Snowflakes danced around him, making his figure appear exceptionally lonely in the wind and snow.

After the car came to a stop, Yu Jiuyuan opened the car door, and the butler immediately stepped forward to hold an umbrella for her: "Miss, it's snowing heavily outside, please go inside quickly."

Stepping into the villa, the warm air rushed towards her, but it couldn't dispel the chill in Yu Jiuyuan's heart.

As she changed her shoes, she noticed a trail of wet footprints on the entryway floor that stretched all the way into the living room.

He came in.

Yu Jiuyuan's brows furrowed even more.

She walked straight to the stairs, but when she passed the living room, she saw Rong Shenghan sitting on the sofa.

He had changed into clean pajamas and dried his hair, but his face was still pale and his lips were bloodless, making him look sickly.

Hearing footsteps, he looked up, a glimmer of hope in his eyes: "You're back."

Yu Jiuyuan ignored him and continued walking up the stairs.

"Jiuyuan." He suddenly spoke, his voice thick with nasal tone and mixed with a few suppressed coughs, "I made some ginger soup, have some to warm yourself up."

Yu Jiuyuan paused, but didn't turn around: "No need."

Her voice was soft, yet it was like a cold knife, completely severing the last glimmer of light in Rong Shenghan's eyes.

He watched her figure disappear around the corner of the stairs, his outstretched hand frozen in mid-air before finally falling limply to his sides.

The housekeeper brought over some ginger soup and, seeing his dejected appearance, couldn't help but say, "Sir, you have a fever. Why don't you go back to your room and rest?"

Rong Shenghan shook his head and picked up a document from the table: "Let me read this first."

That was the latest intelligence about the Su family's behind-the-scenes forces that he had compiled overnight.

The contents above were shocking, more complex and dangerous than he had imagined.

He had to finish this as soon as possible, and eliminate all threats before the Su family could reach Yu Jiuyuan.

Even if it means paying the price of being completely rejected by her.

In the bedroom on the second floor, Yu Jiuyuan leaned against the door, listening to the faint coughing sounds coming from downstairs, her mind in turmoil.

She knew that Rong Shenghan might really be sick.

His face was so pale and his voice so hoarse; it couldn't have been an act.

For a fleeting moment, she even had the urge to go downstairs to see him and bring him the bowl of ginger soup.

But reason quickly prevailed over impulse.

We must not be soft-hearted.

If you soften your heart, all your previous efforts will be in vain.

This means that she tacitly approved of his concealment and accepted this unequal way of getting along.

She is Yu Jiuyuan, the leader of this "taming game". How can she be led by the weakness of a "pet"?

Yu Jiuyuan walked to the window and pulled back a corner of the curtain.

The lights in the downstairs living room were still on. Rong Shenghan sat on the sofa with his back to her, motionless, like a silent statue.

Snowflakes continued to flutter outside the window, silently falling onto the ground and onto Yu Jiuyuan's heart, accumulating a layer of cold frost.

She knew this cold war might last a long time, knew she might toss and turn at night because of his cough, and knew she wasn't actually that indifferent.

But she had no other choice.

The cracks in trust must be mended with honesty.

Rong Shenghan, if you really care about me, then show me your sincerity.

Otherwise, I can eliminate you from this game at any time.

Yu Jiuyuan drew the curtains, shutting out the wind and snow outside the window and the figure that bothered her, all into the darkness.

Silence returned to the bedroom, broken only by the sound of her own heartbeat, which was exceptionally clear in the snowy night.