Be law-abiding
Chi Zhuo's words were like a poisoned blade, precisely piercing Lin Tingyue's last unrealistic fantasy.
Yes, she seems to have forgotten again that in this world completely controlled by Chi Zhuo, she has no right to make decisions at all.
What she perceived as protection was perhaps merely Chi Zhuo protecting his own face and authority.
To him, she was nothing more than a caged bird being kept in captivity.
Lin Tingyue did not speak, responding to the other party with silence.
Chi Zhuo let go of her hand. He didn't care about her silence. After spending time together, he seemed to have gotten used to her various little moods.
Lin Tingyue turned her head, gazing at the rapidly receding night view outside the window. At this moment, the lights of thousands of homes reflected on her profile, but none of them truly belonged to her.
Back at the apartment, Lin Tingyue got out of the car first and ran quickly toward the elevator without looking back.
Chi Zhuo followed behind her, walking with ease, as if nothing had happened in the car.
Inside the elevator, the cramped space made Lin Tingyue feel suffocated and oppressed. She looked up and stared intently at the constantly changing numbers, feeling that every second was exceptionally long.
As soon as the elevator arrived, Lin Tingyue was about to rush out.
Then, at that moment, her wrist was firmly grasped by a warm and strong hand, and an irresistible force easily pulled her back.
She turned around in surprise and met Chi Zhuo's unfathomable eyes. His gaze held a curious and inquisitive look, as if he were examining the prey in his hands.
"Are you unhappy?" Chi Zhuo asked in a flat tone, as if he were stating a fact he had observed, rather than asking a question.
Lin Tingyue tried to pull her hand away, but was surprised to find that Chi Zhuo seemed to be gripping it even tighter. She frowned, a strong sense of displeasure and humiliation welling up inside her, but she dared not show it.
"Speak." Chi Zhuo ignored her struggles, his tone a firm command.
"I wouldn't dare." Lin Tingyue stubbornly turned her face away, her voice icy. "I know my place."
The tone was clearly defiant.
Upon hearing this, Chi Zhuo was not angry at all; on the contrary, he became even more interested. This time, he openly pulled her into his arms and breathed into hers.
"Looks like he's angry."
He looked down, his gaze falling on her cheeks, which were slightly flushed with anger, and a hint of amusement in his eyes. "You look...so cute."
His breath brushed against her earlobe, startling her. At such close range, Lin Tingyue could even see the bewildered face reflected in his pupils.
"What are you doing?" Lin Tingyue tried to struggle, but she could no longer break free. The elevator stopped on the first floor, and she was about to suffocate.
Seeing this, Chi Zhuo pressed the floor button, and the elevator went up again, but his hand never let go, keeping her firmly locked in his arms.
"Let me go!" Lin Tingyue struggled to escape, but Chi Zhuo's smile only deepened.
"Lin Tingyue, I've solved everything for you—your food, your shelter, even your family's crises. Tell me, what right do you have to be angry? What right do you have to give me attitude here?"
Chi Zhuo's words were like knives, slowly carving into Lin Tingyue's heart. However, what was even more despairing was that what he said was true. This was the meaning of her existence, the shackles she could not escape. She had no reason to run away, and she had no right to have her own joys and sorrows.
A tremendous sense of powerlessness and grievance surged up in an instant, almost overwhelming her.
She stood stubbornly in place, gritting her teeth and trying her best to keep her eyes open and not let the tears fall.
She couldn't show weakness in front of him; that would only make her look more pathetic and ridiculous.
Looking at her like this, Chi Zhuo saw her as prey bound by a hunter, ready to accept her fate. But at this moment, his hand began to loosen slightly.
He seemed to sigh helplessly, his voice much gentler than before.
"Lin Tingyue, recognizing your place and keeping to your own business will do you no harm."
"bite--"
The elevator doors opened, Chi Zhuo released his grip, straightened his slightly wrinkled cuffs, and left without hesitation.
Lin Tingyue was left alone in the elevator, lost in thought, as if her soul had just been ripped away.
She only realized what was happening when the elevator doors beeped due to prolonged stagnation, and staggered out.
She had a hard time sleeping all night; her heart felt like it was stuffed with a wet cotton ball, both stuffy and hot.
Chi Zhuo's words were unfathomable to her, just as he was a difficult person to understand.
For the next two days, apart from occasionally going to the company to handle business, Lin Tingyue stayed in her room most of the time, trying not to meet with Chi Zhuo.
Even if she were to bump into him by sheer bad luck, she would hurry away from the living room.
Chi Zhuo seemed to have noticed her deliberate avoidance, but he didn't say anything and continued to leave early and return late, as if this little thing was nothing to him.
That afternoon, Xia Xiaoran called to invite her to an art exhibition to relax.
She was already in a bad mood, so she decided to go out for a walk.
The art exhibition is located in an art district converted from an old factory. It is not large in scale, but it showcases the works of some emerging artists with bold and avant-garde styles.
Looking at the paintings that were full of vitality and a spirit of resistance, Lin Tingyue felt a little more at ease.
"See? It's much better to get out for a walk than to stare at that icy pool." Xia Xiaoran whispered, linking her arm with hers.
Mentioning Chi Zhuo, Lin Tingyue's eyes dimmed further, and the forced smile on her lips vanished instantly.
Just as they were about to leave, a stylish and capable woman greeted them with a smile: "Miss Lin? What a coincidence, I didn't expect to meet you here."
Lin Tingyue looked at the somewhat unfamiliar woman in front of her, quickly searched her memory but couldn't recall her, and paused for a moment: "You are...?"
"Oh, sorry, I forgot to introduce myself."
The woman smiled gracefully and handed over a business card. "My name is Qiao Wei, and I'm an independent curator. I was just chatting with Mr. Chi at the Lanting French Restaurant last week about some interesting recent art projects. Mr. Chi also mentioned that you have a great appreciation for word count and are very promising young people."
Xia Xiaoran, who was standing next to Lin Tingyue, suddenly tugged at her, indicating that she was the woman mentioned that day, the one who had dinner with Chi Zhuo.
Lin Tingyue couldn't tell whether the other person was praising her or provoking her; she was just a little stunned and took the business card with a puzzled look.
"Oh... hello." Lin Tingyue felt her fingertips were a little cold.
"Ms. Lin, do you also like these works? I think that one over there is very powerful. Why don't we take a look together? Perhaps we can discuss it?"
Qiao Wei seemed eager to strike up a conversation with her.
"No, we have something to do, we'll be going now." Lin Tingyue refused almost hastily, and quickly left the art exhibition with the bewildered Xia Xiaoran.
Back in the car, Xia Xiaoran finally realized, "Was that Qiao Wei? The curator? What did she mean? Did she deliberately come up to talk to me? And even bring up having dinner with Chi Zhuo?"
Lin Tingyue leaned back in her chair, her face pale, her mind a jumbled mess.
"I think she's deliberately provoking us! Yueyue, you can't be soft-hearted when dealing with this kind of woman, or you'll suffer later."
Xia Xiaoran offered her advice, but Lin Tingyue felt incredibly bitter. She thought of Chi Zhuo's words from yesterday and felt that what she was doing was not very effective.
"Yueyue?"
Xia Xiaoran called Lin Tingyue several times, but she remained engrossed in her own world and didn't respond. Xia Xiaoran became worried. "Yueyue, what's wrong? You look terrible. Are you feeling unwell?"
Lin Tingyue was numb and lost in thought, her voice weary. "It's okay, just take me home, I'm tired."
Qiao Wei's appearance was like a mirror, reflecting her wretchedness and misery, and shattering the structured world she was trying to escape.
She was like a pet hiding in a corner, secretly grieving, while others were already standing confidently and calmly in front of her, discussing common topics with Chi Zhuo.
This realization made her feel incredibly embarrassed and jealous.
Yes, jealousy.
She was actually jealous of Qiao Wei.
This discovery made her even more panicked.
Chi Zhuo returned home a little earlier than usual in the evening.
He took off his coat and saw Lin Tingyue curled up on the living room sofa reading a book, but her eyes were glazed over, and she was clearly distracted.
He walked over, sat down on the sofa opposite her, loosened his tie, and asked casually, "Went out today?"
Lin Tingyue snapped out of her reverie, put down her book, and gave a soft "hmm".
Where did you go?
"...I went to an art exhibition."
"Oh?" Chi Zhuo looked up at her. "What art exhibition?"
Lin Tingyue hesitated for a moment, but still told him the name of the art exhibition and its approximate location.
Chi Zhuo was silent for a few seconds, then suddenly asked, "Who did you run into?"
Lin Tingyue's heart tightened suddenly.
The feeling of being spied on and scrutinized made her very uncomfortable, and it also brought with it a strange sense of resentment.
She looked up at him, her tone sharp even to herself: "I met a Miss Qiao Wei. She said she knows you very well and that you even had dinner together at a French restaurant and talked about art. Mr. Chi's network of connections is truly extensive."
She regretted it as soon as the words left her mouth.
Upon hearing this, Chi Zhuo's brows furrowed almost imperceptibly, and his eyes instantly turned cold: "What did she say to you?"
His reaction made Lin Tingyue's heart sink.
He didn't deny it; instead, he was more concerned about what the other person had said.
"They didn't say anything, just greeted me and complimented Mr. Chi on his good taste. It seems they have a very good impression of you."
Lin Tingyue turned her face away, her tone becoming increasingly bitter.
Chi Zhuo stared at her for a moment, then suddenly stood up and walked up to her.
As the tall shadow loomed over her, Lin Tingyue instinctively shrank back.
He leaned down, placing his hands on the back of the sofa on either side of her, trapping her within his presence. He looked at her intently and asked, "Lin Tingyue, are you questioning me?"
His voice wasn't loud, but it carried a cold, oppressive quality.
Lin Tingyue was trapped by him, her heart racing, but she stubbornly refused to show weakness: "I dare not. I'm just curious, so President Chi can not only talk about grand principles, but also have normal meals and chats with others."
Chi Zhuo's eyes turned completely cold. He stared at her for a moment, his sharp eyes seeming to see through all her pretense and vulnerability.
He suddenly stood up, took long strides, and walked to her in a few steps.
The imposing figure made Lin Tingyue instinctively shrink back, trying to hide in the corner of the sofa.
He grabbed her chin, forcing her to look up, his voice clearly displeased: "Remember who you are. I don't need to report to you who I eat with or what I talk about. You have no right to ask."
It's about identity again!
Not qualified again!
Lin Tingyue's pent-up grievances and anger were instantly ignited, and she retorted without thinking.
"Yes! I'm not qualified. I'm just a decoration, a tool to solve problems. Of course, I can't compare to Miss Qiao, who shares your interests! Don't worry, I know my place. I won't pry into your colorful social life, and I have no interest in who you eat and chat with!"
Her words came out like a machine gun, laced with bitterness and self-abandonment.
Chi Zhuo stared at her face, which was flushed with excitement, and her eyes, which were glistening with tears. He tightened his grip on her chin slightly, and his expression became extremely complicated.
He suddenly lowered his head and kissed her lips fiercely.
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