The air conditioning was running at full blast, yet Lin Zhiyu felt as if her entire body were burning with feverish heat. The man’s utterly bewitching voice whispered beside her ear.

His slender fingers hooked around her delicate ones, toying with them unhurriedly as his lowered gaze met hers. His voice carried ambiguous undertones: “Hmm?”

“How about it?”

Under the blazing indoor lights, Lin Zhiyu’s eyelashes fluttered faintly. Propping herself against the headboard, she tried to shrink backward, her every breath filled with the scent of cedarwood from the man.

Her heart pounded violently, threatening to burst. Struggling to maintain rationality, she withdrew her hand, the warm, cool touch of his fingertips gone, her own fingers twitching uncontrollably.

Lin Zhiyu pressed her hand against Shen Yanli’s chest, turning her flushed face away as she muttered under her breath, “Stay away from me.”

The crimson blush spreading from her ears was even deeper than on her cheeks, though she remained unaware. Shen Yanli leisurely reached out to caress her, his magnetic voice piercing through her eardrums: “Zhizhi ”

He paused, gently pinching her earlobe with his fingers, “This part of you is even redder.”

Lin Zhiyu’s heart skipped a beat. She whipped her head around to stare at him, disbelief written all over her face.

What did he just call me?

Her mind went blank for two seconds before she quickly became aware of the sensation of his fingers at her ear. Instinctively, she reached up to cover her earlobe, but Shen Yanli hadn’t withdrawn his hand in time, and his fingertips were suddenly enveloped in softness.

Like a rabbit with its fur puffed up in alarm.

“Shen Yanli!”

Her eyes brimmed with embarrassment and displeasure as she stared fixedly at him without blinking.

Seeing her intense reaction, the corners of Shen Yanli’s lips curved upward.

Calm and composed, he straightened up, a few low chuckles escaping unconsciously from his throat. He decided not to tease her further.

The black robe pressing against the white gauze dress gradually retreated. The white color on the porcelain plate remained untouched by the bold strokes of hemp black.

The white was soft and gentle, the hemp black wild and vigorous. On the color palette, the two contrasted and complemented each other, flowing and intertwining.

In the end, was it the white that tainted the black, or the black that stained the white?

Lin Zhiyu’s gaze followed him warily, vigilant of Shen Yanli’s every move.

Rabbits possess an extremely high sense of alertness. When frightened, they curl up in their own territory, and if unable to escape, they may exhibit stress responses like teeth grinding in panic.

His movements were elegant and composed, not shying away in the least from her candle-like wary gaze. Looking at her, he couldn’t help but recall that rabbit care guide.

The lady rabbit before him matched the description in the book perfectly.

Just as he was about to reach out, Lin Zhiyu leaned away, preventing him from getting closer. Her guard still up, she asked, “What are you doing?”

He smiled without answering, his hand gently smoothing the rabbit’s “ruffled fur” as he coaxed in a low voice, “Nothing. I’m going out later and won’t be back tonight.”

After a pause, he added, “Feel relieved?”

Lin Zhiyu blinked slowly, allowing his hand to remain on her head. “Where are you going?”

“I’ll tell you next time.”

She crossed her arms, her face full of question marks. “Next time? Why not this time?”

Soon, a thought occurred to her, and she adopted a knowing expression. Raising an eyebrow and squinting sideways at him, she said with a sly grin, “You’re not going to do some shady business, are you?”

Shen Yanli’s expression shifted slightly, a hint of helplessness crossing his features.

The man sighed softly and sat down beside her. “Shady business? If it were true, why would you be so excited?”

She wagged her index finger in front of Shen Yanli. “I’d have to keep an eye on you. It’d be perfect evidence for a divorce.”

She then added, “You can pretend I’m not there, really. I promise I won’t make a sound.”

“Lin Zhiyu.”

His words seemed to ignite his anger. His usually calm voice carried a bone-chilling sternness, his eyes devoid of any emotion.

A cold dread instantly pierced through her bones. Lin Zhiyu was startled into stillness, slowly retracting her index finger as if moving in slow motion, utterly at a loss. Trembling, she stammered, “W-w-what… what is it?”

His gaze darkened, his tone severe: “We will not divorce.”

Lin Zhiyu shrunk back, puffing her cheeks in defiance.

Fine, no divorce then. No need to be so fierce.

She thought she’d committed some capital offense worthy of losing her head.

Shen Yanli realized he had lost his composure. After a moment of silence to suppress his emotions, he reached out and gently pinched her delicate finger beneath his eyes, soothing her: “It’s nothing shady.”

He was denying Lin Zhiyu’s earlier suspicion but still hadn’t clarified his whereabouts.

It wasn’t the right time yet

Lin Zhiyu didn’t dare provoke him further and simply nodded in response.

This big shot’s temper was so unpredictable. Where was the elegant gentleman from before their marriage?

She felt like she’d been tricked into a pit…

Shen Yanli remained seated, his gaze fixed on Lin Zhiyu’s face. With concern, he instructed, “Don’t go out tonight while I’m away. There are many eyes in the old residence. I’m worried.”

This was true. Those people would stop at nothing for profit, especially with Yang Lin being a ticking time bomb.

Lin Zhiyu, still pouting with lingering dissatisfaction, nodded emphatically without hesitation upon hearing this.

Of course, she needed to keep her life intact to return home someday.

On this point, they could reach a consensus.

Shen Yanli sat beside her, worried that his earlier tone had made her overthink. He held her pinky finger and whispered an apology.

Naturally, Lin Zhiyu was magnanimous. “I know, I know. Hurry up and go now.”

Under her impatient urging, Shen Yanli finally felt assured enough to leave.

After he left, Lin Zhiyu curled up in the blankets, bored and rolling around. She wrapped herself tightly in the quilt, forcing herself to sleep.

With the room silent, her thoughts began to wander uncontrollably.

Now, Ji Xianlin’s attitude toward her could be considered utterly detestable.

That woman stubbornly refused to listen to anything she said.

And that male lead too she couldn’t figure out why he had lied.

“Was it really necessary?”

He went through all that trouble just to say that to her? What was his intention?

Now, the mess he created was left for his wife to clean up with her.

Anyway, Ji Xianlin’s days in the Shen family were soon coming to an end.

“I need to ask Lu Yuchen what exactly he’s plotting.”

At worst, she’d just quit. Let whoever wanted to scheme do the scheming.

If she hid at home every day, she refused to believe he could come kill her there.

Lin Zhiyu abruptly sat up. “Dying young or whatever I’ve enjoyed life to the fullest anyway. So what if I die?”

What was the big deal? Maybe if she died, she could even return home!

The more Lin Zhiyu thought about it, the more reasonable it seemed.

“I can’t help it, I’m simply a genius.”

Lightning flashed and thunder rumbled. A fierce wind howled as the gloomy sky seemed ready to devour all creation.

When Lin Zhiyu woke again, she found herself back at the Shen residence. Trying to rub her heavy head, she suddenly realized something was wrong with her body she felt light, almost ethereal, her entire form insubstantial.

For a moment, she stood frozen in confusion, not knowing what to do.

Looking up, she saw a figure seated on the familiar living room sofa.

It was Shen Yanli.

Without understanding why, she moved forward, viewing him from behind over the back of the sofa.

The man was still dressed in his usual suit and leather shoes, yet the familiar attire hung unnaturally thin on his frame. His head was bowed, hands resting on his knees, the right one clutching something tightly.

Lin Zhiyu circled around the sofa to look it was a photograph.

Her photograph.

Under a vast sky and turquoise sea, seagulls swooped through the air as a young girl glanced back against the wind. Sunlight speckled through her wind-tossed hair, a blissful smile gracing her face.

Lin Zhiyu’s brow furrowed slightly. She had no memory of ever taking such a photo not in reality, not anywhere. The image was completely unfamiliar to her.

Before she could unravel the mystery of the photograph’s origin, the man shifted. Leaning against the sofa back, he pressed his right forearm over his eyes, flipping the photo over so only its blank back faced up.

Lin Zhiyu was still struggling to make sense of the situation.

The scene felt both familiar and alien the man, and herself.

Dazedly, she reached out to touch Shen Yanli, but before her fingers could make contact, a single clear tear escaped the corner of his eye and fell, striking heavily against her heart.

Her fingertips were a hair’s breadth away from him when, as the tear fell, a sharp, knife-like pain tore through her chest. Overwhelmed, Lin Zhiyu clutched her heart and collapsed to the floor.

She stretched a trembling hand, trying to grasp the hem of Shen Yanli’s clothes, but the pain did not lessen. Her hand fell weakly to the ground.

Then a phone rang. She couldn’t hear what was said on the other end, and Shen Yanli didn’t respond he simply hung up and stood. Carefully, he tucked the photograph into the inner pocket of his suit jacket, over his heart.

The heartache was unbearable. Bracing herself against the coffee table, Lin Zhiyu could only watch as the man walked away. The moment the door clicked shut behind him, a blinding white light surged in, engulfing her entirely.

The glare was piercing. When her eyes finally adjusted, she slowly opened them.

This place was different a derelict factory, empty and silent. Dozens of speakers were mounted on the walls. From a hanging platform on the second floor, three thick ropes dangled, twisted like braids. It was impossible to tell which one bound the unconscious woman.

Trembling, Lin Zhiyu drew closer. Staring intently, she recognized the all-too-familiar face and stared in shock, eyes wide.

It was herself

The heart pain was gone now, but the three coarse ropes seemed to tighten around her own body, choking the breath from her lungs.

A deafening tinnitus muffled all sound. Below the suspended figure of “her,” she saw the man who always carried himself with authority in daily life

Kneeling

Lin Zhiyu gasped, a sour ache rising in her throat. Her voice was blurred, strained with tears as she cried out to him, “Shen Yanli…”

Tears spilled uncontrollably from her eyes. From the speakers came a man’s mocking voice.

But the kneeling man responded coldly, urging him to hurry.

She heard the exchange clearly.

They were making a trade one leg for one rope.

Shen Yanli’s life in exchange for hers.

Shen Yanli agreed. The man on the speaker laughed, praising his decisiveness.

Given the state of their relationship, it wasn’t deep enough for such a life-for-life sacrifice. The situation had spiraled beyond control, and she had no memory of this scene from the original story.

Her feet felt nailed to the ground she couldn’t move an inch.

Crouching on the floor, Lin Zhiyu called his name again and again begging him to get up, pleading with him to stop. Tears soaked her cheeks, but her voice couldn’t reach him.

Several large men in black emerged from the shadows, each holding a baseball bat, positioning themselves behind Shen Yanli.

They were waiting waiting for their leader’s command, waiting for Shen Yanli’s final sentence.

Lin Zhiyu braced her hands on the ground, the scene from the basement flashing through her mind. Breathing rapidly, she stared at the loudspeaker.

Is it Yang Lin? Is it you?

She had no way to verify the answer, as the man before her was in a more critical situation. His face was anxious as he shouted into the loudspeaker, “Hurry up!”

The hidden man seemed cornered. His repeated provocations had been ignored, and in a fit of humiliation and rage, he ordered the burly man to strike.

He cursed Shen Yanli for not knowing what was good for him.

The black club was raised high and swung down heavily. Her scream drowned out the man’s muffled groan: “Ah ”

Clutching his leg, he collapsed to the ground, blood spurting from his lips. His left leg bone was fractured, the nerves severed. Even so, his gaze remained fixed on the figure above.

The man in the loudspeaker kept his word a thick rope was cut, but it wasn’t the one binding Lin Zhiyu.

Shen Yanli pushed himself up onto his knees, shouting, “Again.”

“Stop, please stop, Shen Yanli.” Lin Zhiyu was crying so hard she could barely breathe. “It’s enough, it’s enough.”

“Stop, please stop, stop now, okay? Don’t do this.”

The restraints at her feet were suddenly released. Stumbling, she rushed toward him, kneeling before him but unable to touch him.

Her eyes fell on the crimson corner of his lips. She reached out to wipe it, but it was futile.

The man’s unrestrained laughter echoed through the factory from the loudspeaker. Shen Yanli swallowed a mouthful of blood, his consciousness wavering. Gritting his teeth, he forced out the words, “Again.”

Lin Zhiyu trembled, sobbing, “No…”

Another burly man stepped forward. He measured Shen Yanli’s right leg, squinted as if pinpointing the spot, and raised the club.

The baton descended heavily before Lin Zhiyu’s eyes.

“Shen Yanli!”

Lin Zhiyu’s eyes snapped open, her “stagnant” heart dredged up from the depths of a lake.

Her face was pale, her breathing uneven.

The room was empty. She wanted to see that person, regardless of anything else.

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