Ruthless Romance

Chapter 4: Come to My Room Tonight

"Who is that person?" In the corridor outside the art studio, Mu Tingchen's gaze bore intensely into the scene before him, fixated on Wen Yan and Shen Jie.

The school principal, wearing an ingratiating smile, explained, "Mr. Mu, are you referring to... Shen Jie? The third son of the Shen family? You must have heard of him. He's a junior, and those three are usually inseparable."

"Next time, I don't want to see him at South University. No – anywhere in the capital," Mu Tingchen declared expressionlessly before turning to leave.

After a few steps, he suddenly halted, "Also, I will anonymously sponsor all of Wen Yan's expenses at South University."

The principal hastily bowed his head, "Yes, yes, of course. Have a good day, sir."

...

After classes ended, Wen Yan stood wearily by her bicycle outside the school gates, waiting for Shen Jie to return his scarf.

"Yan Yan, are you waiting for Shen Jie? He left at noon – said he had some family matters," Chen Mengyao approached, pulling out a small package from her bag. "Here, he asked me to give you these cold medicines. There's fever reducer too. Remember to take them."

Wen Yan stared at the medicine without reaching for it, "No need. Please return his scarf to him. I need to head home." Now that Mu Tingchen was back, she had to maintain strict punctuality.

Chen Mengyao pushed the package into her arms, "What's the rush? I can tell he likes you – surely you've noticed?"

A faint blush colored Wen Yan's pale cheeks, "Don't be ridiculous! I'm leaving."

She had barely taken two steps with her bicycle when Mu Tingchen's car suddenly roared up, stopping barely a meter away from her.

As Chen Mengyao opened her mouth to protest, Wen Yan quickly covered it, "It's fine, really! You should go home!"

Through the windshield, she could see Mu Tingchen's dark expression in the backseat.

Impatient, he honked once. Wen Yan hurriedly parked her bicycle and slipped into the back seat.

Chen Mengyao stood dumbfounded as the car sped away.

In the car, Wen Yan kept her head down, not daring to speak. This was the first time Mu Tingchen had ever picked her up from school, and she felt terror rather than joy.

"Got a boyfriend?" Mu Tingchen's question seemed casual, but wasn't.

Thinking of Shen Jie, Wen Yan shook her head frantically, "No." Her grip tightened on the medicine package.

"Shen Jie won't be appearing anymore," Mu Tingchen turned to face her, a cold smile playing at his lips.

Wen Yan's head snapped up in shock, "What did you say?"

Her reaction visibly displeased him, "Your only purpose in this life is atonement. Nothing else – not dating, not marriage, not children. Understand?"

His icy tone made Wen Yan feel as if she'd been plunged into frozen waters. For a moment, she felt hatred toward the man beside her. Why did he have to strip away everything she might come to care about?

But she didn't even have the right to hate him...

They soon arrived at the Mu residence. As she moved to exit the car, Mu Tingchen spotted the package in her hand. His eyes darkened, "Stop."

Wen Yan froze. In the next instant, he snatched the medicine package and tossed it aside.

She lowered her head and silently walked toward the back entrance. At some point, Mu Tingchen had forbidden her from using the front door, saying she could only appear when he wished to see her.

"Come to my room tonight," Mu Tingchen commanded before striding through the main entrance. His thunderous expression scattered the security staff, leaving only Mrs. Liu and Manager Lin to greet him, "Welcome home, young master."

He gave a slight nod. At the stairs, he paused again, "From now on, Wen Yan will take all her meals at home." Her frail appearance – was she trying to make others think he was mistreating her?

Mrs. Liu smiled, "Yes, young master. I'll make sure Miss eats properly."

That night, as Wen Yan helped Mrs. Liu clean the kitchen, the older woman touched her cold hands sympathetically, "That's enough, dear. Get some rest. Look at your hands – they're all cracked. Yan Yan, the young master actually treats you well. Don't be stubborn with him. You know what he's like – everything goes smoothly if you just go along with him. I watched him grow up; he's not a bad person."

Wen Yan remained silent, obsessively mopping the floor again and again. She didn't want to go to him...

The Mu residence was vast, but Mrs. Liu's chores weren't endless. Eventually, everything had to be finished.

Around eleven, she finally gathered her courage and went upstairs. Her knock was tentative.

There was no response. She turned to leave but hesitated, then pushed the door open, knowing the consequences of disobedience.

The room was dark, unlit. She stepped forward carefully, "Are you... asleep?"

Suddenly, his voice came from behind her, "Did I tell you to come at midnight?"

She startled violently, fumbling for the light switch. Her foot caught on something, and with a cry, she pitched forward toward the floor.

The darkness seemed to mirror the uncertainty of their relationship – a complex dance of power, obligation, and unspoken emotions. In the Mu residence, every interaction between them was laden with the weight of their shared past, every word carefully measured against the debt she could never fully repay.

The mansion's grandeur only served to emphasize the disparity between them – he, the master of this domain, and she, existing in the shadows, permitted to stay only as a reminder of her father's alleged sins. Yet beneath the surface of their carefully maintained roles, currents of deeper, more complicated feelings swirled, threatening to disturb the fragile equilibrium they had established.

As she fell in the darkness of his room, Wen Yan couldn't help but wonder if she would ever escape this limbo of existence – caught between gratitude and resentment, between duty and desire, between the past that bound them and a future she wasn't allowed to dream of.