in shock at the same time!Especially Bai Yu!That day, he was there!He knew exactly what had happened!He knew exactly how Jian Tong had insulted Xia Wei Ming, who had passed away three years ago!But no...That rough voice, laced with pleas and humiliation.

Shen Xiujin stiffened, his body tensing: “What nonsense are you talking about!”

He snarled.

The woman beneath him turned her head, her eyes filled with humiliation and defiance: "Insulting me has always been your pleasure, hasn't it, Shen Xiujian" Tears welled up in her eyes: "The abjectness you desire, I will give you as you wish."

Isn't that what he wants

"No." The man's voice was hoarse, pain like shards of glass in his eyes as he looked down at the woman beneath him. "I... I'm sorry."

He clutched her tightly from behind, his arms encircling the frail woman, holding her close to his chest. His throat was constricted; how could she utter such vulgar words

How could you stoop so low as to say such things!

No!

No!

It's him!

It's his fault!

He pressured her again and again!

Long flowing hair, enveloping a drenched body, in his arms, the woman was so thin she could barely be grasped. The man's black eyes held pain, unseen by the woman he held close.

A hint of bitterness lingered on my heart.

He is, he is, what is he

...just wanted to prove that, in her eyes, he Shen Xiujin was different from others

He just wanted her to face the past, to face him

Looking down at the woman beneath him, his eyes were filled with regret. He was wrong, terribly wrong. He wouldn't use this method to pressure her anymore.

Holding her, he kissed her one by one, each kiss falling on her shoulders adorned with silken strands. He kissed her nape, her crown, each kiss delicate and tender, as if he yearned to give her everything.

Kiss by kiss, tenderly and devoutly they fall.

If Jian Tong hadn't succumbed to the humiliation and pain, if she hadn't wallowed in the memories of that unbearable past, maybe she could have felt it—each seemingly domineering kiss was actually humble, devout, a testament to her being cherished.

That seemingly domineering action was actually filled with regret and unease. Yes, the man who once towered above like an emperor—Shen Xiujin—he too had moments of unease like this!

At this moment, the truly humble person between them wasn't Jian Tong, but the man who held his woman tightly in his arms. All his domineering behavior was a paper tiger, a window paper covering his unease.

Seemingly humble, seemingly strong,

Seemingly bearing humiliation, seemingly even more domineering,

Truly, the one crawling was a fierce and domineering face!

Shen Xiuqin kissed Jian Tong. He would never say "sorry" to this woman, even though at this moment, in his heart, he was saying "sorry" over and over again, just like his kisses.

But, he would never say that to her!

"From now on, don't ever say such things again, child, alright" A dry voice, laced with regret, spilled out from him. Shen Xiujin almost hid his vulnerability beneath his fierce demeanor.

"Go! Leave!"

She swung wildly, her hands already free. She didn't even look, grabbing things around her and throwing them at him. A pillow went flying towards him: "Leave! I don't want to see you right now!"

"Little one, calm down!"

Her eyes were red-rimmed, with a mixture of excitement and pain. The spot on her lower back where he had kissed her still tingled, but it hurt more than ever before.

"Are you leaving or not" She glared at him, her eyes red with anger. "Fine! If you're not leaving, I am!"

"Little one, stop playing."

What

Who is playing around

"You promised me, you promised me!"

She shouted, "Shen Xiujin, I don't want anything! I don't want anything at all! I don't want the Jian family, I don't want Wei Ai, I don't want…" She paused, her gaze locked on the man across from her, his heart suddenly jolting to his throat: "Xiaotong!" he choked out, fear lurking in his voice.

"You..." A self-deprecating smirk danced in her bloodshot eyes, her long eyelashes fluttering as they fell. "I gave up on it a long time ago."

Clang!

The big stone in her chest shattered into pieces the moment she uttered those words.

"Little one, wake up." He reached out to embrace the woman with bloodshot eyes.

An alarm clock smashed over.

"Get out! Don't touch me!" her face flushed red, "Tomorrow, no! Now, I'm moving out right now."

The metal alarm clock smashed into the man, he didn't dodge it and took the full force to his forehead, instantly turning it red and swollen.

He didn't care about any of that. The woman picked up anything she could reach and, like a madman, threw it at him—pillows, cellphones, calendars, pens, anything within reach was hurled at him. He wasn't afraid of these things, but his peripheral vision suddenly caught sight of a fruit knife on the dressing table. In an instant, his entire heart pounded with fear.

"I'm leaving! I'm leaving now, little one. Calm down, tomorrow... we'll talk tomorrow." He was terrified that if she got any other ideas, he didn't mind if she stabbed him with the fruit knife, but what if she hurt herself "Listen to me, you're tired, just rest for tonight."

If Bai Yuxing and Xi Chen saw this scene, they would surely be astonished... The arrogant Shen Xiuqin, defeated and fleeing in embarrassment.

In the room, there was only her and a mess.

Just now, Jian Tong had been stubbornly throwing things at that man. But now, she slid softly down the wall like a limp noodle and collapsed onto the floor.

She knew, she wasn't like herself today. The emotions were too intense, swirling within her. She wasn't her usual self. But she couldn't help it, couldn't hold back the pain, couldn't resist the tide of unbearable past images rushing in!

Why!

Why did you have to touch her there

He just had to remind her again and again about how wretched she once lived.

"I just want to forget," she murmured softly. "I know I can't, I pretend I have, isn't that okay"

Really, really had to push her that hard

What on earth is he going to do!

What on earth, does he want from her again!

"Summer Wei Ming, Summer Wei Ming, I want to switch with you, can't we switch"

If she had known that her life would become what it is today after the day Xia Wei Ming got into trouble, if she had known about all the unimaginable horrors she would endure, she would have readily accepted the invitation that day.

If there had ever been a moment when she knew that Jian Tong would one day ruin everything because of falling in love with a man she shouldn't have, losing her heart and destroying her life... Jian Tong vaguely thought about "what if," she was a little lost, asking herself, if that were the case, would she still love

Will you still

Will you again

One more time

She asked herself over and over.

Over and over again, there are no answers.

"Knock knock."

The quiet room was suddenly interrupted by a jarring bang at the door. The woman on the floor froze, her eyes wide with terror, staring at the sound's source.

"Madam, it's me."

Outside the door, the steward's calm voice rang out: "Sir, please open the door. Your master has instructed that you must be hungry and has prepared a midnight snack for you."

"No, that's alright."

"Madam, please don't make things difficult for me. My master said that if I don't watch you finish your meal, he will fire me. I have a family to support, madam, please do me a favor and help me out."

A trace of hesitation flickered across Jian Tong's eyes: "...and him" she finally managed to stammer out.

"Who Is that Sir Sir has already gone to rest in the master bedroom."

Therefore, outside the door, there was only the butler.

Jian Tong's heart gradually calmed down. She stood up and said, "Wait a moment."

She casually threw on a robe, tossing her rumpled pajamas into the trash before pulling the covers over herself with disgust.

Only then did he open the door.

Outside the door, the housekeeper walked in and placed a tray on the dressing table. "Madam, Master asked me to check on you after your meal," he said as he plugged in the scented spray diffuser on the tray. "This is a humidifier. The air in the house is dry, using it can improve the air quality and aid sleep."

Jian Tong sat down and quietly finished the bowl of silver ear soup.

The housekeeper had already left without a sound.

Fifteen minutes later

The door creaked open, and a tall figure walked in. Standing silently behind the woman, he looked down at her asleep on the vanity table, sighed, and bent down to lift her gently, placing her on the bed. "What am I to do with you"with a bit of temper, he said: "Do whatever you want, I don't care about your messes!""Child," Shen Xiuqin's gaze fell back on the woman. "You, truly, want to protect him"The woman's eyes drooped slig...