They were too close to each other.
Lin Yan panicked, feeling both ashamed and afraid.
Her breathing was disordered and heavy, the high bridge of the man's nose nearly touching the tip of hers, slick with a thin layer of sweat.
The man's thin lips curved slightly, his eyes filled with teasing, "Have you made up your mind? What does it mean to take off half? If you want me to take responsibility, is that the extent of your sincerity?"
Lin Yan timidly replied, "Taking it all off seems a bit cold."
"Cold, with sweat all over your body?" The man's cool fingertips brushed over her hair, twirling a strand around his finger.
He was like a hunter with immense patience, slowly examining his prey.
The prey at the corner of his mouth was clearly unsatisfactory to him.
Lin Yan drew back, shaking nervously, tears flowing down her cheeks, wiping one side, dampening the other.
She was terrified to the point of madness.
Although she shamelessly sought to marry into his family, engaging in such activities was surely natural.
But not so fast, she could understand; after so many years as a bachelor, if his body was fine, seeing a woman must be like a wolf spotting meat, a desperate hunger hard to withstand.
"If you're cold, you'll be warm after we're done!" the man said with a casual, provocative tone, yet his deep black eyes held not a trace of desire, as if they were sprinkled with hoarfrost.
He never had much interest in those who threw themselves at him.
Squinting his eyes slightly, the ash of the cigarette between his fingers was snuffed out in the ashtray on the table, and he then closed the wooden door from the inside at a leisurely pace.
With the door shut, a man and a woman were alone in the room.
Lin Yan's heart thumped even more wildly, her face burning as if on fire, the blaze reaching all the way to the back of her head, yet she still struggled to maintain her composure.
"I'm not ready yet, tonight definitely won't work, it's too soon."
Lin Yan's crimson lips were tightly bitten, afraid the man would clutch her and devour her right away.
The man's cool fingertips slid across her cheek, "There's no need to prepare for anything, just undress, and that's it." His teasing smile, in Lin Yan's eyes, seemed full of coldness.
She was so scared that she wanted to flee, her heavy breathing roasting the air even hotter.
The man met her pretty, tear-filled almond eyes, where she appeared totally helpless, the tears never ceased.
This woman, why does she cry so much?
Lin Yan cried until her mind went blank.
Sitting on the ground, her usually soft and mushy temperament made her legs too weak to stand properly.
The man, too, lost his patience, walked over to her, and reached out his hand.
Lin Yan was stunned, thinking he was kindly offering to help her up. It took her a moment to timidly lift her hand to his palm, politely saying, "Thank you, I think you're a good person, not like what the people in the village say."
No sooner had she finished speaking than she found herself unsteady on her feet, holding onto his hands, which left no air between them.
The man let go of her, pushing her away, "You don't need to say these things to me. If I remember correctly, we don't know each other. Go back where you came from. I don't have the leisure to waste time with you this late. Understand?"
Lin Yan was chilled to the heart by his sudden change in demeanor, standing somewhat dazed.
The force of his presence was so overwhelming that she not only didn't dare to speak again, but her body was also unable to move a step.
Her legs wouldn't carry her away.
The next second, she was cast out like trash, her collar grabbed and ejected through the courtyard door she had knocked on earlier that evening.
At the doorway, Lin Yan struggled in pain, pleading tearfully, "Won't you reconsider?"
The man gave no response, his handsome features devoid of any expression, unmoved.
The night was pitch black, and the country road narrow.
Thrown out, Lin Yan had nowhere to go, her steps faltering, the scene before her a blur.
She walked along the east side of the village until she reached the pond.
Sitting desolately by the small pond all night, waiting for dawn's cool light, the more she thought about it, the more she felt she should return home.
"Sis... you better go see, that woman threw all your luggage into the yard. Can you believe it? How could she be so excessive? Can't she leave you be? I tell you, she's in a hurry to drive both of us out, so she can have the house to herself."
Before Lin Yan had even entered the house, she was hastily informed by her sister Lin Xue, who came running to share the news.
Unlike their brother, Lin Xue shared both parents with Lin Yan. They had been abandoned by their mother as children, left to fend for themselves.
Separated by just one generation, their stepmother Zhou Ping had her hands full with two more mouths to feed, and Lin Yan and Lin Xue often endured her mistreatment.
When Lin Yan pushed the door open, she indeed saw her clothing tied up in a large bed sheet like trash, tossed at the entrance.
"What are you doing?" Lin Yan's already fraught emotions sparked into anger.
She rarely raised her voice, preferring to bristle quietly, her sharpness hidden beneath a soft exterior.
At home, she usually played deaf to Zhou Ping's excesses, choosing not to squabble with her.
"Why have you returned? Lin Yan, do you want to be the death of your father?" Zhou Ping asked furiously.
Lin Yan clenched her fists tightly. "I won't marry, we cannot get along."
Thinking about everything that happened last night, Lin Yan's heart still flutters—it all seems like a nightmare. The man's gaze was terrifying.
Zhou Ping scoffed, "Can't get along, as if you can aim for someone higher. Do you think you can reach that branch?"
"I didn't." Upon hearing these words, Lin Yan felt the urge to explode; her forehead began to redden.
Lin Xue grasped her wrist and shook her head gently, signaling her not to argue with Zhou Ping.
"You must go, even if you don't want to. If you don't, your father will end up in jail. Your brother dreams of joining the army. If this affects his political review, can you take responsibility?" Zhou Ping spat the words out through gritted teeth.
"If I am willing to marry, would they be willing to have me? He rejected me." Lin Yan's delicate and fair face was clouded with the aftermath of shock.
Zhou Ping clicked her tongue. "Old bachelors don't even want you. Why bother living? Why not jump into a well and die? Don't you have your mother's charms?"
Lin Yan contested weakly, "She is she, I am I. Keep your mouth clean, Zhou Ping."
Naming Zhou Ping directly, she made a move as if to strike someone, but Lin Xue quickly stepped in front of Lin Yan to protect her.
"Mom, please, let's talk this out. How can you bear to let her marry that kind of man at such a young age? He... might be abusive."
Hearing her sister's words, a chill ran down Lin Yan's spine—the man from last night did seem quite fierce.
Zhou Ping drew back her raised hand. Between the two stepdaughters, she preferred Lin Xue, who was unlike Lin Yan, who always seemed indifferent to her, as if she were owed something.
"You should convince your sister, Lin Xue. Haven't you always wanted to move to the city to study makeup, to later get a good job and marry a city man? If only your sister would marry, I'll cover your tuition."
Zhou Ping was uncharacteristically generous; this promise was a rare opportunity for Lin Xue.
Lin Xue looked at Lin Yan with eyes full of hesitation, as if biting back her words. Lin Yan understood immediately, her heart twisting painfully.
"My future should not come at the cost of my sister's happiness," Lin Xue spoke softly, clearly not saying what she truly felt.
Lin Yan bent down to pick up the bundle Zhou Ping had packed for her. It contained the few clothes she had.
"Study hard in the city. Having a skill will allow you to provide for yourself, so you won't end up like me," Lin Yan advised, calm and gentle, despite being riddled with pain inside.
"Sis..."
Lin Yan did not respond further, shouldering her bundle and walking away. On her way out, she couldn't help but look back longingly at the small courtyard.
Now that the ill omen was gone, Zhou Ping finally got her way. If Lin Yan had not acquiesced to Xiang Tianwen's plan, there would be no peace in the house.
Preparing to care for her husband upon his return, Zhou Ping felt a pang of regret.
Without Lin Yan, there was no one to help with household chores, and Lin Xue too would be sent away. She could hardly expect her precious son to do such rough work.
"Mom, about letting me go to the city to study makeup, you meant it, right?" Lin Xue called after Zhou Ping, fearful she might change her mind.