In the room, Qin Xiamo had just put the microphone back in place and turned around with a mocking expression, "What, have you come to seek justice for your daughter?"
"What if I have?"
"Didn't you ever think, when you lied to Grandma, that one day I would be with your daughter day and night?"
"Yan Xiaye, not to mention whether I would give you the chance to hurt Ya'er, we both know well that you are not that kind of venomous woman," Li Beicheng said with a cold smile, not taking Yan Xiaye's threats seriously, "Even if you hate me and Shuirou as much as you do, you would retaliate directly against us, not harm an innocent child."
He said this with such certainty that it caused Yan Xiaye a great pain at heart, and she suddenly smiled faintly.
What was this?
He betrayed her, hurt her, deceived her, yet he still believed she didn't have that so-called venomous heart?
Or was it precisely because she had been too soft-hearted and kind in the past that she had been destroyed in her entirety by the joint hands of Yan Shuirou and Li Beicheng?
After all, was it her fault?
The indifferent demeanor she held was caught in Li Beicheng's gaze. He stepped forward emotionlessly, gripping her delicate chin, forcing her to meet his eyes, "What's so funny?"
Yan Xiaye followed the force of his grip to lift her head, her gaze stabbing sharply into his eyes, "The one you're talking about is Yan Xiaye, the Young Madam of the Li Family, not Yan Xiaye, the ex-convict who has been released from prison."
She hooked the corners of her lips in self-derision, her eyes dark yet tearless, whispering as if confessing, "Five years ago, I almost killed Yan Shuirou. Five years later, I should've learned my lesson not to always fall just short, don't you think?"
Li Beicheng's dark eyes narrowed as if gauging the truth behind her words.
"So, to prevent any accidents befalling your precious daughter, let's just get a divorce immediately. You can tell Grandma that you don't want a wife who has been to prison. I don't care."
Li Beicheng, upon hearing this, curled his lips in full mockery.
All that preceded was just a setup, and that last sentence was her true intention.
He knew she would no longer say anything to please him, which was just as well, as the next steps didn't require her to speak.
Almost the instant Yan Xiaye's words fell, he acted without warning and ripped the straps off her soft shoulder dress.
Her face instantly turned as pale as paper, and she quickly covered her chest, "Li Beicheng, what are you doing!"
"What am I doing…" The man chuckled darkly, with deep implication, "There's only you and me in this room. What else could I be doing?"
Yan Xiaye's eyes widened in shock, and without a second thought, she attempted to flee.
A step away, Li Beicheng easily blocked her path, seized her slender waist, and pulled her violently toward him, watching coldly as she involuntarily fell into his arms.
"Bastard! Let me go…" Yan Xiaye groaned, enduring the sharp pain from her ankle, desperately resisting Li Beicheng's touch.
The thought of this being Li Beicheng's true character, and recalling how she once adoringly loved him in such a humble manner, made Yan Xiaye feel so disgusted she wanted to vomit.
Li Beicheng tightened his hold, whispering in her ear like a lover, "Yan Xiaye, I just thought of a permanent solution that will make you never want to bring up divorce again."
Yan Xiaye, struggling for breath under his chokehold, clenched her slender fingers into fists to keep a barrier between them, her eyes trembling with rage as she glared at him, "In your dreams!"
Perhaps the hatred was too vivid; those aqueous eyes shone astonishingly.
There was a resolute decision to be shattered rather than compromised on her beautiful face, with no sign of surrender.
Li Beicheng, confronting her reddened, loathing eyes, felt his breath invisibly hitch.
About two or three seconds later, he said in a chilling tone, "When you are carrying my child, I hope you don't regret your current defiance."
Then, as if possessed, he softened his tone, "If you behave, I'll try not to let it hurt."
Having said that, he lifted her chin with a clear target once again, his dark eyes locking onto her delicate, tempting lips, instinctively leaning down to kiss her.
It might have been his misconception, but Yan Xiaye was so vividly stubborn after five years, countless times more appealing than the woman who was good for nothing but obedience five years earlier.
So much so that for an instant, even he wasn't clear if he was just trying to achieve his goal or if he was taking the opportunity to taste her sweet fragrance that no one else knew.
"...Heh."
Her whole body seemed to be drained of all strength, and with a bitter laugh, Yan Xiaye suddenly gave up all resistance.
Her unusual behavior made Li Beicheng suppress the rising lust in his heart, scrutinizing her expression from an extremely close distance, "Not struggling anymore? Or is this exactly what you want?"
"Li Beicheng, you want to use my child to threaten me... It's a nice plan, but it was doomed from the start."
Yan Xiaye coldly raised her eyes, speaking as if it involved someone else, enunciating every word clearly, "If you had read my surgery report from five years ago, you'd know that I've lost the ability to bear children forever, all thanks to you and Yan Shuirou."
As she spoke, her body shook uncontrollably, yet she clenched her teeth, refusing to cry out in pain or to admit defeat.
"What did you say..."
Li Beicheng loosened his grip on her hands slightly, his voice uncontrollably heavy, "Yan Xiaye, if I find out you're lying to me..."
Yan Xiaye just smiled.
Her smile was radiant, and her eyes sparkled with life.
His brows furrowed even more, about to say something, but he was interrupted by a voice from outside the door, "Young Master, the Second Master is requesting your presence in the study."
"Okay, I'll be right there."
The person spoke with neither arrogance nor servility, "I'm sorry, Young Master, but the Second Master said immediately."
Li Beicheng hesitated for a moment, ultimately not daring to defy Li Yuntang's wishes.
Taking a step back to release Yan Xiaye, he cast a deep final glance at her before turning and striding away.
As the door shut with a bang, her butterfly-like lashes trembled lightly, shedding a large tear.
Her stiff back collapsed bit by bit, and in the empty room, she crouched down to embrace herself, biting her hand to stifle her sobs.
After an unknown time, Yan Xiaye finally stood up again, walked into the bathroom like a lost soul, and brought a hint of color to her pallid cheeks in front of the mirror.
With her son's whereabouts unknown and her father owing the Li Family a large sum of money, she couldn't afford to break down at this time.
"Yanyan, Grandma sent me to call you for dinner!"
Hearing Little Yunduo's crisp voice, Yan Xiaye quickly washed her face, and only after opening the door did she realize she hadn't yet changed her clothes.
Little Yunduo looked up at her, her small mouth pursed with hesitation, worry plainly written on her face, "Yanyan, why are you crying, does something hurt? I'll go call Daddy to check on you..."
"I'm fine." Grabbing the little one about to run off, Yan Xiaye felt a warmth in her heart, "Thank you for coming to call me to eat."
Little Yunduo, lost in thought, didn't reply, but her peripheral vision suddenly caught a glimpse of a small figure flashing by in the distance.