Shen Yi was an undisputed control freak. No lover had ever been bold enough to defy or challenge her sense of possession. Even though Xu Yinian had always known how terrifying she was, she had rarely faced such a stern warning directly.
Frightened and aggrieved, Xu Yinian didn’t even dare let the physiological tears in her eyes fall. She blinked them back, her small face pale as she nodded.
Shen Yi savored this unreserved, submissive compliance. She reached out and cupped Xu Yinian’s chin in her palm.
Just as Xu Yinian instinctively closed her eyes, expecting a humiliating pinch or a lecture, the woman—who never flirted—stopped her “taming.” Instead, she simply stroked her skin with her thumb, one gentle touch at a time.
Given the vast disparity in their status, it was both a comfort and a caress—a tightening of the leash of pampered control.
“Be good.”
Ji Yan and Lu Zhou were absolutely livid with Qin Jiashu.
Not only did they not know if the “girlfriend” status was real or fake, but they couldn’t squeeze a single word out of her regarding where she had hidden Xu Yinian. Seeing the woman’s smug, wanton smile only fueled their helpless rage.
The Ji and Lu families were on bad terms with the Lian family, who owned the hotel. Furthermore, the Lians were backed by the Bai family, and neither girl dared to draw the Bais’ attention to Xu Yinian.
The hotel manager was perfectly polite but kept his mouth shut tight. Not only did he refuse to provide room numbers, citing guest privacy, but he even claimed that if they wanted to see surveillance footage for “lost items,” they would have to wait for approval from higher-ups.
By the time the search went through, Xu Yinian would have probably long since slipped away home!
Since they were bound to hear Xu Yinian’s explanation eventually, the two decided to stay and watch Qin Jiashu’s every move. If they couldn’t see Xu Yinian, Qin Jiashu wouldn’t be allowed to have her all to herself either.
As the three remained in a deadlock, Qin Jiashu wasn’t shy. She brought her group of friends to the top-tier villa hot spring Lu Zhou had booked. She might as well enjoy a free upgrade.
Ji Yan had always been disgusted by hotel hot springs used by countless strangers. Forced to stay, her face darkened as she watched Qin Jiashu eating and drinking with total peace of mind.
Qin Jiashu and Lu Zhou’s friends were slowly beginning to piece together the situation. Lu Zhou and the normally elusive, arrogant daughter of the Ji family were both here to “catch a cheater,” and the one they were catching was Qin Jiashu’s little girlfriend. They were practically dying for the legendary “Xu Yinian” to show up and bring this Shura Field to its peak.
“Aren’t you living together? How could you not know you were being cheated on right under your nose?!”
“You’re the one constantly staring at that woman named Shen! How should I know how that vixen tricked the idiot this time?”
Ji Yan stood by the balcony on the top floor, rolling her eyes at Lu Zhou, who was soaking in the indoor spring and making sarcastic remarks. She looked out into the distance, her attention caught by another brightly lit villa.
Given her parents’ sensitive status, Ji Yan had been acutely aware of privacy since childhood. From her vantage point, she could see almost the entire outdoor courtyard of that villa. Such a large, natural hot spring offered no real privacy.
Amidst the snow and cold mist, someone seemed to be soaking in the water. A splash of pink rippled in the pool, looking flirtatious and improper. On the shore, another woman remained fully dressed, showing no intention of getting in, merely leaning down to say something.
It was too far to see their faces clearly. Disgusted by the sight of someone else’s private business, Ji Yan turned away and leaned against the railing in disdain.
If Qin Jiashu had been standing there, she would have certainly recognized that purposefully designed pink gauze swimsuit.
The person in the hot spring was, of course, Xu Yinian.
She bitterly regretted not changing out of the conspicuous garment earlier. Since she had worn it in front of Shen Yi, this ordeal was unavoidable.
Shen Yi didn’t even need to resort to something as lowly as forcing her to undress. She simply told Xu Yinian to go into the hot spring.
Xu Yinian tried every excuse to refuse, only for Shen Yi to blatantly pull open her collar, revealing her pale collarbone and the damp pink gauze beneath.
Her eyes grew dark and unreadable. “Didn’t you just come from the water at someone else’s place?”
Left with no choice and terrified that Shen Yi would do something reckless in the indoor pool, Xu Yinian claimed she wanted to try the legendary natural spring. It was like a repeat of the humiliation she’d felt in front of Qin Jiashu.
Steeling herself under that unblinking gaze, she took off the bathrobe with her own hands. Shame seemed ready to drown her; even her trembling fingertips were flushed a bashful pink.
“You wore this to a public hot spring?”
After a moment, those heroic brows furrowed again, her tone displeased.
“N-no… the Senior Sister arranged a… private room… I didn’t know it would turn like this when it got wet when I bought it.”
“No one… saw.”
“…Only you.”
The final “you” was so saturated with shame she could barely voice it, leaving it a muddled whisper.
Her fear and her habit of playing nice for survival meant Xu Yinian didn’t even realize how naturally “unfaithful” she sounded. Her explanation, though born of simple desperation, lacked any hint of flattery.
Yet, this unique, rightful privilege and position satisfied Shen Yi.
“The secretary will buy you a new one.”
The subtext: You are never allowed to wear this in front of anyone else again.
Only in front of Xu Yinian would Shen Yi slightly mask her obsessive, distorted desire for control.
Xu Yinian took the opportunity to dive into the water, burying her face and thinking to herself: I’m never wearing it again anyway! I wouldn’t wear one you bought, either…
Shen Yi waited on the shore, composed. She wouldn’t lose her sense of propriety in such an insecure location. As for Xu Yinian’s little thoughts, she had known them for a long time; she simply chose to indulge them. After all, what could she possibly do while they were temporarily on the territory of the Bai and Lian families?
“If you want to suffocate yourself, feel free to keep hiding.”
