In the moments that followed, Jiang Lai simply stopped moving. She didn’t resist, nor did she bother to emphasize any agreements or promises to Si Yina—those things were meaningless now.
Jiang Lai closed her eyes, relaxing her body as much as possible, trying desperately to think of something else. She wanted her soul to detach from her physical form as quickly as possible, to stop noticing Si Yina’s actions.
But Si Yina was a total dog; taking just one bite was seemingly not enough for her.
Even though Jiang Lai had placed her attention elsewhere, the pain radiating from her skin served as a constant reminder that someone was draped over her, gnawing at her, defiling her over and over.
Jiang Lai didn’t consider herself an elegant or purely innocent person. At times, she felt she was “dirty,” or perhaps a bit too casual—after all, she had once asked Xu Ruobing if she could take her first time.
Yet, even being that kind of person, Jiang Lai did not want to be touched by others so easily.
Toward Xu Ruobing, beyond a natural affection, she felt a deep sense of unworthiness. The woman gave her too much, so much that Jiang Lai felt she could never repay it.
Toward her sister-in-law, Chi Yingyu, Jiang Lai showed nothing but indulgence. She didn’t hate it, but she would never allow such things to continue between them.
But when it came to Si Yina—if it weren’t for the fact that she truly couldn’t fight back—Jiang Lai wouldn’t want even a single finger of hers to be touched by this woman.
Just being near her filled Jiang Lai’s heart with loathing and repulsion.
It was a nausea that couldn’t be erased, a pain more agonizing than any other situation. And yet, Jiang Lai could not refuse.
She didn’t know how long the bath lasted. By the time both of their heads were spinning from the heat, the absurd ordeal finally ended. Before leaving, Si Yina looked at the “masterpiece” on Jiang Lai’s body with great satisfaction. Finally content, she left the bathroom to prepare the clothes Jiang Lai would wear next.
Left alone, Jiang Lai curled up in the tub. The moment she heard the heavy thud of the door closing, the grievances she had been suppressing finally flowed out in the form of tears.
As soon as she realized she was crying, she quickly scooped up some water to wash her face, trying to scrub the tears away to appear stronger. She fought to suppress the collapsing emotions in her heart.
Resting her hand against the water-beaded wall, she slowly moved to the sink. She looked at the steam-covered mirror; even though it couldn’t reflect her body clearly, she didn’t dare look at herself.
Only after fully preparing herself did Jiang Lai violently wipe away the condensation. She stared into the mirror at the pink teeth marks scattered across her snow-white skin.
If these marks were only on her body, she could hide them. But Si Yina was like a sick animal; she had bitten everywhere she could reach. It wasn’t just her shoulders, back, and arms—there were even marks on her neck and face that wouldn’t rub off.
What kind of normal person bites someone’s face?
Jiang Lai finally broke. Looking at her wretched appearance—an appearance she couldn’t show anyone—she wept while harboring a deep resentment in her heart. Why did she have to be treated this way?
Jiang Lai only wanted to live a peaceful life with the people she cared about. Tears slid from the corners of her eyes as she sobbed until she started hiccuping, each hiccup causing her entire body to tremble.
She almost admired herself: why did her crying voice sound so delicate, even a little bit “cutesy,” like she was acting spoiled?
At this moment, Jiang Lai felt a flicker of loathing for her current body. Could I not be a little more tough?
She didn’t know how long she stayed in that low state until the sound of the door opening outside rang out again. Jiang Lai quickly used hot water to wash away the tear stains. Aside from her reddened eyes, she looked normal.
Fortunately, Si Yina had her own room on this resort island. Jiang Lai wouldn’t have to face the situation of sharing a bed with her tonight. If she really had to lie down with Si Yina, she feared she wouldn’t close her eyes all night and would show up the next day with bloodshot eyes and dark circles.
Si Yina had likely considered this as well, which is why she didn’t push it. Otherwise, with her personality, how could she see a “benefit” and not take it?
When facing her parents, even Si Yina didn’t dare be negligent. Jiang Lai needed to be in high spirits the next day to leave a good impression on them and have the energy to cooperate with her.
Under these circumstances, Si Yina forced her desire to go further to a halt.
However, even without Si Yina there, as long as she was still under someone else’s control and her freedom didn’t belong to her, Jiang Lai could not sleep soundly or feel at ease.
Before leaving, Si Yina specifically told Jiang Lai to rest early and prepare for tomorrow. But how could Jiang Lai fall asleep so easily?
Deep into the night, when the outside world had grown quiet and it felt as if even the island itself had fallen asleep, Jiang Lai took out every piece of clothing she could find in the room and wrapped them around herself.
Though she “wrapped herself up,” it was only two pieces: a soft, close-fitting pajama set and a large bathrobe. If she wore only this at home, she might freeze to death, but here, these two items were enough.
Tucking herself in tightly, Jiang Lai walked out of the room.
She wasn’t trying to run away. She just felt that the room was too stifling, giving her an oppressive feeling. She wanted to go to the beach to breathe.
To prevent Si Yina from misunderstanding and thinking she was escaping, Jiang Lai specifically sent her a message before going out. Although reporting to this woman made her feel sick, she obediently disclosed her whereabouts to avoid unnecessary trouble.
Jiang Lai never expected that one day she would be reporting her movements to the person she hated most.
She thought that because she had been so “obedient” in sharing her location, Si Yina would simply allow her to wander. But just as she stepped out the door, she saw Si Yina’s reply:
[Wait for me. If you want to walk, I’ll accompany you.]