Chapter 43 Nightmare, I am here.

On the way home from the mountain, Yuwu slept in the back seat of the car.

She was so sleepy that she didn't wake up even when Cheng Yi carried her home from the garage.

Around 9 p.m., Yu Wu woke up in bed and, with her eyes closed, reached for her phone on the bedside table, wanting to order another cup of milk tea.

I barely drank any of the drink I bought this afternoon; the ice had completely melted.

Cheng Yi suddenly appeared out of nowhere, snatched her phone, turned off the screen, and tossed it some distance away.

Yu Wu squinted and raised her hands in protest: "I barely drank any of that drink this afternoon."

"Tomorrow." Cheng Yi looked down at her and urged her to wash up.

Yu Wu reluctantly got up and went to the bathroom to wash up. She had slept for several hours in the afternoon, so she would probably be able to fall asleep very late tonight.

After washing up, Yu Wu climbed into bed, and Cheng Yi naturally wrapped his arms around her from behind, his slender waist exposed. He smelled fresh and clean after his shower, which Yu Wu found very pleasant, and she took several deep breaths.

"I reckon I won't be able to fall asleep until very late tonight," Yu Wu said slowly, hugging her tattered teddy bear.

"Mmm." Cheng Yi buried his head in her shoulder, exhaling warm breath, his fingertips skillfully slipping under her clothes, kneading purposefully.

"Hey!" Yu Wu struggled to break free from him. "No! I really can't!"

Cheng Yi chuckled softly, pulled her into his arms, and kissed her earlobe. "Not feeling well?"

Yu Wu's ears burned, and she softly hummed in agreement.

"I can't pick you up for the next week. We have a meeting with EchoOS this Friday to finalize the collaboration, so I'll be a bit busy." He breathed into her ear and casually tossed her tattered teddy bear away. He disliked the teddy bear; it was in a terrible state.

Yuwu picked up the teddy bear and held it in her arms like a precious treasure. This teddy bear was her Abebei; it was the only teddy bear she had ever owned since she was a child.

She widened her eyes slightly, turned over, and faced him.

EchoOS is a global technology giant with far-reaching influence. From the daily office work of small and medium-sized enterprises to the complex business process management of multinational corporations, EchoOS is widely used. It can be said to hold a dominant position in the computer operating system field.

"Is it the globally renowned EchoOS company?" Yu Wu asked.

Cheng Yi met her gaze, hummed in agreement, and caressed her softness with his palm, his thumb stroking the tip.

Yu Wu gave a sticky hum, pushed him away a little, and glared at him coquettishly. This man was unbelievable; he was always trying to steal her senses.

She stared at him, feeling a surge of envy for Cheng Yi. This guy's career luck was simply incredible. A successful collaboration with EchoOS would be a textbook example of a business miracle, creating a social media frenzy. This partnership wouldn't just crack the capital market; it would be the prelude to a disruptive transformation for the entire tech industry.

Cheng Yi's life has been incredibly smooth sailing.

"I'm so envious of you." Yu Wu said with a hint of resentment, lightly punching him. "You'll definitely be even richer by then. I'm jealous of you."

Cheng Yi chuckled, pulled her into his arms, pecked her forehead, and with his other hand subtly pulled her teddy bear away again, replying lazily, "Of course I'm better than an idiot like you."

Yu Wu buried her face deeper into his chest, hugging the teddy bear even tighter in protest, "You're the idiot!"

He remained noncommittal, then gave her a suggestive nudge, asking in a hoarse voice, "Want to do it again?"

"No!" Yu Wu's cheeks flushed red as she firmly refused, "I really can't!"

Cheng Yi didn't care and leaned in, his deep eyes locking onto her.

Yu Wu tugged at his sleeve weakly, "...It hurts a little."

Cheng Yi chuckled, kissed her forehead, and hugged her again, without mentioning it again.

He poked her, and Yu Wu carefully dared not move, lest she provoke him.

The two chatted idly for a while, exchanging a few words, until Cheng Yi's brows gradually furrowed.

He asked in a low, gentle voice, "Do you have any stomach medicine at home?"

"No." Yu Wu peeked out from his embrace, noticing his pale face. "Do you have a stomachache?"

"Yes, stomach problems."

Yu Wu couldn't help but burst out laughing. "Do you also like reading Green River novels? The ultimate stomach ailment for domineering CEOs?"

"Are you sick?" Cheng Yi glared at her, feeling a burning pain in his stomach. "The key is in my bag, and the medicine is on my desk in my room. You can see it as soon as you go in."

Yu Wu stopped laughing at him, pursed her lips and got up. It was the first time she had seen him look so embarrassed, and she found it quite amusing. She ran upstairs to his apartment, brought down the medicine, and fed it to Cheng Yi. She then found some toast at home, heated it up, and even took out a heat pack, placing it on Cheng Yi's stomach under his reluctant gaze.

Throughout the ordeal, he kept trying to rip off the hand warmer, and Yu Wu engaged in a tug-of-war with him. In the end, his lips twitched, and he gave a disdainful snort, which was considered a concession.

When Cheng Yi fell ill, Yu Wu didn't know why she was so happy; she found him adorable no matter what. She hugged him and gently asked if his stomach still hurt, then pecked his cheek, coaxing him with "okay, okay" sounds just like Cheng Yi always did to comfort her. Cheng Yi's brows gradually relaxed, and the bedroom was filled with tenderness.

*

The room was pitch black, as still and silent as still water.

Yu Wu breathed evenly in Cheng Yi's arms, and his stomach felt warm and cozy.

Cheng Yi felt that Yu Wu possessed an innocent purity, even though he knew his own personality was sharp and aloof. From their first meeting, he was bothered by her being with Ke Yanchen again and didn't give her a friendly look, maintaining his arrogance and contempt afterwards. However, whenever he showed even a little weakness, she would always treat him with more tolerance and tenderness.

Foolish enough, and pure enough.

As night deepened, Cheng Yi glanced at the time, got up, and went to the living room for a multinational meeting.

......

Yu Wu didn't sleep very well.

She dreamt that she returned to her high school days, to the night she was harassed by Zhou Jin.

In the quiet night, only the thin iron door made a loud clanging sound.

She turned on the dim light in the living room, her breath trembling as she looked through the peephole. She saw Zhou Jin with four boys at the door, kicking it harder and harder with each kick.

Is she home?

"Hey! I see her through the peephole! She's home!"

"Let me see, let me see... Holy crap, it really is home, the lights are all on!"

Terrified and helpless, Yu Wu slowly slid down the door to sit on the floor, yelling at them outside, "Get out!"

A burst of vulgar laughter came from outside the door, each word more offensive than the last, pounding into our ears.

"Hahaha, the bus is telling us to get lost!"

"Hey slut, open the door and let us guys have some fun!"

"We brothers promise to make you pay!"

Another terrifying burst of gunfire erupted, so clear and piercing in the silent night, lashing at her terrified heart.

Their backs trembled with each sway of the door, and this time, they kicked the door open.

Yu Wu stared at them in horror, her body limp. Zhou Jin's lips curled into a lewd and obscene smile, his greedy eyes like poisoned needles. He pointed at Yu Wu and gave the order: "Take off her clothes and film the whole thing."

"Damn it, I wasted so much of my time, I'm going to make her ecstatic tonight!"

Tears streamed down her face as she begged them not to, pleading with the utmost humility she had ever shown. But it was no use, absolutely no use.

She struggled with all her might, but they outnumbered her and held her captive. Boundless fear completely engulfed her.

Her nasal cavity was filled with the sticky smell of the male's sweat. Every second felt like an eternity. Despair and fear, like venomous snakes, tightly coiled around her limbs and bones. Her throat was blocked, and she couldn't make a sound. Even screaming became a luxury.

She met their vulgar, grinning eyes.

Nausea rushed to my brain, and I almost vomited.

......

"Ikuko? Ikuko?"

Yu Wu opened her eyes, sat up abruptly, and gasped for breath.

Cheng Yi frowned slightly and patted Yu Wu's back to help her catch her breath. He had just finished a meeting when he saw her crying on the bed, her forehead covered in sweat, saying "No, no" in a pitiful and helpless manner.

This is a nightmare.

"Are you alright?" Cheng Yi took a tissue and wiped away her tears.

Yu Wu pushed him away abruptly, got out of bed without even putting on her shoes, and ran all the way to the security door in the living room. After making sure she had locked the door several times, she slid down weakly and tried her best to catch her breath.

She has a genuine physical fear of Zhou Jin.

Zhou Jin will definitely not let this go, he definitely won't.

She buried her face in her knees and hugged herself tightly as she trembled.

what to do.

She was really scared.

Fate always seemed to play cruel jokes on her; every time she thought life would gradually improve, unexpected changes would occur.

what to do.

My heart was pounding wildly, and I couldn't calm it down. Tears streamed down my face uncontrollably.

A tall shadow fell over her.

Yu Wu looked up, her eyes red and swollen. The moment she met his cold, deep gaze, all her grievances burst forth like a dam breaking, and tears streamed down her face uncontrollably.

Cheng Yi knelt down on one knee, hugged her tightly, leaving no gap.

"I'm here, don't be afraid."

"It was just a nightmare."

At that moment, all her bracing collapsed, all her fear, anxiety, and terror surged forth from her body, and she burst into tears.

Her trembling fingertips gripped Cheng Yi's silk pajamas tightly, and she let out a broken sob: "...I'm so scared."

After saying that, his throat tightened, and his whole body was still trembling uncontrollably. He choked out again, "...I'm really scared."

"...I don't know what to do."

Yu Wu had never broken down and cried like this in her first twenty years. Before, no matter how difficult things were, she would just shed tears quietly. This was the first time she had cried so violently, so ugly, and so pathetically.

She couldn't care less about anything else.

He held her tighter, transferring his body heat to her continuously, kissing away the tears on her forehead, eyelids, and cheeks.

"It's just a dream." He coaxed her patiently, stroking her back with his palm. "I'm here. There's no danger."

Yuwu didn't speak, but her tears flowed even more profusely. She buried her head deeply in his chest, her chest pressed completely against his.

Finally, exhausted from crying, she fell asleep.

......

Cheng Yi wiped away the tear stains on her face, put away the towel, took out his phone and sent a text message to Mu Su to schedule an appointment with a psychiatrist as soon as possible.

While she was asleep, he took her phone. Expressionless, he entered the lock screen password, opened WeChat, and checked if he had added the boy from that afternoon. He couldn't find him, so he found Ke Yanchen's contact information instead. Seeing the nickname "Ke Ke," he paused for a moment, then chuckled coldly, blocked him all, and even set his phone to reject calls from unknown numbers.

After doing all that, he carefully climbed into bed, checked on her, and gently held her close before drifting off to sleep.