His question shook Gu Qingcheng to her core, and she shuddered even more violently. Keeping her eyes firmly shut, she decided to stick her head in the sand and pretend that everything would be all right. Forcing herself to thrust aside all feelings of shame, she stretched out her hands toward him.
Noticing Gu Qingcheng's expression of resigned acceptance, as though she were headed to the execution grounds, Tang Shi couldn't resist jeering at her. "Now, look here, Gu Qingcheng, don't you give me that face looking like you're being coerced into this. If you don't feel up to it, you can leave right now!"
Tang Shi's rebuke made Gu Qingcheng's hands tremble uncontrollably. After a brief pause and with her lips pursed into a determined look, she ignored his sarcastic remarks as her hands finally touched him.
Tang Shi's body tensed and, not waiting for any reaction from Gu Qingcheng, he reached out suddenly and grabbed hold of her, tossing her onto the bed behind him in one fell swoop.
His actions became aggressively erratic and heavy-handed. He bruised her arms and neck during the tussle. Although her pale and tender skin was covered with unpleasant marks, she didn't seem to feel any pain, maintaining her silence through it all.
Seeing her in that state irritated him even more, pushing him to the edge of sanity. So, he decided to punish her by assuaging his primal needs.
His kiss, more like a bite, descended on her neck with a force so sudden and strong that her body recoiled visibly as she let out an almost-silent shriek. What followed was again a deafening silence that persisted even when he could taste blood.
Her muted indifference made him despise himself briefly before he proceeded further.
Although her eyes were moist, she tried her best to keep them tightly shut, worried that he would get upset if she let her tears flow.
Because he had once said that he hated to see her cry.
If this was the torture and pain that she'd have to endure in exchange for a chance to join Sheng Tang or to get herself impregnated with his child, she decided it would all be worth it.
After a long time, the ordeal ended.
Gu Qingcheng felt as if she'd been to the gates of h*ll and back.
In a stupor, Gu Qingcheng lay on the bed for a long time before she slowly recovered her senses. By her side, she could hear Tang Shi's slightly erratic breathing.
Gu Qingcheng turned on her side and opened her eyes to find Tang Shi lying with his eyes wide open, staring at the ceiling, deep in thought.
Since she hadn't managed to serve him in the way that he'd wanted her to, she was uncertain if she had fulfilled her commitment for the night.
After some hesitation, Gu Qingcheng decided to broach the subject. "So, tomorrow, can I come to work at Sheng Tang?"
Gu Qingcheng had no clue as to why this question of hers was so funny, because Tang Shi's lips curled up suddenly, and he burst out laughing. Then, with an icy expression, he turned to stare at her for an exceptionally long time before he nodded slightly and then pointed to the door. "Now get out!"