Ye Ran tried her best to phrase her words delicately, but how could Lu Linshen fail to grasp her true meaning? Not to mention her current desire to drive him away, the simple fact that she had moved out of Liyuan without a word and sought a job while living in a dormitory made everything abundantly clear.
However, Lu Linshen was not yet prepared to dwell on that. Having lived without Ye Ran for the past few days, his stomach had been the first to protest, followed by... well, other things. He had always been a pragmatist, and he had no intention of depriving himself.
"You are here. If I don't come here, where else would I go?" His soft, slightly raspy voice, vibrating through his throat, was indescribably seductive.
Lu Linshen stood up, stretching his limbs in a languid motion, and walked toward Ye Ran. By habit, he naturally reached out to wrap his arms around her waist, but Ye Ran dodged him.
The movement left his hands grasping at thin air, and his expression instantly darkened in the shadows. Ye Ran, too preoccupied to notice his shift in mood, gripped her fingers nervously and shuffled about two meters to the side. The single dormitory room was small, equipped with only the barest necessities. Before long, Lu Linshen had stepped forward again, pinning Ye Ran against the wall with nowhere left to run.
"What are you hiding from?"
Lu Linshen cornered her, one hand braced against the wall above her head, the other effortlessly lifting her chin. "Are you afraid I’ll devour you?"
He let out a low laugh. His voice, comparable to a succubus, and his intoxicating scent assaulted every one of Ye Ran’s nerves. Her legs went weak, and she subconsciously tried to brace herself, but her trembling body betrayed her. Lu Linshen kept his smile, his hand sliding down from her chin to her slender neck, trailing down to her collarbone, and then toward her narrow waist.
He knew exactly how to tease and ignite her; it was as if an electric current had surged through Ye Ran, shaking her to her core.
"No!"
As the word escaped her lips, she firmly caught Lu Linshen’s hand. "Stop it! You can't do anything to me anymore..." Even as she felt an internal rejection, she was also mindful of the child in her womb. Her health had been poor lately, and she was in no state to endure his terrifyingly robust stamina.
"Why?"
The single word was whispered against her lips, his warm breath intoxicating. Ye Ran bit her lip, digging her nails into her palms to use the pain to keep herself clear-headed. Taking a deep breath, she summoned all her strength and shoved Lu Linshen away. Taking advantage of his momentary shock, she ducked her head and slipped out from under his arm.
Once she reached a more open space, Ye Ran turned her back to him, gasping for air. Only after her emotions had steadied slightly did she turn back to face him. "I have moved out of Liyuan. Can you still not see it?"
"Lu Linshen, I want a divorce!"
Lu Linshen’s frame visibly stiffened, but a moment later, he let out a low chuckle. He stepped toward her once more and took her hand. "What is all this fuss about?"
*A fuss?*
Ye Ran stopped her attempt to pull her hand away. As she pondered the grating word, she actually smiled. See? When you are weak and easily bullied, even when you summon the greatest resolve to make the most important decision of your life, others will dismissively treat it as you throwing a tantrum, being unreasonable.
Ye Ran looked up at the man before her. Even in the dim light, she could clearly remember every detail of his face—the lines of his brows, the handsome features she had memorized, and his habitual expressions. From the moment they first met when she was six, through their occasional meetings and the years they spent together, her admiration and affection had grown in silence.
Time flew by. She had loved this man for eighteen years. Perhaps not that long; after all, as a naive child, she hadn't understood what love was. But as she grew into adulthood and her heart began to open, she had willingly poured her whole heart into him, seeking no reward and no outcome.
Perhaps, if Grandfather Lu hadn’t taken it upon himself to arrange their marriage three years ago, Ye Ran would still be standing in the crowd, gazing from afar at the Lu Linshen who did not belong to her—admiring him, respectful of him. Perhaps that would have been for the best.
But heaven does not always grant one's wishes; the way things unfolded had far exceeded her expectations. Ye Ran never imagined that in just three short years, the feelings she had once been so proud to give completely would be utterly exhausted.
Lu Linshen met her complex gaze. Not understanding the thick, sorrowful chill in the depths of her eyes, he frowned and tightened his grip on her hand, trying to dispel the icy cold of her palm. "What is wrong with you?" he asked, his other hand wrapping around her waist. "Is this still about Lingshuang?"
Before Ye Ran could speak, he pulled her closer. "Lingshuang was indeed reckless this time, and she has learned her lesson. Can you stop now? Hmm?"
His voice trailed off with a light, rising lilt, like a small hook embedded in his throat—both maddeningly seductive and a calculating attempt at persuasion. Yet, he was Lu Linshen, a man whose word was iron, a man who never brooked dissent. Was it truly in his nature to reason kindly with someone? Especially when it concerned his own sister?
It was nothing but his usual tactic of soft coercion.
Ye Ran refused to be bewitched any longer. With a few quick movements, she broke free and pushed him away. "The problem between us has never been your sister. And as for what happened, I don't need you to lecture me."
"Lu Linshen, I am letting this go because Lu Lingshuang hasn't caused me any irreversible, substantial harm. I’ve only given her a small punishment as a warning. But please, tell her—if there is a next time—"
Ye Ran took a deep breath and finished slowly, "Whatever price she has to pay, don't blame me."
Lu Linshen’s gaze darkened dangerously, and a sneer escaped his thin lips. "Grown some backbone, have you?"
Despite his words, he had never seen this side of Ye Ran before—a woman brave enough to face him head-on and vent the dissatisfaction in her heart. She was like a docile little rabbit that had suddenly learned to bite, baring its milky little fangs. It wasn't exactly intimidating, but it was certainly interesting.
"As I said, Lingshuang is not the issue between us. So why go through all this trouble?"
Lu Linshen watched her with a calm, composed expression. As he looked at the flames dancing in her eyes, for some reason, he felt a tightening in his lower abdomen. Unable to control himself, he stepped forward, leaving Ye Ran no room to dodge, lifted her chin, and lowered his head to seal her lips with his own.
Ye Ran’s eyes widened in shock. Sensing Lu Linshen’s invasion—a familiar, tyrannical assault that echoed countless nights before—she trembled with fear. Driven by pure instinct as she tried to push him away, she swung her hand and slapped him across the face.