Ah Chen's awkward "Well done" was like a pebble thrown into a deep pool, creating subtle ripples in Su Nian's heart and quietly altering the fragile balance of the apartment's mechanical structure.
The next day, Su Nian clearly sensed a subtle change in A Chen's attitude. He still made various demands, and his tone wasn't exactly friendly, but the pure, destructive probing had diminished, replaced by a more... focused observation. He seemed to be reassessing Su Nian's value, not just as a "possession" to be possessed, but as a "rival" or "partner" worthy of serious consideration—in his distorted cognitive system, the two might be indistinguishable.
He even began to subtly "monitor" Su Nian's interactions with the main personality.
As Su Nian patiently guided Xie Chen (the main personality) through simple breathing and relaxation exercises, Chen would sit on a nearby armchair, holding a philosophical book he'd somehow pulled out, its contents obscure. His gaze wasn't on the pages, but rather fixed on them coldly across the top edge of the pages. He didn't utter a sound to disturb them, but his very presence was an invisible pressure and… measure.
Xie Chen (the main personality) was extremely sensitive and uncomfortable with this kind of "supervision." Like a herbivore being targeted by a predator, he couldn't even relax his breathing under Chen's gaze, greatly diminishing the effectiveness of his practice. He would become even more dependent on Su Nian, almost shrinking into her shadow, trying to use her presence to block out that cold gaze.
"Assistant Su... why... why does he keep looking at us..." Xie Chen whispered fearfully in Su Nian's ear while Ah Chen seemed to be looking down at a book, his warm breath trembling.
Su Nian could feel the tension in his body. She gently patted his back, her voice steady as always: "Don't worry about him, focus on your own feelings." She couldn't stop guiding Xie Chen just because A Chen was watching her. That would only deepen the fear and dependence of the main personality, and at the same time send the wrong signal to A Chen—that her behavior could be interfered with and stopped.
Ah Chen flipped through the pages of the book with a rustling sound. Although he didn't look up, his aura was noticeably colder.
This subtle and tense atmosphere reached a small climax that afternoon when Su Nian went out to buy daily necessities as usual.
Not long after Su Nian left, only the two personalities remained in the apartment. Xie Chen (the dominant personality) felt as if he had lost his sanctuary and immediately became restless. Not daring to stay alone in the living room, he quickly retreated to the guest bedroom and locked the door.
Ah Chen scoffed at this. He paced aimlessly in the empty living room, finally stopping in front of the piano. He stretched out his slender fingers and lightly brushed over the cold keys, but didn't press any. He had no feelings for the piano itself, even feeling disgusted by it, but at this moment, this piano reminded him of Su Nian sitting opposite him yesterday, calmly making her moves and ultimately winning against him.
That feeling of meeting a worthy opponent... is quite novel.
Just then, his gaze was drawn to a small, inconspicuous sticky note next to the music stand. It was left by Su Nian, with a reminder written in neat handwriting for Xie Chen: "Remember to drink warm milk before bed; it helps you sleep. —Su"
It was a very simple instruction, perhaps even just a casual note from Su Nian's professional habits. But in A Chen's eyes, it was like a thorn.
Concern? Care? Meticulous attention? All of that is for that good-for-nothing.
And what about him?
That useless person had warm milk, comfort, and companionship.
And he only offered a cold stare, a contest on the chessboard, and a dismissive "Well done."
A powerful sense of imbalance and anger at being ignored instantly gripped his heart like a poisonous vine. He clenched his fists tightly, the newly healed scars on the back of his hands throbbing with pain.
On what grounds?
He is the stronger one! He is the one who can truly "protect" them from harm from the outside world! Why does he receive less attention?
This realization reignited the violent tendencies within him. He needed to do something to disrupt this extremely uncomfortable "balance" and reaffirm his "ownership."
When Su Nian returned from shopping, she had just unlocked the door when she sensed something was off about the atmosphere in the apartment.
It was too quiet. Not the usual quiet of everyone being alone, but a kind of... oppressive silence, like the calm before a storm.
She put her things down and first looked towards the guest room. The door remained tightly closed.
Then, her gaze shifted to the living room.
Ah Chen sat on the single sofa, his posture seemingly languid, but his tense jawline and the oppressive aura emanating from him indicated that he was in a state of extreme displeasure. On the floor in front of him lay several crumpled sheets of sheet music—pieces that Xie Chen had been practicing recently.
Hearing Su Nian enter, A Chen slowly raised his head, his dark eyes like a bottomless, icy pool, locking onto her.
"You're back?" he asked, his voice calm but carrying a dangerous, sticky quality.
"Mmm." Su Nian responded, calmly starting to organize the items she had purchased, seemingly oblivious to the oppressive pressure. "I bought some fruit, would you like some?"
Ah Chen didn't answer her question. Instead, he stood up, walked step by step to her, and looked down at her as she sorted through the bags.
“You really did your best for that good-for-nothing,” he said slowly, each word as if wrapped in ice, “truly.”
Su Nian continued working, her tone calm: "This is my job."
"Work?" Ah Chen chuckled softly, then suddenly reached out, not to touch Su Nian, but to precisely pick up the sticky note with the reminder written on it from the bag she had just tidied. His eyes gradually turned sinister as he looked at the words on it.
“Warm milk…helps with sleep…” he murmured, then crumpled the sticky note into a ball with his fingers, threw it on the ground, and ran it over with his foot. “How thoughtful.”
His actions were full of insult and provocation.
Su Nian finally stopped what she was doing, raised her head, and looked directly at him: "Achen, what do you want to say?"
"What do I want to say?" Ah Chen suddenly moved closer, almost touching Su Nian's nose, his hot and angry breath spraying onto her face. "I want to say that I've had enough of this differential treatment!"
He grabbed Su Nian's wrist with such force that she frowned slightly.
“Listen,” he stared into her eyes, each word laced with obsessive madness, “I want you, right now, immediately, to thoroughly clean my room! Not a single corner can be missed! And I’m hungry, go cook, cook what I like to eat! I don’t know what I like to eat? Then try! Until you find something that suits my taste!”
He made a series of unreasonable and domineering demands, as if he were venting his frustrations or engaging in some kind of childish struggle.
“As for that good-for-nothing,” he glanced at the tightly closed guest bedroom door, a cruel smile curving his lips, “he won’t get anything from you today! Your time, your attention, today, all belong to me!”
His declaration was loud and arrogant, echoing in the quiet apartment and clearly reaching the guest room.
A suppressed, animalistic whimper came from inside the door, followed by a deeper, heartbreaking silence. Xie Chen (the main personality) clearly heard it and was too frightened to utter a sound by this blatant exclusion and deprivation.
Looking at A-Chen, who was almost losing control again because of "injustice," Su Nian felt a mix of emotions. His behavior was irrational and destructive, but at its root was a twisted desire for attention and validation. He was like a child throwing a tantrum because he didn't get enough candy, only his "destructive power" far exceeded that of ordinary people.
She couldn't grant his unreasonable demands, as that would only embolden him and severely damage her fragile personality. But she also couldn't refuse outright, as that could easily detonate this dormant volcano.
The scales swayed violently, each end bearing heavy and dangerous emotions.
Su Nian took a deep breath, without struggling or compromising, but simply looked into A Chen's dark eyes, which were churning with a storm, with her clear and calm eyes.
“Ah Chen,” her voice wasn’t loud, but it had a strange penetrating power, as if it could penetrate his frenzied exterior and touch the barren land in his heart, “Can you really get what you want this way?”
"Or are you just afraid..."
Her gaze seemed to possess a certain magic, causing Ah Chen's violent aura to falter slightly.
"...Afraid that even so, I still won't be able to truly grasp anything?"
Ah Chen's pupils contracted sharply, and the grip on Su Nian's wrist involuntarily loosened for a moment. Her words once again precisely pierced the deepest fear in his heart that he was unwilling to admit.
Just then—
"Ding-dong—!"
The doorbell rang again at an inopportune moment, breaking the tense standoff in the apartment.
Ah Chen's attention was instantly drawn to the door. He turned his head sharply to look at the door, his manic expression interrupted and replaced by extreme impatience and hostility.
"Who is it again?!" he growled, as if ready to tear the intruder to shreds at any moment.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Su Nian gently broke free from his hand and walked towards the intercom.
The screen lit up, revealing Yang Li, the agent who had returned. Beside her stood a well-dressed, serious-looking middle-aged man with sharp, hawk-like eyes.
Yang Li looked somewhat nervous, even a little ingratiating, as she said to Su Nian, "Assistant Su, please open the door quickly. Mr. Xie's father... has come to see him."
Xie Chen's...father?!
Su Nian's heart sank suddenly.
The man who was closely associated with "dark red," "cold," "smashing things," and "mother crying" in Xie Chen's fragmented memories... has arrived!
(End of Chapter 135)
---
Next chapter preview: What is Xie's father's sudden visit intended? Will he be the key to uncovering the truth, or the fuse that ignites a greater crisis? How will the two personalities react to this man who may be the source of their trauma? How will Su Nian cope with this sudden change? Beset by internal and external troubles, will the fragile balance be completely shattered? The storm is at the door.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com