Ming Shu ran back to the bedroom without looking back, her footsteps echoing loudly, and locked the door behind her.
How terrifying…
There was actually such a place in the house!
Had that Reflection Room existed before she lost her memory?
Had it ever been used?
Who had those things been used on?
The more Ming Shu thought about it, the more her scalp tingled with fear.
She had trusted Lu Shiyu so much, believing he was a gentle, refined man perfect for home and family. Yet, beneath his golden exterior lay rotten stuffing.
No wonder he was an award-winning actor—he really knew how to put on a performance. She didn’t know whether the affection he showed was reserved for her alone or if he treated every woman this way.
Perhaps she was just another fish in his pond. Because she was his lawful wife, Lu Shiyu was willing to spare a little more time to be good to her.
Now, only that poem by Li Qingzhao could express her feelings: desolate, miserable, and sorrowful…
With such a major incident having occurred, how could she still go participate in a variety show?
Just as Ming Shu was about to call Li Xiaole, she heard knocking at the door.
Her scalp prickling with fear, she covered her head with the blanket, pretending not to hear.
The man’s clear, low voice rang out, “Sweetheart, can you open the door?”
Ming Shu curled up on the bed.
Can’t hear, can’t hear—she couldn’t hear the devil’s whispers.
Ming Shu pulled the blanket aside and glanced stealthily toward the door. Her gaze inadvertently swept over the water bottle on the nightstand.
Sometimes it contained milk, sometimes water. Whenever she was thirsty in the middle of the night, Lu Shiyu would feed her a few sips. From the time she left the hospital until now, she had lived very comfortably. Such small details were countless; she hadn’t paid attention to them before. Now, with Lu Shiyu not by her side, her mind was filled with memories of his kindness.
For a moment, Ming Shu wasn’t as angry anymore. Many couples, feeling their lives lack excitement, would see doctors or book hotel rooms… So this wasn’t such a big deal either. But Lu Shiyu shouldn’t have hidden it from her.
The reason she broke up with Zhou Yichen was precisely because he was two-faced and had a wicked personality. That left no room for discussion—he could only become an ex.
The knocking didn’t sound again. She didn’t know where Lu Shiyu had gone, but she certainly wouldn’t open the door on her own.
Lu Shiyu returned to that Reflection Room.
Originally, he had planned to seal away the items today. After all, she was so well-behaved now that these things would be useless. But he had been a bit busy today, and before he could deal with them, Ming Shu had discovered them.
Lu Shiyu stood in the room, his gaze dark and terrifying. After a long while, he picked up the whip Ming Shu had mentioned and lashed it against himself a few times. His black shirt tore open, the whip stained with traces of blood. On his well-defined abs and back, several shocking whip marks appeared.
He threw down the whip and left.
The more Lu Shiyu doted on Ming Shu, the more merciless he was toward himself. Every night, he had to hold Ming Shu to sleep. If she wasn’t in his arms, Lu Shiyu couldn’t bear it. He truly might be a devil—a devil who fed on love, destined to choose only one partner in his lifetime. If that partner abandoned or forgot him, he wouldn’t need anyone else to act; he would wither and die on his own.
Knock knock—
The knocking sounded again.
Ming Shu was almost asleep. She rubbed her eyes, remembered Lu Shiyu’s warning, and put her hand back down.
The knocking came once more.
Ming Shu bit her lip. She felt she didn’t really understand Lu Shiyu and didn’t know what kind of mindset to face him with.
She lay in bed, drifting in and out of sleep, the only constant being the knocking at the door.
Not too loud, not too soft, but it relentlessly tugged at Ming Shu’s heart.
She sighed and gave in, deciding to hear Lu Shiyu’s explanation. If they couldn’t reach an agreement, divorce seemed the only likely outcome.
Ming Shu wasn’t the type to be blinded by love. If she were, she wouldn’t have married Lu Shiyu in the first place—she would have kept waiting for Zhou Yichen.
Click—
She opened the door.
Under normal circumstances, Lu Shiyu would have rushed over to hug her by now. He looked tall and imposing, with a strong presence, but no one understood better than Ming Shu just how clingy he could be.
Lu Shiyu stood obediently at the doorway, his face pale. His black shirt was torn in several places, the edges of the fabric splattered with dried blood. Though some time had passed, the scent of blood still lingered faintly in the air.
Ming Shu froze in shock, staring at him dumbfounded.
“What… what happened to you?”
“Baby, remember what I said earlier? That was my Contemplation Chamber. I upset you and made you worry. I deserved to be punished.”
So that was his punishment.
But did it have to be so extreme?
Ming Shu lowered her gaze, taking in the vicious, crimson whip marks across his abdomen. How much force had been used? Tears welled up in her eyes, spilling over despite her efforts to hold them back.
“Wah… Lu Shiyu, you’re such a jerk…”
“You… you could’ve hit anywhere else, but this is my favorite… wah…”
Though she had been furious when she locked the door earlier, Ming Shu had still put on his favorite silk slip to sleep in. She stretched out her fair, slender arms, throwing herself into his embrace and barely managing to wrap them around his waist. Catching sight of the whip mark across his chest as well, she cried even harder.
“Lu Shiyu… wah… hic… can you even recover from this? What if it leaves scars…”
“It’ll heal, baby.”
“Does it hurt? Let’s get some medicine on it quickly. Should we go to the hospital?”
“It doesn’t hurt. I’m fine.”
Lu Shiyu held her tightly, a faint smile curling his lips. There was no trace of suffering in his eyes—only clarity, sharpness, and a twisted, obsessive love.
He had learned to find pleasure in pain long ago. Back then, Ming Shu wasn’t by his side. No one worried about him, no one asked if he was in pain. And certainly no one, after glimpsing his true nature, would still trust him, throw themselves into his arms to act spoiled, and bandage his wounds. What was he to do? He loved her more and more, as if he could never bring himself to let her go.
Ming Shu, would you be willing to love a devil?
Of course, Ming Shu couldn’t answer him. She was too busy carefully, clumsily applying medicine to Lu Shiyu’s wounds.
“Does it hurt?” she asked worriedly.
Lu Shiyu nodded.
Ming Shu looked around but couldn’t find anything to ease the pain. She could only lean down, blow gently on the wound, and say softly, “It doesn’t hurt. It’ll be better soon.”
A flicker passed through Lu Shiyu’s eyes. He realized that pretending to be strong right now wasn’t as effective as showing weakness. So he grew increasingly frail, even breaking into a light sweat on his forehead, before finally resting his head weakly on Ming Shu’s lap.
His tall, straight nose brushed against Ming Shu’s silk nightgown as he breathed in the rich, sweet scent of his wife, nearly burying his entire face in the soft curve of her belly.
“Mmm…” Ming Shu whispered softly, “Your nose is poking into the soft part of my stomach. It’s a little uncomfortable.”
He seemed to have raised his wife to be too delicate and soft—a sweet dilemma indeed.
Lu Shiyu lay on the pillow, watching as her small hands clenched into fists. With a mischievous heart, he reached out to tease and caress her fingers, then gently pried them open one by one before intertwining his fingers with hers.
Just like when she opened the door for him earlier, and now letting him hold her hand—his soft little darling simply didn’t know what it meant to be ruthless.
Lu Shiyu couldn’t help but laugh, the curve of his smile growing wider and wider.
“What… what are you laughing at?” Ming Shu asked, puzzled.
“Thank you, darling, for opening the door for me. Otherwise, I’d be sleeping in the hallway.”
“You’re not allowed to do that again in the future!”
Ming Shu furrowed her brows, trying her best to look fierce and serious. It was time to bring out the Ming Family Head’s aura!
Lu Shiyu chuckled softly. “Do what?”
Ming Shu: “Hitting yourself like that. You’re not allowed to do it again in the future. Can’t we talk things out properly?”
Lu Shiyu: “Then do you believe me?”