Zhuo Wenshu quickly grabbed hold of the blanket, and for the first time in a long while, his perpetually stormy face showed cracks in his composure. Instead of cursing or striking out, he asked, “Did you notify the others?”
Of course not! No way would she let a bunch of guys intrude on such a perfect moment of privacy. If she invited them here, how could she carry on with her “devoted lover” persona? How could there be any sparks of love without a little intimate proximity?
Shi Jiaojiao had thought through this act carefully, even dying repeatedly to test it. She had figured out exactly what Zhuo Wenshu lacked: money couldn’t touch him, guilt didn’t faze him, and disappearing would only make him more relentless in his pursuit of vengeance. The only thing that could move him was emotion—real, raw emotion. The only viable script for them was a twisted tale of “enemies turned lovers,” steeped in bitterness and passion.
“I don’t have their phone numbers,” she said with an innocent face, all wide-eyed sincerity. “I wanted to take care of you myself. Even if I did call them, would a bunch of men be any good at caring for you? I’m much better at it.”
Zhuo Wenshu had been so angry at her these past few days that he felt his life was being shortened by sheer frustration. Yet now, seeing her calmly say such words with that matter-of-fact expression, he found himself unable to explode like he usually would.
“Do you still need to pee?” Shi Jiaojiao asked, holding the urinal and tugging at the edge of the blanket.
The veins on Zhuo Wenshu’s forehead began to throb, but after a moment of suppressing the urge to strangle her, he gritted out, “The bathroom.”
Shi Jiaojiao didn’t argue, immediately stowing the urinal under the bed. She helped him swing his legs over the side and put his slippers on, carefully avoiding the bandages that kept his broken bones in place. Supporting his good arm, she half-carried, half-dragged him to the bathroom.
It wasn’t far, just within the hospital room, but even that short distance left both of them drenched in sweat.
As they reached the toilet, Shi Jiaojiao asked again, “Number one or number two? Should I help you sit down?”
Zhuo Wenshu’s neck muscles tightened as he clenched his jaw, unsure whether it was from embarrassment or pain. He stood frozen, then raised the arm draped over her shoulders and muttered through gritted teeth, “Get out.”
“You can’t stand on your own,” she reminded him, holding onto his waist and pressing part of her body against his for support. “You’ve only got one working hand, and I’m not going to help you with your pants, so hurry up. I won’t peek, I promise.”
Zhuo Wenshu’s ears turned a fiery red, and though his face was locked in a deep scowl, he realized that arguing now would only be foolish. Resigned, he lowered his pants and finally relieved himself, all while Shi Jiaojiao turned her face away.
The sound of rushing water was loud in the tiny bathroom, and it was clear he had been holding it in for a while. Shi Jiaojiao, true to her word, didn’t peek—but as he shook himself off at the end, she inadvertently jerked from the sudden movement.
Not physically strong to begin with, supporting Zhuo Wenshu’s weight was a struggle, and his slight shift threw them both off balance, causing his injured ankle to touch the floor.
Zhuo Wenshu winced in pain, instinctively shifting more weight onto Shi Jiaojiao. Unable to withstand the added pressure, she stumbled backward, their combined weight teetering dangerously.
Behind them was the sink, and a direct fall could snap her spine—though she was less worried about herself and more concerned that Zhuo Wenshu would get hurt again.
In a split second, Shi Jiaojiao gritted her teeth, twisted her body, and redirected their momentum so that she crashed into the wall instead. The impact left her breathless, and for a few seconds, her vision went white. But even in that state, she kept her arm protectively over Zhuo Wenshu’s injured side.
She might just start believing she genuinely cared for this guy after all.
Zhuo Wenshu reacted quickly as well, pressing his good hand against the wall to stop himself from completely collapsing on her. While their upper bodies had some space between them, the lower half of their bodies did not—and Shi Jiaojiao could distinctly feel something soft and… sizable, still hanging between them.
As could Zhuo Wenshu.
Shi Jiaojiao, now in intense pain and with her mind somewhat foggy, didn’t think much of it at first. It was her first real-life encounter with this particular body part. After all, she had never written specific dimensions for Zhuo Wenshu, but as a standard web-novel male lead, Dan Qin was famously described as being “18 centimeters, lasting two hours, all night long.” Surely, Zhuo Wenshu had his fair share of masculine endowments too.
She couldn’t help but marvel aloud, “Wow, you’re really well-endowed.” It was a genuine compliment, coming from someone who hadn’t even scripted it.
Zhuo Wenshu, who had been frozen like a statue, suddenly combusted. The hatred and fury he had been holding back boiled over, erasing any remaining sense of reason. He didn’t even bother to adjust himself—his hand immediately flew to her throat, gripping it tightly.
“If you dare look again, I’ll gouge your eyes out!”
Shi Jiaojiao inwardly cursed his obsession with choking her, but outwardly she blinked innocently, choking out, “I wasn’t… looking… I just felt it…”
Afraid that Zhuo Wenshu would actually strangle her to death again, she quickly and efficiently grabbed his precious “package” and tucked it back in for him.
Immediately after doing it, she realized she may have crossed a line.
Oh no… He didn’t even want me to look, and now I’ve touched it…
True to form, Zhuo Wenshu snapped. His hand clamped down harder, and darkness started closing in on Shi Jiaojiao’s vision as her air supply was cut off.
Not again… Am I really going to die again?
Unwilling to give up just yet, Shi Jiaojiao clawed at his underarm, where she knew his ticklish spots were. Sure enough, his grip loosened momentarily, and she seized the chance to crouch low and press herself against him. Now, even if he tried to strangle her, he could only grab the back of her neck. And in his current state, he couldn’t kill her that way.
“Why are you so unreasonable?” Shi Jiaojiao coughed, her voice muffled by the fact that her face was buried in his chest. “You didn’t even wash your hands after peeing, and now you’re getting it all over me…”
Zhuo Wenshu’s expression twisted in sheer fury. Shi Jiaojiao, sensing he was still on the verge of another violent outburst, hurriedly suggested, “Let’s talk this through calmly, okay?”
She waited a few moments, and when he didn’t tighten his grip any further, she finally lifted her head. She adjusted their position so that they were both more comfortable, leaning against the wall for support.
But Zhuo Wenshu wasn’t done. His voice, like venom laced with deadly intent, seeped into her ear, “You… are… asking… to… die!”
Shi Jiaojiao quickly placed her hand back on his ticklish spot, forcing him to stiffen. His face turned through a full spectrum of colors—red, orange, green, and blue—as his temper wavered. She took the opportunity to plead, “Hold on! Just listen to me for a minute!”
Zhuo Wenshu, breathing heavily, scoffed. “You want me to spare your life? Are you that afraid of dying?”
Shi Jiaojiao nodded without shame. “Yes, I am. I don’t want to die—I want to be with you.”
Zhuo Wenshu tilted his head slightly, his handsome features marred by a venomous glare. His crimson lips curled into a sinister smile, like a vengeful ghost that had just claimed a victim.
Shi Jiaojiao swallowed hard but pressed on. “Killing me won’t change anything. Can you turn back time? Will you undo the five years you lost? Will your sight return, or will the suffering disappear?”
Zhuo Wenshu’s smile grew wider, showing his sharp, white teeth. “And so what?”
He seemed amused, as if he had heard the world’s most ridiculous joke. “Since none of that can be undone, that’s exactly why I should kill you—to vent my anger!”
Shi Jiaojiao quickly shook her head. “No, no, that’s not it. You need to keep me alive.”
“Killing me will only bring temporary satisfaction,” she reasoned. “But if you keep me around, you can take your time torturing me. I won’t resist, no matter what you do. I’ll serve you in every way, as long as you can vent your hatred.”
As long as you let go of your grudge, I’ll finally be free!
Zhuo Wenshu’s smile slowly faded as he stared at her, trying to figure out what kind of twisted game she was playing.
“I’m serious,” she continued. “As long as you don’t hate me anymore and let me live, I’ll do anything for you.” She licked her lips nervously before adding, “Besides, there are other ways to vent, right?”
She genuinely didn’t mean anything suggestive by this, but Zhuo Wenshu clearly misinterpreted her words. He narrowed his eyes and spat, “You? Don’t even try. Stay the hell away from me—I find you disgusting!”
Shi Jiaojiao blinked, looking down at herself in confusion. She was wearing clean clothes. It took her a second to understand that by “disgusting,” Zhuo Wenshu meant something else entirely.
“I’m still a virgin!” she protested indignantly.
Zhuo Wenshu sneered. “It’s your soul that’s filthy.”
“And how would you know?” she shot back. “Have you ever taken a good look at me? Can you see through me that clearly? Why don’t you take a closer look?”
He realized how absurd it was to be holding her in this near-embrace while arguing, and his face darkened. He stopped responding altogether, his expression growing more sour by the second.
Sensing that she had inadvertently hit another nerve, Shi Jiaojiao quickly changed her tone, clearing her throat and suggesting, “Let’s get you back to bed…”
Zhuo Wenshu said nothing, so Shi Jiaojiao ducked under his arm again and helped him back toward the bed.
Just as she bent down to help him sit properly, she felt a hand clamp down on the back of her neck. In one swift motion, Zhuo Wenshu slammed her face into the mattress, pressing her down with the blanket muffling her nose and mouth.
The familiar sensation of suffocation crept in again, and Shi Jiaojiao flailed, reaching back to grab at Zhuo Wenshu. But with her face buried in the bed, her arms were useless for anything other than weakly fluttering in protest.
Just when she thought she might actually die again, Zhuo Wenshu loosened his grip slightly. His voice, thick with menace, came from above her. “Call the others. Or I’ll smother you for real this time.”