“What, you’re not happy about it?” Yu Wan tilted her delicate chin upward, asking with evident arrogance.
Though phrased as a question, she clearly didn’t care about the answer.
The woman propped her chin on her hand, lips parting slightly: “You’ll have to endure it whether you like it or not. After all, I’m the young mistress, and right now, you’re nothing.”
So, I’ll divorce whenever I want.
How dare you be unhappy? Once this ridiculous countdown disappears, the first thing I’ll do is kick you to the curb.
Xie Mingyan watched the utterly willful expression on the face before him. The unbearable sensation inside him continued to churn, yet the tactile memory from his fingertips had already faded.
His skin hunger was flaring up, the desperate craving for touch screaming wildly within his body.
He couldn’t control the need to be touched, yet due to his own restraint, found no relief whatsoever.
His skin flushed crimson. The man’s slender fingers clenched tightly, knuckles turning white.
From the pressure in his fingertips, traces of blood seeped into his palm, yet he paid it no mind.
Mustn’t frighten her.
Xie Mingyan gazed at Yu Wan before him.
She was always domineering and overbearing, fond of playing petty tricks, willfully using small means to torment others – though to him, it was merely scratching the surface.
A faint smile tugged at Xie Mingyan’s lips, his eyes filled with amusement as he spoke with a barely perceptible curve of his mouth: “I wouldn’t dare.”
To be precise, he had never actually considered divorce.
Everything just now was merely an act. Had Yu Wan not torn up the divorce agreement herself, events would have unfolded quite differently.
And that outcome wouldn’t be what the pampered young mistress desired.
Yu Wan remained unaware she had just skirted the edge of danger.
Tilting her head up, she snorted lightly: “Good that you understand.”
Though she knew Xie Mingyan would become a villainous big shot in the future, she couldn’t see any trace of that now – wasn’t he quite obedient?
Besides, even if he were a villain, expecting her to humble herself to please others?
The young mistress declared: In your dreams!
At most… she wouldn’t cause him trouble in the future and wouldn’t treat him so poorly. Her own feelings would always come first.
And right now, her mood was particularly foul.
The countdown continued ticking away second by second. Yu Wan felt inexplicably uncomfortable, extremely irritable, her beautiful eyes filled with annoyance.
“You,” Yu Wan pointed at him: “What are you standing so far away for? Get…”
The word “lost” barely left her lips when Yu Wan noticed the lingering smile on Xie Mingyan’s mouth and realized something. Her words twisted awkwardly mid-sentence.
“Come stand closer.” She beckoned him over, completely unaware her gesture resembled calling a dog.
Xie Mingyan concealed the darkness in his eyes and obediently stepped forward.
The next moment, Yu Wan abruptly sat upright: “Stop! Stand right there!”
Xie Mingyan halted mid-step.
“You, take two steps back.”
Xie Mingyan didn’t move, his eyes fixed intently on her, gleaming with obscure light.
“What are you looking at? I told you to step back.” Yu Wan glared at him reproachfully.
“Hurry up!”
Xie Mingyan suppressed the emotion in his eyes and compliantly took two steps back.
“Stop, now take two steps forward.” Yu Wan waved him closer.
Xie Mingyan took two steps forward.
After several back-and-forth repetitions, Yu Wan’s eyes brightened considerably. So this is the Death Countdown.
Yu Wan had successfully exploited the bug.
After a series of verifications, Yu Wan confirmed that whenever she and Xie Mingyan came within three meters of each other, the Death Countdown would stop, and when they had physical contact, the countdown would increase.
What was this called? The antidote is always within three meters?
“Having fun?” His voice carried a hint of laughter, as if it were just a simple inquiry.
Yu Wan didn’t pay attention to his tone. Facing the unusually obedient Xie Mingyan, she spoke as if it were only natural: “Of course, I am.”
Then, she extended a slender finger, pointed at him from a distance, and issued a command like a dictator: “You, from today onward, must follow me at all times, without leaving even a step, and the distance between us must not exceed three meters.”
Until this damned countdown disappears.
The servants around had long since hidden far away when Yu Wan and Xie Mingyan began discussing divorce, afraid of being caught in the young lady’s wrath.
Although they kept their distance, none of their ears were idle. Now, hearing these words, they were all utterly shocked.
Hadn’t the young lady always despised Xie Mingyan the most? Beating, scolding, and humiliating him were common occurrences. And hadn’t she just been talking about divorce? Why had she suddenly changed her mind?
Was this some new method of torment the young lady had thought up?
Just as puzzled as the servants was Xie Mingyan.
The man stared unblinkingly at the person before him. This time, he couldn’t quite figure out her little game.
Under his gaze, Yu Wan felt as if she were being watched by a snake, enveloped in an inescapable stare.
“I’m talking to you. Have you gone mute?” Yu Wan disliked this feeling intensely and raised her voice.
The man let out a low chuckle, his voice carrying a damp, sinister tone.
Seemingly good-natured and considerate, he asked, “Even when you’re bathing?”
The question infuriated Yu Wan so much that she forgot her recent promise to treat him better. She snatched a cup from the table and hurled it at him: “You dog! How dare you take advantage of me!”
Was that what she meant? Did he actually intend to follow her even when she was bathing? If that wasn’t taking advantage, what was?
The cup struck the man’s chest, fell to the ground, and shattered with a “bang.”
“If you dare peek, I’ll gouge your eyes out,” Yu Wan threatened fiercely, her expression vicious.
Unaware that her words held no intimidation for Xie Mingyan.
Upon hearing this, Xie Mingyan slowly lowered his eyelids, glanced at the shattered glass fragments on the floor, and a faint smile flickered at the corner of his lips. The light in his eyes wavered between bright and dark.
His young lady was becoming more and more interesting.
Just then, the phone on the table rang. Yu Wan glanced at the caller ID.
“Late Sis, come out and have some fun. I’ve prepared a surprise for you. You’ll absolutely love it.”
“Not going,” Yu Wan refused.
“Late Sis, what did you say? I can’t hear you,” the person shouted.
The voice on the phone was too loud. Disgusted, Yu Wan held the phone farther away but could still hear the voice, stretched to its limit: “Late Sis, I’ve sent the location to your phone. We’ll be waiting for you.”
“Trust me, you’re going to love it.”
“Late Sis, it’s a bit noisy here right now. I’ll hang up first, but you have to come.”
Yu Wan stared at the ended call and muttered, “What’s all this? So mysterious.”
Fine, she was idle anyway. Going out for some fun wouldn’t hurt.
The young lady stood up and, before leaving, glanced at Xie Mingyan: “Follow me.”
Only after the two figures disappeared from the house did the servants dare to show their faces, looking as if they’d seen a ghost.
“What’s the situation now? Didn’t the young mistress always despise Xie Mingyan?”
Why is she letting him follow her now?
Normally, she doesn’t even allow Xie Mingyan to get close. To put it bluntly, although Xie Mingyan is the young mistress’s fiancé, his status in this household isn’t even as high as a dog’s.
“Didn’t you see the young mistress just hit him with a cup? She must still despise him.”
“That’s true. An illegitimate child who can’t even be presented in proper society—if not for him, the young mistress would have been with Xie Shiyuan long ago.”
Who knows where he crawled out from? He ended up lying on the young lady’s bed, causing her to become the subject of ridicule. What part of him could possibly be worthy of the young lady?
Yu Wan was completely unaware of the servants’ thoughts. After all, before this, she never cared about Xie Mingyan and hadn’t even looked at him properly.
Inside the nightclub.
Neon lights flickered incessantly. Yu Wan scanned the room, but before she could locate the booth, she heard someone call out to her.
“Wan Jie, over here.”
Jiang Zhe stood not far away, waving enthusiastically at her. Seeing this, Yu Wan raised an eyebrow and strode over in her high heels.
Jiang Zhe had been delighted to see Yu Wan, but when he noticed the person following behind her, his expression instantly darkened, his tone full of disdain: “Wan Jie, why did you bring him along?”