Chapter 75

In the vast room, Li Xing'en's voice sounded hollow and dull. He always wore a smile, but the self-mockery in that smile was so strong that it burned Jin Chuwan.

"What...what nonsense are you talking about..."

Even in the room with only the two of them, Jin Chuwan's voice sounded ethereal. She instinctively denied it, yet her heart was inexplicably in turmoil.

The emptiness in her heart made her restless. She never thought that her rejection would make Li Xing'en so sad. This was not her intention, nor was she so arrogant as to regard the people around her as dispensable.

"It's absolutely not...like you say..."

Jin Chuwan murmured, repeating the same thing over and over.

The flame of the cooking dinner was turned off, and the click sounded unusually clear between the two of them.

Li Xing'en looked at Jin Chuwan, whose face was pale, her expression was bewildered, and her soft hair hung down on her shoulders, making her look somewhat helpless.

He lowered his head and took a deep breath.

He didn't want to pressure her, but he had a gut feeling that if he continued to remain silent and wait passively, he would be kicked out of the game sooner than anyone else.

This realization made him increasingly anxious and out of control.

He glanced at Jin Chuwan, then smiled and said, "It's not what I said?"

He repeated Jin Chuwan's words, his gray eyes filled with a faint resentment.

"But you clearly know how I feel..."

As if feeling stifled, Lee Sung-eun loosened his collar with his long, slender fingers. He strode over to Kim Cho-wan, placed his arm on top of her head, and then lowered his head, his gaze fixed intently on her.

"You know perfectly well how I feel, yet you pretend not to; you know perfectly well how I feel, yet you deliberately act intimately with other people in front of me..."

"...Does this mean you care?"

His voice was very soft, so soft it seemed as if he had lost all strength, yet it was also very heavy, so heavy that Jin Chuwan opened her mouth but could not utter a word.

Jin Chuwan had her hands behind her back, her back pressed against the wall. At this moment, she looked like a child who had done something wrong, completely at a loss. But Li Xing'en had no intention of letting her go.

Jin Chuwan raised her eyes, her gaze filled with apprehension as she looked at Li Xing'en. His eyes, once always gentle, now held a hidden anger and resentment. His breathing was rapid, yet restrained, as if he were trying to conceal his discontent, only to have it betrayed by his heavy breathing. She thought he probably knew he couldn't hide it, which explained the involuntary reddening of his eyes.

Jin Chuwan slowly looked away, and subconsciously pressed herself closer to the wall.

She suddenly became distracted and thought: if she were an ordinary person with normal emotions, she would probably feel Li Xing'en's pain and sadness, rather than just having an objective understanding.

These thoughts made her even more confused.

The books she had studied before did not contain any methods for dealing with admirers, and her own life experience did not include any experience in comforting those who were heartbroken. She was filled with confusion, panic, regret, and pity, but these were not what Li Xing'en wanted.

Various thoughts flashed through Jin Chuwan's mind, and she even began to feel fortunate about the absurd contract between herself and Ran Xian.

“Xing En, no matter what, I’m already with Ran Xian… You should… let go…”

Kim Chu-wan answered intermittently.

She always felt that love was just a seasoning in life, and it didn't hold such an important place. So she always thought that Li Xing'en and Jiang Chen were both such proud people that they wouldn't spend their time on her forever.

But she is not allowed to think that way now.

What if I refuse?

Li Xingen's voice became urgent, and the veins on his arm pressed against the wall bulged slightly. He suddenly leaned close to Jin Chuwan's ear and whispered, "Why...why does it have to be me who lets go? Is our relationship less important than someone who came in at some unknown time...Why can't you let him let go? Who is that Ran Xian...What makes him comparable to our years of relationship? Do you think he's better than me? Or is there something about me that I'm not as good as him?"

He seemed to realize his loss of composure at this point. He paused, his Adam's apple bobbing, and took a deep breath before looking at Jin Chuwan again: "Do you think I'm not obedient enough... or is there something about me that you're not satisfied with? Tell me, and I can change... I can do anything..."

"Li Xing'en—"

His voice was interrupted by Kim Cho-wan.

Jin Chuwan was a little angry. She felt that Li Xingen shouldn't lower herself like that, but when she raised her head, she couldn't say anything more.

His eyes were a deeper red, and a moist mist clouded his vision. Jin Chuwan was stunned. She raised her hand to wipe it away, but the heat quickly rolled down her cheeks again.

Jin Chuwan subconsciously withdrew her hand. She saw him smile with difficulty, then lower his head and rest it on her shoulder.

His voice was somewhat hoarse, carrying a sense of dejection and resignation in her ears.

"Don't be angry, I know it's normal for couples to not want to break up when they first get together. I won't pressure you anymore..."

Jin Chuwan breathed a sigh of relief, but soon heard the boy's deliberately lighthearted laughter again.

"Then I don't want a title, how about I be your secret lover..."

Jin Chuwan froze, thinking Li Xing'en had gone mad. But she couldn't refuse, because Li Xing'en was kissing her.

She couldn't resist the kiss; he pressed down on her, his knee against her leg, and her hands were pinned to the wall, unable to move. All she could see were his tightly closed eyes and the tears that rolled down his cheeks and between their lips.

It's a little hot and a little bitter.

Suddenly, a slight pain on the tip of her tongue made Jin Chuwan groan softly.

She heard Lee Sung-eun's mumbled apology.

"Did I hurt you? I'm inexperienced, I'll learn gradually in the future..."

Jin Chuwan shook her head, trying to get him to let go, but his lips quickly covered hers again.

Their breaths mingled, their lips intertwined, and he relentlessly pursued her softness, as if in a trance.

Jin Chuwan didn't know when he let go of her. She only knew that the kiss ended, and she slid wearily from the wall into his arms. He held her, seemingly immersed in the moment.

"You agree?"

"I didn't—"

Kim Chu-wan's words were blocked by a hot, wet kiss.

As they parted, he asked again.

"You agree."

"No--"

Kim Chu-wan only had time to utter one word this time.

Jin Chuwan felt like he was about to explode. He couldn't bring himself to say no, and if she got angry, his tears would start falling again.

What kind of lover?

Does he even know what he's saying?

What is this so-called love? What power does it have that makes such a proud person go to such lengths?

Is it because of his obsession? Or is it because this is the world of romance novels, and his emotions are endlessly manipulated by the rules of this world?

Kim Cho-wan suddenly felt angry.

If such a rule really existed, she would definitely smash it to pieces!

But she doesn't have an answer right now.

Amidst a series of passionate kisses, Kim Cho-wan drifted off to sleep in a state of utter confusion and exhaustion.

When she woke up again, it was already midnight.

The room was dimly lit, with only the wall lamp casting a soft, dim glow. She shifted, only to find an arm wrapped around her waist. She tried to push it away, but was suddenly pulled closer, and then a hot body entwined around her.

Jin Chuwan sighed, glanced around, and then said, "Let go..."

The person on top of me didn't react.

Jin Chuwan nudged him again, but the other party remained unresponsive.

She sighed weakly, "Li Xing'en, I know you're awake..."

This time, she was met with a soft chuckle. The boy pressed his cheek against hers, his lips landing on her neck, leaving a warm, wet kiss.

Jin Chuwan's body tensed up suddenly, but she soon heard him sigh.

"Don't worry, I won't do anything reckless, I won't leave any traces, and I won't let anyone find out..."

As Li Xing'en spoke, he nuzzled his head against her shoulder again.

Kim Cho-wan was almost speechless. His quick adaptation to the so-called lover status plunged her into a long silence.

This is insane...

He must be crazy...

Jin Chuwan couldn't help but raise her hand and pinch herself to confirm whether this was just a ridiculous dream.

But her actions elicited a soft laugh from Lee Sung-eun.

"Doesn't it hurt if you hit so hard?"

As he spoke, he pulled her up to his chest.

"You can pinch me..."

He closed his eyes, as if he were lost in a mesmerizing dream.

Jin Chuwan recoiled as if burned, then used some force to finally push Li Xing'en away.

She was a little nervous and couldn't help but swallow.

"Could you...give me some time?"

She frowned slightly, her fingers unconsciously pressing against her chest. She knew that her heart was afflicted with some kind of illness.

Perhaps she should get some treatment.

Once she recovers from her illness, she will be able to accept a normal person.

Jin Chuwan thought excitedly that as long as her mind returned to normal, she would know who she liked and be able to fall in love with someone.

Wouldn't it be better to have someone by your side than to continue being alone?

Jin Chuwan turned around and glanced at Li Xing'en.

He lay on the bed, propping his head up with his collar loose, revealing a certain allure. Jin Chuwan quickly looked away.

"How long will that take..."

Lee Sung-eun also sat up, his arms around Jin Chu-wan's waist, his head resting on her shoulder. A indulgent smile played on his lips, and then he whispered.

"Never mind, that's not important. As long as you coax me, I'll be obedient and wait no matter how long..."

"I promise I won't cause you any trouble, at least not openly..."

Jin Chuwan frowned and turned around when she heard this. She stared at Li Xing'en for a while, then stammered, "You mean to coax..."

Almost immediately, Kim Cho-wan heard Lee Sung-eun laugh, "Now is..."

As he spoke, he kissed her again, his warm, wet kisses landing on Jin Chuwan's face, the tip of her nose, and her lips. She heard his laughter and his slightly hoarse, deep voice.

"These are all..."

Jin Chuwan moved away a bit; she felt the price was too high.

Li Xingen seemed to have seen through her thoughts. He lowered his head and said in a muffled voice.

"You won't lose money..."

“I’ll be more obedient than you think, I promise,” Li Xing’en said, then honestly confessed, “I have some negative information about the Ran family, and the company Jiang Chen was in charge of signing contracts for has financial problems. I was originally planning to take action, but now I have to listen to my aunt…”

Jin Chuwan couldn't quite describe how she felt at that moment.

She just stared blankly at Li Xing'en, the scenes of their tender interactions from the past replaying in her mind. She felt that he was somewhat different from before, but she couldn't help but defend him.

No one is perfect; everyone has a dark side, and besides, he hasn't done anything yet.

Jin Chuwan was lost in thought when she heard Li Xing'en's ethereal and gentle voice again.

"So what does Auntie want me to do?"

Jin Chuwan swallowed hard. "What negative news did you just mention about the Ran family? And Jiang Chen too..."

Li Xingen frowned, looking somewhat resentful.

But he still honestly told Jin Chuwan, "I didn't believe it at first, but it's probably true, because I already have the test results..."

As Li Xing'en spoke, she nuzzled Jin Chuwan again: "Ran Min and Ran Xian are not the biological children of the Ran family head. Someone bought this information from one of their former nannies who had already resigned, but he didn't have the ability to investigate it thoroughly, while I can. Moreover, I heard that they were pregnant before their marriage, and the Ran family head seems to have known about it. I originally wanted to use it to blackmail them..."

Jin Chuwan couldn't help but exclaim "Ah!" She had just turned around when she heard Li Xing'en laugh again.

"Don't worry, this information is currently only in my hands, and since I'm so obedient, I can burn it tomorrow..."

Jin Chuwan breathed a sigh of relief, but she was still a little worried. Li Xing'en looked at her and then chuckled quietly.

"Don't go, let's burn it together tomorrow, okay?"

Jin Chuwan raised her hand and touched her ear. She was still not used to such intimate contact, but she did not move and just nodded.

"Let's burn it together tomorrow."

Jin Chuwan couldn't remember the specific plot details of the novel very well, but thinking about it carefully, as a villain like herself, Ran Min's final outcome was bound to be bad. It's just that too much time had passed, and she couldn't remember exactly what happened.

Perhaps it's related to what Li Xing'en said?

Jin Chuwan was preoccupied, but she thought that since Li Xing'en was willing to burn the evidence related to this matter, those bad things should not happen.

besides……

"Jiang Chen's side..."

"I'll personally remind him tomorrow, will that work?"

As Li Xing'en spoke, she hugged Jin Chuwan and lay down again, saying, "Don't think about these things anymore, let's get some rest, okay? I'm so sleepy."

Jin Chuwan glanced at Li Xing'en, frowned, and said, "Don't hug me..."

Li Xing'en opened her eyes with a somewhat aggrieved look, but she still obediently let go of his hand and moved to the side.