Xia Liyou may not have many things, but she still has self-awareness.
This self-awareness constantly reminds her of her unique status.
As long as he didn't leave, Xia Liyou chose not to act. She just clutched her robe wrapped across her chest, her pair of eyes calmly looking at him, her face taut, hiding her worries.
"Are you waiting for me to help you?" Ou Chengtian broke the silence, a wicked smile hooked on the corner of his mouth.
Xia Liyou's grip on her robe tightened, she looked at him defensively, and instinctively leaned back, only to find there was no room to retreat.
The way she looked so fearful, as if he was a fierce beast.
He despised the fact that Xia Liyou always looked at him with those strange and scared eyes. Was he really a stranger to her?
They had shared a bed for two years, and did that mean nothing to her?
This reminded him of Wei Xuefeng's four words, "money transaction".
They had indeed engaged in a money transaction, but did she have to remind him about this all the time?
Ou Chengtian instantaneously felt a lump lodged in his throat that irked him.
He suddenly stood up and punched the shiny mirror in the bathroom. His perfect reflection in the mirror shattered instantly.
The shards of glass left Ou Chengtian's hand bleeding profusely.
But he didn't care. He just glared at her, trying to discern every ounce of her emotions.
When he saw a moment of panic in her eyes, his mood unexpectedly improved.
He didn't delve into whether her panic was because she was worried about him, or afraid of him. At that moment, he didn't need rationality. He just needed a feeling that leaned more towards the former, and that was enough for him.
"Your hand." Xia Liyou spoke softly, feeling that Ou Chengtian was very dangerous at that moment. She was scared, scared that her fate would be just like that mirror—broken and shattered.
Hearing her soft call, Ou Chengtian strangely felt comforted. At least, she wasn't looking at him impassively, treating him as if he were invisible.
At least, she pretended to care about him for a moment.
He didn't ask for much. Even if it was pretense from her, he was willing to accept it.
Ou Chengtian rinsed his hand under the faucet, not letting Xia Liyou see the scene of blood flowing.
He opened the bathroom door, looked back at her, and said, "Hurry up and bathe, I'll wait for you downstairs."
After saying this, he inexplicably gave her a fleeting smile.
That smile was brief, disappearing in a blink.
Until the moment the door closed, Xia Liyou was questioning whether she had really seen him smile just now.
Water gently streamed down, soaking her body.
The faint and deep love marks on her frustrated Xia Liyou.
He must have done it on purpose. In this way, she could avoid filming for a few days.
Even though the makeup artist could perfectly cover them up, Xia Liyou didn't want to let everyone see the traces on her body.
In this circle, it was hard to maintain some private life. Apart from being careful everywhere, she needed to do her best.
Xia Liyou sighed, immersing herself in the water, letting the cool, clean water wash over her wounded body.
Because of the soothing water, her pain seemed to have subsided a bit.
Almost every time, she would get hurt because of his violence.
If he was in a good mood, it was bearable, but when he was in a bad mood, she might not be able to live normally for several days.
But how often was he in a good mood?
Xia Liyou grinned bitterly, a hint of helplessness in her eyes.
Ever since she met Ou Chengtian, he had always been like this—moody, often angry, far more often than happy. So much so that she felt she could count the number of times he smiled.
After Xia Liyou finished bathing and put on her robe, when she opened the door, she glanced at the mirror that had been shattered by Ou Chengtian. In it, she saw her own reflection, broken and bleeding, just like her heart.
It seemed as if the mirror was taunting her, mocking her for being so vulnerable.
Xia Liyou frowned somewhat annoyed, slowly closing the bathroom door.
Walking downstairs, Ou Chengtian had already sat down at the dining table, holding a newspaper and flipping through it disinterestedly.
Because his news occupied half of the newspaper, it was even more boring.
He was usually very busy, so there were few moments when he could sit down and read a newspaper quietly.
Hearing the sound of footsteps descending the stairs, Ou Chengtian tabbed back from the newspaper, and turned his head to look at her.
The moment her eyes met his, Xia Liyou's heart skipped a beat, and she began to feel inexplicably nervous.
"Madam, the supper is ready," said the Butler, respectfully smiling.
Xia Liyou nodded, "Understood."
After responding faintly, she walked to the dining table somewhat self-consciously, pulled out a chair, and chose a spot relatively far from Ou Chengtian.
The dining table was a European-style rectangular table with a polished white marble surface, which was kept clean every day. You could even clearly see your own reflection on it.
Ou Chengtian sat on the west side of the table, and Xia Liyou neither chose to sit next to him nor across from him. Instead, she selected a spot on the south side—a position where she didn't have to face Ou Chengtian or sit beside him.
As soon as she took a seat, Ou Chengtian's soft facial lines immediately tightened, and a flicker of anger crossed his eyes.