Lost in her own thoughts, Lin Wen heard the voice, snapping her back to reality. Slowly, she turned her head to see the man who had disappeared for several days standing behind her, glaring with intense anger. No, his eyes weren't on her, but on the empty red wine glass beside her.
"You're drinking again?" His voice was harsh, filled with anger.
Lin Wen quickly picked up the glass, trying to pour the last drop into her mouth, but before it could reach her lips, it was yanked out of her hand. A sharp crash followed, and without even needing to look, she knew he had smashed it against the wall.
The alcohol was still taking effect, making her feel lightheaded. Her movements were slow, a bit unsteady. Chen Jin merely watched coldly, not offering any support, and asked in a deep voice, "Didn't I tell you not to let me see this again?"
Lin Wen tried hard to remember. The warning sounded familiar, but she couldn't recall when it happened. She mumbled, "When did you…" She heard his heavy breathing and, instinctively, turned to look at his face. The expression there frightened her so much that she forgot what she was going to say.
"How much did you drink?" he demanded.
"Ah? Oh." Lin Wen scratched her head and lowered her gaze, as if searching for something.
Chen Jin was infuriated by her dazed expression, thinking to himself, Why can't she learn from her mistakes? She had such poor alcohol tolerance, yet she still dared to drink. The last time she had gotten so drunk, she almost got assaulted by someone else. Although it had ended in a strange way, with him accidentally taking care of everything, the thought of her vulnerable, intoxicated, and seductive face being desired by other men filled him with fury.
"Where did it come from?"
Without a word, Lin Wen suddenly dropped to her knees, reaching under the sofa for an empty wine bottle. She then answered, almost too late, "One bottle."
Seeing her answer, Chen Jin said nothing for a while. Then, after a moment of contemplation, Lin Wen added, "It's from here."
Chen Jin's anger skyrocketed. He watched her, fuming. Normally, he hated how much Lin Wen resisted and defied him. He wished she would be more obedient, like a docile animal. But seeing her now—looking so unlike herself, lost and silly—he felt an odd distaste. Who is this? This is not the Lin that I know.
Angered, he swiped the wine bottle out of her hands, and Lin Wen, in some strange daze, bent down to retrieve it. Chen Jin's temper flared even more. He grabbed her roughly, pulling her toward the door. Her wrist ached from his grip, and she struggled, her body resisting.
Suddenly, he turned to face her, his expression dark and questioning. "Who am I?"
Lin Wen was completely stunned by his unpredictable behavior. She had no idea what game he was playing now. Looking at him, her expression was confused. Chen Jin stared at her for a moment. His breath was shallow, as though something was caught in his throat. His heart raced erratically. The next moment, he grabbed her and lifted her in one swift motion, holding her like a rolled-up blanket under his arm. His long legs moved swiftly as he took her downstairs. Lin Wen's feet left the ground, and she screamed in terror, struggling in his grip.
Once downstairs, he headed straight for the small living room and stopped at the liquor cabinet. He set Lin Wen down, pointing at the cabinet, demanding, "Did you take it from here?"
Lin Wen's head was spinning more than ever. It took a lot of effort for her to steady herself, but she managed to nod vaguely. Chen Jin opened the cabinet, pulled out a bottle, and, without a second thought, threw it to the ground. The bottle shattered with a sharp crack, spilling the wine everywhere. She jumped back in shock, but before she could move away, he yanked her back into place.
Without a word, he grabbed a second bottle, then a third. With each bottle, he threw it to the ground, the sound of glass breaking filling the room. Lin Wen couldn't help but scream in fear, her mind struggling to wake up fully from the drunken haze. The sight of him, acting like a madman, terrified her. It felt as if he might throw the next bottle straight at her. She tried to move away, but his grip on her left hand was iron-tight. Instinctively, she raised her right arm to shield her face from the flying shards.
The commotion was loud enough to alert Zhou's wife and husband, who rushed in, only to freeze in shock at the sight of Chen Jin's terrifying expression. "Stay right there and don't move!" he commanded in a cold, authoritative voice. It was their first time witnessing such a scene, and they didn't know how to react. Watching Lin Wen, clearly terrified, only made it worse. They wanted to intervene but were afraid of provoking Chen Jin, so they could only watch, hoping nothing worse would happen.
When Chen Jin picked up the sixth bottle, he turned around and saw the horror in Lin Wen's eyes. His heart skipped a beat. After a deep, ragged breath, he tossed the bottle back into the cabinet. He pulled Lin Wen toward him and asked, "Do you still want to drink?"
Lin Wen, heart pounding, shook her head frantically.
"Say it. Lost your voice?" His tone was even harsher now.
"I don't want to drink anymore," she stammered, shaking.
Only then did Chen Jin release her. He kicked the broken glass aside, then pointed a finger at her forehead, his voice cold. "Remember what you said." He then straightened his shirt, which had been pulled out of shape by his earlier force, and walked out. As he passed by the stunned Zhou couple, he coldly instructed, "Clean this up. Hide the rest of those bottles."
Zhou's wife hurriedly ran over to Lin Wen, her voice trembling with concern. "Miss Lin, are you okay? What's going on here…?" Old Zhou quickly grabbed a broom and began cleaning up the mess.
Lin Wen remained standing in a daze, ignoring Zhou's wife's questions. Her mind was still reeling from the shattered glass and the echoes of the broken bottles. She lowered her head, her eyes falling on the glass shards scattered around her, and the white wool carpet now stained red. The floor was covered in wine, creating the appearance of a large pool of blood. Her skirt was soaked in the crimson liquid, and faint reddish marks dotted the fabric—marks she recognized.
"Quickly take Miss Lin upstairs. No, take her to the big living room first. Check if she was hurt by the glass…" Old Zhou gave instructions to his wife before continuing to clean up the glass on the floor.
However, as soon as Zhou's wife laid a hand on Lin Wen's arm, she screamed, "Don't touch me!"
Startled, Zhou's wife pulled back her hand, and Old Zhou, who had been sleeping nearby, looked up, surprised. They both stared at Lin Wen, who was wide-eyed and pale, trembling as if traumatized. Suddenly, she covered her mouth and fled, stepping on the glass shards, causing them to crack under her feet. Zhou's wife quickly ran after her, with Old Zhou following behind.
Lin Wen rushed into the bathroom, slammed the door behind her, and locked it. Zhou's wife knocked and pleaded from the outside, trying to calm her down. Inside, Lin Wen's sounds of vomiting could be heard. When Old Zhou found the spare key and opened the door, Lin Wen was slumped against the toilet, barely conscious. She looked up at them with a feeble voice and said, "Don't come near me."
"Okay, I won't. You should wipe your face first." Zhou's wife stretched her arm out, handing her a towel. She glanced down at the sink and saw one of Lin Wen's soft slippers, its white sole stained with blood.