He left behind his mark.
Tears welled in the girl's eyes, but the man merely kissed her lips lightly, lingering there. Then the girl heard him ask, "Have you learned?"
She shook her head frantically. "I didn't say those things..."
The girl was filled with grievance. Luo Yu, across from her, traced her body with his fingertips as if handling an exquisite gift, unsure how to even unwrap it. He kissed away her tears. "I will show you how intelligent people learn to behave."
...
The weather grew colder day by day, and the city was blanketed in heavy snow. Amidst the swirling snowflakes, the girl huddled in the villa, burning with fever, close to unconsciousness. Luo Yu had not appeared for days.
She was bound by a precisely designed chain, wearing only a thin nightgown. Beneath it, her skin was flushed red from the fever. She murmured softly, as if sobbing, "I truly did nothing wrong..."
Lin Mian's consciousness was fading. The little system promptly activated the body's sensory blocking. It paused, then said with admiration, "Host, you are truly dedicated."
Hearing the little system, Lin Mian fell silent for a moment. Her delicate eyelashes fluttered like fans. After a brief pause, she recovered and explained to the system, "Only this way can it explain why I later became mentally unstable, and why Luo Yu, played by Ling Qianhe, would go mad for me. It's all justified."
The little system sighed softly. "He doesn't know yet... If you had just called him, you wouldn't have to burn yourself into unconsciousness. You did this on purpose! Luo Yu is still leisurely wandering about, and when he discovers you're burning up and losing your senses, he'll probably go completely mad!"
Lin Mian paused and retorted to the system, "Isn't making him go mad exactly what I want?"
The little system remained silent for a long while before exclaiming genuinely, "Host, you are ruthless. If that is your goal, you will surely achieve it."
Lin Mian said nothing further. She had blocked her bodily sensations, and the girl gradually succumbed to the fever, sinking into unconsciousness.
Just as she fell unconscious, her breathing growing weak—
The next second—
The door was suddenly flung open. A man, utterly unfazed, entered with the scent of wind and snow clinging to him. "Do you know you were wrong?"
"Xia Cailuo?"
His voice echoed in the empty villa, but received no response. He frowned slightly, displeased, unable to understand why he received no reply. What was wrong with his little slave? Did she not want to welcome him at all? She must be deliberately angry. He had given her the cold shoulder for three days; was she now unwilling to even speak to him or respond?
The man sneered. He walked step by step towards Xia Cailuo, intending to shame her with cold words. Did she think she was so important? Just three days, and did she truly believe he would care about her?
But the next moment, Luo Yu, who had been advancing, felt something amiss. As he approached Xia Cailuo, a cold glint flashed in his eyes—a coldness not directed at Xia Cailuo, but piercing his own heart!
"Xia Cailuo? What's wrong?"
He suddenly threw back the covers and saw the girl in a thin nightgown, her skin burning red. She was curled up there, her posture alluring, but when his fingers touched her forehead, the temperature was alarmingly high. His very breath hitched. Despite being such a powerful and assertive man, at that moment, his mind could not function. He couldn't comprehend what had happened, why her body was so hot. It was as if a voice in his mind urged him to save her.
So Luo Yu suddenly stood up. Luo Yu looked at the girl before him, then picked her up and ran outside frantically. She was held in his palm, her eyelashes trembling slightly, as if by instinct. No matter how Luo Yu called her name, she could not respond. She had burned into unconsciousness, her awareness gone. Luo Yu gritted his teeth, took off his jacket to wrap her, then quickly left, got into his car, and drove towards the hospital.
Outside, the snow blocked the roads, and his car skidded, nearly flying off several times. But he paid no heed, speeding the car along the icy asphalt. Finally, when the car stopped at the hospital, he rushed out with her. He wore only a thin white shirt but felt no chill. Instead, the receding warmth of the girl in his arms and her increasingly pale face caused a deeper pain in his heart. He frantically approached the doctors. The doctors, seeing the state of the girl in his embrace, were startled.
"How could you bring her here only after she's burned this badly..."
"She could die!"
"Let go quickly, we need to give her an IV—injections are no longer effective, they're too slow..."
"No, her condition is too severe!"
"Take her to the emergency room immediately!"
It took considerable effort for the doctors to pry Xia Cailuo from Ling Qianhe's arms. Xia Cailuo was held tightly by Ling Qianhe, who seemed on the verge of madness and losing his reason. It was only when the doctors warned that Xia Cailuo would die if not immediately attended to that he released his grip.
The girl was rushed into emergency care. He squatted in the corridor outside the operating room, his hands gripping his hair in anguish. The self-reproach and regret deep within his eyes threatened to drown him. His breathing grew rapid, and when he looked up at the door opposite him, he felt profound pain. Why had he argued with her? Three days and three nights, why hadn't he gone to see her? How long had she been burning? Why hadn't she said anything, why hadn't she called him for help? He couldn't imagine the suffering this girl had endured, and her failure to contact him sent him into a frenzy. Images flashed through his mind, each one capable of tearing his heart apart. His breathing became labored. He gave a bitter smile.
Moments later, he slowly raised his head and looked outside. Snowflakes drifted down, and he was soaked, yet he felt nothing. A nurse watched the exquisitely handsome man squatting there, like a drenched stray dog. Hesitantly, she said softly, "You should go rest. The patient is still being treated..."
"Do you want to change your clothes? You'll get sick like this."
But Luo Yu shook his head, his voice filled with extreme pain. He remained motionless, his voice bordering on self-punishment. He said, "I won't get sick." He took a deep breath, his breathing ragged. He murmured, "It's impossible... for me to get sick." A hint of self-blame flickered in his eyes. "But she will... I forgot. She is such a delicate existence, a tender little rose kept in a bottle... How could I forget this?" A rose that needed nurturing, constant care, sunshine and rain, and watering. How could he forget this? He gave a bitter smile, his eyes full of a bitter taste.
Hearing Luo Yu speak, the nurse felt a pang of sympathy. The person inside was likely his girlfriend? He was truly devoted... *sniffle* Such a good man, watching over the girl before him. May his girlfriend wake up soon.
...
Luo Yu stayed at the hospital for seven full days and nights. Lin Mian slept soundly in the system space. Seven days passed in the blink of an eye. When she was finally rescued by the hospital and opened her eyes, she could hardly believe her sight upon seeing Luo Yu's extremely handsome face again. The Luo Yu before her looked extremely haggard. Though his face was still exquisitely handsome, his eyes were bloodshot, and a hint of pain was mixed within them. He looked at her with extreme caution, appearing as if he hadn't slept a full night in a long time, which was why he looked so worn out. Even his beard was unshaven. While his features remained perfect, he exuded an air of dispirited decay, a sensation that was almost unbelievable to witness in this man.
Luo Yu raised his eyes, a bitter light flashing within them. "You..."
"Don't be angry anymore. It's all my fault." He coaxed the girl before him with caution, a bowl of white porridge in his hand. His tone was like that used to soothe the most precious treasure, pampering her like a child. But the girl glanced at Luo Yu's face, then let out a choked sob! Her body involuntarily recoiled, slamming against the bed with a crisp sound. Yet, she still looked up at the man before her in terror, shaking her head frantically. She cried, tears streaming down her face, "Please, stay away from me... Please..."
The nurses beside her were startled by her strong reaction. The pain in Luo Yu's eyes surged overwhelmingly, threatening to engulf him. The nurses couldn't understand. They had witnessed Luo Yu's behavior over the past few days. Hadn't he doted on his girlfriend? Hadn't he been exceptionally good to her? Why was this happening? The nurses were puzzled, while Luo Yu felt as if his heart had been stabbed, his soul in agony. Yet, he still wanted to coax the girl before him. "Cailuo, don't be like this..."
"Have a bite, okay?"
"You just woke up, your body needs nourishment..."
He was genuinely trying to persuade the girl before him, but she merely looked up at Luo Yu. A look of intense disgust and fear welled in her eyes, and she retreated further. "Please—"
"Please, can you stay away from me?" Her voice was choked with sobs, a low cry that was almost heartbreaking, twisting her heart into knots. "I'll be good... I'll listen. Please, don't punish me anymore..."
"I'll listen to you obediently..."
"Whatever you want me to do, I can kneel if you want, I can do anything..."
"Please, don't punish me, it hurts... it hurts so much..." Her cries struck Luo Yu like a thousand arrows. He knelt by her bedside, reaching out to stroke her cheek, but the girl's body trembled violently. She recoiled three steps. She had nowhere left to retreat, yet the look in her eyes when she looked at Luo Yu was as if she had seen a terrifying demon!
The nurses' expressions changed. They looked at Luo Yu with peculiar expressions. One nurse, emboldened, said, "The patient's emotions are very unstable right now and she needs rest."
"Perhaps, sir, you should leave?"
Luo Yu looked at her terrified face, then remained silent for a long time before lowering his head and clenching his fists. "Alright." He turned and walked out, suppressing the pain in his heart. His blood felt like it was flowing backward, and what flashed through his mind was the image of the spirited young lady initially clinging to him.
"I like Luo Yu the most."
"Luo Yu is my boyfriend."
"Of course, I fell in love with Luo Yu at first sight."
Liar... She was clearly a little liar, but why, of all things, couldn't he let go of this little liar?
...
Moments later, Luo Yu sought out Xia Cailuo's attending physician and received these words. "The patient has suffered severe psychological trauma, so we estimate that she might—" The doctor sighed, clearly helpless. "She might have developed a corresponding psychological illness. Whenever she encounters something that frightens her, she will exhibit... some stress responses."
"We are considering medication, but its effects are limited."
"The patient's condition is very unstable; we must not stimulate her further, or her precarious mental state could worsen. I can only say this much."
Luo Yu listened in silence. He appeared as if forged from ice and snow, so cold it made one gasp. After a pause, Luo Yu slowly nodded. He spoke, as if using all his strength. "Okay. I understand. I will not stimulate her again." He lowered his head, a hint of self-mockery in his eyes. "I will protect her." He turned and walked away, his back lonely and desolate. As he left the ward, his phone rang. He answered with a cold expression, only to hear the voice of his subordinate on the other end.
"Boss, we've checked. The previous recording was a forgery... Xia Yingying hired a girl who sounded exactly like Xia Cailuo to say those things. We've found that girl, and she admitted Xia Yingying paid her to recite the lines..."
"Boss?"
"Boss? Can you hear me?"
Luo Yu could no longer hear the rest of the conversation. He felt a chill spread through his entire body—
He was thinking.
So, this is what it truly feels like to have one's heart torn apart, to be in unbearable pain. He finally... understood.