The girl’s swollen eyelids immediately cried themselves shut.
She wriggled free from Jiang Wei’s grasp, wiping her eyes haphazardly with the back of her hand. However, it was useless, only making her eyes redder. Her hand was streaked with tears, and the tears wouldn't stop.
She cried, and she loved to cry.
Jiang Wei watched, inexplicably feeling a surge of annoyance.
He watched the girl wipe away her tears, sobbing silently and pitifully. Even in her tear-streaked mess, her fair and beautiful face remained alluringly vibrant.
After watching for a while, the darkness in his eyes deepened.
Without a word, he grabbed the girl’s wrist. As she was wiping her tears and choking back sobs, Jiang Wei pulled her onto the sofa. He stood up, bracing himself on either side of her. His thick fingers dug into the sofa, bulging veins suggesting suppressed emotion.
A porcelain bowl from the tea set was knocked over by him, crashing to the floor and rolling a couple of times.
In what seemed like the blink of an eye, the girl found herself pinned to the sofa by the man. Her eyes were slightly widened in confusion, her eyes beautifully alluring at the corners, and dewdrops of tears still clung to her lashes.
“Stop crying.”
The hot breath that escaped him was intensely scorching. His chest heaved, his jawline taut, revealing a stern, resolute curve.
Shen Yue loved to cry. Her crying was different from others' messes; she looked beautiful when she cried. Every time she cried, an inexplicable sense of irritation surged within Jiang Wei's chest. The longer they spent time together, the more obvious this irritation became. He attributed it to her being annoying.
She cried too much. How could she cry so much? He hadn't said anything excessive.
Perhaps it was his overly indifferent attitude, or perhaps for some other reason, the girl, who had always been gentle and obedient in front of Jiang Wei, showed a rare resistance. Her slender fingers, like white jade, pressed against Jiang Wei's chest. Her tear-smudged little face was turned away, her dark, moist eyes filled with mist, and her soft voice carried a sob, "Go away..."
Jiang Wei paused, his sharp eyebrows revealing intense agitation. He disliked Shen Yue showing this kind of resistance.
She had been so obedient before. Had he been too good to Shen Yue?
“Shen Yue.”
In the silent living room, his voice was incredibly cold and hoarse, yet his tone was controlled to an extreme.
“Speak properly.”
The girl didn’t listen. She even turned her head away, unwilling to look at him.
Her lips, a vibrant red, were stubbornly pressed together, her long, dense eyelashes trembling finely, obscuring her eyes.
In the extreme silence, even their breathing became noticeable.
She wasn't looking at Jiang Wei, but she could feel his burning, shadowed gaze on her, as if it could melt her, like a storm about to break.
The next moment, a solid, hot body pressed down before her.
Under the bright white light, Jiang Wei's nose was high and straight, casting a shadow. His features were perfectly sculpted and indifferent. One hand held the girl’s hand as she pushed against his chest, while the other grasped her fair chin, lifting it. Then, he kissed her hard and roughly.
“You are really too disobedient. I’m very angry.”
His tone was very light, without any trace of anger.
But he bit her soft, sweet lips fiercely, sucking with great intensity, with extremely vicious force, as if trying to draw out the juice. His breathing was heavy.
Shen Yue cried again.
Her slender white fingers trembled, gripping his short hair. Her knuckles were white, her delicate fingertips like flower buds.
—
Shen Jiayi had been in the hospital for a month. She had been clamoring to go home. The doctor couldn’t help but call Shen Yue. Shen Yue was in class at the time.
She quickly got leave and took a bus to the hospital.
Upon arriving at the hospital, Shen Yue spoke with the doctor outside for a few moments before going in.
Shen Jiayi saw the girl and her face lit up with joy. Then, she fidgeted with her fingers, her smile fading slightly, but she was still very happy.
“Yueyue, you came to see me.”
Shen Yue had rushed over, and tiny beads of sweat had formed on her forehead. She walked over and noticed that Shen Jiayi had become much thinner than last time, frowning, “Have you not been eating properly?”
Shen Jiayi looked a bit nervous, her expression pleading and pitiable as she tried to appease her, “I haven’t had much of an appetite recently, but I have been eating properly…”
Her voice grew weaker towards the end, clearly betraying her guilt.
Shen Yue looked at the pale smile on the woman’s face, and a profound sadness washed over her.
Without saying anything more, Shen Yue opened the porridge she had just bought and sat beside her to feed her.
Shen Jiayi ate a few mouthfuls, her eyes constantly and cautiously observing Shen Yue’s expression. Finally, she asked nervously, “Yueyue, when can I be discharged?”
Shen Yue paused, “The doctor said you need a few more days of observation. Stay in the hospital properly and don’t make me worry.”
Although her words were not polite, Shen Yue’s movements as she fed her became even gentler.
Shen Jiayi, like a child who had done something wrong, explained, “I didn’t mean to make you worry. I really feel much better and don’t need to stay in the hospital anymore. Yueyue, I want to go home.”
She then looked at Shen Yue with an eager gaze. Seeing her indifference, Shen Jiayi tentatively took her arm and shook it gently, a hint of unease in her touch.
“Yueyue, please, won’t you?”
Shen Yue brought the spoon with porridge to her lips, “Eat.”
Shen Jiayi blinked, looking at her pitifully. She wanted to persuade the girl, her voice trailing off as she doted on her daughter.
“Yueyue, please, won’t you, please…”
The spoon moved a little closer, touching Shen Jiayi’s lips. Shen Yue remained silent, only watching her. Shen Jiayi finally stopped her coquettish pleas and ate the porridge with a dejected air. When she looked up again, she had already resumed a happy smile.
Shen Jiayi had been very beautiful in her youth, but her intelligence was pitifully low, and she was also quite wicked. Now, in her old age, she hadn't escaped the common fate and had become both pitiable and aged.
Halfway through her meal, Shen Jiayi’s nose began to bleed profusely. A snowy white tissue was stained red. It wasn't until a nurse rushed over that the bleeding finally stopped.
A silly smile still played on the woman’s pale, gaunt face as she said to Shen Yue, “It’s all Yueyue’s fault. I’ve been eating too much nutritious food lately, which makes me have nosebleeds all the time.”
Perhaps it was an illusion, but Shen Jiayi thought she saw a fleeting glint of moisture in the girl’s eyes. However, before she could get a clear look, the girl had already turned away.
She was very weak and reluctant to leave, but she didn’t show it. She knew that her third year of high school was demanding, and she didn't want to distract Shen Yue any further because of her.
“Are you leaving?”
Shen Yue’s voice was devoid of emotion, “Mhm… take good care of yourself. I’ll come see you tomorrow.”