The villa was shrouded in a deathly silence in the early morning.
The fireplace fire had long since died down, leaving only cold ashes. The air was thick with the lingering scent of snow, and even the sunlight streaming through the window looked like frozen fragments.
When Yu Jiuyuan came downstairs, Rong Shenghan was sitting at the dining table.
He looked even more haggard than the night before, with dark circles under his eyes like ink spreading out, and his lips had an unnatural bluish-purple tinge, clearly indicating that his fever had worsened.
He hadn't touched his breakfast; only the ginger soup was still steaming, like his last remaining bit of life.
Hearing footsteps, he looked up abruptly, a fleeting glint of panic in his eyes, like a lost person grasping at a last straw: "Awake? I'll call the kitchen..."
"Shut up."
Yu Jiuyuan's voice was soft, yet sharp as ice, instantly cutting off all his words.
She walked to the head of the table and sat down, not even glancing at him, and simply told the butler, "Bring up breakfast, make sure it's hot."
Rong Shenghan's lips moved, but he ultimately remained silent and lowered his head, his fingers gripping the spoon turning white from the force.
His concession was like an invisible thorn, making Yu Jiuyuan's heart inexplicably tighten.
She hated his submissive attitude, hated his silence instead of explanation, and hated that she felt irritated even though she should be proud.
When breakfast was served, Yu Jiuyuan deliberately slowed down her eating pace.
The porcelain spoon made a crisp sound as it hit the rim of the bowl, which was particularly jarring in the deathly quiet restaurant.
She could feel Rong Shenghan's gaze occasionally falling on her, carrying a cautious probing and... a trace of pain she couldn't understand.
"Cough cough..." He suddenly coughed, as if he had choked on something, and the cough became more and more urgent, his shoulders heaving violently, causing the dining table to shake slightly.
Yu Jiuyuan paused, her hand holding the spoon catching a glimpse of his reddened eyes from coughing. The irritation in her heart instantly turned into anger.
He's playing the victim again. Is he trying to soften her heart and force her to compromise?
"Rong Shenghan." She put down her spoon, her voice as cold as ice. "Don't you have anything to say to me?"
Rong Shenghan finally managed to stop coughing, wiped his lips with a tissue, and said in a hoarse voice, "I..."
"I don't want to hear your perfunctory explanations." Yu Jiuyuan interrupted him, slowly stood up, and walked to him.
From her elevated position, she could clearly see his pale face and those eyes that held so many emotions. "I'm asking you, how long are you going to keep the Su family's affairs a secret from me?"
"Jiuyuan, we can't say it yet..."
"That's that again." Yu Jiuyuan laughed, but the laughter didn't reach her eyes; instead, it revealed an almost cruel mockery. "Rong Shenghan, have you forgotten who you are?"
Rong Shenghan suddenly looked up, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.
"You are someone I keep in my villa."
Yu Jiuyuan's fingertips lightly traced his cheek, the gesture carrying a false intimacy, but her eyes were as cold as if she were looking at an object. "I made you stay, so you can stand here. I made you speak, so you can open your mouth. Do you think you have the right to hide anything from me?"
Her words were like a blunt knife, slowly cutting through his feigned calm.
Rong Shenghan's face turned deathly pale instantly, his lips trembled, but he couldn't utter a single word in rebuttal. He was indeed able to stay in this villa and by her side only because of her "permission".
“I thought you knew the rules.” Yu Jiuyuan withdrew her hand, the chill from her fingertips still seeming to linger on his skin. “It seems I’ve been too lenient with you, making you forget your place.”
Looking into her cold eyes, Rong Shenghan felt as if his heart was being squeezed by an invisible hand, the pain making it almost impossible for him to breathe.
He knew she was cold and selfish, but he never imagined she would dissect their relationship so cruelly.
"I didn't..." he tried to explain, to say that his concealment was not because of contempt, but because of care.
But he couldn't say it.
The crisp sound of a slap echoed through the restaurant, like a thunderclap shattering the silence.
Yu Jiuyuan's hand was raised in mid-air, her palms showing red marks from the force she exerted.
A clear palm print quickly appeared on Rong Shenghan's profile, so red it was glaring, creating a stark contrast with his pale skin.
He was stunned, seemingly not expecting her to actually do it.
The astonishment, pain, and disbelief in his eyes were like shards of broken glass, piling up little by little, but he eventually forced them down, leaving only a bottomless calm.
"You hit me." His voice was very soft, as if stating a fact, revealing no emotion.
"So what if I hit you?"
Yu Jiuyuan's gaze remained unwavering, instead carrying an almost obsessive sharpness, "Rong Shenghan, today I'll teach you the last rule..."
She leaned down, turned his face towards her, and whispered in his ear, her voice extremely low and icy, like a viper's hiss:
"When I lose my temper, remember to ask me if I've calmed down yet, don't ask any more questions."
"When you slap me, remember to ask me if my hand hurts."
"Because you are mine. Your emotions and feelings are worthless in front of me."
Every word was like a poisoned needle, piercing Rong Shenghan's heart.
He could feel her breath brushing past his ear, carrying her usual scent of white tea, but now it felt like corrosive venom, burning his skin.
He slowly raised his head to meet her gaze.
The palm print was particularly striking on his face, but it did not affect the focus in his eyes at all.
He looked at her reddened palms, remained silent for a few seconds, and then asked, word by word, in an almost reverent tone:
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