Ruthless Romance

Chapter 12: Discarding It Herself

At such close proximity, she could detect the faint scent of cigarettes on him, and... alcohol. He'd been drinking again! The realization made her heart race faster. She knew from experience that he was most unpredictable when he'd been drinking.

"First Shen Jie, and now who? 'To hold your hand and grow old together'... Tell me... who is it?" His voice carried an icy, hypnotic quality that sent shivers down her spine. The way he emphasized each word made it clear he already knew the answer – he just wanted to hear her say it.

Wen Yan dared not answer. Shen Jie had already been sent abroad because of him – what fate would await him if she admitted the gifts were from him? She couldn't bear to think about it. The memory of Shen Jie's sudden transfer still haunted her, how he'd disappeared without even getting to say goodbye. "I... I don't know..." she stammered, her voice barely above a whisper.

"You don't know? Yet you hid them so carefully? Yan Yan... you're being naughty..." His hand rested casually on her waist, but as he spoke, his grip tightened slightly. The use of her nickname in such a context made it sound more like a threat than an endearment.

Her nerves were stretched to breaking point, every muscle in her body tense with anticipation. She could feel the controlled anger radiating from him, like heat from a banked fire. "I really don't know..."

Mu Tingchen stopped questioning, burying his face in her neck to inhale her clean scent. His breath was warm against her skin, causing goosebumps to rise despite the room's warmth. "If there's a next time, you know the consequences." The words were spoken softly, but they carried the weight of an absolute command.

She froze, as if plunged into ice water, her breath catching in her throat. "I understand. There won't be a next time." The words came out automatically, a conditioned response born from years of similar confrontations.

Receiving her promise, the sharp edge of his demeanor softened slightly, but the underlying tension remained. The air between them was thick with unspoken words and suppressed emotions.

However, he didn't release her. Instead, his soft lips traced along her neck, the gesture somehow both tender and threatening. The contradiction in his actions confused and frightened her even more than his anger would have.

Wen Yan's mind raced, thoughts tumbling over each other in panic. In her understanding, such intimate actions were meant for people who loved each other. He clearly hated her – his every action over the years had proved that – so why would he...? The question burned in her mind, but she dared not voice it.

She didn't dare push him away, remaining motionless as she endured his attention. Her heart thundered in her chest so loudly she was sure he must be able to hear it. Just when she feared what might happen next, when the tension had become almost unbearable, he suddenly pushed her away, breathing heavily with barely contained restraint.

The sudden loss of contact made her stumble slightly, though she quickly regained her balance. Wen Yan looked at him uncertainly, or more accurately, waited cautiously for his next move. She'd learned long ago that with Mu Tingchen, moments of apparent calm could transform into storms without warning.

Instead, Mu Tingchen simply handed her the gift boxes, his tone cold and distant, as if the intimate moment hadn't happened: "Throw them away."

She frowned – he wanted her to discard them herself? The cruelty of the gesture wasn't lost on her. It wasn't enough for him to dispose of the gifts; he wanted to watch her do it, to make her complicit in destroying these small tokens of affection she'd received.

"Do I need to repeat myself?" His brows furrowed, displeasure threatening to overflow from his eyes. The temporary softness from moments before had vanished entirely, replaced by his usual icy demeanor.

Wen Yan didn't dare hesitate further, quickly taking the boxes and dropping them in the trash bin. The soft thud they made as they hit the bottom of the bin seemed to echo in the silent room. When she turned back, she caught a fleeting smile at the corner of his lips, leaving her momentarily stunned. Was it satisfaction at her obedience, or something else entirely?

The next morning, she overslept – thanks to Mu Tingchen, of course. The emotional exhaustion from the previous night had left her deeply drained. Though aside from those strange intimate gestures, he hadn't actually done anything to her, the psychological impact had been profound.

She felt somewhat relieved that he'd only made her throw away the gifts, causing no real harm to Shen Jie... at least, no more than he'd already done. The thought of Shen Jie studying abroad, effectively exiled from his home and friends, still filled her with guilt.

Butler Lin waited at the door, his kind face showing concern for her tired appearance. "Miss, I'll drive you to school. Your bicycle... the young master had it disposed of." He delivered the news gently, knowing how much independence that bicycle had represented to her.

Wen Yan said nothing. The bicycle had reached the end of its life anyway, she told herself, trying to ignore the pang of loss. It had been her one means of freedom, limited though it was.

Near the school, she asked Butler Lin to stop. "Uncle Lin, this is fine. I can walk the last few hundred meters." She didn't want her classmates to see her arriving in an expensive car – it would raise too many questions she couldn't answer.

Butler Lin pulled over, his expression concerned. "Be careful then. Call me when school ends, and I'll pick you up."

After some thought, she added, "Please wait here after school, not at the school gate." The request was unnecessary – they'd been following this routine for years – but she felt compelled to repeat it anyway.

She didn't want anyone knowing about her relationship with Mu Tingchen – it would embarrass him. More than that, she wanted to maintain at least the illusion of normalcy at school, where she could pretend to be just another student.

Butler Lin understood her intentions and, though somewhat resigned, agreed to her request. He'd watched her grow up, seen the way she tried to minimize her presence in Mu Tingchen's life, and it pained him to see her constant self-effacement.