As Chen Jin stepped outside, he suddenly remembered that he had just sent Old Li away. He had planned to spend the night there, but now, with a determined stride, he headed straight for the garage, started his Hummer, and slammed the accelerator, leaving the villa behind. The phone rang, and seeing it was Old Zhou calling, he didn't want to pick up. Everything about that place—the people, the things—was getting on his nerves. The phone kept ringing relentlessly, so he finally pressed the answer button.
"Mr. Chen, it's about Miss Lin…" Old Zhou stammered.
Chen Jin interrupted impatiently, "Is she dead?"
There was a stunned silence on the other end, before Old Zhou replied nervously, "No, no, it's just…."
"Then why the hell are you calling?" Chen Jin snapped, then hung up.
Old Zhou stared at the phone, confused. Is it only acceptable to call if she's dead? He hesitated, then dialed again, gathering his words carefully. After a few rings, the call was answered. "Miss Lin... her condition isn't great. She stepped on some glass, injured her foot, and threw up... looks like she's been scared half to death…"
This time, there was no immediate hang-up, just the sound of wind rustling. After a few moments, Chen Jin's voice came through, calm but still filled with urgency. "Stay with her and don't move her. I'll send someone over."
With that, he hung up and immediately dialed the hospital. "Uncle He, this time you need to send more people… she stepped on glass, it's dangerous... Alright, I'll have someone pick you up."
When he walked through the door, the smell of wine hit him immediately, giving him the sensation of walking into a wine cellar. Before he even reached the second floor, he heard Lin Wen's muffled cries. His heart clenched painfully. He hurried up the stairs, and when he reached the bedroom door, he heard her voice pleading, "Don't pull it out, don't pull out my thorns… Wang Xiao, help me…"
Old Zhou and his wife were by her side, trying to hold her foot and reassure her. Chen Jin stopped dead in his tracks upon hearing the last part. His jaw clenched, and he walked over, his face dark with anger. "Who told you to do this? Didn't I say wait for the doctor?"
Old Zhou was sweating bullets, hastily explaining, "We didn't dare, Mr. Chen. We just didn't want Miss Lin to move, afraid she might hurt her tendons."
At the mention of "tendons," Chen Jin's heart skipped a beat. He looked at Lin Wen's blood-soaked foot, and his vision blurred. He closed his eyes for a moment, then walked over to the bed. Softly, he called, "Wenwen…"
But as soon as Lin Wen saw him, she screamed again, her face filled with terror. Trembling, she begged, "Don't come near me, please... let me go…"
The bitterness in Chen Jin's throat was unbearable. She was truly terrified of him. Sighing, he waved at Old Zhou and his wife to leave, but Lin Wen continued to shrink away from him, leaving two bloody streaks on the sheets. His chest tightened, and he felt suffocated. Taking a deep breath, he stretched his hand out in a halting gesture, speaking softly, "Wenwen, don't be afraid. I won't treat you like this again."
Seeing the disbelief in her eyes, he quickly added, "Really. I promise."
By the time everything had settled, it was already past ten o'clock in the evening. The mess downstairs had been cleaned up, the floor spotless, and the new carpet had been laid down. It was as though nothing had happened. But the air still carried the lingering scent of the wine, rich and intoxicating.
Chen Jin sat on the couch beside the bed, gazing at the woman who was now peacefully asleep, having been given a sedative. Uncle He had personally brought a team with him. As they passed downstairs, he had caught sight of the mess and, upon seeing the injured woman in the bed, immediately guessed what had happened. He quickly had the wounds attended to. It was deep, but fortunately, the tendons were not damaged.
Afterward, Uncle He patted Chen Jin's shoulder, speaking with great seriousness. "Ah Jin, you really need to control your temper. Look at what you've done to this poor girl. You know what they say—good men don't fight with women. Why cause such a big fuss over something that could have been resolved calmly?"
Chen Jin nodded repeatedly, suddenly remembering something important. He hurriedly asked, "She won't suffer permanent damage, right? She seemed a bit out of it when I saw her earlier."
"Yes, this is probably just a result of shock," Uncle He replied. "But has she ever been through any trauma before?"
Chen Jin froze for a moment, then hesitated before answering, "Her fiancé died in a car accident."
Uncle He's eyes flickered with something strange, and Chen Jin quickly added, "It happened a year ago."
"Ah, no wonder," Uncle He nodded. "In that case, you should take her to the hospital for a thorough check-up. She's a good girl with deep feelings, and you need to treat her well."
Chen Jin nodded, though his heartfelt heavy.
Lin Wen slept peacefully, her body wrapped in clean pajamas, a thin blanket covering her. Her feet, both bandaged, stuck out of the covers, wrapped tightly like two rice dumplings. The sight of them made Chen Jin's heartache. He took off his jacket, pulled back the blanket, and climbed into bed. He reached out and pulled her into his arms. It had only been a few days, but she had lost so much weight; it felt like holding a delicate bundle, and her body was so frail.
As he lay there, Chen Jin regretted leaving earlier. He had been angry—angry at Lin Wen, angry at the alcohol, and most of all, angry at himself. How could he have lost control again? But when Lin Wen had looked at him with such confusion, unable to recognize who he was, it felt like a punch to the gut. It left him deeply unsettled, and all he could think about was how to wake her up, to give her a lesson so unforgettable that she would never touch alcohol again in her life.
He hadn't slapped her to wake her up. Instead, he had smashed things to shock her awake. It seemed like progress, but it was just as harmful as before. It had even caused her to injure her foot and almost terrified her into permanent trauma…
Chen Jin sighed, turning off the light. He held her close, his hand slipping beneath her pajamas to caress her skin. Thankfully, there was still some softness to her body. He ran his hands over her, wanting to prove to himself that she was still whole, still his. Before drifting off to sleep, one thought dominated his mind: it was so good to be able to hold her like this again.