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She quickly washed up, lay down on the bed fully clothed, but couldn't fall asleep.
Everything that happened these past two days is replaying in my mind like a movie; it's all like an absurd nightmare.
The apartment was eerily quiet in the dead of night.
I cried too much yesterday, and I didn't eat much during the day today. My stomach started to ache, and the pain is getting clearer and clearer.
She curled up, trying to resist the discomfort, but to no avail.
Fine beads of cold sweat even appeared on his forehead.
She wanted to get up and find some hot water, but she didn't want to go out and face that man.
She endured the pain for half an hour, but instead of lessening, it intensified, causing her to let out soft moans.
Just as she was in so much pain that her consciousness was becoming hazy, a knock on the door suddenly rang out.
"Lin Tingyue." Chi Zhuo's deep voice came from outside the door, his emotions unreadable.
She gritted her teeth, unwilling to respond.
"Open the door." His voice carried an undeniable air of command. "I know you're not asleep."
Helpless, Lin Tingyue could only struggle to get up and open the door.
At the doorway, Chi Zhuo stood wearing a dark gray silk robe, the neckline slightly open, revealing a small patch of his muscular chest.
He seemed to have just taken a shower; his black hair was still slightly damp. He looked less sharp and more relaxed at home than during the day, but his eyes remained deep and compelling.
His gaze lingered for a moment on her pale, sweaty face, and he frowned: "What's wrong with you?"
"No...it's nothing." Lin Tingyue didn't want to show weakness in front of him, so she subconsciously denied it, but her fingers unconsciously pressed against her stomach.
Chi Zhuo's gaze fell on her hand pressing on her stomach, and he instantly understood what was going on.
He remembered that she hadn't eaten anything that evening.
"Stomach ache?" he asked, his tone still lacking warmth, but seemingly less cold than before.
Lin Tingyue remained silent, which was taken as tacit agreement.
Chi Zhuo turned and left, but returned less than two minutes later.
He was holding a cup of steaming warm water and a small white pill.
"Eat it." He handed her the water and medicine, his movements carrying an undeniable force.
Lin Tingyue stared at him blankly, somewhat incredulous.
This man, who is cold and ruthless during the day and forces her to marry, and who draws a line between Chu and Han at night, would bring her medicine for a little stomachache?
"Don't worry, it won't kill you." As if seeing through her hesitation, Chi Zhuo's tone carried a hint of sarcasm.
Lin Tingyue pursed her lips, but ultimately accepted the water and medicine.
The warm liquid slid down her throat, temporarily relieving her stomach discomfort and warming her icy fingertips slightly.
After taking her medicine, she lowered her head and whispered, "...Thank you."
Chi Zhuo didn't answer, but simply took back the empty cup. His gaze swept over her still pale face, and he suddenly asked, "Didn't you eat dinner?"
"……Um."
He was silent for a moment, then suddenly said, "Wait."
After saying that, he turned around and walked towards the kitchen again.
Lin Tingyue, as if possessed, didn't close the door and watched as the tall, imposing man, who seemed born to be at the negotiating table or in a top-notch conference room, walked into the open kitchen that seemed so out of place with him.
She could even faintly hear the sounds of fire being lit and water being boiled.
He... was going to cook for her?
This realization shocked her even more than when he delivered the medicine.
About ten minutes later, Chi Zhuo returned carrying a white porcelain bowl.
The bowl contains light noodles, garnished with a few green scallions, emitting a simple yet comforting aroma.
"This is all we have in the kitchen, just make do with it." His expression remained unchanged, as if he were doing this simply out of basic courtesy.
He placed the bowl in Lin Tingyue's hands, the warmth of the porcelain bowl comforting her cold palms.
"Put the bowl in the sink after you finish eating." He said this, then turned and walked towards his master bedroom, closing the door behind him.
The whole process was both natural and abrupt, domineering yet with a sense of eeriness.
Lin Tingyue stood there, holding the bowl of porridge, without moving for a long time.
My stomach was still aching, but it seemed to have been overshadowed by another, more complex emotion.
She looked at the closed master bedroom door, then looked down at the bowl of steaming noodles in her hand—the simplest kind of noodles.
What kind of person is he?
She ate the bowl of noodles one small bite at a time.
The taste was very bland, and even a little overcooked, but it definitely made my stomach feel much better.
After washing the dishes, I returned to my room and lay down on the bed. The stomach pain subsided, but the turmoil in my mind only intensified.
That night, Lin Tingyue couldn't sleep in the unfamiliar room, smelling the faint, cold scent of that man in the air.
Inside the master bedroom, Chi Zhuo stood by the window, looking at the city's night view outside, the cigarette between his fingers slowly burning.
The image of her, pale-faced and frail, clutching her stomach, flashed through my mind.
He frowned and stubbed out his cigarette.
It seems... I was a bit too hasty, pushing her too hard.
But once the arrow is released, there's no turning back.
He always had to get what he wanted.
The next morning, Lin Tingyue woke up in a state of extreme unreality.
An unfamiliar room, an unfamiliar bed, and the air filled with a crisp, woody scent that didn't belong to her. Sunlight streamed through the huge floor-to-ceiling windows, illuminating the room's stark lines and reminding her that everything that had happened last night wasn't a dream.
She really did marry Chi Zhuo and moved into his property.
My stomach no longer hurts, but the empty yet tense feeling in my heart is still very clear.
She took a deep breath and cheered herself up: Just treat it as a shared apartment! A high-class shared apartment!
After washing up, she carefully opened the door and peeked out.
The apartment was unusually quiet.
The living room was spacious and clean, as if no one had ever lived there.
She tiptoed into the living room and found a glass of milk, a sandwich, and a sticky note on the dining table.
The handwriting is vigorous and powerful, reflecting the cold and austere style of the man himself.
"I've eaten. The driver will be waiting for you downstairs at nine o'clock."
No signature, no extra words, just a commanding tone.
Chi Zhuo's consistent style.
Lin Tingyue picked up the note, her feelings complicated.
She pursed her lips, but still sat down.
The sandwich is simple: ham and cheese, with warm milk.
She finished eating silently. The food tasted alright, but she couldn't really enjoy it.
At nine o'clock sharp, she came downstairs on time, and the black Bentley was indeed waiting there. The driver respectfully opened the car door for her: "Good morning, Madam. Your husband instructed me to take you to the company."
The title "Madam" made her feel extremely uncomfortable.
"Go to the company?" Lin Tingyue was taken aback. She hadn't figured out how to face her colleagues, especially those who might have already heard rumors.
"Yes, sir, everything remains the same," the driver replied matter-of-factly.
Everything as usual? How could it possibly be the same! Her life has been turned upside down!
But she also understood that Chi Zhuo was telling her in his own way that life wouldn't change because of marriage, and that she should just do what she needed to do and not try to hide away.
The car drove smoothly toward the Lin Group.
The closer Lin Tingyue got to the company, the more nervous she became.
Sure enough, as soon as she got out of the car, she sensed an unusual atmosphere.
The receptionist at the door greeted her with an even warmer smile than usual, bordering on obsequious: "Good morning, Miss Lin! Oh no, Mrs. Chi, good morning!"
As she entered the office area, the previously noisy environment fell silent for a moment. Countless gazes, some open and some subtle, were cast upon her—some curious, some inquisitive, some envious, and some jealous. Whispers quietly rose after she passed by.
"Did you see that? It really is her..."
"Oh my god, she really married President Chi? That's so sudden!"
"I heard they went to the Civil Affairs Bureau yesterday afternoon."
"Now they've really risen to prominence..."
"What? She's the daughter of the Lin family, they're a perfect match..."
Lin Tingyue felt like she was being pricked by needles. She quickened her pace and walked into her office, closing the door to block out those uncomfortable gazes.
She was restless all day.
Just before she was about to leave work, the phone rang. It was her father calling, asking her to go to his office upstairs.
As soon as he entered, Mr. Lin greeted her with a beaming smile, his tone more relaxed and relieved than ever before: "Yueyue's here! Please sit down! Oh, this time we really owe you a lot! The Chi family's funds arrived this morning, the crisis is finally over! The project can continue to move forward!"
Seeing her father's relieved expression, Lin Tingyue felt a mix of emotions.
She became a hero of the family, but at the cost of her own life.
"Chi Zhuo...is he still with you?" Lin's father asked cautiously.
“…It’s fine.” Lin Tingyue lowered her eyelashes and answered softly.
"That's good, that's good." Lin's father was obviously relieved. "Although Chi Zhuo is a bit cold, his abilities and methods are undeniable. You should get along well with him."
"Would you like to come home for dinner tonight? Your mom made your favorite dishes."
Lin Tingyue's heart skipped a beat, and she was about to agree when her phone rang first.
It was an unsigned number, but she instinctively knew who it belonged to.
She walked to the side to answer the phone. Chi Zhuo's deep voice came from the other end. Without any greetings, he gave the order directly: "Off work? The driver is downstairs. Come back to the apartment for dinner tonight."
"My parents want me to come home for dinner..." Lin Tingyue tried to persuade them.
"Cancele it." Chi Zhuo's tone left no room for negotiation. "My mother is coming tonight for a family dinner and wants to see you."
With a snap, he hung up the phone without giving her a chance to refuse.
Lin Tingyue gripped her phone tightly, her fingers clenching.
It's happening again! Absolute control!
She could only look apologetically at her father: "Dad, I'm sorry, Chi Zhuo has plans for tonight."
Mr. Lin immediately expressed his understanding: "Alright, alright, that's the right thing to do. Having dinner with Grandma is the important thing! Go quickly, don't keep the elders waiting!"
Back at her apartment building, Lin Tingyue felt even heavier than when she went to work.
I stepped out of the elevator with trepidation; the apartment door was ajar.
She pushed open the door and the first thing she heard was a gentle yet authoritative female voice.
"...In short, now that we're married, we should act like married people. The most important thing is for me to hold my grandson as soon as possible."
Lin Tingyue froze in the entryway.
In the living room, Chi Zhuo sat on the sofa, his posture still composed.
On the single sofa next to him sat a well-maintained middle-aged woman dressed in an elegant suit; she was none other than Chi Zhuo's mother, Su Jinghe, the current wife of the Chi family.
Hearing the noise, Su Jinghe's sharp gaze swept over, sizing up Lin Tingyue with a scrutinizing and evaluative look in her eyes, neither enthusiastic nor disgusted.
"You're back?" Chi Zhuo looked up at her, his tone indifferent, as if nothing had happened that morning.
Lin Tingyue forced herself to walk over and greeted her in a low voice, "Auntie... hello."
Su Jinghe frowned slightly: "Still calling me 'Auntie'?"
Lin Tingyue choked and subconsciously looked at Chi Zhuo.
Chi Zhuo, however, seemed indifferent, picked up his teacup, took a sip, and showed no intention of helping her out of the predicament.
She had no choice but to awkwardly change her address: "...Mom."
Su Jinghe nodded almost imperceptibly in agreement.
She pointed to the sofa opposite her: "Sit down. Did you hear what I just said?"
Lin Tingyue felt like she was sitting on pins and needles, her scalp tingling.
"Mom, we just got married..." she tried to express herself tactfully.
“So what if we just got married?” Su Jinghe interrupted her, her tone leaving no room for argument. “There’s no room for discussion on this; it’s a mission.”
Lin Tingyue found it utterly absurd.
She felt less like a person and more like a tool chosen to achieve her KPIs.
She looked at Chi Zhuo again, pleading with her eyes.
Chi Zhuo finally put down his teacup, his gaze lingering for a moment on her face, which was filled with resistance and embarrassment, before looking at his mother and saying in an emotionless tone, "Mom, there's no rush."
Su Jinghe was clearly somewhat dissatisfied: "Why aren't you in a hurry? You..."
“Tingyue is still young,” Chi Zhuo interrupted his mother calmly, his voice carrying an undeniable tone. “We can talk about having children later.”
Lin Tingyue was stunned. He... was he speaking up for her?
Su Jinghe seemed somewhat surprised that her son would directly contradict her. She looked at her son, then at Lin Tingyue, who was visibly relieved, and finally gave up, simply snorting, "Go ahead and protect her. Anyway, I've made my point."
The atmosphere at the subsequent family dinner wasn't particularly lively, but there were no more suffocating interrogations.
Su Jinghe asked some casual questions, and Lin Tingyue answered cautiously.
Chi Zhuo remained silent most of the time, but occasionally, when she couldn't answer or got stuck, he would subtly take over the conversation or gloss over it with a single sentence.
He didn't act particularly protective of her, but he wasn't entirely as cold as he appeared either.
After seeing Su Jinghe off, only the two of them remained in the apartment.
The atmosphere became subtle and quiet once again.
Lin Tingyue stood in the living room, watching Chi Zhuo take off his suit jacket, loosen his tie, and reveal a slightly tired look.
She hesitated for a moment, then spoke softly, "Um... thank you for earlier."
Chi Zhuo paused, glancing at her sideways. The lamplight cast a dim, unfathomable light into his deep eyes.
He took two steps closer to her, looking down at her, and an overwhelming sense of pressure instantly enveloped her.
"Thank me for what?" he asked in a low voice, with a hint of amusement. "Thank me for not making my mother force you to have a child right away?"
Lin Tingyue felt a little uncomfortable under his gaze, and subconsciously took half a step back and nodded.
Chi Zhuo suddenly chuckled, but there was little joy in his laughter; instead, it carried a hint of mockery.
“Lin Tingyue,” he leaned down, getting close to her, his warm breath almost brushing against her ear, “Have you forgotten…”
"What you owe me is something you'll have to repay over a lifetime."
“Having a child,” his gaze swept over her suddenly flushed face, his tone ambiguous yet cruel, “…is only a matter of time.”
Don't thank me too soon.
After saying that, he straightened up, stopped looking at her, turned and walked towards the study, leaving Lin Tingyue standing there alone, her face flushed and pale.
The fleeting sense of gratitude and confusion that had just arisen within her was instantly shattered.
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