Chen Jin casually sat down on the sofa, his eyes flicking over the half-naked woman at his feet. A complex expression flashed across his face, but it was quickly replaced by a smirk. He opened a bottle of liquor, and the rich aroma mixed with a hint of spiciness filled the air. He noticed her nostrils flare slightly, and he laughed softly. "Little drunkard, are you craving it?"
Lin Wan didn't respond, but in her heart, she silently acknowledged that strong liquor was exactly what someone like him would drink.
Chen Jin took a sip from the bottle and then asked, "Want some? I can make an exception today."
Lin Wan lowered her gaze, ignoring him.
He asked again, "You don't want any?"
Still no response. The woman on the floor had her eyes half-closed, as if she were asleep. He chuckled darkly. "Well, don't say I didn't warn you." He stood up and moved in front of her, crouching down slowly. "This drink was meant for both of us. Since you're not interested, I can't let it go to waste. But I can see you're just not into it. How about something a little more exciting instead?"
Lin Wan snapped her eyes open and met his gaze, which was laced with mockery. She had no idea what trick he was about to play, but seeing that smug, teasing expression sent a chill down her spine, and her heart sank involuntarily.
Chen Jin watched her reaction with satisfaction, a wicked smile curling on one side of his lips. "Guess what I'm about to do?" He reached down and flicked at the torn remnants of Lin Wan's tank top, his finger brushing against her exposed nipple with purpose. He smirked coldly. "Are you scared? Want to beg me? Hmm?"
Lin Wan stared at the stubbornness and malice in his eyes. Her lips trembled, but no words escaped. She couldn't imagine herself begging this man for mercy. The night everything had started, she hadn't begged, and neither had she in the following instances. That was her last line of defense, and she knew that even begging wouldn't help. It would only lead to a more complete destruction. Dignity—she wasn't sure if she still had any left, but she remembered someone once saying it was better to believe than to not believe.
The silence stretched on, draining what little patience Chen Jin had left. With a swift motion, he tore off the pitiful remains of her tank top, and the liquor bottle tilted, spilling the liquid onto her neck, where it wound its way down her body.
"You seem to enjoy this so much. Well, let me give it a try," he said leisurely, almost as if he were watering plants. But for Lin Wan, it was far from pleasant. The sting from his bite still lingered on her chest, and now the liquor seeped into the wound, bringing a sharp, needle-like pain. She couldn't help but cry out in agony.
"Finally, some noise from you. I didn't think it would take this much," Chen Jin remarked with a hint of satisfaction. "This drink is expensive, so we have to make it last." With that, he bent down and began to suck at her neck, tracing a path along her skin. Lin Wan realized what he meant by "making it last." She couldn't see the marks on her neck, but the pain was unbearable, deep and penetrating, and when his mouth latched onto her sensitive spots, her body involuntarily shuddered with each passing second.
After a long while, Chen Jin finally pulled away, having drained the last of the alcohol from her skin. He gazed at her pained expression, his fingers gently caressing her flushed cheek, as if he were showing affection. "Wan Wan, look at how well I'm treating you. To help you with your 'condition,' I've spent a lot. Aren't you touched?"
Lin Wan kept her eyes shut, hoping this torment would end soon. Or at the very least, she wished she could become numb to the pain, so that whatever he did next would be meaningless.
Chen Jin, having had his fun, spread her legs apart once more and entered her, his movements as rough as ever. Lin Wan's body remained unresponsive, dry and unwilling. He paused for a moment, slightly puzzled. He had thought she didn't understand, but after seeing her performance on stage earlier, he realized just how wrong he was. She knew exactly what she was doing. But now, when it came to the real thing, she didn't react at all. Could it be that she had some kind of physical problem?
Lin Wan, in her haze, tried to slip into a meditative state—or perhaps it was more like a delusion, a desperate hope that this tormented body wasn't hers. To her surprise, her mind began to wander, and it seemed to work, until Chen Jin abruptly yanked her out of her reverie, forcing her to feel the pain again. She grimaced, but the next moment, her pupils contracted, and she found herself whispering, "No…"
"No, what?" Chen Jin asked, holding the bottle in a tilted position. The two of them were still connected, and if the bottle spilled…
Lin Wan hesitated, her voice barely audible. "Don't spill it."
"Are you begging me?" Chen Jin's eyes gleamed with amusement, his hands never ceasing their movements.
Lin Wan nodded stiffly, her eyes filled with tears and defiance. But there was fear there too—she was scared. She couldn't bear the thought of dying, and if she was going to die, it couldn't be like this.
"But it's not possible," Chen Jin replied with a laugh. "You're always so quiet. I can't take it anymore. I told you before, if I don't make you come, I'll take your last name. You don't want me to take your last name, do you? What would we be then, brother and sister?"
His words were slow and mocking, and Lin Wan's lips curled down in disgust. Two streams of tears fell down her face, and Chen Jin watched, his heart softening for just a moment. He tossed the bottle aside, the liquor spilling onto the carpet. With a sigh, he gathered Lin Wan into his arms, his voice softening as he spoke. "If you had just given in earlier, it wouldn't have been like this, you know?" He gently rubbed her head. "It was just to scare you. Did you really believe me? I thought you were braver than that."
Lin Wan cried quietly in his arms, her body trembling. Chen Jin chuckled softly. "Alright, alright. I won't do anything else today. But you need to change your ways. You can't keep acting like this. I have my limits. I'll have to find a way to 'cure' you. Love and desire are natural, but you just don't get it, do you?"
His tender words only deepened Lin Wan's pain. She was heartbroken. She had lost. She had begged him. The moment she nodded, it felt as though a statue had collapsed in front of her.
Chen Jin's voice continued, "But you really went too far today. In front of all those people, you humiliated me. They even took pictures. If those end up online, we'll be famous. You can make a scene at home, but when you're out in public, you need to be smarter. My temper isn't great, and I have a strong sense of revenge. If you piss me off, it'll be you who suffers in the end."