A crisp, clear slapping sound erupted, and the surrounding area went instantly silent.
The dormitory building was situated right next to Renkang Hospital, bordering a broad, busy intersection. While the structure was sturdy, the soundproofing was poor, and the constant din of traffic was typically quite clamorous. But in this fleeting moment, neither the person who had struck the blow, Ye Ran, nor the one who had received it, Lu Linshen, seemed to be present in their own minds. Even their breathing felt as though it had frozen solid.
Lu Linshen had not expected to be struck, nor had he been on his guard. Feeling the sting on his cheek, his head was knocked to the side, causing some of his fluffy hair to fall over his brow.
"So you’ve learned to hit people now?" he murmured.
Ye Ran finally came to her senses. Having slapped both him and his sister in the same evening, her palm was still burning and tingling. She bit her lower lip nervously, eyes downcast to avoid his gaze, her thick, long lashes veiling her expression.
Lu Linshen watched her, noting her rapid breathing. Just as he reached out to touch her shoulder, Ye Ran recoiled as if triggered, quickly scrambling away from his side.
This reaction left a flash of vacancy on Lu Linshen’s typically calm face. He did not understand why Ye Ran was acting this way. He hadn't frightened her, hadn't reproached her, and hadn't even uttered a single harsh word. Why was she... so repulsed and resistant toward him?
"Ye Ran, you—"
"Lu Linshen."
They spoke almost simultaneously. Lu Linshen stopped, waiting for her to continue.
Ye Ran did not disappoint him. With eyes still lowered, her fingers curled tightly in an act of repression. "I said no. Do you not understand? I don't want you touching me. Are you planning to force yourself on me?"
Her questioning tone made Lu Linshen frown once more.
Ye Ran took a deep breath. Before he could speak, she added, "Let me tell you something: marital rape is a crime, too! I wouldn't mind filing a report against you after I’m done with your sister!"
"..."
Lu Linshen truly had not expected that an intimate act between husband and wife would be framed by her in such a way. He raised a hand to stroke his chin with a look of amusement, a sardonic smile playing on his lips. "So, you’re threatening me?"
He took a step forward, closing the distance between them. In the dim light, his handsome, overbearing face looked devilishly alluring, a wicked curve lingering on his thin lips. "Has anyone ever told you..."
He grabbed Ye Ran’s hands and slowly placed them against his own chest, then said softly, "The law is indeed a weapon to protect one's rights, but it is rarely the best way to solve every problem."
Ye Ran gritted her teeth, staring at him. She tried to pull her hands away, but she couldn't shake his grip.
"I’ll give you one chance..." Lu Linshen met her gaze and, holding one of her hands, interlaced his fingers with hers. "Be a good girl and come home with me."
These gentle, unhurried words should have been the most comforting and secure things to hear, but they felt like steel needles emerging from cotton, stabbing deep into Ye Ran’s heart. Lu Linshen had that special talent—the ability to tenderly drown someone, making them willing to be deceived even when they knew it was a trap, an abyss, a bottomless pit that would devour them whole.
Being a fool once could be overlooked. Being a fool twice was still excusable. But three times? That would be inexcusable stupidity.
Ye Ran did not want to be the latter.
"Home?" After a moment of silence, her voice was hoarse, yet resolute. "That is your home, not mine. Lu Linshen, from this day forward, I will never step foot in Liyuan again."
"I don't want to have anything to do with you ever again! I don't expect you to care for the sake of our marriage, but if you have even a shred of conscience left, do not disturb my mother over this matter. Likewise, I will not let Elder Lu know."
If their marriage had been a secret, then their end should be a peaceful one.
Once she finished speaking, Ye Ran shook him off, walked to the door, and opened it. She pointed a finger toward the hallway, her face displaying a coldness he had never seen before. "Leave. Don't come here again."
"Are you... kicking me out?"
Lu Linshen’s expression was filled with profound disbelief.
Ye Ran didn't take the bait. She only said, "It’s too late. I don't want to disturb the neighbors. Mr. Lu, you should care about your reputation; I’m sure you wouldn't want to tarnish Lu Group over such a trivial matter."
Another one of her toothless threats. It had no real effect, yet it successfully piqued Lu Linshen’s interest. He narrowed his eyes, staring deeply at her. Compared to the old Ye Ran—who had been submissive, soft-spoken, and always sensible—this version of her, baring her fangs and claws, was quite something.
"Fine. Get some rest."
With that, Lu Linshen turned and walked out. There was no lingering, no bullying, and no insistence.
Ye Ran didn't come to her senses until he was gone. She had been prepared to argue and resist him, but she hadn't expected... him to be so easy to deal with.
After closing the door, she still felt the empty apartment was saturated with Lu Linshen’s presence—that scent of tobacco mixed with notes of cold white musk and cedar. It was a pleasant smell, yet it made Ye Ran feel suffocated.
She stood still for a long time, eventually pulling her brain from its stupor. She headed to the bathroom for a shower. The cramped space was extremely primitive, and Ye Ran leaned against the tiled wall, letting the warm water wash over her.
Unknowingly, the blurred steam before her eyes seemed to fade away, replaced bit by bit by the events of the past.
For Ye Ran, the age of eighteen had been an agonizing year. That year, she was preparing for the college entrance exams. Just two months before the tests, she received the tragic news: her father had accompanied Elder Lu on a business trip to New Guinea, where they were caught in local warfare. Her father had died while protecting Elder Lu.
When the news arrived, Ye Ran's world collapsed. At first, her mother held on, comforting and coaxing her, saying that the two of them would look after each other and get by without the help of the Lu Family. Her mother was a proud woman; even without her husband, she didn't want to be a laughingstock.
But man proposes, and God disposes.
Her mother worked desperately while caring for Ye Ran, urging her not to be emotional, to be strong and prepare for her exams, so that she could make her father’s spirit at rest with a good result. Ye Ran listened and obeyed, turning her grief into strength. However, on the final day of the exams, when her mother was supposed to be waiting outside the exam hall, she was rushed to the hospital in a coma.
Exhaustion from work, depression, lack of rest day and night, and malnutrition from trying to save money for her daughter's tuition—her mother's immune system had collapsed, and her heart failure had reached a point of no return.
At that time, Ye Ran had thought about giving up her studies to find work, but while she could support herself, she couldn't afford her mother's medical bills. Facing the life of her closest relative, no one could truly walk away.
And so, when Elder Lu offered a helping hand, Ye Ran had neither the reason nor the capital to refuse. She accepted the Lu Family's charity. Perhaps from that day on, the ill-fated connection between her and Lu Linshen had been destined.