CITM - 48

After saying those words, Ye Yun went inside the house and took out her clothes, packing them away one by one.

Bai Wenfu entered the room and saw her actions, then closed the door.

She heard him approaching, but didn’t have the courage to look into his eyes again. His footsteps heavily trod on her heart until he stopped behind her, pulling her into his arms, snatching the clothes from her hands and throwing them away.

His breathing was rapid and hot, almost melting her.

“Where are you going?”

Ye Yun didn’t answer him. Bai Wenfu turned her body around, his gaze locking onto her eyes. “Tell me, where do you plan to go?”

Ye Yun turned her head away, her eyelashes fluttering nervously.

“Okay,” he compromised.

“I’ll take you to another place, away from here. We’ll start a new home.”

She didn’t make a sound, just shook her head.

Going to another place would only lengthen his journey back and forth. His legs weren’t good, and that would make him even more exhausted than he was now. What was the point?

Tears welled up in Ye Yun’s eyes, her voice trembling and broken as it escaped her throat: “Actually... we don’t necessarily have to be together.”

As she said these words, Bai Wenfu’s Adam’s apple bobbed, his knuckles turning white as he clenched his fists.

Ye Yun tried her best to hold back her tears, raising her head to meet his gaze. “You said that as long as I wanted to leave, you wouldn’t stop me.”

His eyes were red at the corners, and an overwhelming, oppressive aura surged towards her. His arms, like iron clamps, tightened around her waist, pressing her firmly into his embrace.

“I also said that I’m not a good person. The people I care about, even if only a bone remains, I won’t let go.”

“Have you forgotten?”

He picked her up, placing her frail body on his lap. Her head rested against his heart, still and unmoving.

He stroked her long hair, holding her as if she were a child, and spoke to her at length, trying to dissuade her from leaving him.

Ye Yun closed her eyes and didn’t speak, didn’t respond, and didn’t struggle, like a broken doll devoid of life.

No matter how Bai Wenfu tried to feed her, she refused to open her mouth again. She hadn’t touched a drop of water since saying those words to him in the morning.

He wouldn’t let her leave, and she didn’t make a fuss or argue, silently resisting him with her hunger strike.

Bai Wenfu knew very well that his family’s troubles shouldn’t burden her. She was so young; there was no reason to keep her here, trapped in this cage, living in constant fear. He understood the道理 (dàolǐ - principle, reason), yet he stubbornly clung to this relationship, afraid that a separation would turn them into strangers forever, wasting their lives away without ever seeing each other again.

Night was deep. Bai Wenfu cupped her face and kissed her lips, gently prying them open to feed her water.

Ye Yun refused to swallow, and the water trickled down her lips, wetting the pillowcase.

Bai Wenfu was so angered by her state that his heart ached. He scooped her up, flames burning in his eyes, his voice deep and cold: “If you continue like this, I’ll resort to other means.”

He pinched her waist, lifting her upper body. “Speak.”

Her head drooped to one side, like a boneless shell, determined to defy him.

The warmth of his palms, carrying a heat that demanded submission, inch by inch conquered her resistance. An unstoppable blaze burned through her, forcibly dragging her out of the ice cave, compelling her to speak and respond to him.

Ye Yun closed her eyes, facing him in the most ruthless way. Even with the arrow on the string, she still refused to look at him.

Bai Wenfu’s chest was violently assaulted. His arms tightened around her, plunging into the passage that led directly to her heart.

An intense, numbing sensation invaded her pores. Ye Yun trembled slightly, clutching the bedsheet.

He relentlessly attacked the soft flesh of her heart, hard as iron. She was like a precarious fallen leaf, held tightly in his palm, and no matter how fierce the storm raged, he wouldn’t allow the wind to carry her away.

In the continuous and intense entanglement, Ye Yun finally reached her limit, gasping for breath, on the verge of collapse. He took the opportunity to hold the water to her lips and pour it into her throat. Caught off guard, she suddenly opened her eyes.

His neck was slightly tilted, his taut profile revealing an untamable rebelliousness, his eyes with a faint redness at the corners, yet filled with tenderness.

“If you insist on going against me, then neither of us will sleep tonight. Let’s see when you’ll finally eat.”

He got up, lifted her by the waist, and placed her on the table, pressing against her from behind. Her legs were weak, and her disheveled hair trembled damply, yet she stubbornly remained silent.

Bai Wenfu couldn’t hear her voice or see her face, and his heart was heavy. He simply picked her up and propped her against the cupboard.

The clatter of the dishes grew increasingly alarming, as if they would shatter at any moment.

Ye Yun was slippery all over, as if she had just been pulled from water. She could no longer ignore him. The terrifying rhythm forced her to hold him tightly, her voice hoarse and almost suffocated: “Wen... Wenfu...”

“Will you eat now?”

She leaned limply against his shoulder, not speaking. Bai Wenfu supported her soft buttocks. “If you don’t speak, we’ll continue.”

She instantly tensed up. Bai Wenfu withdrew and placed her by the bed, turning back to get the bowl.

Ye Yun’s eyes were filled with tears, her flushed face showing a look of unyielding defiance.

A wicked smile played on Bai Wenfu’s lips. His tight undershirt was pulled halfway up, a gruesome scar stretched across his firm abdominal muscles.

He dragged her to the bedside, thrusting deeply. Ye Yun shivered. He poked her sensitive spot and brought the food to her lips.

“Be a good girl and eat. I’ll treat you well. Don’t go against me.”

Ye Yun’s heart was about to leap out of her throat. She supported herself with her hands behind her, opened her mouth, and he put the spoon in.

For every spoonful she ate, he rewarded her with a few thrusts, using even seduction to coax her into eating.

She ate a few mouthfuls like this, then shook her head. Bai Wenfu put the bowl aside and picked her up, holding her tightly against his waist.

“Had enough fun? It’s my turn now.”

By the time Ye Yun realized something was wrong, it was already too late to escape. Her feet left the ground, her body firmly controlled by him. He pressed against her, pouring all his desire to keep her into her body.

The sudden heat wave burned Ye Yun, making her hands tremble as she pressed against Bai Wenfu’s chest, constantly pushing him away.

As soon as he set her down, she frantically searched for her clothes, throwing them on haphazardly before rushing into the outhouse.

Before settling down, he had never once risked her getting pregnant. Even in the heat of passion, he always maintained a sliver of rationality.

But today, his rationality was completely shattered. He had never thought that one day he would use such a despicable method to keep her by his side.

Ye Yun was gone for a long time before returning. Bai Wenfu leaned against the bedside, watching her, his gaze growing increasingly intense, filled with a possessive ferocity and a hint of sorrow in his voice: “Are you really that unwilling to have my child?”

Ye Yun didn’t meet his eyes. She took off her outer garment, walked around him, and crawled into the bed. Bai Wenfu reached out and pulled her under him.

“Did you clean yourself up?”

His entire body tensed again, every vein revealing a wanton wildness, both sensual and deadly, captivating and soul-stirring.

“You can’t clean it up.”

He held her waist, refusing to let her go.

The dried sweat became sticky and unbearable again, a night of intense passion, like dew on delicate flowers.

She was petite, and he was afraid of hurting her, so he always held back his strength. Ye Yun had never felt his indulgence and unrestrained desire as she did tonight. Her soft body felt like it would break. By the time morning approached, her long hair was stuck to her skin, and she had fallen into a semi-conscious state.

The light of dawn seeped into the room. Bai Wenfu pressed against her, giving her all his intense love and passion. Ye Yun was already too weak to get out of bed, passively accepting his giving, her soul constantly drifting, and everything around her becoming unreal.

He thought that after this night, she would change her mind, just like every time before. Whatever he said to her, she would eventually obediently agree.

However, when they woke up, their relationship was back to square one. She still refused to eat or talk to him, and even her breathing had become weak. The small room was frighteningly silent.

For three whole days, he didn’t leave her side. Only when he became too forceful would she reluctantly eat a little something, just enough to stay alive, using this cruel method to stand against him. Her already frail body quickly withered like a dying flower. Later, when he touched her, she no longer reacted.

He held her, his distressed voice lingering in her ear.

“If you leave me, I’ll be alone for the rest of my life.”

Tears wet the corners of her eyes. Bai Wenfu kissed them away, his lips touching the dampness, and his throat tightened.

Finally, on the fourth day, Ye Yun spoke to him. She said, “Wenfu, I want to cut my hair.”

He didn’t understand why she wanted to cut her long hair for no apparent reason.

Her eyelashes drooped, her voice so light that it didn’t betray any emotion.

“It always gets wet when you... when we... it’s too much trouble to wash.”

She raised her watery eyes to look at him. “Take me to the barbershop.”

Bai Wenfu’s heart softened. He cleaned her up and took her out.

Seeing the sun again, Ye Yun suddenly felt like she was in another world. She tilted her head back, feeling the wind blowing across her face.

Bai Wenfu turned back and grasped her hand. She let him lead her, following him step by step out of the alley.

Whether it was the neighbors in the shantytown or the residents of Second Tail Lane, countless strange gazes fell upon them wherever they went.

He held her hand tightly, his imposing figure exuding a chilling aura that defied all malice.

Ye Yun lowered her gaze, enclosing herself in an invisible barrier, blocking out everything from the outside world until they stepped into the barbershop.

The barbershop was crowded, filled with various sounds of conversation. When they entered, the talking instantly quieted down, and the people around them cast glances with different expressions. That feeling of being publicly executed surged into Ye Yun’s heart again. Her fingers trembled slightly, and Bai Wenfu tightened his grip, saying to the barber, “Cut her hair.”

The barber was a middle-aged woman. She glanced at Ye Yun and replied, “No space.”

Bai Wenfu unhurriedly took out a banknote and placed it on the counter.

“Is there space now?”

The middle-aged woman pursed her lips, picked up the money, and said to Ye Yun, “This way, please.”

Ye Yun followed her to the back room, while Bai Wenfu found a chair and sat down to wait for her.

Most of the men in Second Tail Lane got their hair cut at the entrance of the alley, where there was an open-air barber, cheap and quick.

Those who could afford to come to this barbershop were mostly women, spending half a day getting their hair done. No respectable man was willing to accompany them. Bai Wenfu was the only man in the shop, sitting with his legs crossed, waiting for his woman.

The shop door was pushed open, and a crisp voice entered.

“It’s not the New Year or any festival, why are there so many people today?”

Bai Wenfu heard Su Hong’s voice and raised his eyes. Su Hong also saw him and smiled, her lips curving upwards.

“Oh, a rare guest. What are you doing here, a big man like you?”

Bai Wenfu gestured towards the back room with his chin. Su Hong’s eyes flickered knowingly, and she walked inside.

Lifting the curtain, Su Hong’s gaze fell on Ye Yun, who was sitting down. She looked Ye Yun up and down, a surprised expression on her face. It hadn’t been long since they last met, but Ye Yun had become so thin that there was no flesh left on her once full cheeks.

Ye Yun raised her eyes and glanced at the barber in the mirror. Su Hong drew the curtain and waved her hand at the barber, who tactfully stepped aside.

Su Hong pinched Ye Yun’s haggard little face and leaned down, feigning sympathy. “Bai Wenfu hasn’t gone out these past few days, has he? How many times a day does he take you that he can wear you out like this?”

Ye Yun looked away, her face slightly flushed.

Su Hong straightened up, her arms crossed as she looked at the beautiful sight in the mirror. “Poor thing, meeting Bai Wenfu, I don’t know if it’s your luck or misfortune. I warned you long ago not to let him set his eyes on you. He’ll devour you until there’s not even a bone left.”

Ye Yun frowned slightly and looked up at her. “Sister Hong, help me find something.”

After a while, Su Hong came out from behind the curtain, opened the shop door, walked to the entrance, and gave an instruction to the driver. When she came back in, Bai Wenfu’s sharp eyes shot towards her. Su Hong turned her head to meet his gaze and asked him inexplicably, “Why are you staring at me like that?”

Bai Wenfu slowly withdrew his gaze and looked out the window. Su Hong smoothed her hair and called inside, “Someone come wash my hair.”

When Ye Yun came out from behind the curtain again, her long hair had become short, reaching just below her ears, making her face look even smaller.

She walked up to Bai Wenfu and saw him staring straight at her. She touched her hair self-consciously. “Is it ugly?”

Bai Wenfu put his arm around her shoulder. “It looks good no matter what.”

He turned his head and said to Su Hong, “Let’s go.”

Su Hong raised the corners of her lips meaningfully.

The winter days were short. They had come in the afternoon, and it was already dark when they returned.

After turning into a deserted alley, Bai Wenfu asked her, “What did Su Hong say to you?”

Ye Yun blinked, her voice so calm that it was like a stone tied with rope sinking to the bottom of a lake, unable to stir up even a ripple.

“She said you’ve devoured me until there’s not even a bone left, that I look neither like a human nor a ghost.”

Bai Wenfu stopped walking, facing the endless alley. His emotions surged and churned like a rapid current. He felt like he was standing in the wilderness, and in an instant, the cold wind howled from all directions, tearing his internal organs to shreds.

Suddenly, he released Ye Yun and walked straight into the endless darkness.

She stood there, and the moment her hand slipped from his palm, tears blurred her vision. He became farther and farther away in her eyes until she could no longer see him.