Yang Li's message was like a boulder thrown into an already turbulent lake. Family celebration, public performance—each of these words was like a cold dagger, pressed against Xie Chen's (the main personality's) most vulnerable nerve, and also touched the sensitive string of "resistance" and "destruction" that Chen was experiencing.
Su Nian calmly put away her phone, not immediately telling Xie Chen, who was still in the sunroom, staring blankly at the electronic keyboard, about the news. He had just gained a moment of peace and couldn't bear any more pressure. She needed time to think of a solution, and she also needed to... figure out Xie Chen's attitude first.
She reassured Xie Chen by saying she needed to prepare lunch, letting him continue relaxing in the sunroom, while she returned to the living room. She deliberately made her footsteps louder as she went upstairs.
Sure enough, just as she reached the top of the stairs to the second floor, the door to the master bedroom opened silently. Ah Chen leaned against the doorframe, his hands in his pockets, staring at her sharply, as if he had been waiting for her for a long time.
"What 'decree' did that old man issue this time?" He cut to the chase, his tone laced with cold sarcasm. He had clearly learned, through some means (perhaps an extraordinary hearing ability), that Yang Li had contacted him.
Su Nian did not hide anything and simply recounted the information.
Upon hearing this, Ah Chen showed no surprise on his face, but his dark eyes instantly darkened, like an abyss brewing a storm. He didn't immediately erupt in rage as usual; instead, he remained unusually silent for a few seconds before forcing an extremely cold, bloodthirsty smile.
“Very well,” he said in a low voice, as if squeezed out from between his teeth, “He’s forcing us… to completely tear away that fig leaf, isn’t he?”
He took a step forward, closing in on Su Nian, his gaze locking onto her like a tangible object: "And you? What do you plan to do? Help that good-for-nothing, like a lamb to the slaughter, obediently go to that so-called celebration, play those nonsensical tunes, and satisfy that old man's desire for performance and control?"
His questions were sharp and direct, carrying a sense of pressure to drag Su Nian into the fray.
Meeting his imposing gaze, Su Nian shook her head: "I won't let him go. He's not in a condition to handle that kind of situation."
This answer seemed to please Ah Chen; the cold ferocity in his eyes softened slightly, but he still stared intently at her: "And then? Rejection? Do you think that old man will accept rejection? Do you think that stupid woman Yang Li will allow it?"
"There's always a way." Su Nian's tone was calm, but she wasn't at ease. She knew that Xie Hongyuan's will was hard to defy, and Yang Li might not stand firmly on Xie Chen's side when faced with interests.
"A solution?" Ah Chen chuckled, then suddenly reached out, grabbed Su Nian's wrist, pulled her into the master bedroom, and closed the door behind him. Cutting off the outside world, the room immediately dimmed, with only a faint light filtering through the curtains.
He pinned Su Nian against the door, their bodies pressed close together, able to clearly feel each other's warmth and breath. His eyes gleamed with a dangerous and stubborn light in the dim light.
“I have a ‘solution’.” He lowered his head, his forehead almost touching Su Nian’s, his hot breath brushing against her lips. “Let’s join forces.”
Su Nian was slightly taken aback: "Join forces?"
“Yes, let’s join forces.” Ah Chen’s fingertips touched her cheek, the movement carrying a strange gentleness that mixed with possessiveness and confirmation, completely different from the ruthlessness in his words. “You keep that good-for-nothing in check, don’t let him break down prematurely. As for me… I’ll take care of that love affair.”
"How do you plan to resolve this?" A warning bell rang in Su Nian's mind.
Ah Chen's lips curled into a cruel smile: "For example... at the climax of the celebration, 'I' appeared on stage and, in front of all the guests, especially that old man, revealed some 'family scandals' that he didn't want anyone to know. For example, what exactly happened in that locked music room."
His words were like thunder, exploding in Su Nian's ears! He actually wanted to use this self-destructive method to perish together with Xie Hongyuan!
"No!" Su Nian immediately objected, her voice rising slightly with urgency, "That would ruin you... ruin Xie Chen!"
"Destroyed?" Ah Chen chuckled softly, as if he had heard something ridiculous. His laughter was filled with sorrow and madness. "We were destroyed long ago! Ever since that night! Since we're already rotten to the core, why not drag those who turned us into this down with us to hell?!"
His emotions began to spiral out of control, his eyes once again filled with mania and destructive rage. He suddenly lowered his head and fiercely kissed Su Nian's lips!
This kiss was different from the previous punitive, brutal one; it was filled with a desperate, all-or-nothing plea, as if he wanted to draw courage from her to fight the whole world, or like the final confirmation of a dying person. His arms were tightly wrapped around her waist, with astonishing force, as if he wanted to crush her, to merge her into his own bones and blood, and together they would rush to that destructive feast.
Su Nian was almost suffocated by his kiss; her lips stung, they must have been bruised again. But she didn't struggle. Instead, after the initial stiffness, she raised her hand and gently, repeatedly, stroked his tense back, trying to soothe his soul that was about to explode.
Her response was like a subtle electric current, piercing through Ah Chen's frenzy. His kisses gradually deepened from rough to passionate, with an awkward yet incredibly greedy exploration, as if he wanted to find his only salvation in her. He released her lips, buried his face in the crook of her neck, breathing heavily, his body trembling slightly.
"Don't stop me..." he whispered hoarsely in her ear, with a hint of pleading in his voice, "And don't leave me... stand on my side..."
Su Nian's heart ached terribly at the unfathomable despair and desperate gamble in his words. She couldn't let him go down that self-destructive path, but she also couldn't simply deny his pain and anger.
She cupped his face in her hands and looked directly into his eyes, which were churning with a storm of pain, in the dim light.
"Ah Chen, look at me." Her voice was soft, yet it carried a strange power. "There are many ways to take revenge, but destroying yourself is the most foolish. You deserve a better ending, and so does Xie Chen."
Ah Chen stared intently at her, his eyes filled with struggle: "A better ending? Where is it? That old man won't let us go! He'll only keep trampling us into the mud!"
“Then let him lose his ability to control you.” Su Nian’s gaze sharpened. “But not by destroying himself. We need to find the truth, the truth about that music room. That’s what can truly shake him. Before the celebration, we must open that door.”
"The key..." Ah Chen's eyes flickered, "...is in that good-for-nothing's hands..."
“Then let’s work together to help him find the key.” Su Nian squeezed his hand, her fingertips warm, a stark contrast to his cold skin. “This isn’t a war for you alone, A-Chen. The three of us are bound together. You, me, and him.”
“The three of us…” Ah Chen repeated the word, the mania in his eyes gradually replaced by a deeper, more complex emotion. He looked down at their clasped hands, then looked up at Su Nian’s firm and clear eyes. An unprecedented and strange feeling grew in his heart—he was not struggling alone in the darkness; he had someone… an “accomplice.”
This realization, like a faint ray of light, shone into his barren heart.
He remained silent for a long time, so long that Su Nian thought he would refuse again. Finally, he took a deep breath, as if he had made up his mind, and hugged Su Nian tightly again. This time, the embrace was no longer filled with destructive desire, but rather with a heavy sense of dependence, as if it had found its anchor.
"Okay." He uttered a single word, his voice still hoarse, but less frantic. "I'll listen to you."
Night fell again.
In the guest room, Su Nian kept Xie Chen (the main personality) company. Because of the brief relaxation during the day and the fact that A-Chen hadn't provoked him, his emotions had calmed down considerably. Under Su Nian's gentle bedtime story (a short story she made up on the spot about courage and hope) and soft patting, he held one of Su Nian's fingers and fell into a deep sleep like an insecure child.
After confirming that he was sound asleep, Su Nian carefully withdrew her fingers, tucked him in, and quietly left the guest room.
The master bedroom door was ajar, letting in warm yellow light. Su Nian pushed the door open and went in. Ah Chen was leaning against the headboard, holding a sheet music in his hand—the piece Xie Chen had been practicing recently, the one containing the key scales. He didn't look at Su Nian; his gaze was fixed on the sheet music, his eyes focused and complex.
Hearing the noise, he looked up, his gaze lingering on her face for a moment, especially on her slightly swollen lips. His eyes darkened, then he looked away and patted the empty seat next to him.
"Come here." His tone was still commanding, but it lacked the tension of the daytime.
Su Nian walked over and sat down beside him. Ah Chen immediately put down the sheet music, reached out and pulled her into his arms, letting her lean against his chest, her chin resting on the top of her head. He didn't say anything, just held her like that, listening to each other's heartbeats and the faint city noise outside the window.
His embrace was warm and firm, carrying a faint, refreshing scent unique to him. Su Nian could feel the vibrations in his chest and his steady breathing. This quiet closeness conveyed a silent alliance and trust more powerfully than any forceful words.
“I will try… to guide him to find the key,” Su Nian said softly, leaning against him.
"Mm," Ah Chen responded softly, tightening his grip on her arm. "I'll protect you."
He wouldn't interfere with Su Nian's guidance of the main personality; that required patience and skill, which wasn't his forte. But he would stand guard outside, shielding them from all the storms from Xie Hongyuan and the outside world, buying them time and space. This was the tacit division of labor they had reached.
That night, there was no fierce conflict, no desperate weeping, only two people sleeping in each other's arms, drawing warmth and strength from one another in the long night, for a common goal—to find the key that could unlock the past and perhaps also open a way out before the storm fully descends.
Meanwhile, in the guest room, Xie Chen (the main personality), who was fast asleep, perhaps vaguely sensed some kind of change in his dream. The suffocating shadow of fear that had always shrouded him seemed to have become... less lonely because of some invisible connection.
(End of Chapter 139)
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