The door opened, and a servant from the Governor’s residence stepped in, carrying a tray with meticulously prepared dishes.
“Miss Shen, the Governor instructed me to bring you something to eat,” the servant said, bowing slightly, his tone respectful but tinged with a hint of sympathy.
Shen Wan looked at the food on the table, feeling no appetite at all.
She hadn’t eaten a drop or a bite in the past two days.
Yan Xiao had made Yan Yu marry Brother Yan, so why should she obediently let him control her?
“I’m not hungry. You can take it away,” Shen Wan said weakly, waving her hand with exhaustion in her voice.
The servant didn’t dare to say more, quietly placing the food on the table and retreating with the tray.
Shen Wan walked to the window and lightly touched the cold glass. Yan Xiao was truly angry this time; he wouldn’t let her go easily.
Suddenly, the sound of steady footsteps came from outside the door, growing closer until stopping right in front of her room.
Shen Wan’s heart nearly leapt out of her throat. She instinctively held her breath, as if hiding in the darkness could make her invisible.
The door handle slowly pressed down with a soft click, the sound unnervingly clear in the silent room.
Her heart clenched at that tiny sound.
“Waiting for me?”
A low, magnetic voice sounded in the room, carrying a trace of mockery, a hint of sarcasm, and an almost imperceptible tenderness that even he didn’t realize.
Shen Wan opened her eyes sharply and saw Yan Xiao’s tall figure backlit at the doorway.
In the dim light, his features seemed even sharper, his eyes unfathomable, impossible to read.
He stepped into the room with measured pace and closed the door behind him.
The room plunged into shadow, with only faint light from the window outlining his tall, commanding silhouette.
Shen Wan instinctively stepped back until her back pressed against the cold wall, trapped with nowhere to retreat.
She bit her lower lip tightly, trying to suppress the fear and unease rising inside her.
Yan Xiao looked at her defensive stance, a cold smile tugging at his lips, his tone laced with mockery.
Shen Wan took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. She lifted her head to meet his gaze and said as evenly as she could, “What do you want?”
His tone carried a dangerous edge as he advanced step by step, trapping her between the wall and himself. “You tell me, what do you think I want?”
Shen Wan felt suffocated under his imposing presence. She turned her face away, avoiding his burning gaze, her voice cold: “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Seeing her stubborn defiance, a surge of anger rose within Yan Xiao. He reached out, gripping her chin to force her to look at him, his voice domineering: “Shen Wan, don’t test my patience. Starving yourself? Even if you die of hunger, you still won’t escape.”
“Yan Xiao, let me go!” Shen Wan struggled desperately, trying to free herself, but he held her even tighter.
“Let you go?” Yan Xiao sneered. “Let you go to see that brat at the Yan family?”
So Yan Yu had indeed told him about her visit to the Yan family.
His tone carried an unmistakable command: “Come here and eat.”
“I’m not hungry!” Shen Wan turned her head, avoiding his gaze.
“Not hungry?” Yan Xiao raised an eyebrow, a dangerous edge in his voice. “Shen Wan, do you think you’re some precious flower I have to negotiate with?”
Without warning, he pulled her to the table, pressing her into the chair. He scooped up a spoonful of rice soup and brought it to her lips. “Open your mouth.”
Shen Wan kept her lips tightly shut, turning her head aside.
Seeing her stubborn resistance, Yan Xiao’s gaze darkened. He stopped forcing her, took a sip himself, then firmly gripped her chin and kissed her without warning.
He pried open her teeth slightly, pouring the rice soup into her mouth.
Shen Wan was startled by the sudden action, instinctively struggling, but he held her firmly against him.
The rice soup trickled down the corner of her mouth, and Yan Xiao didn’t mind. He extended his tongue, lightly licking the dripping soup, his tone both teasing and dangerous. “Only willing to eat like this, huh?”