Outside, the wind suddenly picked up, tree shadows swaying gracefully, brewing a spring rain.

Shi Sui wasn't tall enough, her neck craned back until it ached, humming as she kept dodging.

Yan Tingli got annoyed and lifted her with one hand.

Her cartoon slippers dropped to the floor with a "thud."

Mrs. Yan's room was right downstairs, and Shi Sui trembled in fright.

Her misty eyes panicked as she pushed against him.

Her jaw was gripped and forced straight, roughly, only allowed to face him: "Look, I'm kissing you."

Yan Tingli's hand directly went through her cardigan, his fingers especially cold, and she couldn't escape.

Shi Sui's eyes reddened from anger.

She wanted to curse him recklessly.

The curse reached her throat when Yan Tingli leaned close, his breath tickling past her earlobe: "Shh."

"Mom might hear."

Whimper.

Instantly defeated.

"Sui Sui chose to stay home herself, didn't she?"

"I didn't choose... mmph!"

Unfortunately, her body was more practiced than she was, and her words were insincere.

"...Gentle, be gentle."

"Don't pinch."

Shi Sui was held on the small sofa in the bedroom.

The wind grew stronger, the window not properly closed, howling as it rushed in.

Yan Tingli stared at her, his expression excessively cold, but his hands' actions weren't restrained at all.

In the second before Shi Sui was about to cry out, he withdrew his hand to cover her impending scream.

"Quietly."

"Mom is coming upstairs."

Shi Sui's face changed color in fright.

Yan Tingli lowered his eyes. The bedroom lights weren't on, his brow ridge against the light.

Calmly wiping his fingers on her face.

He did such vile things, yet Shi Sui didn't dare make a sound.

Listening intently for a while, except for the clock ticking, no footsteps were coming upstairs.

"Ah, I heard wrong." Yan Tingli said.

Shi Sui angrily lunged forward to bite him.

Yan Tingli took the opportunity to grip her chin and kiss her.

"So much, can't even wipe it clean." He said, consuming what was on her face, "So sweet."

Pervert!

Shi Sui cried out in humiliation: "I was wrong, really wrong."

"Why are you crying?" Yan Tingli frowned slightly.

As if worried about her, though his eyes were still cold.

Yan Tingli had fair skin and high facial symmetry, giving him a refined and handsome appearance.

Truly deceptive.

Shi Sui sobbed as she wrapped her arms around his neck: "Brother Tingli, I was wrong."

"I shouldn't have gone sketching without telling you, shouldn't have refused to go back with you, shouldn't have not opened the door."

Yan Tingli glanced at her, unmoved: "Wrong about what? We're not even familiar."

Shi Sui didn't understand.

Didn't understand why, even after softening and admitting fault, he still wasn't appeased.

She shrank forward, trying to please him by kissing the corner of his lips.

But Yan Tingli seemed disinterested, not even bothering to respond.

The atmosphere was unusual.

But Shi Sui had already admitted what she should. She still didn't know what he was angry about.

When she showed signs of retreat, Yan Tingli's eyes finally fluctuated. His large palm pressed against the back of her head, biting from her earlobe to her cheek.

Like a pervert, he always liked biting her. When Shi Sui felt pain, she would let out muffled whimpers.

His leg also wedged in, his knee pressing and grinding against her.

He only looked slender, but elite education had him exercising and training consistently for ten years. His leg muscles were hard, making her ache.

Afraid of making noise, Shi Sui bit down hard on her fingers.

Always like this-getting angry at the slightest disagreement, doing such terrible things!

What was more hateful was that her body had already gotten used to this chaos.

"Shi Sui." Yan Tingli suddenly called her full name when they were both in such a messy state.

His voice, when first heard, would make people think of spring's thin rain, so light that even falling on skin seemed like a fleeting illusion.

Just like when this person first stood before her.

Black turtleneck sweater, slender neck, standing high on the stairs, looking down at her as if she were nothing.

After Uncle Yan introduced her name, Yan Tingli blandly repeated: "Shi Sui?"

Yan Zecheng: "Do you know each other?"

"Don't know each other."

Easily making Shi Sui's mistaken heartbeat return to normal.

He didn't know her, but she knew him-the school's famous good student, liked by countless girls.

She never imagined that when darkness fell, even good students would devour people.

Shi Sui's eyes were covered by Yan Tingli as she was filled from behind.

She held back muffled groans, not daring to make a sound, when suddenly she heard Yan Tingli say: "Want to go back to Hangzhou?"

Shi Sui stiffened.

In a flash, she recalled telling her mother tonight about going back after graduation-he had heard it.

She didn't respond for a long time, so Yan Tingli turned her face forcibly.

"Is that so?"

"...No."

She was very bad at lying, her eyes darting around.

Yan Tingli looked at her without emotion, his eyes a cold black.

"Stay here. Don't even think about going anywhere."

He would occasionally say such authoritarian things, but it didn't prevent her inner rebellion.

What she wanted to do wasn't for him to decide!

A whole night of absurdity.

When she woke again, dawn was just breaking. Shi Sui opened her eyes, her whole body soft and powerless, swept by a deep fatigue.

Yan Tingli was no longer beside her. He had changed the sheets and her pajamas.

As for where the original sheets went, she didn't know and didn't want to care-he could always handle it properly.

Shi Sui wrapped herself in the blanket and sank back into the pillow.

Closing her eyes.

Though still in a tired state, she couldn't fall asleep again.

Failed.

As early as half a month ago, or even earlier, she had vaguely wanted to end this relationship. But she only dared to think about it-she was remarkably cowardly.

Obviously, during the half month she was sketching, Yan Tingli hadn't contacted her once.

Shi Sui even thought their absurd entanglement could come to an end, that Yan Tingli might be tired of it. They began with momentary indulgence; perhaps they would end silently.

But she still underestimated Yan Tingli's degree of absurdity.

Last night should have been his most outrageous time yet. Right in the Yan house, with Song Jie still downstairs, barging right in.

At seven-thirty, Shi Sui finished washing up.

A high-necked sweater concealed the mottled marks on her neck.

Looking in the mirror for a while, she still applied foundation and lipstick to improve her complexion.

The door was knocked.

"Who is it?"

"Beep."

The fingerprint unlocked, but no one entered.

The visitor's identity was obvious.

Hateful.

Shi Sui went to open the door.

Yan Tingli: "Come downstairs for breakfast."

Shi Sui said with a tense face: "How did you unlock the door?"

"Do you need me to tell the truth?" Yan Tingli asked blandly.

"What?"

"In high school, I practiced with my family's smart home system."

Shi Sui was speechless.

Following behind Yan Tingli, they went downstairs one after the other.

At this time, Song Jie was still doing yoga. Only the two of them were at the dining table.

Shi Sui had no appetite at all.

She randomly drank a few sips of porridge, then sat silently, waiting for Yan Tingli to finish eating before leaving together in the car.

Yan Tingli glanced at her.

Until they got in the car, the two had no communication.

Old Chen drove in front.

The car drove smoothly, with warm air conditioning on. Shi Sui felt drowsy.

A palm suddenly crossed her waist, massaging her lower back.

Before the art exam in high school, Shi Sui would often sit all day to paint, developing some chronic problems with her back.

Last night, he had aggravated it again.

Old Chen focused on driving and didn't notice what was happening behind him.

He massaged very comfortably.

The light, cool fragrance belonging to Yan Tingli floated subtly at her nose.

Shi Sui didn't expect that she would fall deeply asleep during such a journey beside Yan Tingli.

It was only twenty minutes.

Opening her eyes, she met Yan Tingli's gaze directly.

He was staring at her, not having time to look away. After a moment's pause, he turned his face away.

Shi Sui suddenly remembered a very small incident.

It was when she had just moved into the Yan house.

For a sensitive teenage girl, staying as a guest seemed like another level of depending on others' charity, especially after witnessing the Yan family's social stratum.

Shi Sui was careful with every word and action, afraid of making mistakes.

Yan Zecheng similarly arranged for Old Chen to drive them to school.

At that time, due to academic pressure, Shi Sui's menstrual cycle was irregular.

With the temperature drop, she caught a cold with nasal congestion, wasn't feeling well, and dozed off as soon as she got in the car after school.

When she woke, the strange sensation below reminded her of what had happened.

Her hand secretly explored-wet everywhere.

The car had already entered the Yan estate, Uncle Chen was parking.

Yan Tingli sat beside her, shoulders and neck straight. Receiving her hesitant gaze, he removed his earphones.

They weren't familiar at all then.

Shi Sui's face was snow-white.

Her lips trembled, unable to speak for a long time.

She didn't know what to do.

She had only seen this car in magazines-a brand her family couldn't afford.

She had dirtied the car, and it had white leather seats, too.

Yan Tingli's gaze passed over her fingers gripping her school uniform pants.

He lowered his eyes and picked up his teacup for a sip.

When closing the lid, his fingers didn't hold steady, knocking over the cup, water spilling on the seat.

"Uncle Chen, I spilled my tea."

Old Chen waved his hand: "No problem, I'll send it for cleaning tonight."

Yan Tingli opened the door and got out. Only then did Shi Sui quickly stand up, red-faced as she used wet wipes to clean the red marks from the seat.

She was grateful for the large tea stain as cover-that bit of blood was inconspicuous, mostly hidden after one wipe.

This was such a small, almost insignificant episode that Yan Tingli never mentioned it afterward. As if the tea that day was accidentally spilled by him on the seat, as if he had accidentally dirtied the car.

Coming back to the memory, Shi Sui had already returned to the dormitory.

Her phone buzzed. Shi Sui glanced at it.

Yan Tingli reminded her to come to the apartment the night after tomorrow.

The night after tomorrow was Friday.

Every week on this day, she would tell others she was going home, but spent the entire weekend fooling around with this "good student."

He was only a little bit good, but bad in so many ways.

Her phone buzzed again.

A message from her mother-they had just landed in Hangzhou. It was followed by reminders for her to be well-behaved at the Yan house.

After a long time, Shi Sui finally replied: [Got it.]

At the Yan house, she had always been well-behaved.

It was precisely because she was too well-behaved that she was always bullied by Yan Tingli like this.

This rain lasted two days, finally clearing up on Friday.

Spring had already begun last month. After several rains, the temperature warmed up.

Before afternoon class, Shi Sui changed out of her turtleneck sweater.

Xue Jing, passing behind her, stopped and touched the back of her neck: "Hey, is this a bug bite? It's all purple."

Shi Sui stiffened for a moment, remembering that last time Yan Tingli had taken her from behind. She didn't know how many marks were still on her back. She lowered her head and quickly put on her jacket.

Xue Jing clicked her tongue: "That bug is quite venomous."

"Very venomous, extremely venomous." Shi Sui agreed.

"Let's go, let's go, class is starting soon, we're running out of time." Lin Anran, who had been waiting nearby, urged.

It was peak class time, the academic building was packed, and the three were stuck on the stairs.

During the gap, Lin Anran still scrolled her phone, suddenly elbowing Xue Jing: "Case solved!"

"What?"

"I saw in the group chat that they're guessing Yan Tingli might have chosen 'Western Art History' for our department flower, Su Han."

"Tell me, tell me?"

"See for yourself in the group."

They had a good relationship with the neighboring dorm and formed a group chat, which was convenient for teaming up on assignments.

Only now had this group become a gossip relay station.

"They're sitting together." Xue Jing enlarged the photo in the group. "But if you're saying Su Han is the department flower, our sweet sister leader Sui Sui would be the first to disagree."

Xue Jing and Su Han were both class officers who didn't get along, often bad-mouthing each other in the dorm.

Xue Jing put her hand on Shi Sui's shoulder, rubbing her snow-white cheek: "Look at this little face, these big eyes, this lovely appearance-doesn't it deserve the title of department flower?"

There were still people around, some heard and curiously looked over.

Shi Sui felt embarrassed and pulled down Xue Jing's hand.

Lin Anran made a sound: "Su Han always participates in activities, our Sui Sui is too low-key."

"Hmph."

"What are you hmph-ing about?"

Xue Jing pouted: "Why should Su Han get to hook up with the male god? That's Yan Tingli! Anyone can see he's top quality-refined under the sheets, fierce in bed..."

Shi Sui couldn't listen anymore, covering her mouth with one hand and dragging her through the crowd at a trot.

Lin Anran followed, asking with interest: "How can you tell he's fierce in bed?"

"Look at his hands, look at his nose. Such long fingers, and his nose is straight and big..." Xue Jing glanced at Shi Sui from the corner of her eye, deliberately teasing her, "Sui Sui, why are you blushing? Even modeling nude didn't make you this-"

Shi Sui: "Hurry up, we're running out of time!"

As they spoke, the three arrived at the classroom's back door.

Looking from high to low, they immediately spotted the most conspicuous couple sitting in the middle.

The young man lowered his eyes, shoulders, and neck straight, his exposed skin a frost-snow cold white.

"Handsome." Xue Jing squinted, looking at the curly-haired girl beside Yan Tingli, who was propping her chin and gazing at him, saying sourly, "Su Han is eating well."

She pulled Shi Sui forward. Shi Sui frowned: "Where are you going?"

"Sit closer, gather intelligence."

No, no, no! Shi Sui wanted to run, but she wasn't stronger than Xue Jing. After struggling for a while, she looked up and met Yan Tingli's gaze as he turned toward the sound.

A very light glance.

It immediately slid past.

Shi Sui didn't dare dodge anymore, letting Xue Jing drag her straight to the seat next to Yan Tingli.

"Excuse me, is this seat taken?" Xue Jing smiled sweetly, ignoring Su Han's eye roll.

Getting Yan Tingli's response: "No."

"Sui Sui, you sit." Xue Jing pushed Shi Sui inward.

Shi Sui: "..."

She sighed almost inaudibly.

Fine.

After sitting down, Xue Jing and Lin Anran also squeezed over.

Five seats in a row, perfectly filled.

Their phones kept vibrating as Xue Jing and Lin Anran frantically messaged in the group.

Lin Anran: [Ahhh, up close he's so handsome!]

Xue Jing: [Really want to ask how he maintains his skin, it's so white and smooth qwq]

Shi Sui took out her book from her bag. Conversation between a man and woman came from beside her.

"Sorry to trouble you. It's my fault for not having time to find my dad, making you make the trip."

"Don't mention it."

Su Han continued: "I don't know how to thank you. Let me treat you to dinner after class."

Shi Sui placed her book on the desk. She forgot to control her strength-"bang"-the sound was somewhat abrupt.

Su Han was still asking from the side: "Do you have time for dinner together after class?"

Yan Tingli withdrew his peripheral vision.

"Unfortunately, I have an appointment."

Su Han was stunned for a few seconds, seemingly not expecting to be rejected so cleanly and decisively. She responded with disappointment for a few sentences.

The interaction between the two naturally didn't escape Xue Jing, who had been listening intently. She provided live commentary, and the group chat gossip was flying.

[No way, is he that hard to pursue? Even Su the beauty, can't catch his eye?]

[Kind of interesting. Who's sitting close? Can you get his WeChat for me?]

The message was from Zhou Xuyan from the neighboring dorm, sitting diagonally behind, eagerly waving at them.

Xue Jing replied: [Sui Sui is sitting close, you can ask her to help]

After sending, she nudged Shi Sui's elbow.

"Me?" Shi Sui pointed to herself.

"Yeah, Xuanxuan wants you to help."

"I..." Shi Sui wasn't good at refusing people. After much consideration, she still shook her head.

Yan Tingli valued privacy the most.

If she asked, he would be unhappy.

When unhappy, he would bully her.

Seeing Shi Sui's troubled expression and guessing she was embarrassed, Xue Jing didn't mind: "No problem, I'll ask later."

Shi Sui apologetically hummed in agreement.

The class bell rang. She opened her book but couldn't focus on a single word.

She wasn't deliberately pretending not to know Yan Tingli in front of her roommates.

Rather, even now, she didn't know how to define her relationship with Yan Tingli.

When they were together, they mostly did that kind of thing.

At the Yan house, when the adults weren't there, the apartment with traffic flowing outside the floor-to-ceiling windows.

She thought he would be as gentle and refined as his appearance suggested.

But that was only at the beginning, when he still pretended.

The real Yan Tingli was extremely domineering, very fierce, and always did things that made her cry from shame.

Lately it was getting worse. He was like an airtight net, and when they were alone, the air was thick with burning desire.

Their beginning was inexplicable.

After the high school graduation party, at the Yan house, in Yan Tingli's room.

Mr. and Mrs. Yan weren't there-it was all alcohol-catalyzed indulgence.

They didn't even go all the way that night because there were no condoms.

But he bit her all over.

Shi Sui hadn't even thought there would be a next time.

Until the next day, when Yan Tingli stopped her on the stairs: "I bought condoms."

Shi Sui stood in place, not knowing how to react.

Yan Tingli waited a few seconds, then said directly:

"I want to make love with you. Do you want to?"

Shi Sui's face turned red.

She stammered, "I'll think about it," and fled.

But that very night, she was on the third-floor staircase, kissing Yan Tingli.

Everything happened naturally.

At that time, Yan Tingli was a brilliant honor student in Shi Sui's eyes. She couldn't resist his natural sexual magnetism at all.

Shi Sui was very clear about the gap between them.

Yan Tingli came from a distinguished family, the pride of his parents placed high hopes on him.

While her family was ordinary, even though her father and Uncle Yan were old college friends, there was still a natural barrier between them and the Yan family.

They tacitly pretended not to be familiar. This underground relationship would end when the time came-at least Shi Sui thought so.

She had thought about actively ending it, especially under Yan Tingli's gradually revealed bad temper.

But these subtle emotions, once they arose, could be keenly detected by Yan Tingli.

He always had ways to make her afraid to speak up.

Now, around her, Yan Tingli was gradually weaving a dense, invisible net, tightening bit by bit.

Like this "unexpected encounter" elective course.

Shi Sui was in a daze throughout this class.

When the professor randomly called on people to answer questions, she only reacted after being called twice.

The question was about last class's content, but Shi Sui hadn't absorbed much last time either. After stammering for a while, she couldn't answer.

She looked to her roommates for help, meeting two equally clear but blank stares.

"..."

Until she heard the sound of pages turning beside her, the male student's distinct finger bones tapping the paper page suggestively.

Yan Tingli wasn't listening seriously-he was even reading literature on his tablet, multitasking.

Shi Sui lowered her head and didn't look.

Yan Tingli snorted, closed his book with a "snap," and didn't give her another glance.

Shi Sui made a small but noticeable fool of herself, was lectured for a few sentences, and sat down awkwardly.

She glanced at Yan Tingli from the corner of her eye.

He showed no reaction, his demeanor very cold.

Seemed unhappy again. Shi Sui pursed her lips.

The dismissal bell rang.

Shi Sui received Xue Jing's look and moved aside to make room. The latter rushed to Yan Tingli, waving her phone: "Classmate, my friend wants to get to know you. Can we add contact information?"

Su Han, who hadn't left yet, glanced at Xue Jing as if mocking her for overestimating herself.

Yan Tingli packed his tablet into his bag and looked up. His pupils were a light amber color, making him seem more distant: "Which friend?" His gaze turned to Shi Sui, who was shrinking her neck, "Her?"

Huh?

Shi Sui, who had been called out, looked up.

"Uh no," Xue Jing pointed in another direction, "it's that girl over there, her name is Zhou Xuyan..."

Somehow, talking to Yan Tingli, she felt a chill, and her voice grew smaller and smaller.

"Why didn't you come ask?"

Xue Jing: ...Huh?

She followed Yan Tingli's gaze and finally understood he was asking Shi Sui.

"You're sitting closest to me, why didn't you come ask?" Yan Tingli asked casually.

Shi Sui stood frozen, not understanding what madness had suddenly seized him.

"She's usually quite introverted, not comfortable talking to boys," Xue Jing quickly smoothed things over, "so please give us contact information."

Yan Tingli's lips barely moved, and he said nothing more.

Shi Sui turned her face away.

A few seconds later.

Yan Tingli rattled off a string of numbers, telling Xue Jing, "Have your friend add this."

"Oh my god, I still can't believe Weiwei just easily added Yan Tingli?!" On the way back, Xue Jing was still in disbelief.

In the group, Zhou Xuyan was messaging: [Ahhh, he accepted!]

Xue Jing: "Damn, if I'd known I would have asked for myself!"

Shi Sui walked beside her, the screen in her hand darkened by her press showing a message from Yan Tingli.

No other words, just a location pin two hundred meters outside the school gate.

Shi Sui exhaled and said carefully: "Um, I-"

Lin Anran guessed: "Going home again?"

Shi Sui nodded.

Xue Jing sighed: "I've never seen anyone more obedient than you, going back religiously every week."

"Right. You don't even look that eager to go back. Just don't go this time. You're grown up now, your parents probably won't say anything."

Shi Sui mumbled: "...Next time maybe, I already promised this time."

After saying goodbye to her roommates, Shi Sui walked alone toward the school gate.

She opened her phone.

On the WeChat interface, Yan Tingli's avatar was at the top.

Every time Shi Sui pushed it down, he would move it back up. After many while, she was too lazy to bother.

Yan Tingli's car was parked at the intersection ahead. He didn't have the flashy air of a rich young master, had low material desires, and only drove an inconspicuous black sedan.

Shi Sui opened the car door and got in.

Yan Tingli didn't look at her, his gaze fixed on his phone screen.

She glanced-it was a WeChat chat interface.

For a while, Yan Tingli still hadn't started the car, his fingertips tapping as he replied to messages.

Shi Sui fastened her seatbelt and stared at her toes for a while. After a moment: "Do you have to chat now?"

"Are you in a hurry?"

Shi Sui instantly didn't want to talk anymore.

When she didn't answer, he tossed his phone aside: "Eager to go back and do it?"

But before she could get angry, Yan Tingli had already spun the wheel with one hand, the sedan shooting forward, startling Shi Sui: "Yan Tingli!"

She rarely got angry, yet she always lost her composure around Yan Tingli.

This person was moody, unpredictable. Vile to an outrageous degree!

Just then, a phone rang-Yan Tingli's.

"Hold it to my ear."

Shi Sui glared at him for several seconds before picking up the phone. The screen showed the caller as Professor Su.

Yan Tingli had joined the college's top project team this year, under the guidance of mentor Su Ye.

The call connected, and Shi Sui silently held the phone to his ear.

She was practiced at this action.

When Yan Tingli was doing other things, he was always impatient about answering calls.

These other things might be driving, might be reading, or might also be her.

At those times when he didn't want to answer the phone, she would listen anxiously. When she panicked and reached for his phone, she'd be hit hard several times while having to follow his command: "Hold it to my ear."

"Professor Su."

Her thoughts were called back by Yan Tingli's voice. Shi Sui used her hair to cover her reddening ears.

"You're too kind." He turned the steering wheel, expression bland, "I happened to choose this course too."

He said something unknown, also mentioning Su Han. Shi Sui's eyelashes fluttered.

Yan Tingli said, "Yes, today is inconvenient."

"Tomorrow?"

"My father made an appointment with you?"

"Mm, he hasn't told me yet."

After a few more responses, Yan Tingli had her hang up. His brow was furrowed with some coldness.

Shi Sui roughly heard some of the call. Su Han was Professor Su's daughter. Su's mother doted on her daughter and made some of her favorite foods for Professor Su to bring to his daughter. But Professor Su was busy, so he had Yan Tingli bring them over conveniently.

As for the end of the conversation-what relationship Su Ye had with Yan's father, what appointment Yan Tingli had on Saturday-Shi Sui didn't know.

She put the phone back in place without asking questions.

Yan Tingli's apartment was in a high-end community two blocks away.

A large flat with river views, worth its weight in gold. Shi Sui hadn't been here for nearly a month. Opening the door, a cold, desolate atmosphere hit her.

Shi Sui suspected Yan Tingli hadn't been here either-otherwise, why were the snacks she'd half-opened last time still on the sofa?

The door closed behind her.

Dusk had arrived, leaving the room in dim light. Shi Sui had just steadied herself when Yan Tingli began kissing her.

He was too tall-kissing her always required hunching his shoulders, bending his neck.

When she dodged, he pursued.

Drawing and swallowing, looking desperately thirsty.

Shi Sui's eyes reddened, whimpering incoherently.

Yan Tingli stopped. In this gap, Shi Sui pushed him and instinctively ran.

She couldn't say why she wanted to run-maybe just biological instinct.

But this action displeased Yan Tingli.

His mood was already poor today, something Shi Sui only finally perceived after spreading her legs and sitting on him.

Especially when he pressed her down without mercy, and she let out a whimper, she realized this was punishment.

Yan Tingli's brow relaxed in that instant.

His long fingers brushed from her tightly furrowed brow to her bitten lips: "Feel good?"

She bit her lip and made no sound.

Yan Tingli's face was cold, his thumb pressing her lips: "This place is so hard."

"How come everywhere else is so soft?"

Shi Sui's cheeks were like a boiling kettle, red all over. She started crying again.

She didn't dare be stubborn-she'd be penetrated. There were also all kinds of embarrassing, face-reddening sounds, verbal and physical.

Hatefully, she would still get very excited, as would Yan Tingli.

The difference was that Yan Tingli was more clearheaded than she, his dark eyes capturing her from above.

But he was very pleased-this was obvious.

His Adam's apple rolled, his chest rose and fell with subtle, hoarse panting sounds, completely different from his usual refined appearance, almost losing composure.

Shi Sui always felt that Yan Tingli was willing to maintain this kind of relationship for two years because doing this with her was pleasurable.

She wanted to say that aside from being sick, he was also very good at it.

Until Yan Tingli's phone, tossed on the sofa, lit up, showing a message from Zhou Xuyan.

Yan Tingli unlocked the screen and threw the phone in front of her.

Shi Sui saw the brief chat record-Zhou Xuyan's self-introduction.

Zhou Xuyan was always bold, taking the initiative when she met someone appealing.

This was just the first message-apparently in the car, Yan Tingli hadn't been chatting with her.

"How should I reply?"

Shi Sui: "Mmph, don't know."

Her brain was like mush, absent-minded and completely uncaring.

Yan Tingli watched her quietly, suddenly, his features showing a layer of sinister frost.

He spoke slowly: "Don't know?"

"Don't know who's dripping all over the sofa, or don't know who's twisting her waist sitting on me?"

"Tell her, Sui Sui."

Shi Sui didn't know where his anger came from.

She had already actively avoided helping Zhou Xuyan ask, yet he was the one who gave out his WeChat number.

Now, after adding her, he was unhappy, and when unhappy, he came to bully her!

Even a rabbit will bite when cornered. Shi Sui angrily bit down on Yan Tingli's neck.

Yan Tingli's dark lashes lowered as he calmly watched her actions.

Shi Sui's originally vicious bite, upon meeting his gaze, slowly retracted her teeth.

Whimper.

Shi Sui resigned herself-cowardice was in her nature.

Instead, Shi Sui used her nails to scratch the expensive leather sofa beneath her. Scratch it, scratch it all up! Make him go bankrupt!

Yan Tingli seemed pleased by this pathetic display, his chest trembling twice.

He moved straight closer.

Taking her cheek into his mouth, sniffing every inch of her skin's scent.

His other hand pinched her soft nape, even his breathing chaotic. Shi Sui's spine sensitively bristled with goosebumps-the natural reaction of prey facing a predator.

She felt like she was about to be devoured.

In a physical sense.

Yan Tingli's lips meandered down from her cheek.

Shi Sui had a small frame and soft flesh. Every pinch and squeeze left little dimples, a water-like texture.

Just as she resignedly closed her eyes, waiting for a storm, she suddenly heard Yan Tingli say: "Say you love me."

Because it was so unexpected, Shi Sui's expression went blank for a second.

"Say," he gripped her jaw with his thumb and forefinger, repeating, "say you love me."

With some threatening undertone.

Given that Yan Tingli always had random whims, forcing her to say all sorts of nonsense, Shi Sui was about to comply. She opened her lips but couldn't say it.

Love and sex were different things.

"...Why do I have to say this?"

"Do you love me or not?"

"I don't... mmph-!" She was suddenly pinched hard.

"I love you," Shi Sui never did anything foolishly stubborn, saying with a trembling voice, "I love you." Anyway, these words would just pass-why make herself suffer unnecessarily?

Yan Tingli's pupils fixed, then he suddenly smiled. When someone usually cold smiled, it was like snow and ice melting.

"Then delete her." His voice was still cool, but his movements gentled.

"Me?!" Shi Sui couldn't believe it. After all this circling, he just wanted her to delete the WeChat contact?!

"Mm, you."

Shi Sui was baffled: "Is there a difference between me deleting and you deleting?"

"I want you to delete."

"No, you delete it yourself." Shi Sui instinctively resisted.

Yan Tingli looked at her for several seconds, gave a cold laugh, then suddenly pressed the voice message button: "Sorry, Shi Sui wants me to delete you-"

Shi Sui startled, first covering his mouth, then realizing she should grab the phone.

"Don't talk nonsense," unable to grab it, she said urgently, "I'll delete, I'll delete, okay?"

Yan Tingli threw the phone to her.

Shi Sui didn't even know if he had sent it. While she was panicking, in the blink of an eye she was flipped and pressed beneath him.

Instantly, the sofa was soaked with her gasping breaths.

After Shi Sui finished bathing, holding Yan Tingli's phone, she thought for a long time before coming up with the most dignified reply possible: [Sorry, I want to focus on my studies in college and have no plans to date for now. Sorry for wasting your time, you can delete me.]

This was responding to Zhou Xuyan's previous question, "Do you have a girlfriend?"

[OK, let's delete each other.]

Zhou Xuyan also replied straightforwardly.

At the same moment, messages popped up in the group.

Zhou Xuyan: [No chance, hands up/hands up/]

She posted a screenshot of their recent chat.

Xue Jing: [My intuition told me Yan Tingli would be hard to pursue, as expected...]

Lin Anran: [Actually, this is quite respectable, speaking clearly without leading anyone on.]

Zhou Xuyan: [True, still has class]

Xue Jing: [So what kind of woman could conquer him?]

Zhou Xuyan: [I haven't deleted yet, want me to ask for you?]

Xue Jing instantly chickened out: [Never mind...]

The group kept buzzing with messages, gradually shifting to other topics. Shi Sui closed her phone, feeling somewhat uncomfortable.

Though she hadn't deliberately hidden anything, she was still being dishonest with people.

Yan Tingli came out of the kitchen, placing two bowls of noodles on the dining table.

Looking at the time, it was already past eight. Shi Sui walked over to eat.

Clear broth noodles with fried eggs. Shi Sui lowered her lashes, quietly slurping noodles.

There was no housekeeper here, and she had never seen anyone else in this house.

The food Yan Tingli made could only be described as barely edible.

But Shi Sui wasn't picky and found everything delicious. Now extremely hungry, she ate with both cheeks puffed out.

When she looked up, Yan Tingli had already finished and was watching her.

He had showered, his hair not completely dry, hanging over his forehead. His skin was very white, his features light and clear.

Sensing his good mood, Shi Sui quickened her pace and swallowed the last mouthful of soup: "I just used your WeChat to explain things clearly to Weiwei."

"Mm."

Shi Sui was quiet for a moment, then still spoke up: "Actually, if you didn't want to add her, you could have just refused then."

The air was quiet. Yan Tingli showed no reaction.

Shi Sui continued: "Don't do this anymore in the future."

Yan Tingli: "Don't do what, add girls on WeChat?"

Shi Sui felt stung. "You know that's not what I mean."

"Then what?"

His posture was relaxed and casual. Shi Sui couldn't help saying: "I just don't want you to involve me. Weiwei is my friend-doing this behind her back feels strange."

Yan Tingli said nothing, his lips turning down with a few degrees of self-mocking coldness.

Shi Sui didn't dare look at him either, continuing on her own: "Just because you chose this class, my roommates mention you every day. I'm caught in the middle. I don't want to lie to them at all."

"And every time you leave very heavy marks, they've seen them on my back many times."

"Also, I have to come here every weekend. I tell people I'm going home, but it's getting too frequent..."

"Finished?" Yan Tingli said.

Shi Sui nodded silently, secretly glancing at him while her heart pounded.

"Let me summarize," he said. "I should stay away from you, preferably disappear from your life, just like the first half of the month."

He leaned toward her, asking in a clear, gentle tone: "Is that what you want?"

Shi Sui felt a bit breathless, mumbling: "That's not what I meant either..." Her words didn't match her heart.

Her cheek was lifted. Yan Tingli asked: "Then what do you mean?"

Shi Sui's mouth felt dry: "I just hope we can maintain an appropriate distance in public."

"That won't work." Yan Tingli smiled slightly, saying lightly, "How can I control you if we keep a distance?"

"Whether you've added any males, how many messages you've exchanged, whether you've had physical contact with them-I need to know everything."

His expression was utterly peaceful, but Shi Sui suddenly felt a chill down her back.

Her rebuttal seemed pale and powerless: "But if you keep appearing around me, I'm afraid we'll be exposed. I'm not good at acting-what if someone finds out about our relationship?"

"Simple," Yan Tingli said. "You can make our relationship public."

Shi Sui: "But we agreed not to let others know-"

"Did we? When did I ever agree to that with you?"

Shi Sui was stunned, lightning flashing through her mind. Right, he had never said that.

What she thought was their "tacit understanding" was just her assumption.

Her expression changed: "Aren't you afraid of Uncle and Aunt Yan finding out?! They won't approve."

She couldn't bear to imagine how their parents, friends, Uncle, and Aunt Yan would react if their relationship was exposed.

Uncle Yan was their family's benefactor, yet she had been secretly sleeping with the benefactor's son for two years. And Aunt Yan, so noble and elegant-how would she view her? How would her parents face themselves?

Shi Sui didn't want her parents to be looked down upon because of her, not even a little.

"Then we'll have to elope." Yan Tingli's tone was slow.

"I don't want to!" Shi Sui lost some emotional control, her voice involuntarily rising.

Yan Tingli's lashes fluttered.

Shi Sui was so angry she misspoke, tears flowing uncontrollably. She angrily wiped them away with force.

She always made a big fuss when crying-being this quiet was rare.

In the silence, he spoke first.

"Come here."

Shi Sui didn't move.

"You don't want me to be unhappy either, right?"

Shi Sui still ignored him.

Yan Tingli paused: "Come here and I won't be angry anymore."

Shi Sui's eyes were red, but she was helpless.

After confronting each other for a long while, she finally slowly moved her steps, walking toward Yan Tingli.

Once again, compromising, sitting on his thighs, fitting into his embrace.

Yan Tingli had just showered and smelled of fresh mint, his body temperature neither cold nor hot.

Yan Tingli brushed her long hair to one side, his kiss falling by her ear as he said softly: "Just scaring you."

It was a threat, taking advantage of having completely grasped her weak points. Not changing a single one of his suggestions, but threatening her in return.

She still had to give in for things to settle temporarily, so they could maintain the status quo.

"You're too much." Shi Sui's voice carried sobs.

"You're more excessive." Yan Tingli said.

Shi Sui raised her voice: "You're the excessive one!"

Yan Tingli: "It's you."

"It's you!"

"It's not me, it's you."

"It's me, not-"

Shi Sui suddenly stopped, instinctively tensing her face the moment she realized she wanted to laugh.

Very angry, but Shi Sui hated that she almost laughed at this moment.

Yan Tingli: "Mm, you're more excessive."

Completely upside down!

Shi Sui once again recognized that Yan Tingli was essentially an unprincipled evil youth. The instigator, he wouldn't suffer even verbally.

The first time they fought, he was the one who coaxed her first.

After the graduation ceremony, following the college entrance exam.

Yan Tingli was called back to school to give a speech, and that day, Shi Sui received a bouquet from a junior classmate.

Midway through, Yan Tingli suddenly told her to find him backstage.

At that time, Yan Tingli was still the brilliant honor student in her eyes. Whatever the honor student said was right, even following his words to sneak backstage during the ceremony.

While school leaders were still speaking, she was pressed down in an empty lounge.

The air conditioning was broken, and only a fan was running, stuffy and tight. Yan Tingli held her on his lap and began kissing. Shi Sui, who had never seen the world, was terrified.

The junior who had followed her backstage came to knock on the door. Yan Tingli's hand went under her clothes, stroking her lower back. This horror reached its peak.

The junior knocked and called "Senior" twice, seemingly wanting to say something.

Yan Tingli kissed her while his fingers traced her spine. Shi Sui trembled all over. Men were just naturally gifted in this area-in just a couple of times, he had figured out all her sensitive spots.

She even thought Yan Tingli had been drugged, never suspecting this person was inherently sick.

"What's wrong with you? Are you feeling unwell?" She lowered her voice.

Yan Tingli nuzzled her neck from behind, biting her lower lip.

The door handle was turned by the junior, seeming about to burst in the next second.

Shi Sui struggled violently but couldn't break free, her mind completely blank.

A few seconds later, footsteps faded-he left. The door had been locked at some point she didn't know, and the handle hadn't turned.

"He's gone." Yan Tingli's tone held some regret.

She gasped heavily, still in shock: "What exactly are you trying to do?"

"Were the flowers pretty?"

Shi Sui was speechless: "He was just-"

Yan Tingli's hand had already impatiently moved to her buttons.

This action scared Shi Sui into jumping up. She was still trying to find evidence that Yan Tingli had been drugged, touching his forehead and cheeks: "Are you okay?"

"Laughing so happily," Yan Tingli answered irrelevantly, "must have been pretty."

He then bit open the first button of her collar.

"Stop," Shi Sui looked at him incredulously, "are you crazy!"

The second button was also bitten open.

"If you, if you dare do anything here, I'll ignore you, never speak to you again!"

"How will you ignore me?"

"I'll change my application, I'll go back to Hangzhou. Mom and Dad said they're waiting for me in Hangzhou."

He paused.

Just when she thought the threat had worked, her collarbone was bitten hard: "Do whatever you want."

"I'm telling the truth. If you dare, I'll go back and pack immediately. I don't have to live at your house anymore anyway!" She spoke without thinking.

Yan Tingli looked at her deeply, finally releasing her and standing to straighten his collar.

Shi Sui thought her words had worked, but he glanced at his watch-it was time for his speech.

So to this day, she couldn't be sure how far Yan Tingli would have gone if it hadn't been time.

Shi Sui interpreted this as parting on bad terms.

That night, she packed some luggage-she would return to Hangzhou and leave after completing her application.

The Yan family hadn't treated her badly, but who likes depending on others' charity?

There was also Yan Tingli.

It was because he said University A had more opportunities, even planning her future professional development completely, that Shi Sui had hesitated.

But now with no relatives here and Yan Tingli being a bastard, she might as well return to her parents.

The next morning, Shi Sui was gradually mailing packages when she ran into Yan Tingli coming downstairs.

He leaned against the refrigerator and drank some ice water, his thin eyelids lowered, quietly watching her.

Shi Sui's back broke out in sweat, feeling guilty for no reason-it was fine, she was just mailing packages.

But she kept her eyes straight ahead on the surface, quickly returning to her room.

They were fighting now-they might be strangers soon, so she didn't need to care what he thought, Shi Sui encouraged herself.

But that evening, she suddenly heard Yan Tingli playing piano in the music room.

In the half year Shi Sui had been here, Yan Tingli rarely played piano-this was the second time.

She was amazed that Yan Tingli could play popular songs-she had once played this song in her room, that time she was painting with music on and forgot to close the door.

In the music room, he only had a floor lamp on, his profile half bright, half dark.

Distinct knuckles on black and white keys, veins spreading.

"Close the door." Yan Tingli said.

Shi Sui unconsciously obeyed.

As soon as she approached, he pulled her hand, and Shi Sui forgot to refuse.

"Like listening?"

"Mm."

"I'll teach you."

Yan Tingli embraced her from behind, his cool palms guiding hers.

Shi Sui was dazed.

"Remember the lyrics?"

"I remember."

"You can sing."

Shi Sui felt awkward: "My singing is terrible."

"It won't be."

Shi Sui: "I'm serious."

"Only I can hear it anyway."

Shi Sui: "Can you sing?"

"I don't remember the lyrics clearly."

"But you can already play it?"

Yan Tingli said nothing, correcting a wrong note she pressed. Shi Sui suddenly remembered something.

She had heard her father say that Yan Tingli played piano exceptionally well-if his academic grades weren't so outstanding, he could have become a professional pianist.

There was a term for it-absolute pitch. He could learn anything after hearing it a few times.

After Shi Sui's first note, she honestly closed her mouth.

For no other reason than severe off-key singing, she saw Yan Tingli's knuckles pause.

Shi Sui stubbornly pulled up the lyrics: "I won't sing anymore, you do it."

Yan Tingli seemed to chuckle, guiding her hands across the keys, starting from the beginning.

After the prelude, his voice began.

Shi Sui had always felt that Yan Tingli's distant, cold temperament came largely from his voice.

Like thin snow, fine ice.

Until he sang, the usually cool spring water gurgling past her ears, Shi Sui's heart suddenly accelerated.

"Who knows better than me?"

"Your tenderness like feathers"

"Secrets lying in my embrace"

"Only you can hear it."

"Does anyone else know?"

"Your smile is like an embrace."

"How I want to hide your goodness."

"Only I can see it."

...

Then they inexplicably began kissing.

Until his kiss fell where he couldn't reach in the lounge that day, Shi Sui suddenly realized: "No, we're still fighting-"

"Finish first, then fight."

"This is the piano..."

"Perfect height."

At that time she didn't know this was a 3.8 million Steinway, even disliking how cold it was, completely uncomfortable.

There were still servants downstairs, the summer was stifling, heat that even air conditioning couldn't block.

Shi Sui didn't dare make too much noise.

Her eyes were misty with tears: "You're too much."

Yan Tingli bit her nape hard.

Unable to see his expression clearly, his voice somewhat muffled: "You're more excessive."

The past was too painful to recall, yet strangely overlapped with the present.

Shi Sui couldn't remember many details and didn't want to-it was nothing more than Yan Tingli realizing he couldn't completely control her then, using some tactics to make her lose her mind and change her first choice back to University A in a love-struck daze.

And always insisting she was "more excessive."

How exactly was she excessive?

No one in the world was more unreasonable than him.