0020 020 Love's knife ages us with every cut.

The two faced each other, speechless.

Time flew by, and it was very late. The air suddenly became quiet. Qi Shuyao was so sleepy that she was pinned down by an arm and fell into Qi Yu's arms. Both of their bodies stiffened for a moment, but they quickly and instinctively leaned against each other and relaxed.

She fell asleep quickly, but Qi Yu kept his eyes open, full of energy, her words echoing in his mind, and unconsciously hugged her even tighter.

Once she was sound asleep, she would often toss and turn, one leg sticking out of the blanket, raised in a split, while her upper body turned over, one arm wrapped around his body, her arm touching his familiar "little toy," and she expertly reached inside, grabbing his chest, and even bringing her face close to rub her nipples against his through his pajamas.

When Qi Yu took her away, the little girl was still breastfeeding. Suddenly weaned from her mother's milk, she couldn't eat anything else. The eighteen or nineteen-year-old man, blushing, lifted his shirt and squeezed the prepared formula onto his chest. She took his nipple into her mouth and sucked on it repeatedly. At that moment, he felt shy, but he also thought that this little girl might be a bit silly. Even after the surface layer of milk was licked clean, she didn't let go. She even used her little gums to grind his nipple, which he could never suck out any milk from. She stopped crying and making a fuss, quietly sucking on his nipple. Her long eyelashes poked at his chest, and her face was pressed against his heart.

They were inseparable, and he would never let anyone take her away.

Rarely, when Qi Shuyao opened her eyes the next morning, Qi Yu was still there. He was even in the same position as last night, only now he was squeezed to the edge of the bed, with half of his body dangling in the air. He held her small body lying on top of him with his right hand, propped his left hand behind his head, and stared at her intently.

Qi Shuyao was still not fully awake, her mind still clinging to the past. She rubbed her eyes and snuggled closer to him. As she moved, the arm that she had been pressing down on became numb and she could no longer feel it. Only then did she come to her senses and suddenly realize what era it was. She tumbled and fell to the ground.

Her hands, numb and unable to move, were still clutching Qi Yu's chest. His pajamas were also pressed into shapely wrinkles, and if you looked inside, you would see that the skin underneath was covered in pressure marks. She didn't know what to say anymore and buried herself in the blankets incoherently.

Qi Yu finally turned over, stretching his stiff arms, and this time he put his arm around Qi Shuyao.

"Um...I..."

Before she could even utter a word of "Dad," her head was pressed against his shoulder. There was a rolled-up blanket between them, but they were still very close together.

He finally closed his eyes in peace, but Qi Shuyao's heart was pounding wildly. She first quickly reached out a hand and slipped it under the covers, seemingly naturally placing it on his waist. Then she quietly twisted and turned over, and finally, unable to bear it any longer, she threw off the covers and prepared to rush out.

Qi Yu didn't open his eyes, but he accurately grabbed her wrist. Caught off guard, she sat directly on his waist, her legs spread wide and straddling his waist.

"what!"

She didn't blush, but was startled. She braced herself against him with both hands, her hair hanging down. The curtains in the room were drawn, and it was still dimly lit even in the morning. The air conditioning couldn't dispel the rising ambiguity, and something in the shadows had already changed its meaning.

Where are you going?

"I'm going to the toilet, why are you grabbing me?"

"Oh..." He didn't speak for a long time, and still didn't let go of her hand. Qi Shuyao took a step forward, and her underwear directly clung to the edge of his pajamas, which was rolled up, and pressed against his abs.

"I sat under you all night last night, and my whole body is numb. Aren't you going to compensate me?"

"Are you alright? Did you catch a fever after staying in the air conditioner all night?"

Qi Shuyao didn't know how to reply, so she reached out her other hand and touched his forehead, only to have it tightly grasped.

This time, the two were even closer, and Qi Yu turned his head to face her.

"Give me a kiss as compensation."

They were so close that their breaths could touch each other's skin. Watching the fine hairs on her face tremble, the girl slowly lowered her head and placed a light kiss on her cheek.

"Is that all?"

Her right hand was released, and her palm was placed on the back of her head. She turned her face to the side and was kissed with a big kiss.

"Okay, go ahead."

Qi Shuyao's feet touched the ground, but she still felt like she was walking on clouds, swaying and floating. She almost floated to the bathroom door and then suddenly plunged inside.

What did I do this morning?!

Even though she had only ever had her father since childhood and was overly close to him, she clearly realized that their recent interactions were very abnormal. Both their distance and their conversations were entangled with some sticky and strange feelings.

She had seen how girls her age interacted with their fathers. As they approached adulthood, their fathers nagged less and interacted less. Most daughters wouldn't tell their fathers their little thoughts, and many hadn't even held their fathers' hands for many years, let alone kissed them...

Qi Shuyao stood in front of the mirror and looked at herself. Her body lines had started to change a long, long time ago, and now she was fully developed. Every curve and undulation on her body was very obvious, and it felt full to the touch.

With this body, she would react sensitively even if she accidentally touched Qi Yu's hand. She couldn't believe that he hadn't felt anything after being close to him for so long.

But has he really only been with one person all these years? Is he still thinking about his mother, or has he lost all love in his heart, or is he just like other men, having countless affairs outside?

She slid down the bathroom door and sat directly on the floor, her mind a complete mess. She wanted nothing more than to push herself into the toilet and flush herself down, carrying with her feelings of being an outcast.

On the bed, Qi Yu listened to the silence coming from the bathroom for a long time, then quietly released the blanket between his legs. His upper body was numb from Qi Shuyao's pressure, and his lower body was stiff and numb. His fingers brushed over his exposed waist and abdomen, which she had rubbed, and he could still clearly feel the sensation of her tender skin against his skin. He could even feel a slight dampness that was emitting a faint fragrance.

He was losing control; the monster inside him had grown too large and was about to burst through the barrier and devour him.

He was already in hell, but he shouldn't drag others down with him.

Outside the bedroom door, Han Ma paced back and forth. Today, both the master and the young lady were quiet and hadn't made a sound. Zhou Cheng had come home to look for the master, but he was nowhere to be seen. She quietly went into the master's room, but didn't see him.

She couldn't concern herself with his affairs; she only cared about her mistress. They had a fight last night, and no one dared to intervene. Now, it was already noon the next day, and she still hadn't gotten out of bed. Perhaps she was still crying under the covers because she had been wronged.

Without hesitation, Han's mother pushed the door open and came in. Miss Han wasn't someone who cared much about her private space; she usually didn't close the door when she slept, studied, or drew.

Qi Shuyao's bedroom was very large, almost taking up the entire second floor. Her study, art studio, and other small rooms were all inside. Han Ma walked around a small path along the wall and went directly to the bed. She saw Qi Yu lying on the bed and was so frightened that she immediately stood still.

"Sir...you..."

"Hmm, what's wrong?"

"Nothing much, I just noticed that it was too late for Miss to get up and come in to check on her."

"She's fine, she's in the bathroom."

Qi Yu sat up, the blanket still wrapped around his waist. He looked around the room and spoke to Han Ma.

“Yaoyao will be older now, and there won’t be any problems at home, so we don’t need to come to her room all the time.”

"Yes, sir."

Seeing that he still showed no sign of getting up, Han's mother quickly added another sentence.

"Mr. Zhou Cheng came over early this morning, it seems he has something to report to you."

"Okay, I understand."

After she finished speaking, she left. As she passed the bathroom, she heard the sound of running water. Qi Yu waited until the door was closed before getting up. Instead of going through the main entrance, she went through the walk-in closet and circled around to the fourth floor to get back to her room.

Once the bedroom was quiet, Qi Shuyao quietly came out of the bathroom. She was still wearing the same pajamas as before and hadn't taken a shower, but the bathtub was full of water. She slumped unsteadily onto the carpet, spreading herself out in a starfish shape.

She hadn't eaten enough last night, and hadn't eaten lunch today either. Just as she was about to get up to find something to eat, Han's mother rushed in and saw her wearing only suspender underwear. Her face changed.

She crouched down and examined her body from front to back, looking tense.

"What's wrong?"

Qi Shuyao was being manipulated in a daze, and she quietly squeezed her legs together.

"Miss, why was the master in your room this morning? Did you two sleep together last night?"

"Huh? Hmm? Hmm..."

She mumbled incoherently to appease them, not daring to look at Han Ma's expression.

“Miss, you're too old for that kind of closeness with the gentleman…”

"What is this? I can't even have a good relationship with my dad, I still have to be lectured."

When Qi Shuyao realized she was feeling guilty, she appeared more assertive than usual, refuting him righteously, but inwardly she felt like she was being stabbed again and again.

"No, miss, that's not what I meant..."

"Okay, I know what you're going to say, I know everything. Go get me some food, I'm starving."

"well."

As Han's mother left, glancing back every few steps, Qi Shuyao collapsed again. She twisted her body in discomfort, her head spinning and her eyes swollen, yet no tears came out. This torment was too unbearable; it could destroy a person from the inside out. Looking at herself now, she felt as if all light had vanished from her body.

Qi Shuyao casually changed into a long nightgown and ran to the dining room. When she passed by the living room, she saw that Qi Yu had already changed his clothes and was sitting there listening to Zhou Cheng's report. She also sat in the seat at the very edge, eating and listening to the voices behind her.

"Cheng Jie has been busy lately. He has met with many leaders in private and promised a lot of future benefits that he can't see in the future. However, none of the leaders have given him a definite answer."

“The Cheng family is different from the Su family. Many people who get money have the desire to go into politics, but the Cheng family is different. They have been frantically accumulating wealth around Jingyang for nearly 30 years. Now they are extending their reach to the central area, also for money. They want money, fame and freedom. They want too much, which has exceeded their ambition.”

"What about the land contracting afterwards?"

"He's not destined to have it; it's just a fantasy of wealth."

Qi Yu flipped through the pages, instructing Zhou Cheng on what to do next, but his eyes glanced towards the restaurant. His gaze met Qi Shuyao's as she furtively turned around to look. She quickly turned back and buried her head in her food, pretending not to hear the low laughter behind her.