novelraw Chapter 0106 Like a Mannequin
Chapter 0106 Like a Mannequin
Dinner time.
The main lights in the restaurant were not on; only a wall lamp with a cool tone was left on.
Wen Ning sat at the dining table.
This time, Jiang Ci didn't need to feed her, nor did he need to threaten her.
She is very self-aware.
Holding chopsticks in his hand, in front of him was a bowl piled high with rice and several plates of exquisite dishes.
Stir-fried green peppers with shredded pork, stir-fried bitter melon, and a bowl of medicinal soup.
Wen Ning hates green peppers the most.
I hate eating bitter melon even more.
When they were together before, if there was even a tiny bit of green pepper in the dish, she would frown and pick it out, then whine and beg Jiang Ci to take care of it for her.
That was her "spoiled" nature, a privilege she had been spoiled by him.
But now.
She picked up a piece of green pepper and put it in her mouth.
Without hesitation, without selection.
chew.
Swallow.
Expressionless.
It's like a robot that's been programmed to carry out the instruction to "eat".
It requires neither taste nor preference.
All you need to do is put something in his stomach to maintain his vital signs and prevent him from finding an excuse to give you a shot.
Jiang Ci sat opposite him.
He didn't touch his chopsticks.
Those deep eyes were fixed intently on her every move.
Watching her swallow mechanically, watching her swallow the green pepper she hated the most without even frowning.
That kind of obedience.
That kind of obedience.
It was clearly what he wanted; he forced it out of him through underhanded means.
but.
Why does it look so glaring?
Why does a strange, uncontrollable feeling of irritation well up inside me?
When Wen Ning's chopsticks reached for the plate of stir-fried bitter melon.
With a "snap".
Jiang Ci suddenly reached out with his chopsticks and pressed them down on hers.
Wen Ning was stunned for a moment, looked up at him, and her eyes were filled with fear.
"President Jiang...?"
Jiang Ci remained silent.
He frowned and roughly pushed aside the piece of bitter melon under her chopsticks.
Then, he put the two peeled shrimp from his bowl into hers.
"Eat this."
He said coldly.
"Bitter melon is too cooling; your stomach isn't good."
Wen Ning's fingers trembled slightly.
She looked at the shrimp in the bowl, then at Jiang Ci's awkward profile.
I have mixed feelings in my heart.
But she didn't show it.
She simply nodded mechanically: "Thank you, Mr. Jiang."
Then, pick up a shrimp and put it in your mouth.
It still looks the same soulless thing.
Jiang Ci looked at her.
The anger in my heart suddenly flared up.
It's not because she's disobedient, but because she's too obedient.
It was as obedient as a mannequin that had lost the ability to feel pain.
Stop pretending.
He stared at her, his eyes sinister, but his voice was very low.
"Don't you find it disgusting?"
He leaned forward, staring at her with an intense and intimidating gaze.
"What's wrong?"
"He can even eat things he used to hate without batting an eye?"
"Wen Ning, where is your bottom line?"
He was provoking her.
He wanted to see her angry, to see her rebel, to see her smash the bowl in his face and yell at him for being a bastard.
Even hatred is better than this lifeless indifference.
At least that way, she was still alive.
Wen Ning finally stopped eating.
She put down her chopsticks.
They were arranged neatly.
then.
She looked up.
He met Jiang Ci's eyes, which were filled with violent emotions.
She didn't cry.
He didn't get angry.
The corners of her mouth slowly, little by little, turned upwards.
It drew out an extremely standard arc.
Eight teeth were visible.
This is a laugh.
But it was a laugh devoid of warmth and soul.
"General Manager Jiang."
She looked at him, still wearing that fake smile.
Her voice was soft, yet every word was piercing.
"Didn't you want me to be obedient?"
"I'm being very obedient now."
"As for pride..."
She tilted her head, her eyes vacant.
"What's the use of that kind of thing?"
"I am now just your assistant, your tool for paying off debts, a...pet you keep in this cage."
Do pets need pride?
"Pets only need to wag their tails and beg for attention, they only need to please their owners, right?"
"As long as you're happy."
"Don't mention bitter melon."
"Even if it's poison, I'll eat it with a smile if you let me."
Are you... satisfied now?
Jiang Ci looked at that smile.
I felt a chill run from the soles of my feet straight up to the top of my head.
My heart felt like it had been brutally sawed open with a blunt knife, bleeding profusely.
He lost.
In this game.
He thought he was in control, the winner.
But seeing her like this, he only felt pain.
The pain was so intense I couldn't breathe.
He would rather she beg for mercy in tears than see her being so cruel to him.
I trampled my dignity underfoot and emptied my soul, all just to appease him.
"That's enough..."
Jiang Ci suddenly stood up.
The chair made a screeching sound.
He couldn't bear to look at that smile anymore.
He was afraid he would go crazy if he looked at it too much.
I was afraid I wouldn't be able to resist pulling her into my arms and begging her to stop laughing.
Stop laughing.
He roared through gritted teeth, his voice trembling slightly.
"It looks awful."
Done.
He turned and strode out of the restaurant.
With a "bang".
He slammed the sliding door leading to the balcony shut.
He didn't go far.
He stood behind the balcony door, gripping the doorknob tightly, panting heavily.
Trying to calm the heart that was about to explode.
……
In the restaurant.
Silence returned.
Wen Ning remained seated.
The fake smile on her face collapsed the moment Jiang Ci turned around.
She covered her chest.
The nausea that I had forcibly suppressed finally came back to haunt me.
The food I just forced down my throat is churning violently in my stomach.
She rushed into the first-floor restroom.
He was lying next to the toilet.
"vomit--"
Everything I had just eaten, along with stomach acid, came back up.
She hasn't changed.
She's still the same picky, spoiled Wen Ning.
Every bite she took just now was a double torment for her, both physically and mentally.
"Cough cough... vomit..."
Wen Ning vomited until tears streamed down her face, her whole body trembled, and her fingers gripped the edge of the toilet tightly until her knuckles turned white.
Just then.
I heard hurried footsteps behind me.
Before she could react...
A warm, large hand gently patted her back.
Help her catch her breath.
Followed by.
A glass of warm water was brought to my lips.
"gargle."
Jiang Ci's voice came from above.
It was no longer the rage from before, but rather an undisguised panic and heartache.
Wen Ning paused for a moment, then looked up with tears in her eyes.
Jiang Ci squatted down beside her.
His brows were furrowed, and his face looked even worse than hers.
He held a tissue in one hand and was patting her back with the other.
He didn't leave.
He kept listening to what was happening inside.
The moment he heard her vomit, all the cold war and lessons he had learned were thrown to the back of his mind.
Wen Ning rinsed her mouth.
He leaned weakly against the wall.
Jiang Ci looked at her pale face.
He sighed.
He reached out and gently wiped away the water stains and tears from the corners of her mouth with a tissue.
The movements were somewhat clumsy, but very gentle.
"If you can't eat it, why force yourself?"
His voice was low and tinged with frustration.
"Are you an idiot?"
Wen Ning looked at him.
Looking at the bloodshot veins that hadn't faded from his eyes.
"Because... I want to make you happy."
She said in a low voice.
Jiang Ci's hand stopped.
He looked at her, his eyes filled with an extremely complex expression.
At last.
He didn't say anything.
He bent down and scooped her up in his arms.
"I don't need you to satisfy me."
He carried her out of the bathroom, his tone harsh, but he pulled her closer to him.
"You're not allowed to eat bitter melon anymore."
"You're not allowed to eat green peppers either."
"Just ask Auntie to make whatever you want to eat."
He paused, then added:
"Even if you only eat snacks... no one will dare to stop you."
Wen Ning leaned against him.
Listen to his strong heartbeat.
Tears streamed down her face again.
This time it's not because I'm feeling unwell.
Rather, it's because...
That familiar Jiang Ci, who only indulged her.
It seems... it's come back a little bit.