Chapter 21: Sit Over Here, Come Closer

As soon as she stepped out of the bathroom, she saw a man sitting on the sofa, unhurriedly setting out meal containers.

Every inch of him radiated the refined, cold elegance of a scion from a wealthy family; his every movement seemed meticulously deliberate.

She paused in her tracks. "Mr. Lu... was it you who just handed me the pads?"

He came looking for me on his own accord; I didn't initiate this.

She said this to the other man in her mind, then walked over.

"It was me. Come over and have breakfast with me."

Clutching her stomach, she sat across from him. She glanced at the table full of delicacies but found she had no appetite at all.

What a waste.

"Does your stomach hurt a lot?"

He placed a cup of warm honey water in front of her.

She wanted to drink it but didn't dare move; her expression froze on her face.

He then poured some of the honey water into another cup.

Only after seeing him drink did she dare to pick up her cup and take a sip.

He gave a silent smile. "You must have been eating poorly this past month while you were away. Look at you, suffering from period pain again."

She felt a complex swirl of emotions.

She had left home at the age of five and had rarely seen her parents since; she was independent, and the person who had accompanied her most was the one she had lost.

A man like him was very much like her brother.

It wasn't that she had never been moved by him, but she couldn't forget the history between their families.

Years ago, letters sent to her mentioned that to save themselves, his family had been the first to push her father into the line of fire.

However, she didn't know exactly what role her father had played in that mess.

She didn't even know if her father was a good man or a villain.

Her brother’s sentence hadn't been long, and he was supposed to be released at the end of this year.

But last year, news came that he had taken his own life in prison.

The cup of honey water didn't soothe her cramps.

He fed her a few spoonfuls of porridge before allowing her to take the painkiller.

She wrapped herself in a blanket and moved to the sofa by the window. Seeing that he had no intention of leaving, she asked, "Did you two fight last night because of me?"

Hearing this, he looked up from his tablet. After a long silence, he said tonelessly, "No."

"That’s good. Don't let me affect your relationship." She gave a faint smile. "When can my person come out?"

He countered with a question: "What is your relationship with him?"

His question was entirely unexpected.

After a moment of being stunned, a lie came naturally to her lips: "He’s my cousin. His parents died when he was very young. We’re close, so he’s always followed me."

"Your cousin?"

"Yes. You never asked before, and I didn't feel like mentioning it."

The mist in his brow cleared. "It seems I overthought things."

She pressed further: "What did you think?"

"I thought he was secretly in love with you."

She let out a scoffing laugh. "You really don't care much about me, do you?"

Back when they were about to get married, he never asked to meet her parents.

He never brought up her past; they had married in a daze less than a month after meeting.

No wonder everyone in their circle called her a top-tier gold digger, wondering what kind of spell she had cast on him.

Looking back now, perhaps this young master only married her to spite the third Miss Zhou.

He surprised her again by asking: "What would count as caring about you?"

She was stumped and threw the question back at him: "Ask yourself—how much of your heart was actually in it when you married me?"

Instantly, the ward fell silent.

Those deep, dark eyes stared at her fixedly.

She couldn't read his mind.

After a long time, he spoke again: "Get some sleep."

"Okay."

Perhaps the medicine was taking effect; her stomach didn't hurt as much, and she soon fell asleep.

When she woke up again, she smelled the aroma of food and couldn't help but swallow.

As she opened her eyes, she saw him waving her over. "Come eat."

Unable to resist the temptation, she wrapped herself in the blanket and walked over.

"You’re not staying here to keep me company all day, are you?"

"I was afraid you'd be bored. I'll leave once your cousin returns."

"He can come out today?"

"Yes, this afternoon. Get some more sleep; you'll see him when you wake up."

The porridge he just poured was steaming hot, and her heart felt warm too.

She smiled, her eyes curving. "The woman who marries you will surely be very happy."

His movements paused. "And you? Were you happy?"

She shrugged indifferently. "Happiness has already left me far behind."

His eyes darkened, and he said suddenly, "Sit over here, come closer to me."

She didn't refuse. Just like when they were first married, she went to his side and let him feed her.

It wasn't that she was spoiled; she simply didn't have the habit of eating regular meals back then.

He would personally bring the food and feed her spoonful by spoonful while she played on her phone.

This time, she wasn't playing on her phone; her eyes seemed to hold a flicker of interest as she stared at him without blinking.

...

The elevator doors opened.

The assistant saw a man walking out carrying a thermal bag.

The man glanced at him. "Did the little thing cry from the pain?"

"She..."

"Hmm?" The man lifted the bag. "I brought enough for you too. Come in and eat."

"She is... currently with Mr. Lu."

The man paused, his lips curling in a way that made it impossible to tell if he was angry. "They already ate?"

"Sir..."

Before he could finish, the man strode forward.

The ward door wasn't fully closed, making everything inside visible.

The man waited until after he had left for a phone call and the sun had begun to set before finally pushing the door open.

Chapter 22: Would You Really Mind One More?

The sound of the door opening startled her awake from a dream, and she gasped for breath.

Sitting up in bed, she called out urgently, "Hunter..."

It must be him! He must be back!

Just as her feet slipped into her slippers, a tall, sturdy figure appeared before her.

Her heart felt as if it had been violently squeezed.

The pain made her breath catch.

"You..." She bit back the words

Why are you here again?

and said instead, "You brought me dinner?"

She deliberately pitched her voice higher to sound happy.

The man’s expression was unreadable as he set the food down and sat on the sofa behind him, his aura arrogant and domineering.

He crossed his legs and looked at her with a gaze she had never seen before.

The crimson sunset glowed on his suppressed, gloomy, and ruthless face.

He looked so out of place.

She turned to draw the curtains, and his deep voice came from behind her: "It seems Mr. Lu has disappointed you again?"

She was caught off guard and choked on her own breath. Turning back, she denied it immediately: "I swear, I absolutely did not play the victim in front of him. He came to see me on his own. He owns this hospital; if he wants to come, how can I refuse? Right?"

The light in the room dimmed abruptly. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust and see the man’s expression.

It was somber and devoid of emotion.

He uncrossed his legs and leaned forward, elbows resting on his thighs, hands dangling between his knees.

A corner of the curtain fluttered in the wind. In the flickering shadows, she saw his lips curl.

The smile didn't reach his eyes.

"How can you refuse..." Repeating her words, he beckoned her with a finger. "Get over here."

"No!" She snapped, a sudden temper rising. "I don't care what you're trying to do, but in this matter, Hunter is innocent!"

She breathed heavily after her outburst.

The shouting caused a wave of dizziness, and she nearly lost her footing.

He seemed unfazed.

Instead, she breathed a secret sigh of relief. "What is your purpose in approaching me?"

His voice rose a notch. "Get over here."

She instinctively took a step forward, then immediately stepped back.

"I'm not a ball; I can't roll over there."

He gave a small laugh. "Then crawl."

This was a blatant humiliation.

Her stubbornness flared up; she refused to move.

His patience was nearing its end. "I'll count to three. You, Natalie, will drop to the floor with your hands over your head, or the blame for that boy’s death will fall on Hunter."

"Three!"

His voice was like a sharp command, causing her to panic instantly.

Frantically, she grabbed her phone and dialed Julian’s number.

She truly didn't believe it.

Could this one man really twist the truth so easily?

"Two!"

The counting grew more urgent, yet the call went straight to voicemail.

In the six months she had known him, this was the first time his phone had been off.

As her anxiety peaked, that threatening voice spoke again: "Natalie, do you still not see the situation you're in?"

He told her, word by word: "I know everything about you."

It was like a bolt of lightning striking her head.

He said he knew everything—what she came back to the city to do!

She had been warned a thousand times never to reveal her true identity to anyone, and never to return to this city without permission.

Otherwise, her life would be in danger.

At this moment, she truly panicked.

Almost before he reached "One," she dropped—intending to crouch, but accidentally kneeling before him instead.

His lips curled into a cold, thin smile. Whether satisfied or not, he leaned back and crossed his legs again.

There was a hint of playfulness in his eyes.

Being looked down upon like this, she lowered her head in shame, her fingers clutching her trousers tightly.

He lifted his foot, and the tip of his leather shoe easily tilted her chin up.

"Since you can't refuse him, how about I find a different place for you to stay for a while?"

It sounded like he was asking for her opinion, but his tone allowed no refusal.

Enduring the discomfort, she asked, "Where are you sending me?"

"Macau."

"That’s so far. Why?"

He didn't answer. He uncrossed his legs, reached out a long arm, and gripped the back of her neck, pulling her toward him with a firm tug.

She was forced between his knees, looking up into his somber gaze.

With nowhere else to go, her hands rested on his thighs, lightly touching his trousers, barely daring to relax.

His burning thumb brushed against her delicate lips.

A stinging pain immediately spread across them.

She knit her brows. "I’ll agree, but I want to see Hunter tonight!"

The mirth in his eyes was mocking. "Agree to be my girlfriend first."

She frowned. "...Girlfriend?!"

Where was this coming from now!

"A girlfriend who is on-call twenty-four-seven."

She understood instantly and snapped in anger, "You have so many lovers already. Would you really mind one more?"

He let out a soft laugh. "You’ve certainly investigated me quite a bit."

"Uh..."

She pulled his hand away from her lips and forced a smile. "Who doesn't know your reputation? It doesn't take much effort; anyone could tell me everything I need to know."

She hadn't believed it before, but now she realized she had been naive. Given his character, those rumors were likely very true.

He listened without much emotion, then tilted his head toward the laptop sitting to the side—it was Hunter's.

"And besides what you've heard?"

Her eyes sharpened, and she quickly changed the subject: "No matter what, I’ll agree to anything as long as Hunter comes out safe. I'm begging you."

He looked at her "ready to die" expression and felt a headache coming on. He leaned back and frowned. "Go to Macau first and do something for me. If you succeed, I'll bring you back."

"Then, I'll let you reunite with him."

"What is it? How long will it take?"

The moment the words left her mouth, she realized she had stepped into his trap.

"As for how long it takes, that depends on your ability."

She lowered her head, nodding perfunctorily. "As long as you don't interfere with Hunter, I'll do whatever you want."

His voice was icy: "Even if I told you to die?"

She bit her pink lip, about to speak, when she was suddenly pulled onto his lap.