Before this moment, Shi Sui had always felt that the two words “break up” weighed heavier than a thousand pounds for her.

She was very timid.

So timid that she would rather run far away alone than dare to say these two words to Yan Tingli.

But the instant she spoke them.

It was as if some shackles had fallen off her body and dissipated, and the heavy fog before her eyes also cleared.

Yes.

What did any of this have to do with her?

Why did she have to hide in this corner like a mouse?

She wasn’t happy.

Why couldn’t she break up?

Yan Tingli acted as if he hadn’t heard her say “break up,” saying softly, “I said there won’t be a next time.”

Shi Sui could no longer hear what he was saying.

She was only trapped in her world, her originally grayish pupils gradually brightening.

Just thinking about breaking up with Yan Tingli, she felt as if the whole world had lit up.

“Let’s break up.” She grabbed Yan Tingli’s sleeve, as if clutching at her last hope, saying repeatedly, “Yan Tingli, let’s break up.”

“I don’t want to continue like this anymore. Please, let’s break up.”

“Okay?”

Shi Sui thought.

Perhaps she had gone crazy one step before Yan Tingli.

So much so that when Yan Tingli was expressionless, looking at her with that bone-chillingly cold gaze, slowly telling her to “take back those words.”

She still felt nothing.

Still repeating over and over: “I said, let’s break up. I want to break up with you.”

Shi Sui was thrown onto the soft chair in the study. Yan Tingli leaned over her, his ice-cold fingers gripping her neck.

His long finger bones showed protruding veins, loosening, and tightening.

He said hoarsely: “Shut up.”

Shi Sui: “I want to break up.”

“Say it again and I’ll strangle you.”

He wasn’t using any force at all, wouldn’t even leave a mark.

Yan Tingli was a coward.

He didn’t dare use force.

Shi Sui pushed her neck into his palm, looking into his eyes, saying slowly word by word: “Even if you strangle me, I still want to break up.”

The light in Yan Tingli’s eyes flickered on and off, finally becoming as still as a pool of stagnant water.

He stood up.

Right in front of her, he took off his shirt, his gaze looking down from above, landing on her cheek without a ripple.

Seeing his actions, Shi Sui shrank back, gritting her teeth and glaring: “Yan Tingli, you only know how to force me!”

Yan Tingli tilted his head, smiling at her.

His fingers were ice-cold, sliding up her snow-white legs like a snake.

Shi Sui felt uneasy but didn’t want to show weakness.

Her determination to break up surpassed everything: “Do whatever you want. Consider it a breakup screw.”

Yan Tingli’s head was buried under her skirt.

Hearing this, he showed no reaction. He kissed up along her legs. Shi Sui felt creeped out by his strange actions and wanted to kick him away, but Yan Tingli suddenly increased his strength.

Pressing her down firmly.

“Forcing you?” His breath lightly brushed past as he laughed, but his tone had no warmth: “If it’s force, why can you get so wet?”

Shi Sui bit down hard on her lower lip.

“Is it natural?” he asked with a curious tone.

His hair brushed against the skin of her legs.

His voice was muffled.

Water sounds, swallowing sounds.

Every little noise was amplified.

He always had countless ways to torment her.

Shi Sui’s pale fingers clenched and loosened, stubbornly not making a sound.

“I’m asking you.” Yan Tingli’s tone suddenly turned cold.

Accompanied by the heavy pressure of his fingertips, making her whole body tremble: “Is it natural?”

Shi Sui was covered in sweat.

Her throat was also dry from the unbearable sensation. Knowing his deliberate malice, she admitted: “Yes, natural. After breaking up with you, I can do this with anyone—mmm.”

She couldn’t finish the rest of her words.

Because the look in Yan Tingli’s eyes when he raised his head could only be described as terrifying, full of murderous intent.

When he was determined to punish her, Shi Sui was no match for him.

From years of holding pens.

Yan Tingli’s fingertips had a layer of calluses.

His finger bones were also extraordinarily long.

He knew every one of her sensitive spots.

When he pressed and rubbed heavily.

Shi Sui felt tingling even in the gaps between her bones.

Yan Tingli watched her carelessly, watching her eyes brim with tears, a layer of mist covering her eyes.

Then, suddenly withdrew.

Shi Sui was left hanging, neither up nor down.

Her hands clawed at his shoulders.

Like urgency, like unbearable need.

Yan Tingli said coldly, “You’re not allowed to climax.”

Shi Sui breathed lightly.

Ashamed and uncomfortable.

She resisted with silence, her nails scratching his back.

“Do you want it?” he asked her emotionlessly.

Shi Sui gritted her teeth and said nothing.

“Seems it’s still not enough.”

Several rounds of edging.

The sweat on her body came in layer after layer.

Her consciousness was also unclear.

“Open yourself up for me.”

She heard him command.

The moment she was satisfied.

Shi Sui gripped the bedsheets tightly, her knuckles white with force, a sigh escaping her throat.

“What would you do without me?” Yan Tingli’s wrinkled fingers, from being soaked, seemed to stroke her cheek with pity, “Who else could make Suisui feel this good?”

Shi Sui almost bit through her lower lip.

She felt like she had already lost her reason.

Suppressed for too long, she almost said with the mindset of mutual destruction with Yan Tingli: “How would I know without trying with others?”

Yan Tingli was so angry he laughed instead.

His ice-cold laughter was more chilling than any storm.

His fingers calmly touched the most tender skin on the inside of her thighs.

His forehead pressed against hers, using a tone as if discussing with her, gently saying: “How about I tattoo a few words here for Suisui?”

“What should I tattoo?”

“How about my name?”

“Or my surname.”

As if a sinister cold wind blew past.

Shi Sui’s whole body gradually stiffened, the sweat she had worked up congealing and sticking to her body.

“Don’t be afraid.” Yan Tingli kissed her forehead, saying softly, “I’ll go learn right away and tattoo it myself. It definitely won’t hurt.”

Shi Sui felt like even her scalp was about to explode.

She suddenly pushed him away hard, her chest heaving, looking at him with extreme terror: “No! I don’t want it! Get away from me!”

Yan Tingli looked at her and smiled, his lips curving with satisfaction.

He pulled her back into his arms, his palm gently stroking her hair, saying warmly: “Of course.”

“As long as we don’t break up, anything is fine.”

“Otherwise,” he pulled out a strand of her hair, moving close to look at her, “in case some trash I don’t know about approaches you.”

Yan Tingli thought for a moment, saying somewhat troubled: “Killing him would be a bit troublesome.”

Shi Sui herself didn’t know that because of extreme fear, her whole body was already unconsciously trembling.

Using all her strength, she still had nowhere to retreat.

She buried her head and collapsed, screaming.

“I want to break up.”

“I want to break up.”

Her last nerve was also crushed. She was helpless, crying like a child who couldn’t get candy.

She didn’t see Yan Tingli’s eyelashes droop, the corners of his eyes turning red.

He pressed her against the headboard, his voice also faintly trembling: “Last week, you said you wanted to be with me forever.”

“You lied to me again.” He repeated, “Shi Sui, you lied to me again.”

Shi Sui covered her ears and shook her head, crying and shouting: “Those were things you forced me to agree to!”

“I just want to break up with you, I’ve wanted to for so long!”

Yan Tingli was silent for a long time.

Only then did he slowly raise his eyes: “You weren’t like this last week.”

As if remembering something, he suddenly moved closer, gripping her shoulders tightly: “Is it because Song Jie made you afraid?”

“It must be.”

Yan Tingli seemed reassured. He pulled her back into his arms, burying his head down, his cheek pressed against her neck, exposing his vulnerable neck to her.

As if carefully choosing his words, he spoke very slowly.

“I have a way to make them accept.”

“Just give me a little time.”

“It’s them making you afraid, it must be.”

Shi Sui was covered in tear stains, shaking her head continuously.

She said weakly: “No, it’s not them.”

“Let’s break up,” she begged him, “please, Brother Tingli. We’re not the same kind of people. We’re not compatible—”

Before she could finish, Shi Sui’s chin was gripped and lifted.

Yan Tingli’s face was pale as snow, no light left in his eyes. He tilted his head slightly, carving each word into her brain: “There’s no such thing as compatible or not.”

“Only whether I want you or not.”

“I’ll give you one last chance.”

“Tell me, no breakup.”

“Forever together with me.”

Under tremendous pressure, Shi Sui still stubbornly stared at him: “I want to break up.”

“Good.” Yan Tingli almost wanted to applaud, “Our Suisui has backbone.”

Pulling her to press her down beneath him, he said in a tone devoid of any warmth: “Then give me a child. With a child, where could you run to?”

At this moment, even Shi Sui’s cerebral cortex exploded.

Every cell in her body was screaming with terror.

“You’re crazy,” she screamed, using all her strength to punch and kick, “You’re a madman!!!”

Yan Tingli turned a deaf ear, only saying in her ear, “Perfect. If I have one, my dad won’t need to. Killing two birds with one stone.”

“When the child is born, we can get married just in time.”

“This way, we’ll be together forever.”

As if thinking this idea was particularly brilliant.

He laughed softly in her ear.

No matter how Shi Sui pushed or struggled, Yan Tingli remained unmoved.

By her ear, he spoke of “their child.”

He seemed tireless.

Shi Sui could only feel endless darkness and terror.

Tears flowed all over the pillow.

Shi Sui said indifferently: “Yan Tingli, I hate you.”

His movements paused.

After a long time, he lowered his head to lick and kiss away her tears, saying: “That’s fine too.”

His voice dissipated like fog: “Hate lasts longer than love.”

…………………………………………………………………………….

When she woke up again, it was dark outside, and she didn’t know what time it was.

There was no one beside her, cold and empty.

But the bedsheets and her clothes had been changed, and she felt no discomfort.

Shi Sui propped herself up on the bed and reached for her phone to check the time.

5:30 AM.

She walked out of the bedroom barefoot.

No one was home either.

Shi Sui stood in place for a while, then quickly returned to the room to change clothes.

——She had to leave this place immediately.

Walking to the door.

She pressed the handle, but couldn’t open it no matter what. The door was locked from the outside.

Shi Sui’s heart sank, almost unable to believe it.

She quickly thought of a solution, calling to Little Snail: “Open the door.”

Little Snail only emitted a cold mechanical voice: “Incorrect command.”

Slowly understanding what was happening, Shi Sui stood in place, her face gradually turning pale.

She continued to take out her phone, immediately about to order delivery to buy emergency contraception.

But the page spun for a long time, showing no signal.

In an instant.

Shi Sui felt cold all over.

“Little Snail!” she screamed, “Connect to the internet! I need internet!”

“Incorrect command.”

“Ah!”

Shi Sui suddenly held her head, hysterically collapsing and screaming.

All the adults who had seen her since childhood.

Would praise her for being well-behaved, quiet, and good-tempered.

Shi Sui had never imagined.

That one day, she would act like a madwoman, smashing everything in the house that could be broken or thrown.

On the display shelf was a pair of very ugly ceramic dolls.

They were from her freshman year, brought back from handicraft class. She had to submit work the next week, but Shi Sui was clumsy with her hands.

The design drawings were beautiful, but when it came to making them, she was lost.

Yan Tingli laughed while making sarcastic comments.

Shi Sui pushed the clay to him in a huff: “If you’re so capable, you do it.”

So the two of them spent an entire Sunday.

Each making one ugly doll, forming a pair of “golden boy and jade girl.”

Later when turning in the assignment, Shi Sui even received a “Most Special Work Award” from the substitute teacher.

But the dolls weren’t confiscated and were returned, continuing to sit on the apartment’s display shelf.

………….

Shi Sui’s hand lingered on the dolls for a long time.

Several times, she impulsively wanted to smash them, but in the end, she closed her eyes and tearfully put them back.

Until she was exhausted, Shi Sui ran back to the bay window in the bedroom, hugging her knees and curling up.

…..

She didn’t know how much time had passed.

The sun rose, with a few rays of sunlight falling on Shi Sui’s face.

She opened her heavy eyelids.

The first thing that came into view was several green plants she had bought for this place.

The green leaves stretched their branches leisurely in the sunlight.

Shi Sui stared at them for a while, then turned her head to see Yan Tingli leaning against the wall, not knowing how long he had been watching her.

Being seen by her.

He first paused, then lowered his eyes.

Shi Sui looked at him calmly.

Licking her cracked lips: “Let me out.”

He didn’t respond: “Come eat.”

“I said,” Shi Sui repeated, “I want to go out.”

Yan Tingli’s steps paused for a moment.

“Then answer me first,” turning to look at her, “still want to break up?”

Shi Sui bit her lips and said nothing.

Yan Tingli sneered: “Then continue staying here.”

“This is imprisonment.”

He countered: “Then call the police?”

Shi Sui gritted her teeth.

“Still want to break up?” he asked for the second time.

Shi Sui stared at him, but wouldn’t speak.

Yan Tingli took two steps forward, gripped her chin, and said coldly: “Then stay here. You can leave when you get pregnant.”

These words directly brought Shi Sui back to the edge of collapse.

Her long eyelashes trembled, her emotions stimulated, her stomach churning, covering her mouth, wanting to vomit.

But her stomach was empty, so Shi Sui couldn’t vomit anything out.

Yan Tingli’s face turned paler, carrying her horizontally.

The weight in his hands was light as a feather, his voice very low: “Go eat something.”

Shi Sui suddenly grabbed his sleeve.

He stopped.

“I agree with you.” She said calmly, then the second half: “No breakup.”

“Now, buy me contraceptives.”

Yan Tingli didn’t answer. He continued carrying her, setting her down at the dining table.

Shi Sui noticed.

All the mess she had created was now clean and tidy.

Yan Tingli placed the just-warmed pumpkin porridge in front of her.

Shi Sui threw away the spoon: “I said, I want contraceptives.”

Yan Tingli picked up the spoon again and fed the porridge to her mouth: “Drink.”

Shi Sui was burning with anger.

But she still endured and opened her mouth, finishing the bowl of porridge.

Her empty stomach finally felt somewhat better. Seeing Yan Tingli about to turn and take the bowl away.

Shi Sui shouted: “I said, I want contraceptives!”

Yan Tingli ignored her: “Not needed.”

Shi Sui rushed at him, charging like a little bull: “I don’t want to get pregnant, I want contraceptives!”

“You can’t get pregnant.” Yan Tingli turned to look at her.

Shi Sui was stunned.

Her mind analyzed the meaning of his words.

Why? Was he impotent?

Weak sperm? Or something else…

Her expression changed unpredictably until her head was pushed by Yan Tingli’s expressionless hand.

“I had a vasectomy.”

Shi Sui was shocked in place.

Looking at his back, still somewhat suspicious: “When?”

Yan Tingli kept a straight face, not speaking.

“Are you lying to me?” Shi Sui still didn’t dare believe, “What if I still get pregnant?”

After all, Yan Tingli was full of schemes.

This matter couldn’t have any mistakes.

Yan Tingli put the bowl back into the dishwasher.

Using bone-chillingly cold eyes to look at her: “If you can still get pregnant, I’ll castrate that man.”

Shi Sui: “…”

The most feared thing was resolved.

Plus, her stomach was full, and Shi Sui’s mental state gradually returned to normal.

Turning to look at Yan Tingli’s expression.

Since admitting to the “vasectomy,” he had been silent.

Shi Sui was curious: “So when exactly did you—”

Yan Tingli interrupted her: “When was the longest we went without seeing each other?”

Shi Sui recalled.

Could it have been during her sketching trip?

That time, they hadn’t seen each other for almost a full month.

She asked quietly: “Why did you think to go…”

Pausing, Shi Sui used “that” to replace vasectomy.

“I don’t like children.” He said coldly, “Condoms aren’t 100% effective.”

Shi Sui slowly: “…Oh.”

People are like this.

After escaping from the greatest despair, all other small difficulties seem less frightening.

Shi Sui calmed down, hesitantly asking: “…When can I go out?”

“Today.”

Yan Tingli’s cold gaze fixed on Little Snail.

This place still wasn’t safe enough.

The Qingming holiday ended.

Returning to school for classes, Shi Sui even felt like she was in another lifetime.

Tuesday evening, Shi Sui met Zhou Xuyan for dinner at a hotpot restaurant in University Town.

“After the results of this competition come out, I’ll submit the final application.” She told Zhou Xuyan.

Zhou Xuyan was stunned: “Why are you suddenly so determined?”

Shi Sui lowered her eyelashes, picking at her food, telling Zhou Xuyan what happened on Qingming Day.

Including Song Jie suddenly barging into the apartment.

And Yan Tingli went crazy after she suggested breaking up.

Shi Sui didn’t elaborate on the latter details.

But even with this brief description, her cheeks still showed a slight pallor.

Zhou Xuyan looked at her expression and gripped her chopsticks tightly: “Did he do something terrible?”

Shi Sui pressed her lips together.

Without answering directly, she just nodded lightly: “For me, it was quite scary.”

Zhou Xuyan took a deep breath, comfortingly stroking her cheek.

Piecing together the current messy situation, she sighed: “Such a big mess, it’s hard on you, caught in the middle.”

“Yan Tingli becoming this kind of little pervert is related to his parents. Their whole family is quite crazy.”

Shi Sui lowered her head, not commenting.

But she heard Zhou Xuyan mention something: “Aren’t you curious why the Yan family parents, with such profit-driven personalities, would let you live in their house? Because your dad and his dad had a good relationship? No matter how good the relationship, with so many properties in their family, they wouldn’t let you live in the main residence, even across from Yan Tingli’s room, considering the difference between men and women.”

Shi Sui was stunned, looking at her.

“Although rich people don’t mind one extra pair of chopsticks,” Zhou Xuyan said, “the richer they are, the more utilitarian. They never do anything without benefit, even small things.”

Shi Sui couldn’t help asking: “Then why?”

“Poor people seek this life, rich people seek the next. Yan Zecheng and Song Jie are very Buddhist, throwing tens of millions in incense money for ceremonies every year at Daguan Temple.”

“This is extremely confidential,” Zhou Xuyan said in the lowest voice, “I only heard it by eavesdropping on my grandmother and my mother chatting.”

“When Yan Tingli was born, they had his horoscope read. The result was that extreme intelligence leads to injury, his personality easily goes to extremes, and he brings misfortune to close relatives. The fate of a lone star in movies and TV shows.”

Shi Sui’s memory suddenly returned to that day, to Song Jie’s words that slipped out.

While having a sudden realization, she also felt a heavy stuffiness and sourness in her heart.

Zhou Xuyan continued: “Just before you came, they had returned from the temple. The abbot told them to do more good deeds to accumulate merit for Yan Congjin.”

“Also, your horoscope can neutralize Yan Tingli’s very inauspicious chart, maybe there could be a miracle.”

“They’re very superstitious. When they came back, they agreed to take you in.”