The crystal chandelier in the living room reflected a cold light, casting Rong Shenghan's long shadow onto the polished marble floor, like an inescapable shackle.

He had just entered the room, his coat still covered in unmelted snowflakes, leaving small damp patches on the floor, like some kind of silent mark of submission.

Before I could even change out of my clothes, which were covered in snow, I heard footsteps on the stairs.

Yu Jiuyuan wore a silk nightgown and walked barefoot on the carpet. The opening of the nightgown revealed her delicate collarbone, and her skin was as white as fragile porcelain under the light.

She didn't look at him, but instead focused her gaze on the silver rose brooch on the coffee table, her voice as soft as a sigh: "You're back."

"Hmm." Rong Shenghan's voice was hoarse from the journey. He took off his coat, revealing a dark gray cashmere sweater underneath. The collar was slightly open, revealing the pale blue veins on his collarbone.

Those were the marks left by her teeth after they had faded.

He walked to the sofa, keeping a half-step distance, like a soldier awaiting orders.

This distance pleased Yu Jiuyuan. She finally looked up, her gaze like an icy blade, sweeping over his pale face inch by inch, stopping at the new wound on his lower lip.

"You got into a fight?" She raised an eyebrow, her tone revealing no concern, only scrutiny.

"I encountered some trouble while dealing with the Su family's affairs." Rong Shenghan's explanation was brief, devoid of any extra emotion, as if he were telling someone else's story.

"Trouble?" Yu Jiuyuan laughed, her action of stubbing out her cigarette carrying a hint of ruthlessness. "Were you beaten up, or did you make some shady deal behind my back again?"

Rong Shenghan's Adam's apple bobbed, but he didn't speak.

For him, silence was never resistance, but rather the most complete submission; he knew that any explanation would only ignite her even greater anger.

This realization made Yu Jiuyuan's irritability burn even brighter, as if oil had been poured on it.

She hated his submissive attitude, hated how he used silence to hide all his sharpness, and hated that she should be proud, but instead felt that the silence was like a thorn, pricking her heart with pain.

"Come here." She patted the empty seat next to her, her tone leaving no room for argument.

Rong Shenghan sat down as instructed, causing the sofa to sag slightly.

His scent carried the crispness of snow, mixed with a faint smell of disinfectant and his usual ebony fragrance, which entered Yu Jiuyuan's nostrils. It was his unique scent, which had once made her feel incredibly at ease, but now it only made her feel ironic.

"Do you know you were wrong?" She turned to the side, lifted his chin with her fingertips, and forced him to look up at her.

"I know." His gaze was deep, like ink submerged in water. "I shouldn't have kept it from you."

"Anything else?"

"I shouldn't have left without saying goodbye."

“And another one.” Yu Jiuyuan tightened her fingertips, her nails almost digging into his skin.

"You shouldn't treat me like a fool. Rong Shenghan, do you think I don't know you used Rong's shares to force the Su family to back down? Do you think this self-righteous 'protection' can offset your betrayal?"

Her words were like a whip, striking Rong Shenghan's most sensitive spots again and again.

His face paled even more, yet he still let her do as she pleased, only the pain in his eyes was so intense it was almost overflowing: "I just didn't want you to get involved..."

"Shut up!" Yu Jiuyuan suddenly released her hand, and the crisp sound of a slap echoed in the living room once again.

This slap was harder than the last one, and a clear red mark instantly appeared on Rong Shenghan's cheek, contrasting sharply with the wound on his lower lip, making for a shocking sight.

He turned his head away, his hair falling down and obscuring the emotions in his eyes; only his shoulders trembled almost imperceptibly.

Yu Jiuyuan looked at her reddened palms, her heart feeling as if it were being clenched by something.

She expected to see him angry, defiant, or even question, but he didn't.

He simply endured it all silently, like a soulless sculpture, digesting all the pain on his own.

"Why aren't you saying anything?" Her voice was tense, carrying a hint of panic that even she herself didn't realize. "Are you not convinced?"

Rong Shenghan slowly turned his head and looked at her again.

His eyelashes were glistening with tiny drops of water, whether from pain or something else, it was hard to tell.

He looked into her palm, his Adam's apple bobbing for a long time before he spoke in an almost reverent tone, his voice terribly hoarse: "Does your hand... hurt?"

That same phrase again.

Yu Jiuyuan suddenly laughed, a laugh like a madman, but her eyes welled up with tears: "Rong Shenghan, you're such a good dog."

She leaned closer, her warm breath on his face, carrying the scent of tobacco and champagne: "You know what? Hitting you was a reward for daring to come back."

Her kiss landed unexpectedly, carrying a punitive meaning, fiercely prying open his teeth.

Her tongue swept across the wound on his lower lip, tasting a faint metallic flavor of blood. The rusty scent acted as a catalyst, instantly igniting the suppressed flames between them.

Rong Shenghan's body stiffened for a moment, then he suddenly took the initiative and pressed her down on the sofa.

His kiss was no longer gentle; it carried the obsession of something lost and regained, and the madness of being indulged, sweeping over her every breath like a storm.

Yu Jiuyuan did not resist; instead, she reached out and hugged his neck, her nails digging deeply into his back.

The pain made Rong Shenghan move even more urgently. The cashmere sweater was torn open, revealing her smooth back, which still bore the scratches she had left last time.

"I'll remember." She bit his earlobe between breaths, her voice tinged with broken laughter. "A slap is a reward, and a kiss is a reward too."

Her fingertips traced red marks across his chest: "Your ability to stand here, to breathe, and to feel my presence is a gift from me."

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