At this thought, he asked, "Are you feeling better?"
Su Xingyu was stunned for a moment before she realized what he was talking about. Recalling the chaos and unbearable situation last night, the shame and humiliation that she had suppressed with great difficulty surged into her heart. She bit her lips and restrained herself from losing her composure. After a moment of silence, she said, "I'm fine."
Under the chandelier in the living room, the girl's skin was pale, and she looked so fragile.
Lu Shifeng raised his eyebrows slightly. "You don't have to be brave in front of me."
"I'm not trying to be brave." She tilted her head to the side, staring at the delicate textures on the heavy door. Her voice was muffled.
Lu Shifeng did not argue with her. He only said, "Come here."
She understood what he meant. She walked over and reached out to help him take off his suit jacket like last night. She stood on her tiptoes and raised her head, still struggling to do all of this. Her body was so close to his that she could feel his breath and body temperature.
She felt uncomfortable all over and finished as quickly as she could. She turned around and wanted to hang the suit jacket on the hanger.
Lu Shifeng reached out to stop her.
"What are you doing?!" She was shocked and blurted out.
He looked at her playfully. "Are you that afraid of me?"
"I'm not!" She glared at him, her heart still thumping wildly. She had been bullied several times. Now that he had suddenly stopped her, it would be strange if she wasn't scared. However, no matter how frightened she was, she didn't want to show weakness in front of him.
Lu Shifeng remained calm. "Remove my tie."
Only then did she realize that there was a silver-gray tie around his neck. The cold texture suited him very well. He did not ask her to remove it last night, so she did not know about this step at all. Now that he suggested it, she had no choice but to swallow her anger and do as he said. Her slender fingers removed the silver-gray tie bit by bit, and she accidentally touched his chest. It felt like an electric shock.
He lowered his head to look at her. His gaze was deep and dark, but it was burning hot and seemed to have substance.
She felt flustered by his stare and grew more nervous. Her fingers became stiff. She tried to untie it several times, but she couldn't.
Unexpectedly, he caught her hand.
She was so shocked that she almost cried out.
His voice was a little hoarse. "That's not how you undo it." His slender and steady hand held hers. Ignoring her fear, he taught her how to undo it bit by bit. The silver-gray tie fell between them.
Su Xingyu's face started to burn again, and her body turned weak. She was about to collapse.
She tried to pull her hand away several times but to no avail. She could only reprimand him in a low voice, "Let go of me quickly."
But even her voice was soft and weak.
Lu Shifeng did not let go of her. His other hand gently caressed her cheek. "Move to my bedroom to sleep tonight."
She looked at him in panic. "No… I…"
He tightened his grip on her face. "I thought you were already learning how to be a good wife."
She was at a loss for words, but she understood that this was his warning to her. It was also a warning that there was no room for negotiation. This man was always so domineering and did not think for her. To satisfy himself, he did not mind hurting her at all. She immediately recognized her identity. Yes, she had just made up her mind to obey him in the morning. To gain his trust, it was inevitable to sacrifice her body. This was one of the few tools she could use to please him.
She wouldn't be able to escape anyway.
She obeyed and moved to his bedroom. She got into his bed in a soft satin nightgown.
He was delighted and was only a little more merciful to her. Bit by bit, he patiently peeled off her nightgown and turned her body around to face him. The girl was curled up under the blanket. She was terrified and was shivering but still pretended as if nothing had happened. It made his heart pound inexplicably. "Does it still hurt?" he asked.
Her long eyelashes fluttered as if she did not understand what he was saying.
He laughed. "I'm asking you if your injury last night still hurts?"
This time, she understood. Her face turned red, but she did not answer. What was she supposed to say? It would be a lie if she said it did not hurt. Pain? It was too much like showing weakness or acting coquettishly. She was always on guard against him, like a rose with thorns, fully armed.
Lu Shifeng did not ask anymore and instead lowered his head to kiss her. But the kiss was different from last night, for it was very gentle.
However, she trembled even harder. Memories of last night and two years ago surfaced in her mind, making her want to escape.
"Lu Shifeng…" She called out his name in a trembling voice and pressed her hands against his chest. "Don't…"
He said, "Trust me."
"I…" Tears seeped out from the corners of her eyes. She wanted to resist, but she did not dare to. He had already used cruel facts to tell her the outcome of resisting. However, she really could not bring herself to please him.
Lu Shifeng kissed away the tears at the corner of her eyes. His actions were gentler but also forceful. With an irrefutable will, he took possession of everything about her. He knew that she was afraid, and perhaps she was unwilling to accept it—after all, a girl who was inexperienced in the ways of the world had married him in her youth when she still had beautiful hopes for love. He was a stranger who had met her only a few times and had even hurt her. It would be difficult for her to accept him at the moment. However, this was not a big problem. Love was illusory. Sooner or later, she would understand that she did not need it.
All she needed was to lean on him.
And he would take her under his wings and take care of her.
They were entangled.
She was in a daze and felt that her body did not seem to belong to her. The scorching temperature felt like it was going to melt her. She helplessly let him do whatever he wanted. She did not know how long she had been tormented, but she was exhausted. She curled up in his arms and sobbed softly.
He wiped her tears and frowned. "Why are you crying again? Does it still hurt?"
She shook her head, and her tears flowed even more fiercely. He wouldn't understand. He wouldn't understand what she had sacrificed for tonight. The first two times he possessed her, it was because she had resisted with all her might. However, tonight was different. She had voluntarily given up on herself, obediently threw herself into his arms, and even tried her best to suppress the urge to push him away.
She sobbed uncontrollably. From today onwards, she was no longer the Su Xingyu who would preserve her last bit of pride no matter what kind of adversity she faced in the past. Now, all of her pride was trampled under his feet, crushed and not worth mentioning.
She cried for a long time and fell asleep in his arms.
The night was filled with nightmares, and she woke up not long after.
She opened her eyes and saw Lu Shifeng getting off the bed. The man's naked body was vaguely visible under the dim light of the night lamp. He was slender and strong, like an ancient god of war.
She looked at him unconsciously for a few seconds and suddenly realized that he was naked. She turned her head away in shock.
The movement was too big, and he noticed it. A deep voice sounded. "You're awake? It's still early. Sleep a little longer."
She did not dare to look at him. From the corner of her eye, she glanced at the alarm clock on the bedside table. It was 5:10 am.