novelraw Chapter 54 What's your relationship with her?
Chapter 54 What's your relationship with her?
Gu Yanshen froze completely.
The icy coldness of the pills on his fingertips seemed to freeze his heart instantly, coursing through his veins. Just moments before, she had been laughing and chatting with her grandmother, linking fingers and dreaming of having "several children," making the old woman beam with joy. But as she turned away, she found birth control pills hidden in her bag.
He disliked any barriers; what he wanted was unreserved, complete possession, including a small life flowing with each other's blood, a proof that would bind them even closer together.
But she... actually refused?
This realization was like a dull knife, repeatedly cutting into his chest, which had just been filled with warmth, bringing a dull pain mixed with anger and confusion.
The sound of water in the bathroom stopped, and he quickly put the pills back in their place, his movements returning to their usual calm and steady state, as if nothing had happened.
Lu Xiran walked out, drying her wet hair, carrying the fresh scent of her shower, her face still flushed a faint pink from the steam. The next second, she was pulled into a burning embrace by an irresistible force.
"Uncle...you still..." Before she could finish speaking, her lips were forcefully sealed.
This kiss was unlike any of his previous gentle probing or passionate lingering; it carried an almost anxious force and a possessive quality, as if urgently confirming something, or perhaps a silent interrogation. His arms held her tightly, almost as if he wanted to meld her into his body.
Lu Xiran was taken aback by his sudden intensity, but she only stiffened slightly before obediently accepting it.
She was always like this, incredibly obedient in front of him. Whether it was the arrangements she made for him on a daily basis or the intimate moments they shared, she almost instinctively followed his rhythm and catered to his demands.
"You are mine." He whispered, his lips close to hers, his tone more obsessive than ever before.
"Say it," he stepped back slightly, his deep eyes locking onto her misty gaze, his tone commanding, "say you're mine."
"I……"
He increased the pressure, causing her to gasp softly.
"...I am yours," she finally replied softly, her voice trembling slightly.
That night, Gu Yanshen channeled all the pent-up frustration and anger in his heart into his demands on her. His actions were more forceful than ever before, even carrying a hint of punishment. Lu Xiran obediently accepted his advances without the slightest resistance, only occasionally letting out soft sobs from her tightly clenched lips, further stirring the conflicted and turbulent waves within him.
When Lu Xiran woke up the next day, her body felt as if it had been completely dismantled. In front of the mirror, she looked at the marks of varying depths all over her body, her cheeks burning, and her waist and legs so sore that she could barely stand.
Gu Yanshen had already woken up and was standing by the window, his back straight yet exuding a melancholy. His anger had not completely subsided; instead, after calming down, it fermented into a deeper irritation and... a trace of barely perceptible hurt.
He wanted a child, not only because of his grandmother's expectations, but also because he longed for a definite connection between the two of them, an anchor point that could keep her forever in his life's trajectory.
He has even started thinking about how to renovate the nursery.
But she was secretly planning to erase any possibility between them.
He deliberately postponed his trip to the company.
Lu Xiran struggled to get up, her body aching slightly, causing her to frown. She walked to the dressing table, hesitated for a moment, then took out the medicine from deep inside her small bag, scooped out a pill, and swallowed it with water.
Just then, the door was pushed open.
"M-Uncle? Why haven't you gone to the company yet?" Lu Xiran was startled and subconsciously put her hands behind her back, a hint of panic flashing in her eyes.
"I forgot a document." Gu Yanshen's gaze swept over her indifferently, landing on the slightly open bag, his eyes dimming almost imperceptibly. He took a few steps closer, his tone unreadable: "What are you holding?"
"N-nothing..." Lu Xiran didn't dare to look him in the eye, her fingertips curling unconsciously. "It's just... vitamins. I haven't been sleeping well lately, and I'm worried about my skin condition, so I'm taking some." She couldn't lie at all; her eyes darted around, and her tone was unnaturally hesitant.
Gu Yanshen's Adam's apple bobbed, and the heavy, oppressive feeling in his chest almost burst forth. He glanced at her, his usually deep and unfathomable eyes churning with complex emotions, which ultimately culminated in a simple syllable: "...Okay."
He didn't ask any more questions and turned to leave the room.
Gu Yanshen was engrossed in the documents, his efficiency astonishing. He signed quickly and decisively, as if pouring all his chaotic emotions into his work. However, the wrinkle between his brows, which he unconsciously furrowed, remained.
"Aren't you going to have lunch with Miss Lu today?" Lin Chen came in with several documents awaiting approval, placed one of them beside him, and teased him in a familiar tone.
He had followed Gu Yanshen for many years. Although Gu Yanshen rarely brought his personal emotions to his work, he still noticed the low mood and subtle irritability today.
"She has plans with her best friend." Gu Yanshen said calmly without looking up.
"Then it seems I'll have to reluctantly have lunch with President Gu." Lin Chen smiled, bringing over lunch for the two of them from the secretariat, and tentatively asked, "What's wrong? Feeling awkward?"
Gu Yanshen put down his pen, rubbed his temples, and unusually, didn't deny it. He silently ate a few bites, then suddenly spoke, his voice somewhat deep: "Tell me, if a woman loves a man, wouldn't she want to have his child?"
"Huh?" Lin Chen almost choked on his food. This question was far beyond the scope of his usual business dealings. "I guess...right."
"So," Gu Yanshen's voice carried an almost obstinate conclusion, "if a woman is unwilling to have a man's child, does that mean... she doesn't love him?"
Lin Chen was stunned, and asked cautiously, "Mr. Gu, you mean... Miss Lu doesn't want to..." Before he could finish speaking, he was silenced by Gu Yanshen's sudden icy gaze.
"It wasn't me." Gu Yanshen denied it stiffly, but his expression darkened further.
Lin Chen sighed inwardly, put down his chopsticks, and tried to analyze the situation more rationally: "Actually, I think there could be many reasons. In some cases, it might simply be that the feelings haven't reached that stage yet..."
Gu Yanshen's eyes instantly turned murderous.
"Of course, there are other possibilities," Lin Chen quickly added. "For example, is the woman relatively young? Or perhaps she herself isn't ready, feels uncertain about the future, and lacks... a sense of security?"
"A sense of security?" Gu Yanshen frowned.
"Hmm." Lin Chen carefully chose his words. "For example, if a girl is only in her early twenties and has just experienced a family tragedy, or even faced danger, the scars in her heart may not have fully healed. At this time, asking her to immediately devote herself wholeheartedly to conceiving a life might require even greater courage and... certainty for her."
He paused, observing Gu Yanshen's reaction, and continued, "Especially if, at this time, there are some... unstable factors around her, such as ambiguous past relationships or entanglements, constantly stirring her emotions. How can you expect her to be 100% certain that the love this man gives is complete, steadfast, and belongs only to her?"
Lin Chen's tone became serious, even carrying a sharpness rarely seen in him: "Or perhaps, has that man himself truly figured out who he loves? Is his behavior enough to reassure her?"
Gu Yanshen's hand gripping the chopsticks tightened slightly, his knuckles turning somewhat white.
The office was silent for a few seconds.
"Lin Chen," Gu Yanshen suddenly looked up, his gaze sharp as a knife, shooting straight at his special assistant, "What exactly is your relationship with her?"