased, like a beast temporarily retracting its claws and fangs. Yet, even then, it had not truly departed.
Xia Zhiyao lay weakly on the long bench, her entire body drained of strength.
She heard Shen Yu’s footsteps.
They remained steady and composed, neither hurried nor slow.
Then, a warm palm gently rested against the back of her neck.
His thumb, covered with a faint layer of calluses, lightly brushed over the delicate skin there. The movement was almost like he were soothing a small animal that had finally been tamed.
“Have you remembered this feeling?”
Shen Yu’s hoarse voice came from above her.
Xia Zhiyao could barely make a sound. She desperately nodded.
“Good. As long as you remember.”
He withdrew his hand, and his footsteps moved several steps away.
She did not dare move and continued lying there obediently.
“Get up.”
Shen Yu’s voice came from a short distance away. His tone was calm and lazy, carrying the absolute control of someone who was used to being obeyed.
Xia Zhiyao pushed herself up with her arms and struggled to sit upright. Tears gathered in her eyes again, but she bit her lip tightly and did not dare make a sound.
“Come here.”
His deep voice sounded again.
Xia Zhiyao slowly walked toward him.
Her knees were weak, and every step felt difficult.
She stopped in front of Shen Yu, lowering her head and not daring to meet his gaze.
The man wrapped one arm around her waist and pulled her directly into his embrace.
The girl let out a startled cry.
She was pressed tightly against his chest, her cheek resting against the fabric of his clothes. She did not dare move even the slightest bit.
Shen Yu raised his hand. His long, slender fingers gently brushed away the strands of hair that had stuck to her forehead because of the sweat.
Under the girl’s frightened gaze, he carried her over and placed her onto the sofa.
………………
Shen Yu made her turn her head slightly.
He lowered his eyes and looked at her, his gaze sharp and penetrating.
Looking at her dazed, unfocused eyes, he spoke in a low voice,
“Say it. Whose are you?”
This man, who seemed both like a god and a demon, had an obsessive possessiveness burning in his eyes— as if it could consume everything in its path.
Xia Zhiyao met his gaze. She knew exactly what answer he wanted to hear.
Whose was she?
That answer had been repeated over and over again until it had been carved deep into her instincts, leaving behind a mark even more unforgettable than her own name.
It was the instinct to survive.
It was the memory of the punishment she had just endured, a memory that had been etched into her very soul.
“I… I am…”
She choked back her sobs, her voice trembling and broken.
“I am… Mr. Shen’s…”
“Louder.”
Shen Yu seemed dissatisfied. The pressure from his fingertips increased slightly.
Xia Zhiyao’s entire body trembled. Instinctively, she raised her voice, her words filled with a sobbing tone.
“I am Mr. Shen’s… I am yours… sob…”
Before she could finish speaking, her voice was drowned out by her tears.
Xia Zhiyao’s mind went completely blank. She breathed heavily, tears still lingering at the corners of her eyes, not yet dried.
Unhappily, the man showed no intention of letting her go so easily.
“I am yours… completely yours…”
Only at the very end did she finally give the answer he wanted—clearly and completely.
Within this man’s grasp, she no longer felt any sense of herself.
……
Shen Yu bent down, placed his coat over her, and effortlessly lifted her into his arms.
The moment her body left the ground, Xia Zhiyao, still lost in a daze, instinctively shrank back in fear and reached out, trying to grab onto something.
In the end, her small trembling hand caught hold of Shen Yu’s shirt collar.
Like a stray puppy desperately seeking shelter.
Shen Yu lowered his head and glanced at her. The corners of his lips lifted slightly as he carried her out.